Daughter
Chapter 15 – Exhibition
Slowly, Gracie found herself getting used to living under the mountain. She'd never fully feel comfortable with it, not with so many restrictions. It was a secret military base after all. But at least she was able to fall into some sort of routine during her first few months here. She began to spend a few hours each morning in Daniel's office taking basic lessons on English literacy. She honed her Jaffa combat skills with Teal'c or exercised alongside Vala. Dr. Lam had her help in the infirmary with low-risk tasks. Cameron would have lunch with her from time to time, listening intently to stories from her youth. It gave her the opportunity to play the game she'd made for herself, trying to understand the baffling things he'd say. In the evenings, she'd dine with whoever was still on base, most often Teal'c and Vala.
Of course, all this would only be possible on the days that SG-1 was not offworld on a mission. Gracie found those days to be the hardest. They were the perfect times to work in appointments with Dr. McKenzie, fortunately or not. She found those therapy sessions exhausting. And she highly preferred to be busy afterwards instead of dwelling alone in her room on the things that bothered her or scared her. But when her family was elsewhere on assignment, staying occupied was difficult. The Simpsons videos her father sent her didn't quite do the trick for long enough. Gracie never looked forward to SG-1's absence.
Her father tried to make regular trips back to see her on the weekends with the little version of her. It was the most she could get for now, until he could retire from his job as a protector of the planet. The family had agreed to think of the two Gracies as sisters. Seeing as how they were both from the same parents, it made the most sense. The older one sacrificed her name in deference to the little girl who would grow up to live the life she was meant to have. Gracie didn't quite mind it as much as everyone thought she would. She was in fact more fascinated than jealous watching her younger self.
Her birth mother was the hardest to reach. She was in a completely separate galaxy. Gracie worried for her safety constantly, knowing that Atlantis was the place that had once led to her demise. The project she'd been working on had turned into a monster. Something everyone expected to be finished in a couple of weeks had stretched further into months. Even if Gracie was exhausted, she'd stay up late to receive Sam's brief video calls in the middle of the night via their scheduled weekly check-ins. It was not only hard on her, but for her father and her little sister as well.
General Landry enabled Gracie's freedom whenever he could. He let her join Dr. Lam and her staff offworld anytime they left. Well, except for that one time, when they were rushing to help the injured during a fire fight. He kept her back for that. Gracie understood and wouldn't have wanted to get in the way.
Overall, she was beginning to adjust. But she still couldn't believe that she was here. Spending seventeen years on the run meant you couldn't just flip a switch and change your entire life overnight. Or even in these few months. Creating a new life here on Earth was a slow-going endeavor. Gracie still couldn't imagine where this opportunity would take her. It made her head hurt just trying to manage the culture shock she experienced by merely being here.
At least today, she'd get some relief. They were visiting the Hak'tyl again.
The season of the planet had changed by now. The weather was cooler and less oppressively hot. The hike from the gate to the settlement was more comfortable than the first time they'd made it. Gracie kept pace alongside Dr. Lam as they followed the Hak'tyl guard through the forest.
"When we get there," Carolyn said, "let's set up the largest case directly in the hut. We have a lot of samples to collect."
Gracie stepped over a divot in the ground, carefully watching her footing. "Okay." She switched the heavy case she was holding from one hand to the other to maintain her balance.
"Hold," a male voice announced from ahead of them.
The group immediately paused. Gracie looked and saw Baker holding up a fist. He and his fellow marines surrounded the medical team, facing outward with eyes darting about. They quietly unclipped their weapons from their vests and held them ready. The medical staff carefully placed their equipment down and crouched low. The Hak'tyl guard ahead of them had also stopped. Their heavy staffs tipped diagonally in their hands as they listened.
Gracie tensed. Her eyes scanned the trees for any movement. She saw none. She let her free hand hover near the zat on her thigh holster as she, too, crouched low. She was not technically a member of the escort team. No one really expected her to jump into a fire fight. But she would if she needed to.
Suddenly, a large animal scurried out of the brush nearby, screeching wildly. It leapt a great distance atop a boulder. The creature paused to consider them, then leapt away.
The Hak'tyl looked around then decided it was safe to resume their path.
"What the hell was that thing?" one of the marines muttered, staring off in the direction the animal had gone.
"Who knows," one of the medical team replied as she stood back up.
