Daughter

A/N: I want to express my thanks to everyone who continues to follow this piece as it expands dramatically. It's become an absolute monster and I am in awe of it. I realize that it has become complex. You'll find that this chapter may serve as a helpful reminder of how everything got started. I do hope you continue to enjoy it as our heroine's journey continues. There is so much more coming. And please know, I haven't forgotten about our OG characters. They'll be playing some fun parts in the next chapters. It's not SG-1 without SG-1!

Chapter 29 – Traveler

"Who is this Hak'tyl, Idul, that dared to insinuate I am beneath her?" Lo'zim groused at breakfast.

Gracie regarded him with a small smile. He was still mad even now. And little did he know that Idul's ultimate goal was to have him beneath her anyway. But in a different way.

Jasuf didn't look up as he spooned more food into his mouth. "Let it go, Jaffa."

Sometimes being told not to do something only made one want to do it more. "EldaMalDoran, I demand to spar with her. So that we shall see who is the superior warrior."

Gracie tilted her head. "Are you sure?" She pretended to show dutiful deference to Jasuf again, who was seemingly uninterested. "Would you allow this, Jasuf?"

He looked up at her, then gazed at his angry guardsman sitting across from them. "What purpose would that serve?" He seemed indifferent to the idea of setting up a sparring match between one of his men and a Hak'tyl. Yet in truth, this was the goal.

"It would serve the purpose of maintaining my honor, Jasuf," Lo'zim argued.

One of the other guardsmen sitting with them, Goru, spoke up, "If that Hak'tyl thinks she is above us, let her prove it in combat. Likely Lo'zim will make quick work of it to put her in her place."

If Idul has her way, then her place will be in Lo'zim's bed, Gracie thought to herself. She took a bite of food to cover her sly smile. She glanced at Jasuf, who was continuing to pretend to be uninterested. Even annoyed. Seeing how committed he was to this manipulation job only made her love partnering with him more.

She began to fantasize about taking him out into the galaxy on a few courier jobs. They would be fantastically successful together.

Jasuf shook his head slightly in exasperation. "This would set a dangerous precedent, Lo'zim. Combat between our warriors and the Hak'tyl outside of Exhibition is irregular."

Gracie sat quietly impressed. He was leaning into his leadership role with those words, pretending to reason out the worth of a decision in front of his men like that. She knew he already had their loyalty. Here, he was securing it further. The perception of transparency as a leader was a desirable trait. Emphasis on perception.

She was silently realizing that they were manipulating his men just as much as Ishta and Meil'nor were manipulating them. She almost felt guilty about it. Is this what being a leader was really about? Twisting words and misleading followers to achieve a goal? She certainly hoped that she'd never be placed in a position where she'd have to really do something like that. Right now this was just a fun game. No one was supposed to be hurt. Well, not gravely injured, anyway.

"Perhaps it is time to rethink Exhibition, Jasuf," Bier suggested in a low tone.

Jasuf's eyes shot up to his. His brow raised. The heir apparent leaned forward on the table toward Bier and lowered his voice. "Careful of what you say, Bier," he warned. "My father will not take kindly to suggestions that question his rule."

"I do not question his rule. Your father has my loyalty," Bier vowed. "But what harm will there be if we do engage the Hak'tyl in battle outside of Exhibition? We have no other meaningful battles to fight. Exhibition is so infrequent and my combatants so random that I cannot hope to progress without finding a worthy opponent myself."

Jasuf leaned back and considered his words. His eyes flitted to Lo'zim. "You truly want to test that Hak'tyl?"

"Yes," his man said emphatically. He thumped a fist on the table, shaking all of their utensils.

Gracie pursed her lips with anticipation.

Their superior paused, as if in thought. He glanced around at his men, making eye contact with each of them, confirming that they agreed. Then Jasuf reached out a hand to gently cup Gracie's shoulder. "Will you make the arrangement with your Sister Idul?" he requested respectfully.

She felt warm with pride. He was showing her affection without shame right in front of his men. She wanted to kiss him for this. "I will try to convince her." Then she looked at Lo'zim. "What will you do if you win?"

"Bask in my triumph," he said simply with a smug smile. "It will be a fine warning for all of the Hak'tyl to think carefully about who they regard as inferior." He was still smarting about the Hak'tyl Den Mother's supposed concern for the men's safety, as if her warriors would easily best them all.

