Daughter
Chapter 22 – Baby Cakes
When Crawford rang the doorbell to Dr. Jackson's house, he was surprised by who answered it.
"Well, hellooo!" Vala greeted.
He smiled tentatively at her cheery face. "Hey, Vala. Am I late?"
She grabbed his wrist to pull him into the house. "No, no, you're right on time." She took the six-pack of beer he was holding and placed it next to the other six-packs other people had brought. She seemed right at home. Crawford figured Vala must have moved in with Dr. Jackson. He realized he hadn't seen her much around the base during her off hours.
Crawford stepped into the living room to find Smith and Baker sitting with beers in hand. Vala appeared with a bottle, cap already removed, and pushed it into his own hand. "Thanks. Uhh, where's Dr. Jackson?"
"Hmm? Oh, he's picking up Elda."
"All the way at the SGC? I was just there, I could have…"
Vala waved a hand at him. "No, no. She wasn't there."
"Oh."
She waggled her hands at him. "Well, sit! Get comfortable. You boys go ahead and talk. I'll just be over here in the kitchen getting the rest of our party food ready."
He didn't need to be told twice and plopped down into an arm chair. He sat across from his second-in-command, who was lounging in a matching chair. Smith was keeping the adjacent couch warm all by himself.
Crawford sipped his beer. He brought it away from his face to get a good look at the label and note what brand he'd been given. "The Colonel not here yet?"
Baker answered him. "He's on the way. Said he had to make a stop."
They heard the front door screech slightly as it opened. "ValaMalDoran."
"Muscles, perfect timing."
Teal'c peeked into the living room and inclined his head toward the members of SG-3. He then joined Vala to assist her with whatever she needed him to do.
Soon the door squeaked again. "Knock, knock!" Mitchell's voice could now be heard.
"Hi, Darling," Vala could be heard answering. "Oh hi, Carolyn!"
"They all just walk in here like that?" Smith marveled.
Baker shrugged. "It's SG-1. They're like family." He took a swig of beer.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't SG-3," Mitchell called toward them. He had his arm wrapped around Dr. Lam's shoulders. She was holding a bottle of wine.
"Hey guys," Carolyn greeted.
"Hey, Doc."
"Hi, Colonel."
Vala reappeared to hand Cameron a beer and pull the wine out of her friend's hands. "Finally, someone with sense," she grumbled. She pulled Carolyn into the kitchen with her.
Mitchell took a seat next to Smith, who graciously moved over on the couch. "What's up, guys." He cracked open the fresh bottle and tossed the cap onto the coffee table. He leaned back to take a sip.
"Where's Dr. Jackson picking Elda up from?" Crawford asked curiously.
Mitchell gestured nonchalantly with a hand. "At this point, could be another planet. She keeps jetting off into the sunset with that new, shiny ship of hers."
"The girl's in love," Smith commented.
"That she is," Mitchell agreed. He chuckled with amusement.
"I'm a little surprised the SGC's letting her keep it. You'd think the U.S. Air Force would have remanded it into custody by now," Crawford said in awe.
Mitchell adopted a smirk, implying he knew something they didn't. Before they could call him out on it, he said, "She technically saved your asses. So… that's her payment."
SG-3 burst out into varying words of indignant surprise and disagreement.
Mitchell just guffawed.
A motor whirred in the background, shaking the house a bit. The men looked up.
"Garage. Jackson must be home," Mitchell explained.
Soon a different door was opening, and the subject of their conversation walked in wearing civilian clothing. "Hi, guys!" Gracie greeted enthusiastically.
Daniel walked in after her and waved to the guests in his living room. "Vala!" he called out, heading for the kitchen.
Gracie sat down with Mitchell and Smith on the couch easily. "What's new?" she asked, smiling around at the group. "Where's Reynolds?"
"He's on the way," Baker replied.
"What's new with you?" Crawford asked.
She lit up. "I found the controls for the inertial dampeners." The girl was positively giddy. She raised her hands to clap lightly.
Smith started laughing at her.
"When are you gonna let me take a crack at that thing?" Cameron whined, wrapping an arm around her shoulders affectionately.
