Daughter
Chapter 17 – Girls Day Out
"How come you haven't been calling me? Hmm?"
"Sorry, Mom. Work has been keeping me so busy. I've been exhausted when I get home." Carolyn brought her fingers up to her forehead to massage away an impending headache.
"You can text me."
Carolyn sighed. "I know. Sorry."
Her mother changed tracks. "I shouldn't have to hear about a new boyfriend from your father, of all people," she complained over the phone.
Oh God. Now she was certain the headache would transform into a full-on migraine. Carolyn leaned back on the arm chair in her apartment. She looked out at the bright sunshine through the balcony door, then immediately regretted it. She squeezed her eyes closed. "I was going to tell you."
"Oh sure, when you next talk to me. But oh, that's right, you haven't been calling me!"
Oy. Carolyn got up to go find some medicine in the kitchen cabinet. She needed to get ahead of this migraine. As she fiddled with a pill bottle, she got straight to the point. Her mother was obviously expecting details. Yesterday. "His name is Cam. I work with him."
"A work-place romance?"
"Mom," she whined, popping two Tylenols into her mouth. She drowned them with water.
"How long have you known each other?"
"Since I started working with Dad in Colorado."
"And what does he do?"
Carolyn thought of the cover story for SGC personnel. "He's part of NORAD."
"Is he a doctor, like you?"
"No, he's a Colonel in the Air Force."
"Carolyn," her mother warned.
"I know. I know."
"What is wrong with us. We just cannot help ourselves with these military men. I passed it down to you," she grumbled at herself.
"He's a good person, Mom."
"And when you two get married and have a baby, what will happen? You will be stuck following him around everywhere…"
"Mom, no one said we're getting married!"
"We need to be ready for the future, Carolyn," her mother argued.
Carolyn leaned back on the kitchen counter, not certain if her Tylenol would be enough today.
"I am not getting any younger. I need grandchildren."
"You just reminded me that I shouldn't be dating anyone in the military."
"But if he is a Colonel that means he has already accomplished something. So he must be a good catch." Carolyn silently grated her teeth at her mother's obvious reversal. This was part of the reason why she hadn't called her. "I know what I will do. I will come live with you when you have the baby. I will watch her when you both go to work." Her mother said it as if it was final.
Carolyn closed her eyes and tried to engage in breathing exercises. Her mother and Cam hadn't even met and now she was inviting herself over to be the live-in babysitter. For a baby girl that wasn't even on the way. The Tylenol definitely wasn't going to be enough. She groaned inwardly. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," she said evenly.
Her mother then changed the subject, as if she hadn't just pressured her with aspirational expectations. Suddenly, Carolyn was filled in on family gossip from halfway across the country. It was another half-hour before they hung up.
The doctor immediately dialed another number.
"Hello?"
"Dad."
"Carolyn!" he greeted happily.
"Why did you tell Mom I have a boyfriend!"
He chuckled over the line. "She called me looking for you. She demanded to know why you were too busy to call her back. Blamed me for it."
"You let her railroad you!"
"I can't help it. It's your mother."
She huffed. She knew exactly what he meant. And she also knew that he was trying everything he could to stay in her mother's good graces, hoping for a rekindling of their romance once he retired. Only then could he pay full attention to her and avoid the same complaints that had destroyed their marriage. Having a rising military star be the breadwinner for a family was not always easy on the family. He would be away so often it was like he was a ghost.
And now Carolyn was essentially following in his footsteps, doing the same thing to her mother, too. She sighed to herself.
"How interesting that she knew exactly when to call me," Carolyn ground out.
"So I gave her a little intel," Landry admitted unapologetically. "You do need to talk to her sometime this year."
Through gritted teeth she continued to complain, "She thinks I'm going to get married again and have a baby now." Her father laughed over the phone.
"Damn, you're hot," Jack said as he admired his wife's outfit for her mission. She quirked a smile in his direction as she adjusted the leather strap around her waist. Sam had chosen a black leather corset and matching trench coat for the occasion. She stared in the mirror at herself in their quarters, wondering just how confused people would be once they saw her next to Gracie wearing almost the same thing. She fluffed her loose, wavy hair.
Jack placed his hands on her hips and made her turn around to face him. He kissed her hungrily.
Sam let him go on for a while, then realized, this could turn into a problem. She spoke his name through the kisses. "Jack."
"Hmm." He didn't stop.
"I'm supposed to go."
"Uh huh."
"Jack…" She was only half-hearted in her attempts to stop him. It wasn't enough.