"And if you lose?"

"I will not lose."

"Answer her question, Lo'zim," Jasuf ordered.

Gracie loved that he was standing up for her, even if she didn't really need him to. She wanted to reward him somehow. She began to feel impatient for this conversation to be over.

The big Jaffa glanced at his leader then back to Gracie. "She may choose my punishment."

Gracie raised her chin. "That alone will convince her to battle you, Lo'zim. I will speak with her today."

Then she stood.

Jasuf looked up at her in surprise.

"I will be in the hut," she announced. She raised a suggestive brow in Jasuf's direction as she turned.

He narrowed his eyes as he watched her leave.

Bier overcame his own surprise and grinned. "Go, Jasuf."

He didn't spare them a glance and rose to follow after her. The men sniggered behind him, assuming that Jasuf would postpone all of his duties today.

When he found her in the hut, she was sitting on the end of the bed. "EldaMalDoran," he began, perplexed.

She seemed to be sitting there quite innocently, but she had a fire in her eyes.

He took in a breath, body immediately responding. He grit his teeth.

"You treated me well in front of your men," she declared. "You honor me."

"That pleased you?"

"It did."

He took a step forward, summoning as much restraint as he could possibly manage. She had this look on her face that told him he would not leave this hut for two days if he gave her what she wanted. What he wanted.

Jasuf kept his hands loose at his sides. He felt the need to explain himself. Maybe it would keep them focused on their objectives. "My open affection for you shows my men that you are a worthy companion. It serves our purposes," he tried to reason. "They will be convinced to respect you themselves if I model it first." They had orders to make the tribe accept her. They both knew this. And his affection had come naturally. He didn't actually care what his men thought.

He just needed to convince her that they had important things to do. Somewhere else away from this hut, which seemed to be growing warmer for some inexplicable reason. Hopefully they could perform their upcoming duties separately, now that she should find Idul to make arrangements.

She could tell he would not come to her. So she stood and went to him. Gracie reached up to his tunic and began playing with its strings. Her mouth hovered near his. "So it was all part of the play?" she asked. Her tone was devilish. She bit her lip.

Jasuf swallowed, eyes drawn to her mouth. He didn't fight it when she kissed him breathily. "Yes."

"How clever of you," she said in a low tone. "What now?" She pecked him on the lips again. And again. And again.

He sensed that she was testing him. Seeing what he'd choose to do next. His new greatest challenge as a warrior would be to refrain from taking her here right now. He didn't know if he could win the way she was now breathing on his neck.

"You should find Idul," he suggested. Jasuf had his reasons for holding back, even if his body demanded otherwise.

"She's probably busy. I can find her later."

"Do you not need to make arrangements for the match?" he responded quickly.

"I'm sure Nesa will already have some ready. The Den Mother knows we are scheming to use Idul to further our objectives."

"Does she also know you are scheming to pair her with my guardsman in his bed?" he challenged.

"She doesn't need to know everything," she said with a little laugh. "That's just our side mission, to benefit you and me, remember?"

"I do not remember agreeing to your scheme."

"And yet, you have helped me the entire time," she said thoughtfully. "Masterfully," she added as a compliment. "You and I would make great partners out in the galaxy running courier jobs."

He took her comment as a joke. "That would please you I am sure."

"Oh it would." Gracie kissed him fully now to see what he would do. She wondered what kind of timeline he had in his mind. When would he confess his feelings to her? Or would he simply show it? She was becoming more certain with each day that he did love her. There was no minimum amount of time that should pass before someone fell in love, she argued with herself. This was in spite of what she'd said to her sisters before about it being too soon. These things just happened.

The kiss they were sharing was just as passionate as the others they had had over this past month of courtship. And now he had her alone in his own hut. Again. His men already assumed what he came here to do. He'd be fending off torment for the rest of the day, surely, whether or not he really laid with her. The truth wouldn't matter to them.

What did matter was her. Elda planned to leave someday, when her human friends finally called her to duty. She couldn't say if she'd be able to come back. Jasuf knew he desperately needed her in his arms, but feared a confession of his feelings would not be enough to summon her home. Would it be worth the commitment to an absent partner? One who he suspected had more secrets being kept than she let on? Or should he simply enjoy this while it lasted and then move on?

