Daughter

A/N: Boy, have you all been busy. I can tell some of you are on Christmas vacation and catching up! Thanks so much for all the reviews. I do enjoy seeing them! Time for a little romance...

Chapter 44 – Sun and Moon

"Gracie," Jack said with a tone that was not at all affectionate. If his voice didn't tell her he was mad, then his face sure did. He was calling her by her birth name. She wasn't 'Kid' today. That wasn't a good sign.

Elda pensively stared at her father on the screen. The tablet rested on her lap as she sat back comfortably against the pillows on her SGC bed. By the way he was looking at her, she felt compelled to sit straight up.

"Dad?"

"I talked to Reynolds."

"Oh?" She grit her teeth nervously. Was he mad about Crawford touching her on that mission? But it was harmless. She knew her father was eagerly awaiting all of the mission reports that involved her. There was nothing she could do to stop him from seeing them. But now she wondered what Reynolds did and did not write. Clearly, it didn't yield anything good for her.

"He was cryptic in his report," Jack explained. "So I called him directly to find out just what the hell happened out there." He frowned at her, as if disappointed. "You let someone proposition you?"

Elda's mouth dropped open. She almost laughed aloud. He didn't care about Crawford at all. It was another one of those incidents that was offensive to him but not to her. Just like when everyone made a big deal about that Zershan representative asking for sex in exchange for shuttle upgrades.

"Actually? The mark suggested it to Smith, who took advantage of it so we could skip the line and get into the temple faster. The boys were comparing it to Disneyland, whatever that means. They clearly weren't interested in waiting."

"What?" Now her father seemed confused.

She waved a hand within view of the screen. "Sorry. I'll go back. This fire-haired girl followed us. Crawfy and I noticed her first. We kept an eye on her all the way to the temple. We got Smith to go talk to her. Then he realized she could give us back-door access to the temple. We could get in quietly, achieve our objective, and avoid a whole lot of extra trouble that way."

Jack blinked. His anger seemed to be placed on hold as he listened. He nodded his head at her to go on.

"He checked back in with us and reported that the girl wanted to have some sort of meaningless tryst. All he needed was for me to pretend to go along with it. His condition to the girl was to have this little interaction occur inside the temple itself. It was quite smart of him, really. Smith would make a decent courier. So she let us into the temple-ship-thing and we zatted her when she wasn't looking. It was quick. She was still out by the time we left."

"That's it?"

"Yeah," Elda replied casually. "Nothing happened."

"That's what Reynolds said."

"Well, then he was telling the truth."

"Huh."

Elda sighed loudly. "Dad, you can trust me, you know."

"Baby Girl, I do trust you. It's everybody else in this galaxy I don't trust." He closed his eyes and shook his head. He let out a long breath.

She pouted, almost in pity for the worry he was feeling. "Well, think of it this way. If I can get Smith and Crawford to be more like me, then these sorts of things could be completely avoided. And then no one has to feel so uncomfortable about any of it. Smith is already pretty good. Crawford isn't that far behind."

"So you're… training them?"

"Yeah, I guess so. When there's a moment that calls for it, I help them identify the best angles to get what we want."

"I swear to God you should hold a seminar or something."

"A what?"

"Eh. Don't worry about it. What have you got going on today?"

"I'm supposed to go shopping with Vala. I'm just waiting for her to tell me to come up topside. Then afterwards, I want to go to Tek'ron. I need to add Jasuf as a pilot on my shuttle."

"Why?"

"So he can move the Firefly out of the way when it's in the way. I feel a little strange parking it by the gate now, but we kind of need the quick access to it."

"I'm a little surprised he isn't already authorized on it."

"Yeah, I know. Me too. I should have added him ages ago." Elda shrugged. "It's been busy."

"I bet." Jack sighed, still trying to reset himself after starting the call so angry and then being reassured that he had no reason to be. He considered calling Reynolds back but he didn't see the point. He probably already went too far anyway asking him all sorts of questions. He'd have to show a little more restraint in that department from now on. "Well, alright. Say hi to my buddy for me."

