Daughter
Chapter 33 – Meet the Parents
"Stop looking at me like that," Elda demanded as she and Jasuf approached the DHD.
But Jasuf still could not help his smile. "I will not stop."
She gave him a dirty look. If she didn't love him so much she would slap that silly grin off of his face. "It was a one-time thing! Will never happen again!" Her hand hovered over the DHD to dial.
"And why not?"
"Because you," Elda said while forcefully pushing her index finger into his chest, "will never be kidnapped again!"
"That is not guaranteed."
She was about to argue with that point, but Elda knew he was right. Then she had another thought. She shook her head vigorously. "I tell you what is guaranteed: I will never pretend to lead your men for you again."
Jasuf's grin grew wider. "But you looked so adorable doing it."
Elda groaned and pushed him. Jasuf only laughed harder. He caught her hands before she could attack him further and pulled her close. He kissed her sweetly to calm her.
She huffed into his mouth. It was working. "Dammit." She pulled away and glowered at the strings on his tunic peeking out from beneath his fur overcoat.
Jasuf tilted her chin up. "Elda, my love, you have more potential than you realize." He smiled at her in that irritating fashion again.
She grabbed his shirt possessively and leaned her face closer to his. "I should really kick your ass again."
He only laughed back. "Perhaps instead you should dial. Your family expects you."
Elda breathed fire out through her nose. Then she returned her attention to what she should have been doing in the first place: going home.
After the wormhole opened and her GDO gave her the green light to pass through, she grabbed Jasuf by the coat and pulled him along with her. She only released him from her grasp just as they were both stepping through the event horizon.
Teal'c was on the other side waiting. The pair traversed the ramp and bowed before him at the bottom.
"Master Teal'c," Jasuf said with formality and respect.
"Jasuf," Teal'c greeted. "Welcome to Earth."
"Thank you." He glanced around the gate room, noticing the defensemen lined up along either side and the control room glass directly ahead. Elda had described this to him, but to see it in person was quite another thing. He now understood what she meant about the smell. There was an unfresh quality to it that stood in stark contrast to the clean air of Tek'ron.
"Teal'c? Where's everyone else?"
"It was a long night, EldaMalDoran. After we returned to the base, GeneralO'Neill invited the group to his shared residence with ColonelCarter. Our human family members enjoyed a prolonged evening together before retiring."
"They stayed up drinking?" she clarified.
"They may now have hangovers," Teal'c reported with a look of superiority. Earth alcohol never had quite the same effect on him as anyone else.
"I am unfamiliar with that term," Jasuf commented. Teal'c graciously offered him the corresponding translation in Goa'uld, to which he nodded. He quirked a smile toward Elda over it.
But she was too busy tilting her head at Teal'c to notice Jasuf's look. It sounded as if her father had fun stories to tell and kept everyone else up so they could hear them. She dreaded hearing them herself. She'd already heard Jasuf's side of things overnight.
Elda was having a hard time wrapping her mind around the fact that it looked like her father and her boyfriend were suddenly very good friends.
She wondered how long that would last once they found out who the other really was to her. She suspected that neither had a clue. It would have been funny if she wasn't the one caught in the middle of all of it.
Teal'c led them up to the briefing room, where General Landry was waiting. "Elda," he called out congenially. He placed a welcoming hand on her shoulder. Jasuf recognized him from the warmth of his voice. He once presumed him to be the father she had mentioned, but he was second-guessing that notion because of yesterday's events.
Teal'c made the formal introductions between them, then excused himself from the briefing room. The remaining occupants of the room sat down at the table.
"Is anyone else coming?" Elda wondered.
"Eventually," Landry said, peering down at his watch.
She leaned in. "How much did you all have yesterday?" she asked in reference to alcohol.
"Not much for me. I knew I had work today. Can't say the same for anyone else, though." His body shuddered as he quietly chuckled.
Elda shook her head. "He said come home first thing in the morning and then doesn't even bother to show up to meet me here," she complained.
"That's Jack for ya."
"What's Jack for ya?" a voice from behind asked.
Elda stood up and turned around. She pointed at her father. "You're late."
"Am I?" He pretended to look down at his watch. "What time of day is it?"
"Morning," his daughter answered.
"And is this the very first thing you did? Come home?"
She scrunched her face. "Yes," she said with irritation.
"Not seeing the problem then."
Elda grit her teeth. Jack smiled, knowing he had gotten to her. He glanced at General Landry. "Hank," he said casually.
"Jack."
Now her father turned his attention to Jasuf. "Dril'nek! Old buddy!" he said with extra enthusiasm.
Elda's eye twitched as she watched Jasuf stand to grasp arms with her father congenially. "Rick of Earth," he said warmly.
