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Prologue
Colonel Jack O'Neill whistled cheerfully to himself as he pulled the bright sweatshirt on. These 'loop' things were annoying the crap out of him, until Daniel had pointed out that he'd be able to do anything he wanted ... without any consequences.
He and Teal'c had taken full advantage of this. T had practically beaten up a young Airman who'd kept crashing into him with a door, they'd played golf through the Stargate, and O'Neill had personally ridden a bicycle through the warren-like corridors of the SGC during the habitual full alert caused by Malikai and his endless looping.
And now ... now was the time for the piece de resistance. Something that had preyed on his smarter-than-he-wanted-people-to-know mind for a few weeks now.
Ignoring his gimpy knee, he strode up the metal stairs and into the control room and got ready, surprised to find himself nervous. "Colonel? You're out of uniform," General George S. Hammond, CO of the SGC, told him.
O'Neill beamed at his CO. "Yes, sir," he said. He strode over to Major Samantha Carter, his own 2IC, then tugged her into a passionate kiss. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. Not the response he'd been expecting, but who was he to argue?
Just for the hell of it, he dipped her - who said he couldn't be romantic when he wanted? - and waited for the annoying flash that would signal the resetting of the loop.
He waited.
"Sir?" Carter squeaked as she stepped away from him, her blonde hair mussed and her lips red.
And he waited. Carter stared up at him, her goldfish impression only topped by the intense fury on Hammond's face.
Oh, crap. He'd left the resignation letter on his desk.
++++++++++++
Major Doctor Samantha Carter was officially pissed. Because of Colonel O'Neill and his stupidity, she now had an official reprimand on her record! She'd spent the evening of her disciplinary with Janet Fraiser and a bottle - or three - of wine, and they'd both decided that Jack O'Neill was an asshole.
She stormed onto the base the day after, intent on finding everyone's favorite smart-ass and demanding what the hell he'd been thinking. Not that she hadn't enjoyed it ...
'No, don't even go there, Sam!', she urged herself. She signed in and hurried to the elevator, then blushed deeply. "General," she said politely.
"Major," he responded stiffly.
Oh yeah, he was still furious. But it had been the Colonel who'd borne the brunt of his anger. What had Hammond called him? Oh, right: "A disgrace to the uniform". General Hammond certainly had a way with words.
Carter got out of the elevator. "If you're looking for O'Neill, Major, I wouldn't bother," Hammond said now.
Huh? "Sir?" she replied.
"The Colonel has been relieved of duty," Hammond replied, softening slightly toward his unofficial niece. "He faces court-martial."
To say Sam Carter was shocked would have been like saying that the Goa'uld weren't nice guys. Yeah, she was pissed at him, but he didn't deserve court-martial. From what he'd told her, several planets including Earth were caught in some kind of a subspace bubble and were repeating the same period of time over and over. For some reason, though, he and Teal'c were immune to its effects. She could understand how that would drive him crazy.
++++++++++++
Two weeks later
Faced with dishonorable discharge or early retirement, Jack O'Neill took the lesser of the two evils and retired. "I'm sorry, son," Hammond told him. "If there was anything I could've done ...".
O'Neill looked at his CO ... check that; former CO ... and smiled slightly. "Don't worry about it, General," he said, burying his very real pain. "The old knee couldn't have stood up to active duty much longer, anyway."
Hammond regarded him with that piercing blue-eyed gaze that occasionally made O'Neill wonder just how much the man could read him. "Of course, Jack," he replied. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "About your request ...".
"To retire off-world? Yes, sir?" O'Neill said. His heart beat quickly. 'Please let them say yes!'. There was nothing for him on Earth anymore - he wanted to take his chances someplace else.
"In the words of the Joint Chiefs; we owe you that much," Hammond said. He smiled slightly, then the smile faded away. "Understand, though, we can't give you a GDO. It's a one-way trip."
"I understand, General," O'Neill said.
++++++++++++
Clad in jeans and faded sweatshirt with the Air Force logo - welcome to the Jack O'Neill hall of irony! - O'Neill stood in the 'gate room, waiting for Sergeant Davis to finish dialing. His heart sank when his team - former team, dammit! - walked into the room. Nuts.
"Hey, kids," he said lightly. "Come to see me off, did ya?"
Teal'c gripped his forearm tightly. "I do not understand Tauri regulations - surely the passion between a man and a woman is irrelevant to their ability to do battle." He dipped his head. "You are my friend, and my brother. And I will miss you."
O'Neill smirked, trying to ignore the lump in his throat. "Geez, T; that was pretty loquacious for you."
"Jack ...," Daniel said uncertainly, his blue eyes wide behind his glasses. "Is there something you're not telling us?"
O'Neill knew immediately what his friend was getting at. "Sorry, Daniel; no sting this time," he said. He put a friendly arm around the younger man's shoulders. "Be good, ya hear me?"
"Gee." Daniel grinned. "Guess I'll have to get a new role model, then."
Smart ass. He and O'Neill had definitely hung around together too long. O'Neill groaned silently as he turned to his former 2IC. She'd cut her blonde hair to more regulation length, and he admired the pixie effect with her big blue eyes. "Carter," he said. "Sorry about ...". He waved his hands expressively. "No; I'm not sorry about kissing you, but I'm sorry you got that reprimand." His own file had enough reprimands on it to choke a horse, but this was the first one for Carter, and she'd been understandably pissed.
She blushed. "It's not like I tried to stop you, sir," she pointed out. She smiled slightly. "Just out of curiosity; what would have happened if the loop had reset itself?"
"I'd be sitting facing you over a table with a goofy grin on my face," he admitted. "I'll miss you, Carter - for a scientist, you're okay."
She gave him a bigger smile. "We'll miss you too, sir," she said.
O'Neill didn't bother correcting her use of 'sir' - after nearly four years, it had become ingrained. The 'gate activated and he hitched his backpack more firmly onto his shoulders. "Yeah, well ... that's my cue," he said.
He turned and headed up the ramp, then turned back once more to view his colleagues, his friends ... hell, his family. "See ya, kids," he said.
With that, Jack O'Neill turned, walked through the wormhole and into the next phase of his life.
Part One
Jack O'Neill stepped through the 'gate to P4X 739 - Carter would've had a fit if she'd known he'd memorized all the 'gate addresses - and breathed in deeply. Nice. Blue skies, not too many trees, a lake and, best of all, no goddamn Jaffa. Over the last couple years of wandering, he'd had one too many close calls for comfort.
A little girl came barreling over to him. "Hi, Mister!" she hollered.
He smiled down at her. God, she was cute. About four or five, with curly black hair, brown skin and huge black eyes. "Hey," he said, wondering how to explain about the 'gate.
"This is Belrina," the little girl chattered, tucking a grubby hand into his and tugging him down the path. "You wanna meet my mom?"
"Uh ... yeah," he said cautiously. Hell, it wasn't like he was being given any choice in the matter.
++++++++++++
Malia cursed and shook her head. "Now where's she gone?" she muttered to herself. She activated her comdev. "Tiressa; get your little body back home!" she said.
"I'm here, Mommy," her daughter said in her best sweet manner - oh yes; she knew that she was in trouble.
"How many times have I told you not to go wandering off from your teachers?" Malia said, rushing over to her daughter, then skidding to a confused halt. "And who is this?" she asked, indicating the stranger. He stood several mellots taller than her and was pale-skinned, indicating that he was from off-world, and was lean and hardened with weathered features that managed to be attractive.
Tiressa tugged at her hair. "He's my friend, from somewhere called Earth," she said simply. "He's been travelin' a while. Can he have a meal?"
"Tiressa ...," the man said quietly. "I'm not going to impose on your mother." He put a gentle hand on her daughter's head, softening the rebuke, then smiled at Malia. "Sorry about this," he said. "The munchkin met me when I stepped through the 'gate and decided to volunteer your hospitality. I thought I'd better get her home safe - it's getting dark."
"I see," Malia said, her heart beating as she realized how lucky Tiressa had been to have met a good man during her escapade. "Well, the least I can do is offer you a meal," she continued. She looked at him. "I presume you are of human descent?" she queried.
"Hell, yeah!" That mobile mouth quirked into another grin. "I'm from a planet some people call the Tauri."
She knew that designation for the first world. "You know the Goa'uld?" she asked curiously.
"Met some, killed some, been tortured by some ... been there, done that, got the tee shirt," he said. "You don't seem too worried about them," he added.
She shrugged. "We're aware of them - we choose not to interact," she said. "Our world possesses no naqadah and our technology is vastly superior to theirs. It has been hundreds of years since any of us were taken."
She opened the coolant unit and removed a large bottle of water, handing it to the man. "Do you possess a name or should I simply say 'hey you'?" she added.
"Geez, my manners!" the man said, favoring her with another cheeky grin. Something inside her fluttered - attraction, perhaps? - before she tamped it down. "I'm Jack O'Neill," he said. "And you?"
"Malia," she replied. She turned to the computer and tapped rapidly on the screen. The materializer activated and delivered three hearty meals. Something told her that this man was what her grandfather would have called a 'meat and potatoes guy'. "Eat," she instructed, collaring her daughter mid-flight. "You too, little miss Tiressa."
Her daughter pouted, then sat down next to Jack, snatching his cap off him and plopping it onto her own head. "Yes, mom," she said patiently.
Jack squinted over at the materializer. "Cool," he muttered. "Very Star Trek."
"Your people do not possess this technology?" Malia said, unsure why she was surprised. Most of the off-world human cultures she'd encountered in her work with the Gate Travel Unit were somewhat behind Belrina.
Jack shook his head. "Well, they didn't when I left a couple years ago - something tells me you folks are way ahead of us. If it hadn't been for the Dark Ages, we'd be colonizing space right now."
"The ... dark ages?" Malia queried.
Jack grinned, diving enthusiastically into his meal. "We had about eight hundred years of ignorance and superstition," he said. "Sounds like your people escaped that." He paused and his eyes widened. "Holy crap ...," he muttered.
'Charming language,' Malia thought, then gave in and chuckled - the expression on his face was that of sheer bliss. "I'm glad you enjoy your food," she said. "You are very tall - you need sustenance."
++++++++++++
'Kill me now; I've found heaven,' Jack O'Neill mused, making his way through the juiciest, most tender prime steak he'd ever experienced. And the company wasn't bad either. Malia seemed a little shy around him, but her daughter - a miniature edition of the lovely woman - more than made up for that.
Little Tiressa was still wearing his cap, despite the fact that it would not stay on her bubbly curls and ate her food with one pudgy hand, whilst the other was firmly ensconced through his arm. "Jack; you married?" she asked.
O'Neill coughed wildly, then stared at the little girl. "Uh, no ... why?" he said.
"Then who's this?" she asked, waving a picture at him. "And why you wearing soldier clothes?"
Ah; a team photo he'd kept throughout his travels. It had almost become a lucky charm. "Friends of mine, back on Earth," he said lightly. He'd missed them intensely at first, but had adjusted to his loss over time. "Haven't seen 'em for a while."
"She's pretty." Tiressa dabbed at Carter's face. "I've never seen anyone with hair that color before."
"Yes, she is," O'Neill admitted. He might have been her CO, but he wasn't blind. There'd been chemistry between them since the day she'd strode into the briefing room and said "She is transferring from the Pentagon." But they'd never let it interfere with their work until his day of stupidity.
"So ... why you wearing soldier clothes?" Tiressa said.
O'Neill grinned - geez, she was persistent. "I was the leader of a team who explored different worlds through the Stargate."
"Wow, just like Mom," Tiressa said, jerking her thumb at Malia, who was quietly removing the dishes from the table. "She's the best."
"Tiressa!" Malia cast her eyes downward and a faint blush appeared on her dark skin. "I'm sure Jack doesn't want to hear about the GTU."
"Actually," O'Neill said, "I would. We called ourselves the SGC - Stargate Command - but it's probably a similar thing." He got up and gathered up some more dishes. "I'll take care of these," he added. "It's the least I can do."
++++++++++++
Malia smiled at the man. "Thank you, but I'm used to it," she said.
"A-ah!" A long-boned hand shot up. "I insist."
Bossy male. She'd had enough of that type of man during her brief marriage to last her a lifetime. "It's all right," she said, putting a little more emphasis on her words.
"Geez!" Jack shook his head. "Relax, will ya? I'm just tryin' to be nice."
Malia sighed - maybe she was being overly sensitive. "I wash and you dry?" she offered as a compromise.
"Yeah, okay," the man replied.
They worked in silence, Malia because she was ashamed of her outburst and Jack ... because she suspected that he was not a big talker. His quiet watchfulness and the cynicism in his brown eyes ... the tense readiness in his lean frame ... all these screamed 'covert operations' to her, and she wondered what he was running from.
"Penny for 'em?" Jack aimed a crooked grin at her.
"What?" She blushed as she realized that she had been caught day-dreaming. "Oh, nothing," she replied.
++++++++++++
O'Neill sighed slightly as he stepped out of Malia's home, his stomach still pleasantly full from that steak. "Thank you for your hospitality, Malia," he said, putting his hand out to hers.
She hesitated, then clasped it firmly. "You're welcome," she replied.
She'd lost some of her stiffness around him as the evening had worn on, and he'd been pleased to discover that she had a nasty sense of humor similar to his own. He couldn't deal with people who had no sense of humor.
She tugged at his hand. "Let go," she said.
Geez; now what had he done? "Sorry," he retorted. "Didn't realize my touch would contaminate you!" Oh yeah; welcome to the Jack O'Neill School of Galactic Diplomacy - Daniel would have been so proud.