"So you can just break it? Absolutely not!" She then noticed the beer he was holding and pointed. "I want one."
"Go get one. Your sister's in the kitchen." He released her and Gracie got up to do just that. The group overheard everyone in the kitchen greeting her adoringly. Then a door squealed as they all headed outside to the backyard.
Baker tipped his bottle up at Cameron. "Where do you find people like her?" he asked with amusement.
The Colonel leaned back on the couch and sipped his beer. "Jackson's the one who finds 'em. He's like a magnet or something."
SG-3 began laughing.
Eventually, Colonel Reynolds rang the doorbell and was let in. He joined the group in the living room, beer in hand. He waved a hand at his subordinates, telling them not to get up. He settled into the couch next to Cameron with a groan.
"So?" Mitchell asked him.
"So," he said flatly.
"You put that request in or what?"
"Or what." His team sniggered.
Mitchell shook his head.
Daniel walked in with a beer and leaned on the door frame. "What's going on?"
"He was supposed to do that thing and now he won't confirm or deny that he did it," Mitchell reported.
Daniel looked at Reynolds meaningfully. "Better get that done soon. Else you'll let a golden opportunity slip right through your fingers."
Reynolds closed his eyes and just shook his head. He took a long swig of beer. Daniel and Cameron looked at each other knowingly.
"Uhhh, sir?" Crawford asked. He shared a confused look with Baker and Smith.
Their commanding officer sighed. "I dunno. Not sure it's the best idea."
"It's a great idea," Daniel argued.
"Take it from me. The headaches are worth it." Cameron turned to Daniel now. "Vala got any more family we don't know about?"
He shrugged. "I dunno. Might be an aunt hiding around somewhere."
"You're her boyfriend," Reynolds said accusingly. "You don't know?"
"Guys," Daniel responded, hands gesturing outward with his beer, "Not like there's an endless supply of them."
"I think if anyone was gonna call dibs, it oughtta be you guys," Mitchell suggested to Reynolds.
"Dibs on what?" Smith asked in confusion.
"Oh shit," Baker said as he sat forward with realization. His smile widened. "Sir, really?"
"What, what?" Smith repeated. Crawford bared his hands, also wondering what was happening.
Reynolds sighed loudly. "We might be adding a 5th member to SG-3…" He let his words trail off, apparently quite hesitant about the whole thing.
Smith and Crawford hooted. "Seriously?" "Really?"
Their CO waved a hand at them to shush. "It's still going up the chain. Shut up." He turned to Cameron now. "Why the hell does it need to go all the way to General O'Neill's desk?"
Mitchell shrugged casually. "Dunno."
Reynolds looked at Daniel now for an answer.
"I don't have a crystal ball, Reynolds." Daniel turned around when Vala called to him. He left the room.
"It's because of that ship of hers, isn't it?" Baker asked his CO with a lower voice.
"That's… part of it."
Crawford set his beer down on the coffee table. "Does she know?" he whispered as he leaned in.
"No. And none of you smart asses is gonna say anything. Alright?" Reynolds warned.
Crawford put up two hands in a placating motion.
"Sir," Smith said, "if we add a girl to the team… and she's an alien… does that mean one of us gets to date her?" His face crinkled with mischief.
Mitchell cut in. "Whoa, hey, slow down there, fella." He gave him a look of warning.
"You shut that shit down right now, Smith," Reynolds said with a slight smile on his face.
His subordinate grinned. "Yes, sir."
"EldaMalDoran."
She offered Jasuf a modest smile as she passed through the gate. He observed that she was in Earth military attire again as the wormhole dissipated behind her. Gracie bowed to him respectfully. He bowed back.
"What has become of that vessel you acquired?"
"It's parked at Earth's Stargate Command. They have a special place for it to sit while not in use."
"Could you not have used it to travel here?" Jasuf asked curiously.
"I could, but gate travel is faster."
He gestured for her to walk with him toward his village. They bypassed the path that would have led to the Hak'tyl.
"So?" she asked, "What did your people think of the contract?"
"There were some minor points they wanted to revise. But we have had no issue communicating with Zersha directly on the matter."
