Serendipity, Pt 2
"Ok, new plan," Talis started after putting her daughter to bed. Sam was still pouring over the star charts.
"The closest planet that I know of that could possibly have a Stargate, or know of one, is Darsto. There really isn't a leader there, it's sort of rowdy, like the Outlands."
She started plotting their course. Once again they founded themselves transporting down to the planet using the rings.
The planet was dingy, and the people walking around were unsavory looking. Talis led them into a bar, reminding them, yet again not to speak to anyone, and started speaking with the bartender. He was laughing at something she said, when the rest of the bar went silent. Talis tensed up, and SG-1 turned to see a strange humanoid walking towards them, with five beefy looking human guards.
"Stahlig." a guttural sound came out of it's mouth.
Talis dropped her head to the bar, "Oh it figures, I'm here for two minutes.." she muttered and turned putting a smile on her face. "Juno, how wonderful to see you!" she said brightly.
"Juno no like Stahlig 'ere." it grumbled.
"Now, Juno, I'm not staying," she promised, "my friends just wanted to see the sights. We were actually leaving, like, any minute now."
Jack muttered, "that has got to be the ugliest man I've ever seen." As soon as he finished the sentence, it squealed in outrage.
"With incredibly good hearing." Talis said turning to look at him.
"Call Juno ugly!" it's pig like face snarled at Talis and Jack.
"That isn't what he meant Juno, he meant the man behind you. Juno you're the prettiest FEMALE," Talis emphasized the word, " Elorian there is." and sighed, thinking 'We are going to get our butts kicked.'
They made their way back to the ship, groaning with every step they took. Every once in a while, Talis would turn and glare at them. "Ya know, when all a person has is luck, she doesn't need a group of bad luck magnets coming on board her ship, and appealing to her good side."
"Good side?" Jack said sarcastically, "Ha, everyone we've met, you've either shot or gotten into a fight with! I'd love to know why that thing hates you!"
As soon as they got on the ship, Talis smacked O'Neill upside the head, "You started that fight by not keeping your mouth shut. I had it covered. I could have probably paid her a fee for the insult of dumping her there the last time we were here. What part of Don't Speak, don't you get?"
Daniel's eyes widened, "Good God, she's a female Jack." he said looking at Teal'c.
He quirked his eyebrow at the two who were starting to narrow their eyes at the rest of the group, "Indeed." he agreed.
"I resent that!!" Jack and Talis chimed in at the same instant, they glowered at each other and went to their separate corners.
The ship had been silent for more than an hour. Talis was pouring over the star-charts, looking at the planets and cross-referencing their history for where the next Stargate would be, with an icepack on her cheek, and her daughter lay sleeping in her arms.
"Do you want me to hold her for awhile?" Sam asked quietly, so as not to wake the child. "She looks like she must be heavy."
Talis looked down at her sleeping daughter, "Unfortunately, she doesn't weigh as much as she should. She's been sick, that is why she wasn't with me when we met. It was touchy getting her on and off the planet without Balthazar's knowledge. She's been with a healer, but they don't know what's wrong with her, something with her lungs." She kissed the little girl's forehead. She gently handed the sleeping child to Sam.
Sam took the child, instantly realizing that Talis was right, she should weigh more. Talis pointed off onto another star chart, Jack had joined them, affected by seeing Sam holding the baby.
"I think we are going to have to go to hyper-space," she said. She gestured towards the first chart, where they had been, "These four planets are all held by my previous master, I know for a fact that there are no Stargates on them. Which leaves Vertor, where I can't go, too many fines to pay, and Spritas, and there is no way we are going there, I don't care if there were ten Stargates, we wouldn't get out of there alive."
She flipped to the chart she had been looking at, "Which leaves one of these three planets, all friendly inhabitants, and to my knowledge, no enemies." She smiled and looked up at them. "Never been in a fight there at all, and never shot anyone." She leaned back looking smug.
"You're the boss." Jack said snidely. Sam pinched him.
"Archamedes, prepare for hyper, three snaps, bearing Hesties Belt."
"Gotcha boss."
"Samantha, could I get your help in making sure the charts match up, Teal'c could you man the gun turret, just in case?"
