Sorry about the mistakes in the last chapter. That's what happens when you rush to get one out! I did fix all the Brian/Brain miscues and hopefully don't have any in this one! This was going to be the last one for a while, but it got so long (20 pages!) that I decided to break it in two. Guess I have too much to say! I'll fine tune the next part and have it out mid-week. I hope you enjoy reading this one as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Chapter 31 – Stanley and Si'mon
As Cassie and Brian led the children back through the meadow on their return to Teal'c and Ish'ta's, Cassie couldn't help but notice how closely Maddie and Nicky walked to each other. Maddie seemed to be peering very closely at Nicky's pants and gesturing with her hands. Once when she looked back, Cassie was certain that Nicky's pants looked wetter than they had previously.
When she caught Cassie looking at her intently, the little girl gave her an innocent smile and tucked her hands behind her back. Glancing at Nicky, Cassie was puzzled by the look on his face. Somewhere between fear and curiosity, she knew it didn't bode well for any of them.
"Stop Brian," she halted her fiancé's progress with a hand to his arm. Katie, who had been holding Brian's other hand in her own and swinging it back and forth, looked to her older sister expectantly.
Brian looked down at Cassie with a slight frown. "What's up?"
"I don't know. But I'm going to find out," she stated with determination. Stalking a few paces back to the younger children, she put her hands on her hips and said, "OK you two. What's going on?"
Maddie and Nicky looked at each other, a brief flash of guilt crossing their faces. Maddie bit her lower lip in a move so like her mother that Cassie almost laughed. The little girl seemed to be trying to communicate something to Nicky before they both turned back to look at Cassie. They purposefully put wide-eyed, innocent expressions on their faces (something they were both quite good at) and muttered in unison, "Nothing."
Cassie frowned down at the two children. "Hmm. Nothing huh? Then why are Nicky's pants all wet?" When neither child answered her with more than a shrug of their shoulders, Cassie regarded Maddie closely for a moment, then said firmly, "Madelyn, show me your hands."
Maddie blinked up at Cassie, her eyes filled with indecision. She had been taught always to obey those adults who were taking care of her. But she knew if she showed Cassie her hands, their secret would be found out. She looked to Nicky for help but found none, for his eyes were wide open in apprehension and he placed one hand protectively over his pocket.
"Maddie. I asked you to show me your hands and I expect you to do it," Cassie said in a no nonsense tone of voice.
Sighing heavily, Maddie cast one last glance at Nicky, then slowly brought her hands forward. The little girl had managed to keep the state of her hands hidden throughout their brief lunch and part of the walk back, but it appeared that the jig was up. Maddie held her breath as she held her hands palm up for Cassie to peruse, waiting to see what her older cousin had to say. She didn't have to wait long.
With a gasp, Cassie exclaimed, "Oh my God! Maddie, what's wrong with your hands?" Cassie fell to her knees in the grass, her hands grasping Maddie tightly by the wrists and pulling them toward her, careful not to touch whatever Maddie might have on her. The palms of both hands were light green in color with a few streaks of the odd shade running up the three middle fingers on each hand. Quickly, Cassie looked into Maddie's eyes to ascertain whether the child might be seriously ill. All she saw were the bright blue eyes looking back at her, no indication of illness or fear lingering in their depths.
When Cassie had gasped loudly, Brian had come over quickly. "Holy crap – her hands are green!" He looked to Cassie. "What is it from?" His voice was beginning to rise slightly in concern.
"I don't know," Cassie answered back, just as worried as her fiancé. "Maddie, do your hands hurt?" She asked the little girl.
"No. They just tingles a little, like when my foot falls asleep." Maddie regarded her hands thoughtfully.
Switching swiftly from concerned older cousin to highly respected Biochemical Engineer, Cassie turned Maddie's hands this way and that, trying to ascertain what had happened. The color was limited to the little girl's hands, for which Cassie was thankful. She was, however, concerned about the tingling in Maddie's hands, hoping it wasn't something that would increase any time soon…or spread to other parts of her body.