"Oh good. I have a feeling SG-3 would be less than interested in meeting with them again."
They both stopped to stare when a large animal hopped onto a boulder to study them. It eventually stalked off.
"They did seem overwhelmed by the incident," Jasuf confirmed, moving on.
"They got over it," she replied casually. "They've seen amazing things. This was just the first time they'd ever experienced that exact scenario."
"And what of you?" he asked, glancing at her as they walked with a slow, leisurely pace. "How many times have you had to fight your way off of a ship and escape in a shuttle?"
Gracie tilted her head, thinking. "Hmm… probably more times than I'd care to remember."
He raised his eyebrow at her. Jasuf needed to stop asking for more details about her past. He reminded himself that his curiosity would only lead to trouble. He pursed his lips, the memory of kissing her brought forward unbidden. Jasuf promised himself that he would show more restraint from now on. He had reflected heavily. As much as he would like to explore one, a relationship with her was bound to go nowhere. He shouldn't have lost control of himself that evening in the forest with her.
They arrived at his village to see that it was bustling with activity. This was normal for them. The other Jaffa who noticed Gracie's presence politely bowed to her, greeting her with more warmth than last time. They obviously had heard what had happened with Zersha.
Jasuf led her to the main hut of the village, which was a sturdy, well-built structure, and opened the heavy door. He bowed upon entry; Gracie automatically did the same. His father Meil'nor sat on a throne. Their acquaintance from Zersha was seated on the floor before him, clearly having recovered from his injury. A hot teapot inhabited the space in the center.
"Father," Jasuf said. "EldaMalDoran."
"Sit with us," his father commanded, gesturing at a spot on the floor. She did as she was told, quirking a smile at Gen as she sat down. Jasuf took his place at his father's side on a slightly lower seat. The stool still elevated him higher than their guests, denoting his middle-rank among the group.
The Zersha representative looked over at Gracie curiously. Gen's eyes quietly flitted up and down, noticing that she was decidedly more conservative in dress this time. He frowned in disappointment. Having something pleasing to look at always made his work more enjoyable. Nothing was more pleasing to him than the shapely figure of a human woman like her.
"You are a curious human," Meil'nor said, addressing the young blonde. "You serve multiple masters." The Jaffa leader seemed to be critically eyeing her manner of dress as well.
Inwardly, Gracie huffed. This must be where Jasuf got it from. She wondered now if his father would try to kiss her, too. She quickly pushed that thought aside, not taking it very seriously. "Master Meil'nor, I am my own master. But I find no fault in showing loyalty to those who would seek to protect me." Without thought, Gracie had switched her manner of speaking to more closely resemble her audience's. The situation demanded that she speak respectfully to this high-ranking Jaffa while in his house.
Meil'nor inclined his head, satisfied with her defense. He moved on. "This representative from the Zersha Conglomerate states he requires a witness for these matters." Meil'nor now looked at the man in question.
Gen nodded his head. He held up the tablet in his hands toward Gracie. "This shows the contract agreement between our two parties. Look it over. Then sign if you agree."
She accepted the tablet, dutifully looking down. She scrolled through the text, realizing that a lot of it was jargon beyond her basic understanding within Goa'uld literacy. She looked up at Meil'nor and waited.
He inclined his head, allowing her to speak.
"I trust you have read through this thoroughly? And are satisfied with its contents?"
"We are now."
Her eyes flitted to Jasuf, who tilted his head in agreement. Gracie now looked at Gen, who stared back with a neutral expression. "Then if both parties agree, I shall sign." Gracie swiped at a prompt on the screen and it opened up a new dialog box. She placed her hand atop the now-active palm reader. The tablet chimed, signaling a successful scan.
The Zersha rep took the device back. "It is done," he announced. He pressed a physical button on the side of the device, prompting a small data crystal to pop out. He reverently placed it on the table next to the tea. It was the tribe's copy of the agreement.
Meil'nor stood. Jasuf followed. The humans in the room took that as a sign to also get up. "Escort him to the gate," he ordered his son. Jasuf bowed and silently led the man out. Gracie winked at the Zersha rep as he left.
