Daughter
Chapter 16 – Sister
There were no Hak'tyl to greet them when Gracie returned to their planet with Teal'c. They didn't need an escort back to the settlement. Both of them had already memorized the way. Night was falling here. The air was cool. Local animals hooted and howled in the forest around them, signaling a change of guard toward the nocturnal wildlife.
The pair was walking in companionable silence when they both heard a sound that stood apart from the cacophony of the animals. Their zats instantly raised in the direction of the noise.
A single Jaffa male made himself visible from among the brush. He studied them.
"You!" Gracie breathed out.
He sneered at her. "Human," he responded, clearly recognizing her. The pair lowered their zats. "Why are you trespassing on our lands?"
"Your lands?" Gracie was incredulous. "This belongs to the Hak'tyl," she declared with conviction, gesturing around at the forest with her zat.
Teal'c stood behind her calmly.
"This forest belongs to the Jaffa," the other male argued. It was a common way to denigrate the identity of the all-female tribe that made up the Hak'tyl. Not all Jaffa respected their sovereignty.
Gracie ground her teeth together. She glanced back at Teal'c.
"What is your name, brother?" he asked in an unthreatening tone.
"I am Jasuf. I patrol these lands when the sun begins to sleep."
Gracie squinted her eyes at him. "The Hak'tyl don't need you here."
"Why would a human throw away loyalty to her own kind for them?" His voice hinted at genuine curiosity under the clearly offensive tone he used.
Before Gracie could spit back a response, Teal'c spoke. "Her loyalty is not in question. She is accepted by the Tau'ri as one of their own. The Hak'tyl have chosen the Tau'ri as allies. And so she walks with them as an equal." He let that explanation sink in. Then he added, "She is my equal as well."
Gracie crossed her arms in a distinctively 'ha-ha' gesture. One of her hands still clung to the zat, which had since retracted.
"The Tau'ri?" Jasuf asked. He eyed the older Jaffa. "Who are you?"
"I am Teal'c of Chulak."
"The Shol'va," Jasuf exclaimed in wonder.
Teal'c inclined his head, readily embracing the title of 'ultimate traitor.' It had earned him considerable political capital among his people. His alliance with Earth was widely seen as the catalyst for the fall of the Goa'uld and the emancipation of the Jaffa race. Pockets of enslaved Jaffa still remained, but they would see freedom soon enough.
"Perhaps you will one day open your mind to alliances such as this. And perhaps you will recognize that the Hak'tyl also serve an important purpose in preserving our ways of life."
The younger Jaffa narrowed his eyes at such a suggestion. "They are good for nothing more than producing offspring."
Teal'c laid a hand on Gracie's shoulder before she could even think about stepping forward to challenge him for this. It was as if he could read her mind and knew she would be offended. "Continue your patrol, brother," Teal'c recommended, effectively dismissing him. He chose not to debate his political views further now, sensing that it would take far too long to make the other Jaffa see reason. They had little light left for their hike.
Jasuf's jaw clenched. He bowed his head slightly in deference to the famous Teal'c. Then he merely glared at Gracie, purposely refusing to bow.
That suited her just fine. She never expected to see this infuriating Jaffa ever again. She was ready to put him out of her mind. Ishta was waiting. She needed to focus on that.
With no further word, they separated. Jasuf disappeared into the trees while Gracie and Teal'c resumed their journey toward the settlement.
"Was that Jaffa familiar?" Teal'c asked when he was certain they were not being followed.
"He's the one who attacked me during Exhibition."
He glanced at her thoughtfully. "I see now why he lost."
Gracie squinted up at her Jaffa uncle. "Why?"
"He underestimated you. You are both human and female."
Gracie huffed. "So doubly inferior to him," she ground out through gritted teeth. Her fist clenched at her side, quietly enraged at the uninvited insults Jasuf had hurled at both her and the Hak'tyl as a whole.
Teal'c hummed in agreement. "That is his weakness, EldaMalDoran. He cannot improve until he acknowledges it, then overcomes it."
"I'll just have to beat him again several times to make him understand," Gracie decided jokingly.
"Perhaps DanielJackson would disagree with your proposed method. But then again, he is not Jaffa."
Gracie laughed. "No, Teal'c. He is not."
"You have a unique ability to straddle both worlds: human and Jaffa. Perhaps you will devise an approach to reach Jaffa such as Jasuf in your own way. Without the need for combat," he encouraged.
She looked at him funny now, clearly disagreeing with his suggestion. She was no intermediary. She had no negotiation skills, at least not the sort that would serve her well in this context. She could negotiate a contract for a courier job if she needed to, having watched her mother do it her entire life. But Gracie could imagine no way to convince a Jaffa to change his or her mind without first earning respect via combat. Teal'c's suggestion was ludicrous. But she wasn't going to express that opinion aloud.
They had arrived.
"Teal'c." Ishta's voice was smooth. Confident. Strong like tidal waves nipping at sand on a beach. Teal'c found himself lost in the music that was her sound. He bowed to her, heart beating just a bit faster in her presence. The graceful warrior then turned to his traveling companion. "Welcome, EldaMalDoran."
Gracie dutifully bowed. "Ishta."
The Hak'tyl leader gestured toward Nesa at her side. "I present to you Nesa, younger sister of my kindra Neith."