She frowned at him, then sighed. "I'm sorry, Jack," she replied. "I ... don't like being touched."
"Fair enough." He let go immediately - he might not be the most clued-in guy around, but he'd seen many rape victims and abuse sufferers in his time. Something told him that this shy beautiful woman had suffered through at least the latter, if not both.
++++++++++++
O'Neill unrolled his sleeping bag and prepared to bunk down for the night, his stomach still pleasantly full from dinner. He figured he'd stay on this world a couple more days, then move on. During the last two years, he'd not stayed very long on any world, preferring to wander.
The longest stay had been about a year ago when he'd run foul of some snake-head called Baal. He'd been badly injured and had stayed with a group of Tok'ra for about a month while he'd healed. He could have healed much quicker if he'd accepted a snake like they'd wanted.
He snorted in amusement - like that was ever gonna happen!
He linked his hands behind his head and settled back with a sigh, then froze as he heard a twig snapping - someone was watching him. He quietly withdrew his 9mm and clicked off the safety. A shadow fell over him.
He'd lost nothing from his Black Ops days - he rolled to his feet and grabbed the intruder by the throat, pushing him against a tree and pointing the 9mm into his temple. "Can I help you?" he inquired.
The man swallowed hard. "I am not here to hurt you," he said. "You are Colonel O'Neill, yes?"
"Retired," O'Neill shot back. Wow; deja vu. He didn't let go. "What d'you want?"
"I am Sub-Altern Remik of the GTU - the ...".
"Gate Travel Unit," O'Neill said. "You work with Malia."
"Sub-Commandant Malia is my commanding officer," the man said. "When we learned that an Earth man had arrived on our world, I was asked to retrieve you and bring you to the GTU."
"For what purpose?"
"We have sent ... expeditions to your world on a number of occasions," the young man croaked. "No-one returned. We need your help to determine why."
Ouch. The iris. O'Neill winced and released his chokehold. "Yeah; about that ...," he said. "I think I'd better have a chat with your superiors."
Relief flashed over the man's face. "Thank you, sir," he said, touching two fingers to his temple - a salute?
++++++++++++
"Colonel O'Neill?" A man with iron-gray hair stood up as O'Neill strolled into the office.
"Yeah," O'Neill said - he'd given up telling people he was retired. "And you are ...?" He stood several inches taller than the other man - could be useful for intimidation purposes.
"Commandant Tirol," the man replied. "You are from the Tauri, yes?" He wasn't intimidated.
O'Neill squinted at the two beefy security types who stood at the entrance to the office. "Am I under arrest?" he asked.
Commandant Tirol shook his head. "Leave," he instructed the grunts. The two young men walked away and he smiled slightly at O'Neill. "Please, Colonel, have a seat," he invited.
O'Neill sat down, then shot up once more. "Whoa!" he said. "This thing's movin'!"
"Of course," the other man said. "It is a conformer seat; it adjusts to its occupant for maximum comfort."
"Ah." O'Neill sat gingerly back down; the movements of the chair were vaguely erotic, and he wasn't sure he liked it. "Sorry; don't have these where I come from."
"Colonel; can you tell us why all three of our expedition parties - eighteen good men and women - failed to return from your world?" The man cut right to the chase.
Eighteen people. All dead. Crap. O'Neill plowed his hand through his hair. "We have a device called an iris that protects the 'gate," he replied. "You need another doohickey to unlock the iris."
"And ...?"
"Ah ... without the GDO, the iris wouldn't open. Anything in the matter stream would stay there until ... the wormhole collapsed."
"At which point, they were killed." The man scowled. "Eighteen good people, who meant you no harm, Colonel! We are peaceful explorers."
"Well, we'd like to be - we'd love to make like Captain Picard and say we come in peace ... but half the people we meet want to kill us and the other half want to screw us over in some way!" O'Neill snapped, glaring at the man. "The snake-heads aren't interested in this world; count yourselves lucky for that."
The man returned the glare, then sighed, tugging his jacket straight. "I am sorry, Colonel," he said. "Of course you would wish to protect your world. And at least we now know why our people died and how to prevent it occurring. We will send no more expeditions to Earth."
"Can I go now?" O'Neill said, although he was fighting the urge to nod off. The chair - now that it had stilled - was quite possibly the most comfortable thing he'd ever sat on. That in turn made him more alert. Anyone who wanted someone this comfortable had something to hide.
"Of course," the other man replied. "And thank you for coming peaceably."
O'Neill snorted. "Yeah? Tell that to Sub-Altern Remik."
A smile flashed over the Commandant's face. "His throat will heal quickly - his pride may be another matter." He and O'Neill rose, and the man clasped O'Neill's hand in a firm shake. "Your people trained you well, Colonel," he added.
"Yeah?" O'Neill replied non-committally.
"If you are planning to stay here for a while, we could use another experienced field officer," Tirol said. "You should not waste the training you have had."
"I'm not sticking around," O'Neill said. "I left the military two years ago; I like my life now."
And it was true - for the most part. The first few months had been lonelier than he'd felt since losing Charlie and he'd wanted to go back to Earth every day. Jack O'Neill was used to being alone, but he didn't like it - he was always surprised when people called him a loner. But he'd had a ball the last couple years, visiting new worlds, making friends and yes enemies.
Yeah; sometimes he wished he had someone he could share his adventures with, but people tended to get hurt when he got close to them. He'd hurt Sara, Charlie, Carter ... Yeah. He was better off alone.
The man regarded him with a piercing stare that reminded him of Hammond, although they couldn't have looked less alike. "As you wish, Colonel," he said. "I will have Sub-Altern Remik show you back to your encampment."
"Thank you, Commandant," O'Neill said smartly, resisting the urge to salute. Seems you could take the boy out of the military, but you couldn't take the military out of the boy.
++++++++++++
"You did what?" Malia eyed her commanding officer like he'd grown a second head.
Commandant Tirol frowned. "I don't appreciate your tone, Sub-Commandant," he said. "Sit down."
Malia did so - she did not want another reprimand on her record. "With all respect, sir, what can the Earth man offer? His world is primitive, and he has not served in the military for over two years."
Tirol tapped on a computer. "Before New Tollana was destroyed by the Goa'uld, we learned of the Tauri from them."
Malia wanted to scream - Tirol was a good man, but he could be long-winded. "Sir?" she replied.
"Colonel O'Neill lead his world's first off-planet expedition to a world called Abydos, where he was instrumental in the destruction of the Goa'uld known as Ra," Tirol said. "Then he became the leader of a team called SG-1 and for over three years, visited nearly as many worlds as we have managed in twenty five years of exploration. He is a military man through and through, yet he is able to work effectively with civilians and even a Jaffa."
"So, he's good at what he does," Malia mused. "That does not mean we need him here."
"It's a moot point," Tirol said. "He turned us down."
Malia smiled slightly. "He prefers to go 'bumming around' the galaxy," she said. "He's running from something."
"We all have demons, Malia," Tirol pointed out. "You know that."
She accepted his point - after all, he had shot and killed her husband three years ago when he'd found Kitan forcing himself on her at knife-point. "Commandant; if he turned you down, why tell me about your offer?" she asked.
He smiled slightly. "You would have found out, anyway," he said. "At least this way, you explode in private and not in front of a group of junior officers."
Malia chuckled. "Point taken," she said. She rose from the chair. "If you will excuse me, I think Sub-Altern Remik needs some more training in stealth tactics."
"Of course." Tirol smiled at her. "But be gentle, Malia - his pride has been wounded."
"Would I be anything else, sir?" she asked, opening her eyes wide.
++++++++++++
After his subordinate left the office, Commandant Tirol allowed his smile to become a chuckle. At her worst, she was aggravating, sulky, surly and downright disrespectful. But at her best, she was courageous, forthright, moral and insightful. And she made him laugh, although a Commandant should not laugh at a smart-mouthed subordinate's remarks.
And, maverick that she was, she challenged him. Even a Commandant was not infallible, and Malia often served to keep him from becoming 'too full of himself' as his wife phrased it.
After her husband's death, he'd watched her blossom from a frightened woman into the strong, confident, impertinent female that she now was, and he was happy for her. When he'd found her three years ago, cowering and naked under her husband's brutal assault, he'd suddenly understood her timidity and fear of hands.
He'd shot the poor example of humanity and had taken her immediately to his wife - the GTU's chief medical officer. Simona had not gone into details, but she'd said enough. There'd been evidence of poorly healed fractures, whip and knife marks all over, burn scars. She had probably been beaten every day since her marriage - even whilst carrying their child. That had also explained Tiressa's prematurity. She had been born only seven months into term, and was small even now.
The physical scars had healed quickly ... the emotional scars, Tirol knew, would take longer. In many respects, she had made a good recovery. She could be alone with men, work alongside them and socialize with them without panicking. Yet she evinced no interest in a man as a normal mature female.
He had wondered if perhaps she was not more drawn to females, but he'd learned better when Sirella, leader of GT-9, had attempted to draw her into a passionate embrace several months ago. Malia had shattered the other woman's jaw - ouch.
++++++++++++
O'Neill sighed as he flopped down once more onto his sleeping bag and saw the sun rise. 'Huh; guess sleep's over-rated anyway,' he mused. He sat up and began stuffing his clothes into his back-pack. Time to move on.
"Hi, Jack."
O'Neill spun round and smiled at Tiressa. "Hey, munchkin," he said. "Does your mom know you're here?"
She put her finger in her mouth and looked guilty.
"Oh, for cryin' out loud ...". O'Neill shoved his hand through his hair. "You gotta stop with the disappearing act, kid - she must be worried out of her mind."
"Where ya going?" she asked, skating blithely over his little lecture.
"Haven't decided yet," O'Neill said. "But before I go, I'm taking you home."
He stretched his hand out to her, and she immediately linked her chubby fingers with his. "Let's go, short stuff," he added, groaning when his knee clicked as he attempted to stand. He'd blown it out a few months ago during a rock-fall on some dustbowl of a planet, and it hadn't healed very well.
He forced himself upright, blinking as his vision swam. "Jack; you okay?" Tiressa asked.
"Peachy." O'Neill grinned down at her. "Just not a kid anymore."
++++++++++++
Malia sank gratefully into the hot water, a little stiff after her training session with Sub-Altern Remik. "Aaaaah," she mumbled, her eyes closing blissfully.
She stretched out a wet arm and activated a music crystal, then smiled at the soft strains of the shilna. Yes; she might be a soldier, but everyone needed pampering now and then!
"Hi, mommy!" her daughter sang out.
"Hi, baby," she said, not opening her eyes. "You have a good day at school?"
"Yeah; Jack brought me home," Tiressa said.
Oh, Gods! Malia shot up, her eyes opened and her hands covering her naked form as best she could. Jack's back was turned, but she could see the flush on his neck, which indicated that he'd ... seen something. His skin was much paler than hers, although beaten by the elements, and his embarrassment was obvious. "Tiressa; give me my robe," she said.
"Uh ... sorry," Jack muttered. "Tiressa did her escape artist thing again and came to visit me."
Malia got out of the bath and snatched the robe from her errant daughter, wrapping it snugly around her tall sturdy frame. "Thank you for bringing her home," she said, then sighed. "You can turn around now," she added, wondering why she'd been so embarrassed. She'd despised her body for a long time, ever since her husband had claimed it on their wedding night. Her introduction to sexuality had been vicious and shocking, and she'd learned that she was unable to respond.
The tall man, his flush decreasing, did so, then his brown eyes skittered over her. He blushed again. "Sorry," he said as Tiressa skipped off. "Nice ... robe." His hands waved in the air.
"Would you like a drink, Jack?" she said, turning and leading the way down the stairs.
"Yeah, thanks," he replied, letting out a hiss. "Shi ... uh, shoot!" he muttered as an audible click came from him.
"You are injured," Malia said.
"My ... knee," the man grumbled. "Blew it out a few months ago; it hasn't healed very well."
"Not surprising if you have been roaming the planets," Malia chided mildly. She sighed as she saw his face turn white - she'd encountered pale-skinned humans before of course, but she'd not seen one in pain before. "You cannot get down the stairs," she said. Bracing herself, she put an arm around his waist and led him to her bedroom. "Lie down, and I will contact a doctor."
"Ah, for cryin' out loud!" Jack said, putting an arm around her shoulders and allowing her to help him onto the bed. "I hate doctors."
"You're being childish," Malia said. "Simona will heal you - she is a good woman."
Part Two
"How is he doing, Simona?"
Malia studied the Tauri's long frame, his features surprisingly boyish in sleep. Simona and her team had worked ceaselessly for most of the morning repairing the torn ligaments and shriveled muscles of the man's knee, and Simona had reported that the procedure was a success.
"He will make a good recovery," Simona said. "He is strong and healthy. But I suspect that he will not be a good patient."
Malia smiled slightly - the string of curses from the older man whilst Simona had assessed him had told her that much. "I believe you're right, Simona," she said. "I think you have your work cut out for you."
Simona grimaced. "Thanks," she said. She touched Malia's hand. "You're attracted to him, aren't you?"
Malia's eyes widened. "No! Yes! I ... don't know," she babbled. She sighed. "You ... know my history, Simona," she said. "Any time a man ...". She chewed her lip. "I'm terrified," she admitted flatly. "He seems like a good, gentle man but ... that's what I thought about Kitan."
"Hey," Jack croaked. "What's up?"
Simona squeezed Malia's shoulder, then turned back to the Tauri. "Hello, Jack," she said. "How do you feel?"
