"Can I help?" Gina asked.
Jack looked over at her; he'd almost forgotten for a moment that Sam and Gina were still in the tent. The two of them were watching Jack and Xara, and he saw that Sam seemed slightly dazed. Probably no more than Jack was. He was okay with Madam Xara guessing that he had enemies – everyone had enemies, right? – but how did she know about Shawn? Or Charlie? She'd been fairly specific, after all.
"You help already, child," Xara told Gina, and the girl smiled.
"Well..." Jack stood up, and looked down at the woman seated at the table. "We should probably be getting on our way."
Madam Xara nodded, although the look on her face plainly told her that she knew he wasn't pressed for time and was leaving for other reasons.
"Seers only tell what they see, Jack," Xara told him, reaching her hand down and stroking Jaffer's glossy black hide. "But I would like for you to stay for a moment. I'd like to speak with you... alone... for just a moment." She looked at Sam and Gina, and Jack followed her gaze, and scowled again. Really, the last thing he wanted was to hang out here any more.
"We'll wait outside," Sam said, her expression plainly confused. She took Gina's hand and led the girl out of the flap, closing it once more behind her and leaving Jack and Jaffer alone with the strange woman.
"How did-?"
"It's a gift I bear," Xara told him, interrupting his question. "Usually it's not so strong, although the moment you entered, I could feel you. And your friend, here." She looked down at Jaffer.
"What did you mean by guardian spirit?" Jack asked, curiously. He couldn't help himself. More than anything, that phrase had struck him as important. Probably because he knew she'd been referring to Jaffer, and he was always worried about things that related to Jaffer. More so than anything else.
"That's not what I wished to discuss with you..." Xara told him, leaning back in her chair slightly. "There is another issue..."
"I'm full of issues," Jack said, trying to make it sound nonchalant.
"You're a far more complex soul than you wish to believe."
"There's nothing complex about me," he disagreed. "If your spirits are telling you otherwise, then they're wrong."
She laughed, a soft, sincere chuckle.
"I don't talk to spirits, Jack. I don't need to." She looked at Jaffer. "Although sometimes I wish I could."
"What-"
"Enough of this." Madam Xara told him, standing up as well. "I cannot tell you anymore of guardian spirits, for they have their own secrets, and those secrets are hidden, even from me. Instead, I'd speak with you of Samantha."
"My Sam?"
She nodded.
"What about her?"
"She is unable to conceive a child."
"What? How did you know that?" They'd managed to conceive only once, with disastrous results when the baby had been lost in a miscarriage. Only a few people knew about it, though, and that wasn't something Madam Xara could have seen on Sam's face – or Jack's.
"There's a darkness in her aura that speaks to me of it. She longs for your child, and feels inadequate because she cannot give you one."
"I don't care if she never has-"
"She's not infertile, Jack." Xara told him, lifting her hand to stop him. "She could give you a child, if the two of you can find out what is keeping her from conceiving."
Now he understood why she didn't want Gina or Sam in the room, but Jack was still as confused as ever. But curious, despite his confusion.
"What is it?"
Xara shrugged. "I don't know. I've never seen anything like it."
"Then why-"
"Someone knows the answer. Someone connected to your son. Ask and discover the problem, and complete her."
"But-"
"I can say no more," Xara said. "Already I've confused you and annoyed you, and I will leave it at that."
"I'm not annoyed."
"Your aura tells me otherwise."
Well, maybe he was a little annoyed. More confused than anything, though.
"I'm just..."
"Confused."
"Yeah."
"Eventually you will understand. Some day. All things are ultimately explained."
Yeah? She'd never tried to talk with Daniel about some ancient ruin, then, had she? Or to Carter about some crazy-looking doohickey.
Xara smiled and opened the flap, walking out into the main tent with Jack and Jaffer. Sam and Gina were standing by the table talking to the man in the crazy robes and the turban, and Gina was holding the stuffed black lab Sam had won Jack. Carter smiled when they made their appearance, and Jack tried to see any hint of pain in her expression. He didn't see anything but a little confusion and a lot of love. And he was pretty good at reading her. Probably as good as anyone, and better than most.
"I'm glad you came by," Xara said to them, smiling as she gave Gina a small hug that the girl returned happily. Gina pretty much loved everyone, especially people who liked Jack, and it was obvious that Xara must. After all, she'd spent extra time talking to him. That had to mean something, right?
"It was fun," Gina said. "I'm glad Sam thought of it."
"I am, too."
While Sam said her goodbyes to Madam Xara, Jack gathered up the monkey and the polar bear, handing Jaffer's leash to Sam.
"Remember what I said, Jack," Xara told him, kneeling down and petting Jaffer once more, and murmuring something into the black lab's ear that none of them could hear.
"Um... yeah. I will," Jack promised. Like he'd forget any of this anytime soon? Not likely. He turned to Sam.
"Ready to go?"
Unsure of exactly what was bothering him and wondering why he looked a bit depressed, Sam nodded. She'd ask him later what had happened.
"There's a great big steer a few tents down," Xara said, smiling. "Why not go look at him? I hear he's fairly impressive."