The young human blonde fought back the smile of excitement that introduction triggered. She maintained as neutral an expression as she could muster. She bowed to Nesa, but not quite as deeply as she had for Ishta. The depth of the bow needed to be tailored for the rank of the Hak'tyl in front of her.
Nesa's eye twitched. She recognized Gracie's awareness of such a nuance. Nesa inclined her head toward the woman in greeting. She was further intrigued by this human who seemed to understand Hak'tyl ways better than any other human she had met before. Perhaps she was a student of Daniel Jackson, who always seemed eager to learn and respect their cultural norms. The warrior thought she now understood why Ishta summoned her. Daniel Jackson visited less and less; it was conceivable that this young human could be the next ambassador between their worlds. It would be in Ishta's interest as leader to establish a proper rapport with her. And because Nesa was being groomed to become a kindra, she needed to watch and learn.
They were promptly whisked into the main hut that served as both Ishta's residence and her official place of governance. The group settled into a circle on the floor, a sign that the guests were considered equal. There was no need for Ishta to sit on a throne, visibly higher than her audience. She needn't display her status as leader as she had when she'd first met the Tau'ri. Teal'c's words to the Jaffa they'd met earlier indeed rang true. The Hak'tyl and Earth were allies.
Hot tea was poured on a small central table. Beneath it sat an intricately adorned rug. Gracie kept her hands at her sides, courteously waiting for Ishta, then Nesa, to reach for their cups first. She would only drink once they had each sipped theirs, in order.
Teal'c glanced at her proudly.
Ishta raised her cup to her lips, eyes trained on Gracie.
Nesa then followed.
Gracie turned to Teal'c and tilted her head, deferring to him. The Jaffa male raised an eyebrow and inclined his head back to her. He sipped his tea. Now Gracie finally allowed herself to move, slowly raising the cup to taste the burning hot drink. She didn't flinch.
"Your surname is MalDoran," Ishta began.
"It is," Gracie easily confirmed.
"And yet, you strike me as the offspring of another human I have come to know."
Teal'c glanced between them quickly.
Gracie's mouth opened in surprise, but she quickly shut it. "A common observation among some of the other humans as well," she diplomatically replied.
"Do you refute this?" Nesa asked. Her tone was neutral, but Gracie sensed she was being challenged.
She hazarded a glance in Teal'c's direction. She, herself, would need to be the one to answer. She couldn't depend on Teal'c for this response. But she wasn't sure how far to go. "I identify as Mal Doran," Gracie stated. It was not a lie. And it was the best she could do without openly revealing her true origin.
Ishta switched to a different track of questioning. "Who was your den mother, child?"
Gracie swallowed. She didn't want to lie again like she'd done after Exhibition. Not to Ishta. Her eyes betrayed her and flitted to Nesa. The younger Hak'tyl narrowed her eyes at her. Gracie breathed in slowly and deeply, feeling as though she were trapped in a corner. "I am only human." She quietly implied an assumption that humans wouldn't have been part of a Jaffa tribe nor allowed to refer to someone as a den mother. By keeping her words short and succinct, it was more a statement of fact and less of the lie Gracie felt compelled to offer.
Still, Ishta found herself dissatisfied with the response. "Teal'c," she said. The way she released his name from her lips indicated a command.
Now the Jaffa male was feeling pressured. He locked eyes with Gracie, quietly acknowledging the awkward situation they were suddenly in. He returned his gaze to his mate, who was waiting for him to explain. Her eyes seemed to be burning. He knew better than to make her wait. "EldaMalDoran once had another name," he confessed. "But she has adopted a new identity in order to ensure her safety."
Gracie's eyes went wide toward her Jaffa uncle. If they weren't in the presence of these Hak'tyl now, she would have yelled at him to ask what he was doing!
Ishta raised her chin as she looked at Gracie thoughtfully. Nesa also considered her. "You have our word that we will not allow harm to come to you, child," Ishta announced.
Nesa turned to look at her own den mother, then back to Gracie. She bowed her head slightly to confirm that she would comply with the pronouncement.
"Are you the daughter of SamanthaCarter?" Ishta asked very directly.
Gracie's mouth dropped open. Her look of absolute surprise was enough of an answer for the Hak'tyl warrior. Gracie could see that she knew. She began to breathe a little faster, now anxious over what this could mean.
Ishta spared her the pain of being forced to answer aloud this time. "Your performance during Exhibition was notable. Only one other warrior I know has formulated the series of moves I watched you execute." She looked pointedly at Nesa.
The younger Hak'tyl appeared startled. Her eyes shot toward Gracie. This wasn't about an ambassadorship at all. Nesa had misread her den mother's intent. It was fortunate that she had not expressed her incorrect assumptions aloud.
Ishta continued, "My question now is: how?"
Gracie took in a shaky breath and looked straight at Teal'c. She blinked rapidly, desperately requesting guidance. How could anyone maintain their cover when Jaffa could see right through you!? She remembered quite distinctly that Teal'c had correctly recognized her as Gracie O'Neill in a post-injurious haze. And these women before her were much less disoriented.
As Mitchell would put it, she was so screwed.
"Perhaps," Teal'c began, uncharacteristically hesitant, "we should explain the entire truth."