He broke off their kiss to simply hold her to him, savoring the feel of her against him before she would disappear from his life. The dread of her departure was enough to put anything his body wanted to do on hold. He needed a different distraction to get his mind off this worry. Duty would serve the purpose. Busying himself with the tasks of his village. Protecting his home. Ensuring its prosperity.

Gracie felt his chest move as he seemed to sigh. She leaned back to look up at him, arms wrapped around his neck. She smiled. "I take it you will remind me that we have duties to attend to now," she said lightly.

He only smiled back, tongue-tied with uncertainty.

"Ever the responsible one," she pretended to complain. He knew by her tone that this was said in jest. She let one of her hands move off of his neck to stroke his jawline. Gracie raised herself up on her toes to reach his ear. She whispered to him encouragingly, "You have my loyalty, Jasuf. Never forget it." She kissed him on the cheek, pulled away from his arms, then grabbed her jacket as she exited the hut.

He stood frozen for a moment. Jasuf closed his eyes. "And you may already have my heart," he said to her with a sigh, even though she was gone. "But I do not know who you are."

"Aww, shucks, I forgot the bag at my place," Cameron complained. He got up to dig through a drawer Carolyn had allowed him to use for his things whenever he stayed in her apartment. He already kept a spare toothbrush in her bathroom.

"We don't have to go out tonight."

"Babe, it's a special day. We should." He rifled through the sweatpants and T-shirts, the extra underwear and socks. None of it would be nice enough for their dinner reservations. His mouth twisted in disappointment.

She came up behind him to turn him around. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Cam, we can stay in. It's no big deal if we cancel the reservation."

He peered at his watch. "Ya know, we might still be able to make it. We could leave soon, swing by my place so I can change, and then hurry over to the restaurant."

"How soon is soon?" She was still in her sweats. She was nowhere near started with getting ready to go somewhere looking nice.

"I dunno. Fifteen minutes?"

"Cam!" She smacked his arm. "I need more than fifteen minutes!"

"Okay, okay! Twenty."

She groused. He laughed. Carolyn grumbled, "If you're the one who wants to go out, then I need time to look appropriate."

He sighed. "Alright, what if I go on now to my place, get changed, and come back to get you?"

"Really? You want to go through all that inconvenience?"

"Yeah, I do. It's our six-month anniversary. This wouldn't have been a problem if I hadn't forgotten my damn bag by the front door." He wondered what had distracted him in the first place. He purposely left it by the door so he would think to pick it up on his way out. And then he remembered, Jackson had called him on the phone begging for back-up with Gracie at his place. He was too busy laughing his ass off at the archaeologist's distress. It sounded like Vala had to go to the store.

"This wouldn't have been a problem if you just lived here." The words came out of Carolyn's mouth before she even realized what she was really suggesting.

They both paused. Carolyn looked utterly surprised at her self. Cam raised an eyebrow. He coughed. "Really?"

She stammered, "Uhh." Her mouth opened and closed like a fish. Then, she shrugged. "Yeah. Why not?"

"You sure? I mean, I could. Lease on my place is up soon. But I can just renew it like I've been doing."

She patted his chest. "What's the point? You're practically here all the time anyway. You're even here when I'm still at work!"

Carolyn smiled now. She liked having someone to come home to. He was always so sweet, having some sort of meal ready for her when she arrived. That's if he wasn't still busy offworld or on the base himself.

Cam tilted his head. Maybe moving in with her wasn't such a bad idea. "Yeah. You're right."

They stared at each other quietly for a moment. This was a milestone.

"So?"

"So."

"You wanna move in with me?" Carolyn asked, shrugging her shoulders.

Cameron looked around the bedroom. He glanced at the open drawer already full of his stuff. "Kind of feels like I already did."

She grinned. He leaned down to kiss her. She smiled into his attention, arms wrapping again around his neck. Their breaths mingled as he pulled her closer. The room suddenly grew warmer and they forgot all about dinner.

"Do not forget the advice I conveyed to you, Sister," Gracie whispered to Idul. They stood on one side of a Hak'tyl sparring field, eyeing Lo'zim as he readied himself for their match. Nesa had arranged for this to occur a week after she received word from the other village. The small crowd gathered was segregated by gender. On one side was a group of Hak'tyl women, there to show support for their champion Idul. On the opposite side was Jasuf and his many guardsmen, standing with their own giant of a Jaffa champion.