Vala's eyes swept the gate room. Still no sign of her. They were supposed to meet in the armory. She wondered if Sam had already acquired weapons and simply decided to wait on them here. But she was missing.
She turned around, finding Daniel behind her. "Not here either?" he asked.
Vala shook her head. They returned to the armory, where Gracie was waiting with Mitchell and Teal'c. Their CO was busy showing her how a P-90 worked.
Gracie tested the weight of one in her arms. She thoroughly examined the components of the weapon, careful not to point it anywhere but the floor, away from people's feet. "It's… bulky," she commented.
"Trust me, compared to some of the other stuff we got, it's not."
She looked back up to Mitchell and nodded, taking his word for it. Gracie handed the weapon back to the armorer who was there with them. It was then that they noticed Vala and Daniel had returned. "Did you find her?"
"Nope," Daniel replied.
"She'll turn up," Vala said, unworried. "In the meantime, we have a surprise for you."
Gracie looked perplexed. "What?"
"Turn around," Daniel instructed, gesturing at something behind her.
Teal'c quirked a small smile as he watched Gracie's eyes widen when she did so. She gasped. "My toys!" she squealed excitedly. Vala laughed aloud. The armorer had brought forth a cart filled with very familiar gear. Each item had been tagged as hers when she first arrived. He maintained a professional expression, but even he couldn't deny that her excitement was infectious.
Gracie reverently picked up the main blaster and sighed happily. "You weren't my favorite," she told it, "but you were still good to me." She placed the blaster into its designated spot within her side holster. The group waited patiently for her to gear up with her own weapons and tools.
Vala's eyebrow raised higher and higher as she saw how easily she pocketed everything else from the cart. She chuckled nervously toward Daniel.
"Told ya," he said simply.
Vala realized she was about to find out just how well her other self had trained this young woman.
When Gracie was done, they all reported to the gate room. Jack and Hank were in the control room, looking down at them through the glass behind the techs. The gate began to spin. Sam rushed in and took a spot among the group at the bottom of the ramp.
"Sorry," she muttered quietly, hastily clipping a P-90 to some buckles on her outfit. Vala raised her brow and glanced up at Jack, who was watching her with interest. Vala rolled her eyes at Daniel and then bit her lip with a sly expression only he would catch.
"Funny, normally it's Vala who's…"
Daniel forcefully punched Mitchell's arm to shut him up. The Colonel glared at the archaeologist as he rubbed his arm. Teal'c glanced at them but said nothing.
"So the place where we're going is a neutral planet," Vala cut in quickly. "It would be best not to hold any weapons in our hands when we pass through the gate."
"Got it," Sam and Gracie said simultaneously. They looked at each other and grinned. The event horizon kawooshed and receded into a calm blue puddle.
"Ladies," Jack sounded off from the control room, voice slightly distorted through the mic. "You have a go."
They nodded at him and then to the remaining members of SG-1 who'd come to see them off.
"Have fun," Mitchell said as he waved.
"Not too much fun," Daniel said drily, with arms crossed.
"Safe journey," Teal'c wished them well.
As her two mothers took the lead, Gracie spun around briefly near the top of the ramp to wink at her father through the glass.
Jack blinked. They all passed through the wormhole.
"Somehow I saw a Mal Doran grin in that expression of hers," Hank commented.
"Should I be worried?"
The other General smiled. "We'll find out."
The three women wearing black leather were greeted by blasters aimed in their direction. No one flinched. Their hands remained loose at their sides. The group pointing weapons at them allowed the women to step forward out of the danger zone of the gate.
"Greetings," one of the men said casually, blaster pointed squarely at Vala's head.
She flashed him an unbothered smile. "Hello," she said smoothly, almost suggestively.
"Our apologies for the weapons, but we need to verify your identities first." He tilted his blaster toward Vala. "You first."
"Vala Mal Doran," she responded easily. His blaster then gestured at the others one by one.
"Sam Carter."
"Elda Mal Doran."
The man seemed to look back and forth between the two blondes repeatedly. But he didn't comment. "State your intent."
"We represent a potential trading partner for the Zersha Conglomerate," Vala stated.
"Who is this potential partner?"
"A particularly well-resourced group looking for another supplier."
"We don't do kasa."
"Of course not. You're not farmers. You're industrialists." Vala emphasized that last term with a bit of flavor to her voice, implying that she was much more impressed with manufacturing than agriculture.