Nesa raised an eyebrow. Ishta now seemed satisfied to be getting somewhere. "That would be appreciated."
Gracie shut her eyes momentarily. She let out a breath as she reopened them and locked eyes with Nesa. "You. It was you." She bowed low, as much as her seated position on the floor of the hut would allow. "You, Nesa, sister of Neith, were my den mother," she admitted with her voice to the ground, finally answering the question she had dodged.
The other woman's eyes widened in surprise.
"But in a timeline that is no longer mine," she continued sadly. When Gracie rose back up from her bow, tears stung her eyes.
Days later, Sam stepped through the gate at the SGC, smile evident on her face as she arrived. General Landry stood at the bottom of the ramp, waiting to greet her and the other returning personnel. She lingered in deference to the General while the other civilians politely nodded and moved on.
"Colonel, welcome back."
"Thank you, General."
"I trust the project was a success?"
"Yes, sir. We think so. Drone production is now ready to commence."
"Glad to hear it. I expect your report on my desk as soon as you've settled in."
Sam nodded. "Yes, sir. It's ready now." She patted at the duffle bag hanging from her arm.
Landry adopted a look of approval. He held out a hand to accept the aforementioned report. Then he leaned in. "I should tell you. There's someone here waiting to see you. Report to the infirmary."
"Sir?"
"Don't worry, Colonel. No one's admitted. This time. But go. Don't let me keep you any longer."
Sam tilted her head in curiousity but did as she was told. She went straight to the level for the medical ward and walked right in.
A small voice gasped. "Mommy!" Gracie jumped off a tall infirmary bed before Carolyn could stop her. She ran straight to Sam near the entrance.
Her mother greeted her with a big hug. She picked up her child and squeezed tight, rocking back and forth while savoring the moment. "Ohhh, my baby." Sam smothered Gracie with kisses all over her temples and cheeks, making the child squirm and giggle. She leaned back to look at her. "What are you doing here?"
Carolyn appeared next to them, shaking her head at the child's exuberance. "General O'Neill is offworld," she explained.
"What?"
"Daddy went bye-bye," her daughter reiterated.
Sam scrunched her face up at Carolyn. "Oh my gosh, Carolyn, I'm so sorry you got stuck with her again." The doctor waved it off. "I'll take her now. We can get out of your hair." She laid a brief hand on her friend's arm. "And thanks."
"No worries. She was being good," Carolyn reported, making eye contact with the three-year-old.
Gracie nodded her head emphatically at her mother, confirming this report. "I hewp Auntie Ca-o-wyn!"
"Did you?" Sam asked with a bright smile just for her.
"Mmm hmm!"
"She has a knack for organizing hearing test plugs by color," Carolyn commented with a chuckle.
Sam looked slightly worried. Her child was three and her hands could not be dirtier.
"Don't worry," the doctor said with an amused lilt to her voice. "Those are the outdated supplies. I kept them just for her."
Sam sighed gratefully toward the doctor. "What would we ever do without you?"
"Bleed to death? I dunno." The Colonel laughed. Sam turned to leave, but Carolyn stopped her. "Oh, just an FYI. The General is offworld with SG-1… and Elda."
Sam's eyes widened. She leaned in and lowered her voice. "Why?"
"There's been a… development." Carolyn grit her teeth. "I dunno if you wanna hang around the base 'til they get back so they can explain." The doctor shrugged and tilted her head with that light suggestion.
"What in the…" Sam began to mutter. But she caught herself before cussing in front of her child. Again. Gracie scrunched her face at her mother, beyond ecstatic to have her back. Sam nuzzled her nose with hers. Then she sighed. "Alright, thanks Carolyn. See ya."
Cameron couldn't stop moving out of the corner of Jack's eye. If he hadn't known it was Mitchell standing right there, he'd have thought he was Vala with all the wiggling he was doing. "Something the matter, Colonel?"
"Oh I'm just keepin' myself on my toes, sir. Just in case those Jaffa wanna engage in another sneak attack." His eyes kept scanning the treeline. His hand was resting near the buckle of his P-90, ready to detach it at a moment's notice. The last thing Mitchell wanted was to be caught unawares like Reynolds had been the last time he was here. As much shit as he gave the man, it would be incredibly ironic if the same thing happened to him next. He'd never hear the end of it.
"At ease, Colonel." Jack kept his eyes straight forward toward Ishta's hut. "Teal'c?"
"It is unlikely that the Jaffa males would attack again so soon, ColonelMitchell. They are likely still licking their wounds."
"After the beating the Hak'tyl and our dear Elda gave them?" Vala added. "Who could blame them?" As dismissive as she sounded, she still kept her eyes on the trees as well.
"Mom," Gracie whined quietly, embarrassed to have her performance in Exhibition mentioned aloud. Especially here, on the Hak'tyl world.
Vala turned her head toward her. She winked, drawing enjoyment out of the address and the embarrassment she was generating. Daniel pursed his lips in the background, trying not to grin outright.
Jack looked behind him at his daughter. He puffed air out of his nose in amusement.
"GeneralO'Neill," a silken voice greeted, pulling his attention back toward the hut. Ishta stepped down the few stairs from the entrance to meet him at eye level. "Welcome to our settlement."
"Thank you."
"What brings you here?" The Hak'tyl leader glanced at Gracie, then back to Jack.