Sam handed the sleeping child to Jack, before he could say anything, and sat at the console. Jack walked to the back and handed the baby over to Daniel, who had been in the middle of trying to decipher one of the artifacts, he started to protest, and Jack sent him a quelling look. Daniel sighed and looked down at the baby, with a frown. He was surprised to see her eyes open and staring at him. She reached up a little hand to touch his face, sighed a big sigh, and shut her eyes to go back to sleep.
They made the jump. "Ok," Talis said sounding worried, "we should be stopping."
"We're not." Jack shot at her.
"Gee you were able to figure that out all on your own?" she turned away from him and screamed "Arch, pull the plug."
"This is like when we went through the gate." Sam said, Talis looked at her with narrowed eyes. Before he could do anything, the ship came out of hyper-space.
Talis turned to the charts she had in her system, and sat back disgusted. I have no idea where the hell we are. I can't believe how screwed we are."
"We're in the Asgard Galaxy." Sam said looking out the viewport.
"How do you know?" Talis asked.
"Because that's an Asgard ship coming in from the right."
"Oh, thank god!" Jack said looking up.
"They're hailing us," Talis said and hit some controls, Thor's face appeared on the screen.
"Thor, you beautiful alien you," Jack said happily.
"O'Neill, it is a surprise to see you." Thor intoned, "You are very far from home. General Hammond feared that you and your team had been killed in a gate malfunction."
"Well, there was a malfunction," Carter told him, "Luckily, we made a new friend who's been trying to get us home. Can you give us a tow, so we get there quicker?"
"It would be a pleasure Major Carter."
Sam turned back to Talis, as Thor's ship began to take them home, "I'm sorry Talis, I don't know what happened, or how to get you home."
"Hey, at least you guys got home, right?" Talis said staring out the viewport as the stars flew by. "Arch, and I will be ok, we'll figure out a way home."
"Talis," Daniel's voice came from behind her, "Zo's temperature is pretty high."
Talis ran over and took her daughter from him, the baby had started sobbing quietly.
"Hush little dove, mommy is here." Talis started whispering soothing sounds in another language to her daughter.
"Maybe our doctor's can help her." Daniel said kneeling in front of where Talis was sitting, she looked up at him, and he could tell she was fighting back tears.
"Perhaps." she said.
They left The Serendipity on one of their Alpha sites, Archamedes stayed with the ship, while the rest gated back to Earth. They had gotten a message back to the General letting him know that they would need a medic team on site. They came through the gate and rushed the baby to the infirmary. Talis went with them. The rest of the team went to the briefing room with the General.
They filled him in on everything that had happened leaving out the part of Jack and Sam getting intimate. He sensed they weren't telling him everything, but didn't fight it as he was just happy to have them back. He dismissed them to go to the infirmary to get checked out, since he figured he had to go make a phone call to the President regarding a certain helpful group who had brought his team back.
SG-1 got the all clear from the doctor on duty, and headed to find Talis and Zoë. They found them in isolation room 3, Zoë was hooked up to some machines, and Talis was sitting next to the bed, her head on her hands, asleep. She woke up as they entered, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
"How is she?" Sam asked.
"Your doctors ran some tests. Something called X-rays, they took some of her blood. They say she has something called RSV, there was a longer name for it, but I don't remember it. They said that she'll have it always, but that it can be managed with medicine, and breathing treatments. Supposedly she'll grow out of it. She is hooked up to the machines because she is dehydrated."
"Charlie had RSV," Jack said quietly. "It's some scary stuff, but you know now she'll be ok. We can treat that."
"Your doctors are wonderful." Talis told them.
"Why don't we have Daniel take you to the room you'll be staying in while you're here. You can get cleaned up, change into clean clothes, get some rest. You'll feel better, I'll stay here with Zoë." Sam offered.
"I'll stay too." Jack added.
"That actually sounds nice." Talis said leaning over and giving her daughter a kiss, she turned and followed Daniel out.
They walked to the guest rooms in silence.
Daniel let her into the room, "The security camera has been turned off in here, you should feel honored. They trust you. Do you want me to wait out here, to help you get back, or I could show you where the commissary is if you're hungry."
"Yes please wait."
Daniel heard the water go on in the bathroom, he sat down and ran his hands through his hair. He shouldn't have offered to stay. She probably needed time alone, and he was forcing himself on her. Several minutes went by and he heard the water shut off, then it got really quiet. He started to the door to see if she was ok, when he heard the sobs coming through the door. Without even thinking about it, he opened the door to find her sitting on the toilet, wrapped in a towel crying.