This quietly stroked the male speaker's ego. He lowered his blaster. His companions followed suit. "You seem to be who we've been expecting." He gestured behind him at the gate, which had suddenly activated with a new wormhole. "If you would follow me…"
And so they did. They gated to a random forest. Wordlessly, Sam looked around as she let Vala take point. Off in the distance, a building of some sort rose high, about two stories tall. They were walking right to it. The structure gleamed brightly in the sunshine. It looked newly-built. There was a chemical scent wafting through the air, competing with the freshness of the vegetation around them.
Bringing up the rear, Gracie focused on the people around them. While Vala made innocuous conversation with the man who greeted them, the young blonde was more interested in his companions. One of the other men was silently sneaking glances at each of them as they walked. Her mouth quirked ever so slightly as she noticed this.
They were led into the building, where scanners enveloped them upon entry. The representatives did not ask them to relieve their weapons, though. No doubt they were confident they had plenty of fire power to overwhelm them, should the women attack first. Sam glanced up and around the stark white building, seeing closed off ports that could easily be hiding gun turrets in the ceiling. She kept her eyes out for more potential threats hidden along their path.
They arrived to a wide room with no furniture and a high ceiling. A set of concentric circles were inlaid on the floor. One glance told Gracie there were emitters embedded in the circles. She grabbed at Sam's sleeve to keep her from stepping over one. When her birth mother glanced back at her, Gracie inclined her head at the floor to quietly point out what was there. Sam nodded in understanding.
Vala dutifully remained out of the circles, also realizing what they might be. She waited patiently.
The male speaker walked straight across and stood on the opposite side of the markings on the floor. He turned to them. "The Zersha Conglomerate welcomes you to this introductory meeting," he said diplomatically. Sam recognized the tone of a seasoned salesman in his voice. She could already imagine him trying to sell her a car with the most expensive trim level.
Vala inclined her head. "We thank you for your time."
"Tell me, how may we be of service? Potentially?"
"Our buyer is looking for an additional manufacturer of a specific product."
"Additional?" He quirked an eyebrow.
"They already have suppliers," Vala fibbed, "but they seek to diversify their sources. Should Zersha be capable of meeting their needs, our buyers are willing to divert a significant percentage of their business toward you."
"What product does your buyer have an interest in?"
"Pharmaceutical."
"Ahh. Intent?"
"Does not Zersha maintain the elevated reputation of not asking that exact question?" Vala challenged, raising an eyebrow.
The man bowed his head apologetically. "Of course." His mouth twitched slightly. Gracie was unsurprised by this exchange. She kept her eyes on the other man she'd noticed, watching for his reaction. His expression remained carefully neutral.
The speaker launched into a prepared presentation to showcase his employer's capabilities. The emitters in the floor began to glow, projecting different holographic images into the air before them. He detailed the many industries his conglomerate had dipped its hands into, gloating about various successful enterprises. In total they had 4 planets available for manufacturing a variety of things, with at least 1-2 more potential locations in the works. Clearly, they were looking to expand. And so they were entertaining this meeting in pursuit of more contracts.
The presentation ended and the speaker called for a short break. He encouraged Vala to scroll through the information independently on a hand-held tablet, so that she may take stock of additional details he had not voiced aloud. She graciously accepted the device and pretended to do so, keeping one eye on their minders. Sam leaned over her shoulder to peek, but also maintained situational awareness.
A random representative offered them water. Vala and Sam accepted; Gracie declined. The young blonde spun around, pretending to get a good look at the building they were in, even though she'd already ascertained possible exit routes and places to gain cover in a fire fight. She made a show of finally noticing a balcony overlooking the surrounding area behind them. "I'm gonna take a walk," she announced to her mothers.
They both looked up, surprised. Vala briefly held on to Sam's sleeve as a signal to let her go. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed one of the other men eyeing Gracie as she walked. The young blonde stretched dramatically in pleasure once sunshine hit her skin. As she did so, both Vala and Sam heard their comms activate in the ear pieces hidden by their loosely-styled hair.
Vala locked eyes with Sam, whose face was full of question and suspicion. She encouraged her to let things play out. Vala was curious to know what Gracie was really up to. Sam briefly frowned, reminding her dear friend that they needed to be ready to shoot their way out if necessary. Vala tilted her head in acknowledgement. All this communication occurred without any obvious sound for their hosts to hear.
Gracie leaned her arms over the railing and peered over its edge. Her eyes took in the forest surrounding the building. The glint of the stargate was not too far off. There was plenty of cover if they got cut off from the gate. She let her eyes wander further into the distance as one hand slowly slid along the railing. She walked its perimeter calmly.