She smiled. "Aww. I will. He'll be happy to hear a greeting from you. He's been asking how you're doing."

Jack perked up a little at this. "Has he? That's cool." He seemed distracted by someone opening the door to his office. Elda watched as he directed a glare at the intruder. He turned back to the screen. "I gotta go. I'll see ya later." He didn't address her by name or nickname anymore.

"Bye, General," Elda said, realizing that their call was no longer secure and private. She sighed when the screen went black. She grimaced at her reflection on the tablet. She didn't like worrying him. Hopefully the next few missions would be completely different so he wouldn't have to make another call like that for a very long while.

"Elda, before you go, take this and look it over," Reynolds said, handing her a file in the corridor.

She accepted the folder and peeked into it curiously. It was the information she had requested from SG-2 leader. "Ooh," she commented, reading something in Goa'uld.

"What is it?"

"The bounty. It's for Jaffa." She looked up at him with a furrowed brow.

"Which Jaffa?" Reynolds now leaned over to look at the page on top. He couldn't really read it.

"Jaffa within a certain young age range and still hosting a symbiote."

"Why the hell would anyone want that? That doesn't sound good."

"No, it doesn't." She took in a breath, quietly relieved that Jasuf and nearly everyone else on Tek'ron were already on tretonin. Only a few of the Hak'tyl were purposely holding off on switching to the drug, but they didn't fit the age range for this bounty.

"Don't be surprised if this op turns into a rescue mission, Mal Doran."

She made eye contact with her CO. "Speaking from experience, Colonel?"

"Lots of it. Read that over. Get back to me by tomorrow. I want options. Ideas."

"Yes, Colonel." She inclined her head to him without thinking, as a Jaffa would.

"And Elda?"

She gazed up at him.

"Have a nice time today." Reynolds offered her a genuine smile.

The young blonde smiled back, a little touched by his friendliness. "Thanks." She turned away to head toward her quarters, where she'd drop off this file and lock the door. Her mother was already waiting for her topside. She was ready to leave the base in civilian clothing.

When she exited the mountain, Daniel's truck was idling in the parking lot. Vala was in the driver's seat. "Hi," Elda said as she climbed in. "Where's Daniel?"

"He went inside. Said he's going to catch up on some of his backlog."

Elda pulled the seatbelt over her and clicked it into place. "When exactly did you learn to operate one of these things?"

"Few years ago. Why?"

"Is it hard?"

"Darling. We're pilots. Driving a car is nothing." Vala put the truck into gear and drove off. She had them make their way to the guard gate and fall into line to get out. "You want to learn?"

"I wonder if I should. I can't really go anywhere on Earth by myself without a car."

"You'd still need to have access to a car in order to drive one. I wonder if you really need one."

"Why not?"

"You're barely onworld. Owning a car is a bit of an inconvenience. You're better off just asking one of your marine friends to drive you around."

"Dad said that, too. I know I can ask Smith. Or Sam. Or you. But that means I'd have to wait for one of you to be available."

"Why wouldn't you ask Crawford?" Vala wondered curiously.

"He's got a girlfriend. I think it would be weird."

"Oh. Okay."

Elda narrowed her eyes at her mother, whose eyes remained focused ahead as they drove down the winding mountain roads. "What."

Vala's eyes flitted toward her briefly. "What?"

"Mom," Elda said. "What do you think you know about Crawford?"

"Is there something I should know?"

"No. But I have been getting this impression that people are looking at us strangely when they have absolutely no reason to."

Vala sighed. "Darling, everyone knows that you spent a lot of time together on that space station. And that Smith was heavily distracted with his mark. People are going to assume what they want."

Elda groaned. "It's just like with the Jaffa," she complained.

"What do you mean?"

"They did the same thing. Made assumptions about me and Jasuf that were completely wrong."

"Like?"

"Like that we were already sleeping together, when we weren't."

"So he didn't lay with you right away?" Vala asked interestedly. If Elda were any other native from Earth, her question might have been too direct. But this girl was a daughter of the galaxy. Vala had no need to dance around the subject. And she was well aware of how Jaffa regarded sex. The ones who waited did so because they were in love.

