The Christmas Guest

 

 

Ways to kill General O’Neill for this: #1 – Slip arsenic in Froot Loops ™. It’s slow, it’s painful and he so deserves it!

This is a nightmare waiting to happen.

She shut off the engine and looked out onto the picturesque scene before them. There was about a foot of snow on the ground, but the studded tires and four-wheel drive had made it possible for them to reach the top of the mountain. An expansive log home was there, decorated in white lights, red ribbons and greenery. The Christmas tree was clearly visible in the window of the living room and a large wreath hung on the door.

“It looks… festive.”

“It’s Christmas. It’s supposed to look festive. And you’re going to have to remember to use a normal-sounding voice while we’re here. Remember, you’re a…”

“A co-worker at Cheyenne Mountain who is here because he has no family to home to over Christmas. Yes, I remember.” He had also changed to a normal voice. “Your family thinks you work with deep space telemetry and have no knowledge of the Goa’uld or that life even exists on other worlds.”

“Exactly.” She took the key out of the ignition and unfastened her seat belt. The front door of the house opened and a group of seven children came pouring out, running towards the Jeep. “Okay, here we go.”

They both exited the Jeep as the children reached it screaming “Aunt Peace! Aunt Peace!” She carefully avoided looking at her guest, knowing that he’d likely be smirking. He had thought it highly amusing when she had confessed that her full name was ‘Peaceful Heavenly Day’. She still didn’t know why she had to get stuck with the hippie name, but she suspected it had something to do with the fact her birth was the only one her mother had agreed to take painkillers for. Seven pairs of hands all tried to wrap around her at once and she tried to return as many hugs as she could.

After receiving her hug, one of the children detached herself from the throng and ran around to the other side of the Jeep where the passenger now stood. “Hi! Who are you?”

He looked over at Peace, one brow raised. She caught on quickly. “That’s Cam. He’s going to spend Christmas with us.”

Another girl, this one about ten, smiled up at her aunt, whom she was still hugging. “Is he your booooyfriend?” Her smile was mischievous.

“No, he’s not my boyfriend. He’s a co-worker and you’re not to pester him. Save your torment for those actually related to you, preferably your parents. Now come back here and make yourself useful.” She hit the button to unlock the back of the Jeep. The four eldest children following her so that she could have them help her carry in items.

The child standing in front of him was still staring upwards. She couldn’t have been more than six. “You’re pretty.”

One dark brow arched upwards, an amused smile touching his face. “I know.”

“Molly, sweetie. Go inside, it’s cold out here.” He looked over his shoulder to see Peaceful all but glaring at him. The feel of a small hand taking hold of one of his drew his attention back to the child.

“Come on!” She pulled him towards the house. When they got close enough to open the door her high voice rang back to the Jeep. “Grandma! Grandpa! Aunt Peace is here, and she brought a boy!”

Peaceful sighed as the children still with her began to giggle and laugh. “I hate my life.” She grabbed the two suitcases and carried them into the house, the kids hurrying along behind her.

Her father’s voice was clearly heard as she entered the house. “Call me ‘James’. Can’t have you feeling like you gotta call me ‘Mr. Day’ when you’re supposed to be here for the holiday.”

“Thank you for inviting me, James.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. When General O’Neill called and said he had an officer with no family to go home to, we figured another body in this place wouldn’t make a difference. I just hope you like children, because there’s gonna be a lot more than this before tonight.” James looked over and spied his daughter, his face cracking into a bright smile. “There’s my little angel.” He held out his arms and she walked into them, hugging him tightly.

“Hi, Dad.”

“I was just getting to know Major Jones, here. What’s your first name, Son?”

“Camulus, ‘Cam’ for short.”

“Camulus? That’s different.”

Peaceful gave him a silent warning. “It was the name of a Celtic god of war. My father was a historian.”

“Wow, named after a god.” James looked at his youngest child. “Maybe we should done that for you. Might have made growing up a bit easier if we’d named you ‘Isis’ or some such.”

She rolled her eyes and ignored Camulus’ smirk. “Doubtful.”