"A stunning view, is it not?" a male voice sounded off behind her.
She spared him a bored glance. It was the same man she'd been watching. Gracie suspected he was the real decision-maker from Zersha and the actual one they had to convince. "Perhaps," she said simply. Gracie leaned on the railing, making sure to point her bottom out in his direction. She gestured at a structure further away. "I see your facility for spare parts of Hatak vessels." She turned her eyes toward a different set of buildings. "And over there, components for standard-grade blasters."
"You have done your research," the man observed, stepping closer. He kept his hands clasped behind his back. His eyes swept over her form, tightly bound in black leather. He remained expressionless.
Vala and Sam, meanwhile, listened in, pretending to be even more interested in the tablet they'd been given.
"We're the sort that comes prepared," Gracie said seductively, flashing him a brief smile.
Sam blinked. Vala smashed her lips together.
Gracie turned around now to fully face him while leaning back casually on the railing. Her posture served to accentuate her chest for his viewing pleasure. "Funny, though, I haven't seen any evidence that Zersha can do pharmaceuticals. I feel like we're wasting our buyer's time."
"Is she trying to tank this deal?" Sam whispered.
"I think she's working an angle," Vala reassured her with a whisper of her own.
Gracie carefully observed the man's reaction. He didn't take offense to her insinuation that he didn't have what she wanted. But she could, however, tell that she had all of his attention. "If that's the case, then why are you here?" the man asked.
She waved a flippant hand in the direction of her companions. "They insisted."
"I can assure you, that if your buyer requires the manufacture of a large quantity of any specific drug, Zersha can meet the demand."
Gracie looked down at her fingernails with disinterest. "Not with the insufficient security I've seen you employ."
"Insufficient?" The man was taken aback. "We pride ourselves on effective and high-quality security at all our facilities."
Got you, Gracie thought. "Is that why you charge such high prices? Because you think you're doing a good job?"
"We can guarantee that we are producing superior products, at scale, without interference from outside parties. Our work is unmatched by any other in this sector."
"Guarantees are just words. My buyer needs more than mere reassurance. That's why there are a significant number of Jaffa ready to act as my client's personal security at any manufacturing facility being employed."
Vala let out a breath. She pursed her lips, trying to hide a smile and keeping her eyes on the tablet. Sam noticed this, still unsure of what Gracie was up to.
The man's eyes twinkled. If he wasn't in such professional control, he would be foaming at the mouth. This fine specimen of a young human female had just implied that her buyer could be a Goa'uld. Zersha had no problem entering into contracts with them. They typically paid out a very high amount and sent their own Jaffa to serve as security. That significantly reduced the manpower requirements for a contract, meaning a higher profit margin for Zersha. And with fewer and fewer Goa'uld available now due to the meddling of the Tau'ri, new contracts with them were difficult to obtain.
Gracie could see that she'd just sparked a genuine interest in them. She continued to pretend to be bored and turned back around toward the landscape. From the corner of her eye, a card appeared. It was metallic and thin. A single chip inhabited its center. She recognized it as a business card… and a transmitter.
The man offered it up to her casually between two fingers. She raised her eyebrow at him uninterestedly. He spoke with a deeper voice now. "Let your buyer know: Zersha is ready to meet their needs." She could almost feel the heat of his breath.
Gracie lifted her hand to accept the card. It quickly disappeared into her possession.
"I think we've seen what we need from this device," Vala spoke up.
The original representative stepped forward to take it back. He waited patiently for a sign of what she wanted to do next.
"We'll return to our client now."
The man bowed his head, offering them a simple paper card with coordinates printed on it. "Should you seek more information, we can be contacted here. This will connect you with the correct department."
Vala pretended to glare in Gracie's direction, chiding her for wandering away. She got the hint and returned to her side, not looking admonished at all. The young blonde didn't bother to look back at the representative she left behind. He watched her with interest, but said nothing more.
The trio was allowed to walk back to the DHD without an escort. Sam kept her eyes on the trees, but saw no one following.
"Dial a planet on neutral ground, preferably something with a village and several shops," Gracie instructed Vala.
"Why?"
"Trust me."
Vala raised an eyebrow and looked to Sam for approval. The older blonde eyed the younger one questioningly.
"I don't know all the safe planets here. But you do."
Sam nodded to Vala to comply. They gated to another random world, which as requested, had a village in the nearby area. "We need to make contact with Earth," Sam stated.
