Eleanor
My first week back at Stargate Command was in full swing. It was the first time I had worn "office attire," in a long while. A houndstooth pair of trousers and a black boatneck t-shirt with my hair curled in a high ponytail and sensible black oxfords. I was already into the program with a keycard and internet access. The IT department would be by tomorrow to set my computer up, but I was dedicating today to having my office in place. The sooner I could comfortably spread files around, the sooner I could work on the database and start taking requests. I was scheduled two weeks from today to give a series of lectures to all the SG teams about my database program, and to explain what I was hoping to gain from their mission reports to expedite the process of research for everyone. I had inquired about the Asgard system I used prior for storage materials, but there was no such knowledgeable tool in this timeline to hand over for me. Because of that, the science team often shipped multiple crates to various bases and kept an online library for context. I'd be undertaking that program from them in order to clear up research time on their end. I opened Daniel's office door and turned the lights on, he was off world on Chulak this morning and cleared a little section for me at a spare table to leave my belongings. Walking back into the hall where the pile of furniture and boxes were for the office space I had claimed I saw Jonas round the corner.
"Jonas," I smiled warmly. I had felt a kinship grow between us the past month and a half since I first met him. "I thought you were due back at the Alpha site?"
"Not until later today, I thought I would help with," he looked over at the furniture and back at me, "this."
"Or you were instructed by higher ups to babysit me?" I gave a knowing look over my shoulder as I picked up a box and he took another following behind me into the empty room.
"Let's call it 50/50," he replied amused. "But I requested to stay a bit longer than necessary and see that you settled in well."
"I see," I brought my box of cleaning supplies and handed him the sanitizer wipes. "And I appreciate the thought. It's nice not having to think before I speak like I do with everyone else here. I have no history with you, so it feels genuine if that makes sense."
"Yeah, I could see that." He started wiping down the dusty shelves and turned to me. "What's your favorite snack?"
"What?" I laughed out.
"I assume everyone is going to ask about your family, your background, how you know everyone?"
"That's fair to assume." I nodded in return.
"Right, all those questions have to be exhausting. So, what's your favorite snack?"
"Hm, that's a toughie." I took a moment to think it over while I polished off the slightly rusting used filing cabinet I was given out of storage. "I have a sweet tooth, toffee is always a good choice. I'm pretty generic though, before I would have said cheese and crackers now I think fresh fruit has been such a treat."
"Watermelon here on Earth? Oof." He pretended to wipe his brow and I agreed.
"But, I still love a baked good. There is something so wholesome and lovely about the idea that a person took time from their day to combine flour and sugar and what have you together to mold individually unappealing items into such a filling and cozy treat. You can have a pastry for any meal and it wouldn't be odd. A sweet muffin at breakfast is perfect, a bagel at lunch with some cream cheese and lox is divine, a savory flaky savory pie for dinner? Yes. Of course."
"Top tier," he nodded with a smile.
"And a cup of coffee or tea, with a fair amount of cream and sugar is very underrated. There was a coffee shop around the corner from my old home, it's still there but a bit out of the way now. I went with Sam two weeks ago, and it didn't feel the same. We tie such memories to taste and smell, I mean it was still silky and wonderful but it tasted sad." I went out and grabbed another box from the hall and brought it in, setting it on the large metal table in the middle of the room. "Like a lost memory. Just melancholy. However, there is a diner just around the corner from the base."
"Blue plate special," he interrupted.
"Pardon?"
"They have something called a blue plate special there." He pointed to one of the wire shelves from the hallway and I nodded as he dragged it in.
"Ah, okay yes. Most diners have that, it's a thing I guess. Anyway, my first month here, ever, Daniel was having a rough evening and I was working late. He offered to buy me a meal to congratulate me on my work thus far." I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and smiled to myself, "we went back to the diner two nights ago for dinner after work. For my first day here, and I had never tasted a better grilled cheese sandwich before in my life."
"That good?" He grunted out and I walked over to help him position the hefty shelf.
"No! That's the thing, it was just a greasy sandwich, even a bit burned. But it tasted like that first sandwich. It tasted like," I felt a flush creep up my neck and I smiled girlishly. "Like, I was happy again."
"I don't know what was cheesier, the sandwich or what you just said." He chuckled back and I swatted away at him. "I kid, that's great. Just from what I've seen the last few weeks you seem like a different person, in the best way."
"What about you?" I asked taking a step back to look at the positioning of the furniture so far.
"Earth food is much better in my opinion than Langaran food. Although, my mom makes a mean Kelowna day spread. Top snack Earth side would be ice cream and fries."
"Flavor?" I shook my head and motioned for us to move the shelving unit again. He lifted up one side and I the other as we pressed it against the opposite wall.
"I think vanilla because it's much more adaptable to toppings. Chili flakes and vanilla? Excellent. Chili flakes and mint chocolate chip? Not so much." I nodded at the location and we went to grab the two other matching shelves to fill the entire wall. He paused to catch his breath and looked over at me. "Part of this has to be refreshing, like you're starting over."
My face fell and I looked back at him. "No. I didn't want to start over. I liked things the way they were before." He repositioned a crooked shelving unit and I nodded in acceptance as he grabbed the desk and dragged it back to the corner I had it in originally. It wasn't the same desk, but it would make do.
"I didn't mean anything by that, I just meant," he blew out a puff of air and I nodded again at the desk placement. "I left my planet on not the best terms, when I came back I didn't get the chance to reintroduce myself into society. Half of my country still probably thinks I'm a trader and the other half have been told that I'm some hero. I'm neither."
