Daughter
Chapter 25 – Earth Bear
Vala watched Gracie from across the commissary. She'd been sitting there alone, staring off into space the entire time she'd been here.
Carolyn sat opposite her, munching away, pretending not to notice what she was looking at.
Vala observed as Crawford and Smith from SG-3 appeared, automatically taking seats at the same table as her daughter. She didn't stir. After a beat, Gracie seemed startled that they were suddenly there. The boys looked like they were laughing at her. Vala narrowed her eyes. Gracie shouldn't have been taken by surprise. Her situational awareness was usually sharp as a tack. She even used to overreact.
But now? A Jaffa battalion could be attacking and she wouldn't even notice.
Sam pulled a chair out next to Vala and set down a tray laden with food. She took a seat. "Hi, girls."
"Hey," Carolyn answered.
"Hi, Sam," Vala greeted distractedly.
Sam took a bite of food. She glanced up to see what Vala was looking at. "Those two are from SG-3, right?"
Carolyn briefly turned around. "Yeah. Marine Corporals." She glanced at Vala, whose eyes were still glued to the trio at the other table.
Sam observed them for a moment. "Looks like they're getting along. That's a good sign."
Vala could only hum in agreement.
Sam made eye contact with Carolyn and tilted her head in Vala's direction. The doctor shrugged and kept eating.
"Valaaaaaaaaaaaa."
"Yes?"
"What is it?"
"She's distracted," Vala said simply.
Sam watched the youngest members of SG-3 as they playfully conversed with their shared daughter. Gracie seemed to be smiling at them. "Is she?"
"Yes. And that means something."
"What?" her blonde friend asked curiously. Gracie seemed no different to her. They'd already spent a lot of time together going over the features of her shuttle since Sam returned to the SGC.
"I don't know yet. But it's suspicious."
Carolyn pursed her lips. She chose to stay quiet.
Sam sensed extreme paranoia oozing out of her space pirate friend. She coughed. "Have you tried asking her what this is about?"
"She won't tell me anything, Sam." Vala finally turned to her. "Maybe you'll have better luck."
"Umm… I don't even know what to ask." Sam quickly looked at Carolyn, who kept her expression carefully neutral. Clearly the doctor had nothing to contribute.
Vala didn't respond, returning her gaze to Gracie.
. . .
"Admit it, Baby Cakes… you're in love," Smith teased.
"As if you even know what that is," Gracie replied haughtily.
Crawford chuckled quietly.
Gracie's eyes shot toward him. She gestured at him with her spoon. "Now him? He knows a little something about love." She grinned playfully. "Don't you, Crawfy?"
"I dunno 'bout that, Elda."
She leaned forward. "That look on your face says otherwise," she said with a challenge in her voice.
Smith's attention was now effectively redirected to his buddy. "You did have a look on your face when you came in this morning."
"He was smiling just a little too much," she agreed.
Smith shared a naughty look with her. "Elda, you might be on to something."
"Y'all can shut it now." Crawford shoved food in his mouth.
"What was her name again?" Gracie pretended to wonder. "Chellie… Kelsey…"
"Chelsea," Crawford automatically corrected.
Smith smirked at Gracie, tilting his head toward Crawford. "Careful, Baby. He bites."
Crawford elbowed Smith forcefully. His friend just laughed.
Gracie laughed along with them. "So," she said conspiratorially, "When do we get to meet her?"
"In your dreams," Crawford deadpanned. There was no way he was letting either of these two jokers near his girlfriend. They'd scare her away.
"Heard she likes to go dancing," Smith supplied. "How 'bout you, Elda? You like to dance?"
Gracie tilted her head and shrugged. "I've been known to dance a little here and there."
"Do they have clubs in space?" Crawford asked curiously.
"Clubs?"
"Places to dance," Smith clarified. "Dance clubs. Loud music. Lots of people, usually young ones like us. Alcohol."
"Oh yeah, we have those out in the galaxy. Best ones I ever went to were on space stations."
"Is that right?" Crawford marveled. "What were they like?"
She shrugged again. "I don't really know how to describe them. They're all mostly the same, though."
"Damn, Crawford, we've been missing out!" Smith exclaimed, hitting his friend's arm.
"One day, I'll take you to one," Gracie promised. Her friends broke out into grins. "In the meantime, you show me one. From around here."
Smith rubbed his hands together. "You got a deal." He elbowed Crawford next to him. "And when we go? Bring Chelsea."
"Hell no."
"You can't go clubbing without her, man. Won't look right."
"Then you two go."
"Nah, man, it's gotta be all of us! Elda can't be a wingman. I need you. Besides, I'd spend the whole night fending off the whole damn club. I'd end up being her bodyguard."
Gracie began to laugh. "But isn't that your specialty?"
"Shut up, Baby Cakes."
"Please? Pretty please?" Mitchell begged without shame. His hands were held up in a praying motion.
Gracie was standing before him at his desk in his shared office. She was regarding him doubtfully.
Reynolds walked in to find Mitchell making a fool of himself. He didn't hesitate to point it out. "Have some dignity, man." He went straight to his desk.
Gracie grinned over at him. "He's lost all self-respect."
"I can see that. What's your problem, Mitchell?" Reynolds asked as he sat down. He sighed as he surveyed the files and loose leaf paper littering his workspace.