Her eyes were drawn to the ceiling. Hank chuckled in amusement at them all.
"Really. Are you two going to greet each other like that every single time?" she complained.
"Why not?" Jack responded with a shrug. He flashed her a cooky smile.
Elda groaned and took her seat. Jack took the open spot Hank left for him at the head of the table. Jasuf sat back down with Elda on her side of the table.
"You missed a fun party," Jack announced to his daughter. His eyes were sparkling. "Sam got drunk again." Hank shook his head.
"I'm sure you all had the time of your life," Elda retorted drily.
Jack grinned at her mischievously. She wondered what stories he had to tell. And if he had figured out who Jasuf was. Part of her was glad her birth mother stayed home, presumably to watch her little sister. She wasn't sure she could deal with both her parents meeting Jasuf like this under such strange circumstances. She'd much rather ease into such an introduction. No wonder Carolyn was a little nervous about meeting Cameron's parents before.
"Jack, report came back in overnight from the Hammond." He placed the metal card Jack had acquired from Mork on the table. "The prisoners were interrogated. Their stories all lined up. They were working for some other group as independent contractors. This is their calling card."
Jack slid the card toward Elda. "Look familiar?"
"It's a basic card. Zersha hands them out, too. We used the transmitter in one to follow the prisoner we released from Tek'ron back to you."
"About that. You went to Zersha? By yourself?" He heard Mitchell complain that she didn't listen to him about letting his team handle the rescue op. He knew it was her idea to follow her little prisoner. The part he didn't like was that she might have gone all the way to the Zersha Conglomerate without an escort.
"Yes, I needed my contact there to track the bug I planted."
"By yourself?" he repeated worriedly.
"No, I had Jasuf's men with me," she clarified nonchalantly. Jack seemed to relax.
This quirked the young Jaffa's interest. "What manner of transportation did you use?"
"The ship he left behind on Tek'ron," she answered, pointing at Jack. "My ship." Then she remembered something. Elda addressed the two Generals. "Oh, by the way, I got upgraded." She smiled with delight.
"No," Jack said in disbelief. He tried to suppress his excitement.
"Yes."
"What did you get? And how much did it cost?"
"I'll show you later," Elda promised, eyes twinkling. "And it cost us nothing."
"How?" Jack asked, perplexed. Landry also looked at her with interest.
Suddenly, her look changed. She looked side to side. "Well…"
"Elda," her father prompted.
"My contact there was obligated to assist. It's part of the contract Jasuf's people agreed to with Zersha."
Landry spoke up. "I sense a 'but' somewhere in there."
"But, of course, he still tried to squeeze something out of us. Me."
"Squeeze?" Jack asked suspiciously. "What did you agree to?"
She rolled her eyes. "He wanted sex. I said no," she reported a little too casually.
The eyes of the men around her widened.
Elda caught their looks. "The guardsmen were with me," she said reassuringly. "Actually, I think they found it a little entertaining the way I distracted Gen with something else." She looked over at the Generals again. "I may have implied that I could set Zersha up with you for a contract."
Jack scrunched his face. "What?"
"Well, you did ask me to get you a quote."
Jack's mouth opened, but no sound came out. He had no idea how he would pay for anything that Zersha had to offer. Congress was itching to reduce his budget, not the other way around!
"Oh, don't worry," Elda said, reaching over to pat her father's hand. "If you need currency, I can figure out how to get you some."
He recovered now. "Oh yes, the five other places you told Baker you could get naquedah from," he said sarcastically, having heard every little detail from her time on the training grounds with SG-3.
"Exactly."
Jasuf, meanwhile, found himself fixated on what she had said earlier. "The Zersha representative propositioned you?" He didn't seem very happy about it.
Now Elda patted his hand. "He didn't have a chance with me." She shook her head to emphasize it.
The Jaffa's jaw visibly moved as he ground his teeth. "Did my men intervene?" he asked, expecting that they should have.
"Oh it wasn't like that. It was quick. He made the implication. I got in his face. He didn't blink. I gave him something better to think about." She looked back at her father and Hank. "Money."
The two Generals shared a look of exasperation.
Jack let out a long-suffering breath.
"I would prefer to be your escort the next time you feel the need to visit with Zersha," Jasuf announced with menace. Hank quirked a brow at his protective request.
Elda answered him easily. "Fine, fine, fine."
"Yes," Jack agreed. "Let him kick that guy's ass for you."
"You know, we do technically need Gen in one piece as our primary contact from Zersha." She looked back and forth among them. "You know how hard it is to endear oneself to someone as slimy as him? It's actual work. I'd rather not have to do that all over again."
Jack's face twitched as he frowned. He swore she could be a spy or something. Any profession she wanted. She could blow everyone out of the water with her talent. He made up his mind to monitor what missions SG-3 was given so she wouldn't have to be 'propositioned' like that ever again. That was one situation he absolutely did not want her needing her talent to handle.