"No. He was honorable toward me." Elda smirked. "Even when I tried to seduce him," she said mischievously.

Vala's eyes widened. "What!?"

The car fish-tailed dramatically.

"Mom! Watch the road!"

Vala righted the car. Luckily no other drivers were nearby to be affected by her sudden movements. "Gracie!"

Elda rolled her eyes and huffed. "Are you really that surprised? He's handsome. He liked me. And I was a little tired of waiting for him to make a move."

Vala grit her teeth.

This girl was too much a daughter of the galaxy!

"You are lucky he is Jaffa, and that he won't get you pregnant!"

"Oh whatever. Carolyn foresaw the possibility and put me on a contraceptive already. It won't happen either way. Why is everyone so worried about that?"

"Because," Vala ground out, "you are not ready for a child!"

"I know that!"

Vala forced out a breath of exasperation. She shook her head in consternation as she kept her eyes on the road. "So when did he finally ask for your consent?"

Elda crossed her arms. "After I read him in."

"What made you decide to tell him?"

"He's too smart. He knew I was keeping something from him. We were having a fight… not a physical one… it was an argument. And then we realized if we were going to make this courtship work, we both needed to be honest with each other." She closed her eyes, grimacing at the memory. "It was hard. Telling him. Remembering the other you."

Vala's expression became remorseful. "How did he take it?"

"He was shocked, of course. But somehow, he believed me."

"And then that's when…"

"He confessed his love for me and finally asked me to be with him."

"Hmm. I was right."

"About what?"

"That he was already in love with you." Vala adopted a haughty expression. "No one wanted to believe me."

"How would you know that?"

"Remember when we saw you on Tek'ron? And we met Jasuf and his father in the Hak'tyl square?"

"Yeah?"

"Prior to that, I overheard him having a conversation with one of your sisters. It was tantalizing."

"Oh Gods. That was Idul."

"She is a smart girl."

"She has a mouth," Elda grumbled.

"Yes, I'm sure it gets her into all sorts of trouble. But that's how I knew he was in love. I just didn't realize at the time it was with you." Vala smiled sideways at her. "Good for you, Darling. He's a good catch."

Elda smiled at her mother's approval. "Thanks."

Teal'c stood at the bottom of the ramp, waiting for the control room to complete its dialing sequence. He was normally a very patient Jaffa. And he was used to the mind-numbing way the SGC prolonged the dialing of its Earth-bound gate. The tech in the control room was dutifully announcing each chevron as it locked. This was nothing new.

And yet today, the delay was grating irritatingly on his nerves.

Elda walked into the gateroom to find him grinding his teeth. No one on the defense team seemed to be aware of Teal'c's impatience. But she was an expert on reading Jaffa expressions. She placed herself at his side silently. The most she did was incline her head respectfully to her favorite Jaffa uncle.

His eyes told her that he was eager to leave. Sometime today.

She quirked a smile. She hoped her Den Mother had cleared her schedule in anticipation of his arrival. It looked like her uncle had things on his mind.

The kawoosh finally invaded the gate room. No one flinched. Without a word, the pair traversed the ramp and passed through the active wormhole.

On the other side, cold air greeted them. Off to the side, the Firefly automatically began to whine, opening the hatch for its beloved pilot. The sound had Teal'c turning toward it. "I surmise you will now be placing your vessel here regularly."

Elda gazed at it approvingly, satisfied that it had responded to her presence so readily. "Yes. If I need to use it in a hurry with SG-3, this is the best way to retrieve it. But I fear it may sometimes interfere with daily life here. So I will ask Jasuf to move it for me if I am not here."

Teal'c inclined his head. "Prudent," he simply commented. He held out a hand in the direction of the Hak'tyl settlement. "Let us proceed to the village."

Elda opened her mouth briefly in surprise. "I was going to call for him now, Teal'c," she said hesitantly. "He hasn't been authorized as a pilot on the Firefly yet."

