Daughter
Chapter 20 – Strength
Gracie was awoken by her shoulder shaking. A Hak'tyl leaned over her. "Sister, it is morning. The Den Mother awaits you before departure." Gracie gasped as she sat up. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear what little sleep she'd had from her eyes now. She hurriedly got up to look out of the window of their hut. The sun was already well settled in the sky. She had overslept.
She turned around to stuff loose possessions into the dufflebag from Earth. There was no time to change into her black travel suit now. She'd simply go as she was. When they returned from Exhibition, she collapsed onto her straw bed in exhaustion, never bothering to change out of her sweaty clothes.
She hurriedly reached for the hands of her hut-mates, bowing her head to them in goodbye. "Thank you, Sisters," she said gratefully, then exited the hut with her bag. Ishta was already outside. Gracie rushed forward to her den mother's side. "Ishta," she said with a huff. "I apologize."
The Hak'tyl leader laid a calming hand on Gracie's shoulder. She smiled at her. "Worry not, kal'ma. You had a long night. And now you may return home to rest."
Gracie sighed slightly in relief. After what just happened, she could use the change of scenery. She was extremely embarrassed by Exhibition. Again.
The pair set off for the gate. Ishta made no comments about her performance, or lack thereof, in last night's raid. Gracie was glad for it. She honestly didn't want the feedback. She feared it would just bring her more shame than what she was already feeling.
An image of Jasuf flitted across her vision. She quickly brushed thoughts of him aside. Damn him.
When she and Ishta passed through the stargate to Earth, her mother and Teal'c were waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp. The pair paused before them and bowed in unison. Vala quickly pulled Gracie in for a tight hug, squealing a little over her return. Gracie grimaced in mortification, but still relished the feeling of her mother's love after more than a month away. She pulled back, noticing that Teal'c and Ishta were watching with interest.
"How is your staff weapon?" Teal'c inquired.
Gracie grinned at him, raising her powered staff a bit. "Shiny."
He appeared amused by this. The Jaffa gestured toward the defense team member who was ready to place her weapon in the armory for safe-keeping. As she handed it off, Teal'c invited Ishta up to the briefing room. Gracie looked at them curiously. The Hak'tyl leader still had not explained what she was doing here.
"Tal'ma'te, kal'ma," Ishta intoned in Gracie's direction.
"Den mother," Gracie said, bowing low. Based on her fond words of farewell, the young blonde assumed Ishta would not stay long. She would likely leave while Gracie was still in the midst of her post-arrival requirements. As she'd come to always do when leaving the Hak'tyl, she considered her goodbyes to be more of a 'see you later,' to save herself a bit of grief. She believed that she'd see Ishta and her sisters again.
"Come on, straight to medical with you," Vala prompted. The group split off.
Gracie and her mother arrived in the infirmary to find it was calm today. No emergencies or calamity seemed to be putting the staff in a tizzy. Gracie's favorite doctor appeared before them with a smile. She was honestly happy to see Carolyn again. But the young blonde was less enthusiastic about her being the one to conduct her examination. She looked sideways at Vala, who didn't seem to be in any hurry to be somewhere. Now Gracie hoped her bruise had healed enough so that neither woman would notice it.
As Carolyn began leading them away to find a private space, someone called out behind them. "Vala." It was Daniel. The trio turned to him. "Oh hey, Elda! Welcome back!" he greeted with a pleasant smile.
Gracie waved at him congenially.
He donned a neutral face when he looked at Vala again. "I need you."
Vala's face soured. She tilted her head toward Gracie. "She just got here."
"I. Need. You," he repeated with emphasis.
She huffed then looked at her companions. She waited for one of them to argue against Daniel whisking her away.
Gracie became expressionless.
Carolyn shrugged. "Go. Go be with your 'someone else,' you heartbreaker," she teased.
A few medical staff near them laughed aloud. Gracie briefly looked at them behind her in confusion. She watched as Vala adopted a slightly offended expression, then threw a snooty look Carolyn's way.
Vala dropped a quick kiss in Gracie's hair and pulled back with a sniff, crinkling her nose. "Right, come find me later. I'll probably be stuck in Daniel's office all day," she grumbled. She sent an unamused look toward him. He seemed to regard her with impatience in return.
Gracie watched her go, somewhat relieved. Daniel lightly touched the small of her back to keep her moving. She overheard her mother complain to him that he was taking her away from important family time. Gracie quirked a smile as Carolyn led her away. Well, that was one less person to fuss over her now.