"I'm sure a few choice words will do the trick," Hank suggested levelheadedly. "To warn him not to try anything again." He looked at Jack and Jasuf pointedly.
"Still be more fun to kick his ass," Jack claimed.
Jasuf nodded emphatically. "I agree."
Elda rolled her eyes. "Are we done posturing?"
Jack just shared a look with Jasuf, silently encouraging him to go straight to Zersha and pay that guy a visit.
"Yes, I think we've gotten a little off-track," Hank agreed.
Jack glanced at him. "Right. Why are we here again?"
Hank sighed. "To go over what you both went through when you were kidnapped and see what we want to do about it now."
"Well, you already heard everything, Hank. No need to beat a dead horse."
Jasuf and Elda both blinked in confusion over his curious phrasing.
Then Jack addressed them. "And I'll bet you two already talked about what happened yesterday. Am I right?"
"Yeah," Elda said hesitantly.
Jack nodded. "On the ride home? Or back at his place?" he asked, pointing at Jasuf.
Elda's mouth dropped open briefly. "Umm…. What?"
"You live with him now, right?" he clarified. Jack seemed so… relaxed.
Her eyes began blinking rapidly. She glanced at Jasuf next to her. He was expressionless. She turned back to her father.
Hank watched them curiously. A smile was slowly forming on his face.
Elda stared at Jack.
He was just waiting.
She let out a breath. "Yes," she said carefully.
"Thought so."
Elda squeezed her eyes shut momentarily. When she opened them, she looked at her father again. He seemed to be satisfied. "Wait… what's happening here?"
Jack shook his head at her. "Gracie, baby, I know."
"You know?"
"Yep."
"How?" She was beyond confused now.
"I didn't become a General for nothing." He nodded his head toward Jasuf. "He's cool. Nice pick."
Elda's mouth opened again. "Thank you?" she squeaked out the response like a question.
Hank began to laugh aloud. She stared bewildered at him, then looked to her side. Jasuf simply regarded her with that adoring smile of his that irritated her so much. She smacked his arm.
Sam groaned as she swatted at the phone on the night stand. Eventually, she captured the offensive-sounding device and brought it to her ear in bed. "Hello?" she asked groggily, with eyes squeezed shut.
"Sam."
"Jack."
"You might wanna come in."
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Better if you just come here, and I'll show you. And it's actually nothing wrong, so much as…" Jack paused, thinking of how to say it. "…interesting."
"Who's going to watch Gracie?"
"I dunno. Isn't Carolyn off?"
"Jack," Sam chided. "We can't keep pawning off our kid on our friends last minute."
"Trust me," her husband said with emphasis. "This time, we really, really should."
Sam brought a hand to her forehead and tried to massage away the hangover headache she was fighting. "How about you just tell me what's going on? And then I'll decide if it's worth inconveniencing Carolyn."
Jack had a feeling he wouldn't be able to convince her to wait until she got to the SGC to find out what he was itching to tell her. He could imagine the argument they would get into. And he could imagine himself losing. She was cranky. He never won when she was in that state. After thinking it through, he finally acquiesced to her demand. "It's about Gracie. The big one."
Sam's eyes opened. She glanced around and noted that the little version was right next to her, still fast asleep. She must have snuck in and crawled into bed after Jack left. Sam was still trying to sleep off all the wine she had the night before. She never even noticed the girl had come in here. "What about her?"
"You know how we agreed she's really good at making friends?"
"Yeah?"
"She has one really, really good friend with her right now. You ought to meet him."
"Him?"
"Yep." Then Jack realized Sam had technically already met him. "Again."
"Wasn't that Jaffa who got kidnapped with you supposed to visit…" Sam stopped. She blinked rapidly, gears turning in her head. "Wait a minute. How good?"
"Well… she brought him home… so…"
"JACK."
"Our little girl isn't such a little girl anymore."
Sam gasped. "I'll be right there."
"Should I…" Elda asked hesitantly, "…go in there?" She was currently watching Sam with consternation through the glass of General Landry's office. Her birth mother was busy riddling Jasuf with questions at the briefing table.
Jack sipped his coffee casually next to her, also watching. "Nah. Let 'em have a chance to get to know each other."
"She's smiling."
"Yep."
Elda turned to her father. "When did she figure it out?"
"When I told her." He watched as Sam grinned at whatever answer Jasuf had given to her latest question. The Jaffa seemed perfectly at ease.
"Well, when did you figure it out?"
Jack looked at her now. "I dunno. I just did."
"I don't get it."
"Well, you were trying to tell us before. Right?"
"Actually, yes. I did try."
