TJ
This is to SamCarter2 who reccommedned TJ for this chapter.
The medial information I hope is accurate from what I have been able to dig up on Wikipedia.
Yes there are sware words in this chapter.
Some of how Ginn is back among the living is theorized in this chapter, but next chapter it will be more endepth.
TJ was standing in the shower holding her daughter Carmen. It was quiet times like this that gave her hope. Between the shelf that Varro and Greer had put together in the shower so that Carmen could be washed down with the cleaning mist, just feeling Carmen's naked body against her own made the difference as she connected with her daughter on a intimate primal level. Still learning to be a new mom was a lot to take in. But TJ wouldn't trade it for anything in the universe. This was her own flesh and blood and for good and ill, Carmen was part of her life and she would fight till the day she died and probably beyond to make sure she was safe.
Destiny's AI tended to show itself as a blond haired woman who had very kind and motherly gentle eyes and off in the far corner of the room TJ could see the computer's avatar watching her with a grin before walking out to give her some privacy. Destiny over the last month had almost grown motherly over the young mother and her daughter, even giving advice on child care to make TJ's life easier. There were times where the computer had dug up some Ancient lullaby and had helped put Carmen to sleep as Destiny projected a medical text for TJ to work on her medical studies on. TJ didn't mind... Though with over a hundred people on the ship, there were more than enough people who were willing to help her out. Even Eli had spent hours searching and Ancient, and Novus databases for treatments for her ALS. Who knew that when corn smut meets Lucian Kessa that an effective drug for long term treatment could be found. A Kernel a way keeps the doctor going another day. TJ laughed at that children's song, a spoof of the Apple a day rhyme.
Everett, well… he did his best given the situation. On some level he helped when he could, the rest of the time it had been the extended family that had come about with the senior staff. Camille had helped a lot with Carmen during the first few days after they had found the incubation chamber where Varro had placed Carmen while under the control of Destiny during those hours of the incursion.
Setting Carmen down, TJ could see the small scars from where Destiny had wired nutrient tubs into her daughter's body to provide sustenance to the young girl as it ensured her survival in the artificial womb. These tubs had connected themselves to the placental and umbilical tissue areas on Carmen as she finished out her development in a modified status chamber. It had mortified her when she had learned what had happened to Carmen, but Echo and Destiny had reached out and started to tell her of the events that lead to Carmen being saved. It was strange to see Varro performing an emergency c-section on her as he was possessed by Destiny's AI system to perform the surgery needed to save mother and child. Given Carmen's development and situation, the artificial growth chamber Destiny had ready in one of its labs and using Varro like a robot placed her daughter there to finish growing.
Varro had been a little worried at what Destiny had done using him, but seeing how TJ and Carmen benefited from their lives being saved. Destiny understood his grief more in those few hours than he wished to reveal and merely gave him the skills needed to save a life. Destiny made her peace by stating that she wouldn't possess anyone without showing her projected self first. TJ never saw who Destiny changed into before Varro, but everyone knew on some level it was his late wife. Greer decided to help the guy out in baby proofing and making kid friendly areas of the ship. It was partially as therapy, and… well, a way for Greer to play matchmaker.
Varro tended to help pull a few shifts in the infirmary during the off hours so TJ and her daughter could have some family time. Like right now… Carmen reached out and kicked a few times to see if make the mist cling to her little bottom. TJ undid her hair and waved it around Carmen. To mirror Echo the Ancient's floaty squid form. Carmen liked their new resident crew member. Though for TJ learning the crude sign-language that Echo learned took some effort on everyone's part to understand. But as a guide and as the miracle maker that had saved all of their collective butts. TJ knew that she had a lot to learn and teach this Ascended being that had done her best to save the ship and crew from disaster.
The Ancient had been able to save the souls and bodies of those who had died on worlds with Gates or on the ship. But for the ones that died on Eden and Senator Armstrong, Echo had been powerless to save. As for Simeon… That monster forfeited his rights for a second chance for the damage he did to Ginn and Amanda Perry's lives.
