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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, understanding immediately. "There's no Goa'uld," he told the woman. "Bit of naqadah from a Tok'ra blending."
Carter looked up and smiled reassuringly at the other woman. "The Tok'ra are an offshoot species of the Goa'uld. They're opposed to the System Lords in every way and have been fighting them for thousands of years. I was ... blended with one a few years ago, and she left a protein marker behind."
"And the Jaffa?" the woman said. "Apophis sect."
"T? And Daniel?" the Colonel said. "Where are they?" He squeezed the woman's shoulder. "T rebelled against Apophis ... nearly six years ago and joined SG-1. He's a good guy."
"I see," the woman replied. "Major Carter; I will take you to your friends," she said.
Carter nodded to the woman. "Thank you," she replied.
"So ... Carter - you in charge of SG-1 now?" the Colonel said.
"No, sir," she replied. "I don't have the rank. Lieutenant Colonel Coburn took command shortly after you retired."
"Coburn? From SG-2? But he was still a Major; same as you," the Colonel protested.
"Yes," Carter said angrily, "but he had seniority, and he doesn't have an official reprimand on his record."
The Colonel ... O'Neill, she corrected ... scrubbed his hands through his hair. "Ah, crap," he said. "I never wanted to hurt you, Carter," he said, putting a warm hand on her shoulder and squeezing it gently.
She closed her eyes - much as she wanted to, she couldn't stay mad at him. "I know, sir," she said.
++++++++++++
Malia's head was in a whirl. Now that people from the Tauri had arrived, would Jack want to go back to Earth with them? After all, these weren't just any Tauri, but his former team-mates.
She led them silently to the other holding cell, where two strong-looking men and a huge Jaffa waited. "Sam!" one of them said, pushing glasses up his nose. "Are you okay?"
Major Carter smiled at him. "I'm fine, Daniel," she said. "Just a misunderstanding. Colonel?" She went over to the other human male. "Are you all right, sir?"
"Fine, Major," the man said. He was tall and powerfully built - not much smaller than the Jaffa.
She turned to the Jaffa. "Teal'c?"
"I am well, Major Carter," the Jaffa replied courteously.
"So; can we get out of here now?" the Colonel asked, then drew to attention as Jack stepped in. "Colonel O'Neill!" he said.
"At ease, Colonel," Jack said wryly. "I'm retired, remember?"
"Ah, yes sir," the man responded.
"Jack?" The man with glasses squinted over at him. "It's good to see you again."
"You too, Daniel. I hope you're being good for Colonel Coburn." Jack wore a roguish smile. "No bouncing off to look at rocks."
"Artifacts."
"Rocks."
"Arti ... no; you can't suck me into this," the man named Daniel said.
"Yes, I can." Jack now wore a wide grin.
"No, you can't."
"Yes."
"No ... Jack!"
"Told ya." Jack went over and gripped the Jaffa's forearm. "Good to see ya, T, old buddy," he said.
The Jaffa returned the firm grip. "And you, O'Neill," he replied. "You are much missed by the people of the Tauri."
"Uhh ... yeah." Jack shrugged, then he turned to Malia. "Kids ... this is Sub-Commandant Malia. Malia; meet Daniel, Teal'c, Colonel Coburn and Sam."
Malia smiled at them. "I offer you a belated welcome to Belrina," she said. "And apologize for taking you into custody."
Colonel Coburn took charge. "That's quite all right, Sub-Commandant," he said. "And now that you know none of us are snake-heads, I presume we can go now? We'd like to explore a bit before we go back to Earth."
"Of course. I will have someone escort you off the base," Malia said. She raised her hand to her comdev, but was stopped by Jack placing his hand over hers.
"I'll do it, Malia," he said. "I'd like the chance to catch up," he admitted.
She nodded her head. "I understand," she said. "I'd better go report to Commandant Tirol. Uh ..." - she worried at her lower lip with her teeth - "do we still have a date for tonight, or do you want to postpone for a few days?" She thought she saw Major Carter start, but couldn't be sure.
He gave her a warm smile, his brown eyes gleaming with affection. "Baby; you're the best," he said gently. "Tomorrow night instead?"
"Yeah, sure, ya betcha!" She repeated his stock phrase and was pleased when he grinned. She kissed him gently on the cheek. "I'll see you later. Have a good time."
++++++++++++
Carter watched as O'Neill stared after the tall beautiful woman, wondering if there was something between them. It was entirely possible, she admitted - her former CO was a passionate, charismatic man. Her eyes skittered down his long tightly muscled frame once more. And he was gorgeous. Damn it.
He escorted them into an elevator. "Ground zero," he said.
The doors shut and the elevator began moving. "Voice-controlled, huh?" her current CO said. "What d'you make of it, Major?"
"I'd like to get a good look at their technology," she admitted, dragging her gaze away from O'Neill's body. He'd always been in peak physical condition - had to be in his line of work - but whatever he'd been up to the last couple years had done things to him that guys half his age could only envy. His shoulders were broad and firm, his chest strong and well muscled and his waist and hips lean.
'Geez, Sam; you need to get a life!', she told herself. Maybe, when she got back to Earth, she'd accept that set-up her brother had offered - a cop buddy of his called Pete.
"Hey, Carter; ya still with us?" O'Neill asked in amusement.
"Uh, yes sir," she replied. "Just thinking."
"You and your doohickeys." He smirked. "Nice to know things don't change."
Oh, for God's sake! If SG-1 hadn't been with her, she could have shown him exactly what she was thinking about - in Technicolor and stereophonic sound. There was much more to Samantha Carter than gadgets - it was time he learned that. "Yes, sir," she replied demurely.
The elevator stopped and a big man stepped in wearing an outfit similar to O'Neill's and the people who'd captured them. "Jack," he said.
"Commandant," O'Neill replied. "Meet your prisoners." Carter could almost hear the smirk and sighed.
Colonel Coburn took charge. "I'm Lieutenant Colonel James Coburn; this is my second Major Samantha Carter. And this is Doctor Daniel Jackson and Teal'c."
The Commandant's eyes widened as he looked at Teal'c. "Forgive me for staring," he said. "It has been many years since any of my people have seen a Jaffa. And we have certainly never seen a free one."
Teal'c dipped his head. "Each day that passes sees more of my brothers join the fight against the false gods," he said.
"That's a noble goal - I wish you every success," the Commandant replied, then turned his attention to the rest of SG-1. "I've heard much of the famous SG-1 of Earth," he added.
"Gee, mom; we're famous!" Daniel said, and Carter rolled her eyes. Since the mission to sabotage a Goa'uld summit a year ago, Daniel had become more smart-assed and defensive. He wasn't the same wide-eyed eager young scholar she'd met on Abydos six years ago. He'd lost his innocence over the last couple years and seemed much more eager to fight than he'd been in the past.
And it had definitely gotten worse lately - he was becoming a soldier. Not that that was a bad thing in itself; after all, she, Teal'c and Colonel Coburn were all soldiers. But SG-1's effectiveness sprang from their differences - how well they complemented each other.
"Can it, Daniel," her CO shot back. "Yeah; we've made enemies as well as friends," he said to the Commandant, "but we keep on going. Our standing orders are to secure allies and technology to aid us in the fight against the Goa'uld."
"Another worthy goal," the Commandant said. "We have had little contact with the Goa'uld ourselves, but it may be worthwhile pursuing an alliance with your people. Our off-world missions are taking us further away - we are bound to run into them more often."
"And are you authorized to pursue an alliance with us?" Coburn said. "You speak on behalf of your world?"
The Commandant frowned. "No, I'm not authorized to speak for my entire world - are you for yours?"
Touche. Most of the people on Earth didn't even know about the Stargate Project.
"You have a point," her CO admitted. "But even if we can't manage a formal alliance, it's always good to have friends."
"Hmmm," the Commandant grunted. "The Tollans were friends with your people, and they were wiped out by the Goa'uld."
"Damn it; that wasn't our fault!" Daniel snapped.
O'Neill looked surprised. "Hey, easy there, Daniel," he said.
"You don't know, Jack - you weren't there," the linguist retorted. "The Tollan Council tried to play both sides against the middle - and they deservedly got their asses fried."
Carter winced at the memory of the Goa'uld mothership raining fire down on the Tollan world; Narim's frightened face as he pushed her to safety through the Stargate; the days of constant dialing before they'd admitted that New Tollana had been destroyed. "Daniel ...," she muttered.
Daniel softened slightly. "Sorry, Sam," he said. "I know you were fond of Narim, but Travell and the rest had it coming."
Carter looked over at O'Neill, who was still looking bemused. He widened his eyes, as if to say 'What the hell happened to him?'. She shook her head sadly in response.
++++++++++++
Sam Carter watched as O'Neill stretched out his long legs in front of him with a sigh. He and SG-1 had finished setting up camp for the night - it felt just like old times. "Night, Daniel," he said as the archeologist disappeared into his tent.
"Night, Jack," Daniel called back. "Night, Sam."
Teal'c had gone to his own tent earlier ... to sleep. He'd lost his symbiote recently in a Goa'uld ambush, and could no longer kelno'reem. And Colonel Coburn had gone off to chat with Tirol.
So that left just her and Jack O'Neill. He was staring pensively into the fire, the flickering light doing wonderful things to his brown eyes. God, he really was gorgeous. She'd missed him more than she'd realized; more than ever, she wished they'd never agreed to 'leave it in the room'.
"I missed you, sir," she said quietly.
"Jack," he said. "I'm retired, remember?" He lay back and linked his hands behind his head.
She aimed a shy smile his way. "Jack," she repeated obediently.
"Better." He smirked at her, then pointed up at the sky. "Beautiful up there, isn't it?" he said. "Almost makes you forget the crap going down on those planets."
"Wow, sir, that was almost poetic," she teased.
He tugged at her shoulder, forcing her to lie down. "Look at that, Carter; you can't tell me it isn't gorgeous."
"Sam," she corrected. "You're not my CO anymore."
"Fair enough." He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. She took her chance and brushed her fingers along his jawline. "Carter?" His eyelids flew open.
"I've missed you ... Jack," she said. "I really enjoyed that kiss in the control room - even if it did gain me a reprimand. Well ... now we're not in the chain of command."
He looked a little like a deer caught in headlights - she would have laughed any other time. "Uh ... two years is a long time," he fudged, sitting up and pushing her hand away.
"A very long time," she agreed. She put her hands to his face and brushed her tongue gently against his lips, sighing as they opened. "Better," she muttered, her tongue dancing against his.
His long elegant fingers slid under her khaki tee shirt as he deepened the kiss, and her head swam. "Jack ...," she murmured, tugging impatiently at his black shirt.
"Carter? Ya okay?"
Carter started and looked over at her former CO. He was grinning crookedly at her, while Daniel was amused, Teal'c impassive as ever and Colonel Coburn bemused. "Uhh, yes sir," she said. "I was someplace else." A hot and lusty place.
"That much was obvious," Colonel Coburn said. "Try to stay with us, Major," he advised dryly.
++++++++++++
The next day
O'Neill whistled tunelessly as he strolled into the GTU base. Despite the early hour, he was in a great mood. He'd spent hours with his old gang yesterday, catching up on the latest news.
Skaara had been liberated from the snake, Teal'c had lost his and was now on something called Tretonin, Carter had test-piloted the first human-built ship capable of interstellar travel, and ... oh, yeah ... Daniel was a hero.
About six months ago, he'd been touring a base on some planet where they'd been working on a naqadah bomb - naquadria they'd called it. When it had threatened to go off prematurely, he'd broken into the containment area, dragged out the two scientists and destroyed the experiment.
Daniel had dismissed it as just another day in the SGC, but O'Neill had seen the vicious scars that marred the younger man's face, neck and arms - and likely the rest of his body too. Apparently, he'd been exposed to a nearly lethal dose of radiation - it had only been thanks to the Tok'ra that he'd survived. This was actually his first off-world mission since the accident.
Maybe that explained his crummy attitude toward Tirol and the Tollans. Not that O'Neill had been particularly fond of them - they'd thought themselves so smart, treating SG-1 as if they were primitives. But they hadn't deserved their fate at the hands of the Goa'uld.
After the incident on Kelowna, one of the scientists had deserted his planet and come to Earth, bringing a small sample of the naqadah ... naquadria. He now served on SG-2 - Coburn's old unit. Good kid, according to Coburn, but grinned a lot.
O'Neill closed his eyes, trying to picture himself coping with an over-eager grinning puppy of a scientist. Nah; he'd had enough trouble with Carter - he couldn't have coped with a second one.
"Colonel!" Speak of the devil. His reverie was interrupted as Carter dashed up to him, her blonde hair in disarray. "I was just coming to see you, sir," she said. "Colonel Coburn wants to speak to you when you've got a minute."
"Ah, not now, Carter," he said. "Mission brief in ten."
A curious shadow fell over her face. She and Daniel had been surprised when he'd told them that he was now working for the GTU. Teal'c had not been; he'd simply raised an eyebrow and expressed his satisfaction that O'Neill was no longer wasting his expertise. The big guy was a man of a few words, but those few words tended to pack a punch. "Right," she said. "Well, when will you be available?"
"I'm off duty tomorrow," he said. "Can you stick around that long?"
She smiled. "Yes, sir!" she replied. "Colonel Coburn has briefed General Hammond; we've been given the go-ahead to pursue relations with this world. We'll be here for a few more days."
"Sweet." O'Neill smirked at her. "They're good people, Carter. Anyway, better go; wouldn't look too good if the team leader was late to his own briefing, would it?"
She returned the smirk. "No, sir," she said. "Until tomorrow then."
++++++++++++
While Jack was undergoing his pre-mission briefing, Sub-Commandant Malia was on a mission of her own - finding something to wear for tonight's meal with Jack. She'd never been on a date before, and was unsure what would be appropriate.
She touched her comdev. "Malia to Simona; come in."
"Simona; go."
Malia smiled; to the point as always. "Simona; could you meet me in my quarters? It's ... personal." Most senior officers kept quarters on base, rather than sharing the communal dormitories.
"I'll be there shortly," Simona said. She was as good as her word, appearing quickly. "So; what's the emergency?"
Malia sighed. "Jack has invited me out to dinner tonight," she said. "He said something about me wearing something 'amazing', but I don't have anything that would qualify." Her teeth worried her bottom lip. "I don't even have a dress, for crying out loud!"
Simona laughed. "You've spent far too much time with that man," she teased.
Malia returned the laugh. "I like him," she said simply, "and I want to surprise him."
"Hmmmm." Simona put her hands on her hips and walked slowly around Malia. "Shame you're so much taller than me; I've got a wonderful dress that would be perfect. Well ... looks like a trip to my favorite boutique is in order. I hope you have plenty of money."
"I have, but please don't try to persuade me into anything frilly," Malia said. "It's just not me!"
"Just trust me," Simona said. "I've been itching to see you change your image - I won't do anything you don't like."
"Okay," Malia said dubiously.
++++++++++++
Several hours later, Simona pushed her in front of the mirror. "Take a look," she said gleefully.
Almost afraid, Malia did so. Then she gasped. Who was the woman staring back at her? Dressed in a slim-fitting purple sheath of rich malron, her black curls pulled into a loose knot on top of her head, with several dangling around her face, and a soft rouge on her lips. She didn't recognize her. "Thank you, Simona," she said softly. "I just hope this was what Jack meant," she added.
Simona leaned out of the window. "I think you're about to find out," she said, then she whistled. "My, he looks good tonight," she added.
There was a knock on the door - that was peculiar to Malia; he'd gotten in the habit of just knocking then walking in. "Well!" Simona pushed her in the direction of the door. "Go answer it, idiot!" She headed up the stairs. "I'll go see to the monster."
Malia took a deep breath - 'This is Jack; why so nervous?', she scolded herself - then opened the door. The breath left her body in a rush. He didn't just look 'good'; he looked wonderful. Dressed in a dark blue suit with a cream shirt and his hair tamed for once, he managed to be both elegant and sexy at the same time. "Good evening," she said, shyness making her formal.
"Geez." His lively brown eyes traveled lazily up and down her body. "When I said amazing, I'd no idea you'd take me literally."
She tugged at the dress. "Then I chose all right?" she asked.
"Baby; you're gorgeous," he assured her, tilting her chin upward with a gentle hand and kissing her softly and sweetly.
"So are you," she murmured, putting her hand to his cheek.
++++++++++++
Malia played nervously with her fork, watching as Jack dove appreciatively into his food. There was something so appealing about the way he ate; he approached it like he did everything, no holds barred.
"Hey," he said suddenly. "You okay?"
"This is ... awkward," she admitted. "We've grown close, but it's always been at my house. This is my first ... date."
He put his fork down. "Since your husband?" he said.
She shook her head. "Ever," she nearly whispered. "My parents had very old fashioned values. Kitan ... we were bonded to each other when I turned 16. When I reached the age of 24, we married."
"An arranged marriage, huh? Yeah, we have those on Earth too," he said. "Malia; I'm not going to pressure you into anything," he added, covering her hands with his. "I care for you ... a lot. I would never hurt you."
A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye. "Yes, you would," she said. "If we were to ... make love ... it would hurt - it always has." Another tear appeared. "I can't do this," she added. She pushed her uneaten meal to one side. "I'm sorry, Jack," she said, and ran out of the restaurant.
++++++++++++
It always hurt? What the hell had she gone through with her husband?
O'Neill threw some money down on the table and headed out after her. "Malia!" he called. He heard wrenching sobs in the distance and followed the sound. "Oh, baby ...," he said, his heart breaking for her. Malia was curled up against a tree, her shoulders shaking as she cried her eyes out.
He put a hand to her shoulder, and she flinched away. "Don't," she muttered, drawing into a protective ball.
"Just a hug," he said gruffly, alarmed to find a tear springing to his own eye. He didn't cry - it wasn't him. He hadn't cried during his four months in an Iraqi POW camp, he hadn't cried when Charlie had died. Why was he crying now?
"Oh, gods!" she mumbled brokenly, falling into his embrace. "I'm sorry," she said huskily, burying her head into his chest. "I know you'd try not to hurt me, but ... I can't respond. Men have needs; you'd have to force me."
Rape. The ugly word filled him with bile. Had she been raped? And if so, why hadn't her husband been there for her? "Baby; you need to talk to someone about this," he said, stroking her hair.
"No!" she said, pushing away from him and hugging her knees up against her chest. She stared at him with huge wounded eyes. "The shame is mine alone - I won't hurt his family."
So she'd known her attacker. The commonly held belief that one's rapist was a stranger was more often than not a fallacy. "You have to tell someone - you need to tell the truth."
"And what truth do I owe, Jack?" she whispered. "That my baby was born after my husband forced me during my pregnancy? That she was conceived on my wedding night at knife point? Is that the truth I owe the world?" She got up and walked slowly away from him.
O'Neill sat there, stunned. Her own husband had done this to her. The lousy, no good ... bastard. It was a good job the SOB was already dead; he would've taken great pleasure in beating the shit out of him right now. The bile crawled up his throat. He clutched at his stomach as he lost its contents.
++++++++++++
Malia walked away from the older man, the tears falling silently. Yet some of the anguish had gone. She would always hurt; she accepted that. But finally being able to tell someone - even just a part - of what she'd gone through had helped.
She sat down against a tree and allowed the sobs to consume her. Simona had said for a long time that she needed to cry; well, now she was. Her nose was stuffy, her head ached and her throat was raw. Yet the soreness in her heart eased as she finally grieved for everything she'd gone through.
She wiped her eyes with trembling fingers and got up. It was time to go home. She would seek out Jack tomorrow and see if he still wanted to be with her. She owed it to both of them not to let her memories destroy the burgeoning relationship.
She froze as she heard the unmistakable sounds of violent sickness. "Jack?" she murmured. She turned and went back to him. He was on his knees, hugging his stomach as his shoulders heaved. "Oh, gods ...," she muttered, the tears falling once more.
She put a hand on his shoulder as the sickness finally abated. "Are you okay?" she asked.
He turned shakily, his face deathly pale. "Peachy," he said hoarsely. "God, baby ... that bastard ...". He put his hand on her face, then flinched and took it away.
"Don't ... turn away from me," she said in low tones. "Please?" She sat down next to him and slipped her arms around his waist. "Hold me," she said, snuggling her head into his chest.
He put his strong arms around her as she cried. A strangled sob emerged from him, and he put his head on her shoulder. "Malia; I love you," he muttered, "and you're gonna get through this."
Part Seven
Malia shuddered and gave a deep sigh, completely worn out. She brushed at the wet patch on Jack's smart jacket. "I got you wet," she said.
He clasped her hand gently. "It'll dry," he said, getting up smoothly and pulling her to her feet. "Come on; I'll see you home."
She linked her fingers with his, feeling a curious sense of peace. "Did you mean it?" she asked.
He squinted at her. "Mean what?"
Sometimes Malia couldn't decide when he was only feigning stupidity - this was not one of those times. "You know," she said. "You ... told me you love me."
"Ah." A sheepish grin pulled at the side of his mouth and he turned, cupping her face gently with his spare hand. "Yeah; I meant it," he said. "I hadn't intended to tell you yet, but you know me - I open my mouth and the words fall out."
She snorted in an inelegant fashion. "I don't believe you're anywhere near as stupid as you pretend to be, Jack O'Neill," she told him. Then his words hit her and she gasped. "You ... love me?" she said. "But you can't! You hardly know me!"
He put a finger on her lips, cutting off the frantic babbling. "Yeah; it's weird for me too, Malia," he reassured her. "And we're still taking this as slowly as you need; I can be patient."
She smirked. "Really?" she said.
"Except when I'm stuck in the infirmary," he amended, aiming another crooked grin at her. He kissed her tenderly on the forehead. "Let's get you home."
++++++++++++
Malia went over to the settee carrying two cups of herbal tea - after the events of this evening, neither she nor Jack needed an artificial stimulant. "There," she said.
He took it and sniffed it suspiciously. "I like coffee," he complained.
"You'll like this," she said, sitting down next to him and curling her legs underneath her.
He looked at her dubiously, then sipped at the scalding liquid. "Not bad," he said grudgingly, then let out a huge sigh. "Ah-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h." Then he frowned. "Oy!"
Now what? "Jack?" she queried.
"Apartment hunting tomorrow," he complained. "Geez; I hate that."
Malia chuckled. "I sympathize," she said. "I must have looked at nearly forty houses before finding this one. The agent kept trying to persuade me into bigger properties - said I'd need them if I ever wanted to extend my family." Her eyes filled. That was never going to happen. A tear fell down her cheek. Damn it.
Jack smiled, and brushed the tear away with a gentle thumb. "Comforting to know some things are universal," he said. "Don't suppose you're free tomorrow?" he added. "It'd be good to have a friendly face when I walk into the flaming hell that is a realtor's office."
A wheedling tone appeared in his voice and he widened his brown eyes comically at her. She sighed. "I like you a lot, O'Neill, but that may be pushing the boundaries of my kindness," she said.
"Nah," he said, stretching his arms out, then patting her on the shoulder. "You're a sweet, kind-hearted woman who would never let a stranger to your world apartment-hunt on his own."
She returned the pat, except it was more like a punch. "Oh, you are so ... exasperating!" she said, unable to prevent the laugh that escaped. "Fine; I'll come with you. I always fancied another trip to hell, anyway."
"Cool." He yawned and closed his eyes, leaning his head back on the settee.
She felt herself yawn, and realized that they were both exhausted. "Hmmm; time for bed, I think," she said. She got up and disposed of the tea, then headed back to the settee. "I ... don't want to be alone tonight," she added, extending her hand to his. She blushed, then continued. "Stay with me?"
His eyes popped open, and an uncertain expression appeared on his face. "You sure?" he said, allowing her to draw him upward nevertheless.
"Yes," she said. "Like Tiressa said; you're a good hugger. And I think I'll need it tonight." She couldn't help but get the feeling that her nightmares would make a return.
He looked closely at her. "Ah," he said. "Well, after you, milady."
++++++++++++
Jack was already in the bed when Malia appeared from the bathroom, dressed in an oversized tee shirt that would have been more suited to someone twice her size. "Hi," she said shyly.
