Chapter 32

The sun was shining on Edora when the children came through the stargate. The entire village was waiting for them, another SGC team having been sent ahead to announce the news. When the children poured through the stone ring with SG-1 a great cry went up. Mothers, fathers, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, and uncles ran weeping and shouting to the children, enfolding them in crushing hugs.

With the sun bathing their faces in golden light, Daniel was reminded of a Flemish tapestry. For that's what this was, he thought. Families were a living tapestry - of love, birth, growing up, growing old, dying, and on and on, generation after generation. You're being sentimental, he could almost hear Jack say. What it is, is a damn messy business. And yet, sans poetry or philosophy, Jack O'Neill understood the value of it all instinctively - although he had almost faltered under pressure. Daniel rubbed his still sore jaw as he remembered.

He thought how close these children had come to being deprived of this forever - literally forever. The Kalam, even the Ancients in their Ascendedness, were not as alive or blessed as these humble villagers were. And he thought once more of Viorel and the children of Hamelin, and countless children from other planets, ripped from their own tapestry.

Beside him Teal'c watched the reunions with a small smile, while Sam brushed something from the corner of her eye. Garan was there with a blanket-swaddled Daynon in his arms. Jack stood a little apart holding Jaira. Daniel marveled at the father-daughter resemblance in their dark brown eyes and the tilt of their chins. Jaira was wearing a lemon-colored dress and white sneakers. All of the children were similarly dressed in new clothes. SGC staff members had descended on K-Mart while the kids were being examined and fed, and had returned in record time laden with bags and bags of clothes to replace the filthy and hated Kalam tunics.

Suddenly Jaira squirmed in Jack's arms. "Mama!" she cried.

Laira was running to them, almost tripping over her long skirt in her haste. Jack set Jaira down and she ran to her mother, who crushed the child to her breast, her tears falling on the honey curls. Then she held her daughter at arms' length and touched her face, ran her hands up and down the unfamiliar clothing to feel her arms and legs, and having satisfied herself that her child was whole and unharmed, smothered her again in an embrace.

Their attention was momentarily diverted from this scene by someone calling Jack's name. Nevan ran over to them. He was dressed in jeans and a Denver Broncos sweatshirt and grinned at them from under a Rockies baseball cap. "Thanks for bringing us home, Jack," he said.

"Sure, buddy."

Nevan gestured to his parents a short distance off, who waved and shouted their gratitude. "I have to go now," said Nevan.

Jack smiled at him. "I know. Be good."

The boy hesitated uncertainly, then he flung his arms around Jack. "Good-bye," he said, his voice muffled against the man's vest. Then he ran back to his parents.

"The boy has the makings of a warrior," Teal'c said.

"Let's hope the only battles he'll have to fight are bad weather and failed crops," said Sam.

Laira finally released her daughter and hurried to Garan, embracing him and the baby. "My grandchild!" she cried. Then, "Where is Naytha?"

Daniel glanced away while Garan broke the news. He heard a cry rip from Laira's throat. After a few minutes Laira turned her tear-stained face to SG-1.

Daniel apologized for all of them. "We're so sorry, Laira. If there's anything we can do to help…"

"You will bring her back here?"

"Of course." Daniel looked at the crowds of joyful families. "But we thought it best to wait a little bit."

Laira nodded. "I understand. They must be allowed this happiness. Later we will grieve our loss."

Jaira broke away from her mother and ran over to Jack. "Look, Mama! I found Papa." She raised her arms and Jack dutifully picked her up. The child gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Laira managed a little smile through her tears. "Hello, Jack," she said.

"Laira." To Jaira Jack said, "Sweetheart, I need to talk to your mother. Will you help Garan take care of Daynon while I do that?" The child was agreeable so Jack put her down and she ran over to her brother. Then Jack took Laira's arm and led her a little distance off.

"I hope the colonel is doing the right thing," Sam said, turning her eyes away from the couple and looking anywhere else.

"I don't think there's any one right thing in these situations," Daniel said. "Only what you can live with." Jack had told them of his plans before they embarked.

"He has chosen an honorable path," said Teal'c.

~o~

"Jaira seems to adore you," Laira said. They had walked over to the trees and stopped.

"I adore her," Jack said. "She's a great kid, Laira."

"Yes, she is." She looked up at him, her face, though weighted with grief, also alight with hope. "Then you have thought about what I said?"

"It's all I've thought about since I left you."

"I was right, was I not? That once you saw her you would not want to leave her?"

"You were right." He took off his cap and scrubbed his hair. "But I can't stay here."

Shock made her face go slack. "What!" Her voice was sharp, and Jack was uncomfortably aware of his team standing not far away. She went on, "But she's your daughter! You said you adored her."