"She needs to have a back-up pilot for that ship of hers. I'm the perfect candidate for the job."
"Is that right?"
"I'm not even going to bother to tell you how many hours I've logged in F-302s."
Reynolds didn't really look at either of them, still staring forlornly at the mountain of paperwork on his desk. "Oh, but I bet you will…" he said drily.
"Two-thousand…"
"Cameron, I can pilot the ship all by myself," Gracie interrupted. She'd already heard him gloat about his time in the cockpits of Earth's space-worthy little fighter jets. Multiple times. She waved a hand in Reynolds's direction. "Ask him. He saw me."
"What about when you can't, though? Shit happens out there, Elda. You could easily be injured or possessed or something in a way that means your ship ends up without a reliable pilot," Cameron argued.
Gracie just stared at him, shaking her head slightly, unconvinced.
"And then what happens?" Cameron pointed at Reynolds. "The rest of your team is shit out of luck."
She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh! Well, who am I to deny you the opportunity to engage in some heroics? Coming in to save the day."
Mitchell adopted a smug look. He pretended to straighten out his shirt collar. Reynolds threw a paper ball at him.
Sam appeared behind Gracie just in time to see the crumpled paper make contact with Mitchell's face. "Looks like nothing changes around here," she deadpanned.
"Sam!" Reynolds greeted her warmly.
She waved at him casually. "I was just looking for you two. Elda? I think we need to discuss training other people to be your back-up pilots. How do you feel about Colonel Mitchell getting the first chance?"
Cameron clapped his hands loudly and hooted as if he had won.
Gracie glared at him, then looked back at her mother. "Really?"
"If you go out in the field, you need a reliable alternative to fly the shuttle. There could be times when you, yourself, are simply unable to do it. You need to be ready for those possibilities, however unlikely they are to happen."
Gracie considered her words carefully. She glanced at Mitchell, who had a smile on his face that she found irritating. Now she was starting to understand why Daniel often found him so intolerable. She groaned. "Okay."
Her uncle rubbed his hands together in delight. "Sometimes you just gotta hear it from somebody else," he commented. He winked at Sam in gratitude.
"Cam, when are you free?" Sam asked.
"Uhhh…" He began scooting files over to reveal the desktop calendar somewhere underneath.
"While you two figure that out… Elda, come here," Reynolds called. She stepped over and was invited to take the single seat across from his desk. "Sorry I haven't had a chance to talk with you. It's been busy."
"That's alright. Cameron mentioned you have some things happening at home. Right?"
He let out a breath. "Yeah." He almost seemed overwhelmed by the thought. Gracie decided not to ask him for details. "So I'll bet he also made it clear: we're not bringing you along on the next handful of missions yet."
"He did."
"It's not that we don't want you to come along; it's that we can't. We need to gradually work you in as new missions get planned. And as you get up to speed with all our protocols. It's gonna be a couple of months, I bet, until you're fully embedded with SG-3."
Gracie tried not to show the relief his words brought her. That would give her more time to be on Tek'ron. She didn't want to seem ungrateful for the opportunity he was giving her. "I understand, Colonel. I'm not military like you. I need to learn your way first."
"Yeah," he replied. Then he pointed a finger at her. "And then stick with our way," he warned.
She twisted her mouth and twitched her eye. But she still nodded in hesitant agreement.
"In the meantime, the rest of the boys and I will be gone for a good little while on an op. You can do whatever it is you do with your free time until then. When we get back, we'll resume your training. Sound good?"
She smiled. "Sounds good."
"Ay, Reynolds. Y'all need to work out giving her time to go to that Jaffa planet of hers when she starts working for you," Mitchell reminded. Sam looked over at them with interest.
"What's he talking about?" Reynolds asked Gracie.
She glanced at Cameron thankfully. "I have a considerable amount of training to continue with the Hak'tyl. I want to reach certain milestones and keep up with what they're teaching me." Then she looked a bit uncomfortable. "But I don't know how I'm going to do that while on SG-3."
He tilted his head, considering her. "Well, I can respect you having some goals to achieve. Let's play it by ear. See when there's some downtime for the team. Then you can go back and do your thing for a little while."
"Any idea how long I could have?"
"Ehh, no. Not really. Just sorta depends on what's going on around here. Look, I'll keep it in mind, Elda. Pretty sure those skills you're working on could come in handy for us anyway. Doesn't hurt to keep up with them." Then he had a thought. "Maybe you could use Crawford and Smith as your training dummies."
Mitchell cracked up in the background. "I'd pay good money to watch that."
Sam shook her head. Gracie smiled with delight at the thought.
Sweat glistened down his brow as Jasuf swung his wooden staff in the air. His feet trampled the moss beneath them as he executed a sequence of moves. He'd been here training in his place of solitude for a few hours now. The exercise warmed him in spite of the cooling air. He wouldn't be able to train outside for much longer. The days were growing shorter and the warmth of the sun was not reaching their part of Tek'ron so easily now. Full winter was nearly here.
He spun to swipe his staff at an imaginary opponent, tilting it this way and that as if striking. Behind him the waterfall continued to pour as it always had. Its roar drowned out the sounds of the forest around him. When he spun back around to execute another sequence of moves in his bashaak, another staff blocked his.