"Not yet," Gracie said. She had already begun walking down the path to the village. She spun around, seemingly unbothered by the quirked eyebrows of her mothers. She waved a hand for them to follow.
Sam huffed. "What the Hell."
"Looks like she's in charge now, Darling." Vala was clearly amused. "Come on, I know this world. We'll be fine." She grabbed Sam's hand and led her down the path to catch up with their shared daughter.
Gracie waited for them at the archway of the village proper. She invited them to join her as they perused market stalls set up along a boulevard. "Honey, we can shop back home," Sam groused.
"We're not shopping," Gracie replied. They wandered down the lane slowly.
Vala picked up a bolt of fabric and held it against her body. The shopkeeper smiled at her encouragingly. She returned it to him and shook her head in thanks.
Sam laid a hand on Vala's back to push her along. She could already tell Vala would milk this for all it was worth if she let her. "Then what are we doing?"
"Being seen," her daughter said casually. They wandered further along the other side of the boulevard, casually perusing the wares offered there. Gracie made it a point to wink or flirtatiously wave at any male shopkeeper that eyed them admiringly.
Sam wasn't sure she liked that. And she was doubly sure Jack would hate it, if he were to watch her here now. She promised herself to leave this detail out of the report. He'd never let her go offworld ever again at this rate. Sam was considering banning Gracie herself.
Once they ran out of market stalls to view, Gracie pulled on both her mothers' hands. "Time to go," she said relaxedly.
They returned to the DHD. "Barren land, now," Gracie requested.
"What?" Vala asked. "Why?"
"Come on, just do it."
The raven-haired woman huffed. "What are you up to?"
"Nothing bad. But this is necessary."
Vala and Sam shared a look of exasperation. Sam shook her head and urged Vala on. They arrived at an arid world. Canyons rose up around them. No people appeared to be anywhere nearby.
Gracie took a good look around, satisfied. "Great. Now let's go find another village. This time one with a tavern. I'm hungry."
"Gracie," Sam warned.
"Mom, believe me. I will explain it all once we sit down and enjoy some food."
"Well, I am kind of hungry, too," Vala said sheepishly.
"Seriously?"
Vala shrugged and just started dialing. They arrived through another gate set into a clearing. It was night here. The lights of a nearby village beckoned them.
They eventually settled into seats at a table in the local tavern. "I'm gonna order us some food," Gracie said before her mothers could protest. They watched as she sauntered over to the bar to find the barkeep. She twisted her body in just the right way to attract attention, which was perfectly normal out here. But Vala understood that such body language would be considered suggestive back on Earth. She glanced at Sam, who seemed to disapprove. They watched with surprise as Gracie pulled a coin purse out of nowhere and dropped it onto the counter. The barkeep peeked inside and looked up at her, seemingly satisfied. He nodded and Gracie returned to the table.
"What did you order?" Vala asked eagerly.
Before Gracie could answer, a full-figured server in a low-cut dress interrupted. "Hello, luvs." She gave each of them a mug filled with amber liquid. "Yer food'll be here in a moment." She left with her circular metal tray. A nearby patron sneered at her and she promptly hit him on the head with her tray. Gracie chuckled.
Sam brought the mug up to her nose and sniffed.
Vala took a sip.
Gracie took a large gulp.
Sam gaped at her. "You know, where I'm from, you're technically not old enough for alcohol."
Her daughter looked perplexed. "Really?"
"Really."
She shrugged and looked at Vala, who by now was taking the drink in larger sips. Gracie turned back to her birth mother. "Just try some."
"I'm on duty," Sam said hesitantly.
"I promise you the work is done." Gracie set down her mug and pulled the metal calling card out to show them. She set it in the center of the table. The other two women leaned forward to stare at it. "This thing is what they're using to vet us. We couldn't go back to base because, technically, we aren't out here representing them. This card needs to end up in the hands of who we're really working for today."
"I'm sorry," Sam said. "Why?"
"That chip in there is a transmitter," Gracie noted, pointing at the technical component built into the card. "They're using it to track our movements since leaving their facility. That's why they didn't mind us wandering off on our own after the meeting. They can watch us as they please. I gave them the impression that we are security-conscious. So I made sure to leave them a trail to follow that supports that. The final place we travel to before going home will be our clients, where we drop off both this card and the other one you received. Then our part is done."
"So when we pretended to go shopping…" Sam started to clarify.
"We were really letting the locals see us," Vala realized with a smile. "So that Zersha spies could verify that we really did show up and confirm that their transmitter was working."