"Thought it might be nice to reconnect with old acquaintances," he replied casually. "Is there somewhere we could talk?"
Ishta regarded him quietly for a beat, then gestured behind her. She invited them inside her hut. Once all of his companions had filed in behind the General, Ishta positioned herself on the wall opposite the door. She waited.
Jack glanced askance at the Hak'tyl minders still present on either side of the large dwelling. There were two pairs of them, likely acting as security and official witnesses for matters of importance. He looked right back at Ishta without a word.
She understood. She tilted her head at each set of Hak'tyl, silently dismissing them. They exited the hut wordlessly.
Jack remained standing, not yet accepting the unspoken offer to sit on the floor in a circle with her. He now glanced at the open windows from all over the structure, letting in a cool breeze, but also capable of carrying conversation straight out into the open.
Ishta raised her eyebrow, sensing his paranoia. She pursed her lips almost imperceptibly. Then she clapped her hands forcefully and spoke a command loud enough for her minders to hear outside. Each window shutter closed in succession around the perimeter of the hut. The door slammed shut behind the group from Earth. Only the candles illuminated her space now. She inclined her head to Jack again, confirming that their discussion would now be private.
He smiled at her, now satisfied. He stared down toward the floor, at the spot directly opposite from her where he was expected to sit. With some resignation, he allowed himself to all but fall into it, knees aching with the aggravating motion. Sitting on the floor was not exactly comfortable for him these days. His worn-out joints were screaming at him in reminder.
Gracie took up a spot next to him within the circle. She effortlessly folded herself into a sitting position on the floor. Mitchell was about to take the spot nearest Ishta, but Teal'c forcibly pushed him over toward Gracie. She stifled a giggle as he crouched down to take the open spot, shaking his head. Meanwhile Vala and Daniel positioned themselves on the other side.
"What is it that you wish to discuss?" Ishta asked curiously.
"I understand that you were clever enough to identify her as someone else," Jack responded, gesturing a hand toward Gracie.
"Ahh. And so you have come to seek reassurance that we will not betray her secret," the leader presumed. She waited for Jack before saying anything more. The others looked between them uncomfortably.
"Yup. That's the long and the short of it."
Ishta narrowed one eye at him.
"He confirms," Teal'c translated, knowing she would be unfamiliar with his phrasing.
His mate tilted her head at him slightly in thanks. "You have nothing to fear, GeneralO'Neill. We would not dishonor ourselves by betraying our allies in such a manner. Though it is curious that you chose to personally address this matter yourself." She studied him. "I presume, then, that this is out of fatherly concern. A commendable duty."
Jack blinked. He looked at Teal'c. The Jaffa simply stared back wordlessly, with the corner of his mouth twitching ever so slightly in amusement. Gracie glanced at her father, then Teal'c.
"Seriously, T? How much did you tell her?" he complained.
"Everything, O'Neill," he said casually. Ishta adopted a look of satisfaction.
Daniel nearly laughed. If there was one person who could twist Teal'c around her finger, it would be Ishta. He glanced at Vala next to him, eyes sharing laughter with her. Then it dawned on him that Vala could do the same damn thing to him. He promptly ceased his own amusement.
"If I may…" Mitchell spoke hesitantly, raising a hand briefly.
Ishta graciously inclined her head to him, giving him the floor. She was fully aware that he, like most other humans, did not know Hak'tyl customs. She understood that human parlance followed different rules. And thus, she did not take offense that he had just spoken out of turn.
"How exactly did you figure it out?"
"EldaMalDoran may not be Hak'tyl, or even Jaffa, by blood." Ishta locked eyes with Gracie. "But she is Hak'tyl in her mind and spirit. Unrefined, perhaps. Yet still one of us. A sister."
Gracie's mouth parted slightly at the magnitude of her words. It was an incredible compliment, especially coming from the leader herself. She bowed low toward Ishta, expressing her gratitude silently. It wasn't her turn to speak.
"I am thankful that Teal'c has brought you to us, young sister. You would be a welcome addition to our tribe."
Jack looked back and forth between his daughter and Ishta in surprise. "Teal'c gets the credit?"
"Jack, it was his idea to let her come visit," Daniel pointed out.
Jack sent him a glare in response, then pointed at his own chest emphatically. "I gave the final okay…" He waved a hand in Daniel's direction. "Ahh, nevermind." Then his mind seemed to catch up to what his ears had already heard. "Wait a minute, addition to the tribe?"
"Indeed," Ishta replied. "She may have a place here if she chooses."
By now Gracie had sat back up. Her expression contained a mixture of shock and hope.
Jack frowned momentarily. These were still the early days of her arrival to the past. Gracie couldn't be expected to adapt to Earth in a heartbeat. He knew that. But he also couldn't deny that she always looked more at home offworld than anywhere on Earth. He'd witnessed that with his own eyes. And now the cream of the crop of the female Jaffa was telling his daughter she was good enough to hang with them. The closest comparison to this that he could think of on Earth would be acceptance into a sorority at some university. And the Exhibition was akin to her hazing, her initiation rite. But this was so much bigger.
He locked eyes with Teal'c, who was silently watching him think. Jack couldn't exactly say what was going through the big guy's mind, but he felt it was something akin to pride and maybe encouragement.
