Chapter 7
The next few months established a routine for the five team members. Raphaella continued to workout with Sam and Teal'c, as well as study the books that Daniel brought by for her. She went out on missions with them only after SG1 had made first contact and it had been decided that continued contact was to the SGC's advantage. She was successfully able to let Jack and Daniel know if people were honest in their negotiations with Earth. Daniel had stopped spending time with her and Baram, spending his time in his lab translating artifacts. Raphaella spent about one evening a week at Janet's with Cassie and Sam just enjoying herself.
She had begun to adjust to her new life and found it comfortable and she was sometimes even happy. The deep pain she had first felt on losing her people had become a consistent dull ache, bearable, but ever present. Baram continued to grow and develop as she watched in amazement, frequently not remembering that she was not his birth mother. She could barely recall a time when he wasn't the center of her life and she never wanted to go back to life without him.
She missed Daniel. Oh, he was around and always helpful, but he had cut himself off from her and she felt the loss of his friendship almost as much as the loss of her family. When he was around she would purposely close her mind to his emotions, as she was sure that was the reason he now seemed to be uncomfortable around her. He had stopped offering her his friendship after the night she had read his thoughts. She began avoiding places when she knew he would be there. No more "team nights" or meals with the group on base, using Baram as an excuse. When they were off world they worked well together, but as soon as they came back, he was gone.
Daniel's life continued as it had been before Raphaella. He loved his work and his team, but he was empty inside. Ever since the incident with the mel'c, he'd felt empty and he wasn't sure why. There were times when he thought maybe Teal'c had been right and he should have pursued a close relationship with Raphaella, but fear kept him away.
Sam had worked on the mel'c, however, hadn't been able to discover a power source or purpose, so it had been set aside for more immediate projects. But every now and then it tugged at her, as if she'd missed something very simple about it.
And so eight months slipped by until it was time for Baram's first birthday. Raphaella had figured out what his birth date on Earth would be and Cassie was beside herself planning a party for the soon to be one-year-old.
General Hammond had decided that Raphaella and Baram would be safe living in town so Sam and Janet were going apartment hunting with Raphaella. Sam came and picked her up at the base and they drove to Janet's to drop off Baram with Cassie and pick up Janet.
"You know, Raphaella, you'll need to learn how to drive a car now that you're living in town. It's the only way to go shopping, get Baram to school when he's older, and get to work on the base." Sam mentioned this as they pulled into Janet's driveway. "I think we should pick up a guide at the DMV today so you can study the laws, then Janet and I can teach you how to do the actual driving."
"Sam, you're giving me too much at a time! A new apartment, which will need new furniture, and now you want me to get a car? How about a horse? Those are so much easier to operate."
Sam snickered at the thought of Raphaella galloping up to the entrance at the mountain on a horse. Wouldn't the guards love that!
"There's no immediate rush. Janet and I can help you for a while, but you really will need to do something about it soon."
Sam parked behind Janet's car and helped Raphaella get the baby and all his things out and into Cassie's waiting arms. Raphaella was very grateful to have someone she could trust and who loved being with Baram when she needed to be somewhere else. She dropped his bag on the couch and gave him a quick kiss on her way back out the door.
The three women looked at four apartments before they found one within Raphaella's budget – Sam had helped her work that out – that all three women agreed would be perfect for her and the baby. Sam and Janet helped her read the lease and complete the paperwork. They went back to Janet's place to make the necessary phone calls to install the phone and put the utilities in Raphaella's name. She had picked her father's name as her last when the General had helped her get the necessary documents; birth certificate, social security card, high school diploma, etc., so she was now officially Raphaella Aluph. Life on Earth was much more complicated that it had been on Heb'ra!
They arranged to go shopping the next day at Good Will for furniture and all the paraphernalia needed to begin an independent life in Colorado Springs. Cassie decided she wanted to go too, so they would be taking an almost one-year-old child with them. Great!
The next day was tremendous fun for the four women and baby. They found everything Raphaella needed in one place. Jack came along with Teal'c in Jack's truck to pick up and deliver the furniture and other things they had bought. By that evening the group had her all moved in and set up. Sam showed her how to work the stove while Jack snickered. He thought it was hilarious that a woman who seldom cooked should be showing Raphaella how.