Gracie smiled and pointed at her adoptive mother. She tested out a new word she learned from her father. "Bingo." She leaned forward to grab her mug again. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement. A male server was approaching, hands laden with plates. In one swift movement, Gracie swiped at the card and slipped it into her sleeve. The server didn't seem to notice as he placed the plates on the table. The man stepped back and clasped his hands behind him in waiting.
Gracie took a bite of food immediately, testing the flavor in her mouth. She swallowed and looked up at the server. "Got any farvin spice pepper?"
He smiled at her. "A lady who knows her food," he complimented. "We do. I'll be back."
Vala looked at her proudly. "How did you know?"
"Know what? That this dish tastes better with pepper?"
Vala laughed. "No, that the card is transmitting our location?"
Gracie looked between each of her mothers. "I've seen it before."
"Of course you have," Sam deadpanned. She leaned back and crossed her arms, in awe of what Gracie had just explained to them. "So what happens after our 'clients' get these cards?" She noticed that Gracie was deliberately refraining from naming Earth or the Hak'tyl aloud. She figured that was on purpose, given their public setting. Sam didn't see the harm in following along.
"Zersha will realize who the buyer is. Nothing I said was a lie, and they'll like that. It will only encourage them to consider running the numbers. Hopefully, they'll also figure out which pharmaceutical our client is looking for and make sure they have a facility prepared to make it. By the time our buyer has a meeting with them, there could be a pretty decent contract in the works."
"And the whole part about Jaffa security?" Sam asked.
"True," Gracie said easily. "I remember that being part of the deal."
"Sounds like a way to guard against tainted product," Vala figured.
"Exactly."
"And we didn't even have to fire off one shot." Sam smiled, now feeling reassured and at ease. "Nice." She took a large swig from the mug.
Vala grinned. "To shotless missions," she said, raising her mug.
"Here, here," Sam agreed, raising her own cup.
Gracie followed them. "To the future," she offered. They all smiled and clinked their mugs together.
The men of SG-1, current and former members, raised their eyebrows to varying degrees when the women returned. They didn't walk through the gate. They stumbled.
Jack looked perturbed. The ladies were giggling. Giggling! "Carter?" he asked suspiciously.
His wife reached him at the bottom of the ramp and put up a poor excuse for a salute. Her smile was loopy. The black leather of her outfit crunched as she swayed.
Vala was grinning as she stared right into Daniel's eyes. He could see that she wasn't all there. Her face was flushed. His eyes glanced down to her chest, provocatively on display via her black leather corset. It was also red.
Gracie stood behind them, laughter in her eyes. She shared amused looks with Mitchell and Teal'c.
"If I were a betting man, I'd say you three are smashed," Mitchell commented quietly.
"Or under the influence in some way," Teal'c concurred.
Jack tilted his head as he stared at Sam, teetering a bit as she attempted to stand still. He knew what drunk Sam looked like. And this was it. He glanced askance at Daniel, who was now reaching out to steady Vala.
"Do we even want to know?" the archaeologist asked.
Gracie spoke up. "The mission was a success. We made contact with the Zersha Conglomerate and now the next steps are in the hands of the Hak'tyl."
"So you celebrated?" Jack asked dubiously.
"Well, we got hungry… then we celebrated." Gracie grinned at her father.
Jack looked at Drunk Sam. "Any problems?"
"No… sir," she slurred.
"Not even a single shot was fired," Vala added. Then she pointed back at Gracie. "She has a talent for manipulation, if I say so myself." She was able to string together a decidedly more complex set of words than Sam could right now, but Mitchell and Teal'c could still see she wasn't herself.
"Awww, thanks Vala! I learned from the best." Vala reached back to pinch the younger woman's cheek in obvious affection. The motion had her losing her balance slightly. Daniel grabbed her waist to steady her.
Gracie noticed the men's looks and donned a sheepish smile. "Maybe they had a little more than they're used to."
Jack almost ran his hand down his face, flabbergasted, but knew they had an audience. The defense team and control room techs were all watching. "Report to medical," he ordered.
The women attempted to comply. Sam started going one way, while Vala went the other. Vala made it a point to brush her hand along Daniel's cheek and flash him a seductive smile as she passed. Jack had to spin Sam around and push her in the correct direction. Gracie laughed aloud as she followed them out of the gate room. She was a bit more steady on her feet than either of her mothers.
The men all shared glances. "Not. One. Word," Jack warned.