Daughter

A/N: Thank you to the reviewers for your kind words. They warmed my little author heart! As of this posting, I just finished writing an amazing, action-packed scene that I cannot wait to share with you someday. For now, we have follow-up, reactions, and a little humor. Thanks for coming by!

Chapter 64 – Raise

Jack borrowed Hank's office while he was on base. He sat with Daniel in the chairs before the General's desk, respectfully leaving Hank's open for him. They each held a thermos filled with fresh coffee.

"How'd things go on the space station?"

Daniel took a sip before answering. He raised his brows and tilted his head at Jack as he answered. "Corporal Smith did surprisingly well."

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"He already internalized little things about their culture over there. Even threw in a slang word without realizing it. I think the Station Master recognized this. He didn't seem to have any problem with him by the end of our meeting. And from what I gathered, the follow-up meetings he had with other department heads went just fine. Seemed like they all understood each other well."

"All this because he spent a couple of months there?"

"I think so. Maybe he's a fast learner."

"He better be. He works for us."

"Yah."

"What's the deal with him and that girl?"

Daniel breathed in. "Oh… they're definitely sleeping together."

Jack smirked. "Does Daddy know?"

"That I'm not sure. But I am not touching that with a ten-foot pole."

Jack chuckled. "Don't blame you."

"You heard they're accepting our proposal for a gate, right?"

"Yep."

"How's that going to work?"

"I dunno. Up to Sam. I'm putting her on that project next."

"After she gets a break, right?"

"Of course. Gracie misses her. She misses Gracie. They need time together before Sam has to run off again."

Daniel frowned. He wondered how it would work when his own child was born. He already noted how every other parent on base tended to rush home the minute they were allowed. Was that what he would do, too? And what the hell were they going to do if both of them had to work? Bring the baby to the base?

He shook his head. He'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

Jack interrupted his internal Q and A session. "What happened with your language thing?" He slurped his coffee.

"I got an overview of how their database is set up. Adding English is possible, but it's going to take time. Lots of it. They sent me back with the templates I need to use to start the data entry."

"Is it hard?"

"Not so much hard, as… tedious. I not only have to teach the system our written alphabet, but associate the sounds with each letter. Each diphthong. Long vowels. Short vowels. Grammar rules. The exceptions. Actually say the words aloud so the system can recognize spoken word. Then assign meaning to each word, based on Goa'uld translations. Somehow the artificial intelligence will go from there."

Jack's eyes glazed over. "So… hard," he simplified.

Daniel ducked his head. "Yeah." He sipped more coffee. This topic was far from Jack's wheel house. He wasn't surprised that his friend lost interest almost instantly. He smiled at him. "What about you?"

"What about me."

"Why were you offworld?"

"Saw my Old Buddy."

"Gracie's boyfriend? Why?"

"He had a question."

"A question. You had to go all the way to another planet for a question? What kind of question?"

Jack just smiled cryptically.

"Jack."

"Daniel."

"What happened?"

"He wants to marry her."

Daniel's mouth gaped. It opened and closed like a fish as he absorbed Jack's words. "Isn't that… a little soon?"

Jack shrugged. "You know how these Jaffa are. When they commit? They commit."

"Well, shit."

Jack took another sip of coffee, seeming completely at ease.

Daniel quirked a brow at him. "You gave him your blessing, didn't you?"

"Yup."

"You really like this guy, huh?"

"Yup."

"You're not even the least bit hesitant about this whole thing?"

"Nope."

Daniel furrowed his brow. If that were his daughter, he imagined he would be. But Gracie wasn't his. "If she marries him, does she move to Tek'ron?"

"She already did." Jack looked at him like he should know that.

"Huh. You're right."

"He still needs to propose. Don't say anything."

"Okay. Is Sam going to tell Vala?"

"Probably."

"She's going to be on edge until we get the news."

"Chalk it up to her being knocked up. If Gracie notices."

"Good idea. Are we going to tell Mitchell? Carolyn? Hank? Teal'c?"

Jack thought about it. "No. Let's keep this between us for now. Just the parents."

Daniel scrunched his face. "Uhh… what?"

His friend just stared at him. "You're about to marry her mama."

"And…"

"So you're about to be her papa."

Daniel laughed nervously. "No, I won't. I'll become her brother-in-law, at most, to the rest of the base."

"Papa."

"Brother."

"Dad."

"Sibling."

"Daddums."

"Daddums?"

"Okay, how 'bout… father?"

"I dunno, Jack."

"Fine, Daddy, then."

"Jack."

"Dan the Man?"

Daniel groaned.

