Chapter 32 – All's Well That Ends Well

Two days before Jack was scheduled to come for a visit, Grace and Si'mon were once again sparring in the small courtyard behind Teal'c's house. JJ had gone inside to gather refreshments for them: as a growing, active boy, he was always hungry and assumed they must be as well.

The two young people were thrusting and jabbing at each other lightly when Grace was suddenly distracted by a high-pitched shriek that could only be Maddie coming from the side of the house. As she turned to look, Si'mon caught her on the side of the head with his sparring stick, causing her to drop quickly to the ground and roll into a ball, clutching her head in pain. JJ, who had both heard the shriek and seen his older sister fall, dropped the tray of drinks and snacks he was carrying and ran out the door.

Falling to his knees beside Grace, he tried to get a response out of her but all he got were quiet moans of pain. JJ looked up into the stricken face of Si'mon and yelled, "What the hell did you do to her?"

Si'mon fell to his knees on the other side of Grace, his face pale as he reached slowly toward her with his hand. "I…I did not mean…She looked away and…" he couldn't finish, but instead, bent forward and put his hand on Grace's shoulder very gently. "Grace?" he whispered quietly. "Please Grace, speak to us," he pleaded.

Moaning softly, she croaked out, "I'm OK…just…hurts." Grace took a few moments to collect herself, then she looked up at JJ. "Maddie?" she breathed out.

JJ's eyes widened, realizing that it had been Maddie who had shrieked, not Grace. Looking to Si'mon, he ordered, "Stay with Grace. I need to see about Maddie." Quickly, JJ got to his feet and raced to the side yard, where he heard the loud shriek echo once again from around the corner of the house. As he ran, he called at the top of his voice, "Teal'c! Brian! Help!"

Ish'ta and Cassie had gone off to one of the neighbors to see about a sick child, which left Teal'c and Brian to watch the kids. The two men had been in the house, engaging in an intense game of chess, when they heard the call. Getting to their feet quickly, they ignored the gamethat got knocked to the floor in their haste to get outside.

As he rounded the corner, ready to rescue Maddie from whatever danger she might be in, JJ stopped short in surprise, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in shock. For there in front of him stood Maddie, dripping wet and laughing with glee. As he watched, from up above in a tree, Nicky leaned over and dropped what appeared to be a water balloon directly onto Maddie's head. Idly, JJ wondered which of the children had hidden those things in their bags.

Maddie let out another shriek of laughter as the balloon burst on her head, her blue eyes sparkling with mirth. She looked at her big brother. "Does you want to try to JJ? It's fun!" she declared.

"No," he replied shortly before adding lamely, "Just…be careful." Shaking his head in disbelief, JJ turned around and went back to check on his other sister.

When he returned to the backyard, he found Teal's helping Grace to her feet while Brian held a cold cloth to the side of her head. They gently escorted her to a nearby chair, which she sank into gratefully. Brian returned to kneel at her side while he gently pressed the cloth against her temple. Cassie came running out of the house at that moment. She had returned for some medication for the neighbor's child and, upon seeing the chess game and JJ's snacks all over the floor, had rushed outside, assuming the worst.

Brian looked up as she came near. Seeing the panic on her face, he hastened to assure her. "She's going to be just fine, Cassie. Just a little bump to the head, that's all." Both Cassie and JJ breathed a sigh of relief at his words.

"What about the yelling?" Cassie asked, still concerned. She had heard Maddie's shriek from inside the house as well.

Grace looked up at that and stared at JJ, waiting to hear about her little sister.

"Oh, that would be Maddie," JJ said with a shake of his head. Then he looked over at Brian and Cassie. "Uh, you may want to go and get Nicky. He's up in a tree throwing water balloons on her. Who is loving it, by the way."

Pain in her head momentarily forgotten, Grace smiled at her brother in shared understanding. Brian passed the cloth to Cassie and said with a sigh of resignation, "I'll go this time."

Cassie fell to her knees in front of Grace. "Oh sweetheart, are you sure you're all right? What happened?"