"Peachy," Jack retorted. He squinted around the small medbay, then added, "When can I get out of here?"
Simona rolled her eyes. "I knew it," she sighed.
Malia chuckled. "I don't envy you," she commented.
++++++++++++
O'Neill squinted around the infirmary-like place, his knee throbbing gently. "So, Doc ...," he taunted. "When can I get out of here?" he persisted.
She made a mumble that sounded suspiciously like 'Bite me', but he chose to ignore it. "Doc!" he barked.
"You must rest for several days, Jack," someone said quietly, and he looked over to the source.
Ah. Malia. Now that was a sight to wake up to. Rich brown skin, huge chocolate eyes and a gorgeous face. Man; the guys around here were lucky. "Hey there," he said. He aimed a charming grin at her. "Come to bust me outta here?"
The Doc ... Simona ... sighed. "He is a worse patient than even you, Malia," she said. "You must stay in bed for three more days whilst your muscles regenerate," she said.
"Regenerate? Is that what it sounds like?" O'Neill said.
"We have replaced the torn ligaments, but the muscles around the knee have atrophied," Simona replied. "You've favored that knee for many years - you need to relearn how to use it."
"Sweet." O'Neill sent his patented Colonel death glare her way. More physiotherapy.
She was unfazed by the glare - was probably used to dealing with grouchy military officers - and put her hand to his forehead. "Your temperature is normal and you're in otherwise excellent health. Just ... try to be patient for the next three days, please?"
"Hah," he mumbled sourly.
++++++++++++
Three days later
"Oh, for cryin' out loud!"
Simona started and sighed as her worst patient threw a clipboard to the floor. She got up and went over to him. "Is there a problem?" she said in less than her usual calm tones.
"Geez, Doc; ya tryin' to kill me with paperwork or something?" The tall Tauri pushed a hand through his hair. "I'm here, my knee's getting better, when it does I'm moving on. What more do ya need to know?"
Simona smiled guiltily. True; as an off-worlder, he was exempt from the medical paperwork of the GTU. But it had kept him quiet for several precious hours. "Perhaps a break?" she suggested, retrieving the clipboard. "You've made good progress in spite of your attitude" - he glared at her. "Maybe you'd like a tour of the base?"
He sent her a grin with such charm that she sucked in a surprised breath. No wonder Malia was drawn to him! If she hadn't had a handsome soldier of her own, she might well have ... Never mind. "That would be great," he said. He swung his long legs over the side of the bed and reluctantly allowed her to help him into a motorized chair. "Geez; I feel like some old fart in this thing!"
Simona sighed again. She should have known that the charm would soon disappear. She gave him rapid instructions on how to operate the chair, then handed him a comdev. "Keep this switched on at all times," she said. "I'll monitor you from here."
He looked at her suspiciously. "You want me outta here for a few, dontcha?" he said.
Were all humans of the Tauri so perceptive? Or did he torture all his doctors this way? "I admit it," she said. "Besides, it will do you good to see something other than these walls."
"Yeah, sure," he said, then activated the chair. It reversed neatly, then spun 180 degrees as he sped out of the medbay. "See ya, Doc!" he called, nearly mowing down a young Sub-Altern as he made his escape.
++++++++++++
'Huh; this is actually pretty cool,' O'Neill mused as he spun the chair around on a penny and headed for the elevator. He went in and looked for the buttons. Oh yeah ... voice controlled. "Level 16," he said.
He got out several seconds later and sped along the rabbit warren that called itself a base, enjoying his new-found freedom. The last three days in the infirmary had been ... less than fun, although Malia had made a point of spending a little time with him each day.
She was a puzzle to him, though. One minute she was friendly and a lot of fun; the next, the most innocuous comment would cause her to withdraw. Like yesterday. They'd been trading stories about the different worlds they'd explored, then he'd told her she was beautiful - which she was.
She'd gone pale, had denied it shakily and had fled the infirmary. He hadn't seen her since. So ... personal comments were a no-no.
Huh; speak of the devil ... He gave her his most charming grin. "Hey," he said.
She returned the smile. "Hi," she said. She regarded him assessingly, her head tilted to one side. "You must be feeling better if Simona has let you out."
O'Neill shrugged. "I think she wanted me outta there for a while," he admitted. "I hate hospitals."
Malia nodded her head. "We know that much about you, Jack O'Neill," she teased gently, then chuckled when he grimaced at her.
++++++++++++
Malia smiled when Altern Remia appeared suddenly - the young woman had already admitted to being attracted to the Earth man - and aimed a dazzling smile at Jack. "How are you today, sir?" she said breathily.
'Very subtle!', Malia mused snidely, unsure why she cared.
Jack sent a polite smile her way. "Getting better, thank you, Altern," he said. The man had rapidly learned the markings of rank of the GTU - he was nowhere near as stupid as he pretended.
Remia nodded politely to Malia. "Well ... I should go," she said. "I'm expected in the debark room."
Jack sighed. "Have fun," he said. "Wish I was going with you."
"Me too ... sir," Remia said, moistening her full lips. "Sub-Commandant," she added, strolling away.
"So ... whatcha doin'?" Jack said. "You fancy a walk outside?"
Malia nodded. "I could do with some fresh air," she admitted. She watched as Jack called for the lift, hiding a smile when he waved her into it ahead of him. It was a rather old-fashioned courtesy that was not much practiced on this world, but it was ... nice. "Ground zero," she directed the lift.
"Malia," he said suddenly, "I'm sorry if I crossed a line yesterday."
She forced a smile. "No matter," she said. "I'm no good at ... flirting, but Remia is." She felt much more comfortable when she was not talking about herself.
"Remia?" He appeared startled. "She's just a kid!"
"She finds you very attractive," Malia said as they got out of the lift. "If you wish to flirt with someone, she would be most receptive."
"A-ah!" Jack shook his head. "I'm old enough to be her father - I don't think of her like that."
Malia smiled slightly. "You're not that old, Jack," she said. "I know you are older than I, but not by much."
Jack chuckled and patted her hand quickly. "Bless you for that," he said. "Unless you're a helluva lot older than you look I'm at least fifteen years older than you. You're ... what ... thirty?"
Malia was startled - despite his pallor from his recent operation, the man was strong and healthy with a lean toned physique. She would not have thought him to have had over forty years of life. "I turned thirty recently, yes," she said quietly. Her hand tingled from the brief contact and she frowned.
"Geez ... another kid," he said. "I'm surrounded by 'em." He breathed in deeply as they exited the GTU base. "Fresh air - finally!" he said dramatically.
"Jack!"
Malia heard her daughter's unmistakable shriek and watched as she bounded over to the Earth man. "Hey, Tiressa," he said, opening his arms.
Tiressa - normally chary about hugging - fell into his embrace and let him perch her on his good knee. "You feelin' better?" she asked, snuggling her curly head into him.
"Yeah," he said, putting a gentle hand on her head. "Your mom's sprung me for a bit - you wanna come with us while we walk?"
"Yeah, sure, ya betcha!" Tiressa sang, and Malia smiled at the O'Neill-ism, then frowned once more.
Her daughter had become very attached to the Earth man over the last few days. Whilst this was nice for her, Jack O'Neill would be moving on very soon. He was a wanderer, and she knew that Tiressa would be hurt when he left.
'And what of you, Malia?', her annoying inner voice asked. 'You are drawn to him also.'
'Shut up.'
++++++++++++
O'Neill smiled as the little girl wrapped her arms around his neck, chattering away excitedly. He'd forgotten how good it was to hug a kid - kids and dogs were far and away his favorite people.
He breathed in deeply as they got to the top of the hill, glad to have gotten out of the base if only for a while. "This is nice," he said to Tiressa's mother. He winced as Tiressa's sturdy foot contacted his heeling knee. "Careful, kiddo," he said.
"Sorry, Jack!" she said and got off of him. "Can I go play, Mommy?" she wheedled.
"You can, but stay where we can see you," Malia warned.
"Yes, mom," Tiressa said in that patient long-suffering tone every child adopted.
She skipped away to a nearby tree, then produced what looked like a coloring book. "An artist, huh?" O'Neill said, watching the little girl stick her tongue out as she concentrated.
Malia smiled shyly. "She is," she said. "She certainly did not get that from me - I can barely draw a straight line."
"Takes after her dad, I guess," O'Neill guessed, then sighed as the young woman stiffened visibly. It hadn't taken him long to work out that her marriage had been less than happy, but the sadness in her huge eyes spoke of a deep trauma.
"I suppose so," she admitted quietly.
++++++++++++
Malia cursed herself silently. Her blossoming friendship with this man made her happy for the first time in years, but as soon as he mentioned Kitan she could feel herself tense. Jack O'Neill of the Tauri seemed like a good, kind man, yet his lean scarred body told of years of battle; both internal and external.
He had served the Earth military for more than twenty years before his retirement - that had to have exacted a toll on him, and sometimes she saw a pain in his dark eyes that reflected her own. Before the shutters came down. He was as adept at hooding his feelings as she had become.
Yet she was drawn to him on some primal, powerful level she couldn't understand. Drawn to him in a way she had never been to Kitan. It was not just his unusual good looks or the strong soldier's body but something ... deeper.
Despite her fear of physical intimacy, she could feel herself flush when they came into contact. Jack seemed to recognize her reticence, for he rarely forced contact, limiting himself to a quick pat on her hand or shoulder. But it was enough for Malia - she was not ready to begin an affair, and certainly not with a man who would be leaving within the next two weeks.
"Hey," Jack said and she blinked. "Wow; you were pretty out of it there," he teased.
"Sorry," she said. "I was thinking."
"You're always thinking," he said. "Your head'll implode if you don't take a break now and then."
Malia smiled. "Commandant Tirol has told me the same thing on occasion," she admitted. "He is like you - he pretends to be stupid," she added fondly.
"You're pretty close to him, aren't you?" Jack said. "Isn't that a worry when you're his 2IC?"
"We are not close in that manner," she said. "He and Simona are my best friends. Were you not close to your own ... 2IC?"
"Yeah," he admitted. "We've been through stuff most people on the planet couldn't even imagine." He sighed. "I missed them a lot when I first left, but it gets easier with time."
"Why DID you retire?" Malia asked curiously. "You are strong and healthy - you could have served for a long time yet."
"With my bum knee?" He chuckled. "I give it four years at most before I ended up flying a desk - if I hadn't been court-martialed in the meantime."
Malia could almost see the shutters come down. "You have come close to court-martial?" she said.
"Hell, yeah," Jack said. "But I usually escaped." He gave her a crooked grin. "Best of the best - they needed me."
"Me too. I am sure at least half of my file contains reprimands - the other commendations."
"Geez; I think I found another me," Jack said. He shoved his hands through his hair and sighed. "I did something stupid and was given a choice - dishonorable discharge or retirement." The hand went through his hair once more, leaving it in disarray. "If I'd fought it, people would've gotten hurt. This way, I was the only one to pay the price."
Malia nodded her head - she had undergone disciplinary action on behalf of her team on many occasions. "You're a protector," she said. "I understand."
Jack shrugged. "Yeah; I guess you do," he said quietly. He took in a deep breath. "So ... how long ya think we can stay out here before Doc hauls my ass back into the medbay?"
Malia chuckled. "I think you are safe for a while yet," she said. "She probably appreciates the peace."
"Hey!" He looked comically injured. "You saying I'm a lousy patient?"
"You are awful," she admitted. "Even I am not as bad as you."
"Well ... it's boring in there," he grumped childishly. "Tell ya what; you spring me every day for a couple hours, and I'll lay off the Doc." He waggled his eyebrows. "Huh?"
Malia smiled. "Simona is my friend - I believe I owe her that much," she said. Not that it would be a hardship to spend time with the Earth man; despite the simmering attraction that she barely acknowledged, she enjoyed his company.
"Cool," he said, stretching his legs out carefully. "Hey! It doesn't hurt!" he said. "I could get to like it here."
++++++++++++
Seven days later
O'Neill cursed as he listed slightly and shrugged off the physio's hand. "I can do it," he insisted. It had been harder to relearn to use his knee than he'd thought, but he was getting better with each session - even he could see that.
The physio chuckled. "You are a stubborn man," he said. "You've made good progress - better than I expected given your age and the original damage."
O'Neill grimaced at the veiled insult. "Yeah ... well, twenty years of punishing physical activity takes its toll," he said. "You're just a kid yet - you wait." Yet he felt younger than he had in years and not just physically.
"Hello, Jack, Peral."
O'Neill smiled. Here was one of the reasons - the lovely Malia. Over the last ten days, they'd become good friends and indulged in the occasional flirtatious banter. "Hey, beautiful," he said.
"Hi," she said, no longer flinching at his compliments. He knew she didn't believe them, but at least she accepted them. "So, Jack ... you will be released tomorrow. I assume you will be leaving shortly thereafter?"
"Yeah ... I guess," O'Neill said reluctantly. In two years of wandering, he'd never felt so at home. Malia was so sweet, and Tiressa so adorable ... the romantic he kept well hidden wanted much more than the gentle friendship that had developed.
"In that case, I invite you to spend the day with us tomorrow," Malia said. "I am off duty and Tiressa is off school."
"How can I refuse?" O'Neill replied, walking steadily over to her. "Look; no hands!" he said. "And no wobble!"
Malia chuckled. "Not bad for an old ... geezer," she teased.
He put his tongue out at her. "Witch," he accused gently.
"Grumpy old man," she returned.
Neither of them saw Peral smile to himself as he left the medbay.
++++++++++++
"Free at last!" Jack exulted as he walked into Malia's house. He bent down as Tiressa barreled over to him and scooped her up into a giant hug. "Hey, munchkin!" he said.
