Chapter One

Did you say she was pretty?
Did you say she loves you?
Baby, I don't wanna know.

Silver Springs
Stevie Nicks

When you stopped and thought about it, six months wasn’t a long period of time. Yet, within that small space of time, so many things could change. The heat of long summer days gave way to the increasingly cold and shortening days of winter. Over at the SGC, Dr. Janet Frasier was killed in action. General Hammond took a job with the pentagon and moved away. Colonel O’Neill was now General O’Neill. Major Samantha Carter was now Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter. Dr. Daniel Jackson, former stellar member of SG-1 was now Head of Cultural, Archeological and Linguists Research, along with that rather heavy title came a bigger paycheck, a spacious office, a lab and a staff of five assistants.

Back at home, the twins were growing by leaps and bounds. Although they were two months premature for normal babies, they were actually four months ahead of schedule for the same. At six months of age, they were babbling away, not just nonsense, sometimes, quite often in fact, real words with real meaning spilled from their chubby little lips. They were toddling around the house and Calla had gone down to Toys R Us not more than two weeks ago and purchased a slew of baby gates to keep the corralled up in whichever room she needed them to stay at the time. The gates were useful but they wouldn’t serve for long, soon the twins would discover how to climb over them or knock them down out of their way. Calla spent much of her days chasing after them and making sure they didn’t get into trouble. Everything breakable or valuable in the house was either three feet from the floor or had temporarily been packed away and stored in the attic.

It was Thursday, which meant tomorrow was Friday. On Fridays, Calla brought the twins across the street and left with Mrs. Anderson, a very pleasant grandmotherly type of woman, for two to three hours while she did the grocery shopping and ran the household errands. In anticipation of such, Calla sat on the couch making a list while the twins took their morning nap. Although they were more active and growing faster than most children, they were also more tired. It took a lot of energy to keep them going at that rate, two Energizer Bunnies running around the house. They took a morning and an afternoon nap, which was fortunate for Calla as it allowed her to catch her breath and collect her thoughts. Sipping from a fresh cup of coffee while she jotted down the items she would pick up at the grocery store, the phone began to ring. Quick as she could, she rose to answer it before the clanging woke the babies.

“Hello,” she said into the transmitter. No one replied. “Hello.” She repeated. “Is anyone there?” Calla waited and listened, someone was breathing on the other end of the line, so why didn't they say anything? “Hello.” The caller did not answer, Calla hung up the phone and dismissed it as what Daniel called a prank phone call. Before she could resume her seat, Nicholas began to cry in his crib. “Well, that’s that.” She grumbled as she picked up the notepad and pencil. Making her way into the kitchen, she put them down on the table and took a bottle from the refrigerator. Her son was making a hell of a racket; he was bound to wake up his sister. She reached in and pulled out another one, took the tops off and popped them into the microwave to heat. Calla always dreaded feeding them like this; it made her feel less of a mother, as though she’d done something wrong.

When the twins were a month and half old, they began to wail throughout the day and night. Their little hands would ball up into tiny fists that would shake in the air while their faces reddened and they screamed beyond belief. Nothing she or Daniel did consoled them, not even driving them around in the car, which was something that almost always put them to sleep. Finally, she had given in and allowed Daniel to make an appointment for them with Dr. O’Gara who was placed in charge of the Medical Department of the SGC upon the event of Dr. Janet Frasier’s death. Calla was loathe to allow him near her children, not after the day she had spent in The Lab with him and Daniel. It was obvious to her that her children were in pain and they needed help, so she allowed Dr. O’Gara to examine them.

According to Dr. O’Gara, the twins suffered from colic. This wasn’t life threatening and it was not anything out of the ordinary, in fact it was quite common among human babies. His answer to the problem was to try Soy Formula, it was his belief they were either allergic to or not properly digesting Calla’s breast milk. The idea that she was somehow harming her children infuriated Calla. This was not something that was “common” among Olympian Babies, which her children were half. Olympian Babies did not drink some concoction that came out of a can nor did they nurse from plastic bottles. Nonetheless, on the way home, Daniel and Calla stopped at the local Shop & Save and picked up two canisters of Similac Soy Formula. Daniel convinced her to do this by appealing to the Mother inside of her and telling her that even the chance was totally minuscule that this was the problem, she owed it to them to find out.

Much to her dismay, the formula worked like some Magick Charm. They drank, they slept, they no longer cried and balled up their little fists.