Elda was given the space to visit with her sisters while Meil'nor met with Ishta in her hut. She learned that outdoor training had resumed. Curious, she went to the Hak'tyl's training grounds in the forest to see if anyone was there.

When she arrived, Nesa was watching two warriors spar. A small group of elders were gathered with her to evaluate their progress. Elda bowed to her superior upon arrival. "Nesa."

"EldaMalDoran, you have returned." She eyed her new cream-colored dress, then returned her gaze to the match. "I see that your mate is dressing you for your station."

Elda scrunched her face. "I didn't see it that way," she said contemplatively.

"It is appropriate," Nesa said with approval in her tone.

"Perhaps I should change into the clothes from our community pile."

"No need. We all know you are a warrior. Enjoy that manner of dress."

Elda bowed her head, sensing that Nesa was complimenting her. She felt confused, though. Did Jasuf really mean for her to dress the part of a Lady while she was here? She'd have to confront him about that. She thought he gave her something pretty to wear simply because he wanted to see her in it.

She blew out a small breath. Maybe now he was acting like their leaders, with multiple objectives driving every act. She sure hoped he didn't have some hidden agenda behind this.

Elda watched her sisters spar for a brief time. She remained quiet, noting how the two warriors seemed to have added new skills to their repertoire since she'd last seen them. She idly wondered who their male partners were from the other village.

The match ended when one of them fell onto her back. The elders whispered to each other, then shared their opinions with Nesa. Meanwhile the victor helped their sister up. Both girls bowed before Nesa and the evaluators. They caught sight of Elda and bowed again, tailoring the depth of their bend to match her rank.

Her mouth quirked as she inclined her head respectfully to them.

Nesa declared that the pair had improved and congratulated them. The girls were prepared to return their staff weapons on their own, but Nesa dismissed them instead, opting to tidy up the training area herself. The elders quietly left. Elda remained, not having been dismissed. She thought to jump in and help, but her superior held up a hand. "Do not dirty your dress."

Elda's mouth dropped open. She stood frozen for a few moments. "Nesa, I do not need special treatment," she argued.

"Yes, you do."

"That really isn't necessary…" she tried to start.

"EldaMalDoran," Nesa said, pausing to lock eyes with her. "You have earned a station. You must rise to it. If you do not, you will dishonor yourself and your tribes."

Elda blinked rapidly. "I am not comfortable with this. Any of this," she admitted.

Her once Den Mother put down a staff and went to her. She placed two hands on her shoulders. "I understand your hesitation. I was in your place once. I did not know if I had the strength to command our sisters. Or if they would follow me."

Her eyes went wide. "What did you do?"

"I found a way to lead that was my own. Ishta commands respect with her wisdom and grace. I had neither when she raised my station. She allowed me to grow into this role as what befit me."

"You have those things now."

"Not as Ishta does. But I do not need to be her. I need to be me." She looked at Elda pointedly.

"You're saying that I can do this? I don't have to change?"

"Is that your fear?"

Elda leaned in, feeling the need to confide in Nesa. The Jaffa seemed to be in the mood to listen to her concerns. She was going to take advantage of this. "I'm not sure I'm cut out for all the manipulation and the backhanded maneuvering that leadership seems to require."

"Then do not engage in those things," Nesa said simply.

"Wha…"

"You are respected because you are true. The people take you at your word. Your intentions have always been clear. There is no need to change that now. Continue as you are, EldaMalDoran. The people are ready to be led by someone trustworthy. So lead them."

Elda breathed in, trying to process Nesa's advice. She still felt uncertain, but at least she felt a little reassured. "As you say, Nesa."

Nesa smiled kindly at her. Then she dropped her hands from her shoulders. "I am confident you will rise to this challenge in time. You are being allowed to ease into this role. Consider yourself fortunate. If we were at war or suffering from hardship, the people would demand that you provide for them more forcefully."

Elda nodded. Maybe she could do this. And grow comfortable with it on her own schedule. Nesa's words had her feeling a bit better. She looked down at her dress. It was obviously fine and would have required considerable payment to commission. "Clearly there is no hardship."

"No."

"I wonder where he got this," she said quietly.

"He sought assistance from Agean for that."

Elda's head snapped up. "Agean?"

Nesa tilted her head. "Ask her, when she returns from patrol. She would likely enjoy seeing you in that frock. She put great effort into choosing it."

Elda smiled in delight. She laughed a little, surprised that Jasuf and Agean were even interacting at all. Her sister was always so shy around him, knowing he was the Heir Apparent of the other tribe and ranked high above her. Now Elda couldn't wait to find her.