Still holding tightly to the girl's wrists, Cassie looked steadily into her eyes. "Maddie, I need to know exactly what you touched. We need to figure out where this came from and how to treat it."
Once again, Maddie bit on her lower lip in indecision. This time, Cassie didn't find the gesture at all amusing. Maddie looked over to Nicky, who nodded encouragingly at her. At this point, he was much more concerned with his cousin's well-being than the creature in his pocket. Taking a deep breath, Maddie stated quietly, "I holded something I found in the water."
Cassie shared a quick glance with Brian before returning her attention to Maddie. If the little girl didn't know what had caused this, they could end up spending days searching the pool of water for whatever had turned her hands green. Cassie was quickly beginning to regret their trek to the waterfall in the first place. Gently, and very slowly, she said, "Do you know what you held, Maddie?"
Maddie ducked her chin and nodded slowly. She was feeling very sad; her new pet was about to be discovered before she even had a chance to get him back to their temporary home.
Putting her hand gently under Maddie's chin, Cassie lifted the little girl's head and said, "Honey, it's very important for you to tell me what you touched. I promise, you are not going to get into any trouble." Blue eyes met green for a moment before Maddie sighed again.
"It was just a little am-i-nal Nicky and I founded in the water. It's green and looks kinda like a frog and a snake all mixed together," Maddie replied.
"Did it bite you?" Cassie asked with a new edge of panic to her voice. If this was an unknown animal bite, there was no telling what ramifications it could hold for the little girl.
"Oh no, Stanley wouldn't bite me! He likes me!" She looked over at Nicky. "And Nicky too!" she added with a smile. Nicky smiled back. Part of their hushed conversation on the way back was picking out a name for their new friend. Nicky had suggested Stanley and Maddie had readily agreed, filling the small boy with pride.
"Stanley?" Cassie looked once again at Brian, who had gotten to his knees and held the canteen at the ready, prepared to wash Maddie's hands off when Cassie gave him the word. He just shrugged in response to her inquiry. Katie stood back and watched the whole proceedings with a look of utter disbelief on her face. Just leave it up to Nicky and Maddie to get into something while we're here, she thought to herself. "Uh. sweetheart? Where is Stanley right now?" Cassie redirected Maddie's attention.
Maddie's smile faltered as she looked back and forth between the two adults. She really didn't want to give away Stanley's hiding place, but knew she didn't have a choice right now. The best she could do was to plead with her older cousin not to put Stanley back in the water. Heaving a quiet sigh, she whispered, "In Nicky's pocket." Maddie watched in amazement as her grown-up cousin's face turned pale and her eyes widened in shock.
"In his what?" she fairly yelled, unknowingly squeezing Maddie's wrists which were still held in her own hands.
Maddie was slightly frightened by this unexpected outburst and stammered, "In…his p…pocket."
"Oh my God, what were you two thinking?" Cassie unconsciously raised her voice another notch at the children, her eyes going back and forth between the two in disbelief.
Brian, seeing the alarm in the little girl's eyes at the loud voice and the panic in his fiancé's, quickly put his hand on Cassie's wrists. "It's OK," he directed his comment to both of them in a calm voice. "Let's just all take it easy for a minute, OK?" He gently pried Cassie's hands from Maddie's wrists, then looked to Nicky, who had large crocodile tears rolling down his cheeks. "Hey, it's all right buddy. No one's in any trouble here, right Cass?" He looked meaningfully into her eyes, imploring her to get a hold of herself.
Cassie took a deep breath and shook her head to clear away the myriad thoughts that were crowding in on her. "No," she finally answered in a much quieter voice. "I'm sorry I yelled. You just…startled me is all." She took another deep, calming breath. "No one is in trouble," she continued, "But I think we'd better get your hands cleaned up and get Stanley out of Nicky's pocket and into a suitable container."