"I felt like a nobody before, but I had friends and family, and Daniel. I had a growing career that I could be proud of, that my mother would be proud of. Well that she knew of. I called her and my sister every day, they would even talk on the phone with Daniel for a while, and my mom absolutely adored him." I rolled out the worn blue Persian rug that I had picked out from the second hand shop that previous weekend. I stood back up on my feet admiring it. "Now I am nobody to my friends and family. I have no prior career to fall on, and I can't really make any sort of name for myself. But," I took in a breath and looked back at Jonas. "I have a future that I can work on, and I have started planting roots here again. It's hard, I can't be in complete silence by myself without having a mild panic attack. I have terrors at night where I wake up worried that it was all a dream. The man that tried to kill me is walking these halls completely unaware that in my timeline any of this happened, and I have to tell myself it wasn't really him when I see him in the mess hall or see his name on any reports I organize." I drummed my fingers on the table and looked out the door at Daniel's office. "But, in some lovely way I am finding a happiness through it all. Like a small beacon calling out to me through this storm." I turned back to him and reached out for his hand. He took mine and I gave it a squeeze. "I never got to thank you though."
"For?"
"Treating me with kindness, and as a human being. Not like a fragile bird or a predator coming in to cause havoc. You were kind, and thoughtful while still doing your job. I think if anyone else was there in your place I wouldn't have been able to handle the shock of the first few hours without breaking down all together." Jonas gave me a half smile in return and changed the subject asking if I liked the location of the filing cabinet. I nodded, and we continued organizing the workspace together.
Sam
We were on another diplomatic mission with the Free Jaffa Nation to discuss their intell on Ba'al's territory claims, and the planets that they would be able to expand out to in order to house Jaffa colonists who wished to separate. Teal'c was meeting with Bra'tac privately to discuss their interests on the upcoming meetings while the rest of us waited for our turn to sit in during the summit.
"You seem awfully peppy today Daniel." Jack looked down at him from his sunglasses as he stood outside the Great Hall on the steps.
"I was just thinking the same about you Jack." Daniel's eyes squinted in his direction but Jack seemed unphased.
"You know me, I love the smell of Chulak in the morning." He pretended to stretch his arms, swinging them back and forth before resting them back at his sides. "How much longer do you think this is going to take Carter? It's pizza day in the mess hall and I want to go back before all that's left is pineapple." He mock gagged and rolled his head in the direction of the doorway.
"I'm not sure sir, the Jaffa don't seem too excited to have us in any of their conversations." I checked my watch, "we were supposed to be at the meeting two hours ago."
"Why do I have a feeling that this isn't going to involve us, again." Daniel grimaced, checking his own watch.
"The Jaffa have not really trusted any of our intentions since the incident with the Tok'ra staying at the joint base we set up for them. If you remember correctly, that didn't go so well." I bit down on my lip and looked out at the crowded marketplace in the middle of town. The collection of various former enslaved Jaffa soldiers, their families, all coming together to find a safe space for themselves.
"We didn't kill any of them," Jack muttered, "as much as I wanted to."
Teal'c came storming out of the front doors with Bra'tac on his heels. "If they insist on making fools of us, this new Jaffa nation will never succeed." He growled out walking past us. Jack gave me an exasperated look and we followed his rampage in the direction of the gate.
"Teal'c, it is not you they do not trust," Bra'tac swallowed and turned in our direction.
"It's his involvement with us." Jack cocked his head matter of factly and Teal'c stopped in the center of the square, turning on his heels and looking down at his old friend and past master.
"If it were not for the Tauri, we all would be bending a knee to false gods still." His voice was a boom thunder making the people around us scatter.
"Come on big guy, let's get you back home before we make a spectacle." Jack started down the path with Teal'c still snarling.
"That's just it," Bra'tac shook his head in disbelief. "Chulak is his home."
"Yeah, like Minnesota is mine, but I don't file taxes there do I?" Jack snapped back.
"I do not understand." He looked over at Daniel who just responded with an understanding grimace.
"What I believe Jack is trying to say, is that two places can be your home. Chulak is Teal'c primary home, but Earth is where he is currently residing." He looked over at Jack motioning for agreement.
"I have faith you will speak your word, as well as mine." Teal'c nodded a scornful goodbye and Jack shrugged as they both turned back to keep walking along the path and Bra'tac went his separate way. As we neared the market square I noticed Daniel's head turn at various carts that were hosting a variety of women's jewelry and merchandise.
"Looking for something?" I hinted and he blinked at me confused. I pointed at the carts and he scrunched his face in thought.
"I uh, before, well you know." He waved his hands around and I knew exactly what he was speaking about. "I had planned on asking Eleanor to marry me." His head turned to look at another stall and I saw Teal'c purchasing a neon pink colored fruit that resembled an apple as Jack just seemed to talk at him about who knows what.
"How long had you been together before, again?" I winced immediately regretting the question, but a soft smile fell on his face.
"I don't think we had an exact time frame, I was going to propose on Christmas. That would've made it a year I believe. Soon, I know," he shrugged, "I loved her for a year before that and never acted on it. Then I lost her for another half a year and almost forever if she hadn't made the jump here. I'm not wasting any more time." My heart swelled at his conviction, and I felt a lopsided grin spread on my face.
"So you're looking for a ring now?"
"Well, I was just looking at options." His eyes wandered.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but from a friend, don't get her a ring on Chulak." I whispered and we continued walking. "She's not going to want to explain what naquada is when she has to get it resized to fit."
"Fair point."
"What were you going to propose with last time?" I nudged him in the ribs and he frowned.
"I wanted it to be perfect. So, I called her mother to ask for ideas. She was going to bring Eleanor's grandmother's ring when we met around Thanksgiving. Can't really do that now." He looked over at me and I agreed unfortunately.
"Let's go you two, we have pizza to eat." Jack shouted as we saw the Stargate over the hill.