"Did I miss something?" Gracie asked curiously as she was prompted to sit on a random bed.
"Your sister broke Cam's heart. It's the talk of the town," Carolyn said drily.
"I'm sorry… what?"
The doctor rolled her eyes as she pulled the privacy curtain around them. "Just more SG-1 mischief. Vala wanted to put on a show in the mess. Cam was more than happy to oblige her." She hardly seemed entertained.
Gracie scrunched her face, thinking back to what her father had tried to tell her about SG-1 always getting into trouble. Maybe this was part of what he meant. "Okaaaaay."
Carolyn unhooked the stethoscope from around her neck. "Oh, I'm sure people in the mess will come straight to you to give you all the details."
"Hmm. Looking forward to it."
Later, Carolyn invited Gracie into her private office. She had her sit comfortably on the couch, in exactly the same place where her little sister had slept a few months before. The doctor rolled her desk chair over to be in front of her. "So… want to tell me where those bruises came from?"
Gracie clamped her mouth shut. She looked side to side. She'd been found out now.
"It's okay, Gracie," Carolyn said, using her original name to emphasize that she was in a safe space to talk. "Just tell me what happened so I have a little context. It will help me make sure you're alright, medically."
"I'm fine, Carolyn."
"Sure. Then it shouldn't be an issue to tell me how you got hurt."
Gracie opened her mouth, flabbergasted. This is exactly what she'd been hoping to avoid. She didn't think Carolyn's staff would be quite this inquisitive. They must be so used to seeing injuries by now. Nothing should surprise them! It was just Gracie's luck that Carolyn wasn't too busy for her today. She was obviously making it a point to check on her personally. No doubt her birth parents insisted on it from far away in Washington, D.C.
"Gracie?" The doctor tilted her head at her, waiting.
She let out a breath. "It's from sparring and training. We all get bumps and bruises from it." She grimaced. "You're going to tell Vala now, aren't you? She'll ban me from ever going back to the Hak'tyl."
Carolyn raised her eyebrows. "Not necessarily."
Gracie's lips parted slightly. "But I thought…"
The doctor reached out to briefly touch her hand. "Your medical file is private. The only time Vala has permission to discuss your record is when you actively give it. Or when you're incapacitated and she has to step in to make decisions for you."
"Really? I thought she would always know."
"If you were a little kid, she would. But you're not. You're 21 years old, apparently." Carolyn leaned back and smiled at her. "We updated your birth date in the system, remember?"
"So this still means my birth parents won't automatically hear about any, ahem, injuries I sustained over there. Right?"
"Right."
Gracie let out a huge sigh of relief. She leaned back on the couch.
"Sorry, guess I should have explained that better."
The blonde waved a hand at this. "No, no. It was probably me misunderstanding. I've still got a lot to learn." She huffed. "Good. Well, then, I should go…"
"Hang on. Tell me what else happened over there." Carolyn seemed honestly curious. Gracie had been gone for weeks.
She watched as several events seemed to cycle through Gracie's mind. The young adult's mouth twisted in discomfort. This made the doctor suspicious. Vala would do the same thing when she was hiding something from her. By now, Carolyn had gotten pretty good at metaphorically twisting the space pirate's arm to make her talk. And now here was her grown daughter, clearly having adopted the same tell. Carolyn cleared her throat, reminding Gracie that she was still waiting for an answer.
The blonde blinked. "Nothing much," she obviously lied.
Carolyn raised an eyebrow at her. Her lips pouted slightly with impatience.
This was the look Cameron said could scare military men into thinking they'd be busted down to private, or some equivalent to it, depending on their branch of service. It was quite effective. He loved her for it.
Gracie's resolve crumpled easily. She was no match for this CMO. She leaned forward to drop her face into her hands in despair.
Carolyn suddenly looked worried. "What happened?" she asked gently.
Gracie shuddered. Eventually, she admitted, "I met a boy." She sounded very distraught over it.
The doctor stifled a laugh. It was a good thing Gracie's eyes were covered by her hands, or else she would have been caught reacting. "This is a bad thing?" she asked, voice professional and even.
Gracie looked up at her through splayed fingers. "Yes."
"What's wrong with this boy?"
Her patient sucked in a breath as she sat up, eyes looking far away. "Absolutely nothing. He's… Ugh." She grumbled and stamped her foot, clearly upset with herself. Suddenly, Gracie looked worried. She met Carolyn's eyes. "You cannot tell my mother. Mothers. Or my father!"
Carolyn seemed surprised.
"Medical privacy thing!" Gracie emphasized.