"Tell me," Meil'nor now said, "do you like traditional Jaffa tea?"
"I am an avid drinker of Met Ta."
Meil'nor held a hand out to the spot directly across from his throne, encouraging her to be seated again. He leaned over the small table to pick up the data crystal and pocket it. He then began to pour tea into two cups. Quietly, he retook his seat on his throne and sipped his drink.
Gracie dutifully waited for her turn. When Meil'nor returned his cup to the small table, she reached out for her own drink. He watched her carefully as she sipped, neverminding the burning hot temperature of the drink. He observed that she showed no signs of nervousness in his presence.
"What is your origin, EldaMalDoran?"
Gracie looked up. "I am human."
"That is not the answer to my question."
"What answer do you seek, Master Meil'nor?"
"You have demonstrated a proficiency in both Jaffa and human ways. I care to know how this has been accomplished in one so young."
Gracie bowed, showing respectful gratitude for his clarification. "My youth required me to grow up quickly. My elder sister was taken as a host when I was young. She was all I had. Her absence was felt strongly. A group of Jaffa took pity on me and protected me. They nurtured me. I owe the Jaffa my life." She let the lies slip out of her mouth effortlessly. She had no special loyalty to this particular Jaffa. Nothing about this made her feel guilty. Gracie justified the lies as necessary to maintain her cover. Her parents would have been proud.
"And where are these Jaffa now, who performed such an honorable deed?"
Gracie looked down, staring at the teapot. "They are gone," she said quietly.
Meil'nor thought he recognized pain in her expression. He accepted her simple words as enough for now. He stood. Gracie followed. "You have done our tribe a service, EldaMalDoran. I offer you my thanks on behalf of our people."
She bowed silently.
"Should you like to visit with my son again, I would allow it."
Her eyes flitted back up to meet his. Did he know something? "Master Meil'nor," she said simply.
"Shal kek." She was dismissed.
She caught Jasuf on the way back to the gate. He was obviously returning after seeing the Zersha representative off.
Gracie placed a single hand on his muscular chest. "What did you tell your father?" she asked with curiosity.
He stared at her. "The truth."
She simply looked at him, waiting. He was taller than her, forcing her to tilt her chin up to meet his eyes. Her hand didn't move.
"I described how you handled yourself well on that ship," he explained further.
Gracie let out a breath and removed her hand. "Right." She looked down, seemingly relieved.
Jasuf fought the urge to use his hand to tip her chin back up. He reminded himself not to pursue her affection. He kept both hands loose at his sides instead. "For what reason do you ask?"
She considered dodging the question somehow, but when she met his eyes again, something told her to be honest with him. She could lie to his father. That was easy. But there was something about the son that gave her pause. Gracie cursed him in her mind. She knew exactly what he was doing to her. And she hated that she wanted to let him. "He gave his blessing for me to see you again."
His eyes widened ever so slightly. Gracie was familiar enough with Jaffa expressions to catch his surprise. Most other humans would have barely noticed the movement of his face. "What will you do?" he asked. Even his tone of voice was flat. But to her trained ears, there was anticipation in his words.
"I don't know." She swallowed. She felt her neck flush.
They both stared at each other. The local animals continued on with their loud hoots and squawks around them. But neither the human nor the Jaffa heard any of it.
Gracie bit the inside of her cheek. This ridiculously handsome Jaffa is trouble. She thoroughly enjoyed whatever happened between them the last time they were alone. But having time away from him made her second-guess herself. She wasn't sure if exploring this thing between them was the best of ideas. She was hesitant.
She took in a breath and let it out slowly. "I won't be back for several weeks. My Earth family expects me to be home."
"And when you return?"
"I will return to my sisters and continue my training. There are certain milestones I intend to complete with my bashaak." She left out the part where she secretly hoped to see him, too. Gracie told herself not to get her hopes up.
"What will you do while you are on Earth?"
Jasuf chided himself. He shouldn't care to know. Her offworld activities had no bearing on his life. He had a tribe to support and protect. That kept him occupied enough without gazing up at the sky distractedly wondering what she was doing. It bothered him that he couldn't even show restraint in his mind. If she were any other female, he could have ended this long ago. You are behaving like a chal'tii, he complained to himself, thinking he was acting foolish like a young, pubescent boy.