Nesa stood in the center with two staff weapons waiting.

No one else from leadership was here beyond her and Jasuf. Neither felt the need to invite the tribe leaders today. This was an informal sparring match to settle a score among the young warriors. There was no need for a formal evaluation and grading. Whoever left here the winner would simply have bragging rights.

Jasuf made eye contact with his Hak'tyl counterpart. He nodded to convey his champion's readiness. Nesa acknowledged him. She looked over to Idul with a question in her eyes. Idul took one step forward to confirm her own readiness.

"Opponents, your staffs," Nesa called out. Both Lo'zim and Idul stepped forward to accept a plain wooden staff. Then they took two steps back, placing a healthy amount of space between them. Nesa moved out of the sparring field, positioning herself directly between the segregated groups of Jaffa warriors. Jasuf moved to stand next to her as a formality. They were both afforded the best view from where they stood. Gracie stayed where she was among the rest of her sisters.

Agean stepped closer to whisper to her. "EldaMalDoran, how can Idul possibly win?" she asked worriedly. "He is huge!"

"Do not fear, Sister. Remember who courts me and has my loyalty. I've secured the necessary information about Idul's opponent. She is aware."

"No doubt you coaxed it out of him while you pleasured each other in his bed," Agean said jealously with a glance toward Jasuf. She was fully aware of Gracie's guile, built from years of experience running jobs in the galaxy. The stories she had told of her adventures were awe-inspiring.

Gracie chose not to dispute the details. At this point everyone assumed what they wanted. There was nothing she could do to convince them of the truth. She retired to his hut each night. What more was there to think?

"Opponents," Nesa announced. "The match ends when one's back makes contact with the ground."

"Do not hold back, Lo'zim," Jasuf called out. His men cheered to the side of him to emphasize the order.

"I will not," his big Jaffa promised, staring straight at Idul. He seemed determined to win, lungs heaving with anticipation and chest muscles rippling.

Idul's eyes were drawn to those muscles. She fought the urge to lick her lips. She simply narrowed her eyes, putting on the show of a burdened Hak'tyl who had better things to do than this.

Nesa glanced between the pair. "Opponents, attack at will."

Lo'zim bowed customarily and readied himself in a fighting stance with his staff.

Idul, however, did not. She simply positioned herself in a ready stance without the expected bow of respect.

His ears turned red with insult. He huffed, steam coming out of his nose.

"Idul is too bold," Agean said worriedly.

Gracie looked to Jasuf. His eyes caught her stare. He could see the small smirk forming on her face. There was something in that secret smile of hers that only he would recognize. She stood there among her sisters so confidently, as if she were in control. He couldn't explain why that made him feel hungry for her. He kept his face expressionless and turned back to the match that was about to begin.

Lo'zim took it upon himself to start the fight. He grunted as he swung his staff in Idul's direction.

She stepped to the side easily to avoid the hit. The staff made contact with the ground instead.

He tried again from another direction. Again, Idul simply dodged the strike, seemingly unbothered. She had not once attempted to raise her staff.

They repeated this dance a few more times.

"Idul," Nesa called out. "Stop playing like a child," she chided. Jasuf glanced at his counterpart but said nothing.

"But Nesa," Idul casually spoke, actually turning to her. She brought her staff weapon up to block one of Lo'zim's attempts. She made it look effortless. "This is a waste of time."

Her superior narrowed her eyes at her with impatience. Idul's behavior was disrespectful.

Lo'zim was only enraged further. The men behind him were yelling and shouting at him to fell his opponent. He made another attempt to strike her, which Idul used minimal effort to block.

"If this is a waste of time, then defeat him already," Nesa ordered icily with danger. "For you waste mine."

The Hak'tyl sisters cringed. Idul would be severely punished, based on Nesa's tone. It wouldn't be the first time, either. The guardsmen heard this as well. They found these Hak'tyl warriors' overconfidence insulting. Jasuf did not react. Gracie simply watched.

Idul openly huffed, displaying a level of disrespect toward Nesa she had never dared before. Then she finally turned to Lo'zim as if seeing him for the first time. It only took a look, reminiscent of the one she used the night they met, to make him think twice.

