AN: Raise your hand if you knew or figured out plethora is my favorite word.

A Plethora of Legends

A rather strange group of people showed up in town. Sheridan wasn't a very large town even yet, so of course everyone noticed the newcomers who oddly arrived on foot and not from the direction of Denver which as the only town close enough that someone might walk. Had they chosen to stay at the Silver King they would have found Sam, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c right away. Unfortunately, they were staying at the boarding house by the river run by Vera Slaughter who had a very low opinion of one Ernest Pratt, his mother and that insufferable Colonel O'Neill cousin of his. Not to mention that the whole town was all to do about his upcoming wedding to Abigail Steele who, as far as Vera was concerned, was just sniffing around his money - why look at the decrepit coach that woman's father had rode in on.

Sara and her team sat dejectedly through these lengthy monologues hoping to glean any information from the endless description of the Pratt family's many flaws. Finally Vera made a comment about Haw Tabor coming to town and wasn't it funny them naming the hotel after that carpet bagger Pitkin's running mate. Sara almost missed it when Vera went on about Colonel O'Neill's servant almost being lynched in retaliation of him stopping the lynching of a colored woman and her child on his property.

Very casually Sara acted as though it was just idle gossip. "Where was this lynching?"

"Why I told yah, on the O'Neill homestead west of town into the hill country that would be worthless if the creek didn't run through it. He's trying to get his house built by the winter so he and Doctor Carter can get married but the house was just delivered by Sears last month and he wasn't done digging the cellar yet nor gotten a well dug yet."

"Have they just been camping on that land then?" Sara asked as though she was scandalized that people would do that.

"Oh no. Nothing like those dirty flea riddled Hungarians. Colonel O'Neill and his intended have been staying at the Silver King with her brother and their man when they are in town for work on account that they all managed to get jobs just as free and easy as you can be on that ne'er-do-well Ernest Pratt's word as though his word were good for anything."

"Where does Mr. Pratt stay?"

"Same place. Whole passel of that family stayin' there now. His cousin, his intended's daddy, his momma, his cousin's intended's brother. The whole lot of them. Hotel is liable to go under once they all leave." She huffed.

"She's just mad they didn't drop their coin here." Mick said sagely to Ava who nodded in agreement.

"You wouldn't happen to know what day the wedding is, would you?" Sara asked hopefully.

"I assure you I do not know on account of I have no plans to attend." Vera sniffed.

"Momma's just mad because Dame Pratt snubbed her by not invitin' her." A middle aged blond man informed them.

"Silas, I told you not to speak of that woman." Vera spat.

"Sorry momma." He said and hung his head. He rather liked Ernest who had tried to encourage him to stand up to his mother but Silas had to toe the line somewhat if he wanted his inheritance though it looked like he was going to inherit a run down boarding house and seedy tenants. Might be time to revisit standing up to his momma.

"Could you excuse us?" Sara told the overly perfumed and overly dressed woman. She motioned her head jerkily for all of them to follow her.

"So do we just go get them now?" Ray asked.

"No. Gideon said we have to wait until the wedding reception but before Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Carter turn in for the night." Sara said.

"So what we just grab them and go?"

Mick shook his head. "That's a bad idea."

"Mick's right. We're going to have to convince them they need to go home to their own time." Sara agreed.

"Well… how do you plan to do that?" Ava asked.

"I have no idea." Sara admitted.

Ray thought for a little bit. "Why don't we head into town and just start loitering until we find them? If they know what's going on they should be all for going home right?"

"They might not." Mick told him.

"Why not?" Nate asks. "I mean the old west is cool and all… but no indoor plumbing? Yuck."

"No, Mick is right. Colonel O'Neill is Major Carter's commanding officer and even in my time them being together was still frowned on. One of them would have to take an assignment at another base for a while, get married, and then they still couldn't serve in the same unit after that. They didn't change that rule until 2025 according to Gideon." Sara told him. "Apparently once the military was evenly split along gender lines and just as many brass were women they struck down a lot of sexist crap perpetuated by men who just didn't like their wife knowing what they were up to away from home."

Ray chuckled. "And that kids sums up the history of modern civilization."

"Well, let's go get an egg cream or whatever it is they drink these days and figure out how to find the A-Team." Sara suggested.

"The red and black van will be a good clue." Nate says. "Oh! Or would it be a red and black horse carriage?"

"The Legend books have steam powered cars. I bet they have one of those." Gary said.

Sara shook her head. She sometimes really missed having adult conversations with Rip.

Delilah Pratt came out of the local haberdashery with Abigail Steele. "Mothah Pratt, honest to goodness yah don't have tah buy me all this. Ernest ain't gonna care about my hat." Abigail insisted.

Delilah just laughed though. "Oh I know, dear, but it makes me happy to do so. He loves you and I'm very glad he's finally found that."