Now Jack looked right at Gracie. She seemed to be waiting for him. He considered saying something about approving more offworld visits, but then Jack remembered: Gracie was a grown woman. She was technically free to come and go as she pleased. To most everyone back at the base, he had no say in what she could or could not do offworld. He shouldn't even care. If anyone should outwardly care, it should be Vala, seeing as how she was supposed to be the big sister.
Jack swallowed. "What would you like to do?" he settled for asking.
Gracie drew in a breath, slightly surprised that he was even giving her a choice. She expected him to want her to stay on Earth exclusively. It was refreshing to be treated like a capable adult who could make her own decisions. "I wouldn't mind coming here more often. Maybe stay for more than just a day." Jack tensed. She hazarded a smile. "But I still have a lot to learn about Earth. It is my home planet, after all."
To say Jack felt relieved would be an understatement. He grinned at her. "Sure, that sounds good." He turned to Ishta, who bowed her head with a slight smile, signaling her agreement.
"Besides, I need to spread my time equally among my mothers." She looked at Ishta, then Vala. "All of them."
Vala smiled gently, touched.
"Awwww, ain't that nice," Mitchell commented. "Look at the Princess. She's blushing." The woman in question shot him a good-natured glare. If she were next to him, she would have smacked his arm.
"Ishta, thank you," Jack said. "We'll send word when she can come back. If that's alright."
"She may return as she pleases, GeneralO'Neill."
"That's very generous of you," he responded, gratitude in his tone. He looked at Gracie proudly. "Well, look at you, your first invitation to a slumber party." Daniel and Cameron burst out laughing, being the only other ones who'd understand what Jack meant. Gracie just looked at her father, confused.
With great effort to make it look like it wasn't a great effort, Jack began to stand. His posture appeared rigid, as anyone in the U.S. military ought to look, but really his back was seizing up. He stood still for a moment, letting the discomfort pass and pretending to wait for the rest of SG-1 to follow him. He watched as Gracie unfolded herself and stood up with ease, spry as a chicken. Ahh, to be young again.
"You are welcome to partake in a midday meal with us, GeneralO'Neill," Ishta offered.
Jack considered it, but he knew Sam was on her way back. And their small child was probably causing chaos in the infirmary. He needed to get home sooner rather than later. "Ya know, we would, but unfortunately, we have to pass on the offer this time." Technically, only he could decline without causing the Hak'tyl some sort of offense. Such a thing was acceptable, leader to leader.
"Then I wish you well." Jack nodded in thanks and turned to leave, but Ishta spoke more. "I would like to speak with EldaMalDoran briefly before you depart."
He glanced at Gracie. He wasn't all that surprised and tilted his head at her in agreement.
"And ValaMalDoran as well."
Now that had everyone stopping in their tracks. Vala and Jack made eye contact, neither really understanding the nature of this request. Before they could linger long and have a silent conversation via their eyes, Daniel began to push Jack out the door. He wasn't going to let them make Ishta wait. Mitchell and Teal'c walked out behind them.
With the glare of the high sun bearing down on them, Jack squinted at his big Jaffa friend. "T? Any idea what that's about?"
"No, O'Neill."
Daniel didn't seem very bothered by being kicked out. "Maybe it's because we have penises."
"Don't you turn my words against me now, Dannyboy." Jack faintly remembered feeling put off when the Hak'tyl only wanted to speak to Sam the first time they met. He would have said something to that effect back then.
His friend merely shrugged as he looked around patiently.
Sam was bursting at the seams. Jack refused to tell her what was going on and why they'd all gone offworld. Instead, he insisted they go home to the condo and invite everyone over. Everyone except Teal'c, that is, who stayed behind to spend the night with Ishta. Jack really didn't feel like discussing this in the briefing room. It was a family matter. "We barely have any groceries there," she pointed out.
He waved a hand at her as he drove the truck. "Ahh, don't worry. We'll just order take-out. It'll be fine."
She huffed and crossed her arms in the passenger seat next to him. She glanced back at their daughters in the back, one grown and one not. The little one's eyes were drooping; the motion of the car ride was lulling her to sleep. The older one was busy staring out the window, fascinated with the way everything looked outside of the mountain.
The adult Gracie caught her mother's stare. She smiled.
Sam returned the smile then turned back to face front. She sighed inwardly. What an amazing thing it was to have this version of her here. She used to spend long moments staring at her as a baby, wondering what she'd look like as she got older. Now she didn't have to wonder. Her daughter was absolutely beautiful. As much as she berated Jack for messing with time, she didn't regret anything about her arrival. This gave Sam the chance to see the potential in her, like a spoiler for a tv show. But the poor girl arrived broken. It was Sam's single-minded mission to put the pieces of her back together. Now that this business with Atlantis was done, she could finally focus on what was more important: her family.
They all arrived at Sam's condo about the same time. Jack carefully unlatched the straps of little Gracie's carseat and carried her sleeping form away from the car. Vala hooked an arm around the older daughter and walked with her to follow. Sam and Daniel waited for Cameron to park and get out of his car. They shared a small smile when they noticed Carolyn was in his passenger seat.
"Did anyone tell them that General Landry was invited, too?" Daniel asked quietly, with hands in pockets.
