What Dreams May Hold
This story and all themes and ideas contained in said story are the sole ownership of J.L. Scott. Any copyright infringements can be prosecuted in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: Stargate SG-1 no mine......no money, no sue, please?
They emerged into midmorning Chulak. The smell of spring filled the air and the group could see the first sprigs of flowers popping up along the path.
"Welcome to Chulak, my friends" a stately man greeted them.
"Teal'c!" Jack exclaimed with a smile. He went forward first to clap his friend's hand.
"Hello Teal'c" Daniel shook his hand. Both Sam and Jackie gave him a hug and then the children were scrambling for him.
"Uncle Teal'c, Uncle Teal'c!" All three of them cried as they vied for his attention. He gave them each broad grins and pats on the head. He had never turned into a touchy feely kind of man.
"Your presence is an honor" he finally said.
"Wouldn't miss it" Jack replied.
"Come. There is much yet to do" Teal'c said and he and Jack took the lead on the path up to the city.
"Stay close you three" Sam ordered the children, who were between the two leaders and the other three adults.
"We wouldn't want you getting lost" Jackie added, giving her husband a look.
"Like the last time" he added under his breath.
The path to the city seemed to get shorter each time they took it. The city was expanding under the Jaffa's rule. When the Goa'uld had finally been forced to relinquish control of their Jaffa armies, Teal'c had been begged to be their leader. He was renowned throughout all of the Jaffa culture, under every system lord. Teal'c had strongly considered taking the position. Jack had even encouraged him. In the end, however, another had been chosen and taken on the duty. Teal'c served as the Jaffa liaison to the rest of the galaxy. He had chosen Earth as his center of operations.
"Looks like a shin dig" Jack whistled as they entered the main courtyard. There were colorful tents being erected to their right and to their left. Those on the left were red, those on the right were gold. Teal'c had informed Daniel that these were the traditional colors of a wedding celebration in the Jaffa culture. At least, they were on Chulak. Daniel had the impression that those colors might change from planet to planet, depending on who had been system lord there.
"What is a shin dig?" A young man asked from behind them. Jack swiveled and was confronted with a grown Rya'c.
"Well, if it isn't the man himself" Jack greeted the young man he had come to consider as a nephew, at the very least.
"I am pleased you have come, General O'Neill" Rya'c bowed solemnly.
"The honor's mine" Jack replied seriously.
"Congratulations, Rya'c" Daniel said. Rya'c nodded at him.
"Your presence honors me, Daniel Jackson"
"Where's your bride, Rya'c?" Sam asked.
"Welcome, Colonel O'Neill. Nau'ri is in the palace. She will not emerge until the ceremony" Rya'c answered.
"Hey, what about me?" Jackie asked with a phony little pout.
"It is good to see you as well, Jackie O'Neill-Jackson" Rya'c nodded at her too. He reminded Daniel so much of his father ten years ago, so formal and stiff. Daniel was amazed at how much the boy had grown since they'd first met.
"Come, there is much to do before the ceremony" Teal'c said, "O'Neill, you must learn the Ritual of Joining"
"Can't wait" Jack replied.
"Daniel Jackson, will you join us?" Rya'c asked.
"Of course" Daniel replied.
"Teal'c?" A woman joined their group. She was garbed completely in gold.
"Valr'y" Teal'c nodded at her, "These are Colonel Samantha O'Neill, wife of my Vark'tok, and Jackie O'Neill-Jackson, wife of Daniel Jackson"
"Hello" Sam nodded at her, and Jackie just smiled.
"Valr'y is the mother of Nau'ri" Teal'c introduced her, "Will you go with her and explain the customs of Earth weddings?"
"Nau'ri is most interested in learning the ways of Earth women" Rya'c told them.
"Of course" Sam answered, exchanging a smile with Jackie. Jaffa women were just as proud and capable as the men. Both women had the feeling the Jaffa warriors would soon be made aware of the fact.
A young maid named Bel're came to take the children. She often watched them when the two families made the trip to Chulak. Sam and Jackie followed Valr'y up toward the palace as Jack and Daniel followed Teal'c and Rya'c to the first red tent in the long line.
The groups were separated until just an hour before the ceremony was to begin. Jackie was already in the tent she and Daniel had been assigned when he returned.
"We should have brought more red clothes" he said as he entered. The tent was quite spacious, surprising the guests from Earth. A table with two chairs had been provided as well as large beds. Teal'c had even managed to scrounge up two mirrors for the women's use. Mirrors were rare on Chulak and considered great treasures. Jackie was trying to utilize hers, repining her hair up.
"I know" she said, sticking the last pin in again, "Three days of wearing red! I don't know how they can stand it" Daniel smiled and took a seat on the edge of the bed, unable to do anything to improve his own appearance. Jackie took a seat beside him, tugging her pumps back on.
"So what's this Ritual of Joining Jack has to do?" she asked.
"Well, apparently, for the first day, the bride and groom are forbidden to even touch. Then, the morning of the second day Jack ties them together with three feet of red and gold cord, which they wear until the next day, except at night when he takes it off so they can go back to their tents. The third day he ties Rya'c's entire left arm to Nau'ri's entire right arm until that night when they're released and spend their first night in the big, striped tent up there." Daniel explained.
"I see" Jackie replied, "And what exactly do we do?"
"We eat. And drink. And make merry" he answered. Jackie laughed.
"Well, I guess I can do that" she said, giving her husband a kiss. Bel're appeared with their two children.