"Is Idul on patrol as well?"

"She is on joint patrol with the guardsmen in another part of the forest." Nesa gazed up at the sun, noting its position in the sky. "They will return soon."

Elda inclined her head. "I will wait for them. Nesa, thank you."

Nesa bowed her head. "You are welcome."

Carolyn grinned at the bottom of the ramp. Aurelia stepped through the gate and grinned back. Smith was at her side. "Welcome to Earth," the doctor said.

"Thank you." They grasped hands in station fashion.

"Doc," Smith greeted.

"Corporal."

Aurelia gazed around at the gate room, taking in the sight of gray walls, armed defensemen, and a curious window directly ahead. She saw people sitting up there, eyes drawn down to their consoles.

"So I trust that Corporal Smith described our base to you?"

The station inhabitant nodded. "Briefly. We are underneath a great geological feature of this planet?"

"A mountain," Carolyn clarified. "Yes. And because of that, this place is not much to look at. But believe me, the rest of Earth has some sights to see. Maybe one day you could see them."

Smith nodded. "I'm hoping to get that cleared with Command very soon. We should at least get the station folks up to the surface to check that out. Even if it's just Colorado Springs."

The doctor raised her brows at him with a smile. "Flexing that Ambassador muscle, I see." She already heard that he was living up to expectations for this impromptu job her Uncle Jack gave him. She was happy for him. Smith was a good guy. She learned that while they were on the space station.

He smiled humbly and shrugged.

"Come on, Aurelia, I'll show you around."

"Is Chase here?" she asked curiously. "I imagine Elda is still on her planet."

"Chase… Crawford?"

"Yes."

Smith shook his head in amusement at her use of his first name to refer to him.

"He might be around. I don't know for sure."

"Oh." Aurelia looked up at Smith.

"I'll find him," he promised. He understood that this was all very new for her. She'd feel more comfortable with as many familiar faces around her as possible. He wanted to ease her into the SGC, not throw her in and expect her people to just get started with their upgrades. They had time.

Carolyn led them down the familiar path to the infirmary. She pushed open the double doors and gazed around. She noted where her staff was and what they were doing. A few people caught sight of the good doctor and stiffened up.

Aurelia didn't fail to notice. "So you really are in command here."

"She could make a marine piss himself with a look," Smith quipped.

Carolyn closed her eyes briefly. Her mouth quirked in a small smile. "There's a compliment in there somewhere," she said drily.

He laughed aloud.

Aurelia just smiled with them, obviously confused.

"Corporal Smith, report to the briefing room. Corporal Smith," a voice sounded off on the P.A. system.

"Awww, dammit."

"Duty calls," Carolyn encouraged. "Go ahead. I'll host her. We have to talk shop anyway."

Smith leaned in. "Rellie, I will be right back. I promise."

She laid a hand on his arm. "It's okay. Don't worry about me." They exchanged brief smiles and he rushed out. She turned back to Carolyn. "What now?"

"I'll show you what we have here in the infirmary. Then maybe you can tell me what upgrades would go where."

Aurelia let the CMO give her a tour. She noted the set-up of every bay, their physical tools, and the scanning equipment they had available. Then she described what she had to offer from her station.

Carolyn's eyes went wider and wider as she spoke. "I am so glad I met you," she said thankfully.

Aurelia laughed a little at that. "The feeling is mutual. It's interesting what you do here."

"Interesting… maybe. This place certainly keeps me busy." She shook her head in exasperation.

"I don't have much experience treating non-human patients. In fact, before this excursion, I had none at all."

"What's the most surprising thing you've seen so far?" Carolyn asked curiously.

"The symbiotic relationship between the Goa'uld and the Jaffa. It's fascinating."

Carolyn's face twitched automatically.

Aurelia's eyes widened. "Of course, I do realize, it's also undesirable."

"I think a few of us were secretly hoping your aunt and the other geneticists would find some brilliant solution to that problem." Carolyn stuffed her hands in her lab coat pockets. "But I knew it would be unlikely."

"Only Nature can provide that, Carolyn."

The doctor sighed. "Yes, I'm sure. I guess we just need to wait thousands and thousands of years for the Jaffa to evolve on their own, huh?"

"All it takes is a random genetic change that gives one group an edge over another. It could happen sooner than you think."

"Survival of the fittest," Carolyn quoted. "If something like that ever happened in our lifetimes, would the geneticists be able to just copy such a change and modify existing people?"

"We would have to ask my Aunt Eruce. It would likely depend on the complexity of the variation."