"Hey," he said around a yawn. He patted the bed. "Come on, woman; I can't keep my eyes open much longer."
She went over to the bed, then took a deep breath and dived in. His strong gentle arms closed around her and she sighed. "Nice," she muttered, snaking her arms around his waist and resting her head in the crook of his neck.
"Yeah," he said. He kissed the top of her head. "Sleep now, huh?"
She sighed - sleep was highly unlikely, but his presence was comforting. Maybe she could at least rest. "Good night, Jack," she said softly.
"Night," he mumbled, his eyes closing already. Despite his evident fatigue, he took her hand and put it to his heart.
She closed her eyes and sighed softly, her fingers covering the steady beat of his heart. This tough, gruff soldier cared a lot more than he would ever admit and - she had to admit - his long tightly muscled frame felt very good. She yawned and snuggled in against him. It was going to be a long night ...
++++++++++++
Malia opened her eyes and stretched blissfully, then started as the action caused her to press up against Jack. His long legs were tangled with her own and his strong arms rested loosely around her waist. She blushed and slid her legs away from his. He grumbled something incoherent into her hair and tightened his hold around her waist.
She fought back the urge to kiss him awake - the poor man was exhausted. He was deeply asleep, mumbling nonsense and looking absurdly boyish for a man of his years. He breathed in and out steadily and the pulse in his neck beat a gentle tattoo. She didn't think she had any vampire tendencies - so why this urge to kiss that pulse? She gave in and pressed a warm kiss to the hollow at the base of his throat. "Good morning, Jack," she said.
He opened his eyes and squinted down at her. "Hey, beautiful," he said huskily. "Nice way to wake up."
She smiled shyly at the compliment. "How did you sleep?" she asked, sitting up and tugging the covers up to her chin.
"Great," he said, sounding surprised. "Been a long time since I slept that well." He sat up and perused her thoughtfully. "You?" he added. "Manage to sleep?"
"I didn't expect to, but yes," Malia replied. She chuckled. "You remind me of a blanket I used to sleep with when I was a child."
He raised his eyebrows. "I could take offense at that," he said with his familiar smirk.
She kissed his cheek and breathed in deeply. "No; you're warm and strong ... and you smell nice," she admitted. "And you're very good looking."
"Geez, woman - you need glasses! I'm old and battered," he laughed.
"Like my blanket," she said cheekily, then ducked when he swatted playfully at her. "Go and take a shower, Jack; I'll get Tiressa ready for school."
"Whoa there, lady." He scrambled out of the bed in a pretty fast move for a man who'd just referred to himself as old. "I'll get her ready - you have a shower."
She eyed him thoughtfully, tempted. "Are you sure?" she asked. Tiressa was as bad as she was when it came to getting up on a morning.
"Yeah," he said, stretching out his long frame and cracking his neck. He puffed out his chest. "I'm an airman - we're the best. One tiny little girl isn't gonna scare me off."
'You'll learn,' she thought gleefully. "You'll need this for luck," she added, stepping over to him. She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely, sweeping her tongue between his lips.
He gasped and tangled his tongue with hers, his lips firm and passionate against hers. Gods; would she ever get used to the way he made her feel? "Jack ...," she muttered, pressing up against him, her eyes widening as she felt his body's involuntary response to her closeness.
He put his hands to her shoulders and pushed her gently away. "Not yet," he said gently, feathering a series of kisses along her jawline. "But it'll happen," he added. "You deserve a helluva lot more than a jaded soldier with a murky past, but ... I love you."
She put a hand to his cheek, noting that his eyes had darkened with restrained passion until they were almost black. "I ... I love you too," she admitted.
He gave her a cheeky grin. "Good," he said, then patted her gently on the rear. "Go take your shower. And go quickly before I give in and get in there with you."
She blushed fiercely at the image; both of them naked, his eyes nearly black with passion as his hands touched every inch of her body ... "I'm going," she said in a near-whisper, hurrying into the bathroom.
++++++++++++
When she came downstairs, ready for the day of hell, her jaw nearly unhinged in her shock. Tiressa was sitting next to Jack in the kitchen, chatting happily as she stuffed some books into her bag. She was dressed, her hair was brushed, and even her shoes had been polished. "Morning, Tiressa," she said, going over to her and brushing a kiss to her forehead.
"Morning, Mom!" her daughter sang out. "Uncle Jack fixed me breakfast!"
"So I see," she said, reaching over and wiping the milk mustache from her daughter's upper lip. She smiled at Jack, who returned the smile. "Did I step through a quantum mirror or is my daughter actually ready for school without raising seven kinds of hell?"
"Just like her mother, huh, babe?" Jack said with a smirk.
She put her tongue out at him. Smart-mouthed male. The smirk just increased. "I'll get you later ... babe," she told him softly.
"Oh, lookin' forward to it!" he taunted. He took a sip of tenral.
"Uncle Jack; do you and my mom love each other?"
Jack spit out the tenral, looking a little wild-eyed. "Huh?" he jerked out around a cough. "Why d'you ask?"
"Cos you're acting like Sirena and Tirol," the little girl said simply. "They call each other 'babe' and pretend to fight."
Malia closed her eyes. She didn't think she was ready for this conversation. "We ... like each other a lot, baby," she said, blushing. "But we haven't known each other very long."
She eyed her daughter anxiously. Although Tiressa loved Jack, the idea of sharing her mother with someone would be hard for a child to handle.
Tiressa giggled. "Cool," she said. "Are you gonna get married?"
Caught unawares, this time it was Malia's turn to choke on her tenral. She saw Jack's face turn red in an effort to hide his laughter. Her eyes narrowed - infuriating man. "Jack?" she said, effectively passing the buck.
"Malia?" he echoed innocently.
"Uncle Jack?" Tiressa said plaintively. "You guys getting married? Can I be a flower girl? I've never been one before."
"And I bet you'd look beautiful, baby," Jack said, turning serious all of a sudden. "But, like your mom said, we haven't known each other very long - and marriage is a big thing."
"But when you get married, I'm gonna be a flower girl?"
Jack bobbed his eyebrows at Malia. "Girl's got a one-track mind," he mouthed to her.
She chuckled slightly and nodded. "If I ever get married, Tiressa, you'll be my head flower-girl," she said. "Now, it's time for school." Her comdev chirped and she activated it. "Malia; go," she said.
"Tirol here," her commanding officer said. "Colonel Coburn of the Tauri is with me - he'd like to learn more about the GTU's field units. Can you come in?"
"I have to take Tiressa to school first," she replied.
"Be here as soon as you can," Tirol clipped - oh, he was not in a good mood. "Tirol out."
She pulled a face at the now silent comdev. "I can take Tiressa to school if you want," Jack offered. "No sense in honking off the man needlessly."
Malia turned to her daughter. "Is that all right with you?" she asked.
Tiressa nodded her curly head. "Yeah," she said, scrambling to get her bag. She linked her fingers with Jack's, pulling him to his feet. "Come on, Uncle Jack!" she said.
"Yeah, yeah!" he said. "Hold it a sec, munchkin." He dropped a gentle kiss onto Malia's cheek. "I'll catch up with you later, huh? Call me when you're through with Coburn."
++++++++++++
O'Neill strolled out of the train-like transport, holding tightly onto Tiressa's little hand as she bounced along like an excited puppy. With her tendency for wandering, he wasn't about to let go until she was parked in the classroom.
She tugged at his hand and drew him into the playground where what seemed like hundreds of kids milled around. He caught a breath as he involuntarily superimposed Charlie's face onto that of one of the young boys. Damn; he missed him! He'd be in high school now and probably raising hell if the O'Neill blood held true.
"Uncle Jack." Tiressa tugged at his arm. "This is my teacher. Nara; this is my Uncle Jack."
The woman - a tiny sweet-faced lady maybe Malia's age - smiled at him. "Ah, our visitor from the first world," she said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
She put out a delicate hand and he shook it gently. "Yeah, nice to meet you," he said, feeling like a lumbering beanpole next to this frail little lady.
"I'm glad you're here, actually," she added. "I was wondering if you'd be free one day to tell my class about the Tauri? Usually a member of the GTU can tell us about the other worlds, but they haven't been to your world yet."
O'Neill wasn't about to tell her that eighteen GTU officers had likely died against the iris that protected Earth's Stargate. "Can I get back to you?" he said. "I'd like to do it, but I'll be leading a team off-world the day after tomorrow."
She smiled again. "Of course," she said. "Tiressa mentioned that you were taking command of a new team." She touched Tiressa's curls. "Go to class, you," she added.
"Okay, Nara!" she said, then tugged at O'Neill's arm. "Bend down," she instructed. He did so, thanking god that his knee was fixed, and she planted a kiss on his cheek. "See ya tonight, Uncle Jack!" she added as she skipped away to join her classmates.
"Well ... I'd better get going," O'Neill said now, a little uncomfortable with the curious stares he was garnering from some of the adults. Malia had told him that her people were descended from African stock, but surely they must have seen a pale-skinned person before!
"Of course," Nara replied. "Good luck on your mission, Sub-Commandant," she added.
"Thanks," he replied, and strolled out of the playground.
++++++++++++
"Nara; was that the Tauri I've heard about?" Deela, the mother of one of her pupils and her best friend, came up to her.
Nara nodded; still a little stunned at how he'd towered over her. "It was," she said. "His name is Jack."
"Hmmm." Deela moistened her lips. "Tall, lean and handsome ... I wonder if he's involved with anyone?"
Nara shrugged. She wasn't attracted to him herself, but she could understand why a woman would be. "I don't know," she admitted. "Tiressa called him Uncle Jack, so it seems he's something to do with Malia."
"It figures." Deela chuckled. "The woman could have any man she wanted, and she wants brown-eyes."
Nara eyed her friend. It was an open secret that Deela had lusted after Malia's husband and had resented their marriage. "Let it go, Deela," she advised impatiently. "Kitan died over three years ago - she's entitled to find happiness again."
Not that Malia had ever seemed happy when with Kitan - she'd always been subdued and withdrawn, preferring to let her husband speak for them. Nara huffed silently - if that was what marriage was, she was glad she'd stayed single.
"I suppose so," Deela admitted with a shame-faced smile. She grinned again. "Wonder if there are any more like him around?" She clutched suddenly at Nara's arm. "Look," she said softly.
Nara looked where her friend was pointing and saw Jack stop to talk to three tall men and a woman. The woman and two of the men were evidently of the Tauri, whilst the other man - a huge man, even taller than Jack - could have been of Belrina. His skin was richly dark, but was marred by a strange gold symbol in the center of his forehead.
They were all very handsome, although very different - the woman must have constantly been the recipient of jealousy. Nara liked the looks of the youngest one the most - soft brown hair, shocking blue eyes framed by glasses, lightly tanned skin and a gentle mien. As a small woman, she'd learned that men sometimes used their size to intimidate, and had rapidly developed a small woman's wariness.
"Gorgeous!" Deela muttered. "I think I'll go introduce myself," she added breathily as the alarm that heralded the beginning of class rang. "I'll see you later, Nara."
++++++++++++
Malia sighed with relief as she left the base. Tirol had been in what Jack would describe as a 'pissy' mood all through the meeting with the Tauri. He was justifiably angry that their Stargate's shielding had caused the deaths of eighteen GTU officers, but these people were not responsible for their leaders' decisions.
And besides, the one named Daniel had argued, they needed that iris - unlike the people of Belrina, the Goa'uld would have taken over Earth in a heartbeat without it. Tirol had accepted the point grudgingly, but had remained in a surly mood throughout the meeting.
It had only been Major Carter's calm yet firm manner that had prevented relations between them deteriorating. The Jaffa had been silent, whilst Colonel Coburn and Daniel had engaged in verbal warfare. The big Colonel and Tirol seemed to have taken an instant dislike to each other - typical alpha males, she mused scornfully - and Daniel was just ... angry.
Malia sighed. She'd had enough of bad-tempered males to last her a lifetime. She'd been relieved when the meeting had ended, and had left rapidly. The less she had to do with the irritable Daniel, the better.
"Sub-Commandant!"
She turned and saw Major Carter come up to her - thankfully without her team-mates. "Major Carter," she said. "I'm sorry about Commandant Tirol - he's usually a very reasonable man."
Major Carter smiled slightly, the action lighting up her blue eyes. "So's the Colonel," she said. "It was like watching two wolves go up against each other, vying to be alpha male."
Malia chuckled. "Yes," she agreed. "It's a good thing you and Teal'c were well behaved - the mood Tirol is in today, I think he would have happily thrown you all into a holding cell."
"Noticed that, huh?" Major Carter looked mischievous. "The Colonel's normally nicer than today, but something's really crawled up his butt." Then she blushed. "I shouldn't be talking about him like that," she admitted.
"I won't tell anyone," Malia promised, pleased to find that she liked one of Jack's friends. Besides Simona, she didn't have any female friends. She'd always been shy as a child and adolescent, due to her height, and Kitan had not encouraged her to pursue a social life during their marriage. "I'm glad you've come here, Major," she added. "I know Jack's happy to see you all again."
Major Carter smiled - a little sadly. "It's good to see him again too," she said. "And my name's Sam."
Malia blinked. "Isn't that a boy's name?"
The other woman chuckled. "It's short for Samantha," she said.
Malia nodded her head. Samantha suited her better - she was strong and beautiful. "I'm Malia," she said hesitantly.
"Malia," Samantha said. As they headed into the lift, she added, "Is there something between you and the Colonel?"
Malia stared at her. "Ground zero," she said. "And no, there's nothing between us. I suppose he is an attractive man, but all he did today was irritate me. I don't understand how you can put up with him."
"Sorry," Samantha said quickly. "I meant Colonel O'Neill."
Now that was a different proposition. Malia felt a silly smile on her lips. "I love him," she admitted simply, "and he loves me."
Samantha's eyes widened and her skin paled - if that was possible for the fair-skinned Tauri. "You ... you love each other," she whispered.
"Oh, gods." Malia put her hand on the other woman's arm. "Were you ... close before he left?"
Samantha flushed. "Not in that way," she said. "We ... cared for each other more than we were supposed to, but the regs ...". She trailed off, looking embarrassed. "I'm not in love with him, but ... uh ... I'm attracted to him. I'm sorry, Malia; you didn't need to hear that."
Malia shook her head quickly. "Don't apologize, Samantha," she said. "Jack is an unusual intense man with a nice face; why shouldn't you be attracted to him?" That drew a chuckle from Samantha. "I'm curious though," she continued. "Why didn't you pursue these feelings? You said something about regulations."
"The Air Force forbids fraternization between its officers - they believe it could affect our performance in the field," Samantha said. "It's a court-martialable offense."
Malia gasped. "They have no right to regulate your feelings," she said. "You save your world over and over again from the Goa'uld - surely you're entitled to some happiness?"
Samantha chuckled again. "That's what Daniel says."
"Daniel isn't military?" That shocked Malia - the man was strong, cynical and deeply scarred; that screamed 'soldier' to her.
Samantha shook her head. "No; he's an archeologist and linguist," she said. "The first few years he had no idea of the concept of chain of command. He and Colonel O'Neill used to drive each other insane, yet they were best friends."
Malia smiled. "They had a one word argument when they were reunited," she said. "Is that how they've always behaved?"
Samantha chuckled. "Ridiculous, isn't it? Two supposedly mature men, and they go on like children." She breathed in deeply as they stepped out of the lift. "You know; your world really is beautiful," she said. "I can see him being happy here. That's good - he deserves happiness."
"Everyone does, Samantha," Malia said. "With the exception of the Goa'uld, of course. Are you happy?"
++++++++++++
Carter was taken aback at the question. She thought about it and nodded her head. "Most of the time," she said. "I have an amazing life - I've seen and done things that most people on Earth would never believe, and I've got friends who care about me." 'But is that enough?', her inner voice asked her.
Her new friend looked at her and smiled. "Good," she said. "You seem like a good person, Samantha." Her shoulders tensed and she frowned.
"Sam!" Daniel came barreling up the hill, his cheeks glowing with exertion and his eyes bright. "Tirol's given me permission to go through the GTU's archives - d'you know where Jim is? I'll need to stay behind when the rest of you go back to Earth."
Only Daniel could get away with calling Lieutenant Colonel James Coburn 'Jim'. "No idea," she said, pleased to see the 'eager archeologist' look back on Daniel's face - it had been too long. "You remember Malia, don't you?" she added.
Daniel turned to her companion - Carter couldn't help but notice her flinch. She'd done that a lot during the meeting, too. "Uh, yeah," he said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I'm ... sorry for the way I acted earlier," he offered. "But your CO really honked me off."
Carter closed her eyes - what happened to the 'We're peaceful explorers' line he'd always used?
"I'm sure he was charmed by you too," Malia said dryly, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "Tell me; how long have you been a member of the Jack O'Neill school of smart-mouthing?"
Carter laughed. So did Daniel - it was good to hear him laugh again. She realized now how little he'd even smiled since the Goa'uld summit. It must have been hard for him to see his ex-girlfriend inhabited by Osiris, but he'd refused to talk about it.
He'd only just started coming to terms with Sha're's death when Sarah had been taken by the Goa'uld, and he'd withdrawn into himself. He'd needed Colonel O'Neill, but he'd been gone for several weeks by that point.
They'd always been able to get the other to talk. The Colonel seemed to express himself through quick touches and the warmth in his deep brown eyes - he wasn't a fan of talking. Daniel was not comfortable with physical affection, likely due to years of bouncing between foster homes, preferring to talk. Daniel and the Colonel were complete opposites in every way, yet they were almost brothers.
"Touche," Daniel said now with a smile. "I can see why Jack likes you so much - he needs someone like you to keep him from becoming too full of himself."
And there it was! The full-blown, 1000-watt Daniel Jackson patented smile, guaranteed to send unsuspecting women to their knees. After nearly six years, Carter was used to him, but even she was sometimes taken aback by the smile. If he had had any idea how many of the nurses took on extra shifts when he was in the Infirmary, he would have become unbearable.
Malia blinked - evidently not unaffected by the smile. "It's a hard job, but someone has to do it," she said. She unfolded her arms. "Samantha; would you and Daniel - and the Colonel and Teal'c of course - like to come to my house for dinner tonight? I know Jack would love a 'team night' - he reminisces very fondly about a place called O'Malley's."
Carter laughed at the memory that called up. Even now, two years later, she and Daniel still got dirty looks when they attempted to go into the steakhouse.
Malia looked at her curiously. "What?" she said.
Daniel chuckled. "Good memory," he said. "Tell you tonight?"
"I look forward to it," Malia said.
Part Eight
"Hey, kids!" Jack strode easily up the steep incline, his knee evidently well healed. "Whatcha doing?" The grin was cheeky, but his eyes were soft with affection as he put his arm around Malia's shoulder.
She slid her own arm around his lean waist, enjoying his warmth. "Making dinner plans," she said. "A ... team night, if you will."
"Cool." He smirked. "Carter; we're going apartment-hunting. Ya wanna come with?"
Samantha visibly shuddered. "Uh, no, sir," she said. "Don't forget, I was with you when we were helping Daniel find a place."
"Ah." He waggled his eyebrows. "Was I that bad?"
Samantha smiled. "You were a real bear, sir," she said. "I think Daniel wanted to kill you by the time he'd finally settled on a place." She winked at Malia. "If he gets too difficult, just threaten to withhold pie."
"Ouch!" Jack staggered dramatically. "You can't take my pie away from me!" he complained.
"Be nice and I won't have to," Malia said, smiling at the interaction between Jack and Samantha. There was obviously a lot of history between them, and an attraction that they barely acknowledged. What would have happened between them if their military had not interfered? They would likely be married with several children, and Malia would never have met him.
She shivered at the unpleasant thought, and tightened her grip around his waist. He squeezed her shoulder. "I suppose we'd better get going," he grumbled. "We'll see ya tonight, huh, Carter?"
Samantha smiled. "Great," she said.
++++++++++++
O'Neill sighed as the realtor opened the gate to the tenth property they had examined that day. The house was a simple two-story dwelling, with a garden, several fruit trees, and even a brook that cut a corner through the garden. "Sweeeet," he muttered to Malia. He just hoped the house was as nice as its surroundings.
"It's rather large for one person, Sub-Commandant," the realtor said apologetically - after a full day with Jack O'Neill at the height of his sarcastic form, she'd lost some of her confidence. "But it's within your price range and ..." - her gaze flickered to Malia, whose hand was linked with O'Neill's - "if you ever chose to raise a family, you wouldn't have to move."
He squeezed Malia's hand. "Let's see the inside," he ordered. He didn't mean to be so pissy, but he hated house-hunting. No wonder Carter had begged off this little excursion.
The realtor produced a keycard and swiped it, releasing the lock. Then she pushed open the door. "I'll wait for you here, sir," she said nervously - she'd learned rapidly that O'Neill preferred not to be shadowed when he was inspecting a property.
O'Neill strolled into the living room and looked around critically - no carpet; good. They were a bitch to keep clean. There was a large fireplace; perfect for cozy nights on the settee with Malia. "Nice," he muttered, but he wasn't holding out hope. Probably the bathroom was a fleabag.
"I'm going to look at the kitchen, Jack," Malia said. "It's evident you've not spent much time in kitchens."
He grimaced at her retreating back. Yeah; he didn't like the Star Trek doohickeys these guys tended to use for cooking, but give him a barbecue or a big wood range and he could whip up a feast for the gods. "Gods, Jack!" she said, sounding appalled.
He headed for the kitchen. "What?" he said. Was it a roach trap? Nah; didn't look like it. It was decorated in restful blues with accents of cream and led to a little back garden that - for cryin' out loud! - had a small fountain.
"No materializer," she said. "There's only an old-fashioned stove. You'd have to buy a materializer, and they cost a fortune. Then you'd have to rewire the kitchen to support the ...".
"A-ah!" He put a hand over her mouth to halt the techno-babble he could feel coming a mile off - three years plus with Carter had honed that particular spidey-sense. "I'm cool with this," he said. The stove reminded him of the big English Aga his grandmother had done all her cooking on. "This I know how to use."
She regarded him dubiously, knocking his hand away. "Really?"
He chuckled. "Really," he said. "If I buy this house, I'll prove it to you."
"Are all Tauri as peculiar as you, or is it a gift?" she asked, slipping her hand into the back pocket of his trousers.
"Huh?" he croaked, taken aback at the bold gesture and the feel of her hand on his butt. "Ah. It's a gift," he laughed, giving her shapely rear a squeeze. "Wanna check out the bedroom?" He leered comically at her.
"Hah," she muttered, sliding her hand out of his pocket. "Get your mind out of the sewer, Sub-Commandant! You go and look at the bedrooms and I'll apologize to the agent for you - again."
"D'oh!" he mumbled as she sauntered away. Had he gone too far? Although her confidence was coming on in leaps and bounds, he had to remind himself of the aggression - hell, the sheer torture - she'd experienced in her marriage. If he didn't slow down, he was going to ruin everything.
++++++++++++
Malia walked away from Jack, her senses still tingling from the cheeky squeeze he'd given her rear end - no doubt in return for her touching his rear. A small part of her - the primitive - had wanted to 'check out' the bedroom in the time-honored fashion, but the rest of her knew she wasn't yet ready.
She shivered and sighed. No matter how gentle Jack tried to be - and he was capable of a great tenderness - she knew that he would hurt her. At first physically, then emotionally when he ended their relationship due to her lack of response.
Oh, gods - what was she doing? What under the suns had made her think she could have a relationship with this man? Holding hands, kissing and flirting were all very well for adolescents, but Jack was a man - with a man's needs. Needs that she didn't know if she could fulfill.
Then she recalled the feelings he'd invoked in her when she'd woken up in his arms this morning - his long legs tangled with hers, her torso pressed against his, the hollow of his throat so tempting ... She smiled slightly - he'd shown her that she could respond to the right man, despite her embarrassment. He'd shown her caring, tenderness and passion beyond anything she'd ever thought she could have.
"Malia?" The agent touched her shoulder, snapping her out of her mildly erotic musings. "What does he think of the house?"
