Chapter Two

By 6:30, Daniel was pulling into the driveway. Opening the kitchen door, he was greeted by two enormously happy faces covered with chocolate pudding. “Da, Da, Da, Da, Da,” Nicholas repeated excitedly as he held his sticky hands out. Colleen bobbed up and down in her high chair also reaching out to him. “Well, look at this!” He cried. “Where is your mother?”

“Right here,” Calla said as she emerged from the doorway with a warm wet rag in her hand, “I had to go find something to clean them up with.” She strode over to him on legs that were a bit unsteady due to the Nectar she had imbibed earlier in the day. Not only did she hate the taste of it, she hated the way it made her feel afterward. For hours she would feel as though she were on the verge of intoxication, just hanging her toes right over that line, and it would simply stay that way. Her head, nose, and fingertips all tingled and her ears felt prickly. “How was your day?” Calla leaned in to kiss him and caught the fresh floral scent of an unknown perfume.

“Long,” he mumbled and brushed past her on his way to the children. “Let me help,” he held his out for the towel. Daniel cleaned them up while Calla removed the plastic plates and spoons which were caked with pudding from the trays of the high chairs. “So, I can see you’ve already had desert, so that must mean it’s... bath time,” Daniel said happily as he removed the last of the goo from Colleens’ hand.

Bath time, it was both the children and Daniel’s favorite time of day by far. The babies bounced happily in their chairs as just the mention of the coming event. “Why don’t you finish up down here, and I’ll get them ready.” Daniel told her as he hoisted them free.

“Sure, I’ll be up in a few minutes.” Calla stood silently in the kitchen while she listened to them go up the stairs and thought of what her father had said. Yes, she was different, why should have to clean this mess up like scullery maid? Any other night she would have spent twenty minutes cleaning up the high chairs, washing down the table and doing the dishes. Perhaps, not tonight. Tossing the dirty rag into the kitchen sink, Calla closed her eyes while gently waving her hand through the air. When she opened them not a trace of the former mess remained. The kitchen was spotless once more. “Much better.”

The next hour was taken up watching the babies splash around in the bath, washing them, drying them, and getting them ready for bed. Daniel held Colleen and fed her the bottle while Nicholas happily drifted off to sleep holding his own to his lips. Taking advantage of the quiet, Calla stole a few moments for a hot shower after which she slipped into her nightgown and robe for the evening.

Sitting by a roaring fire, the twins blissfully asleep upstairs, Calla broached the coming subject as Daniel sat across the room making notes on his ever-present yellow pad. "Daniel, Father came by today." She began.

Daniel stopped making notes and looked up at her silently for a moment, a puzzled look on his face and finally he said; "And how is he?"

"Nice recovery," she complimented with a smile. "He's fine." Calla scooted forward on the couch cushion and leaned toward her husband. "He would like it if we would celebrate Christmas. What do you think?"

Thinking took a few moments as Daniel mulled the idea over in his mind. "Christmas?" He stuttered. "Ares?"

"Yes," Calla replied with a patient sigh. "I know it seems strange and I really can't tell you why, but he did request it. Christmas with all the trimmings."

"Lights, tree, presents, food?" Daniel began to shake his head while the image of the God of War tried to find a resting place in his brain. "Ares?"

"For the last time, yes." Calla stood and warmed herself by the fire. "Well?" He did not answer her. "You think it's a terrible idea, don't you?" Rubbing her hands together before the flames, she stared deep into the fire. "I know, we're not Christian and we probably shouldn't celebrate...."

"No," Daniel found himself saying, "I think it's a great idea."

Calla turned to look at him, this time she had the quizzical expression. "You don't think it's sacrilegious? Blasphemous?”

“No,” he stood up and walked over to her. “Christmas as we celebrate it today didn’t begin until the 19th century, Calla. Santa Claus, reindeer, elves, cards, gifts, the whole thing.” Daniel wrapped his arms around his wife’s shoulders. “If you want to do it, then we’ll do it.” She still looked at him, unappeased at his explanation. “I think, whether you’re Christian or not, Jesus Christ likes a party, and the more people who come to celebrate with Him, no matter who they are or what they believe, the more He likes it.” At that, she smiled.

Daniel had expected to spend the rest of the night working on his translation but instead found himself making Christmas lists. It was decided that they would buy as many presents as they liked for the children but only one each for their friends and two for each other. Daniel was very much against what he called “the commercialization of Christmas” and did not want to buy into it, even it if was the family’s first Christmas. A list was made for gifts. One for cards only. One for those to invite for Christmas dinner. Jack, Teal’c, Sam, Ares and the four members of the Jackson family would make up the table. The mention of Sam’s new boyfriend Pete was not heard. “It’s a lot of work, you know?” He cautioned as he glanced at the lists they had made. “I want you to bundle up when you go out shopping, the stores are mobbed and the traffic will be awful.”

Calla frowned and held tighter to his hand. Bundling up she could do, if she remembered. Often she forgot her gloves or scarf; occasionally she even forgot the coat. It was the thought of a mob of people, which made her draw back the most; she hated to be lost in a crowd. “Will you help me...with the shopping?”

“Yeah,” Daniel smoothed the palm of his hand across the top of her head and down the length of her tresses to her waist. “I’ll come early a few nights and drive you.”

“Thank you.” It was getting late, she looked deep into the eyes she loved so much and saw no desire there. Concern was present. Understanding was present. Warmth was present. Lust, Longing and Desire were absent. “I’m going to bed.” Calla kissed his cheek and rose to her feet. “Come up whenever you’re ready.” She took the lists up in her hand and disappeared through the doorway to the kitchen.

Daniel sat up another two hours working in the La-Z-Boy, by the time he turned into bed, unshowered, his wife was fast asleep. Reaching out his hand under the covers, he felt the silken warmth of her skin, the soft round curve of her naked thigh. Slowly he reached round her, there was no nightgown. Calla was completely naked beside him. She never slept that way until after they made love, especially now that the nights were cold; she always had one of those pretty floor length nightgowns on when he came to bed. In her sleep, she began to sigh as she rolled her body toward his touch.

How long had it been? He did not know. So busy with work, the new position was a lot of extra responsibility and even though he wasn’t going out in the field any longer, that did not make his hours any shorter. The workload was incredible; he had new things flying at him every day from every SGC team that returned home. Staff always coming in and out of his office asking him questions! It seemed there was hardly ever a quiet moment any more and he had expected the new job would make things easier on both of them. What a joke.

However long it had been since he last made love with her, certainly it had been too long for her liking if she were laying naked here and now. The Desire Calla had not seen in his eyes before she went to sleep began to sparkle as Daniel leaned in close to kiss the wanting lips which were turning toward him.

In the sweet dream she had been having, the sun was bright and warm. Daniel was naked by her side and they were making love in a field of wild flowers. As he leaned in to kiss her, she caught the scent of something familiar and unwanted.

In the bed, she turned away from his touch, settled on her side and rested once more. Daniel turned out the light and went to sleep.

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