Carolyn nodded in acknowledgement, figuring she'd never see the day when the Jaffa were really free of their dependence on the Goa'uld. It was a disappointment she would just have to live with.

Smith saluted properly upon sight of Jack O'Neill in the briefing room all by himself. He quietly wondered why the General was here. Then he remembered, Colonel Carter was his wife and he probably hadn't seen her in weeks. Smith figured he was leaning on the perks of being the top dog, getting to leave the Pentagon whenever he damn well pleased. He wondered where their little girl was hiding.

"Take a seat," Jack invited.

"Thank you, sir."

"How would you say things have been going as an Ambassador?" the General asked. His tone was easy-going. Calm.

Smith remained formal. "I would say things have been going alright, sir. I presented the proposal for a stargate as ordered. The station accepted."

Jack nodded. "To be honest? I half-expected them to decline."

"Yes, sir. I was unsure what to expect as well."

"Dr. Jackson tells me that you had a way with words in that meeting."

Smith tried not to react. "I do not recall exactly what he might be referring to."

"So you wouldn't be able to recount, word for word, how your interaction with a leader from a powerful ally went down?" Jack challenged with a raised brow. "In the event we would need to replace you, your successor would have to know what's already been said."

Uh oh. He felt like he might be in trouble. Smith quickly responded, "I used local slang in front of the Station Master." His mouth twitched. "It was an oversight of mine."

Jack smiled briefly. "Oversight? Or was it strategic maneuvering to get him to see that you know what you're talking about?"

The marine felt like he was being tested. And he didn't know what answer to give. "Sir, it just happened naturally. I wasn't attempting to do anything other than present the proposal in a manner that he would understand."

"Naturally, you say?" Jack leaned back in his chair, considering him.

"Yes, sir."

"Looks like you're perfect for this job."

Smith's eyes widened ever so slightly. He could have sworn the General implied he was about to replace him. His heart thumped loudly in his chest, but only he could hear it. Smith refrained from clearing his throat uncomfortably. "Thank you, sir."

"In light of how well things went, I'd like you to continue in this role as Ambassador for Earth. Consider the trial period over, Smith. We're tacking on an extra title to your profile, and you'll be compensated appropriately."

His mouth opened briefly. His eyes lit up. "I'm getting a raise?"

Jack chuckled. "That you are. Buy yourself something nice."

"Helloooo," Vala called into the condo. She had her own key to Sam's place and let herself in.

"Over here," Sam responded.

Vala came upon Gracie and Sam in the kitchen. She smiled instantly. Gracie was up on a stepstool in front of the stove. Her hand held a cooking spatula, with Sam's over hers for control. They were attempting to flip a pancake together.

The gooey dough plopped over into a jumbled mess. "Awww," Gracie complained.

"It's okay. We can try again."

"I'll still eat it," Vala offered. "It looks yummy."

The little girl smiled. "Okay! Want butter?"

"Sure." Vala stepped over to kiss her hair. She looked at Sam. "What a sweet little activity you two have going on here. Think Elda might be jealous."

Her friend chuckled. "That's on her for not being here."

The two women shared a look. But neither of them held it against her for choosing Tek'ron over Earth right now. She had plenty of people looking for her there. There was one in particular that had Sam feeling extra giddy on her daughter's behalf.

She and Gracie poured new batter onto the flat pan to try again. It sizzled. Gracie stared at the liquidy substance spreading out into a circle. It bubbled up. "Now?"

"Not yet. Still needs a little more time before we can flip."

The child began to squirm. She stepped down from the stool, having lost interest.

"Where you going?" Sam asked.

"I done." She wandered away to find toys.

Vala laughed. "She's just like her father."

Sam pouted. "And here I thought we were making memories." She sighed, then flipped the pancake easily. The new top was the perfect shade of tan.

Vala patted her shoulder and moved around her to help clean up some of the mess they made. "You are making memories. Later, we'll laugh about how Gracie has the same exact attention span as Jack O'Neill."

Sam guffawed at this. "You want any?"

"Yeah, I'll have some." Vala busied herself at the sink while Sam finished cooking the rest of the batter, one pancake at a time.

"So…" Sam said, signaling gossip was about to start.

"Hmm?"

"Jack received a request for a meeting."

"From who?"

"Jasuf."

"Oh?"

"And he went."

"What did the boy want?"

Sam grinned as she flipped another pancake. "To marry our daughter."

A dish clattered in the sink. Vala's eyes went wide and her mouth gaped. Her face snapped toward Sam. "What!?"

The blonde woman laughed. "My reaction exactly."

