Chapter 28 – Welcome to Chulak

Jack stepped out of the Stargate and onto a stone platform, his hands still tightly gripping those of the two girls beside him. Sam was at his side in an instant, her hand holding firmly to the shoulder of her teenage son. Daniel and Janet exited right behind him, Janet holding firmly to Katie's hand while Daniel held Nicky against his chest. Neither child looked unduly frightened, just bewildered. Katie looked around her carefully, blinking at the bright sunlight that greeted her. Coming from the artificial lights of the underground complex into the shining sun was a bit disconcerting, to say the least.

Sparing a glance at JJ to see how he had faired on his trip through the gate, Jack smiled at the look of awe on the boy's features. His blue eyes were wide open as he looked back at the gate through which they had come. He reminded Jack so much of Sam her first time through that his smile widened. The boy hardly blinked as he watched the event horizon shimmer and ripple, spewing forth SG-10 as well as the large FRED which carried all of their supplies. JJ took a step back toward the gate, as if he wanted to get a closer look at the event horizon from this end. Sam stopped him with a squeeze to the shoulder. She pulled him back slightly, the other adults following suit and propelling the children to the side to allow SG-10 to pass them and lead the FRED down the stone ramp to the ground below. Colonel Fairmont gave Grace a wink as he passed and tweaked down the bill of her green cap. She gave him a tremulous smile in return.

Jack now focused his attention on his girls. Grace's smile faded and was replaced by a look of amazement as she gazed around her. Although she knew they were now on another planet, it didn't really look that much different from Earth. Jack tipped her chin up and carefully scrutinized her features, then did the same to Maddie. The ride had been fairly smooth, not at all like Jack's first trip so many years ago, but he wanted to be sure they had both weathered the trip okay. He watched carefully for signs of motion sickness in either child. Not seeing any, he voiced his thoughts out loud. "So…how we all doing?"

Grace and Maddie finally looked directly at him, eyes wide with wonder. Grace blinked first, then said, "Wow. That was…amazing! It went so fast! And I didn't feel sick or anything!" Jack gave her a grin before turning his attention to Maddie.

"Mads?" he asked questioningly.

Maddie blinked at him, then turned to look back at the gate, which gave a loud sucking noise, then collapsed in on itself. She took a deep breath, then looked over at her mother before looking back up at her father. Jack frowned and threw a concerned glance at Sam. It wasn't like Maddie to be so quiet. Resting his hand gently on his seven year old daughter's back, he said, "Pumpkin? You OK?"

Maddie blinked again, as if clearing her thoughts, then her face broke into a huge, slow grin. "That was so cool, daddy." She looked back at the now empty gate. "Can we do it again?"

Jack released a loud laugh, feeling the tension ebb from his body. Sam came over and joined him, looking down at her daughter with a wide smile. "Not just now, sweetheart. I don't think Uncle Teal'c would appreciate it if we left so soon, do you?" she asked the little girl.

At the mention of her uncle, Maddie's gaze swung to the bottom of the ramp. There, grinning broadly at them, stood Teal'c. Ishta, and Master Bratac stood next to him, smiles of welcome on their faces. Before Jack could stop her, Maddie pulled from his grasp and ran down the ramp. "Uncle T! We just comed through the Stargate!" She flung herself into his arms and giggled as she was hoisted high into the air. Once settled against his chest, she immediately began to talk non-stop about her grand adventure thus far. Not to be outdone by his slightly older cousin, Nicky squirmed out of Daniel's grasp and ran after her. Ishta lifted the smaller boy into her arms with ease, giving him an indulgent smile.

Daniel came over to Jack, grinning wryly. "Well, I guess those two are none the worse for wear."

Jack chuckled in agreement. "Did you have any doubt?" Then, putting his hand on Grace's shoulder, he steered her down the ramp.

Sam followed, letting JJ go ahead of her. She cast a quick glance back at Janet, happy to see that Katie, the most sensitive of the five children, had weathered the trip just as well as the others. Her grin widened as she heard the little girl say, "That wasn't bad at all, mom. I don't know why you made such a big deal out of it." Sam spared a glance at Janet, who just rolled her eyes back at her friend.

Teal'c smiled at all of them as they descended the ramp and gave them a slight bow, his movements hindered by the squirming child in his arms. "I bid you welcome to Chulak. It is most enjoyable to see my friends once again."

"Back atcha, T," Jack replied with a grin.

Teal'c looked down at JJ, Grace and Katie, who stood in a semi-circle around him. "It is good to see all of you well. I am pleased you will have made it safely through the Stargate and will be staying with us on Chulak. I believe you will find much to interest you on this planet."

JJ smiled brightly. Now that they had safely arrived, he was eager to explore this new world. "Mom said you have some really fast space ships called death gliders here. Can I ride in one?"

Teal'c cocked an eyebrow at the boy, then he looked at Sam, who was sporting an innocent smile. "We shall see," he replied noncommittally. Then he turned to the little girl still in his arms. She was peering into the hair on top of his head, and then craning her neck to look at the back of his head. "Is there something you seek, Madelyn Joyanna?"

His words caught her by surprise and she straightened quickly. Though she knew it might not be considered the best manners to voice her query, her curiosity got the better of her. "Uhm, not really, Uncle Teal'c. I was just wondering…" she paused, then crinkled her nose in thought. "Does you have any more eyes hidden in here?" she patted the top of his head. Muffled snorts of laughter followed her comment, along with Sam's quiet admonition of, "Maddie!" A flush of embarrassment colored the woman's cheeks as she gave Teal'c an apologetic look.