"Sorry I had to run out like that. But when the President calls… ya know. Gotta pick up the phone."
"Dad," Elda said emphatically. "I don't understand that. I thought you were the boss. I thought you were 'the man.'"
"Well, honey, here's the thing. I am 'the man.' The President's just a… bigger… 'man.'" He suddenly looked perplexed as he said it, wondering if he'd used a poor choice of words. He shook his head, letting it go.
"I will forever be confused by that concept."
"You and me both, Kid."
Jasuf and Sam let out a laugh together.
Elda looked at them nervously. "What are they talking about?" she whispered.
Jack grinned. "No idea."
Sam glanced at her husband through the glass. Her amused smile was directed at him.
"Uh oh," Jack said. His grin faded.
"What?"
"They're talking about me."
Elda sighed. At least it wasn't her.
"Kal'ma, you have returned," Meil'nor said pleasantly. He offered Elda a warm smile.
She bowed before him respectfully. Jasuf was at her side in the forest just outside their tribe's settlement.
Meil'nor laid a hand on her shoulder affectionately. Elda found him so surprising. He was being especially polite toward her today. "Where is your human family, EldaMalDoran?"
Jasuf explained for her, "They will come, Father. Arrangements needed to be made on their side."
He gestured for them all to walk into the settlement. "How was your visit to Earth, my son?" he asked curiously.
"Pleasant. They are a respectable people."
"So they all say of the Tau'ri." Meil'nor addressed Elda now. "It is fortunate that we have met you, EldaMalDoran. We would never have had an opportunity to establish relations with them otherwise."
"Master Meil'nor," she responded curiously, "what of my Den Mother? Could she not have made formal introductions?"
He chuckled quietly. "Your Den Mother keeps certain things close to her heart. Her beloved alliance with the Tau'ri is one."
Elda nodded to acknowledge his words, but still didn't understand why Ishta wouldn't let Meil'nor's people meet Stargate Command. She didn't see the harm in it. Once again, she was being reminded of their leaders' crafty ways. They were always thinking twelve steps ahead and manipulating the situation around them as they went. She and Jasuf had been unwillingly pulled into that complex web of mystery too much already.
This was why that as much as she wanted to like Jasuf's father, part of her naturally felt weary of his obvious affection for her. She was too afraid there might be an underlying agenda attached. Her upbringing forced her to think this way. Too many times, her instincts had proven correct. They weren't about to let up now.
She cursed her life from the other timeline. It tainted everything even now. Elda promised herself that she would try to see past this cloud of suspicion and simply enjoy the fact that Jasuf's father genuinely liked her. If there was some ulterior motive revealed later, she would just deal with that as it came. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too bad. She wanted to believe that Meil'nor was an honorable Jaffa.
Jasuf placed an arm around her shoulders as they continued to walk toward the eating hut. Once there, Meil'nor excused himself instead of joining them. It would seem he simply wanted to greet them personally, in case visitors from Earth also came. They bowed to him, then entered the hut.
The guardsmen there at lunch cheered upon their arrival. Jasuf smiled instantly. Elda was befuddled. He pulled her coat off for her and hung it on the hook with his. Then he placed a hand on her back to guide her to the open seats his men had saved for them.
Bier, Goru, and Lo'zim were there. They stood to bow before Elda with playful smiles on their faces.
She just knew she was about to be teased by these Jaffa. She glanced at Jasuf, who pretended not to have noticed. He was busy inclining his head toward all of his men at the tables. Jasuf left them and took a seat. The men passed him a plate and a set of utensils, as was the custom.
Bier looked at Elda while addressing his fellow guardsmen next to him. "We must give her a proper title."
Goru seemed thoughtful as he regarded her. "Hmm, yes."
Elda was instantly suspicious.
Although Jasuf appeared to be focused on starting his meal, his ears remained trained on the mischief brewing behind him.
Elda frowned and tilted her head. She chose to remain silent. The more she tried to talk right now, the more fuel they would have for this fire to burn her with. They would expertly turn anything she said against her, just to have a laugh.
She regretted ever making any of them like her this much.
Lo'zim had been silent up until now, carefully considering her. "We do not even have a title for Jasuf," he pointed out. "He is just Jasuf."
Elda quietly sighed in relief. Maybe the giant would stick up for her.
Bier and Goru, however, only took that as encouragement for their torment. They grinned and looked back at Elda.
She became nervous.
"Commander?" Bier tried.
"Commandress," Goru corrected. "She is female."
"She is a lady," Lo'zim emphasized. "We should address her as such." He made it sound final.
Bier and Goru seemed to raise their brows at their tall friend, impressed. Their heads whipped right back to Elda. Jasuf quietly smirked into his food. His men had grown silent, listening in and watching for Elda's reaction.