TJ hoped that those souls who had died on Eden and Chloe's dad were now at peace and Simeon was hopefully burning in the Seventh level of Hell.
TJ wiped Carmen's body with another layer of the cleaning mist as Carmen kicked her arms and legs around loving the sensation of her mother's hand on her naked body. So innocent, yet with so much opportunity before her, TJ cried a little as her daughter demonstrated her grasping motor skills with her hands and feet.
The Ancients had this thing for children and it showed in how Carmen had been tended to by their new resident, Echo when she decided to babysit during those times when TJ had been running late after her shift.
Echo was the Ancient who had risked permanent exile for her actions on the lower plains of existence by bring back several of the crew that had died. Now Echo was part of the crew helping where she could under the terms of her punishment.
TJ had tried to figure out why Echo couldn't speak but given that when you are trying to diagnose a being that happens to be non-corporal and is limited to a crude sign language and nodding to communicate... Well, at least Echo was able to move things around such as pencils and sign key ideas of what she was trying express to people when things came up. For Echo, she seemed sad but accepted her fate as she did her best to help the crew when necessary when it came to keeping things running. If she couldn't do something on the lower plains as a mortal, then she couldn't do it with her powers. That was probably the price Echo paid for bringing back those who had died during their journey.
Though the angelic squid form Echo changed into from time to time did freak TJ out some. For some strange reason Carmen loved it given that Echo often used it to fly her around the ship when she was restless. Maybe it was the entire airplane fun thing kids liked when they were younger. Feeling safe, yet feeling like you are flying like Peter Pan.
The Lucians also respected the Ancient and to some degree when Echo walked into the room they tended to quiet down. Though it was through Echo and TJ's efforts that lead to the race through the ship that led to the lab Varro had found during his first few hours on Destiny and Carmen's incubation chamber. The race had been a way to release tension on the ship. Well next to a boxing match… TJ wasn't going to be a part of that until a decent pair of boxing gloves, mouth guards and head padding could be made for the safety on both sides.
TJ had remembered the day of the race. Tessa and Matthew had been chosen because they were both the fastest runners among the two groups. Matthew had run track in high school and Tessa had been a courier back on her planet. The path had been set up so that it worked with the natural talents of both runners. A large number of Kinos were set up so there was coverage the race and to provide a record for the chronicle of the events. And they had been off.
Tessa and Matthew's little race through the ship had led to the discovery of the chamber Carmen had been placed in when Tessa slowed down to catch her breath along a section when she had been able to get a lead on Matthew. Leaning against a door control, Tessa opened the door to reveal a lab with something growing in it.
It had been strange seeing the semi-organic and transparent bubble that held something growing inside of it. It had taken some time for Amanda to realize that the structure was an artificial womb and most of the material including the blood that had been found around the edges of the device had been TJ's. That was when Destiny started to get into her dreams and explained the events to her and the procedures needed to save Carmen's life. Carmen wouldn't be physically born until a bit more time passed as the others that had been injured during the events before and after the bombing run against the drone command center had been healed to a significant amount. Destiny had done this to take the load off of TJ so that she could deal with one crisis at a time before her.
TJ remembered those days quite well over the last few weeks. Between Eli having to recover from being frozen Buck Rodger's style; Ginn emotionally collapsing after so many weeks in command of the ship; Kiva being Mind fucked by a system malfunction; Lisa's eye damage caused by the optical sunburn, and her own illness. Those first few days back after the bombing run on the Drone Command Center had been the hardest. Everyone pitched in, even the Lucians... to help her start sorting through the medical lab stuff, fixing the ship and growing the medicinal plants they would need to any further crises.