"I do. I love her. More than anything. And this is one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make." He looked across the clearing at Jaira and Garan and a band tightened around his throat. He turned back to Laira. "I can't be a farmer. My place is out there." He canted his head to the sky. "There are bad guys out there even worse than the ones who took your kids. And while I don't flatter myself that no one else but me can fight the fight, I happen to be good at it." Garan's words came back to him: I'm glad you do what you do. "And sometimes it seems like I make a difference. Like this time."

Her eyes were brimming with tears. "You would leave her?" She sounded disbelieving.

"No, not completely. I want to visit her. Often."

Her face got a little hard then. "You said that before, Jack. I won't allow it."

"Yes, you will." He was on firm ground now, sure of himself. He had thought through his tactics and strategy. He would not be outmaneuvered or backed into a corner this time. "Things have changed since I was last here."

Laira shook her head. "Nothing has changed."

"You're wrong. Everything has." He looked again at Jaira, who was now holding the baby.

"Look, Mama, Papa!"

He smiled at her, then turned back to Laira. "She knows me now. Knows I'm her father. And we've been through a lot together in the last few days." More than he wanted to tell Laira, although he would have to sometime. "And she trusts me and, well, she likes me. If you won't let me visit, you'll only be hurting her. Do you want to do that?"

She looked across the clearing and was silent for a time. "Of course not."

"Then don't stop me from coming back to see her," Jack said softly.

She returned her gaze to him, and the longing in it was painful to see. "I thought perhaps," she began, and stopped. She took his hand. "You and I?"

"No." Again, he was on sure ground. "I'm sorry, Laira." He no longer felt like a cad. He knew this was right.

She dropped his hand. They were quiet for a time. "I won't let you take her from here," she said adamantly.

He had thought of this too, and knew when a tactical retreat was warranted. "I'll never ask that of you. She will stay on Edora. I'll come here to see her." At least until she's old enough to make her own decisions, he left unsaid.

She sighed in resignation. "I suppose I have no choice?"

"I don't think you do. We have to do what's best for her. She deserves two parents."

They both turned and looked at their daughter. The leaves of the trees around the clearing whispered in the breeze. A crow-like bird cawed as it cleaved the air above them. Jack curled and uncurled his fingers tensely.

After a long silence she said, "Very well."

Jack exhaled a slow breath. He hadn't realized how tightly he was wound until he felt his muscles uncoil. "Thank you."

He looked around. The tearful reunions over, the happy families had dispersed, leaving only their little group. Jack donned his cap again and beckoned to Jaira. She skipped over to him, and squatting down in front of her he said, "C'mere." She threw herself into his arms and he breathed her in, kissed her hair. "Jaira, do you remember what I told you a little while ago?"

"Yes, Papa."

"Tell me."

"You have to go back to the stars for a while."

"And after that, what am I going to do?"

"You're going to come see me!"

"That's right," he said. Unzipping his jacket he pulled out her doll. "Tell Star I'll be back real soon." SG-1 had been granted a week's leave due to his and Carter's injuries. "Good-bye, baby." His voice was rough and shaky. He hugged her one more time and stood up.

Laira said, "We must find a wet nurse for Daynon. Then we will return to await Naytha. Good-bye, Jack," she said, and taking Jaira by the hand, she and Garan began to walk back to the village.

Jaira looked back. "G'bye, Papa!" she called.

He raised a hand. "See you soon!" He watched her leave, her doll swinging from her free hand. After a moment he could hear her singing.

Concealing his eyes behind his sunglasses, he walked slowly back to the others, who regarded him with concern.

"Did Laira agree to your proposition, O'Neill?" Teal'c said.

"She did," he said.

"That is most fortunate."

Carter said nothing but she looked relieved.

Daniel had that pinched look. "Jack, are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"I know, but are you really sure?"

Jack blew out a breath in exasperation. "We've been through this, Daniel."

"O'Neill is a warrior," said Teal'c. "He has made his decision."

"Thank you, T," said Jack.

A shout made them all turn around. A man was hurrying up the footpath toward them. He stopped in front of them, panting a little. "Jack O'Neill," he said.

"Paynon," Jack said guardedly.

The gruff older man aimed a steely look at Jack, then broke out in a wide smile. "We are in your debt," Paynon said.

Jack shook his head. "You don't owe us anything."

"Yes, we do. You saved our children, our future." Paynon slapped Jack on the shoulder, sending him staggering a little. Then his expression turned serious. "And O'Neill." He paused a moment, and Jack waited. "You have done right by her. I will not speak ill of you again."

Jack nodded his thanks. "Speaking of debt, I'm going to need a place to stay for about a week starting tomorrow."

"You are returning?"

"I'm going to spend some time with Jaira."

The man's smile returned. "Wonderful! My home is yours." Another staggering clap and Paynon was gone.

While Daniel dialed up the gate, Jack turned away from it and looked back in the direction of the village, but all he could see was tall grass. Jaira and her mother had disappeared over a rise. He heard the whoosh of the wormhole behind him but didn't turn around.

From behind him Carter asked softly, "Are you okay, sir?"