"Alright, let's keep moving," Reynolds announced. The group carried on.
Within a few minutes time they arrived at the settlement. The Hak'tyl were busy as usual. A group of young girls was practicing their forms with a teenage leader on one side. Other groups of women were busy hanging the washing or preparing food. Still more were actively sparring with unsharpened wooden staffs. Ishta greeted the Earthlings as before, identifying the hut that was prepared for the medical team.
As they carried the heavy cases toward the hut, Gracie thought she saw movement at the treeline. She paused.
"What is it?" one of the younger marines asked. It was Crawford, the one who originally discovered the joys of Hak'tyl cooking.
"Thought I saw something…" she murmured.
His eyes scanned the area where she seemed to be looking. "I'll check it out," he decided. He gestured for one of his buddies to join him. Gracie felt relief that he was willing to take her paranoia seriously. They'd already been on a handful of missions together escorting Dr. Lam offworld. They'd since struck up an amicable acquaintance.
"Elda?" Dr. Lam called from the hut.
"Coming." She turned away from where the marines were walking to bring the case to the hut. She climbed up the few steps into the small enclosed space. Her eyes immediately caught sight of someone familiar taking a spot on a straw mat. Her eyes went wide briefly, but Gracie knew this person would not know her. She tried to busy herself with unlatching the case for the medical team's use.
She could hear one of Dr. Lam's nurses asking the Hak'tyl warrior to expose her arm so she could draw a blood sample. The woman said nothing and complied. Gracie handed the nurse a bottle of hand sanitizer, with an open box of latex gloves ready in the other hand. As the nurse donned gloves, Gracie pulled a kit out of the case for her. She received a nod in thanks.
The Hak'tyl warrior eyed her. Gracie tried not to catch her gaze for long. They had not been introduced. It was not her place to speak first, if a conversation were to even be started. By the way the warrior dressed, she was clearly higher in rank. Her animal skin cape draped over half her body, leaving one arm free to wield a weapon at a moment's notice. It otherwise served as a protective layer that could be pulled over both shoulders while she traveled. The metal vest she wore underneath defended against sharp objects and supported her posture. Slumping was not allowed, especially when engaging in Jaffa fighting forms.
Gracie could tell that Nesa was on her way to becoming a den mother in her own right. It was only a matter of time. She idly wondered if the warrior had been away on patrol the last time she was here. Or if she'd been sent offworld by Ishta for some reason. Likely any task she was assigned would be important.
After the nurse completed the blood draw, Nesa got up to leave. She said nothing. Gracie watched her go, smiling to herself wistfully. That would be the closest she'd ever get to seeing her Hak'tyl sisters again. She tried to savor the fleeting moment.
"Elda, could you grab more kits from the other case?" the nurse requested.
"Sure." She paused at the doorway, in deference to the next Hak'tyl trying to enter. She didn't recognize this particular female Jaffa. Outside, she unlatched another case and dug around for what was being asked. She briefly looked up toward the treeline, wondering where the marines had gone. She figured Crawford and their mutual friend Smith would have returned by now to tell her she was seeing ghosts. Gracie looked behind her, seeing that Reynolds and Baker were hanging around, seemingly unworried.
She shook off the feeling that she was being watched. Dr. McKenzie reminded her at every session that she was safer now. Her hunters were long gone. He'd been read into who she really was. They told her that it would be the best way for him to help her, to better understand her origins. The doctor assured her that since she was anonymous in this timeline, none of her pursuers would think to come after her here. If they were even still alive. She tried to repeat his words in her mind.
"Where is one of your healers?" a female voice asked.
Gracie looked up. "Inside the hut." She noted a look of distress on the woman's face. "Is someone in need of help?" The woman nodded worriedly. Gracie ventured into the hut to drop off the requested supplies, then touched Dr. Lam's arm. "I think one of the Hak'tyl needs a doctor."
Carolyn didn't hesitate to drop her task and exit the hut with Gracie. She grabbed a small first aid kit on the way out.
The woman who approached her now had tears streaming down her face. Gracie observed her mode of dress. She was wearing the comfortable clothing of a new mother. It clearly marked her as one not expected to take up arms in the event of a fight. Instead, her primary task would be to protect her child and seek safety. As they followed the woman hurriedly leading them away, Gracie made this observation aloud to Dr. Lam. "New mom," she reported.