Some of the returned had theories that they were clones, robots, angels returned to aid the living ala BSG, holograms, aliens given human forms and memories… the list just got weirder after that given Echo wasn't forthcoming with answers. Without the stones to communicate back home… there was no way to bring in outside help to answer these questions. TJ, knew the truth and knew that things would work out slowly as the Returned started to get back on the feet with the rest of the crew.
Vanessa had pulled some of the weight by keeping an eye on Ginn after a Panic attack that had made her think that she was going to die just like the individuals who had been on Eden. Between the hyperventilation of remembering being choked to death in her qutaters. Ginn held up a gun to prevent anyone from taking her away from Eli's side as she wanted to spend her final moments next to his side... Passing out was the best thing that happened to resolve that situation as she collapsed to the floor. When Ginn had awakened just feeling TJ's hand said a lot to let the girl know that she was still among the land of the living. It took another two days, Ginn smelling to high heaven for the girl to be taken out of the infirmary.
The forced strip and shower was one thing, but Ginn screaming like she was being murdered when she had a nightmare of Simeon killing her again in her quarters had caused everyone to panic. Vanessa had rushed in nothing but her underwear, flak jacket, and an assault rifle to find Ginn shaking in fear and a clear coat of sweat and urine.
Knowing that Ginn wasn't going to have a good night's sleep, Vanessa had Ginn move in with her until Eli got better. The two of them had become friends, between playing cards, talking about their relationships (current and past) and Vanessa becoming a sort of big sister to the Crimson haired girl. Ginn seemed less stressed as a result of this sisterly bond. That and Vanessa had started to train the girl to break out of a chokehold with some conventional and Jaffa martial arts she had picked up while working at the SGC. It wasn't until Ginn threw one of the Marines across the fitness room by accident that the young tech was able to sleep soundly. TJ remembered the shocked look on everyone's face. Even Ginn's when TJ had come in to treat the injured Marine. Other than some bruised pride, the guy was alright.
"Sorry…" was all that came out. It was more embarrassment than, actual anger at her actions.
For Vanessa, the Lucians saw her as one of the warriors that once you befriended; you had made it as being trusted by the Tau'ri... Or at least they trusted you enough to let you in. Ginn afterwards gave Vanessa the recipe for her mom's sweet porridge. Once you got used to chewing on it given the grain mush from Brody's Still that was used as its base, it was good. Carmen seemed to like it as well though she did get more of it over her than in her... Thus the shower.
The revived Lucians had given TJ some space but were still around in the corner of her eye. From time to time the Lucians had dropped off things in front of her quarters for Carmen to play with. In a way, the realization that the Novus chronicle had a part to play with that. It was a little strange when one of the Lucians found a textbook that one of them had authored on the historic tensions between the Tau'ri and Lucian Alliance. It was eye opening to say the least. When you read the chapter on the Neo-Lucian movement, well… The tattoos were interesting.
TJ watched little Carmen suck her finger and clap her hands and giggle as she pointed towards the pyramid sun glyph and the winged star that had been scratched into the shower stall by somone out of boardom. Two of the more prominent symbols of the Lucians and of Earth that had become part of the history of Novus and their own on Destiny.
Mostly what TJ found was stuff such as carved figures, and homemade dolls and toys sitting outside of her door in the past weeks. All of it was checked for ill intent by the scanners they had found, but most of it now set in a toy box in her quarters. One figurine did creep her out though, and it was one that consisted of a doll with a large phallus coming out of it. When Varro saw it, he chuckled some at the image and blushed some realizing that TJ was mortified by this image being presented to her innocent daughter.
It had taken one of the military personnel to state that she had been to a planet based on ancient Greece and Rome and that the large shalong on the figure was meant as a sign of luck for the family. TJ just shuddered at the image but realized that the Lucians were now part of the crew and there were cultures out there that were not as conservative as her own. So learning to deal with the different cultures was the important thing. The symbol must have meant something important to the anonymous person that had given it to Carmen.