“Peaceful?” All eyes turned to see Helen Day hurrying out of the kitchen, looking like the stereotypical grandmother with her snow-white hair and a red apron with daubs of chocolate and flour here and there. She wiped her hands off on a kitchen towel before hugging her daughter. “I was so worried that the snow would keep you away.”

“Nah, it’s just a bit of frozen water.”

“I’m glad you made it. After you backed out of Thanksgiving I was worried you might not.” She released her daughter and looked over at their guest. “And you must be the young man General O’Neill called me about. I’m Helen, Peaceful’s mother, and I see you’ve met my husband, James.” Camulus extended a hand but was obviously surprised when Helen opted to give him a welcoming hug instead. “It’s good to have you here.”

“Mom, let him go. Don’t go hugging complete strangers.”

Helen did let him go, only to glare at her youngest child. “Peaceful Day! I raised you with better manners than that.” She smiled back up at Camulus. “Never mind her. She’s always cranky after a long trip. Always has been.”

Camulus smiled at her over the top of her mother’s head. “I’m used to her temper. We’ve been working in close quarters for some time now.” Peace gave him one of her best glares, which he returned with a smirk. The day was saved when three women came out of the kitchen.

“Girls, come over here and meet Peaceful’s friend. Cam, this is my eldest daughter Samantha and these are two of my daughters-in-law. This is Caroline, Justin’s wife, and Juliet, she’s married to Mark. Sammie’s husband is Stephen. I’m sure the boys are outside in the stables and there are ten children running around as well. I’ll let them introduce themselves as you meet them. It’s impossible to round them all up at once.”

Peace watched on as he greeted each of the women present so far. He was charming, he was elegant… he was so full of it! Sammie, mother of four and showing it, was blushing like a damn schoolgirl! Caro and Julie weren’t too far behind her, each of them with three kids a piece. Peace rolled her eyes and picked up the suitcases. “Where’d you put him, Mom?”

“In the guest room across from you. I’ve got the boys on air mattresses in the play room.”

“Oh, I bet they’re loving that.”

“Hold up, I’ll help.” Juliet grabbed one of the suitcases and walked upstairs with her. When they were close to the landing her sister-in-law decided to put in her two cents worth. “You work with that? Oh my God, he’s gorgeous!”

“Don’t let him hear you say that. He’s got a habit of ego trips.”

“Peace, you need to jump all over that man. I’m serious.”

“No, I don’t. And don’t you start with me.” They made their way up the stairs and down the hall. She knew where her room was, and the room across from them had been where her grandmother had lived until a heart attack had claimed her when she had been in her final year of college. Juliet opened the door to the room and carried Camulus’ suitcase inside. It had changed somewhat from when Grandma Florence lived there, but the old black and white photographs still hung on the walls and the bedspread was still one of the thick, handmade quilts she had always been making. It was so ‘Norman Rockwell’ it was painful.

Cammy was gonna hate it.

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“Oh, nothing.” Peace turned around and opened the door to her own room. It was just as she had left it. Disgustingly cute bedspread her mother hand selected on a sugary sweet canopy bed that was also her mother’s doing. Pictures of her on horseback when she was barrel racing in the rodeos and the buckles she had won lining a shelf her father had made for her. Draped over the bed was a lovely dress that looked newly made. “Oh, not in a million years, Mom.” She set her suitcase down, picked up the dress and hid it away in the closet. She was not dressing up for dinner.

Juliet had wandered back downstairs, leaving her in blissful solitude until she heard the bane of her existence behind her. “Not what I would have expected.”

“Mom was determined to turn me into another girley-girl like the others. I just wouldn’t cooperate.” She hefted her suitcase and laid it on her desk chair. He walked further into her room, making his way over to the shelf with her pictures and buckles.

“What are these?”

“I used to be barrel racer, competed in rodeos and the like. Usually came out the victor, but that was as much the horses as it was me. Dad breeds the best in three states.”

“And this?” He had picked up a framed photograph that had been standing on a bedside table. Peace craned her neck over to see what it was and sighed.

“That is my mother’s most painful memory. I try to hide it every time I come home and she always finds it and puts it back as a reminder.”