His eyes widened. Jasuf leaned back to avoid a blow to the head. He instinctively blocked attacks from his new opponent.
"You leave your left open too much."
Gracie lunged, bringing her staff to hit his left side and demonstrate her point.
Jasuf flinched then got out of her way. He raised his staff to strike, once again engaging in the series of moves he had come here to practice. Gracie obliged him, raising her wooden staff to receive his blows accordingly. She knew what he was working on.
They parried without further talk for several more minutes. Every time Jasuf missed a step, Gracie hit his side lightly with her staff. She refrained from trying to knock him down as her own sparring partners would do back in the Hak'tyl settlement. No one was here to evaluate them. There need not be any obvious move to indicate that the sequence was being restarted.
Besides, she didn't want him to get any dirtier than he already was.
The activity had her breathing harder now. She was starting to work up a sweat. Gracie regretted the many layers she had donned in response to the changing season. She was cold on the way here. But now? Jasuf was not letting up, determined to get the sequence right with an actual opponent before him.
Eventually, he executed the moves in the correct order and in the correct manner. Gracie rewarded him by knocking his staff out of his hands suddenly. His eyes revealed surprise as it sailed harmlessly off to the side. She let her staff hover dangerously near his neck.
His bare chest heaved. Jasuf let out a satisfied laugh. He pulled on her staff forcefully to bring her forward. She went sailing into his arms, dropping the staff on the way. He tipped her back and captured her mouth with his, still breathing heavily. His skin was hot to the touch. He smelt of sweat and earth.
Gracie didn't care.
She made them stand upright and cupped his neck with her hands to deepen the kiss. His hands grabbed at her waist possessively. She smiled into his mouth, enjoying his attention very much. They both had to take small steps to maintain their balance as they attacked each other in a new way.
At some point they had to come up for air, drowning as they were in each other.
Eyes closed and forehead to hers, Jasuf spoke quietly. "When did you arrive to Tek'ron?"
"A few hours ago."
"You have come earlier than I expected."
She nipped at his bottom lip with her teeth. "I couldn't wait."
Jasuf didn't try to hide the smile of satisfaction that confession garnered. "Have you had a meal?"
"I have. But I'm sure you're hungry." She leaned back to look at him.
"I am not ready to return to the village. You have only just arrived."
"Hmm, lucky for you I thought ahead. I brought some food in my pack."
"EldaMalDoran, you are my savior."
She hummed. Then Gracie pulled away to retrieve the linen sack she had carried with her on the twenty-minute hike from the Hak'tyl settlement. She looked around, wondering where a good place to sit might be. They had trampled the moss enough with their sparring that it was now muddied and brown.
Jasuf picked up both of their staffs and let them rest together against the nearest tree. Then he wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to a different part of the clearing. "There is something else here you have not seen yet," he announced. They walked around to the back of the roaring waterfall. Gracie had noticed the tall rock forming its structure, but had never realized that one could venture inside of it like a cave.
He pulled some long vines aside to reveal an entrance. They both leaned down slightly to fit through the opening. As he led her further in, the height of the ceiling rose high enough for them to walk comfortably. A short, curved path brought them to the open space immediately behind the pouring water.
Gracie gasped. The walls were lined with naturally-formed crystals. They reflected the faint light that crept in around the rushing water. The rays of sun seemed to bounce endlessly back and forth, lighting up the space as if there was artificial light. She turned to Jasuf, who had allowed her to step ahead of him, and smiled.
"Now this is a real place of solitude," she commented, clearly impressed.
He let a breath out through his nose, pleased. He gestured to a spot along one of the crystalline walls to sit. Gracie sat down comfortably and began pulling cloth wrappers out of her bag. She opened up a few offerings before Jasuf. He could choose from bread, dried meats, and fresh berries. While he began picking at the food, Gracie retrieved a simple flask from the bag and handed it to him.
"Thank you," he said gratefully. He took a long sip, parched from the exercise. He gestured at the waterfall behind her. "That water is clean enough to drink, should you need it."
She twisted around briefly to look at the water. "How did you find this place?" she asked curiously, eyes darting around.
"My mother and I found this when I was a child."
"Your mother? I've not seen her yet."
Jasuf kept his eyes down, focusing on his food. "She has passed," he said quietly.
Gracie looked at him with empathy. "I lost my mother, too," she reported. It wasn't a lie. The woman who raised her was unavailable to her. Permanently. Gracie would never know if she still existed in some inaccessible branch of time or if she had been erased and overwritten by the Vala she left behind on Earth this morning.
He looked up at her. Then he inclined his head in silent acknowledgement.
"So… your mother knew of this cave. What about your father?"
Jasuf smiled softly. "My mother and I promised each other not to share this place with anyone else." He picked at a berry and popped it in his mouth. "Some of the others may have become aware of the waterfall, but I have marked this clearing as mine. No one should explore it further."
"Ahh. So the outside is known to your village. They know where to find you if they must."
He tilted his head to agree.
"But this cave… it's a secret?" Gracie gazed up and around, still amazed at the way the crystals endlessly reflected just the smallest amount of light.
"Ours to share," he proclaimed.
At first she was touched. But then Gracie reminded herself that she couldn't have been his first romantic interest. There were plenty of Jaffa females in his own camp of similar age. He could have shown any of them this place, too. Now uncomfortable with the thought, she tried to clear her mind. Dwelling on his past wasn't worth it. She couldn't tell him about hers, so it wouldn't be fair to concern herself with his.