The microwave dinged, Calla reached in and took the bottles out, capped them and then made her up the stairs to the nursery. During the day, she missed Daniel, especially at feeding time. Their mid-morning snack consisted only of the bottles of formula, in another hour to hour and a half they would have a lunch of oatmeal and peaches. Upon entering the nursery, she saw Nicholas standing up in his crib, his arms reached out not to her but to the bottle as she walked through the door. His little legs began to do what she called the “I Want It Dance”, they jogged up and down faster and faster the closer she came, making the dark ringlets on his head bounce, he smiled a wide one-tooth grin at her, his onyx eyes lighting up as an excited ‘oooooo, ooooo’ came from his little lips. “Do you want this?” She asked her son and held the bottle out to him, he leaned in and reached for it but she did not give it to him. “Nah, you don’t want this yucky old stuff.” She teased and then chuckled as legs pumped harder and his little arms stretched out to it. “Oh, fine, here ya go.” Calla capitulated and handed her son the warm bottle. Nicholas popped it in his mouth and promptly threw himself down on his back in the crib. Raising the bottle high with both his hands and feet, he drank greedily of the foul smelling stuff.

Turning around to the other side of the room, Colleen was peeking at her through the bars of her own crib. She smiled a coy grin at her mother when she realized that mom was looking back. Like her brother, Colleen’s hair was in ringlets but they were a dark auburn and her eyes the clearest blue, like her father. Leaning over the top of the crib and smiling back at her daughter, Colleen began to laugh and then hold her arms out. Calla picked her up, settled in the rocking chair and began to feed her. Colleen was perfectly capable of holding the bottle but she preferred not to. Rather, Colleen liked to be held while she ate and to allow her mother to do whatever work was involved with the process. "Little Princess," Calla cooed as she held her daughter in her arms and rocked the chair.

Never in her wildest dreams did she believe that one-day she would hold a child of her own, a living breathing healthy baby that she bore. Kanan had seen to that. No, not that long ago, Calla felt certain that she would spend all the rest of her days on Tiberia as Naganti Kanan's Cha'Dech. Now, everything was different. Everything had changed. She had a husband who loved her and would go to the ends of the Earth for her; he had proven that twice already. Calla had these two little bundles of joy to fill her days with joy and happiness, not to mention a nice house, warm food on the table and a hot bath every night. As far as she was concerned, so long as everything remained the way it was, she could not ask for more and, one day in the distant future, she could die a happy woman.

Emerald eyes turned their stare to the window snow was falling outside again. There was a pleasant dusting of it on the ground already and the weatherman said he expected to see a few more inches by tomorrow morning. The big storm, the one everyone was talking about and gearing up for, was due to come in on Sunday and blanket the entire area with up to a foot of the cold white stuff. That reminded her, she needed to check the oil in the tank and bring in some wood for the weekend, she'd do that after the children were fed and in their playpen in the living room.

Coming from the living room, kitchen, downstairs den and her bedroom, the phone began to ring again. Colleen was happy and content in her lap, let the answering machine pick it up. Five rings and Daniel's voice was heard coming from the machine downstairs telling the caller that no one could get to the phone at the moment and to please leave a message.

No message followed his voice. Must have been that caller calling back and realizing they were dialing the wrong number.

Plop.

Calla looked up to see Nicholas had tossed his empty bottle onto the nursery floor and was now jumping up and down in place smiling and holding his arms out to her. "Just a minute, Little Prince, your sister isn't finished."

Seeming to understand her, a little pout crossed his face and he ceased his jumping.

Within a few moments, one full child in each arm, Calla made her way down the steps and back to the living room where she placed the twins in the playpen on her way to check the oil. She looked quickly at the answering machine to see that its little red light was blinking, indicating there was a message. That was strange; she had not heard the caller's voice at all. Pressing the button she waited, and waited and waited. All that greeted her ears was 30 seconds of dead tape. Not dead, breathing was heard and it seemed to her that the caller even shifted the phone from one ear to the other while they sat silent.

A cold shiver ran down her delicate spine and she shut the machine off.

"Now, you two behave yourself and momma will be right back." She told the twins as she quickly dashed the basement steps and checked the level in the tank, 1/3 it said. Well, that meant a call to the oil company. Calla liked to keep the tank as full as possible. Coming back through the kitchen she heard the children laughing and cooing but something did not sound quite right about it, she was certain they were no longer in their playpen. "How did they get out?" She asked herself as she emerged from the doorway and stopped short at the sight before her. "Father!" She cried and, like her children a few moments ago, excitedly held her arms out to Ares who was sitting on the couch with one child on each knee.