She looked at the agent, who seemed apprehensive. She wasn't surprised - Jack really was being a 'bear' to the poor woman - surly and sarcastic. "So far, so good," she said cautiously. "No materializer - that's why the price on the house is so low, isn't it?"
"Yes," the agent admitted. "It could be such a lovely home too, but people just aren't willing to spend the money to bring it up to date."
Malia wasn't about to tell the woman that the lack of materializer didn't bother Jack - maybe they'd be able to negotiate the purchase price. "I can understand that," she said.
A piercing whistle attracted her attention and she looked up to see Jack's silver head sticking out of the old-fashioned skylight. He was grinning like a boy and she sighed, knowing that she now had no chance of talking the agent down. "Ya gotta come see this!" he called. "There's a deck and everything!"
He withdrew his head and she heard him clattering down the stairs. "It's gorgeous," he said, striding over to Malia and the agent. "Let's talk turkey."
Malia exchanged puzzled glances with the agent. "Turkey?" she said.
++++++++++++
Several hours - and half his bank balance - later, Jack O'Neill was the proud possessor of that sweeeet little house. He'd been suckered the instant he'd seen the fountain in the back garden, but hadn't been about to admit that to the realtor - that would have screwed him royally.
Of course, he'd kinda blown it when he'd found the decking that ran all the way around the second story. Perfect for parties, star-gazing, and - yeah - romantic nights with the gorgeous woman walking next to him, her hand once more ensconced in his back pocket. With the heeled boots she wore, she was only a couple inches shorter than him and her hip rubbed against his as they left the realtor's office.
He slid his arm around her shoulders as they made their way into a furnishings store - amazing how similar this world was to Earth. A few more doohickeys perhaps, and the Stargate wasn't a secret, but all in all ... "Damn," he muttered, skidding to a halt.
"What?"
"Oh, I gotta have me this!" O'Neill said, heading over to the barca lounger - or as close as he was going to come thousands of light years from Earth. He sat down in the chair and looked for the lever to push it into recline. Nuts - where the hell was it?
Malia chuckled. "It's a conformer chair, Jack - I didn't know you'd become that fond of them," she said.
Crap. He shot out of the chair as he felt it begin to move. "Geez ... I hate that," he muttered. Never mind that it'd be the most comfortable thing ever once it stopped moving ... it was the moving that freaked him out. "And you couldn't have warned me before?" he complained.
She laughed again. "And miss seeing your face? Not a chance," she replied. "Makes me wish I'd had my imagizer with me."
"You're evil," he accused and found himself on the receiving end of a Jack O'Neill patented smirk. When had she gotten that move down?
"Must be the company I keep," she replied. "You really should give these chairs a chance, Jack. They're perfect if you end up falling asleep. Of course ..." - she gave him a wicked look - "there's an advantage to you waking up with backache."
He didn't see it, but was willing to play along, enjoying the flirtation that had suddenly appeared in her tone. "Yeah?"
She slid her hand into his back pocket once more, squeezing his butt gently. "I get to give you a back-rub," she said softly, her beautiful dark eyes sparkling. "I'm not speaking just for myself when I say that you have a very sexy body, Jack."
He blinked. Had sweet, shy Malia just said that? Had she just done that? Time to change the subject before all the blood in his brains rushed south. "Uh ... right back at ya," he said, plucking her hand out of his pocket. "Play nice, Sub-Commandant," he instructed out of the corner of his mouth as a salesperson breezed over to them.
He listened with half an ear to the man's sales patter, the rest of his formidable willpower concentrated on calming down certain body parts that refused to be good. Geez, he wasn't some teenager with a hormone problem! No; he was a nearly forty-seven year old guy with a hormone problem.
Hell, he might already be forty-seven; the way he'd bounced around the planets the last couple of years, he had no accurate way of noting the passage of time. Huh; must remember to ask the guys what the date was back on Earth when they got together tonight.
++++++++++++
Malia watched Jack interact with his old friends, teasing Samantha about 'doohickeys', trying to get a rise out of Teal'c and engaging Daniel in pointless monosyllabic arguments. "Hey," Colonel Coburn said, passing her a glass of amber wine.
"Thank you," she said and took a cautious sip. "Feeling a little left out?" she asked.
He looked startled for a second, then shrugged. "Not really," he said. "They're a good group; they work their butts off for Earth ... I think he kinda took them for granted before he left." He regarded her curiously with his black eyes - they should have looked odd against his skin, but suited the black hair very well. "It's your house; you should be in there with them."
"It's my house, but it's Jack's night," Malia replied, surprised to find herself liking the blunt Tauri. She'd never had a tolerance for what Jack called 'bullshit' and it seemed that Colonel Coburn felt the same way. "He's missed them a lot more than he'll ever admit."
The Colonel nodded his head as Daniel gave a laugh. "You know; that's the first time I've heard that guy laugh in over a year," he said. "He's been determined to turn himself into the perfect soldier."
"It must be hard for him, being the only civilian on your team," Malia said. "Maybe for some reason he believed that he was becoming a liability."
"Geez, you're good," he said. "It took us six months to work that one out - it took him nearly being killed on Kelowna to realize it."
Malia nodded her head. "We'd heard that their people were trying to create a bomb, but that it was sabotaged by an outside force."
"Daniel," Coburn replied. "He broke into the lab and destroyed the reactor when it went critical, but took a buttload of radiation." His voice hardened. "The Kelownans decided that he'd sabotaged it, and kicked us off the planet."
That explained the vicious scarring on the man's still handsome features and his bursts of anger. Tauri medicine wasn't as advanced as Belrina's - he would heal slowly, if at all, and the scarring would remain. "We have the ability to cure his injuries," she said. "Would it be all right if I approached him about that possibility?"
"You can try," Coburn said, "but even the Tok'ra couldn't get rid of all the injuries."
"I don't know what a towkra is, Colonel, but our CMO was able to repair Jack's knee," Malia replied. She chuckled. "He wasn't exactly gracious during the healing, but it's worked out well."
Coburn laughed also. "Yeah; he was always Fraiser's worst patient. Nice to know some things don't change."
"Simona'll be relieved to know that he tortures all doctors," Malia said. "I think she was starting to believe it was personal." She nudged him. "Have you known Jack a long time?"
His black eyes twinkled at her. "Oh, a while," he said. "You want to hear some good stories?"
She chewed on her bottom lip. "I don't want to intrude on him," she said. "Beneath the clowning, he's a very private man."
Coburn sobered suddenly. "I don't know a lot of his past - a lot of hush-hush stuff - but he's a pretty good guy," he said. "Anyway, why are we talking about him? You're much more interesting."
Malia went pink. "I'm not really," she said. "I'm a widow with a child, and I lead a team of explorers to other worlds ... All right; that bit's interesting," she conceded, wondering if he was flirting with her.
"You must have worked hard to get where you are," he said. "You're pretty young to have reached your rank - on Earth, you'd probably be a step above me in our structure."
She was pleased that he hadn't assumed she'd flirted or slept her way up the ranks as some males did when they saw her tall curvaceous shape. "Very hard," she said. "I joined the GTU Academy at the age of fourteen and took my first off-world excursion as an Altern two years later. Fourteen years and countless excursions later, and I'm now second in command of the GTU base."
"So ... any ambitions to command?"
"Not yet," Malia said. "Maybe when I'm older. Even our medicine can't fight the ravages of time. Some day, I'll get too old for active duty - I'll either be retired or have to ... to quote Jack ... 'fly a desk'." She took another sip of the wine. "And what of you, Colonel?"
"Call me James," he said.
"Not Jim?"
"Only Daniel calls me Jim," the man replied, "and don't think I haven't threatened to pound that habit out of him."
She chuckled. "James, then," she said. "Any ambitions for promotion yourself?"
"I've only had my current rank a couple of years," he said. "It'll take a while for me to reach the rank of General - if I ever do." He looked grim all of a sudden. "Politics."
Ah. "I understand," she replied. "I've made enemies among the government myself," she said. "I've never been good at games. Thankfully, Tirol backs me all the way - even when they've threatened him with disciplinary action."
"I knew there was something I liked about that guy," James said. "Even when he was pissing me off, at least I knew where I stood."
"Oh, you can always rely on the Commandant for the truth - whether it's what you want to hear or not," she said, leaning up against his big shoulder. She frowned at her glass - how much wine had she consumed tonight?
He put an arm around her shoulder. "You know; they wouldn't notice if we left," he said. "You want to take a walk; get to know each other better?"
She frowned slightly - had she been leading him on? "Uh ... James ... I didn't ... I don't ... I ...," she babbled, setting the glass down with a clunk. "You ... you're a nice man, but ...". She felt perilously close to tears and wrapped her arms around herself.
He patted her shoulder quickly. "It's okay," he said. "I won't push you into anything."
"It's ... not just that," she said. "It's ... Jack."
"Ah." James raised his eyebrows. "I thought so." She looked at him with surprise and he chuckled. "I may be just a dumb soldier, but I can tell when people have the hots for each other. And the sparkage between you and him could power up the SGC for a month."
She blushed slightly and unwrapped her arms from her defensive position. "I love him," she admitted. "You're a nice man, James - you deserve someone to love you."
"Huh." He considered this statement. "I don't think my ex-wife would agree with you," he said.
"You were married?" That surprised her - he didn't seem like the marrying kind.
"It was a long time ago, and it didn't last long," James said. "Turns out I'm better at shooting people than marrying 'em."
She frowned. "I don't believe that - you've been very nice to me," she said. "Just because marriage didn't work for you before ... maybe you should find someone who understands what you do. Everyone needs someone they can talk to."
"Yeah; we weren't exactly good at the talking," he said. "She's way smarter than I am - that was part of the problem. But she's a damn good officer - I have a helluva lot of respect for her."
She saw with shock where his eyes strayed. "Samantha?" she blurted out, glad that she hadn't been drinking - she would have surely spit it up.
"Shhh!" he said. "Yeah. For all of three months. We met about a year before the SGC went online. Fell crazy in love, got married, realized we'd made a horrible mistake, fell crazy out of love, and divorced." He grinned wryly and took a gulp of amber wine - he seemed to be able to handle the liqueur a lot better than she could. "In a marriage, you have to take turns at being in charge. Well, we both wanted to be in charge all the time. God ... we had arguments that'd peel the paint off the walls."
Her head was whirling. "And now you're her commanding officer. Isn't that awkward?"
"She's one of the best 2ICs I've ever worked with," James said. "It was over a long time ago - I'm not carrying a torch for her, she's not carrying one for me, but we know we can trust each other."
She leaned up against him once more, feeling a kind of euphoria from the amber wine. "Alpha males," she muttered. "The gods preserve us from bossy alpha males."
"God, you're plowed," he said, putting a hand on hers. "Maybe we should leave."
"No," she said. She waved a wobbly hand to where Jack sat laughing with his friends. "He's so happy." And he looked so handsome, dressed in baggy blue trousers and a black tee shirt that did nothing to hide his shape. "Just ... get me some tenral - I need to sober up."
"Yes, ma'am!" He gave her a sloppy salute. "See; you'll take very well to command."
She pursed her lips and blew a raspberry, then giggled and yawned. "Tenral - dial it up!" she ordered.
++++++++++++
O'Neill watched as Coburn and Malia sat together on the settee, looking very cozy. Damn, they looked good together. Coburn was at least five years younger than him, in the peak of physical condition, and could be very charming. He'd been nearly as bad as Daniel for women on other planets. And Malia was a young beautiful woman - what could she possibly see in a battered ex-Black Ops Colonel with more crap in his brain than anyone should ever have to deal with?
Peachy. His hand clenched around his glass as Coburn put a hand on hers and she didn't flinch away. Then he noticed that she was swaying and her eyes were unfocused. Huh; seemed she could handle her liquor about as well as Daniel.
Check that; Daniel had already had half a bottle of that amber stuff, and was completely sober. Weird. Seemed the guy had finally developed a tolerance to alcohol. "Ya okay there, Daniel?" he called as he headed over to Coburn and Malia.
"Fine," Daniel said cheerily, his blue eyes glazed.
O'Neill rolled his eyes - the younger man was completely plowed. "Huh; maybe you should sleep it off."
"I told you I'm fine, Jack." Daniel laughed and got up, then wobbled over to Malia. "Y'know; you're beautiful," he told her. "Jack sure can pick 'em."
Malia went pink. "Thank you," she said.
"So guys ... wanna play a game?" Daniel waved his hands in the air.
"What 'game' would you suggest, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked seriously. "We have no board games with us."
Daniel thought rapidly - even in his drunken state, O'Neill could practically see the cogs going in the younger man's head. "Truth or dare?"
"Geez, Daniel; we're not in high school!" Coburn said.
Daniel pouted slightly, the childish action a strong counterpoint to his scarred features. "'Kay. Wanna compare our kinkiest dates?"
Alcohol had the most amazing effect on the usually gentle linguist, turning him into a loud-mouthed yet amusing horn-dog. O'Neill sent a quick grin over to his friend's current CO. "Okay, Daniel; you first," he said.
"Okay." Daniel took a deep breath, then his eyes rolled back in his head. Luckily for him, Teal'c was able to catch him.
O'Neill gave a huff of laughter. "Well, I think that kinda breaks up the party, kids," he said, ignoring the fact that Teal'c was easily twice his age.
"I agree, O'Neill," Teal'c said, standing up and scooping the unconscious linguist against his broad chest as if he weighed nothing. "Daniel Jackson will not be happy tomorrow," he added.
"Serve him right, too," Carter said. She turned to Malia and O'Neill was surprised when the two women hugged each other briefly. "Thanks for tonight, Malia," she said.
"It's all right," Malia said. "We should get together for lunch tomorrow," she added. "I learned something very interesting about you tonight ... from Colonel Coburn."
O'Neill's ears pricked up. "Oh, yeah?" he said.
"Geez." Carter sagged against the doorframe, her quick brain evidently making the connection. "So much for keeping it in the past."
"He had several glasses of amber wine - that may have loosened his tongue," Malia consoled her. "I'd like to hear about it - I have never had what Jack calls a 'chick chat' before."
"Carter?" O'Neill wasn't ready to let this one go. "Something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?"
"Definitely not, sir," she shot back - amazing how quickly they'd resumed their weird method of interaction; him teasing her and her shooting him down. She turned back to Malia. "Okay ... I'll tell you about it at lunch, but" - she gave O'Neill a grin - "only if you give me the scoop about you and Colonel O'Neill."
Malia chuckled. "You have a deal," she said. "Goodnight, Samantha."
Part Nine
"Fire in the hole!" Sub-Commandant Jack O'Neill hollered as he hurled a grenade into the path of the determined Jaffa. Looked like a mix of Horus and Serpent guards, but seeing as Heru'ur and Apophis were both dead, god knows who they were worshipping these days.
They'd 'gated to this supposedly peaceful planet just two hours earlier and had been in pitched battle since then. Some of the locals were helping them in the fight, but most had been taken by whichever snake-head had his eyes on this planet.
He put the oculars up to his eye once more; still no sign of the back-up he'd been promised. "This is really pissing me off," he muttered to no-one in particular.
Young Remik managed a grim smile. "Back at ya," he replied, aiming his gun carefully and taking down another Jaffa. "I was always curious about the false gods - wanted to see one. I suppose that'll teach me to be careful what I wish for."
O'Neill gave a short huff of laughter - he liked this kid's style. Kinda reminded him of himself more years ago than he cared to remember. "Yeah," he said, dropping behind a rock as one of the Death Gliders carried out another strafing run. He pulled Remik down. "Hit the deck!" he said as the Glider fired at anything it could take out.
What the hell happened to GT23 being the exploration unit - only gating to Asgard planets? And speaking of the Asgard ... were they going to get their flat little gray butts here anytime soon?
A huge ship loomed down from the atmosphere and O'Neill's shoulders tensed. Shit. "Not looking good, kids," he told his team. "But if we go down, we go down fighting. Right?"
"Right!" his team responded fervently - they were young but they were good. They shouldn't have had this crap on their first off-world mission. Then he remembered his own first off-world mission - taking out Ra on Abydos. Talk about your baptism of fire.
Suddenly, the hordes of Jaffa began disappearing in white beams. "What under the suns ...?" Remik muttered.
O'Neill smirked. "Gotta love those little gray guys," he muttered just before he and his team were swept up in the ... transporter beam?
He reappeared on the Asgard ship and patted himself down. Yeah; none of him had been left behind. "Kudos on your timing, whichever one of you guys it was," he called out.
"Sub-Commandant?" Remik looked at him curiously. "Where are we?"
"My guess; an Asgard ship," O'Neill said sarcastically. "Let's hope so, cos if it's a Goa'uld ship in disguise, we're in deep guano."
Remik gave him a look that screamed 'No shit, Sherlock' and O'Neill grinned again - he really did like this kid, but could understand why less understanding people had labeled him a discipline problem.
"O'Neill?"
He knew that voice. "Thor - buddy! How's it hanging?"
His favorite gray guy (or gal; who could tell?) looked puzzled, then blinked. "I am well, O'Neill, but am puzzled as to your presence in this sector of your galaxy. I had not realized the Tauri had explored here yet."
This world was a little off the beaten track, being at the furthest end of the known Stargate network. Hell, it was the ass end of nowhere. "Ah," he said. "I'm living elsewhere now," he said. "A world called Belrina."
"Indeed?" Thor tilted his head like a curious canine. "Then you are in charge of their newest team?"
"That's me." O'Neill turned back to his team. "Kids; meet Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet, owner of some kick-ass technology and all-round good guy. Thor; meet the new kids on the block."
Thor regarded them calmly. "Greetings," he said. "I am pleased that we were able to respond to this attack, although we are puzzled as to how the Goa'uld learned of this world."
"Me too, buddy," O'Neill said. He'd chosen this world for their first foray simply because it hadn't been on the Abydos cartouche. It had been one of the 'gate addresses he'd had downloaded when his head had been sucked in by that ... dang Ancient head-sucker thing. "So ... any idea which snake-head it was?"
"We believe it was a Goa'uld named Anubis," Thor said calmly. "Over the last year, he has become more powerful and has located a number of Asgard protected worlds."
"Don't know him," O'Neill mumbled. "Uh ... Thor, not to be ungrateful, cos I'm really glad you got us outta there, but could we trouble you for a ride home? I don't want to keep the kids out past their curfew."
He could almost hear his team's synchronized eye-rolling. Although they'd only been together a couple days, they'd gotten used to his command 'style' and were shaping up pretty well. Greener than month-old milk of course, but they had potential. He grimaced at the imagery - he so did not need that right now!
"Sub-Commandant? Are you all right?" Remik said.
"Peachy," O'Neill shot back, although to say he felt crappy would have been more accurate. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, he felt distinctly nauseated and his shoulder was killing him.
Lorat Kellin - his 2IC - snorted inelegantly. "You don't look it, sir," she pointed out. She grasped his uniform top and ripped it away from his shoulder.
"For cryin' out loud, Kellin!" he protested, going pink. This little girl was freakishly strong.
"Sir; you've got a massive staff wound here," she said, probing gently at the wound. He hissed out a breath as her small fingers brushed at it. "We don't have anything to cauterize it."
"Sweet." O'Neill glared at her, surprised that she didn't flinch. He knew that he could be intimidating as hell. Then he remembered that she'd cross-trained as a medic; he'd never been able to intimidate those people. He'd have chewed her out further, but he was beginning to feel like crap.
"O'Neill; we will heal your injuries," Thor said calmly. "Can you walk to the infirmary, or do you wish help?"
"I can make it," O'Neill said and forced his legs to carry him forward. He was about as Irish as Teal'c, but figured he had to get his hard-headedness from somewhere. "Thor; check out the gang too - why should I be the only one to go through the joys of a medical?"
His team's groans were like the sweetest music to him, and he chuckled before sliding into unconsciousness.
++++++++++++
Malia sighed as she poured herself a cup of tea and activated a music crystal. Jack had been off-world with GT23 for a few days now, and she missed him. Although she'd only known him a few weeks, it was surprising how quickly he'd become a part of their lives.
She missed him clattering around in the kitchen, mumbling epithets about 'doohickeys', she missed his arms around her, she even missed his smirk. Well ... maybe not the smirk so much. But she missed his genuine smile, the one that did amazing things for his eyes.
The house was very quiet tonight - with Jack off-world and Tiressa sleeping at a friend's, she was actually alone for the first time in a long time. Usually she relished her alone time, taking the opportunity to pamper herself, but today ... she was lonely.
She got into bed and groaned at the files that lay on the table. It looked like she wasn't going to be able to sleep any time soon - may as well file those mission reports Tirol was nagging her about. She flipped open the file and began reading her second's notes, then gave up with an exclamation of disgust. She was always late with her reports - why break the habit of a life time?
She took a sip of the tea then touched the pillow next to her. Jack had slept there after the 'team night' - although she'd changed the coverings since then, she would swear that she could smell a faint trace of him. She picked up the pillow and hugged it to her. Mmmmmm. It wasn't anywhere near as good as his arms round her, but it was better than nothing.
A bright light flashed and she covered her eyes. What under the suns ...? "Hey, babe," Jack drawled.
"Jack!" she said, scrambling out of the bed and flinging her arms around him. "What are you doing here? How did you get here? How is it you're back so soon?"
He returned the hug and chuckled. "I'm here to hug my woman. I got here courtesy of a little gray guy called Thor. I'm back so soon cos some snake-head SOB tried to screw us."
She pulled back from the embrace and regarded him, choosing to let the chauvinistic expression 'my woman' slide. For now. He was pale and tired-looking - but he looked wonderful to her. "Were you hurt?" she asked, noting the strain behind his smirk.
He shrugged. "Staff blast," he said. "Not the first one; sure as hell won't be the last."
"Have you seen Simona?" she said, taking his hand and sitting down next to him on the bed.
"A-ah! Not another doctor," he grumbled. "I got the full works from Thor's doctor. My shoulder's fixed - it's just a bit stiff." He regarded her with pleading eyes. "Hey, if that offer of a back-rub's still good ...".
She sighed - if he had any idea what those deep brown eyes did to her willpower, he would become absolutely unbearable. "It is," she said. "Shirt off," she instructed, cracking her knuckles then chiding herself. It was a nervous habit she just couldn't seem to break.
"Yes, ma'am," he mumbled and tugged off his black tee shirt, wincing as the move aggravated his shoulder.
She stared - she couldn't help it. He'd cringe if he ever heard this word applied to him, but ... good gods ... he was beautiful. Lean and hardened by decades of military life, his strong shoulders tapered down through a firm chest to a trim flat stomach. His skin was marred by various scars - some caused by knives, some by whips, some looked like poorly-healed projectile wounds - and she winced in sympathy.
"Hey, babe ... where are the hands?" he said, wriggling down so that he was lying with his face buried in the pillow.
Her fingers itched to touch him, yet she hesitated. Was she starting something she couldn't finish? "Oh, for crying out loud!" she muttered, then put her hands to his shoulders, rubbing at a particularly bad knot.
He stiffened then relaxed as the knot was eased. "Great hands," he mumbled into the pillow.
++++++++++++
O'Neill sighed in bliss as Malia's long strong fingers worked at his shoulders. God, he loved a back-rub. He'd occasionally gone to a chiropractor, but the clinical atmosphere hadn't had the same effect as being touched by the woman he loved.
Yeah; he missed sex - he was only human, for crying out loud! - but he missed simply waking up with a beautiful woman more.
Daniel had once surmised that his constant fiddling, finger-tapping and doodling was due to his need to suppress his instincts to touch people. He'd scorned that idea at first, but was coming to realize that maybe the guy had been on to something.
When he'd been younger and before his rapid promotions, he'd been a lot more tactile with his friends; putting an arm around their shoulders, giving the women a kiss on the cheek, and so on. At the age of thirty, he'd still been a Captain. By the time he'd hit forty, he was a full-bird Colonel. He'd needed to pull back; distance himself. Couldn't get closer to people you might be ordering to their death; couldn't let friendship interfere with command decisions.
Malia's firm hands moved along his spinal column, rubbing out kinks and knots he hadn't even known he had. God ... she was good at this - he was turning into the boneless wonder, putty in her hands. Then he felt something warm and soft brush his shoulder blade. Her lips? "Malia?" he mumbled.