Maddie gulped back her own tears with effort while Nicky did nothing to stem the flow of his own. "We just wanted a pet," Maddie sniffed quietly. "I miss Poppy." She looked down at the ground and finally let a few tears of her own escape her eyes and fall softly to the ground.
"Oh Maddie," Cassie crooned softly and she pulled the girl close for a hug. "I know you miss Poppy, but you should never, ever touch a strange animal. You just don't know what might happen. You could get hurt really badly, and none of us want anything to happen to you, sweetheart." She looked at Nicky and pulled him close with her other arm. "You either, Nicky." Nicky nodded his head, then wrapped his arms tightly around Cassie's neck. After a few moments, Cassie gently put the children away from her and smiled at them. "OK, let's get you cleaned up, Maddie. Brian can take care of Stanley."
"Are you…are you going to put him back in the pool?" the little girl asked Brian as he fished a small container out of his pack.
"Not just yet, peanut," Brian answered while he moved over to Nicky.
Cassie pulled some napkins and soap out of her backpack. "We should probably bring…Stanley," she rolled her eyes slightly at the name as she spared a brief glance at Brian, "Back to Teal'c's and see if he can tell us what exactly Stanley is and what this," she began to rub at the little girls' hands, "Might be."
"Oh," Maddie replied softly. She'd begun to see how much trouble she had caused everyone by acting so hastily in capturing Stanley. Daddy always told her to think before she acted, but sometimes, it was really hard to remember that. 'Specially when you were looking for York'el's on a different planet.
Maddie held her hands still while Cassie scrubbed at them with the cloth. She poured water from the canteen over the little girl's hands and repeatedly wiped them with the soap covered cloth. Slowly, some of the greenish hue started to dissipate from her hands. But instead of being interested in her hands, Maddie's attention was riveted on her young cousin and the proceedings that were taking place next to her.
Not wanting to touch whatever might be in Nicky's pocket, Brian had tried to flip the pocket inside out. With Nicky still in his pants, however, this was difficult at best. Heaving a sigh and resting on his haunches, Brian said, "Sorry buddy, but you're going to have to take your pants off in order for me to get your little friend out of the pocket."
Nicky's eyes widened in horror. "But…but Maddie and Katie is here! They'll see me in my underwear!" he protested loudly.
Katie huffed from behind Cassie. "I've seen you in a lot less than your underwear, Nicky. Believe me, it's no big thrill."
Cassie shot her little sister a look. "Katie," she admonished softly.
Katie flushed at the slight reprimand, then offered in a much gentler tone. "We'll turn around so we won't see anything, OK Nicky?"
Nicky looked at Maddie to see if she would agree to do as his sister suggested. Though she really wanted to see how Brian got Stanley out of the pocket, Maddie had no desire to embarrass her cousin. Giving him a small smile, Maddie turned her back on the rest of the proceedings.
Quickly, Brian helped Nicky out of his wet pants, the little boy's eyes going back and forth to make sure the girls weren't looking. When the pants were off, Brian held out the container. "Here, you hold the container for Stanley, Nicky. I'll turn your pocket inside out and slip him right in."
Glad to be a part of this important event, even if he was standing in a field in his underwear, Nicky took the container and watched with bated breath as Brian slowly and gently reached his hand inside of Nicky's pants and grasped the underside of the pocket. He forcefully held back a shudder as he felt something squirm under his fingertips. How Nicky could have walked so long with this creature wriggling against his leg was beyond him.
Brian slowly pushed the pocket inside out, careful to do so over the container that Nicky held tightly in two hands. With a gentle plop, Stanley landed in the container and began to wriggle around furiously, his long tail lashing the edges of the container. Brian grimaced at the sight before he said, "I think he needs a little water in there." Nicky nodded quickly in agreement.
"Can I see Stanley?" Maddie asked, her back still turned to Nicky.
Nicky's eyes widened in panic as he looked at Brian. Correctly reading his thoughts, Brian smiled in reassurance. "Just a minute, Mads. Nicky needs to get his pants back on, then you can see Stanley. He's doing just fine, by the way." Maddie heaved a sigh of relief at his words. Even though she might be in trouble, she certainly didn't want anything bad to happen to Stanley.