Daniel gathered her into his arms, whispering to her that it would be alright. She laid her head on his shoulder and cried. Eventually, she calmed down, and he realized that he was holding a practically naked Talis. He knew she could probably feel his arousal. Without letting him go, she moved her head back to look into his eyes.
"I'm sorry," he started to back away.
Talis dropped the towel and pulled him into a deep kiss. They fell back into the wall, one of his hands fell to her hip and started rubbing. She groaned and started pulling at his t-shirt. They moved out of the bathroom, not breaking away from each other, they managed to get his shirt off. His free hand moved to her bare breasts. They were full, and the nipples were pebbling at his touch. She moved her hands down his jeans, getting the button undone, and the zipper pulled down. They managed to push his pants down to his knees, he pushed her back against the wall. Startling green eyes met startling blue eyes, and she guided him into her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, as he thrusted into her. Each thrust moved her against the wall, and she ran her nails down his back. There were noises coming from the back of her throat, which turned him on even more.
"Oh god," he moaned and thrust into her harder each time. Her moans got louder and louder, and soon his voice was joining hers. They climaxed together, then Daniel, still inside her, carried her to the bed. He laid them both down, and covered them with the light sheet. Holding each other tightly, they slept.
Talis woke him with a kiss, brushing the hair from his face. She was already dressed, wearing a black tank, fatigue pants, and black combat boots. "Good morning," she said to him softly. He started to sit up to apologize, feeling that he had taken advantage of her in an emotional state, she put her finger to his lip. "I don't know about you, but I have no regrets. Now, I am going to check on Zoë. I just wanted to let you know."
She hopped off the bed and left the room. Daniel lay there for a few minutes before getting up to get dressed. In the bathroom, he noticed several scratch marks on his back and arms, along with some faint bite marks on his neck. He flushed slightly, rinsed his face, and headed to his lab hoping not to run into anyone. He just felt lucky that he had already had his post mission check up.
Thinking that he had gotten lucky and made it without anyone seeing him, he stood outside his lab, running his card through to get the door open, he heard someone behind him.
"Danny, there you are," Jack said loudly, "What the hell happened..." he started and was cut off abruptly when Daniel pulled him into the lab and shut the door quickly. He smirked at the doctor, "what have we been doing Daniel, or should I say whom?"
"Would you believe there was a stray cat on base?" Daniel asked lamely.
"Would this be an ebony haired cat, with big green eyes, and a little girl? Daniel, you devil you." Jack teased.
"I don't even know how it happened. You know what I mean," he said as he saw Jack about to make a lewd comment.
"Daniel, you like the girl right?" Jack asked, at Daniel's nod he continued, "then don't worry about it. It's been a stressful few days, there were mutual feelings going around, something happened."
"She scares me a bit." Daniel admitted.
Jack thought about that, "Well she's definitely more aggressive than what you normally go for, but who says that's a bad thing. Just see where it takes you, stop thinking about it so much." Jack left him, and Daniel decided to do some work.
About mid afternoon, Daniel took a break and headed to the infirmary. He wanted to see how Zoë was doing, and he wanted to see Talis again. Jack was right, she wasn't the type of woman he normally got involved with. Maybe that was why he was so shocked at how things were turning out. She was the type of girl who would enjoy a good bar fight, really she was a lot like Jack, which was sort of scary really. Jack drove him nuts. At least it helped him understand how Sam was attracted to Jack. He was probably thinking about it too much anyway.
Just because they had sex, didn't mean they were starting a relationship. He walked into room 3, Talis was sitting in a rocking chair that had been moved in there. She was looking down at her child with her crooked smile. The little girl wasn't hooked up to all of the machines, she was babbling up to her mother, and clapping her little hands together.
"Am I interrupting?" he asked coming farther into the room.
"Not at all, we were just having some girl talk."
"It's good she's off all of the machines right?"
"Definitely, although she'll have to stay in the infirmary for several more days. Samantha wants to take me to get some clothing, and stuff for Zoë. She is trying to talk us into staying, and not trying to find a way home."
"And what do you think of that?"
"I don't know yet." She said, cuddling Zoë close to her, "Arch and Zoë are my only family, have been for a long time. But this is a completely different place. What could a smuggler like me do out there? I'll figure it out eventually I guess. I'm just grateful Zoë is going to get better."