"You know SG-3? They're thinking of adopting me." Gracie tilted her head with a pleased smile.
"Adopting?" Jasuf was unfamiliar with the concept in this context. She had unconsciously used more human-like phrasing because she was now discussing an Earth-related subject.
"Letting me join their fun little team. Going with them regularly on their adventures. Earth refers to those as 'missions'," she explained.
He could see the delight in her eyes at the prospect. Jasuf suspected that those human men were as impressed with her as he was on that trip offworld. And so, they were laying a claim to her. He deflated slightly. In what way could he compete with those from her own species? Then he reminded himself that he was Jaffa. He shouldn't be competing at all. He had no good reason to admire this human the way that he did.
"They'll start by showing me how things work," she continued. "I'll still just be a prospective candidate. I won't go offworld with them much yet. But if I like it and if they agree to it, I would find myself gainfully employed." Pride showed in her expression.
"What will that mean for your Jaffa training?"
Gracie pouted. "Not sure yet. I do have Teal'c. He could help." She tilted her head. "But it's not the same as being with your entire tribe… do you agree?"
Jasuf bowed his head. "I do."
"Anyway, nothing is certain yet." She shrugged. "I'll just have fun with it for now." Gracie caught herself before mentioning that her father told her she had her whole life ahead of her. It would be too difficult to explain what a General was and how this General happened to have taken an interest in her. And that he was supposedly a very good friend of her sister's. Too complicated. The more she mentioned any of her Earth family, the more complex a web of lies she'd have to weave. Gracie thought it would be better to stay quiet instead. Fewer words. Fewer problems. It's how she'd operated for most of her life.
"If you take this opportunity, will you still visit Tek'ron before it begins?"
Her face slowly drew into a sweet smile over his question. His heart rate quickened slightly as he noted affectionate warmth in her eyes. Jasuf felt his resolve melting.
"As I said, I want to continue my training here. Perhaps I will pay a friendly visit to your village from time to time." She lips parted slightly as she thought about it. "I think some of the children wanted to say hello but were too shy," she hinted.
Jasuf smiled at her adoringly now. She caught a hint of those dimples she saw before, the ones that made her realize how attractive he really was to her. He stepped closer, breathing in her scent. Whatever they used on Earth for bathing must be different. But he was pleased nonetheless. "I look forward to your return, then," he said tenderly.
If anything could have changed her mind, about anything, it was the sound of his voice caressing her ears the way his did just now. She tried to hide the pleasant shiver it triggered. "Tal'ma'te, Jasuf," she warmly said farewell. She took a step back from him. Gracie reluctantly turned away. She couldn't engage him now. It would be trouble. And then she wouldn't be able to stop thinking about him while she was gone. It was hard enough already not to think of him.
Do not reach for her, Jasuf ordered himself vainly. He watched as she began to leave.
But he couldn't stop the hand that grabbed her arm and made her turn around. Her eyes regarded him with surprise as he pulled her back.
He leaned down to capture her mouth with his, slowly invading with his tongue. She was helpless but to respond. She sighed faintly into the kiss, molding her body into his. Jasuf's hand reached up to cup her neck. Gracie's fingers grabbed gently at his tunic, possessively bunching up the fabric within their grasp.
Both of them let go of their hesitation.
This just felt right.
They broke off and kept their foreheads together. They merely held each other while they breathed. "I like that just a little too much," Gracie admitted with a whisper.
"As do I," he agreed with a soft tone. "I wish you safety, EldaMalDoran. Do not stay away too long."
She could have melted right there just from the sound of his voice. She gave him one last chaste kiss. "I'll find you," she whispered sweetly, packing all of her fondness for him in those simple words. She turned to leave, forcing herself not to look back. She just knew he was watching her go. Gracie didn't want to know what his expression must be right now. She feared that if she looked at his face again, she'd run right back into his arms and never return to Earth.
Later when she finally arrived to the privacy of her own quarters at the SGC, Gracie screamed into her pillow.