So TJ kept it hidden until someone could sew a decent pair of pants for the figure. Deciding that placing the doll somewhere where it wouldn't be seen by her daughter might be the best option for the time being. Currently the doll was now stashed under a large number of pillows until Carmen was older... Probably till she was past puberty... Maybe older.
Puberty… that was… TJ pushed that thought from her mind.
Carmen… Baby… Innocent… No boys, periods, or other things that would require a twelve-gage shotgun.
After a long moment TJ blew softly into Carmen's belly and she giggled feeling her mother's lips against her naked belly.
Bath time was the time where TJ and her daughter could get to know one another again. Carmen didn't mind being naked, but for her mother, this skin on skin kangaroo care meant the world to her. TJ still had the scar from the bullet wound around her stomach and Carmen had a little nick on her leg from the stray round that separated the two of them from meeting like they should have.
As TJ slowly dried Carmen after walking out of the shower with a large towel around the both of them, Tessa of the Lucians walked in and began undressing.
"So... How is Carmen?" The brown haired female Lucian said as she took off her jacket.
"Doing well today." TJ said as she put the homemade diaper under Carmen's body. Carmen who not minding being nude tried her best to escape away from it as TJ tickled her and got the opportunity to finish placing it on her daughter. "Carmen has been sleeping better lately."
"That's good..." Tessa said as she moved over to TJ and Carmen. "So... have you wondered about what traditions you wish to tech your daughter? I mean your status as concubine gives you terms in Tau'ri culture a position where your daughter can be married off to one of your major warrior houses?" TJ looked at Tessa concerned as Carmen reached out to touch her mother's partially exposed breast from the towel she was wearing.
"Concubine?"
"Yes… I heard that you had the status of being a concubine to one of your leaders before you decided to head to the Icarus outpost so that you could raise your child in peace."
"How much did you know about Icarus? Before the attack…"
"That it was a research station, probably a converted mining colony that given properties it availed to your planetary alliance with several worlds. Probably an outpost to be used as a long term settlement given the mountain it was built into. You don't abandon sites that you build into mountains." This was interesting, TJ decided that whatever information Tessa was giving might give her some insight about the entire Concubine idea.
"And the Concubine…"
"From what I heard from over listening from the others, Tau'ri and Lucians that the Houses that make up your Senate were debating over major economic stuff before everyone went to sleep… Something about Debt sealing… That you had connections to a major military leader… or some head of some warrior house that you belonged to with the Olympic mountain leadership. That your father was one of the warriors of this clan." TJ was a little shocked at the lack of detailed information about her, Earth, who knew what else.
"Is that how your culture works Tessa?" TJ said as she felt Carmen touch her skin then moved to grab hold of the dog tags around TJ's neck.
"For the most part..." Tessa said as she watched as TJ still naked placed Carmen back down on top of the inverted container box that had been transformed into a changing bed with raised sides. "My mother was concubine to one of the larger houses of the lands wrath on my home world. I know that for political reasons they could not be married, but my father loved me and my brother. Though my half sister did receive the title. I bore her no ill will. She knew the Lucian Alliance given the right influence would be a worthy economic partner to be part of." There was a pause before she continued. "I joined the Alliance to be her eyes." Tessa looked away from TJ. "I have not told anyone that..." TJ reached out to the woman.
"It's alright..." TJ gave the woman a hug with her free arm.
"Let's see, a Mathematician Farm Girl, a regional game hunter, and a member of a royal family." TJ reached out and touched Tessa's face. "The Lucians are not all a cabal of criminals. They are people. Each with a reason to be there."
"Thanks..." Tessa blushed as Carmen reached out and cooed in Tessa's direction.
"Looks like you have two friends that you can talk to." Carmen reached out to touch Tessa.
"Thank you, we ma'damas have to stand together."
"Ma'damas?" TJ saying the word with curiosity.
"Children born to royalty but not of full royal status." Tessa said seeing confusion on TJ's face. "These are the children born to concubines. They receive the best education, often they achieve high ranking positions within the kingdoms. Sometimes they are married off when it is time to form alliances or choose to find someone to fall in love with." Tessa reached out and stroked her fingers over Carmen's head.