Teal'c placed his hands on Grace's shoulders. "Merely a sparring incident. Grace will not be permanently injured." As he said the words, he was looking more at Si'mon than Cassie, for the young boy was still quite pale and looking extremely guilty.

Grace herself brushed aside Cassie's concern. Now that the pain was beginning to fade a bit, she was feeling very uncomfortable with all of the attention. "I'll be fine, Cassie. Just a bump on the head."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't be doing any more sparring for a while," Cassie replied with a frown. Though she knew Grace could hold her own, she was a bit uncomfortable with the idea of her sparring so much with someone like Si'mon, who was much bigger and much more experienced than Grace.

As if reading her thoughts, Si'mon spoke up. With a slight bow, he said, "I offer my most heartfelt apologies. The accident was my fault. I will no longer behave in such a fashion with Grace."

Grace's eyes sparkled dangerously. One thing she had learned from both her mother and Ish'ta was that she wanted no concessions due to her gender. "It was not your fault Si'mon, it was mine. I looked away." She looked at Cassie. "And I will not stop sparring; with Si'mon or with anyone." She looked up at Teal'c, pleading taking the place of the brief spurt of anger in her eyes. "You won't make me quit, will you Uncle Teal'c?"

Teal'c looked down at Grace. "It will be your decision to continue training or not, Grace Aeryn. But I do believe that any further sparring should take place only within the training compound."

Grace thought for a moment, then nodded her head in agreement, wincing slightly at the movement. "Come on," Cassie said gently. "Let's get you inside to rest for a while." Helping the girl to her feet, she led Grace toward the house. Grace turned back once and offered Si'mon a smile, which he returned with a feeling of relief. The thought that he might have really injured Grace, no matter how unintentional, made his stomach feel like it was tied in knots.

When the two young women had retreated into the house, Teal'c looked at the boys. Si'mon could not meet the larger man's gaze, but felt it necessary to apologize once more. Before he could say two words, Teal'c interrupted. "You did not distract Grace on purpose, is that correct Si'mon?" When he answered with a quiet "No, Master Teal'c" the large man continued. "And you did not use your strength to an unfair advantage did you?" Again, he replied in the negative. "Then you have nothing for which to apologize. It was merely an accident. But I do request that all sparring, even between the two of you, take place in the training courtyards and not this area. You are still young and require supervision in your training. Do you agree?"

"Yes, sir," both boys answered in unison.

Teal'c nodded. "Very well." He let a small smile cross his face. "I believe young Grace would feel much better if you were to bring her something cool to drink. Perhaps you and Si'mon can fulfill this task together." Teal'c directed his statement to JJ but included Si'mon in the request, thereby giving his tacit approval for the boy to go into the house and visit with Grace. The young Jaffa smiled his thanks and followed JJ across the yard and into the house.

Teal'c sighed as he watched them go. There seemed to be no end to the unexpected incidents that occured with five children underfoot. Teal'c turned his attention to Brian, who came around the corner holding Nicky firmly by one hand and pulling a very reluctant Maddie along with the other. The little girl was soaking wet, but still pleading her case as she regaled Brian with the tale of the water bombs launched from the tree above her. When she spotted Teal'c, she turned beseeching eyes on him. "Can't we still play with the water balloons Uncle Teal'c? We was having so much fun!" Her large blue eyes blinked up at him expectantly.

Brian and Teal'c shared a look of exhaustion before Teal'c took her hand in his. "I believe you have had enough of water sports today, Madelyn. You and young Nicholas have spent much of your time in wet clothing. I do not believe your mother's would approve."

Maddie shrugged her shoulders as she let herself be led into the house. "She don't care. It's just water. Not jello, like last time."

Both Teal'c and Brian had to bite back a smile at that comment.

----

Two days later, Jack sighed with relief as he exited the wormhole on Chulak. While he felt badly that Sam, Daniel and Janet couldn't get away to join him, he was more than willing to escape the circus that the SGC had become. And he was eager to see how his children had been fairing this last week. He had heard a few stories about their escapades via their radio transmissions, but was sure his good friend probably wasn't telling him everything...and he wasn't sure he'd want to know everything anyway!