They were here now. In the present. Together. She chose to focus on that.
Gracie leaned over the food, which was quickly disappearing, to drop a soft kiss on his lips. It was her quiet thanks for his consideration and willingness to share, even if she suspected more people might know of this cave than he was letting on.
Now that they were long done with their impromptu sparring session, Gracie felt the cold again. She shivered, unconsciously rubbing her arms. Jasuf scooted around her, offering his warmth to her with his arms. She nestled into the space between his legs and let him wrap his arms around her. She reached out to grab the last berry and offer it to his mouth. He accepted it with a smile.
"Perhaps we should each return to our villages soon. Night will fall and it will only grow colder."
Gracie leaned her head back on his shoulder. "In a minute. I just got here," she said with a whine.
"What have your sisters to say?" Jasuf asked, letting his chin lean against her hair.
"They were delighted to see me back. Mainly so they could harass me. About you," she said pointedly. He chuckled quietly. "They send their regards, by the way."
"I send my well wishes back," he said automatically.
"And your brothers? What new ways have they discovered to tease you mercilessly?"
"I prefer not to say."
Gracie twisted around in his arms to look at him. She grinned. "Why not?"
He kissed her chastely. "Because what they do is meaningless. It is simply my turn."
"So… what you're saying is: if we set one of them up with a Hak'tyl, the unwanted attention would be redirected toward them?" she asked conspiratorially.
He laughed aloud now. "Perhaps."
"Jasuf, I think it's time that we allow our tribes to interact more often."
"We already make contact each day," he argued.
"That's for trade. And the occasional Exhibition. I'm talking about for leisure."
He locked eyes with her, regarding her suggestion as a joke.
She shrugged. "Just thinking of a way to get your brothers off your back for you," she said lightly.
"While I appreciate your sentiment, that is not necessary. I can handle them."
"I don't doubt it. Just trying to help," she said playfully.
"And how would I help you in return with your sisters if we went through with your scheme?" He tilted his head at her. "None of them like me very much."
"Oh they'll warm up to you. They're already overexcited that you're paying attention to me at all."
"Hmm. Perhaps I should pay a friendly visit from time to time."
Gracie grinned. "You could pretend you're bringing a message from your father, if you want."
"I could."
"And you could bring a couple of friends," she said, waggling her eyebrows.
He laughed quietly at her. Jasuf reached out a hand to affectionately stroke her cheek. "What is your plan for tomorrow?"
She sighed. "I don't know yet. I didn't do more than greet Nesa earlier. If I find time, I'll come find you and check in."
"I have communication devices back in my hut. If I had known you would be here today…"
"Tomorrow, then."
He inclined his head. Glancing at the waning light beyond the waterfall, he said, "We should go now."
Gracie whined then dug her head back into his shoulder. "Do you have to be so responsible?"
"I am heir apparent to my tribe's leadership. I have no choice." He patted her thigh to prompt her to move. They stood. "Now that you are here on Tek'ron, we may visit with each other as much as we please. And as the heir… I can control what duties I assume and which ones I assign to others."
She smiled, both hands stroking the bare skin of his chest. "I like the sound of that."
"I thought you might." He leaned down to kiss her sweetly.
The first week of Gracie's return to Tek'ron saw her assigned to the night guard. Jasuf was on an opposite schedule. The most they could do to see each other was meet at the waterfall by midday every day. For him, it would be lunch. But for her, it was breakfast. Then the pair would separate to continue with whatever tasks awaited them at their villages.
Gracie's training continued in the afternoons. She hadn't been able to keep up with it independently offworld. SG-3 had kept her busy on their training grounds. So her sessions with the Hak'tyl were arduous as she struggled to remember intricate techniques with a wooden staff.
By her second week there, she found relief. She was rotated off night guard and allowed a more reasonable schedule. She asked Jasuf to become her sparring partner. He readily agreed. He'd never stopped wanting to have a rematch with her. When she first took him by surprise on her first day back, he had been simply delighted.
Now they met at the waterfall every morning instead. The days were barely warm enough to be outside with full sun. Evenings had become uncomfortably cold, even for the Jaffa. The night guard donned multiple layers to keep warm; the huts began utilizing their heaters.
"No, you must raise your staff higher," Jasuf instructed.
Gracie did what she thought was correct.
"No, like this." He moved behind her to position her staff in the correct form. His body warmed her, and she found herself reminded of how cold she felt. He began to slowly demonstrate the sequence she was meant to perform by moving her arms for her. She closed her eyes as she focused on the heat of his hands. Gracie allowed him to direct her like a puppet, letting her muscles memorize the movements of the staff.
He stopped and wrapped his arms around her body. "EldaMalDoran, you are like cold snow," he noted with bewilderment.
She grumbled. She didn't want him to stop showing her. Nor did she want to be forced inside because her human body couldn't handle the weather like the others could. "Please continue," she begged.
"It is no wonder you are unable to complete this sequence. You are trembling." He stepped away momentarily to grab his fur overcoat and place it around her shoulders. She pouted. "Come, my hut is closest. Warm yourself there before you venture back."
"But…"
He tilted her chin up affectionately. "I cannot spar with a block of ice." He kissed her chastely. Then he frowned. "Even your lips are cold."