"What do you think that look means?" Smith asked conspiratorially, pointing a small spoon in Gracie's direction.
"I dunno," Crawford replied. "It's one of them 'far-away looks,' know what I mean?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I know what you mean."
"Maybe she's dreaming about her ship. Flying it off into space." Crawford made a rising motion with his hand.
"Or she's thinking about a guy."
"In your dreams, buddy."
"Would you two shut it?" Gracie complained, throwing a balled-up napkin at the both of them from across the table in the commissary.
Her companions cackled across from her. She rolled her eyes and looked back down at her meal.
"Well then?" Smith questioned. "Who is he?"
"Who is who?"
"The guy."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Gracie groused.
Crawford elbowed his buddy. "Oh yeah. It's definitely a guy." He leaned forward. "Is it me?" he asked playfully.
Smith pushed him back into his chair. "Nah, dude. Me."
Gracie shook her head and rolled her eyes more. The smile on her face showed she didn't actually mind the teasing. She knew these marines weren't very serious. And she'd dealt with far worse people with far worse intentions before.
"Is this how things are gonna work if I join your team?" Gracie asked, blinking her eyes rapidly to display her exasperation at them. "You idiots fawn over me while I do all the work?"
"Hey, we'll contribute… a little," Smith said, cocking his head.
Crawford leaned forward again. "Yeah, no, that's exactly what's going to happen. Our team dynamic is about to be turned upside-down, round and round."
Gracie smirked at them. She pointed her fork at them both. "You two don't know what you're getting into."
"That's what the Colonel said," Crawford replied, laughing.
"I'm all for it. And you know, if you ever need a shoulder to cry on…" Smith said, pointing at himself and tipping his chin up, "I'm your man." He flashed a cooky grin at her.
Gracie suspected that if either of these two fools knew who her father really was, they wouldn't be so flirtatious. She was glad they hadn't been told the truth. This was honestly more entertaining than trying to deal with scared little boys tip-toeing around her, which is what she suspected would happen if they were to find out. She thought of Cameron and honestly wondered how he could deal with courting the daughter of his own commanding officer. It had to be nerve-wracking.
Which reminded her, she needed to check in with Carolyn to see how that meet-the-parents thing went. Gracie was offworld at the time and never got the details. Maybe she could tempt the doctor with ice cream or something to get her to talk. Then she wondered if she would need to change the parameters of her bet. Or simply put more money down. She smiled internally over her insider's advantage.
Smith snapped his fingers in front of her face after she'd gotten lost in her thoughts again. "Helloooo?"
"Ya did it again, Baby Cakes," Crawford teased.
Gracie looked at him, perplexed. "Baby? Cakes?" With each word, her brow raised higher and higher. She began to look annoyed again.
Smith started laughing.
"Yeah," Crawford replied overconfidently. "You're somebody's baby sister. We think you're so darn sweet… like cake. Baby. Cake."
"I'm going to kick your ass," Gracie decided.
Smith continued cackling. "I'll pay money to see that." He smacked his buddy's arm. "Dare ya to say it again."
Crawford adopted another look of absolute mischief and stared straight at Gracie.
She glared at him. "Don't you dare."
He grinned. "Baby Cakes." The chair suddenly scraped as he shot out of the seat to escape the commissary. Gracie chased after him with her fork.
Smith leaned over the table, banging his fist on it as he wheezed in hysterics.
From a few tables over, Cameron and Daniel stared. They shared a look, then shook their heads. "She is adjusting just fine," Mitchell declared as he picked up another bite of food.
Daniel smiled evilly. "Jack would just love it if she started dating one of those two."
Mitchell looked up at him with a smirk on his face. "In their dreams."
There were certain things that kept Jack awake at night. The first one was his toddler. She was three, and she woke up in the middle of the night often. Try as they might, it was harder than it looked to get her to sleep through. The next thing that bothered him was adult Gracie. She hadn't technically done anything wrong. On the contrary, she was basically good at anything she tried. And that was the problem.
Because now Reynolds… damn him, by the way… was asking to keep her.