"Sir, it's not that I can't cook, I just don't. Who has time?"
Janet and Cassie made a trip to the market to fill her cupboards with all the basics and enough food for mother and son for a week. Janet helped Raphaella cook a quick dinner for the group, making Jack feel better about Raphaella's cooking skills.
Jack said he'd come by the next Saturday to take her shopping for a car, since by this time she knew she'd have to learn to drive so she wouldn't be so dependant on everyone else. With everyone's difficult schedules it would have been almost impossible for them to get her everywhere she would need to be with a child. Sam said she'd have time that week to take her out for her first driving lesson.
Jack also decided that she should to have an open house. "It's a tradition here. You can't pass up a good reason for a party!"
Cassie was the one who thought it would be a good idea to combine Baram's birthday party and the house warming party since the same people would be coming to both. So it was settled. In two weeks she would be giving a party. She'd been good at that on Heb'ra. She could organize a dinner for 200 people, but a small child's party on Earth? That overwhelmed her.
By the time everyone left, it was to bathe Baram and put him to bed in his new room. He'd never slept alone in a room before, so Raphaella was a little apprehensive about the night, but knew he had to learn sometime. As she reflected upon the past two days, she realized how blessed she was to have found such good friends. She thought about what would have happened to her if SG1 hadn't come back to Heb'ra when they had. She would probably have spent her entire life alone on that island.
With that depressing thought, she headed for bed herself.
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Two weeks later it was time for Baram's birthday party. Cassie had come over early in the morning to decorate the place in a Star Wars theme. She said that Teal'c would enjoy it and Baram really wasn't old enough to care. Janet had baked two cakes; one large one for the adults, and one very small one just for Baram. Raphaella still wasn't too comfortable with the idea of all those presents for the baby. On her world the birthday person presented his parents with gifts in appreciation for the gift of life. That made much more sense to her. She didn't want to spoil the child with too many things remembering how few things she'd needed on Heb'ra compared to the home she now had. Why did life have to be so complicated?
They were having a late afternoon birthday party/ barbecue for the group. Sam and Janet arrived about 3pm to help complete the preparations. Jack, Teal'c, Daniel, and General Hammond showed up an hour later bringing several packs of beer, charcoal and starter fluid, a small barbecue – Raphaella didn't have one yet – and a couple of bags of food; steaks, chips, dip, all the important food groups. Fortunately, Sam and Janet knew their men and had a green salad, baked potatoes, and watermelon ready. The guys took their stuff out to Raphaella's small balcony. She was on the second floor overlooking the park across the street, where she had taken Baram to play several times. Baram had just awakened from his nap and was excited by all the activity in his home. He bounced from person to person jabbering away and nodding his head. He knew what he was talking about even if no one else did.
Jack passed out the hats and the party began.
Baram had a great time ripping paper and throwing empty boxes around. When it came time for his cake, Raphaella stripped him of his clothes, except his diaper, and set the little cake in front of him so that he could make a mess. He touched it tentatively with one finger, screwed up his face, and wailed. It seems as though he was afraid of icing! After his antics had the adults rolling on the floor laughing, he finally dug in and made a great mess. When there was nothing left to see of her son any longer, Raphaella picked him up, held him as far away from herself as she could, carried him to the tub where Janet had already run a bath for him. Fifteen minutes later, Baram was clean and dressed, but Raphaella was covered in cake and bath water. Cassie carried him back to the party while Raphaella went to change.
The guys had started the barbecue up while she'd been dealing with the birthday boy, so that by the time she had returned the steaks were ready to put on. Baram was in his playpen with some empty boxes, toys forgotten on the floor, having a great time while the adults cooked and ate. By 7pm dinner was finished and Baram was getting fussy, which was not like him, even when he was tired. He would usually just lie down where ever he was and go to sleep. Raphaella took him from Teal'c, left to change him and put him to bed. She had noticed that Daniel had hardly spoken to either her or Baram the whole afternoon. If Baram toddled over to Daniel, he'd play with the baby, but he never made a move toward him as he would have done six months earlier. It broke her heart to see him shut Baram and her out of his life. She had been so sure that he had cared about her, had begun to love her, that she had risked letting herself develop deep feelings for him and those feelings weren't going away. She rocked the unhappy boy to sleep, guessing that he was just wound up with excitement from the party. When he finally dropped off, she was able slip him into his crib. She stood there for a minute watching this little miracle sleep. He was so beautiful.