"Ssssh," she muttered, pressing another kiss to one of his scars, her hands now kneading the small of his back.
Sweeeeet. His eyes closed and he gave in.
++++++++++++
Malia studied Jack as he lay quietly, face buried in his pillow. Then he turned over and gave her a sleepy grin. "Hey," he said.
"Hey yourself," she replied. "Feel better?"
He stretched his arms high above his head, causing his trousers to ride perilously low. She caught a glimpse of his hip bone and had a fleeting wicked thought of what - if anything - he wore underneath the pants. She slapped herself mentally. "Great," he said. "And now it's time to say hi properly."
He put his hand to her face and covered her lips with his, giving sweet nibbling kisses to her lower lip before deepening the kiss. She sighed and opened her lips to the insistent sweep of his tongue, her hands snaking around his warm body. Gods ... what this smart-mouthed Tauri could make her feel!
She grasped his free hand and, before she could change her mind, brought it up to slide inside her oversized tee shirt. "Babe?" he said, breaking off from the delicious kiss to regard her with puzzled eyes.
She shook her head. "No. No over-thinking. No analyzing. Just feelings," she said, then pressed up against his lean frame, effectively trapping his hand under her shirt.
++++++++++++
O'Neill breathed in deeply, then kissed the amazing woman currently trembling in his arms. "You okay?" he asked.
She didn't respond, but a tear slid down her cheek and the trembling increased. Shit. He'd hurt her. He'd tried to be gentle, had called upon every iota of patience he'd learned in Special Ops, and he'd still hurt her. He brushed a curl out of her eye. "Baby; I'm sorry," he said, hating himself.
Another tear slid down her cheek. He hated when a woman cried - he always felt so clumsy and useless. But now ... now he'd hurt another woman. He'd made Sara cry many times during their marriage, he'd hurt Carter when he'd caused her reprimand, and now Malia.
"You want me to leave?" he said, brushing the tear away with his thumb. "Because I will. I'll never force you."
She shuddered and looked at him with bemused eyes. "What?" she said.
God; how badly had he hurt her? It looked like she was in shock. Had she even heard anything he'd said? Bile lurched up his throat. What the hell had made him think he could ever deserve this beautiful sexy woman? "I ... I should go," he said, flinging back the covers and grabbing for his clothes.
She launched out of the bed and body-checked him. "After what you made me feel?" she shouted as they landed hard on the floor. "If you think I'm just some floozy to add to an interplanetary list, guess again! The hell with you, O'Neill, if you think that!"
"What?" He scrubbed his hands over his face. Whilst he'd never been the brightest spark, mind-blowing sex tended to drain his IQ points right out of his ears. "You're ... not just a conquest, Malia."
She sighed as she wiggled off of him, awakening certain body parts he thought had gone to sleep for now. "Then why are you trying to leave? You gave me my first wonderful experience, and that's it?"
Geez; he really was dumb! "Those were ... happy tears?" he said, brushing at her damp eyelids.
She rolled her eyes. "Those were happy tears, O'Neill," she confirmed. "You made me feel ... beautiful," she added huskily.
"You are beautiful," he said, kissing her full lips softly. "I thought that the moment I met you."
She chuckled and put her hand on his thigh. "Then what are we doing on this cold hard floor, when there's a soft warm bed not five meltas away?"
O'Neill felt a fully-fledged shit-eating grin tug at his lips. "Good question, Sub-Commandant," he said, getting up and pulling her into his arms. They fell onto the bed, a laughing tangle of arms and legs. "I love you, babe," he said, nipping gently at the soft skin of her neck.
She stroked his hair. "I love you too," she replied.
++++++++++++
Malia strolled out of the lift, her hand inside Jack's back pocket, feeling the lean muscles of his rear shift as he walked beside her. What a night! She'd never believed that she could respond to a man's touch like that. "I'll see you tonight?" she said.
"Yeah," he said. "I'm off this afternoon, so I'll be at my place - the furniture's getting delivered."
She groaned. "And you want slave labor?" she surmised.
"I'll make it worth your while," he said in low tones. "I give great back-rubs."
Her skin heated up - she now knew first hand just how skillful his hands were. "You, Sub-Commandant, have a deal," she said, clearing her throat, then patting him on the rear. "You'd better go; Tirol's waiting for your report."
He returned the cheeky pat, then kissed her tenderly on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they fell up against the wall as they devoured each other lips. Gods ... he really was a good kisser!
She ran her hands up his firm chest, outlined very nicely by the black tee shirt, and pressed up against his body, reveling in the feel of his hands sliding under her own tee shirt. Only the beeping of his comdev prevented her doing obscene things to him against that wall.
"Shit," he muttered, moving away from her. He slapped the comdev, wincing as it dug into his chest. "O'Neill; make it good." He listened to whoever was on the other end of the communication and frowned. "Yeah; I'll be there," he said.
He groaned. "Ah, for cryin' out loud, Malia!"
"What?" she said.
"How the hell am I supposed to go see Simona like this?" He waved his hand downward, and she noted his ... ahem; rather happy ... condition. For a man who called himself old, he certainly had a lot of life in him, she noted with a chuckle. "You think it's funny, huh?"
She took his hand and pulled him into a storage room. "We can take care of it," she said, her fingers working swiftly at his belt.
Nothing happened to prevent her doing obscene things to him in the storage room.
++++++++++++
O'Neill opened the door and stepped into his house. Sweet. His house. He put his backpack down, then took out the few things he'd brought from Earth - a team photo, his medals, and a picture of Charlie. He smiled at the cheeky grin on his boy's face - the picture had been taken the day he'd scored his first home run in Little League.
He would always miss Charlie, but he was glad he could remember the good times. His first healing had begun when that blue crystally thing had taken his form and gone to see Sara. Over the years, he'd learned to accept what must be, but it was little Tiressa's unquestioning love that had cemented the healing.
His comdev activated. Ah, for crying out loud! He was off duty this afternoon! He was sorely tempted to ignore it, but remembered that it wasn't just for official business. He activated it. "O'Neill," he said.
"Sub-Commandant; this is Nara, Tiressa's teacher."
"I remember," he said, his heart suddenly pounding. "Is Tiressa okay?" Please God, please God ...
"We tried to reach her mother, but she's off-world at the moment ...," Nara said apologetically.
"What's wrong?" he barked, out of patience.
"It's nothing serious, sir," Nara replied almost timidly. "But she's burning up; she needs to go home."
He remembered the frights Charlie used to give him and Sara; the way he could be fine one moment, then have a raging temp the next. "I'll come collect her," he said. "Be there in a few."
"Thank you, Sub-Commandant."
++++++++++++
O'Neill hurried into the school, weaving his way through the throngs of children. A hand grasped his arm. "Mister! Are you really from the first world!" a young boy said excitedly.
"Yeah," he said. "I'll tell you about it some time. Ya know where I can find Nara?" He liked kids - liked spending time with them - but there was one special little kid who needed him right now.
"Sub-Commandant." Nara appeared suddenly, her arms full of a sobbing five year old.
"Baby," he said, holding out his arms to Tiressa.
She fell into his embrace. "My head hurts," she whimpered. "Wanna go home, Uncle Jack."
"I'll take you home, sweetie," he said, brushing her curls away from her forehead. Geez; she was on fire. "Thanks for calling me, Nara," he said, although he was surprised that Simona hadn't been her first choice. "What made you think to call me?"
Nara patted his arm with a 'silly boy' expression that reminded him of his grandmother, even though the teacher was at least a decade younger than him. "You're her Uncle Jack," she said simply. "Who else would I call if her mother isn't here?"
++++++++++++
"Hot," Tiressa muttered grumpily.
O'Neill pressed his lips to her forehead. "I know, baby," he said. "I'm gonna get you something to cool you down, okay?"
She pouted. "'Kay," she replied, and fell back against her pillow.
He put a finger to her cheek, then turned and dashed back down the stairs, heading for the materializer. Water, cool, he chose - still feeling idiotic tapping into a freakin' computer to get food and drink.
"Uncle Jack ...," she said plaintively.
"Coming, baby," he said and sprinted up the stairs, thanking goodness that his knees had been fixed. "I'm here, little one," he added, sitting down on the bed and putting the glass to her lips. "A little drink ... for me?"
"Uh-huh," she said, sitting up against him and gulping eagerly at the water. "More," she said around a yawn.
"Soon," he promised. "But you need to sleep first - you'll feel better soon."
"Love you, Daddy," she mumbled, curling her little fist into the fabric of his tee shirt and closing her eyes.
His breath caught at the innocent expression and his feelings hit him anew. Never mind that some sadistic SOB had fathered her, he, Jack O'Neill - grumpy, sarcastic, cynical Black Ops soldier - was her daddy. "Love you too, baby," he said, a tear springing to his eye.
++++++++++++
Malia sat on the wall to Jack's property and allowed herself to steam. Where under the suns was he? If he was going to be late, couldn't he have let her know? Damn inconsiderate males! Her mood wasn't improved when two young men whistled raucously as they passed her. "Hi, sexy!" the taller one said. "What are you doing tonight?"
"Nothing that a child like you could cope with," she replied coolly. He was handsome enough in a youthful fashion, but he couldn't compare to Jack. "Run along now."
The men laughed. "Good one," the shorter one said. "You got any sisters?" His eyes twinkled with mischief.
She had to laugh - there was something so endearing in their clumsy attempts to flirt. "If I had, I'd keep them well away from you two," she said. Her comdev activated. "Sub-Commandant Malia; go," she said. Off base, she always used her rank as well as name; Malia being a common name for women her age.
"Malia; it's Simona," her best friend said. "Jack's at your house with Tiressa; he had to take her home from school."
"What?" she said frantically. "What's wrong with her?"
"It's just a fever," Simona replied soothingly. "I've given her some medicine, and Jack's looking after her."
"Thank you," Malia said, her panic receding. Tiressa was an excitable child; she would sometimes spike for no apparent reason.
She closed down the comdev and slid down off the wall, heading for the nearest turbo-tube, having lost her taste for the innocent flirtation.
++++++++++++
She practically skidded into her house a short time later and headed for Tiressa's bedroom. "Love you, Daddy," she heard her daughter say.
"Love you too, baby," Jack replied.
Tears filled her eyes and she stepped into the bedroom to see Tiressa curl her fist into Jack's shirt and Jack blink back a tear. "Mommy's here," she said softly.
Jack looked up and smiled at her. "Hey," he said softly, trying to hide his fear. "She's cooling off now - whatever Simona gave her did the trick."
She sat down next to him and kissed the tear away from his lashes. "It's okay," she said. "She used to scare the griss out of me when she did that."
"Charlie did the same," he said fondly. "Used to scare the crap out of Sara and me."
His eyes shadowed and she cupped a hand to his cheek. "Jack; how can I resent Charlie? He's your son, you love him. There isn't a limit to how much love you can give. I know you; and I know your heart. There's plenty of room for more."
He shook his head. "I'm not that nice a guy, Malia," he said. "I'm cynical, grumpy, sarcastic - I've got a ton of black ops crap in this head ...".
She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, unsure who he was trying to protect; her or himself. "I know you're not perfect, Jack," she said. "We all have our demons, but you have to trust yourself; trust me. We love you."
He chuckled ruefully. "Sorry," he muttered, returning the kiss. "I tend to get morbid when I haven't slept," he added, waggling his eyebrows.
She pushed him gently, aware of Tiressa snuffling against his chest. For a brief moment, she envied her daughter. "Dirty old man," she chuckled, accepting that he wasn't ready to talk about his demons. She would let it go. For now.
Part Ten
"Jack," Malia said quietly, putting her head around the open door of Jack's office.
He looked up and nodded. "Hey," he replied coolly.
She sighed and went in. "How are you doing?"
"Peachy," he replied flatly. He waved his hand at a stack of files. "I'm kinda busy, Malia - is there something you need?"
She cursed silently - stubborn man. "I heard about Abydos ...," she began, unsure what to say. She was unfamiliar with the planet itself, but had been shocked when she'd learned of its annihilation at the hands of Anubis, a new System Lord.
He huffed a short mirthless laugh. "Gotta love the grapevine in this place," he said. "That's what happens to planets without your 'vastly superior' technology," he added nastily.
She wanted to scream, but resisted the urge - they were deep in the bowels of the GTU base, after all. "If you want to talk ...".
He regarded her with a deadpan gaze that was a far cry from the usual laughter or tenderness that tended to infuse his brown eyes. "I'm fine," he said. "Was that all, Sub-Commandant?"
She blinked at the dismissive tone. Was this the real Jack O'Neill, the complex Tauri she'd come to love? "That was all," she replied. "But if you shut everyone out, you'll be alone."
"That works for me," he said. "Alone is good."
She knew he was hurting, but she realized that part of him also believed that he was safer alone. "Like you were after Charlie died?" she said, hoping to provoke some sort of reaction - even if it was bodily harm. This dead-eyed soldier bore no resemblance to the laughing, passionate Jack O'Neill she loved.
"Yes," he said and opened up the file. "Good day, Sub-Commandant."
++++++++++++
Jack O'Neill finished reading the report from one of the Tok'ra he'd met during his stay with them a year previous. He'd confirmed that the destruction of Abydos was total. No-one had survived. Kasuf, Skaara ... they were all dead. He reached into his pocket and produced a slim flask full of amber wine. "Fucking snake-heads," he said and drank deeply, feeling the liquor burn down his throat.
He'd been in the military more than half his life - he'd seen more death than anyone should have to witness. No more. No more System Lords; no more false gods. "No more."
He put the flask back in his pocket, then headed out of his office and into the lift. "Officers' quarters," he instructed.
He got out several seconds later and went into his on-base quarters. He hesitated a moment, then took off his comdev, placing it on the bedside table. Then he took up his backpack, tucking his pictures of Charlie, Malia and Tiressa into the top pocket.
"Computer; record a message for Sub-Commandant Malia," he said. "Delay delivery for ... two days."
"Working ...," the computer replied in its flat nasal tone.
++++++++++++
O'Neill stepped out of the Stargate and strode along the sand dunes he remembered from his enforced stay here. A man appeared suddenly. "O'Neill," he said. "Do you really want to shoot me?"
O'Neill had reflexively pointed his zat-like weapon, then he shrugged and lowered it. "Not so much," he told his friend. "Good to see you again, Malek."
The Tok'ra dipped his head, then his symbiote spoke. "We are pleased you have agreed to accompany us on this mission, O'Neill," he - Kelnor - said. "Your skills will be of much value."
"Uh ... thanks," O'Neill mumbled. While he liked Malek, he wasn't so sure about the snake. It didn't seem to have much of a sense of humor.
To his relief, Malek spoke next. "We are not due to leave for several days, O'Neill," he said. "Shall we ring down? I'm sure you're tired."
"A bit," O'Neill conceded.
"Did you have trouble terminating your duty on Belrina?" the younger man asked as they made their way to one of the dunes where the transport rings were hidden.
"Not so much," O'Neill said. None actually - he was AWOL. If he ever returned he'd be court-martialed on sight.
"That's good," Malek said seriously. "Stand next to me, please."
The transport rings appeared, then deposited them inside the crystal-like tunnel of the Tok'ra base. "Love what you've done with the place," O'Neill quipped.
Malek rolled his eyes. "You don't have to pretend with me, O'Neill," he said. "I know you're uneasy about what is to come."
O'Neill grunted assent - the guy had come to know him pretty well during the month he'd spent with them. "Yeah," he said, nodding to some of the Tok'ra he'd met previously. Then his eyes widened as he saw a familiar figure. "Hey, Jacob!" he called.
Jacob Carter - Sam's dad, retired Major General and now snake-head - turned round. "Holy Hannah!" he said. "What are you doing here, Jack?"
"I'm your point man on this one, Jake," O'Neill said, glad to see the older man again. "So ... whatcha been up to?"
Jacob frowned, not about to let O'Neill change the subject. "I didn't realize you were the one that had volunteered for this mission," he said. "When Malek told me someone from Belrina had agreed to this, I thought he was mistaken - they prefer not to be involved with the war against the Goa'uld."
His tone clearly indicated that he was less than impressed with Belrina's self-imposed isolation, and O'Neill managed a grin. "Why d'you think I left?" he asked "I know all too damn well what those snake-heads are like."
Jacob gave a wry chuckle. "The mission doesn't start for a couple days yet, Jack," he said. "Plenty of time for me to get you up to speed with what's going on back on Earth."
"Cool," O'Neill said. Although it had only been a few weeks since SG-1 had returned to Earth, it felt like a lifetime.
As he followed the older man through the tunnels, he began to wonder whether he'd done the right thing. After all, he had a good life on Belrina; he was in charge of an exploration team, and he went home to a loving woman and child. But he knew the System Lords would reach Belrina one day. It was only a matter of time. Unless they were stopped.
He'd not been able to protect Charlie from the specter of death - he owed every other kid in the galaxy the chance to live free from death and slavery. Even if it meant his own life.
Hell, he should have died on that first mission to Abydos - it was only the fact that Daniel had taken the blast meant for him that had given him these extra years. Now it was time to settle old debts.
Part Eleven
Six months. Six months since Jack O'Neill had disappeared without trace. Six months since the last time she'd been held in his strong arms, felt his warm lips against hers, rolled her eyes at one of his sarcastic quips.
Six months.
No more. She'd played his final message over and over until she thought even the computer was sick of hearing it. She knew he'd been more upset about Abydos than he'd let on - she should have made the stubborn man talk.
Malia knocked on her commanding officer's door. "Come in," he grumbled - since Jack's desertion, he'd gone through four replacement leaders for GT23 and this had put him in a worse mood than usual. The team just had not gelled the way it was beginning to under Jack's command, and they all felt his absence.
Malia strolled in. "You wanted to see me, sir?" she inquired, sinking into the chair in front of his desk.
"Yes - have a ...". He shook his head with a wry smile. "Malia; would you like the chance to live on Earth for a time?"
She tilted her head. "Pardon?"
"Our government and that of the SGC have proposed that we exchange a team each to help cement the new alliance. If you agree, you will live on Earth for at least a year, working with the SGC, whilst their team will take your place here."
"What about Tiressa? I'm not leaving her behind," Malia objected. "The Tauri Stargate is still a secret for much of the planet - it's not like there's a school for alien kids I can enroll her at." She blinked - that remark sounded remarkably like something Jack would say. Jack ... Damn him.
"I wouldn't ask you to leave her behind, Malia," Tirol replied. He smiled slightly. "She wouldn't be the first alien child to live there - one of the SGC's doctors adopted a little girl from a planet called Hanka. And Tiressa's a clever girl - she'll understand not to say anything about being from another planet."
"I'll need to talk to her about this," Malia said. "She was very upset when Jack ..." - she blinked away the moisture in her eyes - "when Jack left. I don't want to unsettle her again."
"Malia; I'm not just your commanding officer," Tirol said. "I'm your friend, too. How are you doing without him?"
"I miss him," she admitted, "but it hurts less each day." She clenched her fists. "I just hope whatever he's doing is worth it, because I'll beat ten kinds of griss out of him if I ever see him again."
Tirol gave a short laugh. "Good for you," he said approvingly. He opened a file. "Can you give me your decision by the end of the week?"
"Can do," Malia replied casually.
"Good. Now get out of here," Tirol said.
++++++++++++
Two weeks later
"Connection to Stargate Command established, Sub-Commandant," Altern Remia said. She grinned at her new commanding officer. "I'm looking forward to seeing this world," she added.
"I am too," Malia admitted, returning the grin. The younger woman had been one of the first to volunteer for the exchange - citing her curiosity about the Tauri. Tauri in general, or its soldiers?, Malia wondered. Whilst Remia was an intelligent young woman and a good officer, she seemed unusually preoccupied with men.
She activated the comdev. "This is Sub-Commandant Malia of Belrina calling Stargate Command. Come in, please."
There was a harsh burst of static, then a man with a peculiar accent - General Hammond, she presumed - replied, "This is the SGC; we're ready when you are. Please transmit your IDC."
Malia nodded to Remia, then grasped her daughter's hand. "You ready, kiddo?" she said.
Tiressa put a finger in her mouth and nodded. "Yeah," she said, looking with wide eyes at the shimmering event horizon. "It's pretty, Mom," she added. "Will it hurt?"
"No, baby, but you might feel cold when we get to the other side. Don't be frightened. Have you got Jack?"
"Uh-huh." Tiressa clutched the big stuffed animal Jack had given her - he'd called it a 'dog' and had told her to name it something cool, not girlie. "Can we go, Mommy?"
Malia chuckled at her daughter's impatience, then looked over to Tirol. He gave her a nod. "Stargate Command; we're coming through," she said. Then she took a deep breath and stepped through ...
... onto a metal ramp surrounded by dozens of heavily armed soldiers. She looked down at Tiressa. "Okay there?" she asked.
"That was fun!" Tiressa giggled, dancing down the ramp and heading over to a portly man with little hair. "Hi!" she bubbled.
A tender smile appeared on the man's face. "Hello, young lady," he said in the peculiar accent Malia had heard earlier. "And you would be Sub-Altern ...".
Tiressa laughed. "I'm just a kid," she said. "And I bet you're George."
He shook her hand gently. "That's right," he said. "You're very smart."
"Uh-huh," the little girl replied with a distinct lack of humility. "George ... ya got any kids my age?"
"That's General Hammond, remember?" Malia said quickly. She stepped down the ramp and saluted him. "Sub-Commandant Malia. This is my daughter Tiressa."
"It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Sub-Commandant," the General replied, holding his hand out to her. "I've heard good things about you from SG-1 and your own CO."
"Thank you, sir," Malia said, deciding that she liked this man. "May I introduce the rest of my team?"
++++++++++++
Major Samantha Carter strolled into the briefing room, wondering why the General had requested her presence. She was supposed to be on down-time for the next forty eight hours, and had planned on spending that time with Cassie. "You wanted to see ...?"
Then her mouth dropped open. "Malia?" she said, gaping at the woman who had become her friend during the short time she'd been on Belrina. They'd seen each other a number of times since, but it had been six weeks since their last meeting. "It's your team that's swapped with SG-8?"
Malia smiled. "Surprise!" She tugged at the child hiding behind her. "Tiressa; this is Sam."
"Hi," the little girl said. "You're the one from Uncle Jack's picture."
Cute kid. "I am," she said, noting the pain that leapt into Malia's eyes at the mention of the Colonel. He'd left Belrina nearly seven months ago, after the destruction of Abydos, and no-one knew where he was now.
She sighed slightly. She'd made the conscious decision a while ago to let him go after seeing him with Malia, but that didn't mean she couldn't worry about him. She didn't love him - knew that they'd be a disaster together - but she cared for him. "Tiressa; you want to come to the commissary and get some food while your mom has her meeting?" she said.
"Do you got pilora?" the child asked, tucking a chubby hand into hers, much to her surprise. She'd not had much to do with kids, had never thought of herself as particularly maternal, but this chubby bundle was sure cute.
"Uh ... I don't know," Carter said. "What is it?"
Malia chuckled. "You have it," she said. "Jack calls it Jell-O."
Ah. "We've got lots of it, kiddo," Carter said. "You ever tried blue ... pilora?"
"Blue?" Tiressa crossed her eyes and made a disgusted face. "Sounds yucky."
"Trust me on this, kid; it's the greatest."
"Okay!" The child beamed at her and tugged at her hand. "Can I go, Mom? Huh?"
"Of course," Malia said. "Have a good time, baby."
++++++++++++
Jack O'Neill, former USAF Colonel, former GTU Sub-Commandant, groaned under his breath. "More freakin' Jaffa - peachy!" he groused.
He and his Tok'ra allies - who'd'a thought, huh? - had 'gated to this dustbowl of a planet a couple days earlier and had set up camp in a dense forest to await the arrival of the snake-heads. "Know who these guys are, Jake?" he added.
Jacob Carter dipped his head, then his eyes flashed; indicating that his snake ... uh Selmak ... was in control. Even after six months with these guys and everything they'd gone through together, that still freaked him out. "By their markings, I would surmise Cronus sect," Selmak replied. "They are far outside their usual territory, however."