“A reminder of what?”

“In her words? ‘The one that got away’. That’s a picture of me at my senior prom with David Hatchley. I didn’t want to go at all, but Mom thought it was a sin for me not to, so she asked my brothers to find me a date. Justin dug up David Hatchley. Sweet enough guy, but we just didn’t have the same goals for the future.”

“What were his?”

“A wife to cook him dinner and have his children. Just didn’t fit well with my goal of saving the world. He got married to some girl he met in college. She stays at home and is the perfect wife and mother while he owns and manages three feed and supply stores in the county. He’s wealthy and handsome, Mom’s idea of a perfect son-in-law.”

Camulus set the picture facedown on the bedside table. ”Clearly a poor match.” He frowned at the pink canopy top. “I think I am beginning to understand why you turned out the way you did.”

“Oh, wait until the rest of the family arrives. Then you get to meet Aunt Louisa.”

Peace looked up to see her eldest brother standing in the doorway. She dropped the sweater she had been holding and leapt to hug him. “Justin!”

The man wrapped his arms around her and picked her up off the floor. “Hello, Trouble. It’s good to see you.” He hugged her close for a moment longer before setting her down. His eyes fixed on the man standing on the other side of his sister’s bed. “You must Major Jones. Welcome to the mad house.” Camulus moved to meet him halfway across the room. They shook hands. “I hope you have a hefty appetite. Mom tends to go overboard during holiday gatherings.”

“Or whenever there is going to be more than five people present for a meal. And what’s that about Aunt Louisa? I thought she and Uncle Henry were going to spend the holidays with her relatives in Italy.”

“Change of plans. With all the crackdowns in security, they decided not to bother. See you already got rid of the that perfectly lovely dress Mom made for you.”

“I am not wearing velvet and satin for dinner. It’s not even Christmas Eve yet.”

“Oh, but she’ll be so disappointed!”

Camulus watched as Peaceful’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Name.”

“David Hatchley.”

“He’s married.”

“Widower.”

“When?”

“Two years now.” Justin shrugged. “And with three children who are now without a mother. So tragic. So sad. Surely even you, cold-hearted and unnatural that you are, can’t possibly turn him away in his time of need.”

Camulus managed not to chuckle as Peace groaned and threw herself across the bed, her face buried in the mattress. “I’m in hell!”

Justin didn’t bother to stop himself from laughing. “Well, Cam, can I call you ‘Cam’? That’s as much torture as I dare dish out to her just now. Peaceful may look all sweet and delicate, but she’s never really done a good job at living up to her name. I’m sure the military has taught her all kinds of nasty tricks that could be very painful to me.”

“I’ve seen her at work. You’re right.” He sounded amused. First thing she was going to do when they got back to the base was shove his butt back through the Stargate. Let Baal put up with him. She was sick of it!

“Come on. I’ll show you all the best places to hide from the women around here.”

“Is this something I need to know?”

“Have you looked in a mirror lately? You’re young, handsome and single. Trust me. You need to know this.” She felt Justin reach down and pat her on the back of her leg. At least, she hoped it was Justin. If Camulus was going to push things this far while pretending to be a normal human she was going to have to kill him. “Buck up, Peace. It’s only one week out of the year. And you have the Barn Blast to look forward to.”

“Barn Blast?” Camulus sounded intrigued.

“Huge party for the young folks, only. I’ll fill you in.” She heard heavy footsteps exiting the room and the door being closed.

Yeah… Arsenic sounded like a great plan.

---------------------------------------

Ways to kill General O’Neill for this: #2 – Rig the elevator so that when he swipes his access card the car rises to the top floor and then the cables detach, plunging him to his demise.

This concept of Christmas wasn’t entirely clear to him. From what he gleaned from his research it was a celebration that was originally intended to celebrate the birth of Jesus, or “Christ”, thus Christmas. However, it appeared that in these more recent times that the celebration had become more of an exercise in capitalism and mercantilism, with very little of the original meaning still found.