She muttered in complaint as they gathered their belongings from the base of the closest tree. Gracie followed him back to his village. He wrapped an arm around her as they walked, trying in vain to keep her from shivering.
Fewer Jaffa were about now. The cold was getting worse and everyone limited their time outside today. Jasuf inclined his head to them briefly as they passed. Gracie did the same, but noted prolonged stares at the oversized fur draped around her shoulders. She felt embarrassed by this. Being human had its disadvantages, with one obvious example being intolerance to extreme temperatures.
The door of his hut screeched when he threw it open. He hustled her inside and shut it quickly. Gracie stood near the entrance, gazing about, while he opened the panel that controlled the heater. It chimed as he commanded the device to operate at full blast. The technology seemed out of place in his hut, but that's how the Jaffa preferred their living spaces to be on the ground. They wanted their quarters to blend in with the local planet as much as possible. Modern tech was an unfortunate necessity that clashed with the décor.
He pushed her into a small stool, encouraging her to keep the fur on for now. She was still shaking, he noted. Gracie was trying not to show her discomfort. "There is no shame in you being human, EldaMalDoran. If the cold disagrees with you, then you must respond."
"I look like one of those bears on Earth right now. They're huge and furry. I feel ridiculous," she complained as she continued to shiver.
He rubbed his hands up and down her shoulders in a futile attempt to warm her faster. Jasuf then abandoned this effort and turned around to pour hot tea for her instead. He always had a pot waiting on a small table off to the side. He pushed the mug into her hands, giving him a chance to see how blue her fingers were beginning to look.
He squat down in front of her, bringing his eyes down to her level. "Perhaps we need to refrain from visiting the waterfall now. The days will only get worse from here."
She frowned. "I like the waterfall. It's a perfect place to train. Fewer distractions. Fewer people. Just you and me."
"I like it as well. But not if it means you will freeze to death." He tilted his head at the mug. "Drink."
Gracie complied, but not without pouting at him. The tea was soothing, warming her from the inside-out. She finished her serving and handed the empty mug back to him. After he set it aside, Jasuf stared at her worriedly. She was shivering and blue. In contrast, he was beginning to sweat in the sweltering heat of his hut.
"Rise." He made her stand up. "Remove these," he ordered, pointing at her boots.
"I do think that would make my feet colder," she argued petulantly.
Jasuf gave her a look. She sighed and kicked them off. He reached down to fold back the thick blanket on his bed. "Get in." She looked back and forth between him and the bed. "You are not warming fast enough."
She huffed and climbed into the bed. He replaced the heavy blanket over her, tucking it in around her body. "Now I'm sure I look even more ridiculous."
He stood back with a smirk. "Ridiculous, perhaps. But warm is still better."
She wiggled within the covers. His bed was soft, nothing like the straw mats she and her sisters used in their shared huts. Perhaps they had recovered this mattress from the Ha'tak vessels previously owned by the Goa'uld. Those ships were not being manned by full crews anymore. There had to be spare beds up there. Maybe being the heir apparent afforded him a few extra perks. Gracie found his bed comparable to the ones on Earth.
It was comfortable. Maybe too comfortable. Her eyes shot wide open when she caught herself drifting off to sleep. She blinked rapidly to fight it off.
Jasuf laughed at her.
"What," she groused.
"There is a sleepy human woman in my bed," he teased.
She harumphed from within his covers. "This is silly. I should go back before it gets any colder."
"You are still trembling. Give yourself more time."
"Jasuf," she whined.
"Sleep for a few minutes if you must. I will be right here." He kissed her forehead.
"Oh now it's like you've really tucked me in for bed!" He shook his head at her and chose not to answer. He turned around to examine the settings for the heater. She could see that he was sweating. He'd managed to remove all of his outdoor layers and his boots now. He was in nothing but his usual simple tunic and pants. She liked it when he wore that. He looked inviting. "Jasuf."
He turned his head to her.
"Come here," she said flatly. She pulled the blanket off the side next to her.
He opened his mouth briefly to argue, but then decided against it. He climbed into the bed next to her, settling in under the blanket. She turned on her side toward him. She nestled her head into the crook of his arm and laid a hand on his chest. He was burning hot and she needed that. He wrapped his free arm around her. Their feet tangled together. A small sigh escaped her lips. He looked down and could see normal color returning to them.
He smiled briefly, feeling a sense of accomplishment. At least she wouldn't die of hypothermia today. He reached over to tuck an unruly strand of hair back behind her ear because it was tickling his chin. Then his eyes began to feel heavy. The heat of the hut and the thick blanket were lulling him to sleep, something he now needed while on tretonin. Truth be told, they were both exhausted anyway from their busy duties. Before either of them knew it, they drifted off.
It was another hour or so later when a chime disturbed him.
It was incessant.
He grumbled, wondering where it was coming from. Then Jasuf noted the weight in his arms. He took in a breath, blinking rapidly. It took him a moment to overcome his disorientation. He reached down into his pocket and pulled out a small communicator the size of a mouse. When he pressed a button, a miniature heads-up-display flashed. The signal was coming from the Hak'tyl camp.
His eyes shot open. "EldaMalDoran," he called out quietly toward the blonde mop of hair in his arms.