Sam chuckled evilly. "I didn't."
"And Jack probably wouldn't have bothered."
They shared a mischievous smile. Their looks quickly transformed into friendly and elated grins as the new couple approached them. Sam waved for them to follow her up to the condo. Much to Sam and Daniel's delight, Landry was already up there. They watched as Mitchell gulped upon walking in. They both struggled not to laugh.
Vala unknowingly saved Cameron from having to face him by pulling on his hand excitedly and waving a take-out menu at him. "Look where we're ordering from!"
Carolyn took that moment to greet her dad. They stood off to the side talking as everyone settled in. Meanwhile, Jack shut a bedroom door and reached for Sam.
"She stayed asleep?" his wife asked as he wrapped an arm around her waist and looked at everyone here.
"She woke up a little bit. But I gave her Doctor Teddy, and she was all good."
Sam let out a breath of relief. As much as she loved her three-year-old, the child was an overwhelming bundle of energy. She'd only just gotten back and already needed a break.
Jack kissed her temple as he glanced at Vala and Cameron gawking at the take-out menu. "Glad you're home."
Sam turned to fully envelop him in her arms. "Me too." She kissed him on the lips.
"You do realize there is an audience, right?" Daniel asked drily, right next to them. His hands were again in his pockets as he leaned against the wall watching Vala. Gracie giggled from the other side of him.
"Look who's talking, Lover Boy," Jack retorted.
Hank joined Vala and Cameron now, looking over their shoulders to see the menu. "Church's Chicken?" he asked hopefully.
Vala let out a laugh while Cameron grinned. "Sorry, sir."
Landry placed two hands on their shoulders congenially. "Nah, it's alright. I'm sure I can enjoy the delicacies of…" Vala flipped the menu back to the front to show him the name of the restaurant. "…Gene's Top Notch Tacos." He seemed to deflate a little.
"Did we mention they are 'top notch'?" Jack quipped, with a finger raised in the air and head tilted to the side playfully. Sam poked his side and he jumped a bit, tickled.
Landry smiled and shook his head. "Let me see that." They handed him the menu. "Mitchell, what do you like from this place?"
"Super Nachos, sir. Nothin' hits home better after a few beers."
Carolyn watched cautiously. Vala noted her uncertainty and decided to stay nearby in support.
Landry didn't seem to be acting any different. Nor did he seem particularly bothered that the two of them had walked in together. He was playing it cool. "Good thing I brought a few six-packs then," he commented.
"Oh yeah?" Mitchell turned around and noted the beers on the counter. "Well, how 'bout that." He pointed at them. "That's the good stuff," he commented, agreeing with his choice of brand.
"Amen, Mitchell."
Carolyn let out a quiet breath of relief. Thank goodness they were getting along just fine. He wasn't firing Cam right on the spot.
Gracie leaned her shoulder into hers with a smile of encouragement. Carolyn briefly quirked her mouth in response, but returned her nervous gaze to her father and new boyfriend. The doctor didn't yet realize what gears were turning in the young blonde's head. Gracie hadn't really made it known that she'd joined in on the betting pool. Only Vala knew how much money she put down. And her mother was squirming with excitement. She joked that Gracie could buy a nice dress to attend the wedding with her winnings. Gracie liked the sound of that.
When the food arrived, the group happily taught her the joys of Mexican take-out. Cameron eagerly introduced her to tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and his absolute favorite: nachos. She got to try them all and was amazed at the unique flavors. Everyone engaged in casual, easy-going conversation as they spread out across the living room and kitchen barstools to eat. This was the most at ease the adult Gracie had felt since ever stepping foot on Earth, in two timelines. Jack felt relief on her behalf as he watched her.
"Why do I feel like I'm wearing full gear?" Gracie complained, leaning back now on the couch. Everyone else groaned in agreement, some rubbing their full bellies.
"The Earth equivalent to that is: why do you feel like you just gained 10 pounds?" Mitchell explained. The group murmured in amusement. By now he had caught on to Gracie's fascination with English idioms and manners of speaking. It took him a minute, but he realized that he'd need to help her along, just like they'd done for Vala a handful of years ago.
"We're all gonna pay for this tomorrow," Jack grumbled.
"Speak for yourself," Sam said, sipping a beer next to him on the arm of the chair he was lounging in.
"So," Daniel started. "Maybe now we can tell Sam what happened."
"About damn time," she groused.
"Yes," Landry agreed, not having heard either. He'd only been told that Jack would discuss their offworld outing here. It was an unofficial mission; he wasn't planning on documenting it on the record. He leaned back on the couch next to Gracie, a beer in hand and one elbow leaning on the side. Daniel sat on the other side of Gracie holding his own beer, with Vala claiming one of his knees as an extra seat. Cameron and Carolyn sat next to each other on the loveseat, a two-seater that matched the larger couch.
Jack looked up at Sam. "Ishta thinks Gracie is a dead ringer for you."
"Really?" Sam looked around at the group.
"Apparently," Vala supplied, "when Teal'c and Gracie went to visit, she called them out on it."
Carolyn tilted her head. "I guess it was only a matter of time until someone said something." She looked right at Sam. "She could be your twin."
"Jaffa don't beat around the bush," Cameron commented. Then he locked eyes with Gracie and translated, "They get to the point." She nodded slightly in thanks.