However, he wasn’t sure what to make of Peaceful’s family and their observance of the holiday. There were presents under a brightly decorated tree, but there were also the children in the den, practicing a Nativity play under the direction of Caroline. Helen’s voice could be heard singing hymns as she busied herself in the kitchen, occasionally joined in harmony by Samantha and Juliet. There was a sense of warmth and caring in this house.

There was also a sense of smothering, when he tried to view it through Peaceful’s eyes.

He could clearly recall the day he first actually looked at Major P. Day. It was when he had attempted to trick the Tau’ri into destroying themselves by leading them to the tampered power cell for the device of the Ancients. They had figured it out far too soon for his liking, soon enough that he had not been able to leave Earth. O’Neill had confronted him with the plot, which he had denied at first, but acknowledged off-handedly shortly thereafter. It was then that the human had advised him of his new situation.

“Cammy, I’m willing to give you another chance. Major?”

Peaceful had not looked the part of a soldier. Not entirely, anyway. She was slightly shorter than average height for a Tau’ri female and possessed a delicate bone structure that made her appear fragile. Her hair was pale blonde and her eyes an odd shade of light green. Camulus had thought it almost laughable that this mere doll was parading around in a soldier’s uniform. It had been even more ludicrous to him when O’Neill had advised that she was to be his new ‘handler’. How wrong he had been.

The woman was a competent soldier. It was as if she felt she had to work five times harder than everyone else to prove that she wasn’t as delicate as she appeared. In truth, the fact that people were so ready to discount her worked in her favor. His underestimating her had allowed her to get the upper hand in more than one negotiation. He had quickly gotten over the habit and started being more cautious when dealing with her. After that he had learned that the real Peaceful Day was anything but. She was short tempered, shrewd minded and always at the edge of erupting into violence if the occasion warranted it.

Now he understood why. He couldn’t imagine how it must have been for someone so strong-headed and independent to grow up constantly fighting with those trying to force her to conform to their idea of what a human female should be. The photograph of a younger Peace in an exquisite gown of pale pink and an obviously fake smile had made him want to laugh. He might have had it not been for the boy whose arm had been about her. That he would have to look at the man that boy had become did not sit well with him. He wouldn’t insult his own intelligence by lying to himself as to why. General O’Neill had ‘given’ Peaceful to him, in a manner of speaking. That someone was coming to try and change that pricked at his possessive nature.

“Earth to Cam. Come in, Cam.”

The Goa’uld looked over to Justin Day. “I’m sorry, I was elsewhere.”

“I noticed.” Justin nodded over to where a man with his hair and basic facial structure was approaching them from a newly arrived vehicle. An attractive woman was still nearby, rounding up four children and ushering them inside the house. “My other brother, David, and his wife Mary.”

“With yet more children.”

“Oh, definitely more children. This family is big on the whole having children gig. Well, with the exception of Peace. But really, has anything that mankind has ever done really warrant such punishment as half a dozen mini-Peaces running around?” The man grinned broadly and waved his brother over. “David, get over here and meet the new victim.”

David didn’t smile quite as brightly as Justin and appeared to be a bit more reserved than his sibling. “You’re new. Is Mom importing men from out of the county now?”

“This is Cam. He came with Peace.”

David’s face fell into an expression of disbelief. “Our Peace. The woman who, last year, told Mom that men are a waste of flesh and an unreasonable burden on precious resources?”

Camulus’ brow rose. “She said that?”

“She was hacked off at Mom. Didn’t really mean a word of it, just wanted to see if she could make her faint. It almost worked. So… what’s the deal? Is she paying you to act as a shield against the scheming matriarchs of Clan Day?”

“Nah, Cam here works with her. That General guy asked Mom and Dad to let him come home with her.”

David laughed. “What did you do to get damned to that fate? Park in his space?”

Camulus shrugged. “Actually, I think it was your sister who did something wrong. She isn’t that fond of me.”

The brothers exchanged a look. Justin looked away first as David rubbed his hands together. “This should be a fun Christmas. Peace brings home a handsome soldier, and don’t think that Mom and Aunt Louisa won’t notice the fact that you’re single, and I’m sure there’s some other poor man lined up to be torn down by our beloved sibling.”

Cam bit off a chuckle. “Someone named David Hatchley.”