Her eye twitched dramatically. Lo'zim wasn't on her side at all. He was the ring leader.
Lo'zim's voice boomed, "We await your orders, Lady Elda."
"Oh Gods," she groaned now. What was it with male friends of hers always assigning her nicknames?
The entire hut erupted into laughter.
Jasuf pulled Elda into the hut and shut the door immediately. He backed her up against it so he could attack her mouth.
She smiled into it. He never stopped surprising her. And she loved it.
"So what's this for?" she wondered aloud inbetween kisses.
He kept going. They melted into each other breathily.
"Not goodbye this time. Neither of us is going anywhere," she mused.
He smiled but continued to do battle with his tongue. Her hands grabbed his shirt again, bunching it up into fists. His hands rubbed along her hips.
Jasuf paused, mouth not moving far. "You deserve congratulations," he explained in that low tone she liked.
"Oh?"
"Yes, Lady Elda."
"For earning a pet name?" she squeaked incredulously.
"Do you complain? I can stop," he teased.
"No, no." She smiled naughtily. "I'll take what I can get." She laughed as he picked her up by the bottom and moved them both toward the bed.
Maybe the new title wasn't so bad after all, she thought.
Cameron walked into the SGC around lunchtime. Landry had allowed him and the rest of SG-1 to come in late. He knew what they dealt with the day before. And he was with them into the late hours of the night. The Colonel reported straight to his office. "Sir," he announced himself as he knocked on the open door.
Landry waved him in while finishing up a phone call. He hung up. "Colonel."
Cameron took a seat before the desk. "Any updates from the Hammond?"
"Those prisoners from that Ha'tak vessel you pulled over were independent contractors doing outsource work. Elda was able to ping the transmitter General O'Neill confiscated from the ring leader. It's connected to some new group we've never even heard of."
"Another baddie out in the universe?"
"'Fraid so, Mitchell."
"Talk about job security."
Landry chuckled. "Once Ms. Mal Doran comes in, let's have her take a look at it. See if she recognizes this unknown institution."
He nodded. "Is Elda still here on base, sir?" Cameron had intentions of personally pulling her aside to talk about what she should and shouldn't have done yesterday. He was still a little miffed that she hadn't listened to him. He needed to nip this in the bud before she started working for Reynolds.
"No. She already returned to Tek'ron."
"She loves that place, don't she?" he marveled.
Landry's eyes twinkled. But all he said was "Yes." Cameron didn't seem to catch on to his smile about her. "How's Gracie doing over at your place?"
"She's fine, sir. I think she's enjoying the change of scenery. And she's madly in love with Carolyn."
The General smiled at this. "Carolyn's always been good with kids," he commented. "Had a little babysitting business going, once upon a time."
Cameron cracked a smile. "Is that right? I'll have to ask her about that." In all honesty, Cameron regretted having to leave them both behind. He was enjoying having the little kid around. But he knew there was more to deal with in the aftermath of Jack's kidnapping. "So what now, sir?"
Landry leaned back in his seat. "The Hammond reports that they got the Ha'tak vessel space-worthy as of a few hours ago."
"Must have been quite a bit of damage."
"Apparently. And not all of it was our fault."
"What are we going to do with the ship?"
"Jack's aiming to give it to that Jaffa he was kidnapped alongside of."
Cameron's eyes bulged. "We're not keeping it?" He'd always assumed the powers that be would be salivating over the prospect of owning a Goa'uld mothership. First Jack lets Gracie keep her shuttle. Now this?
Landry shrugged. "He's in a good mood. You and SG-1 are to escort him and Colonel Carter to Tek'ron this afternoon. He'll offer up the gift as a surprise in the interest of establishing formal relations."
"Yes, sir. Wow." Cameron had questions. Lots of questions. But he figured some of them could be directed to Sam, who had not explained why she suddenly dropped Gracie off with them this morning. He thought she would be spending the day at home with her kid. The focus of her current assignment, her older daughter's shuttle, wasn't even onworld right now. Elda had flown it back to Tek'ron to bring the Jaffa home.
"Gather your team, Colonel. You leave in two hours."
"Hi guys!" Elda greeted the group at the gate. Jack, Sam, and SG-1 had now arrived on Tek'ron. It was still early in the afternoon here compared to Earth. The sun was yet high in the sky, offering a bit of extra warmth in the otherwise frigid temperatures. The differing rotations of the two planets meant their daytime hours weren't always in sync. Meil'nor's village had more than enough time to host visitors before the biting cold of nightfall.
Elda hugged her three parents as expected, then gestured for everyone to walk with her on the unfamiliar path away from the Hak'tyl settlement. The one she was using today would lead them to the other part of the forest.
Jack kept pace with her up front as they hiked. "Anything new happen here?" he asked.