"Hi!" she bubbled, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him exuberantly.
"Hi, Jack," Malia said quietly, smiling at the picture - the tall tough military man with his arms full of a chubby five year old. And yet the look suited him - he would make some lucky child a good father one day.
"Hi yourself," he said, shifting Tiressa's weight so that she rested on one of his lean hips. He bent slightly and brushed a quick kiss across Malia's cheek. "So; we ready to go?" he added, tickling Tiressa on her tummy and making her giggle.
Taken aback at the kiss, Malia put a hand to her cheek. "Uh ... yes," she said.
She grabbed the picnic basket, trying to dismiss the tingling sensations from the chaste caress. Simona had said she would one day recover from her marriage ... that she could once again feel desire for a man. Simona did not know that Kitan had been chosen for her ... that he had been her first ... she had never known desire for a man.
"Penny for 'em?" Jack teased.
"What?" She started and saw Jack's soft brown eyes twinkling at her. Odd to see such dark eyes with his comparatively pale skin. "Oh, they're not worth it," she replied. "I wouldn't want to rob you."
He swung Tiressa up onto his strong shoulders. "It's too nice a day to get bummed out," he said.
Despite the many generations separating the people of Belrina from the first world, O'Neill's slang was not incomprehensible to Malia. She smiled at him. "You're right," she said. The sun was shining, she had her daughter, and was spending the day with her and an interesting new friend. "I'll stop."
He patted her shoulder. "Good," he said cheerfully.
++++++++++++
O'Neill leaned back against a tree, watching as Malia and Tiressa played a boisterous game. He'd been invited to join in, but he knew better than to risk his newly healed knee. It felt better than it had for over ten years, but rough-housing was out of the question.
Tiressa and her mother fell in a tangle of limbs and feminine giggles. "Got you, you monster!" Malia exclaimed, whipping up her daughter's blouse and blowing raspberries on her stomach.
Tiressa shrieked with laughter and O'Neill chuckled, remembering how much Charlie had loved that game at her age. Charlie's loss would always be an open wound, but he had learned to treasure the good memories.
He looked up as Tiressa wriggled free of her mother and came flying over to him. "Stop her, Jack!" she said, wrapping her pudgy arms around his neck.
"Ya kidding? You are a monster!" He blew a raspberry into her neck and she shrieked again. He winced. 'Geez; right in the ear! Thanks, kid!'
Malia came up to them. "Tiressa ... I'm coming to get you!" she sing-songed.
Tiressa giggled again. "Mommy; you're so silly!" she said. "I like you like this!"
'Me too,' O'Neill mused, watching as the lovely woman blew a curl out of her eyes. She was a far cry from the stiff shy woman he'd met a couple weeks ago.
Tiressa giggled again, then sat down next to O'Neill, cuddling into him trustingly. She yawned. "Sleepy, Jack," she muttered.
"Then take a nap, sweetie," he said, putting an arm around her. She yawned again, then her head dipped and landed on his chest. "Cute kid," he murmured to Malia.
Malia smiled. "When she's asleep, certainly," she agreed in the same low tones. "She likes you very much," she added. "I wish that she didn't."
O'Neill nodded his head. "I know," he said. "But you can't protect her from everything - much as you might want to."
++++++++++++
Malia saw his eyes shadow briefly on that statement. "You have children, Jack?" she asked.
The shadow deepened. "Had," he said curtly. "He ... died a while ago."
Malia covered her mouth. She couldn't even begin to comprehend that kind of loss. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, putting her hand on his arm.
He shook his head. "It's okay; you couldn't have known," he replied. He patted her hand and she felt the little tingle she'd experienced at his other brief touches. "Thanks, though." He shifted his long legs, then brushed a curl out of Tiressa's eye.
Malia smiled at the picture they made. "Jack; would you allow me to record this image?" she asked, taking her imagizer from her pocket. "This has been a special day for Tiressa - I would like for her to have a token of it."
"Uh ... I don't really like having my picture taken," he said, color climbing up his cheekbones, "but okay."
The man really had no idea how attractive he was, Malia mused as she took the image. Whilst not classically handsome like her former husband - his nose had evidently been broken more than once, and he had an interesting scar in his eyebrow - the soft brown eyes, silvering hair, firm chin and roguish smile made up for any shortcomings.
"Mommy?" Tiressa yawned and sat up. "Whatcha doin'?"
Malia grinned - her daughter had spent far too much time with the human. "Just taking some images," she said.
"Give me," Tiressa replied, stretching her hands out for the imagizer. "I want one of you and Jack."
Malia bit her lip - she knew that the three of them had become closer over the last ten or so days, but this ... this was something that a couple would do. "Not right now, baby," she said. "I'm a mess."
"Don't care," her daughter said mutinously. "Tell her, Uncle Jack!" she demanded.
Uncle? Oh, Gods; Tiressa had given her heart to this wandering Earth man! Malia sighed - in another life time, she might well have joined her.
Jack gave her a crooked grin and shoved his hand through his hair, attempting to smooth the unruly spikes. "You look great to me, Malia," he said lightly. "Besides, if I gotta pose, you gotta pose, too!"
"Interesting logic," she commented, then gave in with a sigh. She sat down next to Jack, absurdly pleased that he was taller than her, even with heeled shoes. Kitan had hated that they stood eye to eye and had forbidden her from wearing heels.
"So, munchkin; what d'you want us to do?" Jack asked, sticking his tongue out at Tiressa.
She returned the childish gesture. "You're silly too, Uncle Jack," she declared. "Mommy; why don't you hug him? You like him, dontcha?"
Out of the mouths of babes ... Malia flinched, aware that she did like the man - perhaps more than was safe for her. But, then again, he was leaving soon. There could be no harm in allowing him to hug her just once, could there? "I'm not very good at hugging," she said in low tones.
He gave her a little-boy grin that - strangely - suited his graying hair. "That's okay; I'm great at it," he said. "Just ask Tiressa!"
"He is good at hugs, Mom," her daughter said innocently. "Uncle Jack; hug her!"
"Yes, ma'am," he said, crossing his eyes and grimacing at her.
Malia chuckled and allowed the older man to drape a gentle arm around her shoulders. She stiffened slightly, then relaxed when she realized that he wasn't attempting to bring her into close contact. "Take the image, monster," she ordered.
Part Three
'Go slow, Jack!', O'Neill told himself, not wanting to destroy the fragile trust she'd developed in him. Over the last ten days, he'd learned enough to know that she'd been badly hurt by a man - likely her husband, seeing as he wasn't in the picture - and he wasn't about to scare her.
Never mind how nicely her tall lush curves melded against his long frame as she sat next to him, or how good she smelled, or ... 'Hoo, boy, you got it bad, Jack,' his inner voice cackled.
'Ah, shut up,' he told that annoying inner voice.
Little Tiressa - blissfully unaware of O'Neill's mental rambling - took her picture, then went over to the picnic basket and dug out some paper and pencils. She then lay down on her stomach and began scribbling intently, her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth in her concentration.
O'Neill smiled at the sight - God, she was adorable.
Malia looked at him quizzically. "What are you smiling about?"
Just like her mom. O'Neill chuckled. "What; ya don't trust me?" he replied.
Malia closed her eyes. "Jack ... don't be an ass," she said.
Whoa ... was she channeling Daniel? "Okay, okay." He gave in and waved his hand at the oblivious Tiressa. "That kid's just so damn cute."
Malia returned his smile a touch shyly. "You really do like children, don't you?" she said.
"Yeah. Kids are my favorite people. Is that such a surprise?"
Malia frowned. "You're military," she said. "Most soldiers bury their feelings - they have to."
O'Neill shrugged. "I'm not big on the whole showing my emotions thing, but there's just ... something about kids."
Not entirely comfortable with the direction the conversation was going, he sought a way to change the subject. He groaned and stood up stiffly. "Geez; I think I've been sat on my butt too long," he complained, wincing as the feeling began to return to his feet. He staggered. "A-ah; got legs!" he added, stamping his feet firmly.
"Be careful of your knee," Malia said anxiously, standing up and grasping his shoulder. "You would not wish to incur Peral and Simona's wrath should you undo their hard work."
O'Neill grimaced, remembering the various methods of punishment ol' Doc Fraiser used to mete out when he was being particularly obnoxious. "Good point," he admitted ruefully.
++++++++++++
Malia studied the older man as he engaged Tiressa in a tickling bout that sent the little girl into fits of laughter. His low laughter echoed her high-pitched giggle and she chuckled to herself. Simona had been saying for a while that Tiressa needed a male presence in her life. Even though Jack would be leaving within the next few days, he'd brought something out in her daughter that Malia had rarely seen.
Although Tiressa was an affectionate loving child, she tended to be chary with anyone other than Malia and Simona - and males were a big no-no. Yet she'd freely offered her affection to the Earth man, who seemed to reciprocate.
She sighed, wondering what it was about this man that interested her. Yes, he was attractive, but she'd seen much more handsome men without being affected. Perhaps it was the combination of his rough good looks, occasional charm and genuine affection for both her and her daughter.
Charm ... Simona would have choked if she'd heard that word applied to Jack O'Neill. He'd made a complete nuisance of himself during his incarceration in medbay, tormenting the nurses and barking at the doctors. Simona's relief at his final release had almost been palpable.
"Hey," Jack said.
She blinked at him. "Oh, sorry." She blushed. "I was in another world."
He chuckled. "That's pretty obvious. Whatcha thinking about?"
"Nothing important," she temporized. She took her courage in her hands. "Jack ... I was wondering if you would like to spend your last evening with us? Both Tiressa and I have really enjoyed your company - most of the time - and we'd like to say goodbye."
"Yeah; I'd like that," he returned, grimacing at her in return for the subtle dig. He hadn't exactly been sunshine and light during his convalescence. "Ya know I'm gonna miss you both, right?" he added.
++++++++++++
Three days later
O'Neill quickly rolled up his sleeping bag and attached it to his backpack. He'd spent yesterday evening with Malia and Tiressa wishing that he could stay. But having the hots for a beautiful woman was not enough - not when said beautiful woman was skittish.
She'd admitted that she would miss him when he left, but when he'd brushed a kiss onto her cheek in goodnight, she'd flinched, regarding him with huge wounded eyes. Yep; it was definitely time for him to move on - before he did anything stupid.
He laced up his boots and got up, startled when his knee did not give the sickening crack to which he'd become accustomed. "Well ... where to next?" he mused out loud. Geez; talking to himself! What next? 'Maybe the Alpha Site - catch up on what's going on back on Earth'.
O'Neill paused suddenly. Earth. Not 'home'. When had that happened? He shook his head and picked up his backpack, slinging it onto his shoulders. Then he headed for the Stargate, about two clicks east.
He'd gotten about halfway there when he heard someone call his name frantically. He turned and saw Malia rush toward him, her face streaked with tears. "Malia?" he said.
"Jack!" she said. "My baby ... she's gone!"
O'Neill felt sick at the thought that someone had taken that little girl, then pushed the emotion aside. Malia needed him. "Have you told the police?" he asked.
She nodded and sniffled. "They're ... doing everything they can, but ... I'm so scared. What if ... what if they can't find her? I can't lose my baby!"
He drew her into a gentle hug and dropped a kiss onto her forehead. "Let's get you home," he said.
++++++++++++
Malia allowed Jack to draw her into a hug as they entered her living room. Tiressa was right; he really was a good hugger. That thought brought another tear to her eye, and she stepped away from him. "Uh ... I'm sorry," she mumbled. "You were supposed to be leaving."
"I'm not going anywhere, Malia," he said quietly. "I care about that little girl ... and about you."
Malia sat down on the settee and threaded her fingers together. "We ... had a fight this morning," she said. "She was ... mad at me. I didn't even tell her I love her - I just left her at the school and went to work mad." Her voice cracked. "That's how she's going to remember me; mad."
Jack sat down next to her and covered her hands with his. "You listen to me," he said. "The cops are gonna find your kid; you're gonna ream her good for scaring the spit outta you; then you're gonna give her the biggest bear-hug she's ever had."
"You can't know!" she cried. "This is my child!" Then she flinched - his child had died. She put her hand to his lean cheek. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I ... didn't mean it."
He brushed his knuckles across her cheek. "I know," he said, although a hitch in his voice indicated that her remark had hurt. "I'm no good with the words but" - he put an arm around her - "my arms are good."
She gave a watery laugh. "You are a good hugger," she admitted, allowing her head to drop to his shoulder and breathing in the clean masculine scent of him.
He put an arm around her shoulder and she sighed. He felt good ... maybe too good for her own peace of mind. But she was so tired and scared. Right now, she needed the comfort of another presence - even if it was that of a very attractive man.
++++++++++++
Several hours passed and O'Neill and Malia were now pacing frantically in the S&R division of the GTU. The Doc walked in and headed straight up to Malia. "I just heard," she said gently. "I'm so sorry."
"Simona ...". Malia gave a small wail and fell into her smaller friend's embrace. She did not cry, O'Neill noted, but shook mightily. "What do I do? I can't handle this!"
Simona rubbed her friend's back in a soothing circular motion. "You're a lot stronger than you realize, Malia," she said. "Besides, it has only been six hours - you shouldn't give up hope."
O'Neill stuffed his fists into his pockets, glad that Malia's best friend had arrived. He went over to the Altern at the front desk. "You need another man for the search?" he asked.
The young man looked at him. "You're a stranger, sir; you don't know the terrain."