He knew about the Jaffa training his eldest were participating in and the Death Glider ride they had been on. He and Sam had both laughed when Teal'c had informed them how upset Maddie had been about not being allowed to go along. Both Teal'c and Bratac had felt the little girl was much too young, and Jack agreed, although he did understand his youngest's disappointment. He was sure Maddie had found other things to keep her active here on Chulak.

As he walked down the well-worn path toward the village, Jack found his steps getting lighter and his mouth whistling a cheery tune. He had radioed ahead that he had arrived and was anticipating a warm welcome from his children. And maybe a piece of that cake Ish'ta had made when they first arrived.

As soon as he opened the door to Teal'c's home, a small body hurled itself at him full force. Recognizing the blond blur as Maddie, Jack scooped her up and held her close. Maddie's arms tightened around his neck, almost squeezing the breath out of him. Jack couldn't care less that he couldn't breath; he was just ecstatic to be holding her again. His heart ached at what Sam was missing out on, and he promised himself that, come hell or high water, his wife would get to see her children before the week was out.

Finally, Maddie pulled back, her arms held loosely around his neck. "Daddy! I missed you so, so much! When can we come home? I miss mommy and Poppy too! Did Uncle T tell you about Stanley? He turnded my hands green, but I'm OK now. Does you want to see Stanley? Auntie Ish'ta gotted him his own bowl and everything!"

Jack blinked at her,marveling athow she got all of that out without taking a breath. He shook his head and settled for smiling at her. "I missed you too, pumpkin. So does Mommy. And yes, I'd love to meet Stanley. But first, I want another hug." He held the little girl close as she complied with his request, then looked up as he heard a door bang. Teal'c entered the house, quickly followed by JJ.

Father and son shared a grin from across the room, then JJ walked forward and Jack shifted Maddie to his side before pulling JJ close for a tight hug. "Hey sport. You look like you've grown an inch in the last two weeks. What have they been feeding you?"

JJ grinned up at his father. "Whatever I want to eat," he replied with a familiar smirk. Jack grinned back and ruffled his son's hair, then put Maddie down on the floor. He looked around expectantly.

"I know I may be loosing my memory, but didn't I leave you with three kids?" he smirked at Teal'c. When his friend didn't answer right away, Jack looked back at JJ, his smile fading at the look the other two shared. "What's going on?" he asked with a narrowed gaze, his heart thumping loudly.

"Grace will be here momentarily, O'Neill," Teal'c quickly assured the other man. "She merely had a previous engagement in the village," he added cryptically. When Jack raised one eyebrow in warning, Teal'c continued, "Perhaps you would care to visit Stanley. Madelyn is most anxious for you to meet her newest acquisition."

"Yeah daddy!" Maddie pulled on his arm. "Come and see Stanley!" She pulled him over to the table where Stanley placidly swam in his bowl.

When Teal'c had first told Jack about "Stanley" via radio, he had rolled his eyes and replied, "For crying out loud. Two miniature scientists in the making and, just like Daniel, they can't keep their hands off anything." Now, as he peered into the bowl, his eyes widened in amazement and more than a little bit of revulsion. He looked down at Maddie. "You touched that?"

Maddie grinned proudly up at him. "Yeah! I catchded him all by myself! Ish'ta tolded me that it's hard to catch a Snark'el, but I did!"

"I'm not in the least surprised," he replied truthfully. Then Jack scrunched down on his knees in front of her and took her hands in his own. "And your hands turned green, if I recall, young lady. What have we said about touching animals you don't know anything about?"

Maddie's smile fell at her father's reprimand. In a quiet voice, she replied, "Not to do it. It's not safe."

"That's right, Maddie. It's very important for you toremember that. Otherwise you might not be able to go on any more adventures for a while."

She looked up at him. "I'll 'member daddy. Uncle Teal'c already tolded me that."

"Well, good," Jack rose to his feet, wincing as his knees cracked. He glanced back into the bowl that held the Snark'el. "Stanley looks…very…interesting. I bet mommy will be fascinated," he added with a wry grin. Knowing Sam, she'd want to study the thing right along with Maddie. "You found yourself a very unusual pet, didn't you pumpkin?" he smiled down at her as he cupped her cheek gently.