The doctor put up two placating hands, amused. "Alright, alright. I won't say anything." She couldn't hide her smile now. "I'll leave it up to you to talk to your parents. All three of them."
Gracie sighed and nodded.
"But you can tell me, you know." At this point her curiosity was in overdrive. Carolyn smiled reassuringly at the worried-looking blonde. "I'm family, too. I could be your neutral auntie who gives sound advice."
This seemed to put Gracie more at ease. She let out another breath. Well, it would help to talk through what she was feeling with someone who wasn't one of her parents. She sure wasn't comfortable discussing this subject with any of the Hak'tyl. Carolyn knew the Jaffa. She would sort of understand.
"He's one of the Jaffa that lives in the other settlement. On the other side of the forest."
"Okay," the doctor responded patiently, waiting for more.
"He said he finds me curious. Because I'm human and I've been hanging around so much, adopting Hak'tyl ways."
"That would be interesting to anyone, really."
"Right? Right. That's what I tried to tell myself."
"So what's the problem?"
"He kissed me." Carolyn blinked. "And I liked it too much." Gracie locked eyes with her 'neutral auntie,' feeling like she had to confess everything or else she'd explode. "He's the Jaffa that challenged me in Exhibition. The first one."
"Ahh. So that's how he noticed you."
"Yes, and then I saw him again when I was with Teal'c. They introduced themselves to each other." Gracie continued, flapping a hand in the air as she spoke. "And then he caught me again in the forest, and asked me questions, and my name, and he liked my staff weapon and…" She scrunched her face as her words trailed off. She grabbed her hair to cover her mouth while she looked away.
Carolyn blinked at her repeatedly, quite entertained by Gracie's distress. The blonde clearly didn't want to like this Jaffa boy as much as she did. It felt oddly familiar to the doctor. She thought of Cameron and quirked another smile. She'd lost that battle but didn't regret it in the least. "Believe it or not. I know how you feel."
Gracie smiled slightly back at her. "You mean Cameron?"
The doctor nodded, not at all embarrassed by it. Her budding relationship with him was still in the honeymoon stage, a time when just seeing him walk down the hall would be enough to make her heart flutter. Then Carolyn caught up with something that Gracie said. "Go back. What do you mean first Exhibition?"
"There was another one."
"That you were a part of?"
"Yes, last night." Gracie leaned back on the couch again and covered her eyes with an arm. "Ishta suddenly had me participate. Nesa gave me explicit instructions not to engage in battle with Jasuf."
"Who?"
"Oh. That's the Jaffa I'm talking about."
"Ah. Okay. Go on."
"But he ended up seeking me out. Believe me, Carolyn. I tried very hard not to fight him. I worked on running away from him instead. You'd think I'd be an expert at it." Her eyes were incredulous. Gracie waved a hand around in the air in defeat. "But he was too determined. He caught up to me. And just as Exhibition was ending and I thought I'd won…" Gracie's mouth fought a smile. "He kissed me." She brought her hands up to her face. "Why did he do that!" she shouted through her hands.
Carolyn wasn't quite sure she understood everything Gracie was explaining, but she could see that the young lady was quite smitten. "Maybe some distance will do you some good. Many, many lightyears worth of distance."
"Yes!" Gracie agreed emphatically, clapping her hands. "I need to forget him."
Carolyn's office phone rang. She got up to answer the call. "Doctor Lam speaking." She glanced at Gracie. "I'll send her up." She hung up and turned to Gracie. "They're looking for you in the briefing room."
Gracie stepped over to General Landry's seat and bowed respectfully. "General."
"Elda. Welcome back. Please, take a seat."
She complied, taking the seat next to her den mother, who was surprisingly still on the base. She bowed her head to her with a smile. She waved briefly to Cam, who she hadn't yet seen since arriving. Gracie met her adoptive mother's eyes across from her, noting caution in them. Both Daniel and Teal'c also sat present.
"Elda," General Landry began, "How do you feel about having another meeting with the Zersha Conglomerate?"
She glanced at Ishta. "Why? Is something wrong?"
"On the contrary, things sound like they're going well. We had a batch of the tretonin manufactured by Zersha tested. Results were good. It was pure."
"We have seen no ill effects in our volunteers using Zersha-sourced tretonin," Ishta reported.
Gracie continued to listen. She didn't yet see why she was here.
"The other Jaffa tribe on our planet has now expressed an interest in tapping Zersha for their own supply."