The Jaffa grit his teeth again. Elda sensed that she may have aggravated him. But she didn't realize he was expecting her to join him today. They often separated at the gate like this, each heading toward a different village on Tek'ron. She simply stood and waited for him to respond aloud.

"Very well. Once your task is complete, report to the Hak'tyl village with your mate."

Elda blinked. That was an order. She was inclined to obey it. She bowed compliantly in response. "Yes, Master Teal'c," she said with formality.

He turned to leave. If she didn't know any better, he was walking with haste.

Elda stepped into her vessel and hit the command to close the hatch as she went. She moved straight to the co-pilot's console on the left and brought up communications. It chimed when it successfully made contact with her intended recipient.

"Jasuf."

"Elda, my love."

"I'm here onworld. At the shuttle, obviously. What are your duties today?"

"I am completing patrol with our brothers. We are already returning to the village for a changing of the guard. I can delegate the rest of my duties to others." There was a pause. He was probably in the middle of giving orders. "Will you meet me at our hut?"

"Actually, Teal'c has requested that we both report to the Hak'tyl village. Not sure why. Could you meet me here at the shuttle? I would like to add you to the ship's registry first."

"Very well."

After another fifteen minutes, Jasuf arrived. She spent the time waiting by reviewing the ship's logs and gauging its maintenance status. When she caught sight of him approaching through the forward port, her hand found the command to open the hatch. Elda stood up with a smile. She stepped toward him eagerly as he entered.

Jasuf happily received her in his arms and kissed her sweetly. "Are you well?" he asked with a low and smooth tone, the one he reserved just for her.

"Mmm hmm." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "You?"

He backed her up against the storage console and kissed her hard instead of answering. He ran his hands along her sides.

She smiled naughtily. He would take her right here if she let him. Elda brought up a hand to gently push his chest away. "We should get started. Teal'c is waiting."

He hummed in complaint but let her go. Elda led him to the co-pilot's console and went through the motions of adding him to the system. Afterwards, she cradled his hand in hers, gazing down at the small puncture wound on his finger that was a necessary result of the process. She tsked at it as a mother might when examining a small injury on her child.

He flicked his hand away from her and twitched his brow in annoyance.

Elda laughed aloud. "Come, my love. Time to go." She pulled on both his hands and began stepping backward.

"For what reason is Teal'c requesting our presence?" Jasuf asked curiously as he allowed her to pull him off the ship.

"I don't know. But he seemed a little mad that I was delaying our arrival." She grimaced. "We can go back home later, after whatever it is he needs is done."

"How long do you have this time?" he asked eagerly. His hand gripped her waist tightly as they began walking into the forest.

"I still need to go back tonight. My commander has given me a task to complete by tomorrow. I haven't even started it yet. My morning was spent with my mother." She grinned. "We were shopping."

"Which mother, my love?"

"Vala." Her eyes widened. "Oh! There's news. She is with child," Elda reported excitedly.

Jasuf smiled broadly. "Then congratulations are in order. I presume the father is…"

"Daniel Jackson."

He nodded. "You will have a new sibling in the coming days. That is good news indeed."

Elda drew in a breath. "Is it a sibling or a cousin? Or even a niece or nephew, considering that she is supposedly my elder sister to the others? I'm so confused."

Jasuf chuckled. "Perhaps you should just love the child and let that be enough."

"Hmm. I like that. Much simpler. Forget all the titles."

"You should still keep the title our Jaffa brothers have granted you," he teased.

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh. All of you and your names," she complained. He merely laughed as they walked. The air was cool, but at least the ground was clear. It would seem that whatever snow used to be there had since melted. Elda welcomed the change in weather on this planet. "You're not going to believe what my brothers from SG-3 have planned."

"What mischief are they causing now?" Jasuf asked amusedly.

"Crawford means to name our first-born daughter, as if we would ever have one, after some warrior princess from stories on Earth."

Jasuf stopped to laugh loudly.

Elda hit his chest. "It's not that funny!" she yelled.

"And what is the name of this warrior princess?"

"I'm not telling you," she retorted petulantly. "I can see now that you will only encourage them." She grumbled to herself, "I shouldn't have said anything."