"Yep!" Maddie's smile lit her face once again, happy that her father was no longer upset with her. Just then, the back door slammed closed again and Grace made her way into the room. She eyes lit up upon seeing her father but she hesitated for just a moment, then made her way forward slowly, keeping one side of her face turned away from her father.

Jack caught his breath when he spied Grace. His little girl looked so…grown-up all of a sudden! She was wearing the leggings and tunic popular with the older women on Chulak and her normally wild hair was pulled back into a braid that ran down her back. She seemed to carry herself differently as well; more self-assured than when they had left her here a mere two weeks ago.

Jack shook himself from his thoughts. "Well, look who finally decided to show up! Have a big date or something?" Grace blushed and ducked her head at his words, for he was not too far off. Although it wasn't exactly a date, she had been with Si'mon; just the two of them getting in a little extra practice. Grace wouldn't bother telling anyone how little practice was actually taking place; just talking and perhaps, some light flirting.

Jack's smile of welcome slowly ebbed away as she approached. Her blush and demeanor were telling him something that had alarms going off in his head. That and the way she was holding her face away from him told him something was up. Jaw clenching, he thought, She'd damn well better not have any signs of a boy kissing that neck, or she'll never see the light of day! Teal'c had previously mentioned a boy named Si'mon, but Jack hadn't thought much about him…until now.

Grace stopped a few feet in front of him and offered a quiet, "Hi daddy," followed by a tentative smile.

Frowning, Jack reached forward and gently grasped her chin, turning her head so he could see the other side of her face. Grace winced, wondering what he would say now. Eyebrows rose in surprise at what he found, although he was happy it wasn't what he had been expecting to find. Jack looked at Teal'c. Still holding Grace's chin in his hands, he asked, "T? Care to tell me why my daughter is sporting a bruise the size of a baseball?"

Teal'c opened his mouth to reply, but Grace beat him to it. "It was just an accident, daddy. I was sparring and…looked away for a second. I'm fine," she quickly assured him when his gaze narrowed.

Jack looked at her, eyes calculating. "And just who were you sparring with?"

She blushed again and Jack felt his heart clench in response to that innocent reaction. "Si'mon," she answered quietly.

Jack looked to Teal'c, who gave him a measured look in return. "You need not fear young Si'mon's acquaintance with Grace, O'Neill. He is a most respectful and trustworthy young man. He has been spending much time acclimating JJ and Grace to Chulak, as well asassisting them in their training."

"I'll bet he has," Jack muttered under his breath.

"Daddy," Grace protested, looking up into his eyes. "Si'mon is a friend, that's all. He's a good friend…to both me and JJ. Please don't be upset," she pleaded with him. Brown eyes locked onto brown for a full minute before Jack reached out and pulled her close.

Now was not the time to get into his insecurities regarding his daughter and boys. "I'm not upset, baby. Just worried about my daughter being hurt that's all." Tightening his hold on her, Jack whispered, "I missed you," then he planted a kiss on her head.

Grace wrapped her arms around her father. "I missed you too, daddy. So much."

Smiling into her hair, Jack decided that he would worry about this Si'mon character later. For now, he was back with his children and wasn't going to let anything ruin this moment with them. He pulled back and looked at Grace's temple once more, then slowly grinned down at her. "I hope you didn't let him get away with this unscathed."

She grinned back, all signs of hesitation now gone. "Of course not. I'm an O'Neill, aren't I?"

Jack laughed out loud as he gathered all three of them close once more. "That you are, Grace. That you are."

-----

True to his word, Jack had fought tooth and nail to give Sam a much needed break to see her children. General Landry had gone so far as to give her two whole days on Chulak…two days that Sam had cherished above all others in the past month. Daniel and Janet had come along for part of one day, which made Katie and Nicky ecstatic. All three of them had been inundated with questions from the children, but they had kept their answers brief and encouraging. They didn't want the children to dwell on the negative aspects of what had gone on back home, but instead focused on the positives and prepared them for what might happen upon their return. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that there would be changes once they returned, but all the adults were more than ready to help the children make those transitions with as little interruption to their lives as possible.