"Hmmm," she responded sleepily.
"What duties do you have to perform today?"
"Mmm. Sparring with Jasuf. Lunch. Day patrol," she replied sleepily. She didn't seem to realize that a male voice had asked her the question. It was a typical thing for her sisters to ask each other every morning.
Jasuf used the communicator to check the time. "It is past midday."
She shot straight up in the bed. "Oh no." Then Gracie squeezed her eyes shut and reopened them, confused about where she was. She took in a breath and looked behind her. Jasuf was looking up at her from the bed with amusement. She repeatedly smacked his chest lightly. "How could you let me fall asleep that long!"
"I fell asleep as well!"
She groaned and got out of the warm bed. She was sweating and sticky from the heat. Jasuf's large fur overcoat was still wrapped around her. He got up and stopped her from trying to remove it. "Keep it," he said with an air of finality.
She scowled but said nothing. The coat might serve her well while she was stuck outside again on patrol. Gracie reached down to hold her boots as her feet slipped back into them easily. Then she quickly combed her fingers through her hair, hoping to tame any locks that were sticking out from sleep. Jasuf fought the urge to laugh aloud at her flurry. Instead he accepted the chaste kiss she offered.
"Thank you," she said. "Tal'ma'te." She said it with little enthusiasm, cranky as she was from interrupted sleep.
"Tal'ma'te, Earth Bear," he teased.
Gracie narrowed her eyes at him. She shoved him lightly, eliciting a small laugh from the Jaffa. And then she was gone and out of his hut.
He brought the communicator up to his mouth. "Hak'tyl, EldaMalDoran shal tek."
"Understood, Jasuf," Nesa's voice responded. He could tell by her tone that she was very annoyed. He cringed slightly.
The infirmary was full. It was all Carolyn could do to keep the place from falling apart with team members rushing in and out and getting in everyone's way. Nerves were frayed and tempers were barely in check.
She still wasn't completely sure what happened offworld. Whatever it was, it had her father sending all available teams to assist SG-13. It sounded like they might have summoned yet another Goa'uld ambush on some god-forsaken planet. The only thing she could be certain of was that her neat and tidy infirmary was now a hot mess.
She summoned the special courage she kept in reserve for when angry military men decided they'd had enough of everyone around them. Right now, one of the marines was currently giving Colonel Dixon from SG-13 an earful. He was upset because one of his teammates had been injured.
Mitchell was about to get up from his own infirmary bed to intervene when Carolyn beat him to it. He settled back down, holding an ice pack to his bruised shoulder. Daniel stood watching next to him. He had been hovering over Vala in the next bed over. She was currently getting stitches placed by another doctor.
Carolyn placed herself inbetween the two men. She put a hand on the chest of the yelling one that towered over her and pushed him back a full six inches with force. His eyes shot to her briefly then back to Dixon to continue yelling. The commotion had anyone who wasn't in the middle of performing procedures looking.
"Major."
He ignored her, continuing on with his tirade. Dixon was simply staring back at him with a fury in his eyes as a nurse attempted to apply a clean dressing to a wound on his back. He was staying dutifully still so she could do her job. The nurse glanced over at their CMO with relief, knowing she'd be able to end this fiasco quickly.
"Major," she repeated, a little louder this time. When he didn't stop, she pushed him back again. "Major!"
He paused to look at her.
Her tone dropped to a different level of dangerous. Her eye twitched as she regarded him with an impatient stare. "You will get your shit together and get the hell out of my infirmary."
The marine squinted at her, hardly intimidated.
"Oh he's screwed now," Daniel muttered under his breath.
Cam didn't comment, eager as he was to see how this played out. His heart started ticking just a bit faster as he watched his girlfriend do her thing. A small smirk was forming on his mouth.
It didn't take long for the marine to finally understand that she meant business. Her mouth was doing that little pout that Cam loved so much. Her eyes were on fire, ready to shoot lasers at him. When her eyebrow arched, it was over.
He sucked in a small breath and stepped back.
And then he remembered himself. He glanced around surreptitiously. He turned right around and left.
The medical staff nearby breathed a sigh of relief. Carolyn, meanwhile, grit her teeth as she spun around to speak with Colonel Dixon.
Daniel leaned in toward Cameron's ear now. "You're gonna have to marry that chick," he declared.
Mitchell's mouth twitched, eyes full of pride and glued to Carolyn.
When the communicator in his pocket chimed, Jasuf was already awake. He was preparing to depart his hut for breakfast. He pulled it out and examined the HUD. It was Elda calling. He pressed the command to accept her call.
"Jasuf."
"EldaMalDoran," he intoned warmly.
"I am being punished. Nesa forbids me from visiting your village today. I regret that we cannot train together this morning."
"I am sorry for that."
She sighed over the communicator. "It's not your fault. It's mine. I am not strong enough to withstand this cold."
"Do not dwell on a weakness. Adapt."
"Like when you regarded me as a weakness and decided to kiss me instead?" she said playfully.
"Exactly." Then he smiled. "Although, you cannot kiss the cold to make it more amenable to you," he joked.
She grumbled, but he could sense that she was smiling, too. Then she had a thought. "I've been forbidden from your village for the day. But I am required to check in with Earth. That means I must venture to the chaapa'ai," she said conspiratorially. "Perhaps I will take care of that task this morning."