Idul lunged, bringing to bear a complex set of moves with her staff that surprised him. She struck him three times, once on each side and one straight into his pouch. He made vain attempts to block and protect himself, only being mildly successful. His fellows behind him only screamed louder. The women yelled in excitement for their champion.

She suddenly appeared behind him without warning and executed another series of attacks that drove him forward.

Jasuf yelled now, a little offended that she was making this look too easy. Lo'zim deserved a little dignity. "Lo'zim, defeat her like she is a tar'tak!"

His guardsman heard the order. He turned to block one of her strikes. He used his superior muscle power to push her entire body back with the force of their staffs making contact. Idul's boots slid backward along the ground, sand and dirt kicking up around her feet in a cloud.

Instead of appearing frustrated by this, Idul looked straight into his eyes and sneered. "You mean to play with me, Jaffa?"

They exchanged a few blocks with their staffs, both being driven apart by the motions.

"Come play, then," Idul said menacingly. She licked her lips toward him dramatically and bared her teeth in a hard stare.

Lo'zim roared, bringing his staff up to strike with mighty force. Idul took advantage of his improper form, instigated by his unchecked rage and loss of control in the face of her many insults. She struck at his legs thrice in succession. Then she swept her staff in a wide arc parallel to the ground, swooping his feet up from under him.

His body crashed to the ground with a heavy thud. Lo'zim looked up at the clear, cold sky with wide eyes. His mouth was open as his chest heaved.

Jasuf dropped his head, gritting his teeth. His men deflated nearby.

The Hak'tyl women cheered with delight, Gracie among them. They rushed around their sister to congratulate her. Lo'zim was completely ignored on the ground. He remained there, simply stunned.

The other guardsmen stepped forward into the sparring pit to help him up. Jasuf laid a hand on Nesa's arm before she could approach her sisters and address Idul. "Do not punish her too harshly for this," he said quietly. He looked at her with meaning. "I will remind you of our mutual objectives given to us by our leaders."

She squinted at him, suddenly realizing where all of Idul's disrespectful remarks must have come from. She turned to eye Gracie, suspecting that the girl had put her up to this. Nesa's eyes flitted back to Jasuf's. She nodded in understanding.

The higher-ranking Hak'tyl stepped into the crowd and grabbed Idul's wrist. Nesa forcefully shot the girl's fist into the air. "The winner! Our Champion Idul!"

The women cheered.

The men sat at the table in the eating hut, quietly nursing their drinks. Their plates sat empty before them from their evening meal. The door squealed as it opened, letting in a rush of cold and icy air. A few Jaffa turned to see who was entering, then went back to their meals and conversation. By now, Gracie's arrival was no longer notable. She hung her coat on the hook.

She spied her mate sitting with his guardsmen as expected and approached their table. There were no seats left, so she pushed Jasuf back in his chair and commandeered his lap as her seat. Gracie barely acknowledged him with a quick kiss on the lips. She leaned on the table and looked straight to Lo'zim with a superior smirk.

"Dear Lo'zim," she started, tone decidedly wicked, "how do you fare?"

The men gazed at her uncomfortably. Jasuf raised an eyebrow at her. She was being especially forward in front of his men. She seemed to be glowing with delight over her sister's victory.

Lo'zim's jaw moved side to side. "I am well, EldaMalDoran," he said respectfully. Gone was the brash tone he used with her before. He was no longer feeling so bold in her presence. Her sister had humbled him greatly.

"I am pleased to hear that. I come with news. Idul is being punished for her misbehavior toward our superior. She is to haul water, bucket by bucket, from the river to the storage tanks at the edge of our settlement. She is forced to do this work in the dark of night tonight. She may not use any machinery or animals for aid."

Jasuf breathed in, taken aback by her report. He had implored Nesa not to hand down such a harsh punishment, but apparently, she didn't care for his suggestion. It was yet another example of Hak'tyl disrespect. Before Elda's arrival, such aggressions were what soured his impression of all of the other camp's warrior women in the first place.

Lo'zim was surprised. "She won," he quietly admitted. "And yet she still must suffer?" He and his fellows seemed a bit incredulous.

"Such is the harsh way of the Hak'tyl. We do not raise hasshaks," Gracie said through gritted teeth, emphasizing the apparent dominance she possessed by being one of them. "There is more. You agreed that if you lost, you would allow Idul to choose your punishment."

The big Jaffa waited, breathing in deeper now.