"So... Your mother..."
"Was much like you, I do not wish disrespect." that was when Carmen finally got hold of TJ's dog tags and started to suck on them. "Your necklace... I have seen them on many of the warriors of your people." TJ did her best to make sure Carmen didn't hurt herself as she nudged under her daughter's chin and was able to get the girl to start to suck on her finger.
"Yeah... Carmen likes to suck on them. I have done the best to make sure that they are clean and that the rubber guard on them says intact." TJ said as she shifted the edge of the dog tags around her neck to keep them away from Carmen. That was when Carmen went at them again.
"May I hold her?" Tessa said moving closer to aid the healer as TJ realized that Tessa was offering to help. "You look like you need the help."
"Yeah, and I also need to get dressed." TJ said giving Carmen to Tessa as the tie around TJ's towel finally bit the dust and fell to the floor leaving her to stand naked before the other women. TJ blushed a little before the two women started laughing as Carmen giggled at the accident mommy had. TJ swallowing her pride bent down, picked up the towel and moved over to the hook on the wall where her clothes were at and started to get dressed.
"TJ, that necklace that you wear... What is its significance? Is it something that is given to the warriors of your people during some cultural right? Or is it something that is part of the warrior vestments that you wear?" Tessa said looking at TJ in a way that made TJ think about how the Lucians thought of an individual like her.
"I went into the military so that I could pay for my education as a healer; they have a great tuition waiver that I could use considering that my father was a tailor. I was only going be in for a few years so that I could get the waiver. The Dog Tags were just part of the deal. That was before things went sideways and I had my affair with..." TJ didn't feel that Tessa should know who Carmen's father was but she decided to let Tessa in why TJ was going to resign her commission. "…someone on the base. I learned that I was the other woman. I just didn't want to be around on the base. I didn't want to ruin his career. I decided to resign my commission, I already had the waiver." TJ paused for a moment, "I was waiting for my tour of duty to finish and leave for Earth to finish my education…but…."
"You weren't able to leave because of the attack on the planet." Tessa finished the sentence.
"Since I was the only person with medical training, I have done my best when possible to study up on medical texts here on Destiny and back on Earth."
"You are still an apprentice?" Tessa said worried.
"Not really... There is a Pre-medical, which is what learned before I joined the military. Medical school, where you learn medical techniques, which is followed by interning at a medical complex, then working at a medical complex where a healer gets to work hands on with various healing techniques. I had one under my belt at Icarus Base. Then learning if I wished to go into a specific medical study..."
"Since on Destiny, your training has finished up?" Tessa balanced Carmen as she watched how TJ was dressing.
"Yes and no... I still have much to finish up with a review and test that I have to take. Then I have intern with other healers for some time before I receive my final certification as a full healer." TJ paused, "I think that given the circumstances I am in they might do a waiver on the last part considering that I am doing my best in learning to patch up wounds and I think doing Dale Volker's kidney transplant earned me some points with the medical board."
"Oh…" Tessa realized that there was a lot more to the circumstances TJ was in than she realized. Seeing Carmen start to get a little fussy Tessa started to hum.
As TJ continued to get dressed, she watched Tessa hummed some before singing a song softy. It was beautiful... Though the words eluded TJ's background in language, Carmen liked the sound of it.
"Tessa... That song you are singing... what is it called?" TJ said as she walked over barefoot leaving her socks on the bench.
"It was a song that my mother sang to me. I think it was called the Momma Bear. I heard a translated version of it when I was older. It was about this girl who was raised by a Tok'ra who used a bear to stay alive after their host was slain. It is quite a happy story." Tessa tried her best to sing it in English but TJ stopped her.
"I heard a similar story called Brother Bear. It is about this hunter who kills a bear and it turns out that he has to care for cub that he had left motherless. He learns a thing or two about the world around him." TJ said remembering watching the movie with her sister's kids. That was when Lieutenant Barns poked her head into the showers.