He slowly smiled at her cunning scheme. "I will join you then."
Later after breakfast, he found her at the stargate. She grinned at him while waiting by the DHD. Her expression was naughty and proud. He laughed aloud and pulled her into his arms. Jasuf found that she was once again cold to the touch, even though she had donned his large fur overcoat.
He kissed her intensely, hoping to warm her that way. She sighed into his kiss, wrapping her arms around him underneath his own coat. He apparently had an extra one to use while she borrowed his. Jasuf broke off the kiss, smiling at her. "Proceed with your check-in, Earth Bear."
Gracie scoffed and smacked his chest lightly, eliciting a light chuckle from the Jaffa. She dialed the DHD and activated the stargate. She brought a radio up to her mouth. "This is EldaMalDoran, checking in."
"Elda, good to hear from you."
"General Landry. How goes things on your side? And where is Vala?" Her inflection and tone became more human-sounding. She had automatically code-switched based on her audience. Jasuf marveled at how effortlessly she adjusted her use of language. It was impressive.
"Oh… she's in the infirmary being patched up. They had a little scuffle with some Goa'uld."
Jasuf watched as her face contorted into worry, then horror. "What!?"
"She's alright, Elda."
"Should I come home!?"
"No, no. Only if you want to. Your sister's going to be just fine. Dr. Lam has assured me." He paused, allowing her a turn to speak. Jasuf noted that she seemed to be frozen, but not from the cold. When the man on the other side of the wormhole heard no further sound, he spoke again. "How are you over there? Getting along just fine with all those Jaffa?" he said congenially, trying to change the subject. Jasuf noted his voice was warm, as if he knew her well.
"I'm… alright." She glanced at Jasuf, who was watching her with interest. "It's cold here. Really, really cold. Winter is setting in."
"We've got good winter gear here. If you like, we can send some along for you."
Gracie blinked. "Actually… that's not a bad idea, General. Thank you!"
"I'll have someone deliver it later. Maybe I'll send your marine friends from SG-3."
She smiled at the wormhole. "You're too good to me."
"Ahh, it's nothing. Glad to hear you're okay. And don't worry about your sister. She will be fine. I'll let her know you called. Landry out."
The stargate deactivated.
Gracie shivered as she pocketed her radio.
Jasuf looked at her with pity. She truly had no business being outside in this weather. "Let us get you back to your village before you freeze to death."
She didn't resist as he lightly pushed her in the direction of the Hak'tyl settlement.
He kept his arm around her as they walked carefully. The ground was layered with frost. Many of the usual animal sounds of the forest had gone silent with this temperature. They assumed most of the animals migrated elsewhere or began to hibernate in response to the changing season.
"Tell me of your family, EldaMalDoran."
She looked up at him pensively. Her teeth were chattering.
"Who was the man on the other side speaking to you?"
"That was General Hank Landry. He's in charge of Stargate Command. He's a very good friend of my…" Gracie caught herself. "…sister." She almost said 'father.' The cold was distracting her from maintaining her cover.
"And who is your sister? This Vala."
"Vala Mal Doran. My elder blood sister. A former host."
"You told my father this, correct?"
"Right." Gracie guessed that anything she had told Meil'nor was eventually shared with his son. She wasn't very surprised. But she felt better not having lied directly to Jasuf's face. As she might be forced to right now. That made her uncomfortable. He didn't deserve to be lied to.
"Your family cares about you," he concluded. "I see why you are so loyal to the Tau'ri."
She sighed internally in relief. At least he wasn't pushing for more information. So far, she'd only had to lie a little.
"Use their warmth to combat this cold, EldaMalDoran. Perhaps it will help," he suggested.
Gracie paused and looked up at him from within his comforting arm. "That's so sweet." She reached up to peck him on the lips. "I never would have thought you were someone so caring when you attacked me in Exhibition."
"I do not presume my opponents to be caring when I am fighting them."
"No, I guess you wouldn't."
He smiled with her, squeezing her body tighter. They reached the edge of her settlement and stopped. He leaned down to kiss her briefly, rubbing his hands along her arms to offer her a little more heat. Jasuf reached up to cup her face while smiling at her adoringly. "Tal'ma'te."
Gracie leaned into his hand, stealing as much warmth from him as she could before they separated. "Tal'ma'te." She wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him again. His hands instantly found her hips underneath her coat. Reluctantly, he broke off the kiss, knowing she needed to get back inside a warm hut.
"Go now," he ordered lightly. His voice was deep and gentle. It only made her want to stay with him. He offered her once last smile, then extricated himself from her arms. He turned to leave. Gracie resumed the final path toward the town center.
She had only walked a few paces when another Hak'tyl suddenly appeared beside her.
"He causes you to be disobedient and yet you still find yourself in his arms." Idul tsked. She was dressed in a fur overcoat of her own, yet hers seemed to fit her frame much better. The Hak'tyl eyed Gracie's oversized coat, guessing correctly that Jasuf had lent it to her. She noted the human was shivering and unconsciously wrapped an arm around her to warm her.
"I didn't mean to be late," Gracie disputed as she leaned into her friend for heat.
"If I had a Jaffa as handsome as him, I would be late, too," she teased.
"You're already late, even without a distracting man," Gracie countered. She laughed when Idul scowled.