"Not really. Patrols didn't report any other suspicious activity since yesterday."
"I bet a kidnapping will keep them on their toes for a while."
Elda tilted her head to agree. "Probably. Jasuf was already thinking about increasing patrols. He reached out to Nesa to encourage her to do the same."
"You have enough manpower for that?" Jack wondered.
"Ehh, not sure. Some of the Hak'tyl warriors are at the Zersha manufacturing facility guarding that. And while Master Meil'nor's tribe has plenty of warriors, they all have other tasks around the village to complete on top of regular patrol. We'll see how they do it. Jasuf is offering to share patrols with the Hak'tyl one day. Maybe they'll do that sooner rather than later."
Teal'c overheard this and quirked a surprised brow. The Jaffa boy seemed quite different now compared to when they first met. He no longer detected signs of a close-minded Jaffa with a disdain for the Hak'tyl. O'Neill had even gotten along with him on board the Ha'tak vessel. Elda must have heavily influenced him. Teal'c found himself impressed. The offspring of two of his greatest human friends held great potential, indeed.
Elda glanced back at the group following her. "What about you guys? Anything else come up since we left this morning?"
Sam answered, "Vala looked at that calling card."
"We might want to talk with your little friend over at Zersha," Vala suggested.
Elda paused and turned around. "Whyyyyyyy?"
"Because I think the people who funded those kidnappers might be one of their competitors."
Her daughter grimaced. "Ugh. Okay." She turned back to continue leading them. Then she addressed Jack next to her. "Looks like you're going to get your wish."
"Which one?"
"The one where Jasuf beats up Gen."
"Nice."
Daniel and Cameron shared a look of confusion. "I'm sorry," Daniel cut in from behind them. "What?"
Elda flashed him a tired look. "Long story." She addressed Jack again. "Can I bring Carolyn along for that? She might need to render him medical assistance afterwards."
Jack laughed, taking that as a joke.
Cameron frowned. He tried to look to Sam for answers.
She only shrugged and grinned. "You snooze, you lose," she teased.
"Ay! We didn't sleep in. We took your kid off your hands."
"And I appreciate you dearly for that, Cam."
"Me too," Daniel agreed. It wasn't his turn to babysit anymore. Vala smacked his arm. "Ow."
"EldaMalDoran," Teal'c called out.
"I see them, Teal'c," she responded calmly. She had the humans pause.
A small group of guardsmen on patrol approached them. Lo'zim was in the lead today. "Lady Elda," he said with significance. The mischievous grin on his face was unmistakable. The men smirked as they bowed surprisingly low. Teal'c wondered why that was.
Elda inclined her head to them politely. Then she very obviously rolled her eyes at them. Jack observed their interaction with interest. He recognized the tall Jaffa as one of the guys she had with her yesterday on the rescue op. Maybe he was one of her buddies and was messing around.
The Jaffa seemed to be waiting.
Elda twisted her lips around, debating something. She glanced back at her family. They could all see the slight upturn of her mouth, revealing that she was being teased and was thinking about how to respond.
Her brow raised playfully as she decided something. Well if Jasuf thought this was funny, why couldn't she have some fun, too?
"Send along word to Master Meil'nor that I approach with the Tau'ri," she said with a fake air of authority.
Lo'zim pointed two fingers at someone behind him to comply. A guardsman split off without hesitation and hurried in the direction of the village.
Jack grinned. Sam bit her lip, impressed. The rest of SG-1 scrunched their faces.
"And Lo'zim."
The large Jaffa locked eyes with her.
"Wipe that grin off your face."
He bellowed in laughter. The men behind him bared their teeth.
Elda resumed walking. She slapped his arm on the way. "You defiant giant," she said with aggravated affection.
Lo'zim watched her with continued amusement as she left. He and the guardsmen carried on.
"Lady Elda?" Cameron repeated when they were out of earshot.
"It's a joke, Cameron," she explained in a flat tone.
"Geez, you've only been here how long and you're already taking over the place," he deadpanned.
Elda laughed aloud. "Believe me, I never want to be in charge. Ever."
Jack marveled. He had said that once. And now look at himself.
Cameron poked Vala in the arm. "Looks like you raised a queen, Princess."
She merely shook her head at him. Teal'c, meanwhile, was amused.
They soon arrived at the edge of the village clearing, where Jasuf was waiting. He smiled broadly at Jack. "Rick of Earth," he greeted, eyes twinkling. Elda rolled her eyes again dramatically. Sam found herself so entertained by it all.
Jack laughed aloud, grasping arms with the Jaffa. He leaned in. "Pretty sure I have to call you by your real name around here," he said quietly. He was smart enough not to cause that kind of offense, now knowing who the real Dril'nek was.