It didn't help that there were already complaints that every SG-team could use a pilot. The work they did out in the galaxy was showing an increasing need for that sort of skill. But not every team was filled with Air Force personnel. And not every member of the U.S. Air Force was actually a pilot. There were a multitude of specialties one could get into without having to even sit in the cockpit of a fighter jet.
So Jack was faced with a dilemma. Approve the request and give SG-3 a pilot? A team that was typically sent on some of the most challenging missions and often needed multiple options just to get back home in one piece? Or did he deny the request and protect his daughter as best he could, leaving SG-3 high and dry? It was already hard enough to let her split her time between Earth and the Hak'tyl planet. Now she'd be going on missions? He didn't know how to feel about that.
On the one hand, it made him proud to see her potentially walk in his and Sam's footsteps. He never would have pushed Gracie into a life of service with the military. But he sure wouldn't have stopped it, though, if that's what she wanted to do.
On the other hand, Jack's job was to keep her safe from harm. She'd already been through too much out in the galaxy. He brought her home to get her away from all that nonsense. If he signed off on this, he'd be sending her right back into the fray. Something about that felt wrong.
He wondered what 'Future Vala' would think of all this. That woman raised her. It would have been her right to have a say. Would she have approved? If he allowed this, then Gracie would have been walking in her footsteps, making her proud. It made him sad to think she wouldn't get to see this either way.
Jack sucked in a long breath as he stared at the related paperwork in front of him on the kitchen island. He dropped his chin into his hand.
"Did you ask her about this?" Sam questioned, slipping into the barstool next to him.
"Not yet."
"She's a big girl. She gets to decide."
"I know."
Sam leaned over to rub his back. She let her chin rest on his shoulder. "What is it, then?" she asked gently.
Jack tilted his head to touch hers. His eyes wandered aimlessly. "We barely even see her."
Sam closed her eyes. "Yeah," she breathed out. "We live here. She's always over there… or offworld."
"Can't keep her away from the gate. She's got places to go. People to see," Jack remarked.
"Can't force her to stay here with us. Not enough for her to do here."
"I could retire. Put in my notice. Move us back closer to the SGC."
"But if you did that, you wouldn't have the authority to approve or deny requests that could put her in danger." Sam didn't mean to play Devil's Advocate, but it was necessary to vocalize what they were both debating.
Jack brought a hand to his forehead and rubbed at it. "Yeah." Nearby them, their small child was busy making noise. She was holding one of her stuffed dolls on top of a toy jet plane, pretending to make it fly. "Well, she does have that ship."
"What are you thinking?"
"Maybe she could stay here more often. Use that little ship of hers to get around as she pleases."
"Where the hell would she park it? In the backyard?"
"Well, I dunno. Does it have a cloak?"
"Jack." Sam shook her head at him. "We cannot park that thing in the backyard." An image of him pushing the lawn mower and banging his head somehow on a cloaked shuttle flitted through her mind. She laughed internally.
He let out a breath of trepidation instead of instigating their usual comedic banter. This would have been a perfect opportunity to have a laugh with his wife. Sam took that as a sign that Jack was truly troubled over this. She understood, secretly glad it wasn't her who had to make the final decision.
"What if we just let her do the training first? Let Reynolds bring her up to speed, see how she might fit in?"
"You're saying: hold off on even making the decision?" Jack asked.
Sam shrugged. "You're a General. You can do whatever the hell you want… within reason." She reached over to place her hand atop his. "Who says you have to sign off on anything right away?"
Jack appeared to be staring back at her, but his eyes were actually unfocused. He was thinking.
She smirked. "You could pretend the paperwork got lost in the pile that I know is built up like a tower on your desk at work."
He narrowed his eyes at her dig, though the corner of his mouth was upturned. "Just do what I do best?" he asked in a warning tone laced with affection.
Sam grinned at him. She hopped down from the stool and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "It's what I love you for." She stepped away to go wrangle their little girl into getting ready for bed.
Jack turned to watch her. After Sam and Gracie went upstairs for bed time, he twisted back around to face the paperwork. He slipped it back into its designated manila folder labeled 'Confidential' and tossed the folder into his briefcase. Then he locked the case and let the whole dilemma slip away from his mind. He had a family to go spend time with.