Chapter14

Kathryn Hammond.

She liked the sound of that very, very much. Digging her toes into the warm, soft sand, Kathryn sighed in contentment.

Had anyone told her a year ago she would meet, fall in love with, and marry a truly wonderful man- a two-star general who traveled to other planets at that- she would have told them quite frankly they were nuts. But, that's exactly what had happened.

The wedding had been a small one at Bob and Helen Woodman's home with only their children and close family. Later, there was a reception at the Officer's Club for all their friends and co-workers complete with cake and champagne. A pleased Samantha Carter had caught the bouquet; a stunned Jack O'Neil had found himself holding the garter. Kathryn had a suspicion that George had aimed it at the colonel.

The boys had had a grand time and were now scattered between George's daughter Sandy and two other friends, excitedoverthe upcoming move toa newhouse. They were also delighted to have a new dad. George, it seemed to her, was just as delighted to have four new sons.

There was the sound of something hitting the sand behind her and she turned to see her husband.

"I have the gear and the guy at the shop told me about a great place to snorkel- it's on the other side of the point. Not many people go there, but it has lots of fish and coral." George smiled at her.

"Alright," she replied, unfolding herself from the beach chair. Clad in nothing but a bikini, she had to fight the urge to cover herself with her towel; George was her husband, and had been for all of five days, but she still felt shy.

His eyes lit up and for a moment, she wondered if he was going to suggest they skip snorkeling and retire to their private cottage. "But, then, maybe the water's too cold yet and we should…"

"The water's no colder than it was yesterday," she said with a laugh, and then whispered, "Let the poor maid a chance to change the sheets."

George grinned from ear to ear and picked up the gear.

The water was breathtaking. In the shallower areas, the color was a light turquoise, and farther out, in deeper water, it was a deep, clear blue. Schools of fish swam lazily among the coral and the lava, which was worn smooth from the constant waves. A yellow fish darted across their path, followed by several white and black striped ones. George, swimming just ahead of her, holding her hand and pulling her along, pointed to a jumble of rocks. A small, striped eel slithered into a crack.

Several minutes later, she felt a tug on her hand and they stood on the sandy bottom.

"Let's go up there," George said, nodding his head toward the blackish-gray rocks along the beach. Awkwardly, she slipped off her fins while holding on to his strong arm. They made their way ashore and he stashed their gear where the tide would not reach it.

It was a steep slope, but the lava was flat and only lightly pockmarked.

"Looks like there's a small cave up there," George said, a now-familiar light coming to his eyes as he took off with her in tow.

"George!"

"Yes, darlin'?"

"Just what do you have in mind?"

"Ah, well, I thought we'd get out of the sun for a while," he replied innocently, helping her up onto the first rock, and then leading the way across the uneven ground to the cave. "I'm sure we can find something to keep us occupied."

"You can't be serious about-"

"Darlin', there's nobody around to see!" George gave her a quick kiss. "Come on- here's the entrance."

The cool, deep shade of the cavern was a relief after the hot sun Kathryn had to admit. As her eyes adjusted, she could see the walls and boulders were polished smooth from nearly a million years of waves scouring its interior. It was dry with a sandy floor, and standing several yards back from the entrance, no one could see them, just as he had said.

"Come here, beautiful," George murmured, slipping his hands around her waist and pulling her toward him. His skin felt hot against hers. He kissed her neck while his fingers slid lower.

"Really, I don't think-" Her words were cut off abruptly when he sat down on a flat rock and pulled her onto his lap facing him. "Oh, George, are you sure it's OK?"

"Better than OK," he replied, running his fingers under the straps that held up her top. She squirmed uneasily, still unsure about his idea. For heaven's sake- they were almost out in public!

George chuckled, his laugh rumbling deep in his chest. "You keep that up and I'll have to go back in the water to cool off."

He pulled her closer, snugging her up against him. George trailed light kisses over her shoulder then collarbone. Kathryn sighed, relaxing against him as he adjusted her position a bit.

Eyes half-open, she enjoyed the sensation of their being close, his skin against hers with nothing between them. Reflected light from the ocean played on the walls, wavering flashes of sun. Her eyes opened wider and she gasped. George chuckled.

"Now, Mrs. Hammond, I'm going to-"

"George! I can't believe this!"

"It's for real," he whispered in her ear, mightily pleased with himself . "And, Darlin', I always aim to please!"

"But, George-"

"Just relax, honey, and enjoy the ride," he broke in. He was beginning to sweat. "Let me be in charge."

"George-"

"Hang on, sweetheart!"

"It's incredible!"

"I know, darlin'," he growled, picking up the pace.

"No, not you!"

"What?" he said, coming to an abrupt halt.

She shifted over to her right, coming halfway off his lap, for a better look.
Kathryn stared at the wall behind them. "On the wall- you have to see it!"

"Now?"

"Yes- it's right there!"

Mumbling "Woman, this had better be good" under his breath, George twisted carefully on the rock to glance over his shoulder.

On the wall, etched into the old lava, was an unmistakable series of chevrons.

Letting his breath out slowly, he stared at it silently for a moment, and then turned back to his previous position andfirmly seated his wife on his lap.

"George, aren't we going to do something?"