Abigail blushed. "I bet Miss Jones is happy to not have a babysitter all the time on account both Coventry boys being shot dead."

Delilah nodded. "Good riddance to bad rubbish." She'd raised her boy to be a good man who wouldn't hurt a fly… but other mothers weren't as civilized and Delilah herself had aimed her derringer at her share of handsy men. She'd shot one of them too... a long time ago. A fact she kept from her soft hearted son.

"I'm sorry we didn't make it to the wedding day, Mothah Pratt. You must be sore disappointed in us."

Delilah chuckled. "Not in the least, dear. Why on earth would you think that?"

"Well… on account you're a society lady and I'm just a simple southern girl who is apparently easily influenced by your son's charming nature." Abigail said, blushing slightly.

"Dear girl, my son is many things but charming is rarely one of them. Therefore either you genuinely love one another or I'm a foolish old woman." She'd have said more but she stopped to look at the strange procession of characters walking through town. The blond woman seemed to be in charge and was sending her motley charges off in all directions. "What do you suppose that's about?"

"I don't rightly know but they shore were dressed oddly, weren't they?"

"Exactly what I was thinking. Ernest said Jack and his friends were oddly dressed when they came to town as well." Delilah said thoughtfully. "You don't suppose?"

"I do." Abigail agreed.

"Should we tell them?"

"I think we should find out what they want first. I'd be a bit put out to see Jack or Samantha especially to come to harm." Abigail said firmly.

"Let's follow the woman dressed like a farmer. She seems to be in charge." Delilah suggested.

Abigail nodded and they both discreetly changed direction to fall in behind the two women whose clothing couldn't match less. Sheridan was an odd mix but it was unlikely a lady in formal clothing would be casually chatting up a random farmer. Not impossible but highly improbable.

"We're being followed." Sara said to Ava under her breath.

"Do you think they know who we are?" Ava asked concerned.

"Not sure. It could be we aren't familiar and they are just a nosey mother and daughter out for a stroll?"

"Or?"

"Or someone knows who we are." Sara admitted.

"That's bad." Ava said with vehement concern.

"Yup." Sara agreed, popping the p.

"Well, what should we do?"

"Let's try to lose them by splitting up." Sara says and casually wanders away from Ava who looks after her with concern then ducks into the front of the furniture shop Jack builds pieces for.

"Ho there stranger." A large rotund man greets her. "What can I help you with on this fine morning?"

"Oh, um… er… well, what can you tell me about this rocking chair?" She says greeted with a fit of inspiration and pulls a simple but elegant design out of the grouping by the door.

"That one is made by one of our best men. Fine feller. Came in with a recommendation from Mr. Pratt himself if you can believe that." He grins. It had been obvious Colonel Jack was a relation of Ernie's. Probably the inspiration for 'When Legend Comes Marching Home' which was one of his favorites on accounting his daddy served in the union army himself. Colonel Jack didn't seem to like to talk about his time in the army but neither did his daddy.

"It's really nice. May I?" Ava asks him as Abigail discreetly slides in when the salesman is focused on Ava.

"Would yah like to meet the feller who made it?"

"Ah… sure… I guess…" Ava said, her brows drawn together.

"O'Neill!" The salesman bellowed as he turned his head over his shoulder.

Abigail couldn't help but giggle a bit and the clerk turned to her. "Miss Steele! A pleasure to see you. Were you looking to buy some pieces for a new home here or will you and your esteemed beau be leaving for Texas?"

"Oh we haven't decided that yet, Theo."

"I've got somthin' for yah. Dame Pratt ordered it up. Requested Jack make it himself. Seems she's lookin' forward to you starting a family right off."

Abigail colored. "And it's done already?" She squeaked.

"Well shore it only took about a week between his other work."

Abigail huffed out a relieved sigh that her soon to be mother-in-law apparently commissioned the cradle when she got engaged and not the other day when a very shame faced Abigail admitted to the other woman that she'd soon be a grandmother. Why if she didn't know better she'd believe her father and Ernie's mother were in cahoots with each other. Abigail's eyes went very wide. "Why that clever old hoyden!" Abigail exclaimed and rushed out the door right as Jack came in through the back wiping his hands.

Jack watched her bound out then turned to the salesperson. "Everything all right, Theo?" he asked, his brows drawn together.

"She didn't say. I asked if she was here to buy something or of they were moving to Texas now and told her about the cradle and she got this flummoxed look on her face and rushed out."

Jack looked out the door where Abigail was marching away purposefully and chuckled. "I think Delilah and Ethan might have a rough day." Jack and Sam had figured out what Delilah and Ethan had done after Skeeter's offhand comment when they were rounding up the Klan members the first time. He'd said Dame Pratt had outwitted Mr. Ernest finally. It hadn't taken much for them to figure out what he meant once they got into town as the engagement was the talk of Sheridan.