"Tell me Jack will allow this!"

"Oh of course! He gave Jasuf his blessing. Says he's now waiting for the right moment to propose."

Stars instantly lit up in Vala's eyes. She brought two soapy hands together in prayer. "The love story only gets better and better!" she squealed.

"I know, right?" They giggled together, imagining the sort of fairy tale wedding they could set up for their shared daughter. "Now, Jack wants to keep this between us. Only you and Daniel know."

"What? Why?"

"We don't want to accidentally spoil anything. He hasn't asked her yet. We need to give him a chance and then let Big Gracie come tell us if there's news."

Vala whined. "Okay, okay," she grumbled.

"Keep that mouth of yours shut, Mal Doran," Sam warned.

She pouted.

A bell jingled when the door to the coffee shop opened. Crawford stepped in dressed as a civilian and gazed around. He found who he was looking for sitting casually in a corner seat with a book. He went straight to her. "Hey," he said with a wide smile.

Chelsea looked up from her book and smiled. "Hi." She stood up to accept a chaste kiss from him. She pointed at the small table before her. "I already grabbed a drink. I didn't know what you'd want."

He waved a hand at her. "No worries. I'll go grab something and be right back." Crawford went to the counter to make an order and returned as soon as it was done. He settled into the seat next to Chelsea. "How's work?"

She rolled her eyes. "So busy. I've been pulling overtime lately. Miranda's still out on leave. Jackie got sick."

"Dang. Any interesting cases?"

"Well aside from the usual drunk dudes we see, there's been extra people in town for that convention. They all got piss-drunk and showed up in our ED."

"Gross."

"Yeah. On top of that, we had that accident at the factory last week. That one was hard. All our beds filled up and some of the patients ended up in stretchers in the halls."

"Oh shit."

Chelsea marked her place in her book and set it down. She sipped from her coffee cup. "It was a lot."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright now. This is like my first real day off in a while."

Crawford reached out to rub her neck. "Good. Then relax."

She leaned into his touch and smiled at him. "What about you? You were gone for a while."

He sighed. "Uhh. Yeah. I know. Mine was… a lot… too."

Chelsea frowned, knowing he wasn't allowed to say anything. "You didn't get hurt or anything, did you?"

"No, no. I was fine. It was just a few missions back to back to back. This is my first real time off in weeks."

"No kidding."

He groaned a little as he stretched. "So what do you wanna do?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. How much time do you have?"

"I got all day."

She breathed in and nodded. "Okay. Movie? Lunch? Shopping?"

Crawford smiled at her. "All of the above." He felt himself getting back to the way things should be. This woman in front of him was gorgeous. He just needed to see her in person so he could remind himself of that.

They agreed to both drive back to her place so she could drop off her car. Then they'd use his to go around and do whatever. But instead of actually going out, they ended up staying in. Crawford took advantage of it. He made sweet love to Chelsea and didn't worry one bit about the time.

It was a relief being away from the base. Away from the grind of work. Away from Elda. She was lightyears away. It was as if that physical distance was what he needed to push her out of his thoughts. Crawford was getting worried that his feelings for her would override what he felt for Chelsea. Not only would that have been unfair, but he did actually care about this girl in front of him now. The guilt was damn near eating him alive.

He took solace in the fact that he never actually crossed a line. He was no cheater. He didn't sleep around like Matthews. Everything was mental. He just needed to sort out this mess in his mind. No one had to know how conflicted he was really feeling lately. Not even Smith.

And he sure as hell would never breath a word of this to Elda.

This was just a temporary infatuation. An embarrassing crush. He just needed to see Chelsea more. A lot more. Then he could get past this thing he had for a girl he had no chance with. He didn't even know how he let things get this far. Was it just the circumstance? Was he actually incapable of working closely with a female colleague without emotions getting involved?

Crawford decided he had to figure out the answer. That job Pierce offered him might be his chance to address a possible weakness. He could give two shits about Matthews, but maybe working with her would give him an edge. He could go out into the galaxy with her, knowing what she was about, and keep her at arm's length. He'd see if he could really work with a chick and not develop feelings. It would be like he was training himself. Then he could return to SG-3, keep working alongside Elda, and stop all this nonsense in his head.

Yeah. That should do it.

Elda joined Jasuf at the waterfall. He gazed at her curiously as she approached. "Is that my father's cape?" he asked incredulously.

Elda giggled. "He insisted. He knew I was cold."

His eyes were wide. "Then we must obtain a proper cloak for you. One that will match your dress." He fingered the intricately-woven fabric draped over her shoulders. "This is… much too large for you." He laughed softly.