"Uh huh," he said, settling her into position. "We sure are!"

"No- about the symbols on the wall."

"They've been there for thousands of years…they'll be there for another half-hour," he replied matter-of-factly. George grinned. "Now, darlin'…where were we?"


Curled in her husband's lap as they sat on a reclining beach chair, Kathryn breathed softly into George's neck. "This is wonderful."

He tightened his left arm around her, the fingers of his right hand lightly tracing across the top of her thigh. "Mmhmm," he agreed. The previous day's discovery had kept him busy with work for a couple of hours that evening calling in the facts and location for a team to check out, but he was determined to stay out of the investigation. This was his honeymoon.

Everything, barring time spent on the phone to his office at the mountain, had been perfect. The weather, the food, the beach and private bungalow at the exclusive resort. He had offered to take Kathryn anywhere on their honeymoon and she said she wanted to go somewhere warm- Hawaii.

His wife's perfume mingled with the flowery scents that hung heavily in the evening air. Above them, the sky was clear and black with a scattering of stars. "No telephones, no reports…no klaxons or warning lights going off day and night." He let his head rest against the chair back. "And no interruptions."

Lazily, he reached for his glass of bourbon, ignoring the sand that fell from the damp glass onto his shirt. A huge yellow moon hung over the Pacific Ocean, just above the horizon. "Just you and me and the moo-"

"Ah…excuse us." Behind them, George heard someone clear her throat, and another cough. His hand paused for a second, the glass nearly to his lips. He took a sip.

"Yes, Major?" he said slowly. Kathryn moved to sit up, but he held her, keeping her close.

Unsure what to do, Major Samantha Carter stepped closer to the snuggling couple and into the light of a nearby tiki torch, careful to stay a good ten feet away. They couldn't very well talk to the back of the general's head, yet it was not the situation where one pulled up a chair and popped open a cold one. Daniel sauntered after her.

"Uh, sir, we're sorry to disturb you and Ka-, I mean, Mrs. Hammond," Carter answered, shifting from one foot to the other.

The words 'then why are you?' were on the tip of his tongue, but instead George asked, "Is there something you wanted?"

Carter looked at Daniel. She had been the one to interrupt them; Daniel could do the talking. She nodded toward the newlyweds. "Go on," she whispered.

Daniel Jackson looked at the moon, the sand under his worn-out sandals, the bougainvillea climbing over the cottage porch, the waves, and then back to the moon- anywhere but the half-naked couple cuddling together in the low-slung beach chair.

"Well, we, uh…We thought you might want to, uh, know the cave markings are chevrons, sir," he finally said. He scratched the back of his neck. Being near the ocean always made him itch.

The general didn't reply for a moment, but took another sip of his drink then rested his arm on the edge of the chair, letting the glass dangle from his fingers.

"I know they are," he replied patiently. "That's why I called you, son."

Daniel craned his neck to look up at the stars and wished he were off-world at the moment. When neither the general nor Daniel said anything, Carter spoke.

"Sir, the chevrons may very well provide us with the setting for a new destination through the gate. Further back, I found other less distinct, but still legible markings that may be traces of what could be-"

"Major," Hammond interrupted. He swirled what was left of his drink, the ice cubes rattling. "You also found lodging for the night?"

"Yes, sir," Carter answered. "We're staying at the Hibiscus Inn near the airport."

"Yeah, this place didn't have any vacancies," Jackson added. He shrugged, cocking his head to the side and gestured toward the nearby luxury cottage. "Seems like a pretty nice place. Got to be a couple of rooms in each, at least," he added hopefully.

Carter shot him a look that should have dropped him where he stood. It didn't. Daniel kept talking.

"But, you know the rates here were a little more than the per diem- actually,a lot more-

and-"

"Major Carter," Hammond said, trying to keep his voice level. "I suggest you and Dr. Jackson return to your hotel and get some rest tonight so that you might continue your investigations in the morning."

"Yes, sir." This time, her look sufficiently warned Daniel not to speak.

"Thank you for keeping me informed. I'll expect a report when I return…and no sooner than that," he continued firmly. The last of the ice clinked against the side of the glass as he lifted it. He turned to look at them pointedly. "Good night, Major, Doctor."

"Goodnight, sir, Ma'am." Carter stepped back, restraining the impulse to run.

"Goodnight, sir, Kathryn," Daniel said, lifting his hand to wave goodbye. "Hope you and the general have a great honeymoon." He bounced on his toes. "You know what they say…'Do it 'till you-'"

Carter grabbed Daniel by his jacket and yanked him away from the couple, letting go only when they reached the safety of the sidewalk on the other side of the tall hibiscus hedge.

"Are you crazy?" she hissed. Daniel's expression was one of complete innocence.

From the beach, they heard a giggle, and then what could have been either a deep laugh or a growl.


For those who wanted a wedding, I apologize. Quite frankly, nothing other than the clichéd hunt for the wedding rings or mad rush to get to the church on time came to mind. The next chapter is the last one, but I do have an idea sketched out on paper for a second part. It needs quite a bit of work, however. Perhaps it will work out- I hope it does because it's dark and serious and George gets in a real fix- why should the SG1 team have all the fun? (- :