Carolyn nodded.
They arrived within another hut. A small group of women had gathered, hovering over something in its center.
"I'm a doctor," Carolyn announced herself.
They gave way, revealing a small Jaffa infant in the middle of the floor. The pair from Earth rushed forward. Carolyn and Gracie knelt down. The doctor leaned over to listen to the child's breathing. "I'm not hearing any movement," she declared. Gracie opened up the kit for her immediately. "Remove these layers," she instructed. Gracie carefully peeled back the thin cloth covering the baby's chest. A star-shaped formation inhabited most of its belly. It denoted the pouch that was anatomically normal for Jaffa to have, in preparation to host a symbiote in adolescence. But now, with tretonin available, the Hak'tyl no longer had to prey on other Jaffa to steal their symbiotes. They simply needed to ally themselves with kind benefactors who could produce the life-saving drug. The SGC was somehow planning on teaching the Jaffa how to make it themselves.
As Carolyn busied herself with her exam, Gracie looked up at the women. Her eyes searched and finally settled on the one she assumed to be the child's mother. "What is the child's name?"
"Erisa," she replied worriedly. "Please, help her."
Gracie grit her teeth and looked back down at the baby. This one would have grown up to become her friend, just a few years behind her in age. She took in a shaky breath as she watched Carolyn work.
"Get me Dr. Hancock. And bring a tretonin kit," Carolyn ordered. Gracie shot up and out of the hut, running back the way she came. As she returned with the aforementioned colleague and the kit that was requested, something in the trees caught her attention. She placed the kit in the other doctor's hands as he ventured into the hut.
Gracie paused outside. She breathed in deeply. Something was tingling her nose. But she couldn't remember what it was. She associated the scent with the Hak'tyl… no, with Jaffa. Jaffa males. Her eyes darted around and squinted. There were none here. At least, there shouldn't have been. Unless one was paying a friendly visit and simply remained unseen. Teal'c would visit Ishta when he could and no one was ever bothered by it.
Behind her, Gracie could faintly hear Baker saying something into his radio. She glanced at him briefly, then back toward the surrounding trees. Her eyes swept the landscape, seeing nothing but leaves rustling in the wind.
Wait. Where was Crawford? And Smith?
Gracie approached Reynolds now across the wide grassy expanse that served as the town center. "Colonel? Did you send the others back to the gate?" she wondered.
He eyed her. "No."
"They aren't answering the radio," Baker noted as he stepped closer.
Gracie narrowed her eyes then spun around. She scanned the inhabitants. All of them were busy. Except for one.
Nesa seemed to have frozen in place outside of Ishta's hut. Her eyes were trained on the trees.
Gracie made eye contact with her, the most interaction she dared to do. But it was necessary to convey her feeling of warning.
The Hak'tyl said nothing. Nesa climbed back into Ishta's hut.
Gracie turned around to look straight at Reynolds. "Something is wrong."
He gazed all around, sensing the suspicion oozing out of both her and the single Hak'tyl he watched her lock eyes with. "What?" he asked simply.
"I don't know. But maybe we should get the team to safety. Quietly."
Reynolds nodded to Baker, who seemed to receive silent orders that only he could understand. He made his way over to the main hut where most of their medical team was working. The Colonel leaned in toward Gracie. "Elda, I need you to be clear. What is it?"
"There's this… scent. And I've been sensing movement in the trees."
Reynolds sniffed. "I'm not smelling anything."
"It's subtle. Barely there."
"One of your Jaffa superpowers?" he quipped.
Gracie shook her head with a slight smile. "More like, general life experience."
Beyond them, Baker could be seen exiting the hut with heavy cases in hand. The medical team filed out after him. "Where's Lam?" he asked across the way. "And Hancock?"
"Oh. I'll show you," Gracie volunteered. She left Reynolds behind to lead Baker to the correct hut. Hancock was already exiting it. "Is the baby okay?" He nodded in affirmation, but was distracted when Baker leaned it to whisper something in his ear. Since the pair was blocking the entrance, Gracie refrained from re-entering the hut.
She gazed around at the settlement instead. Nesa reappeared from outside the main hut.
Someone yelled.