"Like your overcoat before."

"Ahh, yes. The Earth Bear coat."

She smacked his chest. "Shush." She looked down at the ground where food was laid out on a large, wide tarp. "What's this?"

"Lunch." He pulled her down to sit with him on the clean sheet.

She smiled as she received a plate and utensils. "There's a word for this on Earth. But I'm having trouble remembering it."

"I am sure it will come to you. Or you can ask your family when you return."

She hummed in agreement.

"How was your visit?"

"Pleasant. So! You asked Agean to choose this dress for me?"

Jasuf smiled as he sipped from a flask. "You learned of that?"

"Of course I did, Jasuf. When did you and her become friendly?"

"I do not recall. But there were times when Goru visited here and brought her with him. We have been social with her."

"Have any other sisters of mine been here lately?"

"Idul."

"That's not surprising."

"No. A few others as well. Training partners of some of the men. From time to time they sit in the eating hut of our village."

"Really," Elda said with interest. She looked up at the waterfall roaring next to them. Her eyes focused on the cave she knew to be behind it. It was there that they first imagined bringing their peoples together in social situations. She was a little surprised that it had actually begun to happen now. "My Love…"

He looked up from his food at her.

"Why did you really obtain this dress for me?"

Jasuf smiled adoringly. He reached a hand up to cup her neck. "Because I wanted to see you in it."

She regarded him dubiously. "Is that all?"

"Yes. What other reason would there be?"

"It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with my station, would it?"

He raised his brow. "I know your feelings on that matter, My Love. Your station requires no particular mode of dress. You could wear your sleeping clothes if you desired."

She scoffed. "No one wants to see me in that."

He laughed. "I have no ulterior motive, Elda. Do not confuse me with them." She knew he was referring to their tribe leaders.

She sighed. "Alright." She leaned over their food to kiss him. "Thank you. The dress is beautiful."

"As are you. I should like to give you more of these."

"Where did you even have this made?"

"I received a recommendation when I was on Hibradeen."

She just looked at him as she ate. "From who?"

He smirked.

Elda grew suspicious at his look. She widened her eyes, encouraging him to confess.

"The female Jaffa who approached me."

"What?"

"The ones your sisters loudly described your grand accomplishments to."

"Why…"

"I made it clear that I meant to escort you to your Den Mother's wedding. I requested a dressmaker who could produce a garment for you to wear there."

Elda's mouth popped open. But her eyes were smiling. "You didn't. That's like… oh, how does Cameron say it? Rubbing salt in a wound!"

Jasuf merely tilted his head, slightly confused by her phrasing. He chose not to ask. "I could not guarantee that they would not try to sabotage you by recommending a garment maker of low quality. Consider that a trial."

Elda looked down at her dress. "I actually like this."

"As do I. I will commission that garment maker again. For both of us."

She wagged a finger at him. "You are a sneaky Jaffa."

He laughed. "Do you complain?"

She felt herself warming by the way he was smiled at her mischievously. His dimples were on full display. "Maybe not." She leaned over their food to kiss him. His hand reached around her back to pull her close.

They forgot all about lunch.

"Teal'c, come on in," Hank said congenially.

"Hey, T," Jack greeted from his seat in front of Hank's desk.

"GeneralLandry. O'Neill."

Hank gestured for him to take the open spot next to Jack. "What's on your mind?"

"Ishta has chosen the timing of our nuptials. We will marry in two months time."

Hank raised his brows. "Only two months?"

"Correct."

He rubbed his chin. "Huh. You know around here, it takes a whole year to plan a wedding."

Jack nodded. "Longer, if you let a Space Princess get involved." He raised a hand in the air. "Speaking from experience."

"The Jaffa do not have the same requirements as humans do."

"I'm sure. Well, we'll all be happy to see you two get married. I'm sure it will be a grand old time," Hank said.

"Indeed. The Jaffa are almost guaranteed to let down their guards. Even guardsmen will partake in the food and drink."

Hank had a feeling Teal'c was here to make a request. "You think it might be a security risk?"

"Perhaps. Word has spread far of our impending nuptials. Many are planning to attend."

"Can't you control who shows up?"

"We cannot. For this affair, anyone who arrives with an offering to share will be allowed entry. We expect many well-wishers."

Hank blinked.

Jack tilted his head. "You're saying: it's potluck and anyone can crash your wedding?"

"Yes, O'Neill."

"Now that will be a party," Jack remarked.

Hank laughed aloud. "Teal'c, what do you need from us?"