"Probably taking advantage of the fact that we whupped Bastet's ass," O'Neill said, earning himself a grin from Malek and the rest. After six months of O'Neill's irreverent comments, the Tok'ra had loosened up considerably - probably given it up as a bad job.
"I agree with Jack," Arislet chimed in - she rarely joined in the banter that characterized this particular group, but her years of experience with the Tok'ra - she was even older than Selmak - made her invaluable. "By taking Bastet out of the picture, we have caused serious rifts to develop within the System Lords."
"Cool," O'Neill said. "Divide and conquer, guys; divide and conquer."
They held their collective breaths as the Jaffa troops tramped past them, then settled down when they realized that they hadn't been detected. "So ... what now?" O'Neill asked as they broke out ration packs. Interesting galactic phenomenon - all MREs sucked.
"Vacation," Arislet said.
Everyone looked at her. "Say what?" Jacob asked.
"We have been fighting for six months," she replied. "We deserve a vacation, and I'm sure that you would like to see Samantha again."
"It has been a while," Jacob said. "What about you, Jack? Want to come back to Earth for a bit?"
O'Neill mulled it over. He was desperate to see Malia and Tiressa again, but it had been so long - where had the time gone? She was a young beautiful woman - she didn't deserve for him to come back and toy with her emotions. Also, he'd be arrested and court-martialed before he got two feet out of the Belrina Stargate. "Yeah," he decided. "Might be fun."
++++++++++++
Stargate Command
"Receiving Tok'ra IDC, sir," Sergeant Walter Davis said.
Major General George S. Hammond frowned. It had been over six months since they'd heard from their allies, but news of their sudden aggressive stance against the Goa'uld had filtered to the SGC via other allies. In that short time, several Goa'ulds had lost their territory, including Apophis, Bastet, Yu and Camulus. Minor Goa'ulds were now seeking to take over this territory, splintering the System Lords even further.
Then a week ago, Jacob had contacted him, asking if he and a friend could come visit Earth for a short time - for R and R. Hammond had approved it immediately - besides Jacob being one of his friends, he was also Sam Carter's father.
"Open the iris, Sergeant," he said.
The iris slid open and two figures stepped out of the event horizon onto the metal ramp. "Stand down!" Hammond ordered the SFs. He headed out of the control room and into the 'gate room to greet his old friend. "Jacob," he said, putting out a hand to the retired General.
"George," Jacob returned, his smile showing more than a hint of mischief. "I believe you know my companion," he added.
The tall man accompanying Jacob pushed back the hood of his weave robe and smirked. "Hey, General," he said.
Jesus H. Christ! Catching at his dignity before it completely deserted him, Hammond nodded at his former 2IC. "It's been a long time, son," he said. Whilst there wasn't that big of an age gap between them, not enough for him to literally be his father, Hammond had always felt that way toward the younger man.
"Sure has, sir," O'Neill replied. "Well ... me for my cabin. Ya coming, Jake?" That was abrupt, even for this particular hyperactive man.
"We'd like Doctor Fraiser to check you both out before we release you into the general population," Hammond said with a poorly hidden wince. Even when he'd still been bound by USAF regs, O'Neill had had less than a fondness for the infirmary. But now ...
"Ah, for cryin' out loud, General - I'm fine!" O'Neill protested, almost on cue. "Ya think the Tok'ra haven't looked after me?"
"Humor me, Jack," Hammond replied. "You know the rules as well as I do."
"Ah, crap," O'Neill muttered.
Despite his loud and grating objections to visiting the doctor, O'Neill usually knew that it was in his own best interests, even if he wouldn't admit it. Hammond felt alarmed - what was he hiding? "Jacob?" he queried, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The door opened and Major Carter shot in, her blonde hair askew. "Dad!" she said, throwing her arms around her father's neck for a hug, then gaping at her former CO. "S-sir?" she stuttered.
He stepped backward, giving her and Jacob space to hug properly, and gave her a grin. "Hey, Carter," he said. "How ya doin'?"
"Jack ... you'd better tell him," Jacob said wearily. "He'll find out soon enough."
"Find out what?" Hammond's fists clenched. If someone didn't tell him what was going on, and damn soon, they were going to find out just how pissed off one good-natured Major General could get.
"Sir ... General ... I'm detecting two symbiotes," Major Samantha Carter said in a quiet tone.
Thump - there went the other shoe.
++++++++++++
Shit. Busted. O'Neill sighed, knowing that he couldn't get out of this one.
"You're a Tok'ra, son?" General Hammond sounded shocked.
O'Neill couldn't blame him really. If anyone had told him three months ago that he'd willingly become a host, he'd have told that moron exactly where to stick it. "It's a long story, sir," he said evenly, then winced as he heard his inner Yiddish mama pressing him. She was very good at the guilt and at getting him to take better care of himself. 'Yeah, yeah,' he directed toward her. 'You're on.'
He felt the strange silver tingle as she took control, then heard: "General Hammond, Major Carter; I am Arislet of the Tok'ra."
Carter's eyes widened. "Arislet?" she said. "It's been a long time."
O'Neill could feel Arislet's bemusement, but she recovered quickly. "Ah, yes; you were host to Jolinar of Malkshur. Jack told me much about you."
"Uh ... yeah," Carter mumbled, her blue eyes like saucers. "Can I talk to the Colonel?"
'The Colonel,' Arislet said. 'She still refers to you that way.'
'Don't tease her,' O'Neill warned. Whilst quiet, Arislet had a wicked sense of humor to match his own, and they tended to spend much of their free time sharpening their wits on each other.
'As if!', Arislet replied mockingly. 'Well, back over to you, Colonel.'
O'Neill sighed and felt his mouth moving under his control once more. "It's me," he said. "Long story short; Cronus's goons captured us, kicked the crap out of me and left me for dead - as a warning to the upstart Tauri," he said mockingly. "Jake managed to get me back to Vorash, I met Arislet, and ... true love!"
He felt Arislet sigh. "Okay, okay; not true love, but she'd lost her previous host, and I would've died, so we ... blended." He couldn't resist. "For a snake, she's okay."
General Hammond rolled his eyes. "Only you could argue with someone you're blended with, son," he commented, a smile pulling at his lips.
"Actually, it's pretty common," O'Neill replied. "So, when do we get to the part where ol' Doc Fraiser sticks a needle in my butt?"
He was not eager to face the medical, but he was eager to end this conversation. He was grateful that Arislet had enabled him to continue his mission to wipe out the Goa'uld, but was still finding it difficult to adjust to having another being inside of him.
'It was an adjustment for me, also, Jack,' Arislet confided suddenly. 'I have always had female hosts until you. The male of your species has always been a mystery to me, but you are strange even for your kind,' she added snidely - payback for the snake comment, no doubt.
++++++++++++
After a long - even by Jack O'Neill's standards - medical work-up, the Doc finally pronounced him fit and healthy. "Even your knee's as good as new - presumably thanks to ... uh ... Arislet."
"Actually, no," O'Neill said. "That was the Belrina doctors. My knee hasn't felt so good in years." He braced himself, then looked over at Daniel, who was propped up against the wall. "I ... uh ... I don't suppose you've heard anything from Belrina, have ya?"
Daniel chuckled. "You mean have I seen Malia, don't you?" he teased.
"Remind me why I like you again," O'Neill grumbled. "Yeah; I mean Malia."
"Last time I saw her, she was well," Daniel said. "She misses you, though."
Shit. In the message he'd left, he'd told her to be happy. "Yeah?" he said in a would-be casual tone. "So ... what's she been up to lately?"
"She's off-world at the moment," Daniel said, his blue eyes dancing behind his glasses. "Bet you'd like to know just where she is, wouldn't you?"
'Memo to self; maim Daniel later.' He settled for a deadpan stare. "I'm curious."
The klaxon sounded, then a voice blared over the PA: "Off-world activation!"
++++++++++++
Malia handed her weapon over to one of the SFs and nodded to General Hammond. "No problems, sir," she said. "They're willing to pursue a trade agreement - recommend we send SG-13 to follow up."
"Very good, Sub-Commandant," Hammond said. "We'll debrief in an hour. Report to the Infirmary."
"Peachy," Malia mumbled, then wilted under Hammond's glare. Despite the physical dissimilarity, he reminded her of Tirol. He had quite a high tolerance for smart-mouthed subordinates - likely due to three years of putting up with Jack - but there was a limit. "I'm going, sir," she said.
She left the 'gate room and strolled along the titanium and steel corridors to the Infirmary, mulling over the last ten days. She and Tiressa had settled well into the small apartment the Air Force had provided for her, and Tiressa was enjoying her new school.
Although children didn't begin school until they were six in this land, the assessments had shown Tiressa to have the language skills and reading comprehension of a nine year old, and she had therefore been placed in the 'fourth grade'. Malia had been uneasy at this initially, as Tiressa had been resented in her old school for her youth. But the children in her new school had practically adopted her, making sure that other children didn't bully her.
During her limited free time, Malia had taken the opportunity to explore her new home with Samantha and Daniel. He was not nearly as irritable as he'd appeared at their first meeting, although he could be cynical and defensive, and she'd grown fond of him.
She swung rapidly around the corner, her long legs eating up the distance and crashed into a hard wall of muscle. "Oh, gods, sorry!" she muttered, then looked up into a pair of shocked brown eyes.
Shocked, delicious, brown eyes she'd thought she would never see again. "Jack?" she whispered.
"Malia," he said softly. "Small galaxy, huh?"
He looked marvelous. He'd lost a little weight during his long absence, but was lean and hard. Several new lines were etched into his forehead and his eyes were tired and strained-looking, but he was still beautiful to her. "Yes," she said.
She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, trying to resist the urge to put her arms around him ... or beat the griss out of him. It could go either way.
"What are you doing on Earth?" Jack asked.
She shrugged. "We're here on exchange with SG-8," she said. "I could ask the same of you."
He returned the shrug. "Vacation," he said. "Six months of Goa'uld whuppin' takes its toll." He put a hand out to touch her shoulder, then seemed to think better of it. "How have you been, Malia?"
"Good," she replied, cursing at the banality of this conversation. "Why did you do it, Jack?" she asked. "Why did you leave us?"
He flinched, then regarded her seriously - no sarcastic expression there. "It was necessary," he said. "The snake-heads have to be stopped - and your people won't get involved."
"Oh, for crying out loud! What do you think this exchange program is for?" she said, exasperated with him. "If you'd only waited a few months instead of going off like some meat-head commando, you'd have been there when we signed the official treaty with this world to fight the Goa'uld!"
"Ah." A shamed look appeared in his brown eyes and he shifted awkwardly. "So ... feel free to beat the shit out of me," he said. "I told you you deserved better than me - I hope you find that somebody."
Gods, those eyes ... Although she'd grown up surrounded by dark-eyed people, Jack's eyes really melted her butter as Samantha put it. "I'm an adult, Jack - I get to decide what's best for me," she said. She put her hand to his tanned cheek. "I missed you," she added. "And if you don't kiss me soon, I really will beat the 'shit' out of you."
He chuckled - the sound rusty, as if he hadn't laughed for a long time. "Well, I wouldn't want that," he said, and put his hands to her face, covering her lips gently with his.
She sighed at the tender kiss, then opened her lips to deepen the kiss. Seven months since she'd been held by him, for gods' sakes! She pressed eagerly into him, sliding her hands down his back to cup his rear, as she lost herself in his embrace.
Only the raucous whistle of a passing SF brought her mind to where they were. "Get a room!" the SF yelled.
"Airman?" Jack queried, and Malia watched gleefully as the SF turned pale.
"Colonel O'Neill, sir!" he stuttered, saluting quickly, and ignoring the fact that Jack had left the Air Force nearly three years ago.
"Better," Jack said, an evil glint in his eyes.
Malia reluctantly disentangled herself from his warm body. "Uh ... I'd better go; post-mission physical," she said. "But I'd like to see you tonight; will you come to my apartment?"
"Ya sure?" Jack asked. "What about Tiressa?"
Malia shook her head. "Not tonight," she said. "She's round at a friend's house - I'd rather wait until ...". 'Until I know whether or not you plan on staying around this time,' she thought but didn't say.
Guilt swept over his features once more. "Crap," he muttered. "I'm such a thoughtless bastard at times; you really should beat the hell out of me."
"Maybe later, Jack, maybe later," she teased. She passed him a small card with her address on it. "Seven o'clock?"
He nodded. "I'll be there," he promised. "You'd better get to the Infirmary - Doc Fraiser'll be sending the SFs after you."
She grimaced. "Great." She brushed her lips gently across his. "I'll see you tonight," she added.
++++++++++++
The evening started off poorly. Both Malia and Jack were nervous, and conversation was spasmodic and limited to banalities. She sighed and pushed her barely-touched plate to one side. "This isn't working, is it?" she said.
He jerked his head up, evidently lost in his thoughts. "Guess not," he agreed feebly. "There's something I need to tell you - we can't move on till I do."
Oh, gods, he's found someone else ... She should have expected this. It had been over half a year, and he was a very attractive man. But then ... why did he kiss her that way at the SGC? She clamped down on her meandering, then took their plates into the kitchen - she'd break them later; maybe over his head.
She came back into the living room and sat on the settee, curling her legs up underneath her. "I'm listening," she said.
He scrubbed a hand over his face and sat down next to her. "There's no gentle way to do this," he said, "so I'll give you it straight up."
She smiled slightly - that's what she liked about him; his unbridled honesty. "All right."
"About ten weeks ago, I was captured by Cronus's forces," he said. "They ... interrogated me for days, but I wouldn't tell them anything. Jacob managed to get me back to Vorash, but I was badly injured. Beyond their ability to heal. Then I met Arislet, a Tok'ra who'd lost her host."
Malia gasped. "You ... you became a Tok'ra?" She knew very little about the Goa'uld offshoot, though she'd met Jacob Carter briefly and found him very charming in an old-fashioned way.
"Yeah," he said with a grimace. "Never would've figured on that happening."
Malia's mind was spinning. She'd been fascinated by the idea of the Tok'ra - two sentients sharing one body - since learning of them from Samantha, and now she had the chance to talk to one. She tucked her hand into his. "Can I ... can I meet her?" she said.
His eyes widened - presumably at how well she was taking his news. "Uh, yeah," he replied. He dipped his head, then lifted it with a curious flash to the eyes.
"I am Arislet," he ... she ... said. "It's nice to finally meet you, Malia; you have been much in Jack's thoughts. I understand you have a little girl - is she not here tonight?"
Malia smiled. "She's sleeping at a friend's house tonight; I didn't want to give her false hope."
Arislet grimaced. "Understandable," she replied. "Jack is a good man at heart, but he does stupid things." She squeezed Malia's hand. "You're very beautiful, and I know he loves you both, even if he doesn't say it often enough."
"Then why did he leave? He gave me a reason, but something happened on Abydos that he isn't telling me."
Arislet shook her head. "I can't break a confidence, Malia, but it was the only thing that could have made him leave you and Tiressa - he was very happy on your world."
Malia smiled again. "Thanks - that actually helps," she said, surprised at how ... personable this Goa'uld was. Not Goa'uld; Tok'ra, she corrected herself.
"Well; I should let Jack take back control now," Arislet said with a small chuckle. "He's beginning to recite rude limericks." She clasped Malia's hand again. "But it was nice to talk to you - I look forward to doing it again."
++++++++++++
O'Neill chuckled as he felt control being returned to him, and decided to stop the recitation of limericks. "So ..." - he cleared his throat - "she's okay, isn't she?"
Malia turned and faced him. "She seems nice," she agreed cautiously, "but you were so anti ... uh ... snake-head. Sorry, Arislet. I never would have pictured you agreeing to a blending!"
"A year ago; hell, six months ago, I'd've said the same," he agreed. "I've been shot up by Jaffa before, been left for dead before ... but things are different now. I've got a reason to stick around, and I need to be fully fit." He playfully flexed one of his biceps, wanting to lighten the conversation. "See that; not bad for a guy pushing fifty, huh?"
She wrapped her hand around said bicep and squeezed it. "Very nice," she agreed, stroking the underside of his arm with her thumb. "So ... what other improvements has Arislet made?"
O'Neill blinked at the decidedly sexy tone that had appeared in Malia's voice, but forced his mind out of the gutter. "Oh, agility, stamina, strength ... you name it."
"Hmmmm." She cocked her head slightly to one side, then tapped a forefinger to her lips. "You know; seven months is a very long time; I may have forgotten some things." She molded her lips against his, her tongue flicking out delicately to taste him. "Yes; just as I remembered," she breathed.
Then her long strong fingers slid up inside his shirt, feeling his rib cage. "You've lost a little weight - it suits you," she said as the fingers found a ticklish spot and he jerked away.
"Uhh ... Malia." His mind was back in the gutter and he gave in, catching her mouth in a hot passionate kiss. They could talk later. Right now, he had a warm sexy woman running wicked hands up and down his torso. Jack O'Neill was a lot of things but - contrary to the image he projected - he wasn't stupid.
Part Twelve
"No ... wait," Malia uttered hoarsely, pushing Jack gently away.
His shirt was MIA, his eyes were dark with passion and his hair was sticking out stupidly - he looked wonderful to her. But she didn't want him to think that she was going to let him back in her bed after over half a year of silence. She'd been used and abused by one male in her life - never again.
With trembling hands she tugged her tee shirt back on, still tingling from the touch of his hands on her body. "It's too soon," she told him.
He shoved a hand through his hair, his muscles moving interestingly. Mmmmmm ... naked Jack ... 'No; be good, Malia!' she urged herself. "Yeah, I guess so," he agreed. He looked around. "Uh ... where's my shirt?"
She blushed fiercely, remembering how she'd practically flung it to one side in the heated encounter. She closed her eyes and visualized the trajectory. "Ah." She got up and headed over to the music unit, retrieving the shirt from where it covered one of the speakers.
He grinned and pulled the shirt back on. She was maliciously pleased to note that his fingers seemed no steadier than her own as he fastened the buttons. "So ...," he said.
"So ... talk to me," she replied. "It's been a long time - we need to get to know each other again."
"Geez, where to start!"
He rolled his eyes and she smothered a giggle. "Try at the beginning," she said sarcastically.
++++++++++++
Malia padded into the living room, her hand flying to her chest as she saw a shock of silver hair on her settee. Ah. Jack. They'd stayed up very late talking and she'd offered him the settee when she realized it was too late to call a taxi to get him back to the base.
Although she would have liked to have slept in his arms once again, she knew that it wouldn't have ended at an innocent embrace. She put a hand to the warm skin of his bare shoulder - ignoring the erotic thoughts that flooded her brain - and shook him gently. "Jack," she said.
He opened one brown eye reluctantly. "Hey," he said, grabbing her hand and kissing it softly. "So ... any decision made yet?"
She chuckled at the hopeful gleam in that one eye. "I'd like to see your cabin," she admitted softly. During their long talk last night, he'd asked for a second chance; one she'd been happy to give him. She understood that his work with the Tok'ra wasn't yet done, but she wanted him in her life - she'd wait for him, as long as he kept in contact.
He opened the other eye. "Sweeeet," he said. "How's about a proper good morning?"
She laughed again, then put her hand to his cheek, brushing her lips softly against his. "Good morning," she murmured.
She felt him smile against her lips. "Mornin'," he replied. He pressed a sweet kiss to her neck, then pulled his shirt on over his head, not bothering to unbutton it first.
The door banged open and Malia jumped away from Jack. "Mom; I'm home!" Tiressa sang out, clattering into the living room. Then she skidded to a confused halt. "Uncle Jack?"
He finally opened the second eye and sat up. "Hey, baby," he said quietly.
She put a finger in her mouth. "You made my mom cry," she accused.
"Yeah," he said. "Sometimes, grown-ups do stupid things for good reasons."
She hugged her arms to her little chest. "So; whatcha do it for? Was it the snake-heads?"
Malia was interested - he had yet to share why the attack on Abydos rather than another planet had caused him to leave.
"Yeah ... they hurt some friends of mine," Jack said. "Nice people who'd never harmed anyone in their lives."
"That planet - Aby ... Aby ...".
"Abydos," Jack got out, his brow furrowing. "The Goa'uld ... they killed everyone. Kasuf, Skaara ...". Pain shot into his dark eyes.
"Skaara," Malia breathed out, recognizing the name. He had once confided in her that a young man named Skaara had been taken as a host by the Goa'uld, Klorel. She put her hand on his hard forearm, squeezing it. "Oh, I'm sorry, Jack," she said.
"Who's Skaara?" Tiressa said, her eyes bright with interest, and drawing nearer to Jack.
"He was a friend of mine, baby," Jack said. "Nice kid - you would've liked him."
He took in a deep breath, evidently fighting his emotions, and Tiressa put her chubby hand on his knee. "Don't be sad, Uncle Jack," she said. "You gots me and Mom."
"I know," he replied. He put out a hand and ruffled her curls. "So ... are we okay now?"
She put her hands on her hips. "You gonna make Mom cry again?"
"I'll try not to," he said. "That's the best I can promise."
She nodded her head, once again seeming older than her years. "Then we're okay," she said. She tugged at his arm. "Want a hug?"
"Hell, yeah!" he said, the cheeky words contrasting with the tenderness in his features. He lifted Tiressa up onto his lap as she wrapped her arms around his waist, and slung his free arm around Malia. "Can't leave your Mom out, can we?" he asked.
Tiressa shook her head. "Nuh-uh," she agreed, patting his chest.
"Tiressa; Jack's invited us to see his cabin," Malia said. "Would you like that?"
The curly head nodded. "Yu-huh. Can I bring Jack?"
A crease appeared between Jack's eyes and Malia clarified: "She named the stuffed animal you gave her 'Jack.'"
"Ah, geez, kiddo! I told you to name him somethin' cool!"
"You're cool, Uncle Jack," she said. "You're funny and you fight the bad guys."
He chuckled. "Kid's got no taste," he muttered to Malia.
She returned the chuckle, pleased to note that some things never changed. The man still had no idea how much of an effect he had on people - they either loved him or loathed him. And he was just as bad at accepting compliments as ever. "Yes; of course you can bring Jack," she said.
++++++++++++
It had been a few years since he'd driven, but he was pleased to see he'd lost nothing. And this truck of T's handled like a dream. He could hear Arislet snigger. 'What?', he asked.
'I now understand what Samantha means by boys and toys,' she replied. 'You are like an overgrown child when it comes to vehicles.'
'So?' O'Neill wasn't about to deny it. 'I'm not a complex guy - beer, pizza and trucks, and I'm happy.'
'You give yourself far too little credit, Jack,' Arislet chided him. 'Remember; I know you better than anyone ever will.'
He tried - really tried - not to be creeped out at the idea of someone knowing him so well. There was a lot of crap in his memories that was better off buried.
"Are we there yet?" Tiressa said, lurching up from the back seat to peer over O'Neill's shoulder. Thank God for impatient kids!
"You must be careful, Tiressa," Teal'c said calmly, retrieving her and placing her back on his lap. For some reason, the big warrior and the chubby little girl had taken a real shine to each other. "If O'Neill had to stop suddenly, the momentum would be dangerous for you."
She crinkled her nose. "Huh?" she said, tracing his tattoo with her fingers - the gold mark was a never-ending source of fascination for her.
"You would fall - you may even be thrown through the windscreen," Teal'c said bluntly. "We care for you and don't want you to be hurt."
"Oh," Tiressa said in a small voice. "Okay; I'll be good, T," she said. "Are Sam and Daniel coming?"
O'Neill chuckled. "They'll be along soon," he replied - it had been his idea to invite the whole gang to the cabin. It took some of the pressure from Malia if others were around; he knew he had a lot of fences to build before she could trust him again. "Daniel drives like an old woman."
++++++++++++
Minnesota
O'Neill fought back a chuckle at the dubious look on Malia's face. "What can I say; it's fishing!" he said, gesturing widely.
"But you haven't caught anything!" Malia objected.
O'Neill bit back a sigh - another one who didn't get the allure of fishing. "It's not the catching, it's the fish-ing. It's relaxing," he said.