Brian took the container from Nicky, splashed enough water into it to cover the little creature, and handed it back when Nicky had his wet pants back on and zipped up. "OK, Maddie," called the little boy. Maddie looked inquiringly to Cassie, who nodded her head and released the little girl's hands. She'd gotten about as much of the green color off as could for now and Maddie had assured her that her hands weren't tingling "hardly at all anymore".
Maddie raced over to Nicky and peered into the container, a smile alighting her face when she saw the little creature moving about and apparently unharmed. Katie let her curiosity get the better of her and came over as well, peering down into the container with awe. "I've never seen anything like that before!" she stated with wonder. "It looks so…weird!" Then she reached her hand forward as if to touch it.
"Uh-uh!" Cassie warned, stopping her hand mid-reach. "No one else is going to touch that thing!" She gazed into the container and suppressed a shudder of her own. While it did look relatively frog-like, it resembled a snake just enough to give her the willies.
"Stanley isn't a thing! He's our friend!" Nicky protested his sister's words.
In a slightly apologetic tone, Cassie said, "Yes, well. Whatever he may be, no one is going to touch him. Do I make myself clear?" She let her gaze encompass all three of the children as she waited for their reply. Three heads bobbed in unison, the youngest two happy that they were going to be able to keep Stanley…at least for a while.
Brian began to clean up the area and hefted his backpack onto his back. "OK. I think it's time we got back. We can ask Teal'c about…Stanley…when we get there." He gave Cassie a slight smirk, more than a little amused at the children's latest antics, even if he had been bit concerned over Maddie's safety. He took the container from Nicky, assuring both children that he would keep Stanley safe, then led them back toward Teal'c and Ish'ta's home.
The walk back went much more quickly than the walk out had. Nicky and Maddie were eager to get back and put Stanley into a larger container, so they weren't as wont to stop and examine every flower or bug they came across. Nicky, too was eager to get out of his wet pants and into some dry ones.
When they finally reached the house, Cassie directed the children inside. They found Teal'c and Ish'ta talking quietly at the table and JJ and Grace sprawled out on the floor playing a game of chess. Both children were slightly exhausted but happy after their training, and a relaxing game of chess was just the ticket to rejuvenate their energies. Teal'c rose with a smile and came to greet them. As he approached, Maddie felt a glimmer of apprehension and remained hidden behind Cassie's legs. She wasn't quite certain as to her uncle's response about her bringing an uninvited guest back to his home.
When he caught sight of the container in Brian's hands, Teal'c's welcoming smile faltered. He looked to Cassie for information, one eyebrow raised expectantly. Cassie sighed and stepped forward. "Uh, we had a little…incident…at the waterfall. I assume you know what this…thing…is?" she asked, her nose wrinkling slightly as she indicated the creature swimming in the small container.
Teal'c nodded. "Indeed. It is a Snark'el. A creature found in multitudes in the waters around the village." He cocked his head as he regarded the Snark'el in the container. "The Jaffa are not overly fond of this creature. It serves no useful purpose, other than as bait to catch larger water game." He studied the creature, then Cassie. "It is not common to bring one of these water animals into one's home," he stated with slight censure.
"Yeah, well, it wasn't really my idea," the young woman replied, then looked pointedly down at Nicky beside her as she pulled Maddie out to her other side.
Teal'c nodded in understanding. "I see."
During this short interchange, JJ and Grace had gotten themselves off the floor and come over to see what all the fuss was about. "Cool!" Grace said as she leaned forward and tapped on the container. "It's really freaky looking!"
"Yeah, and it turned Maddie's hands green!" Katie offered helpfully, looking back to her little cousin, who shrank back against Cassie's leg.
All eyes turned to her, and she ducked her head. "Maddie! Please don't tell me you touched that thing!" JJ exclaimed, coming around and pulling his little sister forward so he could look at her hands himself. "What have you been told about touching things you don't know anything about?" He looked sternly down at her and waited for a reply. He could just imagine his father's reaction once he heard about this.