"Gracie spent enough time with the Hak'tyl growing up to pick up their cultural practices," Daniel added thoughtfully. "They must have noticed."
"When you say cultural practices, you mean kicking ass," Jack said smartly. Sam glanced at her husband with amused exasperation. Because of course that's what would matter more to him.
Daniel shrugged. "That, too." Then he considered Sam. "They know your face awfully well. I'll bet they realized early on that Gracie looks a lot like a woman they hold in high regard."
Sam's grimaced, not sure she liked the idea of being some other race's so-called hero. She understood that they were grateful to her for offering them tretonin as a means of freeing themselves from Goa'uld dependence. But in her mind, she was just Sam. She then looked at Gracie, who she swore looked like her maternal grandmother.
"I guess we can't blame them for noticing you," Jack said to their daughter. "So much for the fool-proof cover."
Gracie gazed around at the group then back to her father. "Did I mess up?"
"No."
"Can't fight genetics," Daniel supplied, shrugging. "Or your upbringing."
Sam nodded. "There's definitely been a Jaffa influence in your life. We've all gotten to know Teal'c pretty well," she added. "So we recognize it."
"Is that bad?" Gracie was genuinely concerned. She had no idea how not to appear Jaffa-influenced. She was just who she was.
"No, not at all. Just something noticeable. I don't think anyone on the base would really be surprised." Sam glanced at Vala. "You were raised offworld."
"I guess it's going to take time before I learn to fit in around here," Gracie said, looking contemplative. She frowned.
"Darling, fitting in is not the goal. It's making a statement," Vala said haughtily. She pretended to flip her hair. "Technically, you are a Mal Doran." Daniel looked up at her, bemused.
Jack rolled his eyes. "She's a little bit of all of us."
Vala grinned at him. She already understood that Jack had accepted Gracie's upbringing and adoptive name. It made her feel a little proud that her other self had managed to accomplish what she had, all alone. Adult Gracie was nothing but impressive to her. And it made her feel just that little bit better knowing she had had the chance to actually raise a child and not completely screw it up in some other timeline. Her guilt over Adria subsided slightly with that knowledge. Vala never thought she'd get another chance to try and do motherhood right.
"So what made you go offworld?" Sam asked the group. She turned to her husband next to her. "I thought you were adamant about her not going anywhere with SG-1?" She understood where he was coming from but was then surprised by his sudden flip-flop.
"I needed to make sure Ishta was on the same page. Personally. But apparently, Teal'c already took care of that," he answered, a bit annoyed.
"And it would seem Reynolds is no longer an option for escort duties," Landry contributed with a chuckle.
"Nope."
"Oh come on, Jack, you can't still be mad at him. It wasn't his fault." Sam looked back at the group. "Right?"
"No," Gracie answered. "He couldn't have known. I barely knew." She looked at her father imploringly. Gracie had come to like Reynolds and his team. They weren't bad people to be around. And they genuinely cared about doing their jobs right. The incident with Exhibition was extremely embarrassing for everyone who got caught in the middle of it. So she empathized with them.
Jack just harumphed as he took a swig of beer.
Daniel unconsciously squeezed Vala's side as he asked her a question. "What did Ishta want to talk about with you?"
Vala stiffened. She caught everyone's stares. She and Gracie exchanged a glance. "She had a request to make." Gracie pursed her lips. "But I don't think you're going to like it," Vala assumed as she looked straight to Jack.
He narrowed his eyes at her. "What."
"She understands that Gracie is from the future. So she would like her to help me vet a new trading partner the Hak'tyl want to connect with."
Mitchell sat forward with his beer and looked at Gracie. "Same one you were scheming about before?"
"Scheming?" Jack asked, also sitting up. "What scheming?" He looked at Gracie suspiciously.
Gracie glared at Mitchell. "Just coming up with an excuse to go offworld." She addressed Jack. "That's who I was trying to tell you about when I first asked you for permission. I wasn't actually planning on introducing the Hak'tyl to anyone."
"The mystery trading partner that supposedly only you knew about?" he now asked curiously.
"Not that much of a mystery, Jack," Vala cut in. "I know of them. My intel isn't as fresh, though, and Ishta understands that. I've been out of the game for a little while now." She gestured in Gracie's direction. "But her? She knows whether or not that group was ultimately honorable or not."
"So were they?" Sam asked.
"Yes, actually," Gracie answered. "They ended up being the preferred manufacturer of tretonin for her tribe."
"Tretonin?" Carolyn asked. "This is the first I'm hearing of this."
"Looks like the time has come for them to diversify their suppliers," her father noted. "Even I wouldn't want to be completely dependent on a single source for a life-saving drug. And we're the source."
"It's just like switching pharmacies," Mitchell concurred. Landry tilted his head in agreement.
"What are the Hak'tyl planning to trade in return?" Jack wondered.
"That, I'm not sure," Vala admitted. "Ishta only said she needs us to set up the contact."
"It was a request, right?" Sam asked.
Gracie glanced at Vala. "Felt like an order to me. But she is the den mother of my den mother." She shrugged.
"Chain of command…" Jack murmured.
"Let's just say: she was very insistent. When I started mentioning going through you," Vala explained, looking right at Jack, "because I know that's what you'd want, she literally asked me if I was still my own woman."