She looked at him as if he were a few bricks shy. "If you say so," she said.
"Tiressa; back me up here!" O'Neill said.
"Nuh-uh," she said. "S'boring."
Traitor. He crossed his eyes at her and stuck out his tongue. She just giggled and resumed her drawing. "I'll just sit here and sunbathe," Malia said.
She tugged her tee shirt over her head, and O'Neill's jaw nearly unhinged. 'Down, boy!'. That was one sweeeeet little tank top number. Whilst fairly modest - she didn't have a lot of confidence in her body - it showed off every lush curve to perfection. His gaze traveled downward and then something shiny caught his eye. "What's that?" he taunted quietly.
She looked down and triangulated where his attention was. She blushed slightly. "A navel ring," she replied. "Samantha convinced me to have it done last week - she and Janet also got one each."
"Nice," he muttered. He'd never have thought he'd be a fan of body piercing, but that little silver bar was very sexy. He wandered over and sat down next to her. "So ... is it still tender?"
"A little," she admitted, "but the young man who did it gave me some lotion which soothes it." She gave him a calculating look. "I'll need to put some more on tonight - you want to rub it in?"
Wicked woman. He looked around quickly then dropped a soft kiss onto her stomach. "Careful, there - don't mess with me," he warned, unable to help the smirk that pulled at his lips when she sucked in a startled breath. "I'm a great believer in revenge."
She returned the smirk. "Oh ... I think I could handle it," she said, snaking her hand up his leg, inside his shorts, then squeezing his thigh. She got up and headed over to Carter, swaying her rounded hips deliberately he was sure.
He revised his opinion of her. Evil. She was pure evil. Thank God for baggy shorts!
++++++++++++
Samantha laughed. "You know he's going to pay you back for that little move, right?" she said, her blue eyes dancing.
Malia returned the laugh. "I'll risk it," she retorted. "Jack can be a little too full of himself at times. Also; I get the feeling he isn't coping as well as he makes out with the ... ah ... blending thing. He needs this vacation."
"He's never really trusted the Tok'ra," Samantha said with a sigh. "Not after the way Jolinar took control of me. He doesn't see them as being much better than the Goa'uld. He must have been very badly hurt to consider becoming a host." She smiled suddenly. "But Arislet is one of the less arrogant Tok'ra - she doesn't see Jack as primitive, just as someone who needs ... mothering, I guess."
"Jolinar knew Arislet?" Malia asked interestedly.
"Oh, they go way back," Samantha said. "Of course, this is the first time Arislet has had a male host - things are probably a bit different now." She rubbed at her stomach. "Damn, this itches! Remind me why we did this again?"
"Alcohol," Malia replied succinctly, remembering with a wince the hangover. She was never drinking again. "Did you remember the lotion Janet gave you?"
"Yeah; I think I'll go put some on," Samantha said. "I don't want to be scratching at this all night."
Malia felt her own skin begin to itch in sympathy. She slapped irritably at an insect that was chewing happily on her neck. "Ugh; away!" She'd never been a nature lover, and now she remembered why.
She headed back into Jack's cabin and chuckled as Daniel and Jacob Carter appeared from their respective rooms with equally grouchy looks on their faces. "Coffee," Daniel muttered, squinting at Samantha's father.
"Yeah," Jacob said, then nodded to Malia. "Morning, Malia," he said - even when grouchy, he was old-world charming, she noted.
"Good morning, Jacob ... Daniel," she replied. She jerked her thumb toward the kitchen. "I believe Jack put a pot on earlier."
"Ah, bless the man," Daniel mumbled, making a quick dive for the kitchen. "Jacob; you want some?" he called.
"Yeah; after I pee," the older man replied. "It's been years since I had coffee - Selmak complains when I drink it."
Malia chuckled at the thought of a snake complaining away in Jacob's head. "Are all Tok'ra worriers, or is it just Selmak and Arislet?" she asked.
Jacob gave a grin. "Oh, there's a few of 'em," he said. "But Selmak and Arislet are amongst the oldest - they tend to view even an old soldier like me as a child."
Malia rubbed at her stomach - the itching was not amusing her. "But ... it's worth it, right?" she said.
He regarded her with piercing dark eyes, and she recalled then that he had previously been a high-ranking officer in this land's military. "You're worried about Jack," he said.
She nodded her head. "Yes," she admitted. "He hasn't said anything - and probably won't - but I have the feeling he's not going to get used to being blended very easily."
Jacob dipped his head, then his eyes flashed, indicating that Selmak was now in control. "Jack O'Neill doesn't trust easily," Selmak said. "And some of the Tok'ra can be arrogant. It is a bad combination. If we could find another host for Arislet, she would willingly leave, but our current lifestyle makes that virtually impossible."
"I suppose so," Malia said. "Is there anything I can do to help him? I've never been a host, but I care about him - I want to help him through this."
"He doesn't accept help easily, either," Jacob said now. "But I think he'll take it from you more readily than he would anyone else. I've seen how he looks at you, kiddo." He regarded her steadily. "He's got quite a thing for you."
Malia blushed. "I have for him, too," she admitted, "and Tiressa loves him as well." She put a hand on the older man's arm. "Please ... make sure he looks after himself when you leave Earth," she added. "I couldn't bear it if anything happened to him."
"You know there are no guarantees in our line of work, Malia," he said gently, covering her hand with his. "But I'll try."
"Thank you," Malia said - for some reason, this kindly man reminded her of her father.
"Uh ... Malia; must pee," Jacob said, breaking the tender moment.
Malia gave a helpless spurt of laughter. "Then go," she said, patting his shoulder.
++++++++++++
O'Neill wandered over to Carter, unable to resist the opportunity to tease his former 2IC. "So ... Carter; heard you, Malia and Doc Fraiser did something crazy last week?" he said nonchalantly.
She went pink, then her blue eyes met his. "Yes, sir," she said with a smirk. "You want to look?"
Huh? Could he look? Would she kick his ass? Would Malia kick his ass? "Okay," he said.
Carter pushed the waistband of her shorts down slightly to reveal a blue bar. "Nice, huh?" she said.
"Uh ... yeah!" he said. "Pretty sexy, Carter," he teased. "I'm pretty sure it's against dress code, though."
"Yeah; I have to take it out when I'm on duty," she said, pulling the waistband back up. "It itches like hell; I still can't believe Janet talked us into this!" She gave him a wicked grin. "But Pete likes it."
"Pete?" His interest was piqued. "Who's Pete?"
"He's a friend of Mark's," she said, then grimaced. "He set us up - pretty pathetic, huh?"
"Bout time, Carter," O'Neill said. "I distinctly remember ordering you to get a life several years ago."
"Uncle Jack?" A tousled head appeared out of one of the bushes. "Ya seen T?"
"Nah, sorry," he said. "Carter?"
"Why d'ya call her Carter?" Tiressa objected, sidling over to them and tucking her chubby hand into O'Neill's. "Her name's Sam. Call her Sam."
"Yes, sir - call me Sam," Carter said.
"Sorry; force of habit," O'Neill said. "Okay ... Sam. But I'm Jack; not 'sir'."
"Yes, s ... Jack." She wrinkled her nose. "Feels weird after years of 'sir'."
"Yeah. So, baby, you want us to help you find T?"
"Yeah. He's good at this ... hide go seek thing," Tiressa grumbled. "He's so big I should be able to find him easy."
O'Neill knew that it was years of battle that had honed Teal'c's stealth skills, yet even he was occasionally startled at how well the huge man could camouflage when he wanted. "We should split up," he said. "We can cover more ground that way. You girls go in one direction and I'll go another."
Carter's eyes narrowed, and he just knew he was going to catch hell for the word 'girls'. "Uh ... ladies?" he offered.
"Better," Carter said, but seemed content to let it go at that. He still remembered the feminist rant she'd treated them to about reproductive organs when they'd first met - thankfully she'd loosened up some since then.
++++++++++++
"Aaaaahh," Malia closed her eyes in bliss and sighed as the cooling lotion - something these people called calamine - sank into the itching skin.
"Feel better, does it?" Jack said lightly.
Her eyes popped open to find him standing at the entrance to her bedroom, his eyes dancing with mischief. "Much," she said, determined not to blush. Over the last couple of days, they'd engaged in a game of one-up-manship that could only end one of two ways - stalemate or one of them ravaging the other.
Seeing that look in his eyes, and the way his tee shirt hugged his chest, ravaging looked more likely. She let a small smile out, then squirted some more of the lotion into her palm, rubbing it over her stomach.
"Geez," he said, shaking his head, "who knew calamine could be so sexy?"
Definitely ravaging. "Did you want something, Jack, or did you come here just to watch me rub this white goop into my skin?"
"Evil," he muttered. "Yeah; I was wondering if you'd seen T. He's playing hide go seek with Tiressa, but we can't find him."
Malia smiled slightly at the image of the huge intimidating warrior playing a child's game, but she knew he had a child himself. And it was obvious that he cared very much for Tiressa. "Sorry," she said, sighing as the cool liquid did its job.
"Y'know; we have a word for women like you," he said, moving rapidly over to her and stroking her stomach with a lean digit.
She forced herself not to shiver. "Really? And what is that word?" she inquired as another finger joined in the stroking motion.
"Tease," he said, covering her lips with his in a hot possessive kiss.
"Mmmmm," she mumbled, sliding her hands under his tee shirt to imitate his stroking move. She moved away slightly as the kiss ended and tapped her finger to her chin. "Well ... I think we're wearing too many clothes," she said. "What d'you think?"
Suddenly the room spun 180 degrees, then she found herself lying on the bed with Jack's busy hands reacquainting himself with her body. "Mmmm ... was that a covert operations move?" she said, divesting him of his tee shirt.
He chuckled against her neck. "Oh yeah - a guy of many skills," he said huskily, tugging off her tank top and planting teasing kisses down her body.
'So much for taking things slowly, Malia!', she scolded herself before giving in to the delightful sensations.
++++++++++++
O'Neill woke up, disoriented for a brief interval by the sensation of a warm body lying on top of his. Ah, Malia. He pressed a warm kiss to her neck. "Morning," he said.
She opened her eyes. "Morning," she replied with a grin. "Are you wanting to play?"
He chuckled and stretched under her. "Mmmm ... as much fun as that sounds, I promised Jacob I'd go fishing with him," he said. "He'll be banging on that door pretty soon."
"Then you'd better get ready," Malia said. "Before I decide to keep you busy with ... ahem! ... other things," she added, placing a hand on his hip.
His body responded instantly. "Geez, I've created a monster," he said. "Ah, what the hell." He pulled her head down to his and kissed her thoroughly, enjoying her warm lips and the sexy little sounds she made. He was proud of her - of the sexy passionate woman she'd become. So many women who'd gone through what she had simply withdrew.
Just as things were getting heated, there was a loud knocking on the door. "Damn," Malia mumbled. "His timing is awful."
He laughed. "It could've been worse," he pointed out. "He could've knocked right in the middle of ...".
"Yeah." She blushed, then gave him a hard kiss. "You'd better get going," she added, giving his butt a cheeky squeeze.
++++++++++++
"Morning, Samantha," Malia said. "Where's Tiressa?"
"Daniel and Teal'c have taken her to the shops," Samantha replied. "D'you want some coffee?"
"Yes, please," Malia said. She liked Earth's coffee - it wasn't as bitter as tenral, and was therefore much more pleasant.
"Why d'you call me Samantha?" the other woman asked. "Most people call me Sam."
Malia shrugged, taking the cup off her friend. "Samantha suits you better," she said. "Sam's a boyish name, and you're not in the least." She regarded her. "I can call you Sam if you'd prefer."
"Oh, that's okay," Samantha said. "It's just ... different. So ... I guess you had a good night?" she added with a mischievous grin.
Malia blushed, then gave in with a laugh. "What can I say; he's a sexy passionate man. And speaking of passionate men; why didn't you invite Pete here?"
"I did," Samantha said, "but he's got a case in Denver he can't leave. He's going to try to get here at the weekend."
"Good," Malia replied. "I'd like to meet him. And I'd like to see how he copes with Jacob."
Samantha closed her eyes and groaned. "It doesn't bear thinking about," she said. "My father is an incredible smart ass."
"Must be why he and Jack get on so well," Malia said.
Samantha laughed. "You're probably right," she admitted. "So ... any plans for today?"
"Well, I certainly don't fancy joining Jack and Jacob," Malia said. "I don't understand what they see in this fishing thing."
"Me either," Samantha replied. "What about a girlie day?"
"A ... girlie day?" Malia was intrigued. "What does this ... girlie day consist of?"
"Shopping, pampering ourselves and talking about guys," Samantha said. "Shame Janet couldn't have been here - we could have had a proper girlie day."
"She's a bad influence on us, anyway," Malia said, remembering whose idea it had been to get the navel piercings.
++++++++++++
O'Neill flapped idly at the insect that landed on his skin, pleased that the bugs weren't chewing him to bits for once. "Hey, Jake - how come these little buggers aren't having their usual fiesta on me?"
"It's the naqadah in your body," Jacob mumbled from under his cap - well, O'Neill's cap actually; he'd borrowed it to protect his thinning pate from the sun. "For some reason, the bugs hate it."
"Ah." That would explain why Carter and Teal'c had never been plagued by the things on some of the jungle planets they'd 'gated to. Cool. "So ... wonder what the girls are up to?"
"Sam said something about dragging Malia to the mall," Jacob said. "She seems like a nice kid."
"She's not exactly a kid, Jake," O'Neill pointed out. Hell, no; she was all woman.
"She is to me," Jacob said with a slight grin. "But I can see what you see in her - she's pretty gorgeous."
Oh, yeah ... "Keep your eyes off my woman, Jake," O'Neill said lazily, glad that Malia wasn't around to hear herself described thus. "Get one of your own."
"Maybe I will," Jacob said.
O'Neill was shocked. "Say what?"
"It's been a long time, Jack, but I'm not dead yet," the older man said. "Selmak's been nagging me for a while about being alone. Use it or lose it, she said."
O'Neill chuckled. "Huh; I wonder if all Tok'ra are yentas at heart," he mused. "Arislet pressed me for months to contact Malia. Course I didn't imagine she'd be here on Earth."
'You should have listened to me,' Arislet chided him. 'You could have saved months of pain for both of you.'
'It was too dangerous; you know that,' O'Neill said. 'Besides, I thought she'd've moved on. She's a beautiful sexy woman - she could have any guy she wants.'
'Yes and, for some reason that's a mystery to me, she wants you, Jack,' Arislet replied quietly. 'What do you intend to do about it?'
'What can I do? I can't expect her to put her life on hold while we're off kicking Goa'uld ass - she deserves better than that.'
"Jack?"
O'Neill jerked himself back and grinned sheepishly at Jacob. "Sorry, Jake; just having a fight with Arislet," he said, dangling his feet in the cool water. Bliss. His cabin, his friends and a lake - he was a happy guy right now. Time enough to worry about the future later.
++++++++++++
Bliss. Malia sighed as they left the beauty parlor, her muscles deliciously relaxed from the massage. "This was a good idea," she said to Samantha.
"Oh, yeah," Samantha replied. "I keep telling Janet we need a masseuse on staff - so far she hasn't bought it."
They sat down on a bench in the mall, Malia watching everyone mill around. It was surprising how similar this world was to her own. She laughed suddenly. "Can you picture General Hammond's face when he saw that requisition form?"
"Hey; you gals in the army?" a man said, sitting down near them.
"Air Force," Samantha said. "Major Samantha Carter."
"Cool," the guy said. "I always liked the military - especially if all Air Force girls are as good looking as you."
"Girls?" Malia said. "We're women, thank you."
The man just grinned a boyish grin. "Sorry," he said. He smiled at Samantha. "Are you doing anything tonight, Major?"
Samantha grinned, then took the man's face in her hands and kissed him passionately. "I thought you couldn't get here till the weekend?" she said when the kiss ended.
"Case wrapped up quicker than I thought," the man - Pete, evidently - said. "That's one less scumbag walking the streets of Denver." He grinned at Malia. "You have to be Malia," he said. "You're exactly as Sam described you. I'm Pete Shanahan."
"I gathered that," Malia said dryly. "I didn't figure Samantha to be the type to kiss strangers." So much for the girlie day!
"Well ... I think I'll head out to the cabin," Pete said now. "I'm not a big fan of mall hopping."
"Yeah, okay," Samantha said, giving him another kiss. "I'll see you tonight. I've got my cell in case you get lost, okay?"
"Thanks, honey," Pete said. "Have a good time, you two. It was nice meeting you, Malia."
"You too," Malia replied. As the cop walked away, she turned back to Samantha. "He seems nice," she said, "but how much does he know about what you do?"
"He was given full clearance after we rescued Sarah," Samantha replied.
Malia had not been on Earth at the time of Sarah Gardner's liberation from the Goa'uld Osiris, but had heard that Pete had played a part in it. "Right," she said, knowing to say nothing further. Not that she was paranoid or anything, but she'd learned to guard her words on this world - there was a lot of mistrust between the various nation states, and even this nation was not aware of the Stargate.
"Yeah. So ... what d'you want to do now?"
Malia's stomach rumbled. "I want to eat," she said. She'd missed out on supper last night due to Jack's skilled hands and lips and ... mmmm ... Her skin grew hot in response to the erotic memory. Simona would be so proud of her right now.
"You okay, Malia?" Samantha said curiously. "You're looking a bit flushed."
Malia chuckled. "Just remembering why I'm hungry," she said. "Let's go eat," she added.
Part Thirteen
"Babe; you okay?" Jack asked.
"Fine," Malia said grumpily. "No pain-killers in this house?"
"Just ibuprofen - I don't keep anything stronger around," Jack replied, handing her a foil-covered packet.
"It's no good." Malia thrust the tablets back at him. "Ibuprofen doesn't work with my physiology." Several thousands of years away from the first world had altered her people's physiology enough to make certain medicines ineffective. She pressed her fists into her stomach. "I'll just ride it out," she said.
"C'mere." Jack said, patting the bed.
"Jack ... I'm not exactly in the mood," she sighed. Usually she found it difficult to resist this passionate man - in fact, she was often the aggressor - but she was really not up to making love.
"I know you're hurting, Malia; I was married remember?" he said. "Sara didn't like to take medication for it so I learned a massage that helped."
Malia looked at him, pleased that he could talk about his ex-wife without the shadow appearing in his brown eyes. He'd even managed to talk about Charlie yesterday, and that was the greatest of his many painful memories. "All right," she said, sitting down next to him.
He shifted his long legs so that she was sitting between them, then slid his warm sure hands inside her tee shirt. He began a circular soothing motion, his fingers seeming to know exactly where she hurt most.
She sighed as Jack's magic hands soothed her distressed abdomen. "Sometimes it really stinks to be female," she said, leaning into him. "Mmmmm," she nearly purred - whilst she felt distinctly un-sexy at the moment, his warm fingers were igniting little flickers of desire. Her current discomfort would be over within a couple of days, then he would be able to use his hands in a much more intense fashion.
++++++++++++
O'Neill smiled as Malia's head fell back against his shoulder, her pain eased for the time being. "Magic hands, Jack," she mumbled, turning her head and pressing a kiss into his neck. "I'll make this up to you," she added.
He carefully eased her away from him, allowing her to curl up on the bed. "Just rest," he said, stroking her cheek with a forefinger. "I'll keep an eye on Tiressa."
"Thanks, babe," she muttered, her eyes closing. "I love you."
"Love you too," he said, then left the bedroom quietly. He closed the door then strolled out of the house, stuffing his fists into his pockets.
"Jack."
"Oh. Hey, Pete."
"Is she all right?" the younger man asked.
"Yeah," O'Neill said with a smile. "Just female stuff."
"Right," Pete Shanahan said. He'd been married previously, O'Neill knew - he understood. "I'm glad you're here, actually," he added. "You know Sam pretty well, don't you?"
"Yeah," O'Neill said. "We've gone through a lot together."
"Yeah," Pete replied. "I was ... uh ... planning to ask her to marry me," he added. "D'you think she'll accept?"
"Now that I couldn't tell you," O'Neill said. He knew that Sam had been married very briefly before the Stargate program went online and that it had gone sour. She'd been gun-shy for a long time after her divorce, preferring to avoid men in a social context. But that was a long time ago - maybe things had changed. He'd never seen her so happy as when she was with this cop. "But I know she's happy with you. Hell, she's even taken time off without being ordered to!"
Pete chuckled. "She's way smarter than I am - I don't think her brain ever stops whirring. But I love her; she makes me happy." He stuck his hand out to O'Neill. "Thanks, Jack," he said.
"You're welcome," O'Neill said. "Just remember; you make her unhappy and you'll have both Jacob and Selmak after you!"
"Whoa." Pete shuddered. "So ... what about you and Malia? She's a real babe - want to make it a double wedding?" he teased.
"I've thought about marriage," O'Neill admitted, "but you know what my life's like. I don't know if I'll still be alive in a month's time. I can't do that to her."
"Geez; for an Air Force Colonel, you can be dumb, O'Neill," Pete said. "Everyone dies some time. She'll hurt whether you're married or not."
The guy had a point but ...
"Put it this way, Jack; she makes you happy, and you make her happy. Then there's Tiressa. You're already a family; just without a wedding ring. Why shouldn't you snatch a little bit of happiness while you can?"
"You know, Pete; for a cop, you're not so dumb," O'Neill said.
++++++++++++
Two days later
Malia was feeling much better. She strolled out to the deck, where Jack sat with a line dangling into the water. "Morning," she said, sitting down next to him and pressing a gentle kiss onto his cheek, breathing in his scent - a combination of toothpaste and his own scent. "You need a shave," she added.
"Huh; so the vagrant look doesn't work for me, then?" he said, turning his head to regard her with twinkling brown eyes.
"Not so much," she said. "I suppose some women might find it sexy, but I like your smooth skin much better." She slipped her hand inside his tee shirt and caressed the warm skin of his chest. "Like this, for instance."
"Ah." He swallowed hard. "Feeling better, I take it?"
"Much," she purred, fastening her lips to the pulse throbbing just under his ear. He tasted delicious. She understood the biological imperative that drove her right now - this was the time she was most fertile - but told her brain to shut up. 'Just enjoy,' she thought as his lips captured hers in an urgent kiss.
"Uh ... much as I'm enjoying this, could we do this someplace a little more private?" he said as her hands slipped inside his waistband and made contact with his rear.
"Mmmmm," she said, removing her hands reluctantly.
He rewound the reel of his fishing line, then tugged at her hand. "Let's go," he ordered.
An hour or so later, Malia and Jack lay together, hearts pounding and limbs entwined. "Gods, I love you," she said, stroking his hair-roughened chin.
He nuzzled the bare skin of her shoulder. "I love you too, babe," he said. He propped himself up on one elbow as his dark eyes danced lazily over her body. For many years she'd despised her tall curvy figure, but now she was glad that he found her so sexy. "In fact ..." - he leaned over and took a small box out of the bedside drawer - "will you marry me?"
"What?" He flicked open the box to reveal a platinum ring fashioned in a delicate filigree style with a single beautiful emerald in the center. "You're serious?" she said, putting her hand to her mouth. The ring was quite simply the most gorgeous thing she'd ever seen, but marriage?
"Yeah." He looked shy all of a sudden. "I know it's pretty sudden, but I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you and Tiressa - if you'll have me."
"Oh." The quiet sincerity in his brown eyes touched her and she took his free hand in hers. "I do love you, Jack, but this is a big step," she said.
"I know," he replied. "Neither of us had much luck in our previous marriages, but we make each other happy. We can't let fear get in the way of that."
He was right. She loved this enigmatic, sarcastic, charismatic Tauri with a passion she wouldn't have believed possible a year ago. "You're right," she said. She pressed a warm kiss to his lips. "I would be proud and honored to marry you, Jack O'Neill," she told him.
"You ... would?" His shoulders had tensed, obviously braced for a rejection.
"I would," she mocked gently. "But I want to talk to Tiressa first. I know she loves you as Uncle Jack, but becoming her father is something else entirely. If she's happy with this, then I'll marry you - whenever you want."