"You will join her tonight to share in hers," she declared. "You will trudge through the dark on rough terrain hauling water and relieve her of some of her burden."

The men all exchanged weary glances.

Gracie made sure to lock eyes with Lo'zim before telling him, "Your bucket awaits, Jaffa."

The door to Jasuf's hut shut loudly. Gracie jumped a little at the noise. She turned around to face him as she shucked off her jacket. He was quietly fuming at her.

"Your behavior was on the edge of unacceptable at the table," he said with admonition.

She met his stare. "This displeases you." She casually removed her outer layers. The hut had been kept warm in anticipation of their return. She let her clothing drop into a pile on the floor.

He stepped forward away from the door, eyes still on her as he removed his fur overcoat. He hung it on the hook behind him. "Tread carefully, EldaMalDoran. Perhaps today your tone would be excused. But you cannot continue this way moving forward."

"I am merely behaving as a Jaffa warrior basking in her glory would do. It is no different with men."

"EldaMalDoran, do not test these limits beyond this night," he warned. He began removing his own layers that served as protection from the cold. He threw them forcefully onto the stool nearby.

"And if I did so? And appeared to disobey you? What would you do?" she challenged.

He grabbed at her neck, a little more forcefully than normal and not at all in the way he would do as if to kiss her. She didn't react, quietly observing him instead. They both knew she could defend herself. She was not in fear for her safety in this hut.

Jasuf leaned into her face. "We would have words, as we are now."

"Words."

"Yes."

"We should have words, Jasuf. You are keeping something from me." Now Gracie appeared to be the one cross with him.

"Of what do you speak?"

"How many nights have you had me here in your bed? And you've done nothing." She forcefully grabbed at his tunic. It wasn't the usual way she held onto him possessively. This was in anger. "One would think you do not want me. What is the purpose of my presence here then? You said your builders could have prepared the empty hut for me. Why not insist that they complete this task and send me to my own bed alone?"

His eyes widened. The grip on her neck loosened as he realized how his restraint toward her might have been perceived. He suddenly forgot why he was angry with her. Guilt burdened him instead.

Jasuf's eyes softened. "EldaMalDoran…"

"Jasuf, do not toy with my heart," she cautioned, coloring her words with a hint of insecurity. Gracie had been waiting. She hated waiting. Her patience was beginning to wear thin and her frustration was bubbling up to the surface. "I have declared my loyalty to you openly. I have endeared myself to your people. I am participating in these schemes our leaders force us to execute together," she complained.

He reached up to place his hand over the one gripping his shirt in anger. He gingerly manipulated her fingers into his and squeezed. "I did not mean to make you feel undesired," he said apologetically.

She simply looked back at him with impatience.

He kissed her, feeling a single uncontrolled tear escape down her cheek from her eyes. She truly was upset. This wasn't one of her ruses. He broke it off, leaning his forehead on hers and pulling her body to his in an embrace. "I fear what will happen when you leave," he admitted in an effort to explain.

"What?"

"Your loyalty to the Jaffa is notable. But loyalty to your own kind is more powerful. They will recall you soon enough."

"That's what's been holding you back?" she asked, taken by surprise. She had no idea he was this concerned about her joining SG-3. Gracie had always planned to come back here. For him. She just wasn't sure yet how she would accomplish it. She only knew that she would.

"Yes. A part of it."

"What other part is there?"

He didn't answer. He only breathed.

Gracie reached up with both hands to cup his face and make him look at her. "Tell me."

Jasuf stared back at her hesitantly.

Her eyes insisted that he confess. Maybe he would finally tell her what he was feeling.

His teeth clenched. He had been waiting to find out her truth in a natural way, in a way that might save him some face in case his fears turned out to be unfounded or irrational. But such patience no longer felt worthwhile. She was here before him now. Maybe she could finally just be honest with him. "There is a part of you I still do not know. Your identity continues to be mysterious to me."

Gracie's heart dropped.

Jasuf was a Jaffa. Like many others before him, he could see right through her. It took little effort. And that is why she'd admitted it as a weakness. And in her weakness, she failed to recognize that Jasuf would know she'd been hiding things from him.

Maybe there was no love at all. Maybe it was suspicion instead. He was simply enjoying her attention while he figured her out. But he wouldn't let their courtship go too far for fear of what he might learn.