Sam had spent several happy hours watching her two oldest in the training courtyards. She had watched proudly as both of them more than held their own during the sparring matches that were put on for her benefit. Though she wouldn't admit it outloud, she felt the most proud when Grace took down a young boy who displayed a certain arrogance toward all the girls present. Grace had looked over at her mother after that particular match and, with a knowing glance, shared her mother's sentiments exactly.

As she had with her father, Maddie had been excited tointroduce Stanley toher mother. Sam had been duly impressed and, just as Jack had predicted, had been almost as enamored with the creature as Maddie had.

The two days passed in a blur of hugs, cuddling, laughter and playing. When the time came for Sam to return to the mountain, the children were subdued. Parting was difficult, but all of them knew it was now just a matter of days before they would be reunited once more.

-------

It was another week after Sam's visit before both Jack and General Landry felt that it was finally safe for the children to come home. Most of the media frenzy had died down to the point where they would actually receive polite requests for interviews rather than being mauled the minute they left the mountain. Although there were still many requests for their expertise on the Stargate program, the work load had substantially decreased for all of them.Each parent felt it was time to return to normal family life.

The day to return to Earth finally arrived. Not only Maddie and Nicky, but all of the children were up at the break of dawn. They had their things packed and ready long before their parents arrived to take them home. In their excitement to be going home, none of the children forgot how wonderful Teal'c and Ish'ta had been to them, and they made sure to tell them many times over how thankful they were.

When the two sets of parents arrived to collect their children, they were surprised to see their bags already packed and ready to go. Cassie and Brian were the first to head back to the gate, their own things packed carefully into several bags. Jack and Sam had offered their sincere thanks for all their help. Jack had gone so far as to clap Brian on the back and offer him anything he wanted, within reason of course, for all he had done to help out. Brian had just grinned and said, "Don't worry about it. I enjoyed my time here." He cocked his head as if deep in thought, then added, "On second thought, give me a call the next time you have one of those jello-balloon fights. I'd like to bring Cassie by and get in on the action!" While Jack had laughed out loud at the comment, Cassie had smacked her fiancé on the shoulder and given him a stern glare. The glare quickly turned to a smile when Maddie piped up, "Mommy doesn't let us do water balloon fights with jello no more. She says it not…digi…digified." Much to Maddie's confusion, all the adults around her burst into laughter and JJ quietly corrected, "Dignified."

She looked up at her brother with a frown. "What's that mean?"

JJ smiled down at her. "I'll explain it to you later, OK?" Maddie just shrugged her shoulders, still puzzled as to why everyone was laughing.

Gathering his children around him, Jack looked to Teal'c with a wide smile. "Well, I bet you're going to be glad to have the place to yourselves again."

Teal'c looked over at each individual niece and nephew, then frowned. "On the contrary, O'Neill. We will find the silence most…unsettling." Ish'ta nodded her head slowly in agreement, the mirth of a few minutes ago subsiding now that the children were about to leave.

Jack and Sam shared a look of understanding. They knew too well how sad and lonely a quiet house could be. Clearing his throat and attempting to lift the somber mood, Jack stated, "Well, now that they've come through the gate once, I'm sure Landry will let us come through again for a visit. They're pretty good interstellar travels, these five." He grinned down at all of them. "And of course, you two are always welcome at our place. Mi casa es su casa…or something like that," Jack muttered with a shrug.

Daniel gave Jack a look of surprise at the Spanish words echoing forth before quietly clearing his throat. "Yeah, Teal'c. You and Ish'ta are always more than welcome to stay with either of us. We'd love to have you."

Teal'c smiled and nodded at both of them. "We will accept your most gracious invitation." Then he came over and hugged each child in turn, thanking them for spending the last few weeks here on Chulak. To Grace and JJ, he added, "You have both proven yourselves to be exemplary students in the art of Kel'na'tor. I hope you will continue your studies upon your return to Earth."