Her head whipped around to see a Jaffa male running from the treeline toward the heart of the settlement. Then, as if he had duplicated himself, more of them appeared. All were holding staff weapons in preparation for attack.
Any Hak'tyl in sight scattered to find armaments and meet the intruders head-on.
Chaos ensued.
Zat fire sounded off. Reynolds went down in a heap. Gracie's mouth dropped open. Then Baker and Dr. Hancock collapsed as zat blasts enveloped them. She ducked to avoid a blast coming her way. She ran toward the medical team lingering outside the first hut. "Get to the gate!" she yelled at them. They dropped their cases and hurriedly ran away from the fight closing in on their position.
Gracie was about to go with them, but then she realized she hadn't seen Carolyn.
She darted around a pair of Jaffa suddenly fighting much closer now, returning to the other hut. Gracie glanced behind her as she struggled to open the door. It had been shut closed. She slammed her shoulder into it, finally breaking it free of its frame.
The hut was empty.
No doctor. No baby. No Hak'tyl women.
Gracie spun around. Maybe they had taken Carolyn with them to safety. Perhaps they retreated to some caves she knew to be nearby. That's what they should have done. Protect the child and all others they could pick up along the way.
She scanned the area, trying to see a sign of them. Her eyes hurriedly looked left and right. Everyone here was stuck in one-on-one combat, with even more Jaffa males approaching in the distance.
The teenager she saw earlier, who'd been training the smaller girls, struggled against a staff weapon. Her body was bent back as she grit her teeth and used all her strength to push against the Jaffa male holding it against her neck.
Gracie hopped down the few steps from the entrance of the hut. She hurriedly raised her zat, only to have it knocked out of her hands by a staff. She slid to the side to avoid another strike. A Jaffa had his eyes squarely trained on her. Gracie knew where extra staffs were and ran off in that direction. The Jaffa chased her.
She easily found one resting on the side of a hut. As soon as she grabbed it and turned around, she raised the wooden staff to block the strike of her Jaffa attacker. Gracie grunted as she parried each blow he attempted next. Over and over. Until she'd been driven backwards beyond sight of the town center.
She ducked and managed to drive her staff into his stomach, near where his pouch should be. It pushed him back just enough for her to dash underneath his raised arms and around his back. She didn't try to hit him, but instead, needed to make sure Carolyn had gotten to safety.
When she reached the town center, she felt her legs go up from under her. She fell backwards to the ground with a yell of surprise. Gracie rolled to one side to avoid another strike of the Jaffa's weapon. She rolled up into a crouch and looked just in time to see his staff weapon make contact with her face.
The hit knocked her back to the ground.
Now she was just plain pissed.
Gracie ignored the pain in her temple. She leaned back on her arms and swept her legs to knock the Jaffa off his feet. Then her hands instantly found the staff she'd dropped. She forcefully contorted her body to hop up onto two feet. She raised her staff to slam it vertically into his body, but he rolled out of the way and got back up, much like she had just done. She summoned energy she'd been holding in reserve for running to try to repeatedly ram her staff into the Jaffa. Gracie attacked full-force. He parried her blows and began stepping back as she increased her speed.
They went on like this for many more minutes, trading blows and managing to block each other inbetween.
Through the fray, Gracie recalled a trick her mother taught her. She pretended to strike from one side, causing the Jaffa to begin blocking in that direction. But she used the distraction to flip the motion of her staff the opposite way, hitting him squarely in the face.
She jumped up to kick him in the gut while he was still stunned. He slid back, still on his feet.
Gracie spun with one leg in the air, letting her boot make contact with his head and finally knocking him down completely.
She hovered over him, staff weapon pushing down menacingly onto his neck. Her feet were planted far from where his hands could grab them if he tried. Their chests heaved from the heavy fighting. She stared straight into the Jaffa's eyes, her own wild and red with fury.
A horn sounded.
The fighting ceased around her.
Gracie didn't look up. She kept her attention trained on the Jaffa she'd defeated, watching for signs that he would try something else.
Ishta yelled a command. Loudly.
Gracie's eyes went wide. Automatically, her staff retreated from the Jaffa's neck and she stepped back. He scooted backwards and easily raised himself to his feet. His eyes glanced to where his fallen staff had gone. He used a foot to scoop it up into the air for his hands to catch.
They stood a few feet apart, eyes never breaking contact.
She tightened her grip on the staff, weary.