Gracie looked at Vala, suspecting they would be asked to go set up the contact again. She wondered if her other mother would be free to come along. That Girls Day Out they had was fun. She glanced at Daniel, whose face was carefully neutral. She looked back to her den mother.
"They are requesting that our broker negotiate their contract," Ishta added.
It was more than she suspected, but not surprising. Ishta had likely already convinced the other tribe that Zersha was worth doing business with. They could get straight to the point without unnecessary delay. Gracie was confident she could negotiate a courier job. This wouldn't be that much different. "I don't have a problem with going." She looked to Vala. "Do you?"
Vala pursed her lips. Gracie squinted her eyes at her lack of enthusiasm. She watched her gaze flit toward the General.
"Unfortunately, Ms. Mal Doran and Colonel Carter will be unavailable to join you this time."
"Oh. Well, that's no fun."
Ishta then supplied, "I have made clear to Meil'nor, the leader of the other Jaffa tribe, that the Tau'ri will insist upon providing you an escort. After some discussion, he has finally agreed."
Landry added further, "SG-3 will accompany you on this mission."
Her eyes lit up at the prospect of being with them again. Then she thought of how Jack was very, very disappointed in them. "And my father?"
"I'll talk to him," Landry promised.
Gracie nodded in relief. The last thing she wanted to do was argue with him. She didn't think she could win. Technically, she had no loyalty to the other Jaffa tribe that was asking her to do this. There was no strong argument for her to go this time. And he'd be even less agreeable knowing Reynolds and his men would be her escort. She idly wondered if they were chosen because they already knew her, or if they were simply the only ones available. She wasn't surprised that SG-1 wasn't being considered. Jack was even less comfortable with her going offworld with them.
"Meil'nor agreed to a Tau'ri escort on one condition. His son must also join you to ensure the interests of his tribe are being properly represented."
Gracie nodded in agreement. That sounded perfectly reasonable. She could deal with that.
Teal'c leaned over to make eye contact with Gracie. "His son is Jasuf."
She froze.
Vala squinted her eyes at this reaction.
Gracie refrained from speaking. It could have been deference to Ishta, next to her. But this was a human-led discussion. The normal rules of Jaffa parlance need not apply. Vala knew that Gracie could code-switch easily. She suspected there was another reason the young blonde had suddenly gone silent. She watched her carefully.
Ishta, meanwhile, had an idea of why Gracie was remaining quiet. But it would serve no purpose to explain that to the entire group. She gave instructions instead. "You will meet with him in two days time to discuss the terms his people are willing to agree to, so that you may appropriately engage in negotiation of a contract."
Gracie coughed uncomfortably. "He knows… that it will be me? A human."
The Hak'tyl leader locked eyes with her. "Yes. He knows exactly who you are, EldaMalDoran."
Gracie gulped. Daniel raised an eyebrow. He glanced askance at Vala. She was eyeing her.
"Good," Landry said. "So you've met. That should make things go smoother."
She offered him a meek smile. Cameron's eye twitched upon seeing this.
Now more than ever, Gracie wished for her father to intervene and ban her from ever going offworld. Ever.
"Your Uncle Hank reached out to me," Jack reported. He had just finished telling Gracie what mischief her little self had gotten into while she was gone. The conversation was moving on to a new subject.
"Oh. Yeah?" Gracie tried to play it cool over the screen. Her tablet was currently connected to her father via video chat in her quarters.
"Sounds like you're becoming popular." He seemed a little proud on the screen. Gracie didn't think that was a good thing right now.
"I don't know about that."
"So… you going on that mission?"
Gracie scrunched her face. She was really, really hoping he would regard this as a request that he should immediately deny. He had the power to scrap these plans, and the Jaffa wouldn't have a right to protest.
"Well… It's supposed to be with SG-3. I don't know how you feel about that."
"It's Landry's call."
"It is?" she squeaked.
"I'm not over there any more. And besides, your mom has already given me an earful about how it wasn't SG-3s fault. Blah blah blah."
Dammit, Gracie complained inwardly. He might have forgiven them now. That did not bode well for her.
"So?" he asked again after she didn't say anything.
"So?"
"So, are you going?"
Gracie opened her mouth, then closed it. "I just got back."
"True. Would have been more convenient if Ishta had arranged this before you were scheduled to come home."
"Yes," Gracie pretended to agree.
"But oh well. That's the Jaffa for ya. What's convenient for them isn't always the same for us." He rolled his eyes.
Gracie struggled to think of a way to manipulate him into scrubbing the mission. But she was coming up short. He didn't seem to have any problem with it! Of all the times for her to be treated like a capable adult. She wished he would treat her like a child instead and be overprotective.