"I would like to request the use of SGC personnel for security at the wedding. I sense our colleagues will be better able to maintain focus than drunken Jaffa."

Jack grinned. "You got it, T." He addressed Hank now. "What do you think? SFs?"

"I say we open it up to volunteers from the SG-teams. Let it be overtime pay. It's not everyday we get to witness the Jaffa wedding of the century."

"What do you say, T?"

He inclined his head. "I am agreeable to this plan."

Cameron gazed around the infirmary in awe. The same station workers he'd seen setting up the genetic repair facilities were now here, busy as bees. He maneuvered around them as they worked and tried not to get in the way. He ventured over to Carolyn's side. "They don't waste any time," he commented.

She was busy watching them with hands in her lab coat pockets. "Nope. Aurelia had them start as soon as she got a good look at the place."

Cameron observed as the workers attached components to mobile monitoring equipment.

His girlfriend leaned in to explain, "Apparently those will enhance the readings we get from the bedside imaging machines." She pulled a station data pad out of her pocket and held it up. "We just need one of these to receive the data and interpret it."

"Cool. You think it will be useful?"

"You don't even know how excited I am to use this stuff."

The Colonel grinned. "Look at you. Like a kid in a candy store." He scanned the rest of the infirmary. "Where's your best buddy now?"

"With Ambassador Smith, touring the rest of the base."

"Looks like he didn't take the time off Sam gave him. You know, technically, it should be my day off, too."

"Then why are you here?"

Seeing that none of their colleagues were within view, he placed an arm around her waist. "Because where you go, I go," he said nonchalantly. "I'm a little tired of being apart so much."

Carolyn leaned her head on his shoulder as she looked up at him. "You're so sweet."

Someone tsked behind them. When they turned, Daniel was there with Eruce Thel. "I thought I told you two to behave. Leave you alone for one second, and now look at you."

Cameron scowled at him. Carolyn rolled her eyes.

Eruce tilted her head in amusement.

"You're one to talk, Jackson."

Daniel bared his hands outward, looking innocent. He turned to Eruce. "And as you can see, this is called 'lack of decorum.'" He grinned back toward Cameron.

"Daniel," Carolyn said tiredly, "are you lost?"

"I'm exactly where I'm meant to be," he retorted. "Giving a tour of the SGC to an esteemed guest." He addressed Eruce again. "I'm so, so sorry you had to see that," he said sarcastically.

"I swear to God," Cameron muttered.

Eruce spoke now. "It would seem you are all close, given the way you pester each other."

"Not very ambassador-like, if you asked me," the Colonel grumbled, gesturing at Daniel.

"See here's the thing, Cam. I'm not the ambassador today. Smith is."

"Whoop-dee-do."

Daniel's teeth sparkled as he smiled at him. "And so this is Medical." He swept his hand outward to prompt Eruce to follow him away. She raised a hand toward them in goodbye as she left. The corners of her mouth were quirked upward, entertained by their banter.

Cameron just shook his head at Daniel's retreating form.

"Ass," Carolyn said.

"Ain't that the truth."

A couple days later, SG-3 sat in the briefing room with General Landry and Colonel Mitchell. "Corporal Smith was able to bring back the shipment of blasters. And now we're all refreshed," the SG-1 leader said. "Time to move on to the next step."

"Remind us of your grand plan, Colonel," Hank prompted.

"It's time for Corporal Smith and Elda to go back to Chigu. They'll deliver the goods from Corporal Crawford and Major Matthews's trade deal to get in the door. Then they open up talks for tretonin."

"Are we making a fake deal again?" Smith asked.

"I almost want to see how good their product is," Elda commented. "See how it stacks up against Zersha."

"General?" Colonel Mitchell asked deferentially.

"We can spare you some funds to buy tretonin," Hank agreed. "Who are you going to pretend to represent?"

"I wonder if we could make up a Jaffa tribe, so that no one real actually gets connected to this. For safety," Elda replied. "I was thinking on it yesterday while I was on Tek'ron."

Reynolds regarded her with approval, recognizing her initiative.

"How do you make a fake tribe?" Baker wondered.

"There's this planet I know that would have been a perfect place for the Jaffa to settle. We could use it as a cover, maybe even use station holographic technology to make it look like it has a village there already."

"Like Rellie's bar," Crawford murmured. He explained to the rest of the group, "Station ship has a holodeck on it, like Star Trek."

Elda quirked a brow at his curious reference, having heard him say that before. She still hadn't seen the show he was talking about. She continued on. "We also know the SGC is capable of making up fake people. If Chigu were to check out the planet, maybe that would be enough to fool them."