Jasuf looked down at her adoringly. "We may never produce a child, Elda, but it is nice to dream." He kissed her. "I look forward to seeing your brothers from Earth again soon," he said deviously.

Her mouth popped open and she gasped. "I will never have peace!"

He laughed more as he prompted them to continue to the village. They arrived to find Teal'c standing in the Hak'tyl square impatiently. Both of them dropped their playful smiles and went to him. Jasuf bowed low, as would be expected. "Master Teal'c," he greeted with formality.

"Jasuf." The older Jaffa inclined his head. Then Teal'c locked eyes with Elda. "Have you completed your task?"

"We have."

"Good." He pointed at the perimeter of the square. "Stand there."

Jasuf and Elda glanced at each other, then quickly complied. They backed up a handful of steps to stand at the edge of the town center. As they gazed around, they noticed that other Hak'tyl were also gathering. But no one seemed to understand why they had been summoned.

Elda caught the gaze of Idul from the other side. Her eyes bore a question, but her sister had no answers either. Jasuf inclined his head to Idul respectfully. Elda noticed this and smiled. It would seem they were getting along well.

Nesa appeared next to him. "Jasuf. EldaMalDoran."

"Nesa," they both greeted.

"Do you know why we're here?" Elda asked her.

"I do not."

Soon Goru appeared with Agean at his side. He bowed to Jasuf then grasped his forearm. "Brother, what brings you here today?"

"We shall soon find out," his superior replied, eyes drawn to where Teal'c was standing. Goru and Agean settled in at Elda's other side.

The older Jaffa male was simply waiting outside of Ishta's hut. Elda was surprised he wasn't already in there with the windows shut and doors locked tight. Everyone in the Hak'tyl village knew to leave the two of them alone whenever he visited. The Den Mother's only time for rest and recreation seemed to be in Teal'c's presence.

The murmurs of the crowd ceased when the door of the hut opened. Ishta stood serenely in its opening looking down. Her eyes scanned the square, seeing that the village had gathered. She briefly inclined her head to Jasuf, as the highest-ranking representative from the other village. He bowed low toward his father's counterpart. Goru felt compelled to follow, even though he had already greeted Ishta earlier this morning.

The Hak'tyl leader finally allowed her eyes to settle on Teal'c, who stood waiting in front of her. "Teal'c," she said simply, smooth voice caressing his ears like waves gently lapping on a beach.

"Ishta," his baritone voice responded. He held out a hand to encourage her to step down and come to him.

She did so, eyes full of question. She clearly did not know what was transpiring here. Elda watched curiously, unsure herself.

Before everyone knew it, Teal'c dropped down to both knees. A few of the sisters gasped quietly, including Nesa. Well, if she was surprised then whatever was about to happen was going to be significant. Elda's eyes stayed glued to the display before them.

He spoke in Goa'uld. "My love, you have honored me through these years by allowing me to stand at your side. I humbly thank you for all that you have given of yourself. You are of the stars and moons themselves, gracing us with your light," he said with reverence.

Elda's eyes went wide. She glanced around quickly, noting that everyone's attention was focused on Teal'c's words and Ishta's expression. The Den Mother's eyes were locked with her uncle's. Her face was carefully neutral as she waited for him to finish what he came here to say in front of everyone.

Jasuf's fingers brushed along Elda's, seeming to understand sooner than her what this was about. He didn't glance over in her direction, but she could see the quirk of a smile forming on his lips.

"If you should find me worthy, then allow me to take your hand in marriage. Together, we could forge a new path forward. For the prosperity of all."

Elda let out a miniscule squeal. Jasuf smiled wider and grabbed her hand, hoping to quiet her.

Ishta remained expressionless for another beat, simply gazing down at Teal'c kneeling before her. "Rise, Jaffa," she commanded in the common language.

Teal'c stood.

Her mouth turned upwards slightly into a satisfied smile. "Who stands before me and asks me for my hand?" she demanded. Her words flowed out of her mouth gracefully, as if she were a queen. She now tilted her chin upwards to meet his eyes.