"Jack!" Sam called from offscreen.
"Yeah?" he said, turning away from Gracie.
Gracie sat quietly while her birth mother and father had a minor argument. Something about overflowing garbage. She used the time to try and come up with a good reason to stay onworld. Jasuf was absolutely the last person she wanted to see right now. Yet here she was being essentially pushed in his direction.
Carolyn knew what was going on. Maybe she could give her a medical excuse not to go? But no, then Vala would hear about it and insist on fixing the problem with a healing device. And then that would open up more opportunities for her to learn just how many injuries she had sustained on the Hak'tyl world. She didn't need that.
Gracie now wished she possessed better manipulation skills. She should have listened to her mother more growing up. The adoptive one.
"Was it me? Or did Gracie not want to go on that mission?" Daniel asked in bed at home.
Vala turned to him. "I noticed, too." She frowned. "She wouldn't tell me anything."
"Did you see that little mark on her neck?"
"Yes. And when I asked her about it, she changed the subject."
"Oh boy."
Vala leaned back on the pillows and put an arm over her eyes. "I'm not sure I'm cut out for this motherhood thing. If I can't get her to talk, what good am I?"
Daniel leaned over her to kiss her cheek. "You're better at it than you think. I've seen it."
She dropped her arm to look at him. "That was the other me. She had seventeen years of experience." Vala let out a breath. "What have I got? A pretty poor track record, that's what."
He frowned at her self-doubt. "Gracie probably doesn't want to worry you." He pulled Vala toward him in the bed. She settled naturally into his arms with a hand on his bare chest. "I still think you're doing pretty well, considering you had a daughter dropped into your lap out of nowhere. She still adores you, you know." He kissed her hair. "I do, too."
"Hmm. I know." She tilted her chin up to meet his eyes with a satisfied smile. She pecked him on the lips chastely. "She's hiding something, though. I can feel it."
"I got a weird feeling, too. Hopefully it's nothing." He reached over with his free hand to turn off the bedside lamp. "We should sleep. We have to get up for our next mission at an ungodly hour," he said into the dark.
"Gracie returns and then everyone has to leave right away. It's terrible timing," Vala complained.
"I know. Let's take her out when everybody gets back. Maybe then she'll feel more comfortable telling you whatever's going on."
"Oooh, we could have another party."
Daniel smiled into the pitch black, closing his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Okay."
"What's your schedule looking like for next month?" Cameron asked as he finished washing up for bed. They were both in Carolyn's apartment.
Carolyn was nestled in the covers, waiting for him. "Why?"
He walked out of the washroom, shutting off the light as he went. Cameron stepped over to the night stand to unlatch his watch. "Was thinking maybe we could make a quick weekend trip to Kansas. If you're free."
She smiled up at him from the bed, lying on her side. "Am I really meet-the-parents-worthy?"
He climbed into bed with her. "Darlin', you're beyond worthy." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
"Vala said your mother makes a mean apple pie."
Cameron grinned. "It's her specialty. She'll probably send you home with two."
She chuckled. "Well, I can't say no to pie."
He leaned in. "Can you say no to me?" he said playfully.
"Hmmm," she pretended to think. "Depends on the question."
Cameron pulled her face to his to kiss her sweetly. "That's my question."
She grabbed his neck. "Come get your answer."
"Mommy!"
Jack broke off the kiss and dropped his head to Sam's shoulder. She scrunched her face. "Yes, honey?"
"I'm scared!"
Jack groaned.
"You wanna get her or should I?" his wife asked.
"She's calling you," he grumbled into her neck.
Sam patted his back to prompt him to move off of her. But he wouldn't budge. "Jack."
With reluctance, he rolled over in the bed. As Sam got up and pulled on a bathrobe, he pointed a finger at her in the dark. "Don't fall asleep in there."
She smirked at him. "No guarantees."
"Dammit."
The gate was already being dialed when Gracie entered the gate room. She was dressed in a plain green uniform. They had given her a standard-issue watch and a vest to carry her GDO and radio. Her thigh holster housed a zat. She nodded politely to the defense team member who had her personal staff weapon ready for her.
As she received it, movement caught her eye. Her eyes lit up at the new entrant to the room. "Dr. Lam."
"Elda. I've come to see you off. I know your sister and the rest of SG-1 are still offworld."
Gracie smiled gratefully. "Thank you!" They both turned to face the gate. "I heard you might visit someone's parents. Sounds… significant."