Now another voice yelled. It was male.
The Jaffa who attacked her did something unexpected. He bowed his head to her, in apparent respect. "You fought well for a human," he said plainly.
Without further comment, he turned around and began limping in the direction of the leader who had recalled him and his brothers.
Gracie's mouth dropped open. She'd only ever heard of these things before, but never once got to see it. Nor even got close to participating.
"Exhibition," she whispered out in shock between her ragged breaths. She watched the Jaffa as he hobbled away. Then Gracie allowed her eyes to break contact and see others leave. None of them had brought powered staff weapons. They'd never meant to bring lethal force, she realized. Her heavy breaths began to normalize and her grip loosened on the plain staff.
Behind her, Crawford and Smith were pushed forward into the town center. A few Jaffa males tended to them, releasing their gags and bonds and returning their weapons. Reynolds, meanwhile, had just woken up after being stunned. He, too, was left unharmed. He had risen just in time to watch Gracie take down her Jaffa opponent and threaten him with one final kill shot using a simple wooden staff. He'd never even gotten a chance to unbuckle his P-90 when Ishta gave the order to stop.
Ishta glided gracefully along the trampled grass toward the male Jaffa leader. They bowed to each other and began conversing in their language. Reynolds had no idea what they were saying. He observed as Baker and Dr. Hancock appeared to be rousing from their unexpected slumber on the other side of the town center.
Ishta stepped back and turned around to address her people. She yelled something in Goa'uld that Reynolds didn't recognize. All of the Hak'tyl, and Gracie, shouted back in response, slamming their staff weapons vertically into the ground loudly. He blinked. She did it so automatically that he would have thought she was one of them, if it weren't for the plain green military fatigues she was wearing. Across the way, Baker was now watching and noting the same.
Reynolds observed the Hak'tyl leader approach each of her warriors and speak quietly to them. She didn't linger long. They bowed their heads and left, as if dismissed. He was about to catch her attention, but she walked straight over to Elda next.
The young blonde bowed her head, holding her staff horizontally out in front of her, as if offering it back to its rightful owner. Ishta used a single hand to push it back toward Elda. The young blonde looked back up in surprise.
"Where did you train, child?"
Elda's eyes widened. "I was once cared for by a small tribe of Jaffa in my youth. They were isolated," she fibbed. Her insides squirmed over it. Guilt burned her from within for lying to Ishta for the sake of protecting her identity.
"Tell me. Do you know of Teal'c?"
She bowed in affirmation. "He is my sister's comrade."
Ishta raised an eyebrow. She tilted her chin up as she considered Gracie thoughtfully. Reynolds furrowed his brow. "You shall return here with him."
Elda stared. Then she lowered her head. It wasn't a suggestion. It was an order. One that she was inclined to obey, for this was the den mother of her own den mother.
"Colonel," Jack greeted Reynolds via video with a warning tone. He was clearly very unhappy with him.
"General." He remained stone-cold and professional in his expression as he sat in the briefing room before a tablet. Marines didn't squirm.
"Mind explaining how you and your men ended up unconscious on the ground while the medical staff ran for their lives?" Then he thought to add, "And why Vala's little sister had to pick up the slack and beat someone's ass while you had your beauty rest?"
In truth, Jack was secretly very proud of that. But he wasn't going to tell Reynolds that.
"Sir, the Hak'tyl leader had arranged to have what she referred to as an 'Exhibition.' She had a standing agreement with some other Jaffa to stage a sneak attack to keep her people's skills sharp. No one knew it was going to be initiated while we were there."
Jack raised his eyebrows but allowed the Colonel to continue.
"The Jaffa zatted us to keep us out of the way. They claimed they had no intention of hurting us. They just didn't want us involved."
"It's my understanding that a few of you had an inkling something was about to go down."
"Yes, sir, but not until immediately before the attack." Reynolds idly wondered why Jack was so interested in his failure of an escort mission. He expected Landry to be grilling him instead. Not that he cared to be dressed down by any of his superiors at all.
Jack demanded a full review from Reynolds, with a detailed report about SG-3's points of failure and what they planned to do next time to prevent the potential mess this could have been. He emphasized that the Chief Medical Officer was placed at risk because of SG-3's complacency. Reynolds held his tongue, silently grating his teeth through the remainder of the call.