"Bethany what did you do?" Daniel immediately asked. The red skirt that had been pristine not two hours earlier was splattered with dirt and a section of the hem had fallen out. Her hair was full of twigs.
Benjamin was still pristine.
"I am sorry, Master Jackson" Bel're apologized. She didn't have Alexis with her and they assumed that she had already dropped the child off with her own parents.
"I did try to stop her" Bel're bowed her head.
"It's all right, Bel're" Daniel told her, taking the little girl by the hand and leading her to where her mother was rummaging around in the bag she had brought, pulling out red thread and a needle.
"I'm sure it wasn't your fault. Bethany is...more than a handful" Bel're bowed again and backed out of the tent. Daniel lifted the little girl to stand on the bed so Jackie could quickly sew up the hem at least, and then he turned back to his son.
"And where were you when your sister was getting all dirty?" he asked.
"Looking at this" Benjamin held up a rock, "What is it?" Daniel took it and flipped it over.
"It's a fossil" he answered, studying the rock for himself. It was half an imprint of what appeared to be a feather, or perhaps a leaf.
"What's a fossil?" Benjamin asked. Daniel hunkered down holding the object out for his son to see.
"A fossil is an imprint of something in a piece of rock" he explained, "See this looks like it might have been a feather, or possibly some kind of leaf. Where did you get this?"
"By the quarry" his son answered blithely, taking the rock back and gazing at it intently.
"The quarry! What were you doing out there? You know you're not allowed" Jackie cried, snipping her thread.
"That's where Alexis and Bethany wanted to go" the boy answered. The two girls were so much more like their respective O'Neill parents than their others. They caused endless mischief and worry for the adults. The last time they had visited Chulak, for the engagement announcement, they had escaped Bel're and gone on an "expedition," dragging Benjamin and a young Jaffa boy along, pretending to be SG-1. It was a game they often played at home, but without the constraints of their backyard fence they had promptly gotten lost. They were gone for nearly a day before anyone found them, even though almost the entire city, many Jaffa trained in the art of tracking, had been out looking for them.
Neither parent had time to reprimand their daughter however because a loud horn was blown. It was the call to the ceremony. Jackie swiped at the mud on Bethany's skirt and they all processed out of the tent. Sam and Alexis were ahead of them, Jack was already up at the main tent. When the two families, Nau'ri's much larger than Rya'c's who had only the human delegation to stand as family, were all standing in the middle of the courtyard, the bride and groom were passed out from the very last tent in each line. Teal'c and Nau'ri's father were waiting at the main tent. It was they who would actually perform the ceremony. The bride and groom were passed from one family member to the next until they reached the front. Because of their low numbers, Alexis, Benjamin and Bethany had each been tersely instructed on what to do, so that they too could participate.
Daniel squeezed Rya'c's shoulder as he passed the young man to Alexis, who then passed him onto her mother who then passed him up to Jack. Everyone turned to face the front where Rya'c and Nau'ri were separated by a screen.
"Rya'c, son of Teal'c, this is the woman you have chosen as wife. Will you honor her, and her alone, until death has set you apart?" Teal'c asked in a loud and stately voice. Originally, the question had said "until the Lord Apophis, God, sets you apart" but in light of recent events, Teal'c had adopted a somewhat more human approach.
"This I swear upon my honor and upon my soul" Ray'c answered. Daniel could only imagine the ceremony was being done in English for their benefit. He, of course, wouldn't have minded hearing it in its Goa'uld form, but he appreciated the thought for the sake of everyone else.
"Nau'ri, daughter of Valr'y" her father intoned, "This is the man you have chosen as husband. Will you honor him, and him alone, until death has set you apart?"
"This I swear upon my honor and upon my soul" Nau'ri answered. Teal'c and Nau'ri's father each placed a hand on the screen between the couple and pulled it away.
"The first vows have been spoken" Jack called, "Let any man who has fault come forward" Of course nobody did and there was a great cheer. Nau'ri was whisked away by her family and so the Jackson's and O'Neill's hurried to surround Rya'c as well.
The next part of the ceremony was a huge feast, which all of the city was invited to, with loud music and games that involved teenaged Jaffa. Daniel lounged next to Jackie, Sam and Jack on her other side, as they watched.
"What's going on here, Daniel?" Sam asked. He could tell both women were enjoying their romantic sides.
"Uh, it's some kind of traditional dance. Young people are blindfolded and then spun around by their friends. They walk until they bump into someone of the opposite sex. Then they have to spend the rest of the night in each other's company" Daniel explained.
"Ah" Jack quipped, "So it's sort of like pin the tail on the donkey?" Sam laughed and popped a grape into her mouth. Bel're and another maid had taken the children to their beds so their parents could enjoy themselves. Teal'c joined his friends a moment later.
"Teal'c!" Jack said, "Nice party"
"Thank you O'Neill" Teal'c replied, "It is a great joy to see the day of my child's wedding. As it will be for you someday."
"Ha!" Jack barked, "Alexis is never getting married" Teal'c raised an eyebrow.
"Neither is Bethany" Daniel added. Jackie and Sam laughed.
"It's all right, Teal'c" Sam advised him, "You'll recall that human father's don't like to let go of their little girls" She was reminding him of her own father and his reaction to her engagement and wedding. Teal'c nodded, recalling the happy outcome.
It was late when they all retired to their tents. Daniel and Jackie had to be very quiet so as not to wake their slumbering children as they undressed and climbed into bed for a much needed rest.