"This fine visitor to our humble town admires your work, Jack." Theo told him.

Jack grinned engagingly. "Does she? My grandpa taught me everything I know, Ma'am." He said politely.

"It's beautiful." Ava said rocking in it. "How much?"

Jack almost patted Theo on the arm as he turned then thought better at it as he was once again covered in stain. He closed his and put his arm down with a sheepish smile to Theo. "I'll let you get back to work. Very nice to meet you, ma'am." He said and returned to the back.

"Dolla twenty five, ma'am." He told her.

"I'll take it." She said. "I'll send someone to come pick it up." She said as she dug out the requested money. It was the nicest rocking chair she'd ever sat in. If that was the Jack she was looking for he was a talented woodworker. The guys would drag it back if she had to bribe them.

"Where are you... you old goat!" Abigail yelled from the breakfast room of the Silver King.

"If yer lookin fer yer fiancé, ma'am, he's off at Professor Bartok's lab." The desk clerk told her cringing at the fury in her eyes.

"Have you seen my father this morning?" She demanded. Too angry to be polite about it.

"Can't say I have, Miss Steele, and I hate to ask this of yah but could yah be a bit quieter? I imagine the whole town can hear yah." He pleaded.

"Oh! I apologize, sir. I forget not everyone is up early." She nodded at the man and headed for her father's room on the first floor. Once she reached it she banged on the door loudly. "You better open up if you're in there, you rotten hornswaggler!" She demanded.

The door opened to a bleary Ethan Cartridge Steele in his long john blinking at her. "What on earth is the matter, Monkey?"

"Don't you Monkey me, you shady old goat. You cooked up this cockamamie plan to get what you wanted and now Ernie and I are stuck because of you!" She yelled at him. "Are you even doin' poorly or was that a lie too?!"

"Abby, I tell you I don't know what you mean, lass."

"That's a steaming pile of cow pucky." She told him. "You and Dame Pratt tricked Ernest and I both into getting engaged and now we're stuck." She yelled.

"Yah ain't stuck. Just call off the wedding if you don't want to marry him. I doubt he'd be mad." But as he said this his daughter blushed furiously.

"Oh… so I'm to be a granddad am I?" He said softly.

"You've ruined things good and proper this time, daddy. Ernest asked me to marry him because he's a good honest man and he bedded me because we was getting married anyway and now even if we wanted to, we can't call things off without shaming us both!" Abigail sobbed and ran off.

Delilah, unaware of events on the other side of town quietly followed Sara Lance trying to figure out what she was up to when the head of the Ladies' auxiliary hustled up to her. Why, Mrs. Pratt, Mrs. Slaughter just informed me your son has invited those Hungarian farmers to his wedding." She told Delilah in a scandalized voice.

"They're his friends." Delilah said as though that were explanation enough.

"But aren't you concerned how it will look? This being the wedding of the season and all?"

Delilah gave the other woman a thunderous look while she noted silently that her quarry had stuck around to listen in on the conversation. "Mind you this is his and Miss Steele's wedding not my own therefore he shall invite whom he likes and anyone unhappy about that isn't required to attend." Delilah said pointedly and walked away.

Sara smiled.

A few feet away Delilah stopped. "If you're tired of following each other all over town you could just come tell me your business."

Sara stopped short, pursed her lips and smiled a bit. She may as well just give it a shot. She walked forward and held out her hand. "Sara Lance. I'm looking for Colonel O'Neill and his companions." She told the dignified older woman.

"I figured as much. What do you want them for?" She asked, chin up in an imperious angle.

"Honestly… we want to take them home."

Delilah nodded. "Suppose it's better if they didn't stay. So you're from their time then?"

Sara fell into step with the other woman. "Um… later actually."

Delilah stopped and turned to Sara. "You know what you are asking them to give up if they go home don't you?" Daniel had told her that Sam and Jack couldn't be together in their own time and why.

Sara nods. "Them being here is going to cause an eventual paradox, however. If I let them stay, they lose each other in the future before they even meet."

Delilah looks at her from the side. "Suppose I let you take them home. What then?" She frowned. "They love each other more than I've ever seen anyone love someone else."

Sara nods in understanding. "If I tell you how things work out will you help me?" She'd read up on Delilah Pratt while everyone else was getting dressed. The woman had insisted for years that time travel was real. The only conclusion Sara could come to was that Jack O'Neill or one of the others had told her the truth at some point.

"Do they…?"

"Oh yah. It takes them a few more years and she almost marries someone else but yah. They totally…"

Delilah smiles broadly. "Well, then. What do you need from me then?"

Sara smiles in relief.