Her face transformed into dread. She shut her eyes. She should have told him everything sooner. She thought she could wait until she was sure of his feelings. But now Gracie realized, he wouldn't allow himself to love her if he didn't know who she was. It was an endless circle.

She'd done everything wrong.

Pressure built up in her neck behind her ears. Her heart began palpitating painfully. She drew her fingers into frustrated fists.

Nothing could hold back her tears now.

Gracie felt her legs lose their power and she collapsed onto the floor. Jasuf followed her down to hold her, eyes staring wide at her unchecked tears.

"Jasuf," she sobbed, "I'm so sorry."

Part of his heart broke at the sight of her distress. One of his thumbs tried desperately to wipe her tears away. But like the waterfall tainted by their leaders' espionage, there was no way to stop their flow.

She heaved within his arms for several minutes. He didn't know what to do. Didn't know what to say. He regretted confessing his fears to her at all now.

After what felt like an eternity, her heaving breaths slowed. She was desperate to collect herself so she could explain. Her throughts raced with everything that had happened to her in the past year. So much had changed. She wasn't the same anymore. Dwelling on the past got in the way of her future. But here now, she would need to reach back into her history to pull out the truth for him.

This was going to hurt.

Her heart clenched. "When I was born…" she began to confess through ragged breaths on the floor, "my name was not Elda Mal Doran." Her chest shuddered greatly.

Jasuf's eyes widened.

"My life was stolen from me by the Goa'uld."

"They took your sister," he said, confirming what he thought he already knew.

"No."

Jasuf found himself confused. He waited.

"Vala Mal Doran is not my sister."

He knew it. He continued to wait for her to calm her breaths so she could better explain.

"She was my mother."

Jasuf's expression grew even more bewildered. "I do not understand."

Gracie settled more comfortably onto the floor, hands gripping his arms desperately for strength. She feared that if she let go now, he would leave her forever. The truth she was about to explain to him could scare him away. Or anger him to the point where he would never be able to look at her the same again. She needed his touch for as long as he would let her have it.

She drew in a deep breath. "Jasuf," she said, staring into his eyes with apprehension. "I am a daughter of Earth." His face scrunched briefly as he listened. "When I was a small child, the Goa'uld threatened me and others like me, the loved ones of great leaders who dared to defy them. My father begged Vala Mal Doran to take me away and protect me until he could rid the planet of the Goa'uld. Until he could make my home safe for me to return."

Jasuf stroked her face gently. He sympathized with her on a deep level, having known the horrors of Goa'uld rule firsthand. His own mother was one of their countless victims.

"He failed, Jasuf. I could never return home."

"And so you became the daughter of the galaxy you described yourself as before. With Vala Mal Doran as your guide?"

"Yes. My own mother died. My father killed himself. She was all I had left."

"She was taken as a host in your youth?" He thought he was understanding better now. If she truly had no one else, then it would make sense that a kind group of Jaffa would take her in while her single guardian was enslaved and removed from her life.

"She had already been freed by the time she befriended my birth family. Long before I was conceived. She was the romantic interest of one of my father's most trusted comrades, Daniel Jackson. You met him the day of our public match."

"EldaMalDoran, I am struggling to understand."

Gracie squeezed her eyes shut. She was doing a poor job explaining. Her heart was still clenching even now, having never relaxed since this entire confession began. His hand continued to rub her cheek, offering her a little reassurance that he was listening. It pained Jasuf to see her like this.

"I'm sorry," she said, voice barely above a whisper. "Vala Mal Doran raised me. She became my mother. We used her knowledge as a former host and an accomplished swindler to survive in the harsh galaxy together. She taught me everything I know. Her lover from Earth introduced us to the Hak'tyl. They protected us when they could. That is how I came to know the Jaffa so well. They raised me just as much as Vala did."

"Then your loyalty to Ishta must be unshakeable," he imagined aloud.

Gracie locked eyes with him. If he was surprised before now, she was about to shock him to his core. "Jasuf, my Den Mother was not Ishta. It was Nesa."

He scrunched his face.

"I don't belong here, Jasuf. This is not my time. I am from the future. The timeline I come from no longer exists. I could never go back to it." Her chest shuddered at the thought. "My father lives. Here. Now. He and Daniel Jackson were pulled into my time, then sent back here to fix everything before it was too late. They brought me with them. They brought me home. After seventeen long years, I finally went home."