Jasuf nodded, then inclined his head toward the others politely. "Come, my father awaits you." They were led into the governance hut, where both he and Elda bowed appropriately upon entry.
Elda observed that Meil'nor had scooted his throne back, allowing him room to sit on the floor with everyone as equals instead. She sighed internally with relief. She did not want to be asked to sit in some elevated seat above her own family again. She still failed to understand the reasoning for that demand just the day before.
"Father, General Jack O'Neill of the Tau'ri. And you have previously met his wife, Colonel Samantha Carter. And SG-1."
Meil'nor bowed respectfully to them in welcome. "I am Meil'nor, leader of this village. I welcome you on behalf of my people." Everyone took seats in a circle upon his invitation. "I am pleased to see that you fared well after yesterday's unfortunate incident," he said, addressing Jack.
"Thank you, sir," Jack said politely.
"Let us here establish formal relations. I invite you to share a meal with us. Perhaps we can discover mutual opportunities for trade."
"Daniel," Jack prompted.
"Master Meil'nor, on behalf of Earth's Stargate Command, we hereby accept your invitation to establish an alliance. We would be happy to dine with you. Thank you," Daniel said formally, adopting his ambassadorial role for the SGC.
Jack nodded in appreciation. "You should be proud of your son there. We got out of that situation without a scratch."
Meil'nor's eyes flitted toward Jasuf approvingly. He inclined his head to Jack in confirmation. Elda smiled toward Jasuf. The young son remained humble in his expression.
"He told me a little bit about you and how you freed yourselves from the Goa'uld. I heard you lost your fleet. In light of that, Earth has a present for you." He grinned. "In honor of our new alliance."
Meil'nor's eyes widened slightly. "Of what do you speak, GeneralO'Neill?"
"Mitchell."
Cameron reached a hand up to his radio to activate it. "Hammond, this is SG-1. Over."
Elda blinked. An Earth ship was in orbit? Then why did her family use the stargate?
"Five-by-five, SG-1."
"Bring down the gift."
"Copy. Package is away."
Mitchell addressed Meil'nor now. "Your present will be outside."
Curious now, Meil'nor stood. Everyone filed out of the hut.
To the village's amazement, a Ha'tak vessel pierced the clouds, gleaming brightly in the afternoon sunshine. Its thrusters roared, shaking everything in the village. Everyone inside ran out of their huts to see. Children began screaming and pointing excitedly.
Meil'nor stared in awe. Jasuf's mouth dropped open. Elda grinned in delight. She went straight to her father and hugged him. They stood with arms wrapped around each other's shoulders, watching as the mothership hovered unthreateningly in full view of the village.
Jasuf brought a communicator to his mouth. He made an announcement to anyone within range to not be alarmed. His father placed a satisfied hand on his shoulder. "You have done our people proud, my son," he said meaningfully, eyes locked on the ship in the sky.
"Dad," Elda whispered in Jack's ear.
"Yeah?"
"You're the best." She smiled broadly at him.
Jack smiled back, squeezing her shoulder tighter.
The rest of the afternoon and early evening became a celebration. Large bonfires were set to warm the area. Meil'nor invited Ishta to join them and bring some of the Hak'tyl along to enjoy the festivities. Soon the Jaffa were ignoring the cold and engaging in song and dance around the fires. Lo'zim proudly kept Idul at his side with an arm around her waist. Goru and Agean chatted amicably with them. Elda grinned at them from afar, winking conspiratorially with Idul.
The SGC personnel in charge of the Ha'tak vessel parked it in a large field on another part of the planet. There was no clearing nearby the villages that could hold it. So Elda agreed to ferry Jaffa back and forth with her shuttle to see it. Meil'nor immediately sent word to a contact on another planet to request that an unused ring platform be brought to Tek'ron. He apparently knew where many of them were left behind after the fall of his Goa'uld master. A platform would be delivered within 1-2 days. He would have raw naquedah ready for his contact in return.
The tribe leader's mind swam with ideas and plans for how they would use the vessel. It provided an opportunity to watch over Tek'ron from orbit, discouraging any more ship-based aggressions like the kidnapping of his son and the Tau'ri General. It offered ample room for the warriors to train indoors and out of the elements. He could finally teach the next generation of Jaffa how to man a fleet. Meil'nor previously feared that he would never be able to do so again. Space-faring would no longer be a lost art for his tribe.
He simply could not let the Tau'ri leave without offering them something of substance in return for their generous gift. Meil'nor suggested a steady supply of naquedah. The mines were bountiful enough for now to allow this. Jack was initially hesitant to accept, wondering what labor would be required for it. Mining was not the safest profession. But both Meil'nor and his son reassured him that they had technology at their disposal to mine the naquedah without excessive amounts of hard, manual labor. That was news to Jack and he was pleased.