"Let me know if you need anything?" Daniel told her, just then Zoë looked at him and smiled holding her hands out to him.
"Look she remembers you from the ship."
Daniel took the baby from Talis.
"Daniel, thank you for comforting me last night. I know it wasn't what you were expecting when you came to help me."
"No, but then it wasn't a hardship." He said smiling into her eyes, bouncing the baby.
"When I found out I was pregnant with her, it was the worst possible time. I was working my way up to leaving Balthazar, he was quite adamant about me staying, I knew that if he knew about her I'd never be free. So I left earlier than I thought I'd be able to, I had her, and never told him. I've never regretted that decision. Being on my own, making my own decisions for so long, I know that if I make a bad one, I have to live with it. I don't regret what happened. I appreciate what you did. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but I don't expect anything else from you. I just wanted you to know that."
Daniel looked down at Zoë, she had fallen asleep in his arms. Talis took the baby and put her back in her bed, and Daniel left them there like that.
Several weeks passed, and Daniel rarely saw Talis. His friend Naomi was in town, and had asked to get together with SG-1 for dinner. Naomi was an archaeologist who frequently worked with the military, and had worked with SGC several times. Sam had asked if Talis could come. Zoë was out of the hospital, and Cassie was babysitting, apparently having fallen hard for the baby. Talis and Zoë were still staying at the base, but he really hadn't heard much about what they were doing. He did hear from some of the soldiers that she had gone back to the Alpha site to check on Archamedes and her ship.
He dressed carefully in gray Dockers, a blue button down shirt, and darker blue tie.
Jack knocked at his lab door, "We're heading out Danny. You heading out to pick up Naomi?"
"Yep, just going now. Who's riding with you?" Daniel asked, adjusting his tie.
"Teal'c," Jack answered, "Carter and Starling already went to drop Zoë off with Cass. Say, you don't mind Carter asking if Talis could come do you? I knew things cooled down pretty quick for you guys and all, we just didn't want you to be uncomfortable."
"No, it's fine." Daniel assured him. He didn't know exactly what had happened for things to cool off, 'she probably figured out you weren't exciting.' he thought to himself as he headed to get Naomi. Part of the reason he had agreed to the date with Naomi was to reaffirm his type of girl in his head.
He picked up Naomi from her hotel, she was wearing a lovely beige sundress, very classy with her dark blonde hair, and they headed to O'Malley's. Everyone else was there by the time they got there. His eyes picked out Talis immediately. She was wearing a black molding tank top, with green leaf patterns covering it, she also had on black cargo pants which rode low on her hips, showing off her navel. Which he was surprised to see was pierced. She looked slightly naughty, and damn sexy. She was laughing at something Paul Davis was saying. Daniel frowned slightly, he hadn't known Paul would be here tonight. Naomi had hold of his hand when they walked in. Jack called them over, Daniel saw Talis look at them, then look back at Davis. He sighed thinking it was going to be a long night.
Talis was talking to Paul Davis when Daniel showed up with his date. 'So, that's the type of woman that interests Daniel.' she thought to herself, good then that she had been keeping her distance. She had figured she had scared him, so she thought she would give him some space to figure it out and come find her, he hadn't, and now he was here with the blonde, so that settled that. Not that she could seriously consider Paul Davis, he seemed very nice, but nice was a little too sedate. Daniel had been nice, but he had that smidge of bad boy that appealed to her.
As they were eating dinner, she noted how cultured Daniel's Naomi was. She spoke intelligently, and drank wine, whereas Talis was drinking whiskey with Jack. And most of the time she had no idea what Naomi was talking about. Talis was beginning to understand more and more, why Daniel wasn't interested in her. Not only wasn't she as smart as Naomi, there was no way she would ever dress that way. At one point the blonde had even said how she didn't think she would ever have children with being a busy archaeologist, which was what Daniel was, Talis already had a child. As much as Daniel seemed to like Zoë, she was sure that was another mark against her. She wouldn't be with anyone who didn't love Zoë, or children period.
After dinner, Jack and Sam offered to teach her how to play pool. Daniel, Naomi, and few other of the scientists on staff at the base stayed at the table discussing some recent article in one of their magazines. Jack was making rude comments about them, quietly of course, and Talis couldn't help but laugh. With as much bickering as they did, Jack and Talis seemed to enjoy each others company.