"Teal'c of Chulak," he responded with apparent confidence. Elda knew him well enough, though, to hear the slight waver in his voice from his nervousness. Most others would not have detected it.

"Then Teal'c of Chulak, I accept your proposal." Ishta switched to Goa'uld. "You honor me with your words. And with your love."

His mouth curved into a smile of delight. He instantly leaned down to capture her mouth in a searing kiss, neverminding their audience. Or perhaps, Elda thought, he had gathered everyone here on purpose to simply show just how much he adored her Den Mother.

Many of the sisters sighed, delighted with this open display of affection toward their beloved leader. Elda caught sight of Idul, who was jealously watching from the other side of the square. She glanced at Agean near her, quietly holding hands with Goru as they gazed at the show.

Jasuf pulled on Elda's hand. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You are my sun and moon," he declared, tone laced with love. He was clearly caught up in the moment.

Elda turned her head and smiled softly to him. She felt her cheeks blush. Her heart fluttered with butterflies, just as it always did when he was first courting her. She loved that he could still incite a reaction in her like this. They shared a chaste kiss that none of the others failed to notice.

More sisters seemed to sigh now at them.

Elda blinked at this, having forgotten where she was. She was only inviting torment by being here with Jasuf in full view of everyone else. She turned back to Teal'c and Ishta as they gently let go of each other's lips. The Jaffa smiled at each other serenely with hands grasped tightly.

Ishta announced loudly enough for all to hear, "You will not only be Teal'c of Chulak after this day. Henceforth, you will also be known as Teal'c of Tek'ron."

Jasuf yelled out in agreement. Goru followed. The Hak'tyl sisters cheered with them.

Teal'c stepped back and bowed to Ishta. He turned toward the crowd and inclined his head in gratitude for their acceptance. All of the Jaffa continued to clap and hoot for them both. Soon some of the Hak'tyl brought out drums and instruments. The more talented sisters began to play music.

Nesa stepped forward and shouted out commands. Some of the sisters rushed back toward the eating hut and its attached kitchen. Other sisters hurried to rebuild the tables that had been taken apart for the winter. It would seem an outdoor feast was about to commence. The weather was calm and the air less cool, making it just barely comfortable enough for their impromptu gathering. The higher-ranking Hak'tyl spun around to address Jasuf. "Invite your father and some of your brothers here today. We shall celebrate," she announced.

Jasuf bowed. He looked to Elda with a smile. She grinned delightedly at him while he brought a communicator up to his mouth to speak.

She ran forward to her uncle. "Teal'c!" she squealed.

The older Jaffa laughed now, receiving her in a hug that spun them around. Ishta stood back to allow them room. He put her down but kept his hands on her shoulders. They inclined their heads to each other as they always did, but this time, it just felt more momentous.

"Congratulations, dear Uncle," Elda said.

"I thank you, young one. Now you have witnessed another significant event among the Jaffa. Let this add to your experience."

She nodded emphatically. He was still teaching her even now. She adored him for it. Elda turned to her Den Mother and bowed low. Ishta smiled warmly at her. "Kal'ma, I am pleased that you are here." She glanced toward Jasuf. "Let your mate invite the warriors that our sisters are paired with. We will use this opportunity to strengthen our bonds."

"As you say, Den Mother." She reached out her hands to hers. "Congratulations." Ishta inclined her head to her. Elda stepped back to Jasuf's waiting arms. He leaned down to kiss her slowly and sweetly, not caring at all about their audience. He never did. His unbound affection made her forget where she was again. She melted into him like always.

Her sisters looked on longingly. They sighed more, donning expressions mixed with jealousy and satisfaction.

Goru laughed aloud at their reactions, having fielded many curious questions from them already about Elda and Jasuf. He was entertained by everyone's interest. He and his brothers had enjoyed having so many opportunities to roast their beloved superior and burn him to a crisp. He would now have more to share when he next returned to his village. Perhaps that would shield him from his own torment. He knew the brothers were waiting for him with bated breath.

The rest of the day was spent in celebration in the Hak'tyl square.