Maddie bit her lip and looked down, feeling as if everyone in the room, save for Nicky, was mad at her. "Take it easy, JJ," Brian replied calmly as he passed the container over to Teal'c. "We've already had a little talk with Maddie. What's more important, is finding out if touching it is going to cause her any further harm." He looked expectantly toward Teal'c.
Teal'c in turn, passed the container to Ish'ta, who placed it on the table, then went to the kitchen to retrieve some things to help clean up Maddie. "Come here, Madelyn," he stated gently but firmly. Still biting her lip, Maddie shuffled over to her uncle. He lifted her up and placed her on the table next to Stanley, then held her hands in his own as he looked them over. Twisting them gently back and forth, he said to all of them, "The Snark'el is a harmless creature. It will, however, emit a substance as a form of protection when it feels threatened. This substance causes its prey to feel numbness and turn a greenish color, allowing the Snark'el to escape. The defense mechanism is only a temporary inconvenience to its victims. Young Madelyn will suffer no ill effects from her encounter."
Cassie could be heard breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank God," she muttered, as she dropped her own backpack onto the ground. Brian gave her a smile and pulled her close for a reassuring hug.
Ish'ta returned and began cleaning Maddie's hands with a wet cloth and a sweet smelling lotion. The remaining green color disappeared quickly and her hands felt normal once again. Ish'ta smiled reassuringly at the little girl. "I myself enjoyed the sport of catching Snark'el when I was a small child," she confided to Maddie. "The green color was a small price to pay for the elation of catching these quick creatures. You will be a fine hunter one day, Madelyn, as you harbor the quick reflexes needed for such an endeavor."
Although Maddie didn't believe she'd ever want to be a hunter of any sort, she smiled at the words of praise and sat up a bit taller on the table. When she was cleaned up, Teal'c gently placed her back on the floor. "I would suggest you and young Nicholas go upstairs and change into more comfortable clothing. Upon your return, we will discuss further what to do with this creature you have brought back from your excursion."
Maddie's smile faltered as she wondered what might become of both her and Stanley. Her uncle was looking unusually stern with her, and it made the little girl nervous. Nicky, who had remained quiet throughout the proceedings, finally spoke up. "His name is Stanley, and Maddie and me wants to keep him as a pet, cause we misses Poppy." His blue eyes blinked up at his uncle and his lower lip trembled as he waited for a reply. Teal'c looked down at the youngster and tried to contain his amusement. The child reminded him so much of Daniel Jackson, and Maddie of Samantha,that he found the resemblances uncanny, particularly in this type of situation.
Clearing his throat, he reiterated, "We shall discuss this situation upon your return, Nicholas,"
Nicky's eyes dropped and he looked to Maddie. Both children mumbled a quiet, "Yes, sir," before scampering up the stairs.
Grace snorted as she watched her little sister leave. "This is so like Maddie; she gets into everything! She is so dumb sometimes," she said with a shake of her head.
Teal'c looked down at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. "On the contrary, Grace Aeryn. Inquisitiveness is the mark of deep intelligence. I believe your parents take great pride in the fact that all of their children harbor both of these traits. They also greatly value family loyalty; as do I." The gentle reprimand did its job. Grace looked away, embarassed,and quietly apologized for her words.
"Perhaps you should see to your sister," Ish'ta suggested lightly. Grace shot the woman a grateful smile, then turned and rushed up the stairs after Maddie.
Brian heaved a sigh. "Well, that was an exciting day. I trust your day was just as enlightening?" he looked to Teal'c with a small smile.
Teal'c returned the smile with one of his own. "Indeed."
While the children were upstairs, Brian and Cassie shared what had happened out at the pond, eliciting smiles from Teal'c and Ish'ta. JJ chuckled out loud, eager to share Maddie's latest adventure with his parents, once they saw them again. In turn, Teal'c regaled the young adults with tales of JJ and Grace's accomplishments on the training fields.
