Mysterious Distance

Part 12

"Well, kids, looks like we've got a problem," Jack looked at the people seated around the table, Teal'c, Daniel, Carter, Jacob, and Thor at the end in his fancy Asgard chair. "A little while ago I received a call from Agent Malcolm Barrett of the NID. He has come across some information regarding how the Trust is very interested in Grace."

"Harsesis," Daniel said as a groan and looked over at Sam. She reached out and clutched his hand. "They thinks she could be a Harsesis."

"Unfortunately," Jack nodded. "The question is could she be?"

"I don't know," Daniel admitted. "Shifu was the first known Harsesis. Legend says a Harsesis is the child born from two hosts with living symbiotes. I've never been a host and Sam no longer carries Jolinar. I don't know how that works. Jacob?" he turned to his father in law.

"There has never been a host of a dead Tok'ra to have child before, so we don't know if its possible for Grace to have Jolinar's genetic memory. Selmak and I began researching the possibility as soon as we found out Sam was going to have a baby. We haven't been able to turn up anything. As I said this is a first for the Tok'ra"

Jack nodded and continued with the rest of Barrett's information. "They're also interested to see if she might be genetically different because Daniel was once ascended." Teal'c raised eyebrow in his direction, but Jack ignored it. He knew Teal'c wouldn't bring up the fatherhood issue here.

"That's ridiculous. I'm still human. Janet ran every conceivable test when I came back."

"We know that but, since when have these people been rational. Anyway, I've spoken to General Hammond and Thor about taking some precautions for Grace's safety. It has been agreed by the Joint Chiefs and the president that the best thing would be to have Grace stay on base when her parents are here and when they're off world. Several nurses will be added to the infirmary to provide her with constant care. When she's old enough, tutors will be brought in for her education. Besides we have the best minds in the world here, anyway." Jack paused and nodded to Thor, "As an additional precaution in case she is Harsesis, Thor will put a marker in her DNA to prevent cloning or genetic manipulation like they did with me and also give her a subcutaneous tracking device that would allow him to track her and beam her up if she did happen to get abducted."

Daniel turned to Thor, "That's very generous, Thor. Thank you."

"We are very grateful for all the help you and Colonel Carter provided us over the years. It was the very least we could do."

"NO!"

Everyone, shocked by her outburst, turned to look at Sam. It was the first time she had spoken since the meeting had begun.

"Sam, are you okay?" Daniel questioned.

"No, Daniel, and I don't know how you can be either. They want to make our daughter a prisoner for entire life. Raised for the good of the state. What are we in the soviet Union now? I won't allow it."

"Sam…" Jacob began.

She ignored her father and turned to ire to the General. "How can you do this, sir? To treat my daughter like some useful piece of alien technology we brought through the gate. Is that what she is to you, General, a tool?"

If he had not been a man with such tight control on his emotions he would have railed back at her 'She's my daughter!' but he didn't. He sat there, his expression icy and his voice disturbingly calm and soft. "Tell me, Colonel Carter, what was it like to be experimented on by Adrian Conrad's people? What was it like knowing that they were about to kill you for no other reason than they wanted to dissect you to see how you survived Jolinar? Tell me how it felt to watch Cassie dying because she was supposed to be a science experiment.? How did it feel to become one of Nirrti's experiments and to know you would die from it? Do you remember the girl Anna? Can you tell me, Colonel, what it feels like to have your child die from your own carelessness? I can." Sam glared at him, her jaw tightly clenched. He knew that look. It was the one where she didn't want hear what he was saying. "Carter, you and Daniel asked me to be Grace's guardian if anything happened to the two of you. Why did you do that if you didn't think I would always have her best interests at heart? I just want to protect her."

Sam stared back at him her gaze still hard and unyielding. " We could take her off world."

"Sam, she'd be in just as much danger, maybe more so out there," Jacob said to his daughter gently. "You know it."

"Colonel Carter, your daughter is Tauri, she should be raised among her people," Teal'c told her.

Daniel squeezed her hand again. "This is the best way, Sam. She won't be prisoner. Hopefully by the time she's ready for school we won't have to worry about the Trust anymore."