Teal'c never let go of Ishta's side.

When the members of Meil'nor's village gave their leave, they all walked back together as a group. After bowing respectfully to the Tribe Father, they dispersed. Jasuf welcomed Elda into the hut they shared.

She sighed loudly with happiness. She helped him light some of the candles around the dwelling. He commanded the heater to adjust the temperature of the space. Soon they were standing and holding each other in the middle of the hut.

"A good day," Jasuf declared.

"Yes. So much love. I cannot wait for this wedding!"

He smiled at her. "We will find you the finest threads to wear," he promised.

"Oh? Does that mean you will be my escort to this event of the century?" She looked playfully up at him.

"If your father and mothers allow it, then yes. I will venture to Earth soon to ask them."

Elda laughed aloud. "I'm sure you don't really need to do that, Jasuf. They'll already expect you to stand with me." She nuzzled her nose with his affectionately. "My father sends his regards, by the way."

He smiled. "Please tell Rick of Earth I send mine back with thanks."

She rolled her eyes at this address.

Jasuf ran his hand through her hair while the other cupped her back, bringing her close to him. "I have been missing you," he said quietly now, leaning his mouth near hers. "You must find a time when you can spend the night."

She hummed, eyes half-closed now as she breathed him in. "I know. I'm sorry," she whined. "I'm finding that even retiring for the night gets interrupted with this new role of mine."

"Of what do you speak?"

"My birth mother and I were about to leave the base one night when they called me and my brothers to go rescue another team offworld. I got back late from that. Never would have made it here and back in time for the next day's work."

"Hmm, then it would seem you are needed. I understand."

She gazed up at him thankfully. "Thank you. I promise you, I will continue to squeeze in time to come home as much as I can. Despite all the complaints and teasing I get for it."

"Do not cause yourself to be punished," he warned.

She pecked him on the lips. "You're worth it," she declared.

Jasuf couldn't hide the smile of satisfaction her words generated. "Elda, you are my sun and my moon," he said in appreciation of her, repeating some of his words from earlier. He found himself inspired by Teal'c. Jasuf was now even more certain that the most legendary warriors only rose to greatness because they had worthy mates standing with them. He aspired to be like him someday.

She locked eyes with him. "My love." She reached up to caress his cheek. "Nothing could ever stop me from trying to come back home to you."

He leaned down to kiss her passionately.

They had no further words together. The love they made next was long and slow, stopped only by the fact that she had to leave again. She promised that she'd find a full night to spend in his arms someday soon.

Later in the commissary, Elda sat alone. She snacked on blue Jell-o while she stared down at the file in front of her. It was already late by Earth standards. Barely anyone was there. The kitchen had long closed. Her eye twitched at something she was reading in Goa'uld.

A figure dropped into the seat across from her heavily. She glanced up to see Daniel there. "How's the backlog going?" she asked casually, returning her eyes to the intelligence report.

"It's going," he reported tiredly. "I got maybe two old requests out of the way. Only about a thousand more to go."

She smirked. "My team just dropped a new one into your queue yesterday," she pointed out. "So, a thousand and one."

"Yes," he deadpanned, "Thank you so much for that."

Elda laughed aloud now and sat back. She looked up to see her human uncle slumped in the chair. "Wow, you really look tired." She glanced around at the near empty commissary. A few personnel were seated far away, falling asleep into their food. She didn't think they were listening in. She lowered her voice for good measure. "I can't even imagine how tired you'll look in nine months."

He stared back glumly at her. "From what I understood when you were a baby, I'll basically be a zombie roaming these halls."

She chuckled at this, having learned along the way what people on Earth meant by zombies. The idea was comical to her.

He gestured at the file in front of her. "Burning the midnight oil?"

"Hmm?"

"Staying up late to work," he translated.

"Oh. Yes. Reynolds wants me to have suggestions for how to approach our next mission by tomorrow." She looked down at the file, which he could plainly see was in Goa'uld.