"Kal'ma."
Elda instinctively turned at the address. She had just come back from ferrying more Jaffa to the Ha'tak vessel. She stepped up to Meil'nor next to one of the bonfires in the waning sunlight.
He placed two hands on her shoulders. "You are a blessing to us, EldaMalDoran. Even when you must leave to fulfill your duties to Earth, you will always have a home here. Know this."
She smiled at him, genuinely touched, and inclined her head. "Thank you, Master Meil'nor."
"I must ask you. What is your true origin, Kal'ma?" He was repeating his question from the day they first met. The day she had been forced to lie to him.
Things were different now. He had shown her nothing but kindness and respect since then. And she was in love with his son. Elda didn't want to hold in her secrets any longer. Not from him. She was certain that seeing her birth mother alongside her was enough to make him question everything he thought he knew about her past. If people from Earth swore she and Sam were like twins, then surely any of these Jaffa would have noticed it, too.
Elda took in a deep breath. She glanced around, seeing that everyone seemed busy and distracted. "It is a very long story, Master Meil'nor. But one that you deserve to hear."
He nodded. "Please."
She opened her mouth uncertainly. "I think we should invite Jasuf. He knows some of it. But he should hear more detail. It was… painful… to tell him what little I could. But now that my family is here…" Elda looked around now, searching for someone in particular. "May I bring one of them?"
Meil'nor inclined his head and let her go.
They met again inside his hut, away from the party outside and the prying ears of others. Elda brought both Jasuf and Jack to sit together around the hot tea with her and Meil'nor.
Then Jack held her hand the entire time as she told the Jaffa her story.
"I know your birth name now," Jasuf said into the dark of the hut.
Elda nuzzled her face further into the crook of his neck while in bed. "You do. I'm sorry I never shared it before." She paused, then admitted, "I was still afraid."
"I heard your father use your name today. On Earth."
"He slipped up."
"It is no matter. You are safe. I promise you that."
She reached up a hand to bring his face toward hers. "I love you." She kissed him sweetly.
"You have my heart, Elda." He felt moisture on his neck as a tear escaped from her. "What is it, my love?" His thumb wiped along her cheek.
"I can't believe I'm here." She felt vulnerable again. Telling her story made her relive the hurt and the pain she left behind in the other timeline. She never would have been able to finish the tale without her father supporting her. Memories of her adoptive mother always made her break down into a useless mess.
"We must cherish these moments. Our time together is a blessing."
"I've been wondering if I should decline SG-3's offer."
Jasuf swallowed. He wanted nothing more than for her to be with him forever, but he knew she deserved more than to just become his housewife. She was capable of doing great things out in the universe. He was certain of it. She was special.
He knew he needed her.
But the galaxy needed her more. He couldn't hold her back from reaching her potential. He wanted to see what this human could really do.
"You will always have a home to come back to here," he said encouragingly.
"Jasuf…" she said hesitantly.
"You should still join them. Do good work. I will be here, eagerly awaiting your return."
Something in her heart clenched. Her mother didn't want her to leave her timeline but still pushed her to go. Recalling that tear-filled conversation in Old Man Daniel's quarters always ate a little piece of her soul. And now here was the love of her life telling her to go, too. She didn't know how to feel about it. She didn't want to leave him and never come back.
Then Elda reminded herself: it wouldn't be a one-way trip this time. She could return to his arms whenever she wanted. Maybe she could find purpose alongside an SG-team, just like her three parents did. Just like her uncles had. The possibilities were endless. If Jasuf was willing to support her, then maybe she could do this.
She kissed him hard, conveying all of her gratitude and love for him in the act.
They promised each other to love as if each day might be their last together, at least until she could come back home to him. Neither of them knew just how soon the next phase of her life was about to begin.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who has stuck around. I hope you found it refreshing the way Jack and Sam found out. I certainly had fun with it. Honestly couldn't wait to release these last three chapters. I didn't want to go with the typical Daddy-finds-out-and-gets-pissed trope. No, no. Can't go with the expected. But what I did want to do was show that Jack's still got some spunk in him. And he's also seasoned enough to know when to go with the flow. As I've said before, I've got big plans for our heroine. Having her dad's support is only going to make it more satisfying as we get there. I promise you everything that's happened so far will inform everything that will come to pass. And can somebody please tell me if they got the joke about the name, "Rick"? Please tell me you got it. If I have to explain it, then it would be less funny. Anyhoo progress update: I have just gotten the main mission done for Ch. 43. Filler scenes updating the audience on the other characters are next to be written for it. My computer is exploding right now because I'm approaching 300,000 words written. Cross your fingers that it survives until the end! I have no idea how long it will take to get there. I just know we'll get there. Eventually. Hoo-rah.