"Screw that," O'Neill snapped. "I spent over twenty years in my country's Air Force - I've got valuable search and rescue experience." And a buttload of extraction experience from his Black Ops days - if he found the guys who'd taken his little girl, he could kill them in a variety of painful ways.
The Altern looked at him a little more closely, then nodded his head, seeming to recognize that O'Neill needed to do something other than pace. "Then thank you, sir," he said. "Report to Commandant Tirol - he's coordinating the operation."
"Right," O'Neill said curtly. He went over to Malia and put a hand to her cheek. "I'm going to go look for her," he said, then nodded at Simona. "Take care of her, huh, Doc?"
Malia leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, her huge eyes brimming with tears once more. "Thank you," she whispered.
++++++++++++
O'Neill found himself paired with that kid he'd nearly throttled his first night on the planet ... Remik. He swung his flashlight around, suddenly noticing small footprints. "She's been this way," he told the younger man.
The Sub-Altern bent down. "She was on her own at this point," he added. "No other prints."
O'Neill nodded his head - the kid was good. He clenched his hand around the flashlight as they combed the area. God ... he hated this.
O'Neill started as he heard scrabbling in the bushes near him. He slipped his hand into his pocket, retrieving his 9mm, communicating silently with the younger man. Remik nodded and withdrew his own weapon.
They walked along the path, O'Neill angling off slightly. Then he made a long arm and dragged their stalker out of the bushes. He nearly dropped her. "Tiressa!" he exclaimed and hugged her tightly to him. "Oh, God ... baby!" He blinked back his tears of relief. "You scared the crap out of me and your mom!"
"I got losted," Tiressa sniffled. "Mommy's mad at me, isn't she?"
"She will be," O'Neill said, kissing her plump tear-stained cheek. "But she loves you - just remember that. And she'll be so glad to see you."
He settled her onto his hip and smiled slightly as she snuggled her curly head into the crook of his neck. "Let's get you home, baby," he added softly.
++++++++++++
In the meantime
Malia had resumed her pacing as Simona received a progress report on one of her patients. She heard the birds singing ... 'How can they sing when my baby's missing?,' she thought in anguish. It was just ... wrong.
Simona came back over to her. "Malia; you're going to wear yourself out," she told her gently. "I'm sure they're doing everything they can."
"I ... I feel so useless, Simona," Malia whispered, her hand going up to her mouth. "All I can do is pray to gods I don't believe in for a miracle I don't think can happen."
"Jack said that he would find her," Simona said. "He is a very determined man - if he has to tear up the whole countryside, I believe he will."
Malia managed a small laugh. "By determined, you mean stubborn and cantankerous," she said.
"Absolutely," Simona agreed. "He was easily my worst patient, but his stubbornness will serve him well. Besides, I saw his face - he loves Tiressa; he'll do everything in his power to bring her home safely to you."
Malia nodded her head, realizing that it was true. The Earth man and her daughter had formed a strong and tender bond during his short stay on Belrina. "He does," she sniffled. "And she loves him, too. She even calls him Uncle."
"And what about you, Malia?" Simona asked. "I've never seen you let a man hug you the way he did."
"I ... don't know," Malia admitted. "He's a kind attractive man, and he loves Tiressa. But ... even if I could reciprocate, he will be leaving soon."
"And that hurts," Simona probed.
Malia sighed - she had never been able to hide anything from her friend. "It does," she said. "I ... I'm scared of physical intimacy, yet I draw strength from him. He's a very giving man."
Simona's comdev beeped and she tapped at it. "Simona; go," she said. She listened to the caller. "She's here; I'll tell her."
Malia clutched at her friend's hands. "Tiressa?" she said, pleading for good news.
"Jack found her," Simona said. "He's taken her home."
Malia dashed the tears from her eyes. "I ... uh ... I have to go," she said and flew out of the GTU base.
++++++++++++
Four hours later
Malia stood at the doorway to her daughter's bedroom, watching as she mumbled gibberish in the depths of sleep. She'd been standing there for the last two hours, just watching her. She started as a warm hand touched her cheek. "Hey," Jack said, handing her a cup of tea.
She sighed and took the cup from him. "Thank you," she murmured. Her eyes filled with tears. "And ... not just for the tea. For my baby."
"Here." Jack took the cup from her shaking hands and he led her quietly to the living room. He sat down on the settee and opened his arms. "Come here, baby," he invited gruffly.
She sat down next to him and chewed on her lip, struggling against the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. "You were right," she admitted. After Malia had been reunited with her daughter, she'd told her off for scaring her, then nearly squeezed the life out of her.
Jack smiled gently at her. "Just adopt that as your mantra and you'll be fine," he teased. "O'Neill is always right. I will always listen to O'Neill. O'Neill is God. And if anyone honks O'Neill off, he'll personally deliver you up to the Goa'uld." He looked up at the ceiling. "Uh ... no offense with the God comment there, big fella."
Malia managed a watery chuckle. "You're very silly, Jack," she said. She brushed at the tear that leaked out. "Damn." Another tear leaked out.
"Oh, for cryin' out loud," Jack mumbled. He scooched along the settee and pulled her into a gentle hug, rubbing his hand over her back. "Come on, baby - let it all out," he coaxed. "No-one's around to see you lose the bad-ass Sub-Commandant attitude."
She sniffled inelegantly, then gave in to the mixed emotions that threatened to undo her. "Oh, Gods ...," she muttered, curling her fingers into his shirt and burying her head in his chest. Then she 'let it all out'.
She cried away the grief, the pain, the fright ... She cried away the abuse at Kitan's hands ... She cried for Jack going away. The Earth man tightened his arms around her and pressed soft comforting kisses to her hair. "There ya go," he said. "You'll feel better soon."
All cried out for now, she rested her damp cheek against his chest, feeling the strong steady heartbeat. "Thank you," she muttered, her hand still clutching at his shirt.
"You're welcome," he returned quietly, dropping a kiss onto her forehead. "Look; you're absolutely beat - why don't you go to bed?"
She yawned and nuzzled into the crook of his shoulder and heard him swallow hard. "Good idea," she said around another yawn. "But only if you stay here tonight - you've had a hard day too and you deserve better than a bag on the ground."
"I don't want to impose," he said.
Malia rolled her eyes. "After what you did for me today, this is hardly imposition," she pointed out. She gulped, then carried on. "Thank you is poor and inadequate, but ... it's all I have." She brushed her lips across his cheek. "Please stay," she added. "I'm afraid there's no spare bed, but the settee is very comfortable."
Jack sighed, then stretched his arms high above his head. "Ya sure?"
"Oh, for crying out loud!" she grumbled. "I'm sure!"
He offered her a quirky grin. "You've been spending way too much time with me," he teased lightly.
++++++++++++
O'Neill shucked off his boots and swung his long legs up onto the settee, closing his eyes. He was so goddamn tired - it had been a long fraught day and his own reaction was now setting in. Earlier, he had pushed his emotions aside to concentrate on Malia - now, the stubborn little buggers refused to be silent.
He sighed heavily, sweeping shaking hands through his hair. "A-ah, damn." He got up from the settee once more and padded quietly to the kitchen. He opened the door to the fridge ... check that; coolant unit ... and pulled out a bottle of milk. He downed half its contents straight from the bottle, then grimaced. Sara had hated when he did that - he'd lived alone too long, become uncivilized.
He put the bottle back in the fridge, suddenly wishing desperately for a cigarette. He'd given up smoking nearly seven years ago - after he'd gotten back from the first mission to Abydos - yet the cravings occasionally hit him, even now.
He knew they were nasty. He knew they were stinky. And he knew they could kill him. But they were just so ... right. Crap. He hurriedly scooped up a piece of pie and bit into it, closing his eyes in bliss as the sweet pastry mingled with the tart apple-like fruit. Yeah; he was orally fixated - so what?
"Jack?"
Busted. He turned and faced Malia - a sweet rumpled vision with black curls and a body to kill mere mortals. "Ummph," he grunted around his pie.
She chuckled. "Chew and swallow, Jack," she advised lightly. "You cannot inhale pie, much as you would wish to."
He swallowed. "Yeah," he said less than articulately. "Sorry 'bout that - attack of the munchies."
She went over to him. "I went through the same thing when ..." - she swallowed hard - "... I became addicted to anti depressants." She frowned. "But I got through it, and so can you."
He shook his head, wondering what she wasn't telling him. "Not pills for me," he said. "Cigarettes."
She gave another frown - this one more a puzzled one. "Cigarettes?" she queried, tilting her head slightly to one side.
O'Neill closed his eyes in remembered bliss - the click of the lighter, that first pull ... Damn; where was a seven-eleven when you needed one? "Nicotine, a plant on Earth, is shredded and stuffed into little paper lifts. People smoke them to relax. It ain't the same as pep pills."
"This nicotine ... it's also a drug, yes?" she said.
She had him there. "Yeah," he admitted reluctantly. "I was a twenty a day guy for over fifteen years. I gave up a while ago, but I still want one - or ten - when I've had a crappy day."
"Like today," she said. He nodded his head, then grinned as she pulled out the entire pie. "The hell with it - let's stuff ourselves until we burst!" she added.
He chuckled. "I like your style, babe," he admitted.
++++++++++++
One pie and several portions of meat later, Malia leaned back against the settee, her stomach full and complaining. "Ugh," she groaned. "I feel like a ril'ta."
Jack waggled his eyebrows at her. "A what?"
Sometimes she forgot that the man was an alien. "Oh. It's a farm animal we have on this planet. It's rotund and will eat almost anything."
Jack chuckled. "Yeah; we got something similar on Earth. We call 'em pigs," he offered.
"Pigs." She nodded her head. "I like that word - short and to the point." She sighed as her stomach complained again, then turned and faced Jack, placing her hand on his. "I ... wanted to apologize for last night," she added. "You ... took me by surprise."
"You felt threatened," he replied, squeezing her hand. "Malia; you've gone through crap no-one should ever have to go through. I don't know what that is, and I suspect I'll never know. But ... you should talk to someone about it. You're a young beautiful woman, with your whole life ahead of you. You deserve happiness."
Malia's eyes widened at his perspicacity and she nodded her head. "Simona has said the same," she admitted. "But I'm not fond of professional analysts - I don't trust them." She returned the gentle squeeze. "But ... thank you, anyway," she added, brushing a kiss onto his cheek.
His eyes closed for a second, then he smiled at her. "No problem," he responded, letting go of her hand after another squeeze.
Malia screwed up her courage, and put a trembling hand out to trace the line of his lips. For a hardened soldier, they were surprisingly soft. Then she leaned forward and brushed her lips against that softness.
He didn't respond overtly to the kiss, seeming to sense that she needed to dictate the pace, but his lips parted slightly. Feeling a little more confident now, she rested a hand on his shoulder and pressed a warmer kiss onto his lips.
This time he responded, brushing her lips softly with his tongue before withdrawing. "Sweeeeeeet," he muttered.
She went pink but chuckled at the same time. "I liked that," she murmured shyly. "Thank you for ... letting me do that."
"Oh, my pleasure," he said cheekily, bringing another smile to her face.
She groaned as her stomach complained again, then leaned up against Jack with a yawn. "I'm tired," she mumbled.
He put an arm around her shoulders. "Then get to bed, young lady," he said in a would-be stern manner.
She yawned once more and shook her head. "I can't sleep," she admitted. "I know ... she's back safe, but I keep thinking what could've happened." She slipped an arm around his lean waist, taking comfort in his strong presence. "Let's ... just sit here a while longer, huh?"
++++++++++++
Jack O'Neill woke up reluctantly. He'd not slept so well in years, and he wondered what was different.
Then he realized that his arms were full of a soft warm female. Ah. He shifted carefully as she mumbled something, tightening her hold on him. "Jack ...," she said, burying her face into the crook of his neck. "Don't go."
Oh, this was so not good. Well, it was good, but ... D'oh! O'Neill would have slapped his head if he'd had a hand free. "I'm not going anywhere," he said.
"What?" She blinked up at him then sighed. "Was I talking in my sleep?" she asked. "I tend to do that."
Her lips hovered near his Adam's apple and he swallowed as he became aware of every inch of her curved form. "Okay ...," he said cautiously. 'Think non-sexy things!', he chanted to himself. 'Think non-sexy things!'.
Much to his surprise, it actually worked and his heart rate settled down. 'Huh; Black Ops training at its best,' he mused.
Part Four
"Is everything all right?"
Malia blinked and looked over at Simona. "Sorry?" she asked.
"I said: Is everything all right? You're sitting in medbay, going through your yearly medical assessment, and you're cooperating. You're not even complaining. In fact ... you're grinning," her friend accused.
Malia rolled her eyes. "Enjoy it while it lasts," she advised dryly.
"So ...?" Simona prodded.
"So, what?" Malia asked blankly.
"So, what's got you so happy?" Simona gauged Malia's heart-rate, then grinned. "Is it Jack?" she asked.
Malia blushed. "We ... kissed last night," she admitted. She chewed on her bottom lip as she recalled the softness of his mouth and the warm brush of his tongue. "And I liked it."
"I'm glad for you," Simona said seriously. "It's been a long time since I've seen you so happy." She chuckled. "It'll do you good to have a wild fling with a handsome stranger."
Malia blushed even harder if possible. "Simona!" she said, outraged.
"Why not? You're young, free and single. Why not get over one man by getting under another?"
Malia felt the tears prickle. "I ... can't," she whispered, getting off the bed. "Don't ... talk about this anymore."
Perhaps Simona could see how upset Malia was becoming, for she dropped the teasing immediately. "I'm sorry," she said gently. "You're not ready yet."