Sam closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking back at Jack, her tone coldly formal, "Sir, permission to be dismissed to prepare my daughter for Thor's 'procedure'."

"Granted, Colonel."

"Thank you, sir," she stood and walked briskly out the room.

"Jack, I'm sorry," Daniel turned to his friend aghast at his wife's accusations. "I don't know what came over her."

"Colonel Colonel is only a she-beast defending her young."

Jacob barked out a shocked laugh, "Teal'c, I don't know if I'd let her hear you call her a 'she-beast' or you might not be a 'he-beast' for much longer."

"Indeed."

Daniel shook his head. The tension that had lain over the room since Sam's outburst had dissipated with Teal'c's statement. Even the coldness in Jack's eyes seemed to have melted a tad. Daniel gathered his crutches and stood, "I gonna go help Sam." He paused by Jack and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Jack. Thank you for being there with her at the delivery and for what you're doing to protect Grace. If Sam's not grateful for your help, I am."

Jack nodded his acceptance of the thanks and Daniel hobbled out.

"Sam didn't mean it, Jack," Jacob told him. He knew Jack well enough to know Sam's accusations had hurt him. "It's just the hormones. My wife was hell on wheels for a while after Sam and Mark were born."

"Yeah, well…" Jack began but he didn't know how to respond. This day had gone from bad to worse. In fact, the past couple of days had been hell. He'd gotten a daughter only to know he could never acknowledge her and been accused of wanting to use that daughter in some malicious way instead of protecting her. He looked at Thor sitting at the opposite end of the table. "How's the whole cloning thing working out for you guys? Guess you don't have to deal with this kind of crap, huh?"

Thor blinked thoughtfully. "There are many benefits from cloning but also many disadvantages as well, O'Neill."

Jack was sitting in his office going over some reports. He was just about to call it a night when Thor suddenly appeared before him.

"Thor, I thought you were outta here already." When they had returned, Daniel had told Jack that Thor was supposed to be leaving now that he had finished with Grace. So he had assumed that's what Thor had done.

"There was something I wished to speak to you about, O'Neill, but I was not sure how to address it."

"So, what were you just sitting up there orbiting up on your ship for- what?" he looked down at his watch. "4 hours?"

"Yes."

"And what did you need to 'address'?"

"I am still uncertain how to proceed."

"That makes me nervous, buddy. You're supposed to be the big brain."

"We Asgard have not had so discuss such a matter since long before I was first made. I'm uncertain as to what the correct human custom would be in such matters."

"Just spit it out, Thor. Whatever it is you're not going to offend me." Jack had never seen Thor nervous before and that made him exceedingly nervous.

"Very well." Thor nodded. "The child known as Grace Jackson is not Dr. Jackson's offspring. She is yours, O'Neill."

"I know."

Thor blinked and was speechless for a moment. "I do not understand. Why does she bear Dr. Jackson's name? Is in not customary for a Tauri child to bear their father's name?"

"Generally. No one knows Grace is mine."

"I still do not understand."

"Carter and I made something of a mistake and spent one night together before she married Daniel. She and Daniel believe Grace is theirs and I see no reason to tell them otherwise. It would only cause too much pain for everyone."

"I see. This explains many things. I have long thought it unlikely Colonel Carter could conceive with a normal human due to the many traumas her body has had to withstand."

"What do you mean 'normal human'?"

"You are advanced, O'Neill."

"So what you're saying is that no one else could have had a child with Carter?"

"Not unless they were equally advanced. I do not believe there could be many other humans as advanced as you are, O'Neill. You are legendary."

Jack could not help the impossibly smug smile from forming on his lips.

"Your daughter is also legendary. She is an even greater leap ahead than you are. We had hoped you would procreate, O'Neill."

"Yes, well, I had too, but I had hoped under better circumstances. Can we keep this piece of information just between us, Thor?"

" Of course, O'Neill. And may I offer you my congratulations."

"Thank you, Thor. For everything."

Thor inclined his head and disappeared in a beam of white light.

TBC