It didn't last much longer. Jack wasn't one for excessive talk.
But that didn't mean Reynolds was about to find relief.
Because the minute he entered the men's locker room, Mitchell found him and pushed him against a row of lockers.
"What. The fuck," the other Colonel complained bitterly.
Reynolds frowned at him impatiently. This was the last thing he needed. He would really rather prefer to hit the showers. He pushed Cameron back enough so he could move aside toward his locker. He wasn't going to entertain his anger.
He chose to ignore Mitchell as he berated him for letting Carolyn and Elda end up in a potentially dangerous situation. Reynolds quietly pondered why Mitchell was showing so much concern. But then he remembered, oh yeah, he was banging Dr. Lam now and Elda was the little sister of another woman he could have easily been hitting, too. Yup, that was it.
If it weren't for Dr. Jackson showing up to hold Mitchell back, Reynolds would have never made it to the showers.
"Explain it to me. Slowly," Jack requested through the screen.
Gracie was seated in a chair in Teal'c's quarters, with a tablet set up on his standard-issue desk. Their mutual Jaffa friend stood behind her calmly, hands clasped behind his back. He was barely visible on the screen from Jack's point-of-view.
"They call it an Exhibition. I'd never actually seen one before this. So I didn't realize what was happening until it was over. This is Ishta's creative way of keeping her warriors from getting too relaxed. The Hak'tyl and the other Jaffa tribe are supposed to take turns attacking each other unexpectedly. It gives leadership on both sides a chance to see which warriors have trained successfully and which ones need more training. At least, that's what I remember being told."
Jack squinted his eyes in wonder. "Jaffa performance evaluations. Huh." He shook his head slightly. "Who actually zatted SG-3?"
"That, I don't really know. I was too busy dodging zat blasts and staff hits."
Jack clenched his jaw. It wasn't exactly comforting for him to hear that his daughter had to dodge anything at all. Gracie was supposed to be safe now. Somehow he realized he couldn't guarantee her safety any better than Vala had in the future. Not if she kept going offworld.
"The aggressors' identities are irrelevant. The intent was to prevent SG-3 from becoming involved in a battle that was not theirs," Teal'c pointed out. He seemed to take in a small breath. "It was the more honorable course of action."
"Those Jaffa are damn lucky they zatted us first," Jack concluded.
"Indeed. Otherwise, SG-3 would have opened fire on what they presumed to be hostile enemies of our allies, the Hak'tyl. Fortunately there was no bloodshed on this day."
Gracie tapped lightly at the bruise forming near her eye. "Just a bunch of annoying injuries."
"Have you been seen in medical yet?" Jack asked with concern.
"Dad, I'm fine. I've been through worse. I can just ask Vala to heal me later."
"Speaking of our fine space princess… Has she heard about what happened yet?"
"Everyone has," Teal'c reported.
"What did she say?" Jack asked curiously. He was almost inclined to call her himself to find out.
"I haven't seen her yet," Gracie admitted.
"ValaMalDoran was most interested to hear how she felled her attacker."
"And how did you do that?"
Gracie opened and closed her mouth, thinking back. "At first, I was only defending myself. I had no idea why he was attacking me. I was more concerned with finding Dr. Lam. I wasn't sure where she was." Something about that warmed Jack's heart. He sensed loyalty there. It made him feel like they really all were a family. A family that could surround itself around Gracie and offer her the life she deserved. Gracie went on, "As much as I was trying not to fight back, he sort of forced the issue." She frowned. She looked back at Teal'c. "I don't know the names of all the moves I used. But they were mostly with a staff weapon." She returned to her father on the screen. "Except for the last one."
"What was the last one?"
"Something my mother taught me." She smirked. "Still works."
A hint of a smile played on Teal'c's lips. It intrigued Jack. What did that big, old Jaffa know that he didn't?
"He ended up on the ground with a staff weapon on his neck," she said with satisfaction.
"Wish we had it on video."
Gracie tilted her head in amusement. She had added that word, 'video,' to her lexicon very recently. She actually understood what he meant this time. "There's cameras all over the place here at the base, right?"
"Yeah."
"I bet with your General superpowers, you could watch me spar with Teal'c."
Jack's eyes lit up. "Good idea. But I wouldn't call them superpowers. Where'd you get that word, anyway?"