Malia dashed a hand over her wet eyes. "No," she sniffed. "I like Jack a lot but ... there's a world of difference between kissing him and doing ... that."
"You kissed him?" Simona patted her arm. "That's a good sign. But I'd've thought he would've made the first move. He's a typical military type - always has to be in charge."
Malia shook her head. "He's a lot more sensitive than you give him credit for," she said, unable to help the smile that graced her features.
"So ... what was it like? Kissing him? I've wondered."
"Simona - you're a married woman!"
"Yes, but I'm neither blind nor dead," Simona said cheerfully. "He's tall, well built and good looking - of course I've wondered. Plus; I've seen him naked."
Malia processed that bit of information, then realized that her friend was still looking at her expectantly. She sighed - how could she describe what had happened? "I don't have the words," she admitted, "but it was ... nice. Warm and comforting, yet I tingled." She closed her eyes.
Simona squeezed her shoulder, then laughed. "Gods; it was that good?"
Malia opened her eyes and returned the laugh. "It was," she said. "And then he kissed me back."
"So ... details?"
"Simona, have you reverted to adolescence?" Malia asked curiously.
"Humor me," the GTU's sober sensible chief medical officer said.
"It was soft and gentle - very caring," Malia said. "He seemed to know that it was less about passion and more about comfort. But ..." - she paused and gave a wicked chuckle - "the woman who he chooses to spend the rest of his life with is in for one wild ride."
Simona hissed out a breath. "Damn," she muttered. "Don't let Remia hear - she'll be all over him like the Ralvarian snilfpox."
Malia shook her head. "Jack is a free agent - he can do whatever he wishes, with whomever he wishes." Despite how the idea hurt her, she knew that she had nothing to offer a strong, caring, passionate man like Jack O'Neill.
"Malia ... You've admitted you care for him and he cares for you too," Simona said. "Don't push him away."
"I don't want to," Malia admitted, "but I can't give him the kind of happiness he deserves. He ... should be with a woman who can return his passion ten-fold, not someone who has to screw up her courage to put her lips to his." Better to let him go before her feelings developed further.
"Don't you think he should have a say in this?" Simona asked.
Her friend had a point, but ... Malia sighed. "I can't ask him to stay here based on a couple of kisses. What if I can never give him more? I don't want to hurt him."
"Then don't," Simona replied. She noted something on the form. "You're cleared for full duty," she added, "but you're not due back till tomorrow. Go spend some time with Jack."
Malia smiled gratefully at her friend. "Thank you," she said.
++++++++++++
Jack O'Neill hummed cheerfully and off-key as he stepped into the elevator of the Gate Travel Unit. "Level seven," he told the computer. He felt a little dumb talking to thin air, but was starting to get used to it.
The elevator came to a halt at Level 16 and Malia strolled in. "Jack," she said, a shy smile appearing and making her dark eyes sparkle. "Level four," she told the computer as the doors shut once more.
"Hey," he said, willing his sexy thoughts away. Willpower - gotta love it. "What's up?"
She grimaced, making her nose wrinkle in a very cute fashion. "Annual medical assessment," she said. "I feel like half my blood is now in Simona's laboratory."
"Been there," O'Neill sympathized. "Off to see the doc myself - final check on the old knee. So, what's the verdict?"
"Cleared for full duty," Malia said. "Computer; emergency override - halt the lift."
The 'lift' screeched to a halt and O'Neill turned to face her. "You okay?" he asked.
She wrapped her arms around her chest in a protective hug. "Just ... debating," she said, chewing on that full bottom lip.
O'Neill was sorely tempted to replace her teeth with his lips, but forced himself not to react. "About ...?" he invited, sensing that they weren't going anywhere until she said whatever she needed to say.
"You," she said in low tones. "I ... enjoyed the kissing and lying in your arms," she admitted. "I need to decide whether I want to pursue this ... thing between us."
O'Neill blinked at that; it was a bold statement for the shy young woman. "Well, I'd like it," he said, "but the next move has to be yours - I'm not gonna scare you away."
She smiled. "I know," she said. "It's just ... I can't tie you down here if I'm unable to respond as a ..." - she blushed - "as a woman."
He unfolded her arms from their defensive pose and held her hands gently. "Trust me, Malia; you can respond as a woman," he said. "And the guy who made you think otherwise was an asshole."
She squeezed his hands tightly and gave him another smile. "In so many ways," she said. "Jack ..." - she blushed once more - "I want to kiss you again. Is that okay?"
O'Neill smirked. "Yeah, sure, ya betcha!"
She put her hands to his face and pressed a warm kiss to his lips, then softly ran her tongue along the crease between them. His mouth opened even as he fought to go slow - where was that willpower when you really needed it, huh? - and his tongue dueled gently with hers.
Then she pulled back and smiled brilliantly at him. "Will you join us for dinner tonight?" she asked, tracing his lips with her index finger.
Head reeling from the sudden onslaught of erotic thoughts, he gaped at her. "Uhhh ... yeah, sure!" he said.
"Sweeeeeet," she said, pressing another kiss onto his lips. "The usual time, then." This kiss was far less tentative, and she boldly swept his mouth with her tongue, her hands going upward to tangle in his hair.
There was only so much former USAF Colonel Jack O'Neill could take before he broke. And now he knew what his limit was. With a whispered "Crap", he slanted his open mouth over hers, sliding his hands down her body to the curve of her hips as he kissed her hotly and passionately.
++++++++++++
They broke apart several minutes later, lips reddened and both breathing heavily. "Damn!" Malia uttered, her fingers fluttering up to her lips.
"Yeah," he said hoarsely. "Right back at ya."
Malia smiled to herself as Jack paced the lift, his lips swollen from their passionate exchange. "Resume lift," she ordered.
"Well ... that was interesting," he said slowly. "Guess you made your decision, huh?"
Malia nodded her head. "But only if you want to stay," she said. "You're a wanderer - I don't want to entrap you here."
"You're not," he assured her. "Just let me know when I go too fast, though - like just now."
She frowned. "What?"
He came over to her and touched her lips gently. "I was all over you like a horny teenager," he said. "It must've scared you."
She could have resented the implication that she was a scared child, but chose not to. He only worried because he cared. And she was scared of where her passion for the strong soldier would lead. But that was a worry for another time. "It didn't," she said. "I've never felt anything like it before."
He flushed a dull pink. "Geez; you're good for a guy's ego!" he said. "And it's really okay?"
She sighed. "Yes, Jack," she replied patiently.
"Good - you had me worried for a ...".
Out of patience, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Jack - shut up," she said, and proceeded to make him do just that the only way she knew how. He returned the kiss ardently, then they sprang apart like a pair of guilty adolescents when the lift doors opened.
"Sub-Commandant," Altern Remia said politely, saving her full-wattage smile and eye-catching bosom for Jack. "Hello again, sir," she breathed.
"Altern," he returned civilly, although his eyes flickered almost of their own volition down to her cleavage. Malia snickered to herself at his ... maleness. She didn't blame him in the least - if she'd been interested in women, she would have looked too. "Well, this is my stop," he added casually. "Later, kids." He stuffed his fists into his pockets and strolled out of the lift.
"Mmmm; nice rear," Remia said wistfully.
"I'll say," Malia agreed thoughtlessly. Then she realized what she had said, and blushed deeply. It was evident that her mouth was in hyperdrive whilst her brain was still at subsonic. What under the sun was it about that man that could turn a thirty year old soldier into an idiot?
Remia chuckled. "I wonder if all the Tauri look like him or whether he's a gift from the false gods," she mused.
Malia returned the chuckle, surprised to find herself liking the young woman - she'd always thought her pretty shallow, but maybe Remia had considered her stuck-up. "It's a shame their planet's Stargate is protected - I suspect a number of our colleagues would be fighting for the opportunity to travel to Earth and find out."
Remia grinned. "Oh, I think we could take them on, Sub-Commandant!" she said.
++++++++++++
O'Neill wandered down the hallway lost in a daze of erotic thoughts. As a result, he nearly crashed into young Remik. "Geez!" he said, executing some fancy footwork. "Sorry."
"That's quite all right," Remik replied calmly - except for the night he'd been grabbed by O'Neill, nothing appeared to faze the young man. "Commandant Tirol dispatched me to find you - he would like to talk to you privately."
"Yeah, okay. Thanks, kid." O'Neill gave the young man a flippant salute then headed for the nearest elevator. "Level six," he said as he got in.
He got out several seconds later and strolled over to the Commandant's office. He went in without knocking - screw it; the guy wasn't his CO. "You wanted to see me, Commandant?" he asked.
"Come in, come in," the older man said grumpily. He waved his hand at a stack of papers. "Tell me; why is it every time they tell us we're becoming a paperless society, I get ten new forms to fill in?"
O'Neill grinned, manfully resisting a snicker. "Why d'ya think I never let 'em promote me?" he said, and received a chuckle in return.
"You're a wise man, Colonel," Tirol replied. "Have a seat."
O'Neill did so reluctantly and waited for the seat to stop moving. "What can I do for you, Commandant?" he said.
"I understand that you may be staying on Belrina for a while," Tirol said. "Therefore, we'd like to offer you a position within the GTU."
O'Neill held up a hand. "Whoa, wait a minute. How did you find out?"
Tirol smiled. "I happen to be married to a certain chief medical officer."
Ah. "So ... this position?"
"After training in our procedures and weaponry, we would like you to take charge of a new field unit - GT23. With your experience and obvious leadership skills, and your friendship with the Asgard known as Thor, you are perfectly placed for this. GT23 will explore the Asgard-friendly worlds and help consolidate the alliance with the Asgard."
Geez, this guy didn't miss a thing. O'Neill was tempted - he loved those little gray guys, after all - but did he want to go back to the military after two years of being a free agent? "I won't say I'm not tempted, but I'll have to think about it."
Tirol didn't even blink. "As I expected," he said. "Is there anything you'd like to know before you make your decision?"
"Yep," O'Neill said. "If I'm to command this unit, then I want the final say as to who my team members are. I'll take your recommendations on board, but I have a particular ... style. I'll need to know if my guys can work with me."
Tirol nodded his head with a smile. "Of course," he said. "You speak your mind, Colonel; I respect that. Will you be able to give me your decision within the week?"
O'Neill thought of something else. "Uh ... what about frat regs?"
"I'm sorry?"
"What if I'm ... uh ... interested in another member of the GTU? Where do your regulations stand on that?"
Tirol's smile widened. "Malia commands her own team; you will rarely interact professionally. And if any joint missions occur, I'm sure I can trust you to behave accordingly."
O'Neill felt himself blush right to the roots of his hair. Just how much did this guy know about him? "Uh, yeah, sure," he muttered.
"Besides, I'm married to the chief medical officer on the base - we don't believe in sacrificing our officers' chances of happiness. They do extraordinary work under impossible conditions; what right does the government have to dictate who we love?"
O'Neill blinked - the passionate declaration sounded odd coming from the lips of this large stern military officer. "Got it," he replied. He stood up with some difficulty - the chair was that damn comfortable. "I'd like to sound out some of your people about this place before I decide," he added, "but I'll let you know within the week."
"Thank you, Colonel." Tirol dipped his head. "Sub-Commandant, I mean."
"A-ah!" O'Neill held up an index finger. "I haven't decided anything, yet."
++++++++++++
"Malia!"
The shrill demand stopped Malia in her determined stride and she swung round to see Simona. "Are you all right?" she asked.
"I'm fine," the CMO replied, "but that's the fourth time I've called your name. What's the ...". Her eyes widened. "Ah."
"What? Have I got something on my face?" Malia put her hand up to her face uncertainly.
"Besides red and swollen lips? No; not a thing."
It was that obvious? Malia licked her tender lips, surprised that she wasn't blushing again. "We ... uh ... did some more kissing," she admitted, recalling the feeling of his hands sliding down to her hips. It had felt good; passionate but not possessive. "In the lift."
Simona gaped at her, then reached out and touched her forehead. "All right; who are you and what have you done with shy Malia?"
Malia chuckled. "I'm having a flirtation with a handsome visitor," she said. "Isn't that what you said I should do?" she inquired demurely.
Simona laughed. "Good for you," she approved. "I've never seen you this happy before," she added. Then a stern frown appeared on her features. "He'd better treat you right, or he'll have me to deal with."
Malia touched her friend's arm. "It's not going to go any further than this, Simona," she reassured her. "He'll be moving on soon."
"I'm just teasing," Simona said. "It's pretty obvious he cares for you and Tiressa."
Malia smiled - the love he and Tiressa had for each other was almost tangible. "It is," she said. "He's coming round for dinner tonight," she added.
"And are you the dessert?" Simona asked slyly.
Malia blushed. "Simona!" she said.
Simona chuckled. "Now that's, the Malia I know and love!" she teased gently.
++++++++++++
O'Neill felt a little dumb walking over to Malia's house with flowers in his hand, but he had none of the currency these people used. Therefore, he'd spent half an hour picking out these lily-like flowers from a nearby field. He knocked on the door.
It swung open and Malia smiled widely at him. "Good evening," she said.
"Hey," he replied less than intelligently. "Uh ... these are for you." He thrust the flowers at her.
She went a delicate pink. "Cara bells!" she exclaimed, bending her head and sniffing the fragrant blooms. "My favorite - thank you." She tucked her hand in his and pulled him into the living room. "Well, don't just stand there, Colonel," she scolded lightly. "Come in; put your backpack in that corner."