Daniel was quietly satisfied General Landry had listened to his suggestion. As a rule, they should just provide her documents in the language she was fluent in reading and writing. He didn't think he could get her fully literate in English any time soon. There was just no time. Any free minute she got was spent offworld on Tek'ron instead of puttering around here on the base like she used to. And his free moments didn't always coincide with hers.

"How are things going on SG-3?"

"Pretty good, I think. We're getting along well."

"That's good. Anything interesting happen so far?"

Elda could tell he was just asking her out of curiosity and making conversation. Daniel seemed too tired to be working any hidden agendas or trying to scold her about something she'd done wrong again. Not that she'd take him seriously anyway. "I'm thinking Smith and Crawfy would make pretty good couriers out in the galaxy," she said lightly.

Daniel leaned forward now. "Really? Why?"

"They have a knack for thinking quickly and adapting to the situation. They both did it yesterday on our mission."

Her uncle waved a hand in the air. "You kind of have to, working here. It's how you get qualified to even be considered for a job at the SGC."

"Yeah? I'll have to ask them what they've done to impress their superiors to earn a posting at the mighty SGC."

Daniel shrugged. Everyone had their own little stories that led them here. The U.S. military had no shortage of good people. He'd learned that firsthand. "How is it working under Reynolds?"

"I like it," Elda admitted. "I was sort of afraid he wouldn't care for my approach to things. Force me to do things his way all the time. But I think knowing I was on that space station with the boys made a difference."

"Yeah, about that. You know there's rumors swirling. Right?" Daniel grimaced.

She closed her eyes and let out a breath. "Yes."

"They'll die down eventually," he said reassuringly. "They always do. But I suggest you watch what you do and say for a little while. Especially with Crawford."

Elda groaned. "Yeah. Thanks." She frowned and shook her head. "You do realize we never did anything, right?"

"I believe it. Your priorities have obviously been elsewhere," he said meaningfully.

"Daniel," she warned.

He put two hands up. "I'm not trying to argue with you. This time. I'm too damn tired."

She giggled a little at his obvious fatigue. "Are you going to go home?"

"I might just pass out here in my old quarters. Besides, Vala has the car."

"Oh right. She must be sleeping peacefully by now."

"Or up late shopping online without supervision," he grumbled.

Elda laughed. "And we just went shopping together this morning. She's a beast."

"That she is," Daniel agreed. He scrunched his face, not looking forward to going home and seeing his living room littered with shopping bags. Again. "Oh. I almost forgot. Did Teal'c have anything happen offworld?"

She lit up, grinning. "He proposed marriage to Ishta!" Elda clapped her hands delightedly. "Of course, she accepted." She sighed happily, clasping her hands together now. "They'll be happy. Just like in my…" She paused to make sure no one was really listening. "…time."

Daniel smiled. "That's good." He nodded in approval of her report. "That's really good. I would imagine he's still there."

"Of course he is."

Daniel chuckled. Then he groaned as he stood up. "Alright. I'll let you get back to… whatever that is." The seasoned member of SG-1 chose not to ask. He didn't need to know what other teams had going on unless SG-1 had to join them. His brain didn't have enough room to maintain awareness of other ops, let alone keep track of what was top secret. Sometimes the less he knew, the better.

Daniel was so glad he didn't have Landry's job.

Elda offered him a gentle smile. "Okay. Have a good night. Sleep while you can. Ya know, before a newborn steals every moment from you," she suggested playfully.

"Yah." He waved at her and left.

Elda chuckled as he departed, then returned to the intelligence in front of her. She flipped a page to study the surveillance photos provided in the file. The smuggler Reynolds and Baker knew was there. He was photographed against a backdrop of market stalls on a random commerce planet. A man standing near one stall in particular caught her eye. She leaned in and squinted.

"Couldn't be," she whispered to herself.

It looked like Jacek, Vala's father.

She blinked rapidly to make sure she was sure of who she was seeing. But she could never forget him. There he was, looking a bit younger than she remembered, but still definitely him.

"You old swindler," she remarked with amusement. "What were you up to there?"

A/N 2: Happy Holidays everybody! Trust me when I say there is plenty more to come. Please look forward to it.