Carolyn shook her head at the uncanny ability of the SGC's grapevine to spread news. "It will be relaxed. Or so he says."
"Will it?"
"Let's not talk about me. Hmm? What about you? You ready?"
Gracie's playful smile transformed into a frown. "No."
Carolyn bumped her shoulder with her own. "Stick to the mission parameters. Maybe you'll be fine."
"Maybe?" she breathed out.
"Sorry… you will be fine." Carolyn offered her a reassuring look. "Stay on topic. Get the info you need. Then come the hell home."
"Sounds too easy."
"It could be. Not like you're going to hostile alien territory. You were just on that planet a few days ago."
Gracie drew in a long breath as the event horizon kawooshed. She let it out as the blast settled back into a calm puddle shimmering within the gate.
"Miss Mal Doran," Landry could be heard calling over the mic. "Two hours. Then check in."
They both turned to look at him through the glass of the control room. Gracie bowed in acknowledgement. Carolyn helped her set a timer on her watch.
"Right then. Time to get this over with."
"Good luck." Carolyn placed a hand on her shoulder briefly in support. She smiled encouragingly then gave Gracie a light push up the ramp.
She passed through the gate.
It was evening now on the Hak'tyl planet. The sun was setting, casting a purple haze all over the sky and the landscape. Instead of using the familiar path back to the Hak'tyl settlement where her sisters were, Gracie set off on a different one. This one would lead her toward the other Jaffa tribe's camp.
She walked with a slow pace, wondering if she would encounter anyone from the Hak'tyl guard on patrol. She wasn't even sure if her sisters would know she was back here so soon. Within fifteen minutes, she arrived at the other settlement. The only other time she'd been here was during Exhibition. That was chaos. But now, she could see that this was like any other Jaffa village, calmly going about its evening.
In the distance she could see the platform she tried using to escape from Jasuf. Now that it wasn't completely dark, she saw a grain silo set in the middle of it. It dawned on her that the lever was their means of bringing up grain up for storage. Both tribes had been busy harvesting food in preparation for winter. They needed to store it somewhere.
She began to regret coming here in SGC-standard wear. Her arrival was drawing attention. She should have just worn her Hak'tyl garb instead. Gracie was receiving several stares as she entered the main square. She could feel eyes on both her and her staff weapon.
A Jaffa male she did not recognize approached her. "You are the broker here to see our brother?" he asked.
"I am."
"Come with me." He led her toward a large hut. "Jasuf," he called out to another Jaffa.
Gracie tensed. There he was. He turned around and made eye contact with her immediately. He wore a loose tunic with crisscrossed laces. The V-shaped opening revealed his muscled chest. He seemed perplexed by her manner of dress, eyes flitting up and down to get a good look at her. She was covered head to toe in green, with her black vest and boots serving as trim. "EldaMalDoran," he greeted with an even tone. He bowed his head respectfully.
"Jasuf," she responded in kind. Her mouth was set in a grim line. She already felt flush and awkward.
He nodded to the other Jaffa, dismissing him. "Walk with me," he said evenly, gesturing away.
She followed him through the village. Along the way, several Jaffa children stopped to stare at her. She could hear them whispering that she was a Tau'ri or that she had a very mighty-looking staff weapon. Gracie quirked a smile. They didn't think she could understand them as they spoke in their native language. She played dumb, letting their awe and amazement serve as a distraction from her discomfort.
Jasuf led her out of the settlement to a small clearing in the forest. A multitude of paper lanterns were hung from the branches of the surrounding trees. Several boulders were set in a circle. He gestured for her to choose one. She rested her staff gently against a tree and took a seat. He picked another nearby, close enough to be heard if they whispered, but far enough away that they could not reach out to touch each other. A comfortable distance for this awkward meeting.
"We will be able to speak freely here, without interruption," he explained.
Gracie gazed up at the red lanterns with flames flickering inside tenderly. She couldn't even count how many were hung. Their glimmer was pleasant against the purple backdrop of the sky. Each one had a different symbol inscribed upon it in Goa'uld. "What do these represent?"
"The fallen."
She looked back down at him.
"We are in a place of remembrance. Each lantern is hung for the Jaffa that have died securing our tribe's freedom."
"This is a holy place, then. Why bring me here?"
"So you can see that we honor our dead and value life as free Jaffa. My people are ready to sever our dependence on the Goa'uld. This is why we must enter into a contract for a mass supply of tretonin."