She turned toward the door, reluctant to return to the party where Daniel was waiting. She opened the door to step out, but leaned her forehead against the edge of the partly opened door. Floods of memories from Heb'ra flowed through her mind. Her birthday when she was ten and she'd carved a wooden platter for her mother. Her father sitting on the counsel giving advice to those who came seeking. The birth of Baram, where she served as midwife. Daniel lying on the floor playing with Baram. At that moment she just wanted to go back to her old life, forget Earth, and make things simple again. As tears began to trickle down her cheek, she took a quick look back at the sleeping child and left the room. Walking through her bedroom she stepped into the bathroom to wash her face before going back out into the living room. She loved being with her friends, but tonight she sincerely hoped they'd all leave early.
Out in the living room the group had split up between the women and men. The women were in the kitchen cleaning up the dishes, while the men were in the living and Jack was channel surfing looking for a hockey game. No cable? Is that any way to raise a kid?
Teal'c was glaring at Daniel, who was busy trying to put together Baram's new tricycle. Maybe I should have Sam do this. Daniel finally realized that Teal'c had something on his mind, looked up from the jumble of tricycle parts, and pushed his glasses back up his nose.
"DanielJackson, I wish to speak to you outside."
Jack sat up straight, glanced down at Daniel, lifted an eyebrow toward Teal'c and watched Daniel follow the Jaffa out to the balcony.
"DanielJackson, for the past six months you have followed your path. It has not worked. I believe that you should make another choice."
"Teal'c, what are you talking about?"
"Raphaella."
"Teal'c, this is really none of your business." Daniel folded his arms across his chest. "Move away from the door. I want to go back inside." Daniel knew his friend wouldn't let go of this, but he had to get away. Teal'c was getting too close to what Daniel was trying to protect.
"I do not believe you should go back inside until you understand what you are doing."
"Teal'c, get out of my way!" Daniel was now so furious he was ready to take on the man who out weighted him by at least 50 pounds – all muscle.
Jack came to the French doors, opened one and inquired, "Daniel, is there a problem?"
"Yes, Jack," every bit as sarcastically as he could make it, "there is a problem. Your friend won't move and let me go back inside."
Jack turned toward Teal'c. "Teal'c?"
"I simply wish to make DanielJackson understand that his actions of late are not designed to promote his happiness."
Jack turned back toward Daniel. "Daniel?"
"It's none of his business, Jack. It's none of yours."
"Hey, don't attack me. I just came out because everyone inside and half the apartment complex can hear you two. Teal'c, let him in before he does something really stupid, like try to take you down."
Teal'c stepped to one side and Daniel walked passed him back inside. He was heading for the phone just as Raphaella came back out into the living room. The other women were still in the kitchen, Jack was still on the balcony trying to get Teal'c to tell him what was going on, so it was only Daniel and Raphaella in the room.
Daniel completed dialing and asked for a cab to pick him up immediately and gave the address.
"Daniel, you're leaving early?" Raphaella was not sure if she was sad he was leaving or relieved to have him gone.
"Yes. Goodnight, Raphaella. I'll see you at work on Monday." Daniel left out the front door to go wait for the cab.
Jack and Teal'c returned from the balcony to find Daniel gone. Jack turned to Teal'c, "Come on, we need to find him and settle this or you two won't be able to work with each other." Jack and Teal'c left looking for Daniel.
Janet, Sam, and Cassie came out to find the men all gone and Raphaella standing near the door with a blank look on her face. Raphaella turned toward her friends, shrugged her shoulders and walked back to her bedroom.
"Janet, do you think we should go talk to her?" Sam looked toward the bedroom door uncertainly.
"I think we should go. It's been a long day for her, let her sleep."