Daniel couldn't help feeling uncomfortable, Naomi was practically sitting in his lap, and she kept squeezing his hand. He had made a terrible mistake agreeing to go on this date. He should have just come to dinner with his friends, he wouldn't have had to wear a tie, and he could be playing pool with everyone else, instead of dissecting some magazine article that he didn't even care about. Paul Davis had left, and Daniel had thought that would make it better, but instead it got worse, as several men had started talking to Talis, as Jack and Sam were playing a game of pool. One of the men kept leaning into her and whispering in her ear. She was laughing at whatever he said, and Daniel saw him call the waitress over for another round of drinks. He frowned thinking about how much she had already had to drink. There was a small dance floor in the corner, and it looked like the man was trying to talk Talis into going over to it with him. Daniel thought about the time he had seen her dance, and almost shot up out of his chair to stop them. He tried to pay attention to what Naomi was talking about, but couldn't. He saw Talis toss the drink back, and head to the dance floor with the man. At first he was just grateful it wasn't a slow song, but then he saw them bumping and grinding their bodies together, and decided enough was enough.
"I'll be right back," he muttered to Naomi abruptly and walked over to Jack.
"Should Talis be getting too friendly with that guy?" he asked Jack and Sam. "I mean what if she slips and says something to him about where she comes from."
Sam looked at Jack in amusement, "Daniel, I'm sure it'll be fine. If she decides to stay on Earth, she's going to want to meet people, especially men, at some point."
"Yeah," Jack chimed in, "she's a good looking girl. I'm sure the guy she's dancing with is nice enough. No harm. Now if she decides to take him home, we would have to put a stop to it."
"Well unless she goes home with him" Sam added.
"Yeah, or she got a hotel room, that would be ok." Jack was enjoying watching Daniel's face turn mottled red. Daniel turned, and walked a few feet closer to the dance floor, and stopped. "Ya think that got him?" Jack asked turning back to the pool table.
"Yep. Who's shot?"
Talis was having a good time. When she closed her eyes, she could imagine that she was dancing with Daniel. This guy she was dancing with seemed like a good enough guy. He was fun, he thought he was getting lucky tonight, which wasn't going to happen, but hey no harm in dreaming right?
"Uh oh," Jack said, as he and Sam watched Naomi approach Daniel, looking a little peeved.
"Daniel what is going on?"
"Nothing." Daniel answered looking a little annoyed himself. Talis had left the dance floor, and stood next to Jack and Sam.
"What's going on?" she asked them quietly.
"I think it's about to get a little ugly for Danny. That is not a happy woman, and she isn't pleasant to most people anyway." Jack muttered.
"Are you coming back to the table?" Naomi asked Daniel tapping her foot.
"No, actually I thought I'd play some pool with my friends here, while you were talking to those guys." Daniel answered, starting to get a headache. Why had he never realized how annoying she was?
"Daniel, I have problems understanding why you would want to hang out with, no offense Sam, these people, when your people are up there," she said pointing to the table.
"Excuse me," Talis said entering the conversation. "What type of 'people' are we?"
"Well, you and Jack here have been knocking back the booze all night, and didn't I hear you say earlier that you had a daughter?"
"Yes, you did." Talis' eyes began to narrow dangerously.
"Nice mother, out partying while the kiddies are off with their Daddy for the weekend."
"Actually, my daughter is with a sitter this evening, her father doesn't know about her."
"Oh, so you're easy as well as a lush." Naomi snapped.
"That's enough!" Daniel yelled, at the same time, Naomi pushed Talis into the bar.
Talis punched the blonde in the face, and she dropped to her knees, "I wouldn't talk about things you know nothing about you stupid bitch!" Talis said angrily, and looked at Daniel with fury in her eyes, "If I were you Dr. Jackson, I would get your girlfriend out of here, before I really knock her on her ass." Sam put her arm around Talis, and Jack tried to control his laughter. Naomi was sobbing about pressing charges, the other scientists from the base, who had heard and seen everything, and didn't like her much anyway, told her they would say that Talis was defending herself as Naomi had pushed her first. Talis had stormed out leaving everyone behind. Daniel took one look at Naomi on the ground, turned around and went after Talis.