"Hey... Chloe made contact with Earth."
"What!" The two women said looking at Barnes hearing the news.
"Yeah... They are looking for two more people to swap with the folks back home."
"What do you mean?" Tessa said as she balanced Carmen against her.
"They just sent some doctor and some civilian that chewed out Dr. Wray. Word is that they need the other two to switch so that they can bring in some scientist and someone from Command.
"Do you think that it will be Telford?" Tessa said concerned.
"No, from what I heard that he got himself assigned to Atlantis to do a crash course on Ancient Tech with a race that has been finding and fixing up Ancient vessels that have been coming back into the Pegasus Galaxy." Barnes said giving what information she knew. "Listen, that doctor they sent wants to talk to you TJ and he wants to take a look at your baby." TJ looked over at her child as the realization that the individuals in command wanted to make sure her child wasn't a threat. Given the entire Ori pulling a fast one on the Ancients with Adria a few years ago, they probably didn't want another superhuman mess on their hands.
Every instinct of TJ's being screamed: Protect your Daughter.
Tessa seemed worried at the idea that she was an outsider and given over the past two months, things had changed a lot for the Destiny crew. But it all came down to what the concept of what was going on back in their own galaxy.
Reaching out and placing a hand on Tessa's shoulder TJ spoke.
"I will do everything in my power to help you and the other Lucians Tessa." Tessa seemed more concerned than better at the current situation.
"You mean Varro, or do you truly mean all of us Lucians?"
"All of you, Tessa... If it wasn't for you all, I wouldn't have a chance of survival, and..." TJ felt tears coming to her eyes. "I would have never gotten to know my daughter."
"You mean it..." Tessa started to understand where TJ was coming from was Carmen reached out to touch her face to signify saying in her own way: Thank you for saving my Mommy.
"I do..." Barnes started to understand some of what was going on.
"Hey... I don't want to rush things here... But I just saw Ginn and Eli pass by with flying Kinos."
"Ginn... Kinos?" Tessa looked concerned.
"I don't know... Ginn said that she was in the room when the civilian showed up. From what she said that the person wasn't military and was more concerned about the state of the crew here on Destiny."
"That's weird..." Tessa started to realize along with TJ that there was something up, or that something major had happened while they slumbered for those three years.
"Anything else that she said?" TJ had the feeling that this was staring to be something major.
"She got relationship advice to use on Eli." Barnes shrugged.
"Do you think that this has to do with the files we got from Novus?" TJ said tracing the facts she knew with her medical skills.
"Don't know... But Dr. Jackson did spend some time looking over that stuff. Might have been something in there we would have overlooked in how relations between the members of Destiny's crew became a society that founded a civilization on another planet."
"Okay... You now have my attention." Tessa said realizing that whatever had take place in the Milky Way Galaxy was important to them all.
"If something major has happened back on Earth... We have to find out." TJ said about the rush out of the door when Tessa stopped her given that TJ was thinking of her family back in Washington state.
"Stockings and boots..." TJ nodded as she finished getting dressed and headed out the door with Carmen in her arms as Tessa took her clothes off of the hook on the wall and walked out following TJ.
News was more important right now… Everyone was on edge and knowing what was happening back home was what was everyone's mind as word made its way through the ship.
For those who are reading this, I hope that you have liked the chapter so far.
Next chapter will be of Dr. Becket.
He will clean up the entire how "Ginn was brought back" question in more detail.
Also the Shalong stuffed animal is a reference to me doing a Rome marathon over a period of two weeks this past summer.
I also decided to play with the idea of what the Lucians knew about Earth, its customs, and its people.
Any Ideas for future chapters let me know.
"Clone, Robot, Angel, or Alien in Human form... I am taking all bids!" The question everyone is asking as done by Bender Bending Rodriguez
Please review