Cameron retorted, "That's if they only make a cursory observation of the area. Zersha never made direct contact with the Hak'tyl when they were still scoping out who had their calling card, right?"

"Right."

"Ambassador Smith, would you be so kind as to ask our ally if we could borrow this technology?" Hank asked.

"Yes, sir."

"So, Smith and Elda go to Chigu," Reynolds summarized. "Drop off the order for blasters. Talk to someone about tretonin… and then what?"

Cameron answered, "Confirm Chigu's involvement in the moon experiments."

"Sirs, what happens if our folks get confirmation?" Baker asked. "Are we declaring that conglomerate Enemy #1?"

Everyone turned to Landry. "Earth isn't prepared to declare war on anyone, but we're certainly going to pass the intel along to other interested parties."

"Like the Jaffa High Council," Baker presumed.

"That's correct, Lieutenant. It's their people who were wronged. It will be up to them how they want to respond. I'm sure Teal'c will urge them to pursue diplomatic avenues of expressing their displeasure."

Elda cautioned, "The Jaffa are good and mad about this, General. Everyone has heard about what happened to those people on the moon. They're enraged."

"Blood's in the water," Cameron said.

"I can't predict what the Jaffa High Council will do," Elda admitted. "But I can imagine many Jaffa would try to get some revenge on their own. They wouldn't wait for the Council."

"So you're saying: be careful who we reveal our intel to?"

Elda inclined her head. "Might be wise to keep the information only in the hands of leadership." Then she frowned at her own suggestion. It felt a little wrong somehow to be recommending something other than full transparency. Wasn't that the very thing she often complained about with her own tribe leaders? And yet, this still felt like the better course of action. For the people's sake. The less they knew, the better.

Oh Gods. This whole Lady thing was causing her to think like them. Elda shuddered internally, hoping that this would be as far as it goes.

"I'll take that under advisement, Miss Mal Doran."

"Sirs, the cargo containers we brought back won't fit in Elda's ship," Smith remarked. "We're going to need to use something bigger."

"Elda, can you fly a tel'tak?" Mitchell asked.

Her mouth gaped. "I've never tried before." She tilted her head. "I'm actually not familiar with most Goa'uld vessels. Just Zershan ships."

"Why is that?" Baker wondered.

"I always tried to avoid the Goa'uld in my youth. Which, by default, also meant not going anywhere near ships they made."

Cameron's mouth twitched ever so slightly. His eyes flitted toward the General, whose face remained perfectly controlled. Elda hadn't said anything untrue. But she certainly got close to revealing something.

"Sounds like a smart move," Reynolds commented. He seemed none the wiser. Crawford and Smith shared a glance, acknowledging to each other that they had learned yet another detail about Elda's past. They filed it away for mental safe-keeping.

"Maybe now is a good time to learn," Hank decided. "Could be useful in the long run. Get some lessons from Teal'c."

Elda nodded nervously. "When do we need to leave for Chigu?" she asked of Cameron.

"Corporal?"

Crawford responded, "We promised delivery after three weeks. So you have until… next Friday."

"You think…" Cameron calculated time in his mind. "…nine days is enough?" He squinted at Elda uncertainly.

"I won't know until I start trying to learn." She grit her teeth then shrugged.

"I'll talk to Teal'c about getting you started right away, then. You'll report to the Alpha Site and use one of those ships for training. Do what you can inbetween your obligations to SG-3."

Reynolds made quiet eye contact with his counterpart from SG-1, thanking him for his consideration. "Elda, we don't have anything time-sensitive for the moment. Focus on your pilot training until the op."

"Got it."

"Smith, take the lead on this holodeck idea of hers."

"Yes, sir."

"Now…" Reynolds said with a sigh. "Crawford."

The marine breathed in.

"About this op Pierce wants you on…"

Elda and Smith's eyes went wide. Their heads snapped to Crawford. This was news to them. But their friend looked surprisingly calm.

"You do have a choice. You don't work for SG-2. Don't feel pressured into taking the assignment." Reynolds felt the need to vocalize these words aloud in front of everyone to emphasize them. Crawford had to know that what he was saying was the truth. Doing this in public would only make it more so.

"Sir, I think it would be a good opportunity to apply what I've learned. Maybe add a few new skills," Crawford replied confidently.

Hank regarded him with approval. "Then it's settled. Corporal, you will be temporarily assigned to SG-2 for the duration of their next mission. Report to Colonel Pierce upon dismissal."

"Sir."

Reynolds clenched his jaw, but did not protest. He simply stared at his marine, wondering if he was about to lose him.