When the two youngest children had changed into clean, dry clothes, they came back downstairs to find only Teal'c left in the room. He stood with his back to them, looking intently at something on the table. Maddie and Nicky shared a look of apprehension, then approached him slowly. When they were a few feet away, he turned and looked down at them, arms crossed over his chest while he waited for one of them to speak.
Knowing that she was mostly at fault here, seeing as it was her idea to catch the Snark'el in the first place, Maddie spoke up. Eyes on the floor, she started. "I'm sorry I catchded Stanley and put him in Nicky's pants. Are you…are you going to punish me Uncle Teal'c?" Maddie asked hesitantly, stealing a quick glance up at her imposing Uncle.
Teal'c cocked his head as he looked down at the little girl. Letting his hands relax at his sides, he said, "I do not believe the natural curiosity of a child should be punished, Madelyn. However, I do expect that from this time forth, you will not to touch unknown creatures without permission. Do you understand?"
Maddie nodded her head, glad that she wasn't to be punished. "Yes, sir." Teal'c looked to Nicky, who nodded his head vigorously in reply, his glasses sliding down his nose in the process.
Teal'c gently pushed them back up before he replied, "Very well." Then he looked over toward the table, where Stanley swam unconcernedly in a large bowl that Ish'ta had brought out for that purpose. "I believe we should procure nourishment for…Stanley." Teal'c hesitated over the name, for on Chulak, one did not name one's pets, let alone a creature as insubstantial as a Snark'el. "If he is to remain here, he will require care and sustenance."
Maddie's eyes lit up as a smile crossed her face. "Do you mean it? We can keep Stanley?"
"For a brief stay," he nodded down at her. "Then he must return to his home."
"Oh thank you, Uncle Teal'c!" Maddie threw her arms around his leg and hugged him tightly. Nicky joined her and hugged Teal'c's other leg.
"Thank you Uncle T!" he reiterated.
Teal'c smiled down at the two youngsters and shared a look of amusement with Cassie, who had just come into the room and overheard the latter end of the conversation. "You are most welcome."
Yep, Cassie thought to herself with a grin as she watched Teal'c lead the children outside, just a big ole Teddy Bear!
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The next several days passed without incident. The only thing to mar the children's time was the absence of a visit from their parents. Jack had radioed in a few days ago, checking up on the children and reporting that they wouldn't be able to get away for a while. Landry, and the whole Stargate program, just couldn't spare any of them. As he told Teal'c, "The hounds of hell have come, and are biting at our collective asses." Not exactly sure what his friend meant, Teal'c had understood enough to know that things weren't going well back on Earth.
Truthfully, things had gone about as Jack had expected. Once the news broke with the big press conference, it had been veritable chaos. Journalists had been crawling from the woodwork, along with every politician who was up for reelection and every subcommittee in the Senate. Jack had done his best to avoid some of the more obnoxious Senators and Representatives, but it was not easy. His presence as an Ambassador to alien races was highly sought after. Sam and Daniel too, had been inundated with requests for meetings and presentations. The few times he had been able to see his wife, he'd been dismayed to see how utterly exhausted and frazzled she appeared. But he was downright proud of her when, during one particularly difficult meeting with several heads of state, she had not only defended what they did beneath the mountain for the last few years, but she had swayed several of them to her way of thinking. As Jack told Teal'c over the radio, "She talked circles around them, and they followed willingly. I don't think they understood half of what she said, but she said it so convincingly that who could argue with her?"
Five days after the news broke, Jack and Sam had tried to go home for some much needed rest. Jack was worried that Sam was on the brink of exhaustion. To his dismay, they had found themselves turning around and heading back to the mountain when they spotted the mob of reporters camped on their front yard. The only bright spot was the fact that their children were far away, safe from the prying eyes of mass media. Several of their neighbors had also left for the duration, their privacy being constantly invaded by the nosy media, who would stop at nothing to get information about the O'Neill family. Margaret Martin, Billy's mother, had sent Billy away to stay with her parents in Georgia. While he hadn't been happy about that, he was extremely proud to know JJ, and thus the entire O'Neill family. He was in awe of what JJ's parents had done, and couldn't wait until he saw JJ again so he could get the low down on what really happened beneath the mountain.