Was he? He had long ago learned that life sometimes offered you a choice between cutting off your hand or your foot. But as amputations went - he thought of Charlie lying bleeding on the bedroom floor, or of Jaira turning blue on the cargo ship, or with a gun aimed at her head - this was one he could survive.

He turned back to face his major, as well as Daniel and Teal'c. "I will be, Carter. I will be." And taking a step toward the stargate he said, "Let's bring Naytha home."

Epilogue

A flock of Edoran ducks flapped overhead on their way to the Hayman River as Naytha was laid to rest. An Edoran elder - Cryon or Gryon, Jack wasn't sure - spoke to the gathered crowd.

"And so Naytha, wife of Garan, mother of Daynon, parts from us and joins the ancestors. May her journey be a peaceful one. Praise be to the ancestors!"

The people raised their hands and repeated the refrain. O'Neill and Carter snapped a salute. The Air Force officers were clad in their dress blues, Daniel and Teal'c in charcoal suits and dark ties. The dirt clods shoveled by several men fell with soft thunks on the shrouded body in the grave. Some of the mourners wept softly, but Garan and Laira stood dry-eyed and stoic. Laira held Daynon, who began to fuss, so she handed him to the wet nurse.

This wasn't how it was supposed to end, Jack thought ruefully. Not with a grave, not with tears, not with stoic grief. And yet, he considered, it could have been so much worse. His eyes under the brim of his hat followed Jaira as she and other children too young to understand the proceedings drifted to the edge of the crowd and began to chase each other through the tall grass surrounding the cemetery. Several of her playmates were the dark-skinned strangers.

When SG-1 had returned with Naytha's body, one of the elders approached them. "We understand you also rescued some children whose world is unknown. Is that not true?" Jack acknowledged the fact. "We have thought of a way to repay you. We would like to take the children into our families," the man said.

Jack was momentarily at a loss for words. Daniel spoke up. "I think that would be perfect. That's very generous of you."

As Jack watched the children play he thought, yes, it could have been a hell of a lot worse.

The grave now covered over, the mourners filed past it and dropped flowers over the fresh mound. Then one by one they moved to the young widower to offer their condolences. Finally SG-1 took their turn. When Jack came to Garan he clasped the young man's hand firmly, and hesitating a second, wrapped his other arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug.

When the greetings had ended, the mourners resumed their circle around the grave, looking to the elder who had presided over the burial. Perhaps they were waiting for a dismissal, Jack thought.

"It is time," the man said, "to turn from death to life. We will now celebrate the life of Naytha, and the birth of her and Garan's son, and the gift of more children. Come!"

The crowds of people turned back toward the village and the festivities with a lighter step than that with which they'd come. As Laira passed O'Neill she spared him a brief glance, then walked quietly on. She had made her peace. Jack knew there would be no more recriminations or arguments. Once she had decided on a course of action, Laira would move resolutely forward.

Jack called to Jaira, who charged out of the grass with the other children. She barreled into him, accepted a hug and a kiss, then ran ahead with the other kids. Jack was counting the hours to his leave, when he would be back with his tackle and a couple of rods, and would introduce his daughter to fishing.

Paynon detached himself from the crowd and came up to them. "You will come to the celebration?" he asked them. "There will be a naming ceremony for Daynon."

"You bet," Jack said. "I understand that Daniel here is kind of a guest of honor, seeing as he brought the little guy into the world."

"Is that so? A man midwife?" And Paynon laughed uproariously. "Then we will celebrate with much tolka in his honor," he said, and gave Daniel a clap on his back that sent him reeling.

When Daniel had recovered his footing he said, "'Tolka,' Jack?"

"Rotgut, Daniel. Pure, unmitigated rotgut."

"Ah, well, um, that sounds interesting."

"Does it indeed cause the putrefaction of the intestinal system, O'Neill?"

"It's just a saying, Teal'c," Jack said. "But come to think of it, that's probably not far off."

"Actually," Daniel said, "I think I could use some rotgut after all that's happened."

"So could we all," Jack agreed. "That and more."

"More, sir?" Carter asked.

He grinned mischievously at her. "There will be dancing."

"Oh." She chewed her lip nervously. "I don't know. My leg."

Jack knew that wasn't the only reason she hesitated, but he would have none of it. "No problem, Carter." And he leaned in until his mouth was close to her ear. "There's always slow dancing." Then he drew her arm gently through his and began to walk toward the village.

Teal'c's lips turned up in the merest smile. Daniel, after opening and closing his mouth, looked determinedly the other way.

As for Carter - her eyes widened like the proverbial deer in headlights. Astonished, shocked even. Then she visibly relaxed, gave him a brilliant smile, and matched her pace to his, shoulder touching shoulder.

Oh, yes, he thought, there will be dancing.

THE END

A/N: A writer is nothing without readers. Thank you to those who have made it all this way with me, and to all the reviewers who took the time to share their thoughts and comments.