Teal'c ignored Sam; he just cocked his eyebrow at the little girl still in his arms and answered calmly, "I do not."

Jack clapped Teal'c on the shoulder. "You are going to have so much fun, Uncle T!" he grinned at his friend.

He was still smiling when Bratac came forward and clasped Jack's arm. "It is good to see you, my friend. I regret the circumstances that have brought you here, but wish you to know your families are most welcome to stay as long you deem it necessary. We will ensure the safety of the children. You have my word."

Jack returned the clasp of arms, his previous grin of amusement fading slightly. "Thanks Bratac," he stated with feeling. Then, the sparkle returned to his eyes as he gestured to the two younger children, who had resumed their incessant questioning of Teal'c and Ishta. "Though you might regret those words after a few days."

Bratac smiled indulgently at the children. "I enjoy spending time with the young, O'Neill. They do not hide their thoughts or feelings, as do those more…advanced in years." He looked meaningfully at Jack.

Frowning, Jack said, "What? Me? You're like what, 150 now, aren't you?"

"Almost 200 daddy, 'member?" Maddie piped up from Teal'c's arms.

There was a quiet pause before Bratac laughed out loud. "Yes small one. Almost 200 years old. But I believe I could still outwit your father should the need arise." The entire group laughed at his remarks, Jack giving a mock frown at being the butt of their laughter.

Teal'c then gently placed Maddie on the ground and looked meaningfully at Jack. "I believe it might be wise to retire to my home, do you not agree O'Neill?"

Jack gave his friend a wry smile, knowing that the man wished to distract Maddie from making anymore comments that might cause embarrassment. "Yeah, Teal'c. I think that would be most wise." He turned to Colonel Fairmont. "Fairmont, you and your team can follow behind. When we get to the village, I want you to fan out and…made a quick check around." Colonel Fairmont nodded his agreement and prepared to carry out Jack's order.

Teal'c tilted his head slightly and shot a questioning look Jack's way. Jack just shrugged his shoulders. Even though he was fairly certain Chulak was safe, he wasn't going to take any chances…not with his children.

Nodding in silent understanding, Teal'c turned and nodded at Ishta. Giving Nicky one last hug, she put him down and said warmly, "Please, follow me. Our home is a short walk from the Chapp'ai." Sam smiled her thanks and quickly fell into step beside Ishta, JJ and Grace on either side of the women. Janet and Katie followed close behind while Maddie and Nicky flitted from the women back to the men, their curios natures taking in everything as they walked along. From the rear of the group, Jack heard JJ ask, "What is a Chapp'ai?" and smiled as Ishta began to explain.

When the younger children finally settled down and were walking up ahead with their mothers, Jack briefly filled Teal'c and Bratac in on what was about to occur on Earth. Though both men were sympathetic to the feelings of their friends, they felt the disclosure of the Stargate was long overdue. They knew from experience how keeping something a secret from one part of society could eventually adversely affect everyone.

The walk to the nearby village was short; only about fifteen minutes. As they walked along, enjoying each other's company after such a long time apart, the adults could almost forget why they were on Chulak in the first place. When they emerged from around a bend in the path, they came upon the community that Teal'c called home. Several roads diverged off of the main one which wound through the village's interior, meandering up and down the hilly sector. Homes of various sizes and shapes were built on either side or the road; some more ornate than others but all made of a sturdy brick material.

When they reached the center of the village, they found a large courtyard, teeming with people. An open air market adorned one end of the courtyard, selling clothing, weapons, and a tantalizing array of foods. Further on, an obvious training ground stood at the other end. The group stopped and watched the young Jaffa in training for a few moments, their sparring almost like an intricate dance. JJ was fascinated and vowed to himself that, before he left, he would learn how to spar like these other young men. As they moved on, Jack noted with a frown how Grace kept turning back, her eyes alight with interest as she watched the young men in training. He'd have to make sure Teal'c steered her clear of that particular area of the village while she was here.

They turned down one more side street and came to a medium sized brick house. Istha stopped at the bottom of the stone steps and turned to them with a smile. "While Teal'c and I continue to visit other Jaffa worlds, helping promote a sense of unity among our people, we have made our home here on Chulak. We welcome you to share it with us as long as you wish."

Sam placed her hand gently on the other woman's arm. "Thank you," she replied softly. "You don't know how much this means to us."

Ishta smiled. "But I do, Samantha. You took in my people when we had no home. I am just returning that act of kindness." Sam, blinking back tears, embraced Ishta warmly. Janet too looked as if she was about to cry.

Fearing the scene might become too emotional so soon after arriving, Jack cleared his throat and said the first thing that came to mind. "So, T. Ya got any cake inside?"

Teal'c smiled and bowed slightly. "Indeed."


Thanks for the kind reviews and the welcome back! I realize this chapter is shorter than my usual for this story, but I was having trouble fitting it in with the next one so decided to make this stand alone. The next one will deal with the children's experiences on Chulak and touch a bit on the revelation of the Stargate on Earth. Hopefully the next one will be up before the end of the week. Conferences are taking up lots of time this week, but hopefully I will find some time to write!