Jasuf dropped his hands from her body. He sat back, face incredulous.

Gracie's heart was exploding. She was about to lose him. She was certain of it. Tears began to stream down her face again. She made no effort to stop them.

"You are a traveler," he realized. "Of time."

She nodded her head, eyes barely able to see him through the flood. "My family has been keeping my identity a secret ever since I arrived. It's been almost a year by Earth measure. At first it was to keep me safe from the remnant Goa'uld on Earth. They have since been removed. Now, it's because…" She shook her head in frustration. "My knowledge of the future is a dangerous burden that others could take advantage of. Ishta has already done it. Her intentions have been pure. But there is no guarantee that the next person will be like her."

Jasuf stared at her, blinking rapidly as he absorbed her reasoning. Time travel was not an unknown concept to the Jaffa. Many were taught advanced theories of science and math in order to operate complex technology on behalf of their masters. Time travelers, should they ever be encountered, were considered dangerous in so many ways. Good intentions or not.

"You have maintained this identity to conceal your origin from another time," he reiterated, checking if he understood her correctly.

"I have become Elda Mal Doran. I am no longer that little girl on Earth who shares my blood."

"You have seen another instance of yourself?" He was clearly overwhelmed.

She nodded. "She is a child, Jasuf. Nearly four years old. She is happy and thriving and safe." Her breath shuddered again. "But she is not me. I am not her." She looked down, focusing on the strings from his tunic, but not daring to pull on them like she always liked to do. She didn't feel it was her place anymore. She thought she could feel his rejection even now. He was not reaching out to caress her any longer. She needed to accept this loss, as painful as it was.

Her shame would require her to leave this hut. She would simply sleep outside in the cold tonight. It's what she deserved. She didn't think she could return to the Hak'tyl village. Not with her sisters there to pester her with questions over her tears. Once he cast her out, Gracie would need to remain alone. She couldn't face anyone once it happened. She braced for the inevitable.

"You speak the truth?" he questioned.

She nodded with shame. "I deceived you. And for that, I do not have enough words of apology."

Jasuf's face contorted as he processed everything she had just told him. He wanted to know who she was. Suspected her past was complex. But this was so much more than he could have ever imagined. He stared at her face full of misery with eyes that could no longer meet his. She was sad. So, so sad. No one could pretend to look the way she did. She must be telling him the truth.

His heart ached for her.

And so he did what he knew he must do to ease her sorrow.

Jasuf reached out with both hands on her neck to gently pull her face to his. He kissed her. Slowly.

Gracie's breath hitched. Tears continued to stream down her face as she responded, savoring one last moment with him before she would be alone. He was being gracious, granting her this final kiss. It only made her love him more. And it hurt that she wouldn't be able to keep him knowing this.

He broke off, then whispered, "I know who you are now."

His hand stroked her cheek and she leaned into his touch, taking what she could before the end.

"Elda."

She looked up briefly. Something about the way he said her name was different. Maybe this was it. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the words she did not want to hear.

"You have my heart."

Her eyes shot open. She stared at him in disbelief. She heard him wrong, surely. "What?" she whispered.

He gently smiled at her. "You have my heart," he repeated.

"I…" Her mouth was wide as she regarded him with absolute confusion. "…have your heart?"

He inclined his head, still offering her a soft look of affection.

Her heart was beating wildly. Were her ears hearing him properly? Were her eyes seeing him correctly? "Jasuf."

"Elda."

She blinked. What was it about the way he was saying her name?

"Perhaps you will better understand it in human terms." He tucked his finger under her chin to hold her face in place, making sure she would look him in the eyes and comprehend him this time. "I am in love with you," he said softly.

Relief flooded her. The pressure she was feeling all over her body suddenly let go. She launched herself at him, kissing him hard and making him lose his balance. They fell back into a heap, mouths never breaking contact. His hands roamed her back while her fingers dug into his skin. He rolled them to their sides and broke the kiss. He heaved her into his arms away from the floor and brought her to the bed.

He climbed onto it with her and resumed their feverish pace. He gently trapped her body with his as he kissed her, emphasizing that he did want her. That despite everything, he needed her to stay.

She clung to him desperately. "I love you," she whispered.

He smiled into her mouth. "Elda, will you consent?" he quietly inquired.

"I thought you'd never ask."