Janet too was being kept more than busy. Medical files regarding encounters with alien races were to be opened so there could be no accusations about cover-ups. The Doctor however, refused to release any information until she was assured that names would be stricken from records. As Chief Medical Officer of the highly classified facility, Janet took the confidentiality of her patients very seriously and would not be swayed.
And so it was that the children spent another week on Chulak before receiving a visit from one of their parents. Nicky and Maddie spent their time happily taking care of Stanley and playing with some of the younger Jaffa children in the village. Katie had found a soul-mate of sorts in a young girl named Sosha, and the two spent many happy hours talking, giggling, and writing stories together. JJ and Grace continued their training, much to the delight of the older Jaffa children; especially Si'mon.
They spent the morning learning the intricacies of Kel'na'tor and the afternoons playing games with the other Jaffa children or engaging in mock battles of their own. Si'mon could be found most afternoons in the small courtyard behind Teal'c's house, practicing with both JJ and Grace. While his sparring with JJ was more intense, he wasn't overly easy on Grace by any means. He just found himself more…distracted by her, which allowed the young girl to land a few uncontested blows every now and again.
Watching one afternoon from the kitchen window, Cassie remarked to Ish'ta, "I don't think Uncle Jack is going to be too thrilled about that," she indicated the youngsters sparring back and forth, throwing teasing insults at each other as they circled in the tamped down grass.
Ish'ta came to look as well, then frowned in concern. "Teal'c assured me that O'Neill gave his consent to allow Grace and JJ to continue to participate in training."
Cassie glanced over at the tall woman and gave her a smile. "Oh, it's not the training he'll have a problem with. It's the attention young Si'mon is showing Grace." The two women looked back out the window and smiled as Grace walloped Si'mon on the shoulder, then dropped her stick and ran to him to make sure he was all right. Si'mon nodded his head and seemed to smile brighter when Grace helped him to his feet. JJ, who was not blind, rolled his eyes in exasperation and challenged Si'mon to a new match.
Ish'ta laughed softly. "Yes. I do believe young Si'mon is most intrigued by Grace."
"Yeah, and that's what will make dear Uncle Jack see red," she laughed. "He's so afraid of the very idea of Grace and boys. Just look at her," she nodded back out the window. "Grace is absolutely beautiful, and she's only eleven years old!"
Ish'ta studied the young girl in the backyard. Yes, she had to admit, Grace O'Neill was indeed a most remarkable young lady. Her long brown hair was held back in a French braid and reached the middle of her back. Curly tendrils of hair escaped around her face, framing the delicate bone structure. Her deep brown eyes sparkled with life and her tall, willowy frame lent an air of both elegance and strength to the girl. Ish'ta nodded her head in agreement. "Grace indeed is a beautiful child and will grow to become a beautiful woman. But more than that, she is strong, intelligent, and self-assured. Jack O'Neill need have no fear for her future. Nor that of young Madelyn, who has the drive and determination of one much older than her years."
Cassie laughed at that. "Boy, isn't that the truth!"
Ish'ta continued, "And your younger sister as well. Though she is quiet, there is a fire that I see deep within. She will be a strong leader one day; of this I am certain."
Cassie looked back into the yard, where the three Jaffa trainees were now resting and talking quietly under the shade of a large tree. "Yes, I think they're all going to be just fine," she replied quietly. Then Cassie looked back at Ish'ta with a glimmer in her eye, "But you know how protective Jack, Teal'c and my father are. I'm sure there will be a few disagreements in the process of the girls growing up."
Ish'ta smiled back. "Indeed." Both women laughed at her imitation of Teal'c, then went to see what the younger children were up to.
