All in all it was a quiet morning once Daniel handed over the fossils he'd found on Planet P3X887. The planet had a bustling and technologically advanced society, the Mohun, whom Daniel had begun negotiations with while he was away. Their Ambassador was coming to visit Planet Earth in the next few weeks and he would lead more negotiations at that time.

Nicholas and Colleen sat on the bed, one on either side of their mother, each with a glass of milk and listening intently while their father told of his latest adventure. Daniel never told them that he left this planet, but he was on the whole, honest about everything else.

"So, that's it." He finished up and crawled into the bed with his family. "Why don't you two take these and put them in your room?"

"Daddy?" Colleen looked up at him with wide blue eyes and from under a mane of auburn tangles. "About that room?"

"Ah, yes," he agreed quickly, "I haven't forgotten about that, pumpkin."

"You asked mommy?" She turned the rock over in her hands.

"Not yet but I will." Daniel kissed the top of his daughter's head. "Go on, go put them away." The twins left the bedroom.

"Ask me what?" Calla said as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"No, wait, come here you." Daniel said as he reached out for her and came away with nothing the shirt she'd been wearing. He brought it to his nose and breathed deep of her scent. "Oh. Come back here. I'm not done with you." Looking up at her back, which was now plainly visible past the bra line he uttered. "What happened to you?" Daniel was out of the bed in no time. "Calla your back."

Calla didn't hesitate. "Oh," she said lightly and tossed a sweater over her head. "I fell."

"On what? Concrete?" He asked harshly and picked up the back of the sweater. Up and down the entire length of her back were bruises. "Why didn't you tell me last night?" If she had told him, he’d been a bit easier on her.

"It's nothing, Daniel, I just fell down." She tried to pull the material away from his hand but he wouldn't let it go. "It's fine, really it is."

The thick black and purple bruises didn't look 'fine' to him. No, sir they did not. They looked fresh. Quietly he slipped the sweater away from her body. Opening his robe, he stood behind her with his bare front pressed to her bare back. Years ago he discovered his ability to heal her had little to do with his hands. He had only to know there was a problem and want to heal it. Arms wrapped around the front of her while they stood facing the mirror the heat from the blue energy rose in his body. "I love you," Daniel whispered. The purple bruises faded from her alabaster skin as they were enveloped by that wondrous blue light. In the mirror, her eyes closed as she slumped back against him, her knees weak. "Now, tell me what happened."

"I slipped," she began, her voice faded and distant while the last energy move about inside of her. "It's nothing, really."

There were several catch phrases of hers that he didn't care for. However’

I'm fine

And

Were certainly in the top five. Surpassed only by Lord Daniel and Master Daniel. "Hum-um." He agreed. "So tell me, if it's nothing, then you won't mind, right?"

Inside his arms she turned around to look at him. "I was carrying the laundry and I slipped on the stairs."

"Those stairs?" He asked while he pointed in the direction of the second story hallway.

"Yes." Calla admitted.

"How many did you miss, for christssake?"

Her eyes lowered and rose before answering. "All of them."

"You fell down fifteen steps! All the way to the bottom?" Daniel ran his hand through his short hair. "Are you all right?"

"Much better now, thank you Daniel."

"When did this happen?"

"Two days ago." Calla took the sweater from his hand and slipped it on again.

"They left their toys on the stairs again, didn't they? That's how you slipped." Daniel accused.

"It was just an accident," Calla stammered politely.

"Nicholas! Colleen! Come here right now!" Daniel bellowed. The twins came running into the room just as their mother jumped into a pair of blue jeans. "Did you leave your toys on the stairs?" The twins just looked at each other. "Answer me. Did you leave your toys on the stairs?"

"Mommy, you said you wouldn't tell." Colleen's voice like her eyes was sad as she looked up at her mother.

"Oh really?" Daniel asked quickly as he turned his attention to his wife. "What else is going on around here that I don't know about?"

"Nothing," Calla told him.

Daniel shook his head and turned his focus back to the kids. "I've told you a hundred times to keep your toys off the stairs, haven't I?" They nodded their agreement. "You didn't and your mother got hurt, didn't she?" Again they nodded their response. Jesus H. Christ, if Calla was a normal mortal woman they could have killed her! "What's this I heard about you two misbehaving while I was away? Not minding your mother. Is this true?" In front of him the two reached out for each other, Nicholas wrapping his arm around his sister's shoulders.

"Yeah," Nicholas said as he looked down at his feet. "Aw, Dad...."

"Don't 'aw Dad' me." Daniel told them. "Go and get dressed. We're going out for the day; give your mother some peace. And we're going to have a very long talk about toys and where they belong."

"Yes, Daddy." They echoed in unison and made their way to the bedroom door. The two stopped and turned back. "Sorry, mommy." They said before leaving.

"Where are you going?" Calla asked as she began to make the bed. "Where are you going to take them?"

Daniel's practiced ears heard her voice rising and his keen eyes watched her hands shake as she pulled the covers over the mattress. "Sit down, Kitty." He took her hands in his own. "We'll go to the park or the zoo or the museum, whatever. Did I scare you?"

"Yes," she confessed. "You're not....."

"No, I'm not going to hurt them." He was a little insulted by the insinuation. "I'm just going to get them out of your hair for a while. OK? I'm a big boy, I can spend the entire day with my kids."

"You don't know what you're getting in to." She warned.

"I think I can handle it." Daniel reassured her. "Listen to me, while we're out I don't want you cooking anything, baking anything, cleaning anything. They're going to pick up their own messes before we go."

"What should I do?"

"Relax, Kitty. That's all. Lounge around on the couch, watch your movies and eat chocolate." He teased her but it didn't make her smile. "I'll tell you what, if you promise to buy things only for yourself, I'll give you the credit card and you can go shopping while we're out." Every time he tried to get her to go out and do just that, she always came home with an armload of things for them and nothing for her. "Does that sound good?"

"I don't need anything."

"OK, so isn't there anything you want?" Daniel prodded. "Don't worry about money, Cal, we've got plenty." Since rejoining SG-1 and taking the pay-cut that went with it, Calla always worried about finances no matter how many times he told her not to. Over a year ago he finally sold the house in Chicago and they had plenty of money which, now was just sitting around in CDs and investments doing nothing but making more money. Their portfolio didn't add up to a King's Ransom or anything but still, it was comfortable and they didn't have to scrip and save to make ends meet.

"I already have everything I want." Calla slipped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "What else could I ask for?"

"A little downtime? I think you could use it." Rising from the bed, Daniel got dressed. "Hey! I've got an idea!" He turned around to look at her with a deep sparkle in his eyes. "Why don't you take a long hot bath and then run around the house naked like a wild woman? Hum, get ready for me." A soft pink tongue poked from his lips as he smiled at her.

"Have her scrubbed and sent to my tent, huh?" Calla laughed. "Well, I could use the scrubbing. You have made me all filthy." Came her soft sigh.

"Um, I did." Daniel agreed warmly. "I'm gonna do it again, so why don't you have that bath?"

"And the running around the house, shall I do that inside or outside?"

"Inside.” Daniel smiled at her. “Yeah, well, it wouldn't hurt if you're naked when I get back."

End of Chapter Two
Daughter of the Gods: Little Victories
Continue to
Chapter Three