Looking up and smiling that devastatingly handsome and devilish grin at her he said, "He looks like me."

"I know." She agreed and wrapped her arms around his neck while she planted a hearty kiss upon his cheek. "And you need a shave."

"Oh, well I'll get right on that." Ares teased his daughter as he gazed up into her gleaming eyes. "Well, I was going to ask but I can already see; mortal married life seems to agree with you. Yes," he reached a long thick finger out and placed it under her chin, "yes it does, very much."

"Disappointed, Father?" Calla sat on the couch next to him. "Did you hope to find me pulling my hair out and saying that I'd had enough of Daniel and the children?"

Ares placed Colleen on her mother's lap so that he could wrap his strong arm around his daughter and pull her in close to hug her tight. "I can dream, can't I?"

"Oh, Father!" Calla playfully slapped him on the shoulder and then settled back against his warm. "Honestly, you're such a tease. What are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming, I would have made the house a bit more presentable to you." She looked around and took note of the toys scattered across the living room floor and the fact that she hadn't dusted in a few days.

"Well, you know, I've heard about this thing that's popular among mortals at this time of year and I wanted to come and see if you were taking part in it." Lord Ares explained while he bounced a squirming Nicholas on his lap.

"What is that?" Calla asked and sat up.

"Christmas." Ares said flatly. "I thought if you were going to...."

"Christmas!?" Calla explained. "What's today?" She asked hurriedly.

"That's usually my questions, with you among the mortals now I should think that you always knew what day and date it was." Although his tone was dry, he smiled at her. "For your information it's Thursday, December the thirteenth." Ares rose and placed the baby on the floor; he took Colleen from Calla's arms and placed her down next to her brother. "And I thought if you were going to take part that I might like to be part of it as well. That is if you think your husband won't mind my presence too much."

"I will ask Daniel."

"If I can come??" Now his tone was dry and his lips tight.

"No, if he wants to celebrate the holiday." Last Christmas had not been much of a holiday for poor Daniel, not with her in the infirmary still recovering from David. Although, when she was released he had given her the most beautiful Guild guitar and said it was a Christmas present. Almost daily, she played it for the children hoping to instill in them the same love of music she had but it seemed they were born with that particular appreciation. Nicholas would clap his little hands together while Colleen toddled around in circles, her version of dancing. "You're welcome here anytime, Father, you know that, Daniel told you so."

"Hum, as if he meant it."

"He did!"

"If you say so, let's not argue over it, my dear." Lord Ares settled his large frame on the couch once more and took his daughter's hands in his own.

"Are you serious about this, Father? This Christmas thing?" She turned to look up at his battle-etched face. "Why? What do you care about it? For that matter, what do you care for any mortals' celebration, lest it be in your own name?"

Lord Ares, ever the consummate chess player, eluded her query. "Tell me, what time does Daniel usually return home? I imagine he's working, yes?"

"Of course he is, he got a big promotion and an office, a staff." She leaned in close to her father, "It's a very big deal, you know."

"Good for him. Now, about the time...."

Calla thought about it for a moment, "He usually returns home around six or six-thirty. Why?"

"Is that the same time that Samantha returns to her home?"

"Oh," she pulled her hands away from his, "I get it. You didn't come to see us, you came to see her." Although she didn't mean it, her tone was very accusatory. “Is that what this Christmas thing is really about? Honestly, Father! You‘re incorrigible!”

"Do not speak to me that way, Callestah; I am still your Father."

"A fact which will never escape me, no matter how hard I try." She bemoaned.

"Wha...." Lord Ares stopped as his daughter smiled, "Making fun at my expense, are you? My, how things have changed." He remarked. "Very good."

"If you're going to see her Father," she held up her hand as she saw the look crossing his face, "I don't mind if you do. I do mind if you pretend that this family is your priority when it is not. “

“Message received, “ he said in a dry voice and then leaned in to plant a rough kiss upon his daughters’ tender cheek. “You are always my priority. “

Looking deep into those depthless onyx orbs, she believed him. Calla kissed him back and relaxed. She hadn’t meant to be angry and wasn’t really sure why she should be. Still, the fact remained, that at least a little bit, she did not like the idea of her father with Samantha Carter. "I don't know what time Samantha returns home, she may be off world at the moment." Calla explained about Sam's big promotion and how she was now the head of SG-1 and Jack was now a General. “However, you should call her first or something, don't just go popping into her home, it's rude."