"Reynolds."
Jack grunted. He was a little less enthusiastic about assigning Reynolds to be her offworld escort from now on. He thought he could trust him to do the job right. Apparently that trust was misplaced.
"There's another thing," Gracie stated. "Ishta wants me to go back and see her. With Teal'c."
"Really? Why?"
"I don't really know. But she seemed interested in me, for some reason."
"You didn't blow your cover, did you?" Jack asked uneasily.
"Umm, you mean reveal who I really am?" He nodded. "No. I don't think so. It was never a secret that I spent time with Jaffa in my past. But I guess this Exhibition made her notice me." She glanced back at Teal'c for confirmation, but he simply stood stoically.
"Because you kicked a Jaffa's ass."
Gracie shrugged as she looked back toward her father.
"O'Neill, I would be happy to accompany her offworld. I will guarantee that no further harm shall come to her while she is in my charge."
"T, I trust you," Jack said with meaning. There was no better friend he knew of (well, beyond Vala, who'd proven herself ten times over) to do the job. Reynolds had dropped off the list completely by this point. He was still angry at the man for screwing up.
Teal'c bowed in appreciation toward the screen.
Sam's face was visibly alarmed when she looked at Gracie through another screen later that night. A heavy purple bruise was evident on one side of the younger blonde's face. "What happened to you!?"
Gracie huffed. She hadn't been looking forward to worrying her mother. But she preferred to be the one to tell her what happened. "The Hak'tyl had this pre-arranged fight with some other Jaffa. I got caught in the middle of it."
"Pre-arranged fight!?"
"It's something they do to keep the warriors sharp. It's supposed to happen without warning."
"Oh my God. Are you okay? How bad are you hurt?" Sam asked rapidly.
"Yes. I'm okay." Sam didn't look so convinced. "Really, I'm good." Gracie refrained from calling her 'Mom' over this call. Any communications between Atlantis and Earth were recorded, meaning others could potentially hear sensitive information that they should not. She unconsciously reached up to touch her head wound and winced.
"Maybe I should come home…"
"No! No, you don't have to do that. Not for this." Now Gracie felt slightly embarrassed. She couldn't really explain why. "I'm not hurt that bad. And that Jaffa wasn't actually looking to kill anyone."
"Seriously?"
"Yes. He needed to practice just as much as everyone else." Her tone was surprisingly gracious.
"You have got to be kidding me, Elda."
"I'm not. I could have done without these bruises, though. I realized I'm not exactly well-practiced myself. Teal'c agreed to help me refine what few skills I know. And hopefully pick up new ones."
Sam's face contorted in awe and confusion. "You amaze me every time I talk to you."
Gracie blinked. "Really?" she asked tentatively.
"Of course! You know how to do a hell of a lot more than most girls your age. Some of them burst into tears just for breaking a nail." Gracie looked perturbed. "But you? You can handle yourself. It's a good thing." Sam sighed, accepting the truth that her daughter had been through some horrible things and forced to learn how to defend herself.
"Umm, wow. Thanks!" Gracie's heart swelled with pride over her birth mother's approval. "So how are things going over there? Any progress?"
"We test-drove the machine yesterday morning. But the single drone we tried to produce was a dud. So Rodney and I are back to the drawing board," Sam said glumly.
"Is he still hung up on that thing you were saying? The math?"
Sam rolled her eyes. "He is nonstop. But that's Rodney," she said with derision.
"Do we like Rodney or not? I can't decide."
Her mother seemed to consider it. "Eh. We tolerate Rodney."
"Hmm. Okay. He sure sounds interesting, though. Your eyes light up a bit whenever you mention him."
Sam gasped. "No they do not!"
Gracie smiled in amused surprise and held up two hands within view of the camera. "Nevermind!"
Her mother frowned with embarrassment.
"Hold still, Darling!" Vala nagged as she held a healing device up near Gracie's face. She was seated on a bed in the infirmary.
"The light is bothering me!" she whined.
"Oh just hold still." She grabbed Gracie's chin to force it to stay put while the glow of the device caused a glare over her healing wound. The young blonde squeezed her eyes shut in discomfort.
Daniel and Cameron held back laughs as she squirmed under Vala's care. Carolyn hovered nearby, simply watching as Vala worked. Teal'c stood next to her with hands clasped behind his back.