Gracie remembered the phrasing that Cameron had taught her: Jaffa don't beat around the bush. As she had been hoping, Jasuf got right to the point. This meant she could be finished with this obligatory meeting well before her scheduled check-in. She refrained from looking down at the watch they gave her to check how much longer she had. That would have been improper.
"How much of your settlement is already on the drug?" Gracie asked curiously. She'd never considered how hard it might be for other tribes to acquire tretonin without an agreement in place with the SGC. She wasn't quite sure who else manufactured it besides Zersha. There had to be other suppliers.
"Very few. And those few travel far to acquire it. We have a growing need. Many of our young are approaching prata."
Gracie nodded and let her eyes wander among the lanterns. The fall of the Goa'uld was a thing to be celebrated, but it heralded a shortage of symbiotes during her timeline. And without enough symbiotes to sustain a growing population of Jaffa, fierce infighting was the result. She remembered some of the riots and the chaos that occurred during her youth.
Prata was considered the beginning of the end for Jaffa children's natural-born freedom from the Goa'uld. Against their wills, their bodies suddenly yearned for a symbiote. Their human-like immune systems failed to keep up with the demands of adolescent development and shut down. Within days, they simply died. Desperate parents sacrificed themselves by giving up symbiotes so that their children could live. In Gracie's timeline, she remembered that the only conceivable alternative to this tragedy was tretonin.
When she met Jasuf's eyes, she caught him staring. She breathed in. Carolyn said to stick to the mission. She could do this. "Then let's discuss what your tribe is willing to trade for it."
"Naquedah. There is a mine near here."
Gracie was aware of it. She knew of no Hak'tyl who had been sent into the mines, though. Apparently it had been claimed by this tribe. She was about to ask how much they could reliably produce when he spoke again.
"Why are you dressed like a Tau'ri warrior?"
The question caught her off guard. She squinted at him. "Because that is where I just came from." She was about to continue with her question, but he interrupted.
"Are you a Tau'ri or a Hak'tyl? Who is this broker that would speak for my people?" he probed.
She studied him. He seemed nervous, if a Jaffa could appear so. "You fear that I have a conflict of interest," she concluded.
"Do you?"
"No. When we step before Zersha, I will be there to help you. Your tribe. That is what your father requested." She didn't shy away from his stare.
"My father didn't request you."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Then why am I here?"
"You are here at my suggestion. But I did not expect you to so boldly display your other allegiance. I was made to believe you were loyal to the Jaffa."
She grit her teeth. This really was a waste of time. She did not come here to have her loyalties questioned. Especially not by an infuriating Jaffa male who she was desperately trying not to admire.
"Jasuf, if you want my help, then I will give it. My Den Mother has commanded it. But if you don't want my help, then I will leave. And you can explain to her that you have changed your mind." She stood up with a huff. "I'm sure you can find some other way to make contact with Zersha."
He stood quickly to block her from leaving. He held up two palms and stepped forward. "Forgive me. I spoke out of turn," he said apologetically.
She gazed over at him. "What is it that you really want?" she asked quietly in frustration.
Jasuf stared at her for a long moment. His jaw seemed to move side to side as he debated something with himself. She simply looked back at him, waiting.
"To know you," he finally said.
Gracie's breath hitched surreptitiously. How could three simple words be so flattering? She found herself unable to think of something to say. She could only stare. And in doing so, she watched his eyes soften for her. Gracie hated how easily that made her cheeks flush.
"Who are you, really?" Jasuf asked in a gentler tone.
"I am Elda Mal Doran."
He took another step forward. "But who is EldaMalDoran?"
Maybe he was confused. Perhaps he couldn't reconcile the thought that she would have loyalties to multiple tribes. Loyalty to one tribe was all he'd ever known.
She drew in a steadying breath and spoke slowly. "I am a sister of the Hak'tyl, a friend of Earth, and a daughter of the galaxy." She realized as she said it that this was her truth. She still felt like a stranger to Earth, even though it was her planet of origin. Her little three-year-old sister was the real daughter of Earth. Elda was more like a new friend. It made her feel better not to lie to him.
He drew closer still. "Then you are someone incredible." His eyes darted to her lips.
Something about that made her heart flutter. The flames from the nearby lanterns reflected in his eyes. She found the way they flickered within them mesmerizing. "And who are you, really, Jasuf?" she asked.
"Protector of my tribe, my father's son, and... a Jaffa who has more to learn," he admitted without shame. "You have made me see that." He considered her intensely. The light of the lanterns seemed to dance as it reflected off of her golden hair. The sight of her against the purple sky was striking. She seemed so picturesque.