Daniel grit his teeth. "Yikes."
"Naturally, I had to answer yes."
"It wouldn't be a lie," Cameron muttered, rolling his eyes at her and thinking of all the times she acted without thinking first. Vala crinkled her nose at him, knowing exactly what he was complaining about.
Jack took another sip of beer then said, "Well, you're right. I don't like it."
"Where is this manufacturer?" Carolyn asked.
"I remember it being on a planet called Zersha Four. It's one of a series of habitable worlds filled with industry. It's what that group is known for," Gracie explained.
"Zersha?" Daniel said incredulously.
"What?"
"That's where we gated to the first time we tried to pick you up from offworld." Daniel turned to Jack. "When the wormhole got messed with… we ended up in some sort of manufacturing facility." He locked eyes with Gracie next to him, questions swirling in his eyes.
She seemed to be thinking. "Zersha Four has no stargate."
Vala squinted at her. "But the Zersha we know of does."
Gracie narrowed her eyes back. Then she thought about it. "Maybe the one you know was where the people simply came from and they named their business after their homeworld." She went on. "Zersha Four was one of the most lucrative manufacturing worlds out of all the ones that I knew of."
"Ay," Jack said getting her attention. "What was that thing everyone was after down there? When we first met?"
"Huh?" Sam asked.
Jack turned to his wife. "Remember? I told you how we watched her kick some serious ass."
She seemed perplexed and looked back at their daughter.
"I hardly doubt it matters, Dad. You saw. She wouldn't even let us look at what was on that crystal," Gracie said, gesturing in Vala's direction. She squinted. "I just realized that was our last job together," Gracie added, staring at Vala now.
"Oh?"
Gracie quirked a smile. "Yeah. It was actually a pretty good one, too. We didn't get hurt. We got the payment. I wonder what you're buying with that money. Since now you're supposed to be safe on Earth again with all expenses paid by a powerful boyfriend." She said this in a manner that implied her adoptive mother was still alive somewhere in another timeline. The only way Gracie could sleep at night was to pretend that this was the truth.
Vala decided she would unpack that later. Instead she asked curiously, "How much did you get?"
"13,000 in bars," she reported nonchalantly.
Her adoptive mother blinked in surprise.
"Is that a lot or a little?" Cameron asked.
"In today's currency: a lot," Vala reported, eyes wide.
"In mine, not much," Gracie countered. "Just enough to fuel the ship and feed us for a week."
Everyone in the group exchanged glances, once again reminded of the hard life Gracie had been forced to lead. "Even the galaxy has inflation," Landry marveled.
"So you waited for those guys you busted up to do all the hard work getting that thing out of the wall and then… just stole it and claimed the prize?" Jack asked in wonder.
"Eh. Pretty much. The buyer didn't care how he got it; whoever showed up with it earned the cash. It was like a bounty, but on an inanimate object instead of a person." Gracie could tell by the looks on everyone's faces that such a thing was abnormal to them. She glanced at Vala, who was a bit less surprised.
"We were couriers," Vala decided.
"That's exactly what we were. By the end."
"Kind of convenient that you ended up running an op on the same planet we showed up on in the future," Jack noted, looking pointedly at Daniel. His friend's eyes stared back, gears turning.
Cameron noticed this. "What?"
"You sneaky bastard, you," Jack said directly to Daniel.
He looked perturbed as he addressed Gracie next to him. "Maybe 'future me' was your last buyer."
"Do I even want to know?" Landry asked, somewhat confused.
Jack, Daniel, and Gracie all answered him simultaneously. "No."
"I think we've gotten off-topic here," Carolyn pointed out.
Jack considered her, then agreed. "Yes. Let's talk about how the two of you are not going anywhere anytime soon." He gave a pointed look in Vala and Gracie's direction.
Gracie's mouth dropped open. "Dad, it's Ishta. We have to do this for her."
"You don't have to do anything. We don't know anything about these folks. We'll send one of our teams to check it out." Jack looked at Vala. "You can go with them."
Cameron straightened up in his seat. "Sir, I volunteer all of SG-1."
"All the more reason Gracie isn't going."
"So what, if it's not with you, it's never at all?" Gracie asked, taken aback.
Jack was ready to argue when Sam cut in. "I'll go with you." She stared at Jack, challenging him. "I'm inbetween assignments. My schedule is wide open."
He opened his mouth but no sound came out. Landry raised his brows, inwardly cringing as he watched the pair have a silent argument.
I just got you back.
Gracie needs to be the one to go. You heard her. And if you want her to have protection, who better than her own mother?
Are you kidding me?
I'm going, Jack.
He was defeated by his wife within the span of a few seconds. Jack grumbled into his beer. "Fine. Sam goes."
She tilted her chin up in victory, then took a swig of beer.
Vala raised a finger into the air. "It shouldn't be all of SG-1. It will spook our contact. Better if it's just the three of us: me, Gracie, and Sam."
"Excuse me?" Daniel protested.
"Yeah, what the hell. You might need back up," Cameron argued.
Vala let out a breath and looked straight to Sam.
"Girls day out," the female Colonel announced dubiously. Vala quirked a sly smile, liking what she was hearing. She glanced at Gracie and rubbed her hands together in anticipation.