"We will, Uncle Teal'c," JJ assured him, clasping his arm the way he had seen his father and Daniel do. "Thank you for everything."

"You are most welcome, Jonathon Jacob." Teal'c bowed. Grace came close and gave Teal'c a long hug, then looked up into his eyes.

"Thanks, Uncle Teal'c. You made all of this…well, really fun and exciting. I'll miss you," she directed her gaze to Ish'ta, who stood slightly behind Teal'c. "Both of you," she added quietly. She had learned so much from Ish'ta and would never forget what the woman had done for her.

"As we will miss you," Ish'ta stated with teary eyes, coming forward to hug first Grace, then JJ. Then she bent to hug Katie, Nicky and Maddie in turn. "It has been most enjoyable having you stay with us. I hope to see you very soon." The children smiled up at her as they returned the tight hugs.

Teal'c came over to place his hand on Katie's head. As he put his other hand into his pocket, he pulled out a small leather book. "Sosha has requested that I give this to you. I believe it is a story she created about your time here together. She is most disheartened to see you go, but will always remember her 'red' sister'." Katie smiled at the phrase that Sosha had used often to refer to her. The Jaffa girl had been enamored of Katie's red hair and was just a bit envious of it. But that hadn't stopped the girls from forming a deep friendship.

"Thank you Uncle Teal'c," the girl whispered as she took the book reverently in hand. Giving him a grateful smile, she returned to her mother's side.

Finally, Teal'c looked down at Maddie and Nicky. Squatting down before them, something the large man didn't do often, he said, "You have brought much life and laughter into my home. I am pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us."

The two children flung their arms around his neck and he lifted them easily. They each gave Teal'c a tight hug before they pulled back. Mournfully, Nicky stated, "We will miss you Uncle T. And Auntie Ish'ta. We had lots and lots of fun."

Maddie nodded her agreement, then frowned slightly in thought. "Uncle T? What is you gonna do with Stanley? Daddy tolded us we couldn't take him home." Maddie shot her father an accusatory glace. Teal'c too looked over at Jack, who shrugged his shoulders non-apologetically. There was no way in hell he was bringing a snake home…even if it was half frog.

"I will return Stanley to his home, Madelyn. I am certain his family awaits his return, as did yours."

Maddie smiled up at Teal'c and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I think that's a good idea. Stanley misses his mommy and daddy, just like me and Nicky did." Nicky nodded in agreement.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. Then he gave them one more hug before he gently set the children on their feet.

Jack cleared his throat, "Well T. Ish'ta. Thanks again for everything. You made this…bearable. Knowing they were safe with you, well…" He shrugged his shoulders helplessly. He was not a man to wax eloquent and Teal'c knew it.

Stepping forward, Teal'c clasped Jack's forearm. "You are most welcome, O'Neill." He did the same to Daniel before bestowing hugs on Sam and Janet. The two women then gave Ish'ta tearful hugs, neither one able to express their thanks in mere words.

When they had finally pulled away, Jack held his arms wide and said, "Well troops, there's no place like home!"With a grin,he began to steer them toward the path. He was stoppedshort by a young voice calling out, "Wait! Please, wait!" Turning, Jack caught sight of a young Jaffa heading toward them at a run. Jack frowned slightly when he heard Grace say, "Si'mon!"

Sam caught his look and shook her head at him. Unlike Jack, she had had the chance to meet Si'mon when she was here and found him to be a very pleasant young man. While it was obvious that he was smitten with her eldest daughter, Sam felt there was no harm in the innocent flirtation that went on between the two youngsters. While she had no desire to see her eleven year old dating at this age, Sam didn't have any qualms about Grace associating with boys. Glancing again at her husband's frown, Sam sighed to herself. Jack on the other hand...it looked like she had her work cut out for her.

Si'mon ground to a halt before the group, huffing slightly as he tried to catch his breath. JJ and Grace moved to the front of their families, smiling in welcome. "I wanted…to say good-bye. And give you…these." He held out two intricately carved sparring sticks, one for each of them. The dark wood was polished to a high shine, its smooth edges apparent from even far away.