Eventually, Vala let go and stepped back. "Now. How's that?"
Carolyn stepped forward to take her place now, gently reaching up to touch the area where a bruise had just been on Gracie's head.
The young blonde's fingers brushed along the same place. She tilted her head and kept patting at it, testing for any further pain. "Better." Gracie dropped her hand and looked up at her mother. "Thanks," she said with little gusto.
Vala pointed a finger at her. "A little more enthusiasm from you next time," she warned.
Teal'c raised an eyebrow, swearing that he'd heard that before. Cameron guffawed in the background.
Gracie rolled her eyes. Then she planted a very fake smile on her face and said, "Thank you, so much, for healing me!"
Daniel laughed aloud at her sarcasm. Vala crossed her arms, healing device hanging from one palm, and harumphed. "You two really do act like sisters," Daniel commented.
They both shot him a look of annoyance. He simply laughed again.
Carolyn sighed. "Okay. All of you. Out." She flicked both her hands to start shooing them away.
"Even me?" Cameron asked innocently, gesturing to himself.
The doctor smirked at him.
Vala smashed her lips together, holding back a retort. Daniel let one out for her. "No necking in the infirmary," he declared. Vala grinned delightedly at his savagery.
Cameron pushed him lightly toward the curtain. "Get outta here."
Gracie chuckled as she and Teal'c left first. Vala looped an arm around Daniel's and winked at Carolyn as they also left. Daniel made sure to taunt his CO with kissing noises as he disappeared. There was something about Mitchell that always brought out his immature side.
Cameron waited until they were out of sight, then stepped closer to the doctor. She planted her feet firmly in place, not making any moves of her own to come closer. "I should remind you," she warned him, "We have appearances to keep up." The delight in her eyes could not be denied, however.
"Yeah, I know," he replied quietly, taking another step closer.
"Behave yourself, Colonel," she sing-songed.
Cameron smiled slyly. "Yes, ma'am." His face hovered near hers. "But it's just so darn convenient that there aren't any security cameras in this part of the infirmary, ain't it?" His tone was laced with conspiracy.
She raised an eyebrow. "That's because it would be a HIPAA violation." She held up a single index finger to stop his approaching lips. "I told you. Behave." Her tone wasn't all that authoritative. She was definitely being tempted. But she wouldn't give in.
He breathed her in. Then he stepped back. Smiling, he simply said, "Whatever you say, Doc." Then he swaggered out of their curtained-off space of the infirmary.
Carolyn closed her eyes and shivered. "Dammit," she mumbled to herself. Now she wouldn't be able to concentrate for the life of her. She fought the smile forming on her face as she moved on to her next appointment.
Gracie wasn't sure what to do with all the looks she received around the base over the next few days. It was as if the other personnel were in awe of her for some reason. Crawford and Smith had been allowed to silently witness Exhibition after they woke up from being zatted by the Jaffa. No doubt they spread word of what they saw, while tied up and disarmed.
"I don't get it," she confessed to Mitchell as they sat for lunch again.
"You beat a Jaffa's ass with nothing more than a wooden stick. 'Round here, that's pretty cool."
"What? Why?"
"Lot of us have to resort to guns. You didn't even need your zat."
"Half the time I've had to fight for my life with nothing but my own two hands," Gracie complained. "I better know how to defeat a single opponent without a powered weapon."
"I know that. But they don't know that." He leaned back and smirked at her. "I think it's pretty cool, too."
She half-smiled. Gracie found everyone's surprise a bit comical. To her, this was everyday life. To these people from Earth, though, she had become some sort of temporary celebrity. No doubt Vala was enjoying that part because she could get extra attention by association. Gracie had come to grips with the notion that her adoptive mother just enjoyed being the center of everyone's attention around here. The smile on her face everyday was enough for Gracie to simply accept it. It made her decision to come to the past more worthwhile.
As they chewed on their next bites of food, Mitchell added, "Thanks, by the way, for trying to look out for Carolyn."
Gracie looked back up to him. "Of course I'm going to be loyal to her. She gave me Doctor Teddy."
Mitchell laughed aloud at this. "That she did. Is that all it takes?" He swirled his spoon around in his lunch. "Maybe I need to buy your loyalty with a stuffed bear, too," he joked.
"Get me one that looks like an airman and we have a deal."