"You are fortunate, EldaMalDoran. Jasuf is one of the most handsome males from his tribe. If we were not so bitter about our defeats in Exhibition, one of us would have snatched him already."
Gracie smirked triumphantly. Idul opened the door to one of the huts used as sleeping quarters. She ushered the human in and shut the door behind them. Gracie immediately ran to the heater and let her hands hover over the warmth it was producing. She rubbed them vigorously.
Three other sisters were already there, lounging on their straw mats.
"How fares the Tau'ri, Sister?" Agean asked.
"My adoptive mother is reportedly injured," Gracie replied glumly. "She wasn't there to receive my call." She took a seat on the same mat as Agean. The Hak'tyl wrapped an arm around her to get her warm. They could all see how blue she was turning from the cold.
"Jasuf accompanied her to the chaapa'ai," Idul reported to the other sisters, waggling her brows. She sat down across from Gracie with a cup of hot tea. She pushed it into the human's hands.
"Oh no," Gracie groaned, while letting her hands savor the heat from the mug.
Their sisters grinned mischievously. Idul's accounts of gossip were always the most entertaining.
"He warmed her with both his strong arms and fiery kiss." The sisters grinned wider while Gracie turned her own special shade of red. "She was helpless but to melt into his care."
Agean sighed loudly. "I am truly envious of you, Sister." She laid back on the straw mat dramatically.
Gracie looked back at her. "Idul exaggerates."
Her friend eyed her from the mat. "You deny her account?"
She paused, thinking back. Then she pursed her lips. "No," she grumbled. They all laughed at her.
"Why were you late yesterday, Sister?" Idul challenged with an arch of her brow. "Clearly you were with him."
Their sisters leaned forward with interest, eyeing her coat that was not at all from the Hak'tyl community stockpile. It was much too large for any of them. Agean sat back up to lean her elbow on Gracie's shoulder, then her chin on her hand, affectionately encouraging her to confess. Her teeth sparkled as she grinned.
The human glanced askance at Agean with gritted teeth. These Jaffa just could not let things go.
The hut grew silent for a moment.
Idul kicked Gracie's boots. It was a reminder that they were to keep no secrets from each other. It was Hak'tyl code.
"We…" The girls leaned in further. "…fell asleep."
Idul kept her mouth shut but her face was thoroughly entertained by her admission. Her eyes were wide as she smiled. The others gasped slightly, assuming too much.
"Gah! No! We didn't do that!" Gracie raised her hands to wave them around, clearly flustered.
Idul crawled on all fours to place her face right in front of hers. She met Gracie's eyes with a sly look. "Then what did you do?"
The human's eyes burned. She let out hot air through her nose. "He insisted that I warm myself in his hut before I returned here. We never intended to retire for a nap. It just… happened."
"Jasuf insisted?" Agean wondered in a disbelieving tone.
"He had you in his bed, but he did not lay with you?" Idul asked incredulously.
"No," Gracie replied petulantly. "He did not." If she was being truly honest, the thought had never crossed her mind while she was with him. She was suffering too much from her close call with hypothermia. And Jasuf, himself, seemed to only concern himself with her well-being.
Her sisters squealed and covered their faces. Gracie glanced around at them confused by their reaction.
Idul sat more comfortably in front of her, but was still very close. "You do realize what this means, Sister?"
The young blonde scrunched her face, clearly not understanding.
Agean went on, "If he restrained himself now… then when he finally does ask for your consent, it will be meaningful."
"What?"
"Agean is right. You are carving yourself a special place in his heart, EldaMalDoran. When the moment comes that he wants to lay with you… you'll have consumed him whole." Idul explained it as if it were an absolute fact.
Gracie looked at each of her sisters with an unbelieving stare. Her eyes shot back to Idul and narrowed. "How can you be so sure?"
"Jaffa men seek two things in bed. Either pleasure or love."
"You make it sound like it's one or the other," Gracie complained. In her experience with human men, it was usually some twisted combination of the two, with a heavy dose of control and power mixed in. Her mother had raised her to be weary of sex. It could be a powerful tool, but it should not be taken lightly. Fortunately, it was a tool that she never needed to wield against a mark. Her mother forbade it and did everything she could to avoid the need for it.
And thus, Gracie's own experiences were meaningless. She never had the time to form romantic bonds with anyone. Gracie and Vala had to leave so quickly, so often that it would have hurt to try. On top of that, anyone who dared to give her that sort of meaningful attention was asking for a target on his back. She wouldn't have been able to live with herself if she allowed someone she cared for to be assassinated because of her.
But now? The Goa'uld were no longer hunting her. The ones who'd been aware of her existence were left behind in that other timeline. Their counterparts from this time were supposedly dead or about to be executed by the Tok'ra. Gracie no longer had courier jobs that required her to find marks, work them, and get paid. She was free. She was free to love and be loved as she pleased.
Idul was making her realize that she actually had no idea what she was doing.
"You're saying," Gracie clarified hesitantly, "that he might love me?"
Idul and Agean shared a look. They tilted their heads, the Jaffa version of a shrug, and nodded in agreement.
Her mouth dropped open. Her eyes wandered aimlessly as she absorbed this suggestion. Jasuf barely knew her. How could he love her already? She instantly began shaking her head in denial. "No. No. It's much too soon."
The other sisters shared looks.