Jack looked over at her; he'd almost forgotten for a moment that Sam and Gina were still in the tent. The two of them were watching Jack and Xara, and he saw that Sam seemed slightly dazed. Probably no more than Jack was. He was okay with Madam Xara guessing that he had enemies – everyone had enemies, right? – but how did she know about Shawn? Or Charlie? She'd been fairly specific, after all.
"You help already, child," Xara told Gina, and the girl smiled.
"Well..." Jack stood up, and looked down at the woman seated at the table. "We should probably be getting on our way."
Madam Xara nodded, although the look on her face plainly told her that she knew he wasn't pressed for time and was leaving for other reasons.
"Seers only tell what they see, Jack," Xara told him, reaching her hand down and stroking Jaffer's glossy black hide. "But I would like for you to stay for a moment. I'd like to speak with you... alone... for just a moment." She looked at Sam and Gina, and Jack followed her gaze, and scowled again. Really, the last thing he wanted was to hang out here any more.
"We'll wait outside," Sam said, her expression plainly confused. She took Gina's hand and led the girl out of the flap, closing it once more behind her and leaving Jack and Jaffer alone with the strange woman.
"How did-?"
"It's a gift I bear," Xara told him, interrupting his question. "Usually it's not so strong, although the moment you entered, I could feel you. And your friend, here." She looked down at Jaffer.
"What did you mean by guardian spirit?" Jack asked, curiously. He couldn't help himself. More than anything, that phrase had struck him as important. Probably because he knew she'd been referring to Jaffer, and he was always worried about things that related to Jaffer. More so than anything else.
"That's not what I wished to discuss with you..." Xara told him, leaning back in her chair slightly. "There is another issue..."
"I'm full of issues," Jack said, trying to make it sound nonchalant.
"You're a far more complex soul than you wish to believe."
"There's nothing complex about me," he disagreed. "If your spirits are telling you otherwise, then they're wrong."
She laughed, a soft, sincere chuckle.
"I don't talk to spirits, Jack. I don't need to." She looked at Jaffer. "Although sometimes I wish I could."
"What-"
"Enough of this." Madam Xara told him, standing up as well. "I cannot tell you anymore of guardian spirits, for they have their own secrets, and those secrets are hidden, even from me. Instead, I'd speak with you of Samantha."
"My Sam?"
She nodded.
"What about her?"
"She is unable to conceive a child."
"What? How did you know that?" They'd managed to conceive only once, with disastrous results when the baby had been lost in a miscarriage. Only a few people knew about it, though, and that wasn't something Madam Xara could have seen on Sam's face – or Jack's.
"There's a darkness in her aura that speaks to me of it. She longs for your child, and feels inadequate because she cannot give you one."
"I don't care if she never has-"
"She's not infertile, Jack." Xara told him, lifting her hand to stop him. "She could give you a child, if the two of you can find out what is keeping her from conceiving."
Now he understood why she didn't want Gina or Sam in the room, but Jack was still as confused as ever. But curious, despite his confusion.
"What is it?"
Xara shrugged. "I don't know. I've never seen anything like it."
"Then why-"
"Someone knows the answer. Someone connected to your son. Ask and discover the problem, and complete her."
"But-"
"I can say no more," Xara said. "Already I've confused you and annoyed you, and I will leave it at that."
"I'm not annoyed."
"Your aura tells me otherwise."
Well, maybe he was a little annoyed. More confused than anything, though.
"I'm just..."
"Confused."
"Yeah."
"Eventually you will understand. Some day. All things are ultimately explained."
Yeah? She'd never tried to talk with Daniel about some ancient ruin, then, had she? Or to Carter about some crazy-looking doohickey.
Xara smiled and opened the flap, walking out into the main tent with Jack and Jaffer. Sam and Gina were standing by the table talking to the man in the crazy robes and the turban, and Gina was holding the stuffed black lab Sam had won Jack. Carter smiled when they made their appearance, and Jack tried to see any hint of pain in her expression. He didn't see anything but a little confusion and a lot of love. And he was pretty good at reading her. Probably as good as anyone, and better than most.
"I'm glad you came by," Xara said to them, smiling as she gave Gina a small hug that the girl returned happily. Gina pretty much loved everyone, especially people who liked Jack, and it was obvious that Xara must. After all, she'd spent extra time talking to him. That had to mean something, right?
"It was fun," Gina said. "I'm glad Sam thought of it."
"I am, too."
While Sam said her goodbyes to Madam Xara, Jack gathered up the monkey and the polar bear, handing Jaffer's leash to Sam.
"Remember what I said, Jack," Xara told him, kneeling down and petting Jaffer once more, and murmuring something into the black lab's ear that none of them could hear.
"Um... yeah. I will," Jack promised. Like he'd forget any of this anytime soon? Not likely. He turned to Sam.
"Ready to go?"
Unsure of exactly what was bothering him and wondering why he looked a bit depressed, Sam nodded. She'd ask him later what had happened.
"There's a great big steer a few tents down," Xara said, smiling. "Why not go look at him? I hear he's fairly impressive."