"Oh Si'mon. You didn't have to do that," Grace gushed, even as she took one of the beautiful sticks in hand.

"It pleased me to do this for you. You have both become not only worthy opponents, but good friends as well. I will miss your presence in our training sessions." He looked directly at Grace. "And our time together afterwards."

Jack's eyes narrowed even more and took a step forward at the boy's words. His forward motion was abruptly stopped by Sam's hand on his arm. She shook her head at him, then pulled him closer to her side, indicating with a nod to Daniel that they should all move away and let the youngsters say their good-byes. Begrudgingly, Jack moved away with his family, but still kept a close eye on Grace and Si'mon.

JJ took the proffered stick in his hand, marveling at the craftsmanship. "Did you make these?" he asked with awe.

Si'mon flushed slightly. "With my father's assistance. He is a skilled craftsman."

"As are you," JJ added with a smile. Then, clasping his friend's hand like he had Teal'c's, the boy said, "Thank you Si'mon. I will miss you as well. I hope we will be able to return soon. Perhaps I will be able to beat you, once I've practiced more," he grinned.

Si'mon grinned back. "Perhaps."

JJ moved back to show his parents the stick while Grace stayed to say her good-byes to Si'mon. Under Jack's watchful eyes, Si'mon clasped Grace's hand in the same manner he had JJ's. Quietly, so that only she could hear, he said, "I will truly miss you Grace. You have made me feel things…that I have never felt before." He let his hand gently brush against the bruise that was still slightly visible against her temple. "I am deeply sorry about injuring you. Please know that I never meant for it to happen."

Grace brushed aside his apology. "It's all a part of sparring, Si'mon. You don't apologize to everyone you hit. At least I hope not! You won't develop much toughness doing that," she grinned at him.

He grinned back, then held her arm just a bit tighter. "Good-bye, Grace Aeryn O'Neill. I hope to meet you again one day." Then Si'mon leaned forward and brushed a light kiss against first one cheek, then the other. Grace blushed and ducked her head while Jack stiffened a few feet away.

"Isn't that sweet?" Sam whispered under her breath. Jack looked at her as if she was crazy but refrained from making a comment.

"Come on, Grace. Time to go," he barked out a bit harsher than necessary.

With one last glance and a quick wave good-bye, Grace rejoined her family, a light blush still staining her cheeks. She gave her father a quick glance then moved closer to her mother. When she came abreast of her, Sam put her arm around the girl and bent to whisper something quietly in her ear. Jack offered Teal'c and Ish'ta one final wave, then began to follow the two families back toward the Stargate.

As they walked, Jack hung back, quietly fuming. Who did that young pup think he was? Kissing his daughter in broad daylight in front of her entire family? His mind reeled as he played the scene again and again in his mind.

Daniel nodded to Janet, indicating that he was going to walk with Jack, then slowed his steps until he was by his friend's side. He threw a glance Jack's way but didn't say anything. Jack saw him out of the corner of his eye and growled, "Don't say anything, Daniel. When it's some guy drooling over Katie, then you can talk to me."

Daniel winced but resolutely remained where he was. After a few minutes of silent walking, Daniel decided he had to say something. He cleared his throat and started slowly. "Well Jack, at least you don't have to worry about him hanging around all the time. There is a plus side to your daughter's first boyfriend living on another planet," he shot Jack a look and began to smile. "Not to mention saving on the phone bill."

"He is not her boyfriend, Daniel. My daughter is too young to have a boyfriend…on any planet!"

Daniel continued to smile. "If you say so, Jack. Just remember," he shot his friend an evil smirk. "Sam seemed to have the exact same effect on males of the alien persuasion as your daughter does." He cocked his head to the side. "Must be genetic."

Jack groaned and pulled his hat lower over his eyes. He wondered if General Landry would let him delete Chulak from their dialing program. Nah…probably not.


Well, it's close to mid-week right? Took a lot more time to tweak this one than I had planned. Hope you enjoyed it! It might be a while before I add to this...school is coming to an end andthere ismuch to do! Thanks so much for all of your reviews. They keep me going after a long day!