This last trip to New York Daniel and Calla made alone. SG-1 and the family stayed behind in Colorado. They checked in to the same four-stay hotel they enjoyed a few weeks prior and enjoyed before they came to Sotheby’s tonight. The auction was filled with people who were all buzzing over the paintings up for bid. There people in the auction house, people who were going bid via phone—there was a whole bank of telephone and telephone operators waiting to take their bids. There were people online with the auction house who were placing bids that way. All around you could smell the money in the room, old money, new money and all ranges in between. Before the auction opened, Calla stood at the auctioneer’s podium gave a little speech and thanked everyone for coming.

Phantom Lover was first up for bid. The quaint little depiction of the woman and her ghostly lover fetched one-hundred thousand dollars. Calla was shocked. The next up, Old Lovers, the depiction of Daniel and Sha’re with the other women waiting in the background. Final sale price, one-hundred forty-five thousand. Each painting that came up for bid the price went higher and higher. The painting of her and Hartley on their picnic went for one-hundred eight-five thousand.

“Oh, Daniel, this is insane,” she whispered to him. “Someone has to stop them they’re spending too much money.”

“It’s their money let them spend it however they want.” He told her and held tightly to her hand.

The depiction of Daniel and his women fetched two-hundred seventy-five thousand. Each painting that went and each price that went up Calla’s heart sunk. She’d placed a silent reserve of two hundred thousand on the portrait of Daniel and the twins but it looked like she’d priced herself too low. She held her breath as it came up for bid, the auctioneer announced the silent reserve and that he would let the bidders know when it was met. The auctioneer started the bidding at one-hundred thousand. Bidding rose quickly, within three bids the reserve was met and exceeded. Someone on one of the telephones ended up purchasing it for a mere three hundred twenty-five thousand.

“I’m sorry, Kitty.” Daniel whispered.

“It’s all right, like you said, I can paint another one.” Calla rested her head on his shoulder while the bidding continued.

Next up the paintings of her, Ares and Daniel. Once again the bidding was hot. In the end, the painting went for four-hundred thousand to a bidder on one of the telephones. Calla was glad to be rid of it. She and Ares and Daniel would never speak of the incident again.

“This is really just too much,” she huffed and began to stand up. “Someone has to tell them…..”

“Sit down.” Daniel told her. “Tell them what? Your work isn’t worth it? They think it is and it’s almost over.”

“This is our last painting for the evening,” the auctioneer informed them and Andrew Hartley’s million-dollar painting—the main attraction at tonight’s event-- was unveiled. “Let’s start the bidding at, shall we say, three hundred thousand.”

Once again the bidding process went fast and furious, people holding up little paddles and others signaling from the phone or watching the Internet bids come in. While the painting didn’t fetch the million dollars Hartley predicted it did fetch a healthy eight-hundred and forty thousand dollars.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Calla whispered to Daniel. “How much money did we just make?”

After the auction houses’ cut and without any agents’ fees, “About a million and a half, give or take” Daniel said in the same incredulous whisper. “You sure you wanna give this up?”

“Absolutely.”

“Are you ready to leave?”

“Yes, let’s get out of here. When do we get the money?” Calla asked as she stood up and took his arm.

“Very soon. Got plans?”

Back in the hotel, over plates of room service, she told him all about her plans for their new money. She wanted to add to the trust funds for the kids, set up one for Lilly and, of course, she wanted to donate to the Woman’s Shelter. “I know I gave them forty-five thousand last time,” she said quietly, “they could use a bigger building. Something more modern.”

“You want to build a new shelter, Kitty?”

“Would you mind? I mean, we’ll keep most of the money, I won’t give it all away….”

“I know you won’t. Give them whatever you want, Calla.”

“I was thinking about two hundred thousand?” She suggested. “I can get builders and contractors to donate or to work at cost and….”

“That’s fine.” He smiled at her. “I told you before you don’t have to justify this to me. If it’s what you want then I’m all for it.”

“Perhaps we could get Nick and Annie a little house? Nothing too big or fancy just a little house.”

“I thought you liked having them live with us.”

“I do but they’re young they should have a home of their own some place that’s just theirs and we can go and visit. Something close to us.” Calla finished the last of the turkey on her plate. “I was hungry.” She remarked looking at the empty plate.

If he knew his wife and if she had her way, she’d build them a little house on the far corner of their property. That way they’d be on their own but still close to home. “Maybe they should have some place to call their own.” Daniel said. “What about the rest of the money?”

“I thought perhaps we could go on a long vacation come next summer?” She proposed. “School will be out and we’ll have plenty of time.”

That sounded good, they hadn’t been on a vacation in a long time. “Where do you want to go?”

“I don’t care, you pick.” She said and got up from the dining table. Calla reached quickly to grab the table and steady herself.

“You all right, Cal?” Daniel asked. There was a light bead of sweat on her upper lip and she was unsteady on her feet. “Honey?”

“Fine. It’s been a big night.” She offered weakly. “Would you mind if I turned in? I know it’s early.”

“It’s almost mid-night.” Daniel said and took her hand he led her over to the bed. “It’s been a very big night I think a long rest sounds good.”

Sitting on the edge of the bed Calla stripped off the white sweater and black skirt she’d worn to the auction. She wiggled out of the stockings, dropped the bra on the floor and crawled into the bed in just her panties. “I’m almost ready for Christmas,” she said with a sigh. “We still have to get a tree.”

“I know, next week, ok?”

“And the lights….”

“I know,” Daniel said again, “next week.”

End of Chapter Six
Tarnished Heroes: Keep the Fire Burning
Continue to
Chapter Seven