"Because I defeated you? When we first met?" She tilted her head slightly as part of her query. The action allowed the flames to reach her eyes at the perfect angle. They reflected back to Jasuf as if he was being summoned. He took another step forward.
"Yes," he said truthfully. "No one has ever bruised my pride more easily." He raised his eyebrow in self-deprecating amusement. He would not even admit this to his brothers, though it was obvious to them that she had managed to humble him. It was a wonder he could be so honest in this moment, embarrassed by her as he was.
She smirked, feeling a little triumphant. His admission would naturally explain why he was so cross with her before. Perhaps his previous insults were the manifestation of his anger with both her and himself.
He went on, "And then I was made to realize that defeat can serve a better purpose. It could lead to improvement. Strength." His father's words of advice after the last two Exhibitions rang through his mind like a loud bell.
Gracie thought of Teal'c's words describing almost exactly that. There was hope for this Jaffa yet. "A warrior that never tests his limits can never grow," she commented.
He smiled at her profound statement. Gracie's eyes flitted toward his mouth. She idly wondered what it would feel like to kiss him again. He didn't fail to notice her interest.
"Wise words," he agreed. He stepped into her personal space now, feeling emboldened. "I feel you are symbolic of the test every warrior must face."
His nearness made her feel eager. Gracie couldn't explain herself. Just a moment ago, he had irritated her enough to make her want to leave. Now it was the complete opposite. She wanted to stay and find out what exactly this Jaffa was doing to her. "Am I?" she challenged, tone now a bit playful. "And which test is that? I believe there are many."
"The test that requires a warrior to stare his greatest challenge in the face and make a decision. Will he run? Or will he embrace it?"
"Hmm, I thought it was: will he run or will he die fighting?"
He quirked a small smile and tilted his head. "There can be several interpretations."
"How convenient for you."
Jasuf laughed quietly with her. He dared to reach out his fingers and brush her face gently. The heat of his hand felt like a welcome fire on her cool skin. Gracie savored his touch.
His smile slowly faded. "I realize I have not treated you with enough respect. And for that, I apologize."
She bowed her head slightly in acceptance. Any negative emotions she still might have had dissipated immediately with his words. She couldn't find it in her to harbor any more ill will toward him. She was now more interested in what this Jaffa would do next. And if it involved more caresses like the one he'd just offered her. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest with anticipation.
As if to answer her query, he began to run his thumb along her cheek while his hand cupped her face. One of her hands found the strings hanging loosely from his tunic, gently tugging on them as if to pull him closer. He asked a silent question with his eyes. Her lips parted slightly. She quirked an encouraging smile, allowing him permission.
"You do realize that I am human?" she prudently reminded him as he began to lean in. She made no move to stop him. She simply waited with expectation, unconsciously licking her lips.
He paused just millimeters away. "A special kind," he whispered in a low tone, breath brushing gently across her lips.
She smiled as his mouth made sweet contact with hers. She accepted his slow kiss, relishing the feel of his lips on hers. Intense curiosity being satisfied. This was the exact opposite of what Carolyn had told her to do. And somehow, she didn't care. When his tongue darted across hers, her hands found his neck. His hands wrapped around her back.
Their kiss deepened. Jasuf let go of all of his worries. If he could have nothing but this woman, he could die satisfied. She was all he needed in this moment in time. He memorized the feel of her body within his arms, fingers gently digging into her back as if searching for details. She tilted her head the other way, letting him taste her from another angle.
Their breaths tangled. Gracie's hand slowly slid down from his neck to find more of him to feel. One hand explored what had drawn her attention before, the hardened muscles of his chest. She found it satisfying to finally touch him there and see just how strong he really must be. The other hand cupped his neck to keep him near, encouraging him to keep kissing her. Telling him that she wanted more.
Jasuf was helpless but to obey. Several minutes passed as they continued to discover each other.
Gracie broke off the prolonged kiss, but didn't pull away. "What are we doing?" she wondered aloud, eyes half-closed and breath tickling his lips. Her fingers stroked his jawline gently.
"Transforming my weakness into my strength," he explained with a rasp to his voice. It sounded like a low and hungry growl. She shivered with pleasure.
His finger traced the angle of her neck softly. They locked eyes for a brief moment. Then they shared a soft smile with each other. Gracie could sense that his smile was content. Pleased. And just for her. Her heart rate quickened and she crashed her mouth back into his.
A/N: This one was full of romance, I'd say. The next chapter will be comedic and action-packed. Pinky promise! Thanks for reading. :)