"Yes, ma'am," he returned, letting go of her hand and dumping said backpack as Tiressa bounced in and launched herself into his arms for a hug. He'd always liked kids - and they liked him - but the love he felt for this miniature edition of Malia was something he hadn't felt since ... Charlie. He'd become close to Skaara during the first mission to Abydos and had been anguished when Klorel had taken him as a host, but it wasn't the same. "Hey, baby," he said, blowing a raspberry against her pudgy cheek and pushing the sad thoughts away. "How was school today?"
She wrinkled her nose. "Boring," she said. "Got a new teacher and she tried to send me to the baby class."
O'Neill grinned at the indignation in her voice. Although only five, she had the abilities of an eight year old and was therefore in a class with people three years her senior. "I hope you set her straight," he said.
"Yeah," she said. "You can call me baby, Uncle Jack, but not her!"
O'Neill swung her round so that she perched on his hip, then followed Malia into the kitchen, watching as she arranged the flowers in a vase. "Something smells good," he said, then leaned forward, put his cold nose to the side of her neck and snuffled at her.
"Ack!" she yelped and clapped her hand to her neck whilst Tiressa giggled. "If you didn't have your arms full of my child, Jack O'Neill of the Tauri, I'd have to harm you!" she threatened.
O'Neill smirked, his arms tightening around Tiressa. "That's it, Miss Tiressa; I'm not putting you down - ever!" he declared.
"You're silly, Uncle Jack." Tiressa gave him a resounding kiss on his cheek. "You gotta put me down sometime."
"Hah," he replied, crossing his eyes at her. "I'll carry you round in my backpack."
Tiressa giggled. "I won't fit in your backpack, you big goof!"
"Oh, really?" He swung her over his shoulder and marched over to the abandoned backpack, a giggling wiggling five year old making movement more difficult. Then he proceeded to stuff her into the pack feet first. "Huh; whaddaya know?" he said. "You were right."
She erupted from his backpack, sending clothes over the floor. O'Neill stuffed the clothes back into the pack any which way - hey; he never claimed to be a neat freak!
"Mom; tell him!" Tiressa said, dancing over to her mother and clasping her around the waist.
O'Neill crossed his eyes and put out his tongue. "Snitch," he accused. "Tell her, Mom."
Malia's lovely face was now wreathed with a large smile. "Play nicely children, or I'll have to send you to the naughty corner," she said.
"Threats; idle threats," O'Neill said with another smirk. He advanced on Tiressa. "Ya wanna know what I do with snitches?"
She put her tongue out and blew a raspberry. "Not scared of you!" she said boldly. She left the safety of her mother and came flying head first at him and body-checked him.
Had she been a hundred pounds heavier, she could have done serious damage. As it was, he was merely winded. "Nice move, kid," he grunted, scrubbing gently at her curly head.
++++++++++++
Malia stretched out her legs before the fire and watched as Jack wandered into the living room. He'd offered to clean up - this time she hadn't argued with him - and she'd retired to the living room with a small glass of amber wine, listening to him hum off-key whilst he worked.
She stretched out a hand and activated a music crystal, letting the soft music fill the room. Her head dropped back against the settee and she let out a long sigh.
"Rough day?" Jack asked, sitting down next to her with a large cup of tenral - he called it coffee, but it appeared the principle was very much the same.
Malia nodded and put her hand up to her neck. "Paperwork," she grunted. "Officer evaluations."
Jack chuckled. "Enough said." He turned her so that she rested against him, then placed firm yet gentle fingers to her neck, working hard at the tight knots. "How's that, milady?"
Malia closed her eyes. "Bliss," she muttered. Even without looking she could see Jack's smirk. "So, what did Simona have to say?"
His fingers danced along her skin, still massaging firmly, but a little more caressingly. "Well, apparently I have the heart and lungs of a thirty year old, despite the fact that I quote unquote poisoned myself for fifteen years with an ugly smelly plant." He snorted. "Fat lot she knows - I loved smoking."
Malia shivered at the firm caress and forced herself to focus on him. "And your knee?"
"Good as new," he told her, then brushed his lips softly against her neck.
"Mmmm," she managed to get out. "So; where do you think you'll go next, Jack?" she asked, dreading the answer.
"Well; Commandant Tirol offered me a position with the GTU," he confided, placing another kiss on the nape of her neck.
"Ah, GT23," Malia said, closing her eyes with a soft sigh. "The new team."
"Yeah; he wants me to take command because of my experience with the Asgard." He chuckled against her neck, his fingers now working on her shoulders. "What can I say; those little guys love me."
"Especially for your modesty," Malia shot back, now completely relaxed. She leaned back against his long firm frame and he took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her. "If you don't want to head up GT23, you could always become a physiotherapist - you have wonderful hands," she added, linking her fingers with his.
"Thanks," he retorted dryly.
"So; are you going to do it?"
"Haven't decided yet." Her eyes popped open and she twisted round to look at him. "There's a lot I miss about the military, but ... I dunno ... I've liked being a free agent lately."
"And you've never been lonely?" she asked curiously.
A shutter slammed down over his brown eyes. "Yeah, sometimes," he admitted gruffly. "But I've gotten used to it."
She could almost feel him withdrawing. "That's sad," Malia said, putting a hand to his cheek and resting her head on his shoulder. "I've been lonely a lot, and it's something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy."
"So ... I told him I'd think about it and let him know by the end of the week," Jack said quickly. He rested his chin on top of her head. "It might be nice to stick around for a while, but it's not completely down to me."
Malia smiled against his neck. "I'd like it if you stuck around, Jack," she admitted, kissing the spot where his pulse fluttered. "I like you a lot - you're very special."
Part Five
Jack snickered. "You've got questionable taste, Malia," he teased. He tilted her chin upward and gave her a soft teasing kiss. "On the other hand, I've got great taste!" he added.
She rolled her eyes - the man was truly amazing. How he could be so sweet one minute and so smart-mouthed the next was beyond her. "You know something? You talk too much," she said. She pressed a warm kiss to his lips, delighted when he opened his mouth in response.
Their tongues dueled hungrily and she slid her hands under his shirt, feeling the firm muscles of his chest and abdomen. "Mmmmm," she mumbled, wondering vaguely whether the amber wine was responsible for the reckless abandon she suddenly felt.
"Mmmmm," he mumbled in response, his warm hands clasping her waist. Then he pulled away. "Uh ... maybe we should slow down," he said.
She blushed and slid her hands out from under his shirt. "You're right," she admitted. "But I'm not sorry." She licked her lips. "Are you?"
He put a gentle hand to her cheek. "Not only no, but hell, no!" he said, making her chuckle.
She sat back, sipped at her wine rather more judiciously and considered Jack. Always an attractive man, the firelight did amazing things for him, highlighting the deep brown eyes and silvering hair. "Is everything all right?" she asked.
Jack smoothed his hand over her curls, then shifted slightly to face her. "Oh, I'm fine," he said.
"Hah," Malia said. "I have a feeling you'd say you were fine if you were having the griss beaten out of you. What's going on?"
"Just ... thinking." He shoved his hand through his hair, leaving it standing on end. "Debating whether or not to take this job," he said. "I'm tempted; Thor loves me and Tirol wants to take advantage of that. Plus, it might be fun to see those little guys again."
Malia nodded her head. "The alliance between the Asgard and our people is still in its infancy," she said. "It took many years for us to prove ...". Her eyes widened and she coughed on her wine. "Thor? As in Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet?"
Jack chuckled. "Yeah; him. We've run into each other a few times - we even managed to help him against the Replicators."
Malia nodded again. "We heard - very impressive, considering your technology isn't as advanced as either ours or the Asgard's."
Jack visibly stiffened, then forced himself to relax. "Yeah, well ... turns out our 'primitive' projectile weaponry is better against those bugs than energy-based ones," he said in a distinctly 'snarky' tone.
She rolled her eyes and put her hand on his arm - touchy male. "I wasn't trying to insult you," she said. "In fact, we've started developing a weapon that's a hybridization of the two - it should be made available to us within the year."
"Cool." An eager look shot into his eyes. "When you say us ...?"
"Yes, Jack - all field units within the GTU will test them," Malia replied patiently, trying to hide her amusement. At that moment, he reminded her rather of an overgrown child with his attraction to shiny things that made loud noises. "Provided of course you actually join the GTU."
He squinted at her assessingly. "Are you laughing at me?"
She widened her eyes. "Would I do that?" she inquired innocently.
He smirked. "Hell, yeah!" he said.
She returned the smirk, still amazed at how comfortable she was with him, despite the fierce physical attraction. And even that didn't feel uncomfortable - it actually felt ... right. "You're probably right," she admitted, leaning against him and snuggling her head into the crook of his neck and placing a gentle kiss there. "You smell nice," she added. Something spicy yet subtle - his own unique male scent probably.
He chuckled. "You smell good too," he said, putting a strong arm around her shoulders.
++++++++++++
"Mommy? Uncle Jack?" Tiressa padded into the living room, her curls all on end.
"Hey, baby; what's up?" O'Neill said.
"Can't sleep," she said, sticking her finger in her mouth. "Bad dream," she added plaintively. "I got losted again."
O'Neill held his arms out to her and she went willingly into his embrace. He lifted her up onto his lap and planted a gentle kiss on her cheek. "You wanna sit with us for a bit?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at Malia to check that was okay.
Malia and Tiressa nodded at the same time. "Yeah," Tiressa said in a small voice, snuggling into his chest and putting a chubby hand near his heart.
A month ago, he would have sworn on a stack of Bibles that nothing could have reached that battered hardened organ. Now ... now was a different story. Tiressa and Malia had somehow wormed their way past his defenses.
He closed his eyes. Ah, crap. He'd fallen - big time. He'd had his share of flings - he wasn't a monk, after all - but he'd only been in love once before; with Sara. But that had been a youthful love that hadn't been able to weather the storms. They'd been having problems for a long time before the divorce. But after Charlie's death, he'd closed himself off to her, drawing deep into the abyss of self-loathing - that had been the final straw for her. After he'd returned from the first mission to Abydos, she had left divorce papers for him.
"Jack?"
He opened his eyes. Malia was looking at him quizzically. "Yeah," he said gruffly.
"Are you sure everything's all right?" she asked, brushing a hand over her daughter's curly head. The little girl had fallen rapidly asleep, clutching at O'Neill's shirt like it was a lifeline.
"Peachy," he returned in low tones, not yet ready to tell her how he felt. "This one's out of it," he added. "Shall I take her back to bed?"
Malia gave him a smile. "I'm sure she's very comfortable there, but you won't be," she said. "Do you remember where her room is?"
He gave her a smirk. "I'll find it," he said. He drew Tiressa up against his chest, freezing as she mumbled something. Then he relaxed when she didn't stir, and got up from the settee.
He strode up the stairs two at a time and headed into Tiressa's bedroom. He pulled back the covers and laid the little girl down gently. She stirred. "Uncle Jack?" She sat up and clasped at his hand. "Stay for a bit?"
Colonel Jack O'Neill (retired), ex-Black Ops, notorious hard-ass and wiseacre was no force against a little girl with big appealing eyes. "Yeah, sure, ya betcha," he said, sitting down on the bed.
She tugged at his arm. "Lay down," she ordered him, innocent of grammar.
He saluted her cheekily. "Yes, ma'am!" he said. He was too tall to lie down fully, but he swung his legs up on the bed and rested his head against the wall.
She scooched up against him, laid her arm across him and snuggled her head into his chest. "Night, Uncle Jack," she mumbled, her eyes closing.
"Night, baby," he replied.
++++++++++++
Malia went quietly up the stairs, wondering what had become of Jack. She headed into Tiressa's room and stopped short at the adorable sight. Tiressa was sound asleep, snuffling and mumbling gibberish. Her head rested comfortably on Jack's chest.
As for Jack ... he was asleep also, one long-boned hand resting gently on Tiressa's head. She smiled; she didn't have the heart to disturb either of them, so she closed the door quietly and went back downstairs.
She poured herself a cup of tenral, knowing that it would be unwise to have a third glass of amber wine after what just two glasses had made her do. She'd always scoffed at the idea that the liqueur had aphrodisiac properties, but now ... now she wasn't so sure.
Yes, he was sweet, funny and attractive, but that alone couldn't have been responsible for the ... lust she'd suddenly felt for the man. She sipped at the scalding beverage, appreciating the bitter-sweet taste. She didn't drink tenral very often as it hyper-stimulated her, but she needed something to offset the sleepiness induced by the wine.
Her jaw almost broke as she let out a wide yawn. She checked the chronometer and noted that it was quite early to be tired. The hell with it, though; time for bed. She disposed of the tenral, then headed up to her bedroom.
Changing into her night clothes, she paused as a soft muffled rumbling reached her ears. "What under the sun ...?" she muttered, then realized what it was. 'I wonder if Jack knows he snores?', she thought with some amusement.
She got into bed and put her hand to the wall that separated her bedroom from her daughter's. "Good night," she murmured quietly. Then she doused the illuminator and fell into a peaceful sleep herself, lulled there by the comforting rumble.
++++++++++++
O'Neill cracked open an eye, wincing at the bright sunlight pouring in, then grinned at little Tiressa. "Morning, munchkin!" he said.
"Morning, Uncle Jack!" she said, planting a kiss on the tip of his nose. "Will you fix me breakfast?"
"Uh ...". O'Neill wasn't the most technically-inclined guy, and he didn't know how soon he could figure out that weird doohickey. "Where's your mom?" he improvised.
She wrinkled her cute little nose. "Still asleep," she said. "She gets grouchy when she's woked up."