"Hum, so I should have knocked upon the door of my own daughters' house, should I?"

"Yes," she teased. "You don't know, Daniel and I could have been making love in this very couch as we did last night." If only that were true, we have not made love in almost three weeks.

Lord Ares was quick to his feet. "You what? And you let me sit there??"

At his tone and the expression on her Fathers' face, Calla broke out in a fit of laughter that she could not contain. After a few minutes of looking at him, his face becoming more and more narrow with each burst of laughter coming from her she finally calmed down and broke the news to him. "I think she has a boyfriend, Father, Pete somebody. I'm not really sure."

"Oh really?” Lord Ares inquired in a dark longing voice.

"I'm afraid so. You have not been around in six months, did you expect her to just sit on her hands and wait for you?"

"No, I suppose not." Samantha was a beautiful, strong and vibrant woman; she probably had a whole slew of gentlemen callers knocking upon her door at any given time. "Well, you know, the least you could do is offer your Old Man something to drink, a small morsel of food perhaps. Where’s that Nectar I sent you here with? Break it out. Let’s get smashed.”

Calla rolled her eyes and groaned. “It’s still in the casks in the basement, you bring one up if you like.”

“You haven’t touched it, have you?” Now his tone was no longer playful but deadly serious. “Callestah! What am I to do with you? How do you intend to keep up your strength if you do not feed properly? And my grandchildren have they not had any? Any at all?” With each word, his voice boomed louder and grew more forceful. “Look at you!” He hauled her to feet by her elbows. “You’re wasting away to nothing.” Lord Ares put one of his hands on each side of her waist; they had no trouble meeting in front and back. “Don’t make me chastise you further, I’m going down to the basement and bring up a cask, you and I will have a good long drink and I am going to make sure that they get some as well.” Ares disappeared from the living room, not through the door, but through the air.

“I hate that stuff!” She called after him. “I won’t drink it!”

“You will and so will they.” The tone of his deep voice certainly did not entertain the thought of forth coming argument. “You require this, especially now and so do they. I don’t care if it makes you feel different or uncomfortable, you will drink it.” Ares thrust a large golden chalice of the liquid before her. “Now, don’t argue with me daughter, you will lose.”

Without looking up at him, Calla took the chalice from his hand and raised it to her lips. The sickeningly sweet and thick liquid slid down her gullet. “Can I at least have some ice?”

“No, you will not water it down.” With his catcher’s mitt sized hands, he reached down and picked up little Nicholas. “Here you go, my boy, have a good sip of this.” The God of War dipped his finger into the liquid and let the baby suckle it from his skin. “That’s good, isn’t it?” His cross-eyes raised to take in his daughter, “No matter what your mother says.” Repeatedly the baby boy licked his grandfathers’ fingertip clean, until Ares raised the cup to his lip and allowed him to drink from it. The weight of Callas’ stare did not escape him. “Very good.” Ares settled the baby back onto the floor. “Your turn.” He said happily, as he settled Colleen on his lap.

“Don’t you give that to her.”

“Don’t threaten me.” Ares raised the cup to the baby’s lip and kept his eyes fixed on his daughter while she drank. “Finish it.”

Tossing him an angry glare, she threw the last of the nectar down her throat and settled the chalice on the coffee table with a forceful thud. “There. Happy?” She did not wait for a reply but grabbed her daughter from Ares’ lap and settled her down next to her brother.

“You never did know what was good for you.” Ares said as he rose. “You don’t want to drink it, that’s up to you, don’t deny it to them.” The pitch black eyes softened as he knelt at the floor by his grandchildren. “I’ll be back soon, take care of your mother while I’m gone.” He kissed each upon the top of the head before rising once more. “I will be back for Christmas and I expect a big party with all the trimmings.” Lord Ares took two large strides toward Calla and raised her from the couch to her feet. “I love you, daughter. You are different.” He looked down at the children playing happily on the carpet. “They are different. You will never be like them, the mortals you live among and try so hard to emulate and neither will your children. Nothing will ever change that.” With one last kiss of his soft lips, Calla’s father disappeared from the living room and house altogether.

End of Chapter One
Daughter of the Gods: She's a Wonderful Wife (A Christmas Story)
Continue to
Chapter Two