++++++++++++
"Ugh. I can't believe how quickly the last couple of weeks have passed," Malia said from her comfortable position within her husband's warm arms. She drew a lazy pattern on his chest with a finger.
He sucked in a deep breath and smoothed a hand over her head. "It's been great, but we knew we'd have to get back to reality some time."
"Yeah." She sighed and abandoned her exploration of his body - it wasn't half as much fun when she was surrounded by people and they were both clothed.
"Seventh chevron; engaged," the Sergeant said from the control room.
The wormhole whooshed out, then settled back, the event horizon shimmering invitingly. "Well ... guess that's my cue," Jack said. "I'll ... uh ... I'll miss you." He shoved his hands in his pockets.
She blinked back the tears - not in any kind of hell was she going to cry in front of the SFs! "I'll miss you too. Just come back soon or I'll track you down and beat the griss out of you!"
"I love you too, babe," he chuckled and brushed a tender kiss over her lips. "I'd better go - Jacob's waiting for me."
She squeezed his hand. "I do love you, Jack O'Neill," she said. "Just remember that."
He smirked, then touched her cheek gently. "I will, Malia O'Neill," he said, then strode up the ramp and into the wormhole.
Then he was gone.
++++++++++++
O'Neill stepped out of the wormhole cautiously, his senses telling him something wasn't right. Arislet twitched, letting him know that they weren't alone.
He heard the familiar whine of a staff weapon powering up and looked down. Jacob Carter was unconscious and several Jaffa surrounded them. "Ah, crap," he muttered.
"Welcome back to Vorash, Tok'ra," someone said. "I understand you've been searching for me."
O'Neill looked at the Goa'uld. Black cloak, kinda cliche manner, couldn't see his face. "Probably have," he said. "Which one are you, then?"
The Goa'uld chuckled. "Your insolence amuses me," he said. "Perhaps I will not kill you yet." He turned and barked at the Jaffa. "Jaffa, kree!"
Two Jaffa dragged Jacob onto his feet whilst another two clamped O'Neill's shoulders. "I will enjoy breaking you, Arislet of the Tok'ra," the Goa'uld said. "Your host is a strong male; it will be a worthy challenge."
"I'm flattered," O'Neill quipped wryly.
'Oh, Jack; be quiet, for crying out loud!', Arislet said. 'You have no idea who this is, do you?'
'Not a one,' O'Neill replied. 'Kinda hard to tell with that cloak thing.'
'That is Anubis,' Arislet said.
Ah. This was so not good.
++++++++++++
"You try my patience, Tok'ra!" Anubis's First Prime said. He sneered at O'Neill. "Fortunately, my Lord Anubis is more forbearing than I."
O'Neill summoned up his strength to glare at the Jaffa. "Anubis ain't no-one's god," he said. "He's an overdressed, cliched, snaky, slimy ...".
A heavy fist in his mouth cut off the flow of words and he felt the metallic taste of blood. "Anubis is a god," the Jaffa said.
"Shal kek nem ron," O'Neill said, spitting out the blood.
"What?" This gave the big man pause. Probably wasn't used to hearing Jaffa words from a Tok'ra.
"Shal kek nem ron," O'Neill repeated. He wasn't too sure what the phrase meant, but he'd seen Teal'c persuade more than a few Jaffa to defect with it. "Don't you want your people to be free?"
This time the fist landed with a crunch on his cheekbone. "Shol'va!" the Jaffa spit as O'Neill blinked, his stomach threatening to evacuate its contents. "Take him away," he told one of his underlings.
++++++++++++
Pain. Ow. Ow, ow, ow. 'No ... pain good - you're still alive, O'Neill. Open your eyes - good airman. Move the legs.'
"A-ah! Shit!" O'Neill gasped as his legs protested the movement. On the Jack O'Neill scale of pain, this rated a five - he'd had a helluva lot worse. 'Suck it up, fly-boy.'
'Try to be still, Jack,' Arislet said. 'I'm attempting to repair your injuries, but am weak. It will go much easier if you aren't your usual hyperactive self.'
'Love you too,' O'Neill shot back, struggling to sit up, then resting his back against the wall of the cell. A certain shuddering on the mothership told him that they'd dropped out of hyperspace and were probably now entering an atmosphere. "Jake?" he said out loud.
"He is very weak," Selmak said, "but I am attempting to repair his injuries. Arislet?"
Jack allowed Arislet to take over. "Jack too is weakened, although he will not admit it," she said. "He's very stubborn."
"Indeed," Selmak said. "That is a trait our hosts share in common."
"Not just our hosts, Selmak," Arislet said with a chuckle. "I've known you a long time, old friend."
Selmak didn't reply. 'Jake!', O'Neill said, alarmed.
Arislet summoned all her strength and leaned over to Jacob. 'He is unconscious,' she told her host. 'It is the best thing for him; it will allow Selmak to continue her repairs.'
Even before she could voice her next thought, she felt Jack's rejection. 'No way,' he insisted. 'If I lose consciousness again, snake-boy will think I'm weak. The only reason he's keeping us alive is that we're a curiosity to him.'
Stubborn male. Arislet rolled her host's eyes. 'Are all Tauri as pigheaded as you, or does it come from being in the military?', she asked, pleased when Jack chuckled.
'A bit of both, I suppose,' Jack responded. 'We can rest when this is over. But, for now, we need to find a way out of this ship.'
++++++++++++
"I won't tell you anything," the stubborn Tok'ra insisted.
Anubis was intrigued by this Tok'ra. He had a strength of will that nearly matched his own, despite the daily beatings and interrogations, and had yet to give Anubis any real information.
For centuries, he had been aware of the Tok'ra, but had given them little thought. They plotted and maneuvered behind the scenes, but caused very little trouble all in all. Things had changed recently - they had become much more aggressive; actively seeking out and destroying several System Lords.
"Perhaps not," he agreed, causing the Tok'ra's dark eyes to flicker over to him. "But I can implant this device directly into your mind. It will link your mind to my computer; all your knowledge will be mine."
Amazingly, the Tok'ra laughed. "Hate to tell you this, Anubis, but I'm not the smartest guy around. There isn't much rattling round in here, unless you happen to be a Simpsons fan."
"Oh, I believe you give yourself far too little credit," Anubis said. "I have learned much about you - your host is a high-ranking soldier. You have a superior tactical ability and are proficient in something you call 'Black Ops'." He leaned over him. "You deeply regret the deaths of three of your team in a place called Germany."
The host's hand flew up to his temple and felt the scarring. "Shit," he muttered. "Memory recall device?"
Anubis was pleased - unlike some of the other System Lords, he respected and appreciated an intelligent adversary - it was much more satisfying to witness their defeat. "You are familiar with them?" he said.
The host grunted. "Oh, yeah," he said. "Hathor's goons used 'em on me a few years ago." He smiled slightly. "I killed her snaky butt - that was a good moment."
With any other host, Anubis would have thought that this statement was simply bravado or a way to annoy. But with this host, he wasn't so sure. He had seen much of the soldier's memories, and knew that this was a man accustomed to killing. There was an inner darkness that was ripe for exploitation. He was worthy of further study.
"You intrigue me, Tauri," he said. The dark eyes didn't flicker, but Anubis noted the subtle tensing of the man's hands. "Yes; I know you are of the Tauri, Jack O'Neill," he added. "I also know how you feel about the Tok'ra. Perhaps you should have a friend worthy of you."
"Hey! If you think you're putting some freakin' Goa'uld in here, think again!" the man said, his eyes widening.
"Interesting," Anubis said. "It appears that I have found a weakness, Tauri."
++++++++++++
Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Now O'Neill really wished he'd listened to Arislet and kept his big mouth shut for once. 'I can't become a fuckin' Goa'uld,' he told her when they were back in their cell. 'I'll die first.'
'You must hang on,' Arislet told him. 'Surely you want to see your wife and daughter again?'
Wife and daughter. O'Neill smiled, despite the pain this caused his poorly healed jaw. 'Yeah,' he admitted, 'but that's not likely to happen. Either I get turned into a snake or he'll kill me. I can't see it going down any other way.'
'A curse on you, Jack O'Neill - you will not give up!', Arislet scolded. 'Promise me that if we fall, at least we make it difficult for him.'
'You mean, go down fighting?' O'Neill sighed. 'Yeah, I can promise you that much,' he told her.
++++++++++++
Stargate Command
Malia strolled into General Hammond's office. "You wanted to see me, sir?" she inquired, then started as she saw two other men there. Dressed in a similar fashion to Jacob and Jack, she presumed that they were Tok'ra.
"Malia; sit down," the General said gently. "Allow me to present Garshaw and Malek of the Tok'ra."
"Greetings," the female Tok'ra said. "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances. I am here to inform you that Jack O'Neill and Jacob Carter have been captured ... by Anubis."
Malia could feel her color drain away. "When?" she whispered, sitting down with a thud.
"We estimate approximately two of your months ago," Malek said now.
"And you've only just come now?" Malia raged. "They could be ... anything could've happened by now!"
"We have received intelligence from one of our operatives that they are being held on a planet you know as Langara," Garshaw said.
"Langara ... Jonas's planet," she said. She glared at the impassive Tok'ra, then turned to General Hammond. "Permission to 'gate to Langara, sir!" she snapped.
"Denied, Sub-Commandant," Hammond said. "We will send an extraction team, but you will not be on it. You're too close to the situation. I'll send SG-2; Jonas's knowledge of the planet will be invaluable." He stared at the Tok'ra. "I'd like to know why you haven't extracted Jack and Jacob yourselves."
"If we go in, we risk exposing our inside operative," Garshaw said. "It would undo many years of hard work. We had already considered Selmak and Arislet fallen war heroes."
"Well, we're not quite ready to bury them," Hammond replied. "We don't leave people behind." He touched Malia's shaking hands gently. "I'm taking your team and SG-1 off duty for a week - go home. We'll contact you when we have news."
Malia stood up, desperately fighting the need to bury her head in the kindly older man's shoulder and cry her eyes out. "Yes, sir," she said.
She left his office and headed to the women's locker room, her head whirling. Two months. While she'd been 'gating to various planets and having the time of her life, he'd been going through ... what? Torture? "Oh, gods ...," she muttered, lurching toward the wash basin and shaking as her stomach evacuated.
"Malia?" The door opened and the petite form of Janet Fraiser came in. "I just heard," she said, rubbing a hand on her back. "I'm so sorry, honey."
Malia gulped down some water. "Hammond won't let me on the team," she said. "Instead, I have to wait helplessly." Her stomach lurched again and she retched helplessly until she was dry heaving.
"How long have you been feeling sick?" Janet asked.
"A couple of days," Malia said.
"And have you missed any cycles?"
"Oh, gods ... I did miss last month," Malia said, "but I thought it was due to that food-poisoning I got on 371."
"It could be, but I'd like to do a pregnancy test just in case," Janet said.
++++++++++++
Pain. Knives. Acid. Taser. Zat. Pain. Even with Arislet helping him, O'Neill knew that he was getting weaker. "You seem determined to make this difficult for yourself, Tauri," Anubis taunted.
O'Neill managed a shrug. "Well, I can only die once," he said.
Anubis chuckled, and O'Neill's skin crawled. "Have you heard of a sarcophagus, O'Neill?"
Crap. He remembered when Daniel had become addicted to one when he'd met that princess ... Shyla. It had turned the normally gentle archeologist into a power-mad angry dictator. "Yeah," he admitted. "You got one, don't you?"
"Yes. So, I can kill you and revive you. As many times as I need. Eventually ... you will tell me what I need to know so that you can die for the final time."
"Fuck you, snake-head," O'Neill spat. The First Prime delivered a crashing blow to his back with the staff and O'Neill collapsed. "And fuck you too, chuckles," he grunted.
"Jaffa!" Anubis barked, holding up his hand. "There may be some advantage to not killing this one," he declared. "He has spirit."
The Jaffa bowed his head obsequiously. "As you wish, My Lord," he said, glaring at O'Neill before stepping back a couple paces.
++++++++++++
Stargate Command
"Close the iris!" Major Griff shouted, leaping onto the ramp.
As the iris slammed closed, Malia dashed into the 'gate room. "Michael?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Malia," he said. "Bum intel - we barely got our asses out alive."
"I got something else, Major," Jonas Quinn - the Langaran member of SG-2 - said. He held out a small spherical device.
"What the hell ...?" Griff muttered.
"It's a Goa'uld communication device," Malia said. "Then they were on the planet at some point?" Her stomach lurched, but she was determined that she wasn't going to be sick again. She'd already vomited twice that morning - this pregnancy was proving difficult, due to the stress of Jack being missing and the slight differences in their physiology. "Can we use this to track Anubis?"
"Unfortunately, we don't have that capability yet," Griff said. "We're not as far ahead as you and the Goa'uld."
Malia didn't understand her world's technology either - she was no scientist. "I'll see if I can contact Belrina," she said. "We haven't had much to do with the Goa'uld, but our scientists might be able to do something with this." She aimed a shadow of a smile at Jonas. "Thank you for this," she said.
"You're welcome," Jonas said, giving her a friendly smile; he reminded her somewhat of a puppy, the way he went headlong at everything. "I just wish we could have found them."
"Me too, Jonas," she whispered. She headed back out of the 'gate room, putting her hand on her still-flat stomach. "Where are you, Jack?" she whispered. "We need you."
++++++++++++
O'Neill opened his eyes to a glaring light. Fuck. How many times had he been killed now? He lurched out of the sarcophagus as Anubis's First Prime stalked over to him. "Get the fuck away from me, you bastard!" he said.
"O'Neill ...," the Jaffa said, extending a hand toward him.
"I mean it; I'll nail your head to that fucking table and set fire to it!"
"Jack ...," the First Prime said.
O'Neill swung a fist into the other man's jaw. "You ... don't ... fuckin' ... call me Jack, you son of a bitch!" he shouted. "Where's Jacob - what did you do to him?"
"We must sedate him again," a new voice said.
O'Neill whirled around and snatched the Jaffa's staff, pointing it at his captors. "Now ... tell me where the hell Jacob is. Then you're letting us go. Otherwise, your 'lord' is about to buy it."
"Colonel O'Neill! Up and at 'em, Airman!" the newcomer barked.
O'Neill automatically came to parade attention. "Sir!" he snapped, then felt something prick his skin. "You fuckers," he muttered, feeling himself slide toward oblivion once more.
++++++++++++
Jacob Carter exchanged worried glances with his fellow Tok'ra. "Can we do anything for him?" he said.
"He has been through the sarcophagus many times," Anise said. "You got his body back; his mind may be lost to us. Had Arislet not been killed, it would be a different matter."
"Yeah." Jacob swept a hand through his sadly thinning hair. It had been over a month since Anise and Kelmaa had rescued them from Anubis's mothership. Jack had remained unconscious for the first two weeks, but every day since he'd regained consciousness that first time had proceeded the same. The younger man firmly believed that he'd been killed again and that he was still on the mothership.
Jacob had seen the man at some low points - when they had been tortured on Netu years ago - but had never seen him like this. He'd never thought anything could break the stubborn, infuriating, cocky Colonel.
"We can't keep sedating him, Jacob," Freya - Anise's host - now said. "Perhaps if we slowly reduce the dosage ... We certainly can't risk restraining him again."
No. Jacob still sported a beautiful shiner from when they'd attempted to restrain Jack. He'd panicked completely, snapping free of the restraints and beating anything that stood in his path. Jacob Carter - former two star General - had investigated O'Neill shortly after meeting him in DC, and had learned that he'd been held prisoner for four months in Iraq. Was that what had driven him, or was it something else? There'd been significant gaps in Jack's file, some so highly classified that they were for the CIC's eyes only - that screamed 'Black Ops' to Jacob.
Jack's eyelids flickered open. "I'm not tellin' you anythin', you bastards," he said hoarsely. "You may as well give it up and just kill me - I'll die before I say anything."
"Nah," Jacob said. "You're too annoying to die."
The younger man - his face pale and his frame gaunt after the months of torture he'd suffered - looked over at him. "Jacob?" he whispered. "But ... you're dead. I saw that bastard snake take you down."
"Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated," Jacob said. "We need to get you to the infirmary."
Jack backed away into a corner, hugging his arms around himself protectively. "No!" he said, his eyes becoming wild. "Another fucking snake-head trick!" He grabbed suddenly at Anise and tightened his arm around her neck. "Get the fuck away from me, or I'll kill her!" Then his eyes glazed over as the sedative took full effect. "Bastards ...," he mumbled.
"What about the Asgard?" Anise said hoarsely, rubbing at her neck. "They are very fond of O'Neill - would they not help him?"
"Yeah, maybe," Jacob said, "but we've got no way of contacting them. Maybe George can help us there." He closed his eyes and let Selmak take control. "Kelmaa, Malek; please take care of O'Neill," she said, then headed to the peltak to talk to General Hammond.
++++++++++++
Stargate Command
"I understand, Jacob," General Hammond said. "I'll do what I can, but the Asgard haven't been very reliable lately."
"Yeah; thanks George," the ex-General replied. "I'd better go; this isn't exactly a secure system. We'll head for Vorash, then 'gate to Earth. We should be there in a couple days."
"See you then, Jacob," Hammond said. He sighed as the communication fizzed out, then looked at Sergeant Davis. "Get Sub-Commandant Malia up here," he added.
"Yes, sir," the Sergeant replied.
Five minutes later, Jack's wife appeared with a speed that belied that she was actually five months pregnant. Her height ensured that she could carry a little extra weight easily, and no-one would know it just to look at her. She still traveled off-world, but only 'gated to known friendlies now. "You wanted to see me, sir?" she inquired, her face paling.
"I've just heard from Jacob Carter," he said. "They were rescued about a month ago ...".
"Oh, thank gods," Malia muttered. "When is he coming home?"
"Malia." He put a gentle hand to her shoulder. "They got his body back, but his mind ... Jacob says that Arislet was killed shortly before the rescue. Jack still thinks he's a prisoner."
"He needs to come home," Malia said, gripping at his shirt. "Please, General ... If we can't help him, maybe the Asgard can. He ..." - she blinked back tears - "He once said Thor loved him."
"They'll be here in a couple of days, Malia," Hammond said, "but you'll have to be prepared for the fact that Jack won't recognize you. He'll likely be violent."
"I ... I understand, General. Just bring him home."
"We will, Malia. We will."
One way or another, Jack O'Neill would come home.
Part Fourteen
Colonel Jack O'Neill (ret.) cracked open an eye, wincing as a bright light shone in it. Fuck. That no-good snaky bastard had gotten him again. He squinted in a cyclopean fashion as a small woman entered the chamber. Hmmm, she was new. Pretty and little - he could break her easily, even in his current crappy condition.
"Welcome back, sir," she said in a soft accent. "How are you feeling?"
He glared at her. "What the fuck do you care?" He massaged tiredly at his forehead.
Her eyes widened. "Ah." She turned to one of the Jaffa. "Turn that damn light down," she ordered. No snaky voice, but she was evidently someone to be reckoned with by the way the Jaffa jumped to it. "Is that better, sir?"
'Sir?' "So ...," he croaked, "where's your master?"
She smiled slightly - a rather attractive smile. "I don't have a master, sir," she said. 'Again with the sir business'. "Let me try this again," she added. "You are Jonathan O'Neill, known as Jack. You were a member of SG-1 for several years, then resigned to travel off-world ...".
"Fuck off - I know all that!" O'Neill snapped. "I'm not some fuckin' head-case, no matter what you and your snakes do to me!"
She steam-rollered right over him. "My name is Janet Fraiser; I'm a doctor. You're not on Anubis's ship - you are in fact in the infirmary at the SGC."
"Stop playing these fucking games, you bitch!" he shouted. "You killed Arislet and Jacob; just kill me and have done with it - I'm not telling you anything!"
She sighed. "I'll come back later, sir," she said - damn, she sounded freakily like his favorite Napoleonic power-monger!
"Whatever," he said, closing his eyes once more.
++++++++++++
Malia flinched as Jack kicked out at the IV stand, sending it crashing. "Oh, gods ...," she muttered, tears springing to her eyes. What under the sun had happened to him on Anubis's ship?
"Malia." Daniel put a hand on her shoulder. "C'mon; you need sleep."
She jerked back to the window that looked down into the iso-room. "I'm staying here," she insisted.
He regarded her in a boyish earnest fashion that belied his true age - somewhere in his late thirties, Malia believed. "Please ... you need to take care of yourself and the baby," he said. "I'll sit here for a few hours."
"And then I'll relieve him," Samantha said.
"I will proceed to keep watch after Major Carter," Teal'c said. He dipped his head to her. "You are not alone in this, Malia - we will guard over O'Neill while you guard over your new life."
The tears sprang to her eyes again - at nearly six months pregnant, she was crying over everything lately. "Oh, gods ... you ... I ...". Her mouth worked soundlessly, the tears raining down her cheeks.
"Malia; I will escort you to your quarters," Teal'c said now.
"All right," she replied. She pressed her hand to the glass. "I won't be long, Jack," she murmured. "I love you - never forget that."
++++++++++++
O'Neill woke up once again, relieved to find no-one around. A little bit of peace before he died - he could live with that. No freakin' sarcophagus this time, either - cool. Maybe Anubis was getting sick of fucking around with his head.
A large Jaffa walked in. 'Ah, shit - here we go again!' This guy ... this guy was built like a freakin' brick shit house, but he didn't seem as bad tempered as the First Prime. "What the fuck d'you want?" O'Neill demanded rudely.
"I am pleased to see you too, O'Neill," the Jaffa responded smoothly.
Okaaaay - that was weird. Since when did you get sarcasm from a Jaffa? O'Neill watched warily as the huge Jaffa got nearer to him. Teal'c? Nah ... Oh, fuck, Anubis had turned him! Only one way to find out. "Anubis is a false god," he said. Either this would be good-guy T and he'd live, or it'd be bad-guy T and he'd die. Nice and simple.
The Jaffa dipped his head. "Indeed, O'Neill," he agreed. "Between us, we have killed many false gods."
"T?" O'Neill croaked. "When did that SOB get you? What about Carter and Daniel?"
"We have not been captured, O'Neill," Teal'c said quietly. "Anubis captured you and Jacob Carter several months ago. You were killed many times and revived using that orak device - you are now suffering from withdrawal."
"Fuck off," O'Neill said. "I was there when Daniel went through his withdrawal; I know what it's like." His fists clenched. "You can tell your master he can come out now; I'm fucked if I'm talking to his stooges any more."
Anubis appeared suddenly. "How is he doing?" he asked.
"I regret to inform you that there is no change," the Jaffa posing as Teal'c said.
"Damn right there's no change!" O'Neill said, reveling in this minor triumph. "How's it feel to know there's one Tauri you can't fuck around with?"
++++++++++++
"How's he doing, son?" General Hammond asked.
The big Jaffa bowed his head, unable to hide the grief from his usually stoic features. "He is getting well in body, but I fear that his mind has gone out of reach."
Hammond sighed and turned away from the pitiful sight before him. Jack O'Neill was many things - stubborn, surly, sulky, impetuous, irreverent, a damn pain in the ass - but he'd never seen him so broken before. "Major; have we had any success in contacting the Asgard?" he said. The diminutive aliens had technology way in advance of their own - maybe they could help pull together Jack's shattered psyche.
The blonde Major smiled for the first time in days. "Yes, sir," she said. "We managed to get in touch with Thor. He'll be here within the hour."
A white light flashed and everyone started. "Or even sooner, sir," she added lamely.
"Greetings, General Hammond," Thor said evenly. "Where is O'Neill?"
"Down there," Hammond said.
"I will transport him up to the Valhalla," Thor said. "That is our finest medical ship - if anyone can help him, they can. But first ... please tell me what transpired."
"We don't know all the details, Thor," Doctor Fraiser said now, "but we know he was tortured, killed and revived using a sarcophagus many times. Also; the symbiote he carried died inside him."
"O'Neill carried a symbiote?" Thor tilted his head, blinking his large black eyes. "Intriguing, but not pertinent to his condition. With your permission, General?"
"Of course, but please take Doctor Fraiser with you."