"Coward," he accused gently, then made a he-man gesture. "Let's both go wake her, huh?"
She giggled. "Okay!" She tucked her hand in his and dragged him into Malia's room.
Malia was flat on her stomach, legs sticking out of the covers and her arms hugging a pillow tightly to her. She looked about twelve years old - if you didn't count the long slender legs and sexy curves. Sweeeeet.
Tiressa bounced onto the bed and put her hand on Malia's shoulder. "Mom!" she said. "Wake up!"
Malia shrugged the hand away and grunted something unintelligible.
"Mommy!" Tiressa wheedled, shaking her mother.
Still nothing.
"Uncle Jack; I>you wake her," she said. "I gotta get ready for school."
Wuss. Indian giver. O'Neill put his tongue out at her; a gesture that she returned with a giggle before dancing away. Then he turned to the task given; how to wake up a sweet gorgeous rumpled woman in a non-sexy way. Sara had always liked the way he woke her up, but he didn't think Malia was ready for that.
He put his hand to her shoulder. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," he said, shaking her gently.
She batted at his hand in an irritable manner. "Go 'way," she muttered, not even deigning to open an eye.
"I'm hurt," he said playfully. "Turn round, open those big brown eyes and greet the day."
"Oh, gods ... morning people should be dragged out into the street and publicly beaten," she groused, turning round and opening her eyes. She smiled shyly. "Oh! Morning, Jack," she said. "Let me guess; Tiressa conned you into doing 'wake up' duty."
"Busted," he said, aiming a grin at her. "So ... ya gonna get up?"
She closed her eyes. "In a minute," she grumbled. "Go and have some tenral; I'll be down in a little while."
"Yeah, right," O'Neill said. "I'm not going anywhere until you get your gorgeous body out of that bed."
"Oh, good grief! You really know how to try my patience, don't you?" she said. She flung back the covers and sat up. "Go away now."
He folded his arms over his chest and attempted an eyebrow raise a la Teal'c. "Get out of the bed first," he argued.
"Oh, for crying ...!" She got out of the bed. "There! Happy now?" she said.
"Extremely," O'Neill said. He brushed a gentle kiss onto her cheek. "Hit the shower, woman - I'll go check what Tiressa's up to."
"Wait," Malia said. "There's something I need to do first." She put her hands to his face and covered his lips with hers, their tongues dueling in a leisurely manner. She stepped back and smirked. "Better," she added.
"Yeah," he agreed. "Now it's a good morning!"
++++++++++++
O'Neill got out of the lift at Level 6 and headed for Tirol's office. He poked his head around the open door. "Can I come in?" he asked.
"Of course." Tirol waved him in. "I won't ask you to take a seat; I know how you dislike them."
Was that a smirk on the other guy's face? "Thanks," O'Neill said. "If that job with GT23 is still going, I'd like to take it," he told Tirol.
Tirol smiled. "I'm very glad, Colonel," he said. "Unfortunately, before that happens, you must fill out many forms."
Peachy. O'Neill nodded his head. "Yes, sir," he replied quietly. No point in pissing off his CO before he even became his CO! "I've had some ideas about who I'd like on my team," he added. "But there's a problem with one of them - he's only a Sub-Altern." That rank was equivalent to Airman, and meant that he would not participate in off-world expeditions.
"Ah ... young Remik," Tirol said. "He only has one more examination to pass to gain Altern rank. However, he has already failed it three times - one more time, and he won't be allowed to try again for another five years."
"What's the subject?" O'Neill asked. "Maybe I could give him some coaching before I actually join the GTU."
"Astronomy," Tirol said.
Cool. O'Neill loved looking at the stars and knew a hell of a lot more about astronomy than most people realized. "I can help him there," he said. "But maybe he just needs a kick up the butt - I can also do that."
"Good luck, Colonel," Tirol said. "He has a lot of potential, but he's ... lazy. He prefers to get by on the minimum of work. And he seems to resent Sub-Commandant Malia." He frowned. "He's from a rather old-fashioned family, with distinct views on what women can and can't do."
"Well ..." - O'Neill cracked his knuckles - "it's time to set the kid straight." Not that he could quite believe that they were talking about the same kid - he'd worked his butt off when Tiressa had gone missing.
++++++++++++
Sub-Altern Remik stepped out of the lift and skirted around the tall Tauri. "Sir," he said politely.
"Hold it, kid," the Tauri said. "Was looking for you. Is there someplace we can talk privately?"
"Uh, yes sir!" Remik replied, wondering what the older man could want with him; a mere Sub-Altern. "This way." He led the Tauri ... O'Neill ... to a deserted office.
"So, kid; just in case the grapevine hasn't reached you yet, I'm gonna take command of GT23," O'Neill began. "I want you on the team, but you don't have the rank. So ... whatcha gonna do about it?"
Remik blinked - he'd been labeled a discipline problem in school and had struggled to gain even his current rank. Every day that he managed to stay out of trouble was a miracle to him. And now this tough experienced explorer wanted him on his team. "Sir?" he said. "I'll never be able to make Altern - I can't get through my astronomy exam."
O'Neill frowned. "I can help you there, kid," he said, "but not if you've given up. Anyone on my team's gonna have to pull their weight ... and I don't want any shitty attitude about women, either. Ya got that?"
The steely brown eyes bore into Remik - he went red and wished he could shrink downwards. Did his shyness around women seem like chauvinism? "I ... I don't have an attitude, sir," he said politely.
"I've seen how you act around Sub-Commandant Malia," O'Neill said. "You telling me you don't think women don't belong in the military?"
"Sir! No, sir!" Remik replied, appalled at the idea. "Malia is the brightest, most dedicated officer on the base. She's wonderful!" He'd been nursing something of a crush on the beautiful older woman since joining the GTU a couple years ago, but had never had the courage to do anything about it.
"Ah." O'Neill gave a crooked grin, and Remik wondered how much of his emotions the older man could read. "Got it. So ... kid, you want to become an Altern and get to go off-world? Or do you want to think you're a failure for the rest of your life?"
"It's hard," Remik admitted. "I ... I can't read very well and I got sick of people making fun of me."
"It sucks being different, doesn't it?" O'Neill said. "Especially when you're in school."
Remik looked at the Tauri. "Yes," he said. "But I'd like the chance to go off-world - are you willing to help me, sir?"
O'Neill grinned at him. "Good for you, kid," he said. "Report to me in here after your shift finishes - I'll ride your ass until you pass that exam!"
"Uh, yes sir," Remik replied, saluting the other man.
O'Neill returned the salute. "Cool. Now haul ass back to work - I've got a buttload of paperwork to fill out." He grimaced. "Huh, maybe you should stay a Sub-Altern; I bet they don't torture you with paperwork."
Remik blinked. This man was not like the other Sub-Commandants he'd dealt with. Actually, he was not like any other people he'd ever dealt with.
++++++++++++
Three days later
O'Neill sighed and threw down his pen. There; the last form was done! He'd been put through his paces at the weapons range, where he was pleased to discover he'd lost nothing of his marksmanship, and had taken part in a great deal of hand to hand. There were differences in style, but O'Neill had learned some interesting new moves, and had also shown some to his instructors.
Finally - finally - he'd been given the go-ahead by the Commandant, and would officially take command of GT23 from tomorrow. With Remik. The young man had passed his exam and would receive his promotion within the next couple of days. He would accompany them on their first off-world mission, scheduled for next week.
The door opened and Malia poked her head round. "Hi," she said, strolling in. "Thought I'd invite you to lunch - rescue you from the bureaucratic purgatory."
O'Neill grinned at her. "Sweet," he said. He got up and whistled softly. She was dressed in the black off-duty uniform of the GTU. It showed off every curve of her luscious figure; no wonder young Remik had gone overboard for her. "Lookin' good, Sub-Commandant," he commented.
She returned the grin, then put her hands on her hips. "You too," she said, her eyes raking down his frame. "You suit black far better than that bilious green stuff you prefer."
Ah. His old BDUs. Yeah; they were old and ugly, but they were so damn hard-wearing and comfortable he'd hung onto them for as long as possible. Besides, he'd never had any wish to become a model. "Geez; just say it like it is, why don't you?" he complained mildly.
She smiled. "You can always rely on me for that, Sub-Commandant," she teased. "So ... lunch?"
"You betcha." He paused and looked at her thoughtfully. "Ya know; this is gonna be my last free evening for a while. I think we should have dinner tonight."
"I'd like that," she said. "The usual time; at my place?"
"I was thinking; me, you in an amazing outfit, candlelight and a restaurant," he said. "Is it a date?" He could finally afford to take her out, having been given an advance on his salary to make a down-payment on an apartment. He would have his own quarters on base, but he knew he couldn't live permanently at the GTU.
"If I can get someone to look after Tiressa, I'd like that," she said, then wrinkled her nose. "I'm not so sure about the 'amazing outfit', but I'll do my best."
"Ah, come off it," he teased. "You're gorgeous - you'd look great in a potato sack!"
"Uhm ... thank you. I think," she replied uncertainly, wrinkling her nose again.
Suddenly, the lights changed to deep green - full alert, O'Neill knew - and a swarm of beefy SFs flooded along the corridors. He slapped at the comdev pinned to his chest. "O'Neill to Tirol; what's up?" he said.
"Goa'uld," came back the short response.
++++++++++++
Malia's eyes widened. "The Goa'uld? It's been a while," she said casually. "Let's go," she added, slipping into what Tirol called 'soldier mode'.
She and Jack headed swiftly down to the armory and kitted out. She glanced at Jack as he checked the small hand armament he carried. It looked so ... primitive, yet she knew that projectile weaponry often worked better against the Goa'uld than energy weapons. "You ready?" he said.
She nodded her head. "Yes."
They headed into the lift. "Ground zero," she instructed.
Her comdev activated. "Commandant Tirol to all personnel; stand down full alert. Goa'uld threat has been contained. Repeat: stand down full alert."
"Nuts," Jack muttered. "Part of me was kinda looking forward to taking out a snake-head. Wonder which one it was?"
"We'll find out soon enough," Malia said. She'd never seen a Goa'uld before and had to admit to some curiosity. "The Goa'uld will be taken into custody and separated from its host," she told him.
Jack blinked. "You can do that?" he said.
She smiled. "Yes. We developed the technique about ten years ago when one of our officers was taken by the Goa'uld Osiris on an off-world expedition." The smile faded. "He recovered physically, but he chose to leave the GTU. He hasn't left his home since."
Jack's eyes shadowed. "Yeah, must've been tough. The Goa'uld take complete control - you're a prisoner, watching as your body carries out atrocities against your will."
She touched his hand. "You speak from experience," she deduced softly.
The shutters came down. "Not personally," he said. "A ... couple of friends were taken by the Goa'uld. One of them we had to kill. The other's still alive - probably still controlled by Klorel."
That name was familiar to Malia, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "I see," she said gently, putting her hand on his arm and feeling the tension in the strong muscles. "Shall we go down to containment - maybe this Goa'uld is Klorel."
"There's millions of those snake-heads," he said flatly. "Bit of a stretch to think Skaara would land on this planet."
"Never give up hope, Jack," Malia said. "Since freeing Korat from Osiris, we have performed this technique on several occasions for our off-world allies. Level blue," she instructed the lift.
The lift beeped in response and shot them down to the level where prisoners were held. The area was rarely used anymore - just for the occasional brawl that broke out. They hadn't had a serious problem in the GTU for many years.
They got out and she nodded to Tirol, whose arm was encased in a sling. "Commandant," she said. "We want to see the Goa'uld."
Tirol nodded. "Of course. She has a Jaffa and two slaves - they are completely loyal to her and did not hesitate to fight us. We've put them in a separate cell to hers."
"Just the one Jaffa?" Jack asked. "That's not usually the snake-head style. They're overblown, kinda cliched bad guys - usually surround themselves with a squad of Jaffa. You might want to stay on alert - the rest of her Jaffa buddies could be hanging round, waiting to pick you off."
Tirol nodded his head and Malia agreed with Jack's assessment. After all, he'd personally fought the Goa'uld for a number of years. "We will, Sub-Commandant," he said.
He led them down the dark hallways and paused at a door. He nodded to the two big SFs. "Open it," he instructed.
The door opened and Malia stepped in first. The host was a tall beautiful woman and looked strong and capable - no wonder the Goa'uld had selected her as host. "What do you want with us?" she demanded.
"As I tried to tell your people, I'm not a Goa'uld!" the woman snapped.
"Holy shit," Jack blurted out, pushing Malia to one side. He went over to the woman. "Carter!"
Part Six
Major Samantha Carter, USAF, felt her mouth drop open gracelessly. "Sir?" she said.
He quirked that familiar grin. "Me, Carter," he said. "Small galaxy, huh?"
She shook her head, reflecting that retirement didn't seem to have changed him any. "Yes, sir," she said.
God, he looked good. She'd always thought him attractive, but now ... More gray had crept into his hair and contrasted nicely with the all-black gear he wore. And that gear - Holy Hannah. Tighter than the BDUs she'd become accustomed to seeing him in, the pants outlined his long legs and hugged a heart-stopping butt whilst the tee shirt showed off his strong deeply tanned arms. Damn, he'd never looked so sexy.
'Down, girl!', she chided herself. 'Concentrate on getting out of here, not jumping his bones!' "Where's the rest of my team?" she asked the beautiful dark-skinned woman who'd come in with the Colonel.
The woman looked at her suspiciously. "You're the host," she said. "Which Goa'uld possesses you?"
Carter closed her eyes. Damn. The remnants of Jolinar.
"Ah," the Colonel said, u |
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