"Naturally. Doctor?"
Thor pressed his transport device, and he, Fraiser and O'Neill disappeared in the typical flash of white light. "Godspeed, son," Hammond said quietly.
++++++++++++
Jack O'Neill opened his eyes, squinting away from ... "Oy!" he muttered, batting away at the annoying penlight. "Doc!" he complained.
Fraiser smiled at him. "Welcome back, sir," she said quietly. "You had us pretty worried for a few days."
"Anubis!" O'Neill blurted out. "How did I ... did Jake manage ...?"
"Easy, sir," Fraiser soothed. "Jacob and Selmak both survived and went back to Vorash. It's over six weeks since you were retrieved from Anubis's mothership."
"Fuck," he muttered. "I ... don't remember a thing."
"You will, O'Neill, when you are ready," someone else said.
O'Neill squinted over at the newcomer. "Thor! Buddy!" he said. "Kudos on the rescue, by the way."
"I cannot take the credit for your retrieval, O'Neill," Thor said. "Two Tok'ra named Kelmaa and Anise were able to smuggle you onto their teltak. For many weeks, you suffered through sarcophagus withdrawal, believing yourself to still be a prisoner."
"Is that ... why I don't remember?"
"Indeed," Thor said. "The memories will come back gradually. But, for now, you must concentrate on your physical recovery. And your wife and child will be anxious to see you once more."
"Malia! God; is she okay? We were only married a couple weeks before that snaky SOB grabbed me!"
"She is well, O'Neill, but has been very worried about you."
"Thor, buddy; I'm grateful for what you little gray guys have done, but I have to see her."
"Understandable. You are not physically fit yet, so with your permission I will transport her up here."
"Yeah." O'Neill suddenly felt exhausted, and sat back with a flop on the bed.
A white flash heralded his wife's arrival. She looked ... beautiful, but tired and sad. "Jack?" she said, putting her hands up to her mouth.
"Hey, baby," he said quietly. "I'm sorry for ... all this."
"Oh, gods ... Jack!" She lurched over to the bed and hugged him tightly. "I thought ... I'd lost you!"
"No chance," he said, giving her a faint grin. "I'm too ornery to die."
She gave him a gentle punch in the arm. "I swear to you, Jack O'Neill, if you ever do this to me again, I'll kill you myself!"
He felt tears spring to his own eyes as she wept into his shoulder. "God, I'm sorry, baby," he muttered, putting his arms around her waist. Except ... where had her waist gone?
"Jack ... you have a special reason to stay around," she said with a sniffle. She grabbed his hand and rested it on her stomach.
He felt a gentle movement and his eyes widened. "Baby?" he asked. "You're pregnant?"
She nodded against his shoulder. "Yeah," she said. "Six months into term." She lifted her head from his shoulder and peered at him with swimming eyes. "I ... know this is a lot to deal with, so we'll take as long as you need." She pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. "I love you, Jack - I promise you'll get through this."
++++++++++++
One week later
"Doc!"
Janet Fraiser sighed and went to the bed that she'd designated as belonging to SG-1 - being one of the first contact units, they tended to accumulate the most injuries. "Sir; you're not ready to get out of bed yet," she said. "You fell flat on your face yesterday," she reminded him unkindly.
She knew it was a good sign that he was well enough to torment her, but sometimes she wished that he could be quieter. She put a gentle hand to his rib cage. Although Thor had healed all the physical injuries, his muscles had atrophied through lack of use. "Please ... try to be patient," she said, knowing that was a futile request.
"Geez, Doc; I'm bored!" he whined - could a full-bird Colonel pushing fifty whine? "And the decoration in here sucks!"
"If you have a wheelchair, Doctor Fraiser, I will be pleased to take O'Neill off your hands for a time," Teal'c said.
Bless the man. "Of course," Fraiser said, trying not to sound too eager. She watched anxiously as the big man lifted O'Neill's lanky frame gently from the bed, still surprised after nearly eight years at the inherent gentleness of the large alien. Between them, they settled O'Neill into the chair. "Have him back within an hour, though, Teal'c - I need to run some more tests."
"Hoo, boy - more fun than a barrel of monkeys," the Colonel said sarcastically as Teal'c wheeled him out of the infirmary.
++++++++++++
"Hey, Carter; whatcha doin'?"
Geez! Even in a wheelchair and toted round by a six-four wall of muscle, the Colonel still knew how to sneak up on a body! Sam Carter patted her heart and turned round to see said Colonel smile sunnily at her. "Do you really want to know, sir?" she said.
He chuckled and picked up a Tollan transmitter, turning it over in his hands. "Probably not," he admitted. "But T's managed to spring me for a bit, so I thought I'd come bother you."
She closed her eyes briefly, then took the transmitter out of his hands. He had incredibly twitchy fingers - always had to be in everything. In some ways, he was like an overgrown child. "Sir, is Malia not around?" In other words; 'please go bother someone else before I beat up a guy in a wheelchair'.
"Cimmeria," the Colonel replied. "She's making the most of the next few weeks before she's benched." He smiled. "Having my baby," he said. "So ...," he added, tapping at another device, "what's this doohickey do?"
"No idea yet, sir," Carter said. "SG-2 brought it back from their last mission. It looks like Asgard tech, but the writing ...". She showed it to him.
"Looks familiar," he said.
"It should, sir; you spoke it for a while," she replied. "According to Daniel, it's Ancient."
"Ancient tech?" He shuddered dramatically. "Bit small for one of those dang head suckers, but be careful. Could be their version of a floppy disk."
Carter was intrigued - sometimes the Colonel had a way of cutting right through the crap. "You could be right, sir," she said. "It may be a portable database; maybe designed to ...".
"A-ah!" He cut her off with an upraised forefinger. "Let's just leave it at 'you could be right'." He smiled sweetly at her. "Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" He tapped idly at the device and a blue light shot out. "Fuck!" he swore, dropping the device with a clatter.
"Sir?" she said. "Are you hurt?"
He swung out suddenly, hitting her hard in the cheek. "Get the fuck away from me!" he shouted. "I won't tell you anything!"
"Sir!" She blinked aside the sudden wave of dizziness and attempted to catch the distraught man's arms. "Sir; you'll hurt yourself!"
He paid no attention, swearing loudly in what sounded like some Middle East dialect - maybe Farsi, Daniel would know, she thought irrelevantly. "Fucking bastard snake-heads!" he said in clear English this time. "Kill me, stick me in that fucking tomb, start all over again!"
"Teal'c," Carter said, "get Janet."
++++++++++++
"You are married to Colonel O'Neill?" Gerawin said with a smile. "I'm pleased to hear he's mated, but I would have thought only a saint could cope with him."
Malia chuckled. "Considering you only met him once, you seem to understand him pretty well," she said.
"He's a good man, but stubborn and exasperating," Gerawin said. "Please extend my regards to him upon your return."
"I will," Malia said, shifting slightly as the baby kicked. Janet had given her permission to stay with him in the infirmary as long as they didn't attempt anything physical. Jack was still recovering both physically and emotionally from his long ordeal. "It was a pleasure to meet you Gerawin," she said. "I'll try to come back after the baby's born."
"I would like that, Malia," Gerawin said. "And maybe one day I will come to see Midgard."
Remia finished dialing Earth and the wormhole gushed out. "Let's go home," Malia said. She stepped through the wormhole and emerged on the familiar metal ramp leading to the Tauri 'gate. "Welcome back," General Hammond said. "Good mission, Sub-Commandant?"
"Nice people, sir," Malia said. "Permission to debrief you after I've debriefed myself for a nice hot shower!"
"Permission granted, Malia," Hammond said. "In fact, I insist on it."
Malia wrinkled her nose. "Bad?" She'd been surrounded most of the day by horses and was fairly certain that she'd stood in something ... unpleasant.
"I ... wasn't going to say anything, Sub-Commandant," Remia said in an innocent tone.
"Huh," Malia grunted.
"Debriefing in half an hour, Sub-Commandant," Hammond told her.
"Yes, sir." She handed her P90 to an SF and swung out of the 'gate room, moving a little more slowly than she'd done only a month ago. She made her way to the women's locker room, massaging her aching back as she did so.
As she stood in the shower, the hot water beating down on her, she mulled over this mission. She hadn't really wanted to go - had wanted to spend the time with Jack - but Jack had insisted that he was fine. She didn't believe him, knew he would never completely recover from what had happened to him, but she realized that he wouldn't respond well to being coddled.
Feeling human once more, she got out of the shower and toweled herself off quickly before changing into blue BDUs. They were nearly as ugly as the green ones, but damn they were comfortable.
She looked at her watch. Ten minutes till the briefing - she wouldn't have time to get to the infirmary and see Jack. 'Damn.' Well, she would see him later that night.
++++++++++++
O'Neill jerked awake. "Hey, kids," he croaked, wondering why they were crowded round his bed. He whistled. "Nice bruise, Carter," he said. "Someone caught you a good one there, huh?"
She smiled. "Yes, sir," she said. "How are you feeling?"
"Head hurts - a bit," he grumbled. "Doc ... no penlight!" he warned as the petite doctor made her way over to him.
"No, sir," she agreed readily. "How bad is that headache?"
"A two," he said. "I can live with it."
"Hmm ... that would be a six on anyone else's scale," she said. "I don't want to medicate you for it, but try to rest."
O'Neill closed his eyes with a scowl. "For cryin' out loud; I just woke up," he complained. Images flitted into his brain. Him touching that weird Ancient doohickey, that blue light ... "Shit." He opened his eyes and shot up, ignoring the screaming pain from his head. "Carter ...".
"I know you didn't mean it, sir," she said. She gave him a smile. "I'd forgotten how good your reflexes are."
Shit. Fuck. O'Neill was well acquainted with the symptoms of PTSD and he knew flashback country when he saw it. Hell, he was still dealing with the crap left over from Iraq.
"Malia's coming down to see you tonight," Fraiser said. "You should get some rest - you don't want to worry her."
"I can't see her!" O'Neill jerked out. "What if I lose it again? Her and those kids are the three best things that have happened to me in a long time. I don't want to hurt her!"
"Sir ... you can't push her away," Carter said, her blue eyes wide with sympathy - but not pity, he was glad to note. "She loves you, and she's a lot stronger than you give her credit for."
"Yeah, Jack," Daniel said quietly. "Don't make the same mistake you made before."
He didn't need to say anything more. After Charlie's death, O'Neill had shut Sara out until she'd finally left him with divorce papers. He'd stayed shut down for a long time - until an archeologist, an astrophysicist and an alien had somehow wormed their way past his defenses and coaxed his rusty emotions back to life. "Yeah," he admitted in defeat. "But, T ... you'd better stick around. You're the only one who'll be able to stop me if I go nuts."
The Jaffa dipped his head. "Of course, O'Neill," he said. "You have my word."
++++++++++++
Malia walked into the infirmary and headed over to where Jack was lying, scowling through a magazine. "Hi," she said, brushing a gentle kiss onto his cheek.
He threw down the magazine. "Hey, baby," he said. "And how are all the good folks on Cimmeria?"
"Fine," Malia said. "Gerawin sends her regards." She nodded over to where Teal'c sat, cross-legged, meditating. "Is there a reason Teal'c's here instead of tucked up in bed?" she asked.
"I asked him to be here," Jack said in low tones. "I ... had a flashback earlier and popped Carter one. I'm not risking it happening with you."
Shadows appeared in his brown eyes, and she wondered if he was comparing himself with her first husband. "I understand, Jack," she said, giving him another soft kiss. Good gods; the fact that he was worried about hurting her showed how different he was to Kitan! She nudged his hip with her own. "Are you going to make room for a fat pregnant lady?" she asked.
Jack looked at her carefully, then scooched over. "My bed is yours, milady," he said as she lay down next to him. "So ...," he said, "tell me about your next mission. Coupla days, right?"
She could accept that he wasn't ready to talk. For now. "Right," she said. "We're going to visit the Nox homeworld - they've expressed curiosity about humans since the Asgard think so highly of you."
Jack smiled fondly. "Nice people. Look kinda like fairy-folk, but really nice people." He yawned. "It's been a long day, baby," he said, putting a gentle hand to her distended abdomen. "Let's go to sleep, huh?"
++++++++++++
Malia jerked awake as Jack began thrashing in his sleep. In a smooth move she hadn't realized she was still capable of making, she rolled off the bed, knowing better than to wake him before he was ready. He was muttering in a strange language, possibly one of the Earth tongues, and from the scowl on his face, it was clear that the words were not polite. "Rank, Captain; serial number, USAF-4501-62B," he said, flinching.
He gave a sudden yell, then jerked awake, his breath coming in loud spurts. "Fuck ...," he groaned.
"Jack," Malia said, touching his sweat-dampened forehead tentatively.
"Shit; that was a bad one," he said, shivering.
"Oh, gods; you're freezing," she said. She got back on the bed and wrapped her arms around him in what he called a 'bear hug'. "Sssshhh, you're okay now," she said, rocking gently.
"Malia; is everything all right?" Teal'c loomed up from his corner.
She smiled. "It's fine, Teal'c," she said, pleased that Jack had such a good friend.
"Then I will leave you in peace," Teal'c said, returning to his corner and resuming his cross-legged position.
"Did I ... hurt you?" Jack asked in low tones, the shivering dying down a little.
"No," Malia said, brushing a gentle kiss onto his cheek. "You really think Teal'c would have let you, even if you'd tried?"
He gave a subdued chuckle. "Guess not," he agreed. He put a hand to her cheek in a tender gesture. "You deserve better than this, Malia," he said.
"What? Better than a sarcastic, grumpy, extremely sexy ex-Colonel who lets me ravish him on a regular basis?" Malia said sweetly, rewarded by a deeper chuckle.
"No funny ideas, Sub-Commandant," he said. "Besides, neither of us are really fit for action," he pointed out.
"A lot you know about pregnant women, Jack O'Neill," she teased him. "If you weren't stuck in this infirmary, I'd be all over you like the Ralvarian snilfpox right now!"
++++++++++++
Two weeks later
"Okay, Colonel; you're finally out of here," Janet Fraiser said, not even bothering to hide her relief. She handed him a pair of crutches. "Just promise to use these when you get tired - whether you'll admit it or not, your body's gone through an incredible amount of punishment."
"Fine, Doc; can I leave now?" O'Neill grumbled. "I've got a date with two beautiful women to keep, and I ain't doing it lookin' like this!" He waved a hand at his faded tee shirt and grungy jeans.
It was a less than professional thing to think, but Fraiser thought he actually looked pretty good in those jeans. They weren't spray painted on, but they showed his newly fit body off rather well. She coughed to hide the mild embarrassment - she was a doctor, but she was only human! - and patted his shoulder. "Off you go, sir," she said, "but call me if you need anything."
"Yeah, yeah!" He aimed a flippant salute at her. "See ya, Doc," he said and swung out of the Infirmary.
"Colonel ...," she called in a warning tone.
He turned back and grabbed the crutches. "Worth a go," he offered with a lame grin.
++++++++++++
"Wow, sir; you scrub up pretty good!" Carter teased as she emerged from her lab.
He threw her a hurt look, trying not to notice the livid bruise on her pale skin. Turns out he'd actually fractured her cheekbone when he'd popped her a couple weeks earlier. "You sound surprised, Carter," he returned in a similar light tone. "This old warhorse has a few miles left in him, ya know!"
Carter chuckled. "Well, give my love to Malia and Tiressa, sir," she said.
"Carter; you planning on goin' home sometime this week?" he asked.
"I'm trying to calculate the decay rate of this new batch of naquadria we found on Langara, sir," she said, her eyes glowing with enthusiasm.
"A-ah!" He waved a hand to cut off the techno-babble before it started. "I know I'm not your CO any more, but go home Carter; before Pete forgets what you look like!"
She threw him a cheeky salute. "Yes, sir!" she said.
He folded his arms and raised his eyebrows. "Switch off that damn reactor, close this lab and haul ass out of this mountain, Carter. I ordered you years ago to get a life; consider this a reminder!"
"And if you won't listen to your former CO, perhaps you'll listen to your current one!" Colonel Coburn chimed in. "Hey, Jack. Say hello to Malia, huh?"
O'Neill looked at the younger man narrowly. He suspected that Coburn had something of a crush on Malia, although he knew better than to make a move on her. Malia was a trained soldier and had tested out at Level 5 in hand to hand when she'd transferred to the SGC - she could drop-kick most guys easily. "I'll do that," he said. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Where the hell's Daniel? He said he'd drive me home!" he complained.
"I'm here," Daniel said, emerging from a nearby lab, looking a little ... rumpled.
O'Neill raised his eyebrows, then chuckled as Remia emerged, looking equally disheveled. "I'm not interrupting you kids, am I?" he asked evilly.
"Uhh, no!" Daniel said, going red. "I'll be back soon, Remia," he said. "Just got a grumpy old Colonel to get rid of." Payback for the 'kids' comment, no doubt.
++++++++++++
O'Neill found himself inexplicably nervous as he made his way into the little apartment the Air Force had arranged for Malia and Tiressa. 'Geez; this is your wife, for cryin' out loud!', he chided himself. 'Get a grip, Airman!'.
He opened the door and strolled in. "Honey; I'm home!" he called loudly, trying hard to bury his unease.
Tiressa came barreling out of the living room and threw her arms around his waist. "Daddy!" she squealed joyfully. "You're home!"
He blinked back a tear at the word 'Daddy', then picked her up carefully, pleased that his abused body didn't twinge, and gave her a big hug. "Hey, munchkin," he said, planting a kiss on her plump cheek. "Where's your mom?"
"Kitchen," she said, returning the kiss. "Go see her - I wanna show you something Uncle Daniel gave me!"
He put her down and she sped off to her bedroom. He went into the kitchen. "Hi," he said, feeling absurdly shy.
"Hi," she said, blowing a curl out of her eye, then she came over and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Welcome home, Airman," she said, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.
His lips opened in response to the gentle caress, and they melted into each other. It had been so long since they'd been together, but they fit together just as well as ever. "I missed this," he said as they broke apart.
"Good," she said. She took his hand and rested it on her swollen stomach. "Baby O'Neill; meet your dad," she said.
His eyebrow rose. "Boy or girl?" he asked.
"I still don't know," she replied. "I don't want to know."
His eyes widened as the little life kicked out against his palm. "Geez; that's one strong little bugger!" he said with his first real grin of the day. "So ... whatcha making us?" he added, his nose twitching as he smelled steak. Big. Red. Juicy. Meat. Serious protein cravings.
She went back over to the oven and showed the two giant steaks and a smaller one grilling slowly. "I'm having strong protein cravings lately," she said. "And I know how much you like your steaks."
He put a hand on the counter as a wave of dizziness swept over him. Damn. He'd gone four days in a row without a dizzy spell; he'd forgotten how disorienting they could be. Tiressa danced into the kitchen before Malia noticed his heavy breath. "It's an imagizer!" she said. "He calls it a camera. And look - when you press this red button ...".
A light flashed in front of his eyes, and he blinked as a dizzying array of images flashed into his reluctant brain. The Iraqi General ... Anubis ... Jaffa ... Arislet ... dying ... that Iraqi girl he'd rescued from rape only to learn that she was part of the trap ...
"Jack?" Malia touched his clenched fist. "Are you all right?" she asked.
He breathed out deeply, relieved that he hadn't allowed the memories to suck him in once more. "Yeah," he said. "Just hungry."
She gave him an openly skeptical look, but chose not to pursue it in front of Tiressa. Saved by the munchkin!
Part Fifteen
Jack O'Neill jerked awake from another nightmare - his second that night - and drew in a deep breath, fighting the urge to break heads. 'Shit ... Kawalsky,' he mourned silently. Charlie Kawalsky had died nearly eight years ago when he'd been infested by a Goa'uld; O'Neill thought he'd come to terms with it by now.
He propped himself up on an elbow and watched Malia shift slightly in her sleep, the swell of her stomach clearly visible in the moonlight. A frown pulled at his eyebrows. He was married to a beautiful woman who was having his baby. He should have been the happiest man in the world ... hell, the galaxy.
But the Goa'uld had changed that. They infiltrated his dreams, his thoughts, his every waking moment. Like the snaky parasites they were. Anubis had tapped his worst memories, making him relive them over and over - like some kind of sick slide show.
Sometimes, he could hide it, control it. He'd learned to mask his reaction to flashing lights, the aching loss he felt for the Tok'ra Arislet, the fear that the next time he awoke it would be in a sarcophagus.
'Stare too long into the abyss, and the abyss stares back.'
He wasn't too sure who'd said that - maybe Neitszche - but whoever said it knew what they were talking about. Jack O'Neill had stared into the abyss many times - his Black Ops days, Iraq, those terrible months after Charlie - and now that swirling mire of darkness called to him once more.
"Jack?" Malia mumbled sleepily, putting a hand to his face.
"Hey," he said, pressing a gentle kiss to her palm. "Sorry if I woke you."
"It's okay," she said. She sat up. "Ugh ... need to pee," she complained, getting up and heading for the bathroom.
He watched her move gracefully - at five ten, she was tall enough to cope with her pregnancy and therefore didn't waddle - feeling a smile pull at his lips. It was times like this when he was glad he was a guy.
She came back with two glasses of water and handed one to O'Neill. "Figured you could use that," she said.
"Yeah." He rested the glass to his forehead, feeling the cold of the condensation against his skin. She seemed to know exactly what to do when the darkness came over him. She never attempted to get him to talk about it; just gave him acceptance and a sweet quiet love. She'd had her own problems with her previous husband that she wasn't ready to talk about; that probably explained her empathy with him.
He sipped the cold water, feeling it go down his parched throat. "Thanks, Malia; you're the best," he said.
She sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "The little one's performing acrobatics again," she said with a yawn.
He put a gentle hand to her stomach, feeling the little life tumble around. "Wow; can that little bugger not tell time yet?" he teased.
She chuckled into his neck. "Evidently not," she replied around another yawn. She put her hand to his chest. "Try to get some sleep, Jack," she said.
"I will," he lied. Christ; except for the times he'd been sedated, he hadn't slept properly for months. He put a hand to her cheek, enjoying the soft smooth skin. "I love you, baby," he said.
"Love you too," she mumbled.
++++++++++++
Malia watched Jack as he slept, twitching his way through another nightmare. Sometimes, during the day, she could fool herself that he was beginning to heal. She spent as much time with him as she could, just doing the things other couples did. Taking walks in the park, shopping, fixing up the apartment, helping Tiressa with her homework.
Then the nightmares would come. He would awake terrified and disoriented, often spitting out curses in a strange tongue. Yet it was the silent nightmares that scared her the most - the ones he couldn't even release through incoherent yells.
She knew better than to touch him when his demons attacked; all she could do was watch and wait for the dreams to end, then offer what little comfort she could. He wouldn't - or couldn't - talk about what he'd gone through with Anubis.
And it was taking a physical toll on him also. Never a big man; he'd always been lean and toned. But she could see the weight loss by the skinny ribs and the slump to his once proud carriage. A tear leaked out and she sniffled. Oh, gods ... she loved this man so!
Even battered as he now was, there was enough left of the Jack O'Neill character to prove that he wasn't entirely broken. Just yesterday, Daniel, Teal'c and Samantha had visited, and he'd spent a full hour engaging in verbal warfare with Daniel; much to everyone else's amusement.
And yet ... and yet ... The shadows had become a permanent fixture in his brown eyes, and when he smiled there was little real joy there. Tenderness certainly - she didn't doubt his love for her - but his love of life had died sometime during his captivity.
He woke up, breathing deeply. "Shit ...," he muttered. He frowned as he saw her watching him. "Baby; you need sleep," he said gently. He brushed a sweet kiss across her lips. "Please, try?" he asked.
Another tear made its way down her face. "I'll try," she said. "But you need to sleep, too." She took his hand and rested it on her stomach. "We need you."
"Love you," he murmured.
She smiled into his beloved face. She had always scoffed at the idea of 'soul mates', but now she knew that she'd found the other half of her heart. "Love you too," she said.
Two as one. Battered, not broken. It would take time, but they would be all right. Two as one.
THE END
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