“Eww! Peace can’t marry someone with the same name as one of her brothers. That’s just… wrong. Besides, isn’t he married? Someone named Amber, isn’t it?”

Justin frowned. “Widower, and I thought her name was Judith.”

David shrugged. “Whatever. Still, that means it’s time for the annual wager. I’ve got fifty that says it happens by eight o’clock.”

Justin looked at Camulus and shook his head. “I’ll put down a C-note that she won’t last until six.”

“What exactly are you wagering over?”

David grinned. “How long it takes before Peace threatens to kill somebody. In case you haven’t noticed, the name didn’t really take very well. And with both Mom and Aunt Louisa hounding her, someone’s gonna get a death threat.”

Justin laughed, finding the whole thing amusing. Camulus shook his head. “You are both wrong. She’ll be threatening someone’s life within the hour.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small phone, flipping it open.

David looked curious. “What makes you say that?”

“Because she threatens my life at least three times a day.” He began to press the buttons.

“Why?”

“Because I can do this.” He hit the ‘send’ button, smiling towards the house.

~***~

Peace had already tuned her mother’s voice out as she helped her niece lick the bowl used to whip up chocolate frosting. Her mother wasn’t saying anything of great importance anyway, just going on about how handsome ‘Major Jones’ was. She was so surprised when her pager went off that she yelped, her hand going to it immediately.

“Oh, Peace! They can’t possibly be needing you now!”

She looked down at the display and saw a four-digit code she knew all too well. Her eyes narrowed and she threw her spoon back into the bowl. “Excuse me. I have to go commit an act of senseless brutality.”

The women of her family stared after her in confused shock as a rather angry Peaceful stormed out of the kitchen.

~***~

“Whoa… I haven’t seen that look since that time the cheerleaders got that picture of her in the shower after gym class and plastered it inside the boys’ locker room.”

David frowned and looked at his younger brother. “How did the cheerleaders get it into the boys’ locker room?”

Justin shrugged. “They paid me fifty bucks. It was me she was glaring at.”

Camulus gave a snort. “Aren’t you the perfect picture of a loving and supportive sibling?” He allowed himself to smirk as the woman in question came to a stop in front of them. She held up her pager in one hand.

“You beeped?”

David grimaced at the icy tone of her voice. “And I think we have a winner. Nice meeting you, Cam. Sorry I couldn’t have gotten to know you better.” He patted the taller man on the shoulder before heading towards the house. Justin gave a smile to his sister.

“Just remember; be sure to hide the body someplace that it won’t be found come Spring thaw.” He gave a mock salute to Camulus and followed David, leaving him and Peaceful alone at the tree line.

“And just what was the purpose of paging me?”

Camulus gave an amused smile. “To prove a point.”

“Which is?”

“That you’re still at my beck and call, even when we are in the loving bosom of your family.” He noted the rosy flush of anger that flooded the woman’s cheeks and resumed his previous smirk. “You have something to say, Major Day?”

“You know, there really are a lot of good places to hide a body out here. I could cut you up into multiple pieces and scatter you all over the mountain. By the time they found anything it would be impossible to identify. Scavengers, you know. All kinds of little woodland beasties to gnaw away at your bones.”

“What a pleasant picture you paint. And here I thought I was doing you a favor by getting you away from your mother.”

“Oh, don’t even try to make yourself sound generous. You’re a self-centered, egotistical, power-hungry megalomaniac! It comes with the job description.”

“You forgot handsome and intelligent.”

Peace rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t be any good at being a power-hungry megalomaniac if you weren’t intelligent and it’s not you who’s good looking, it’s your host. He’s a doll. The real you is a slimy, creepy-looking parasite.” She folded her arms over her chest, smirking at the less-than-pleased expression he now wore.

“Careful, Major. There are no guards to call out here.”

“No, only a houseful of relations, most of whom are pretty damn decent in a fight and all of whom know which end of a rifle is the dangerous one. Surely you didn’t think I got this mean by birth.”

“The possibility had crossed my mind.” He looked towards the house. “So, what’s your plan at dodging your mother’s machinations?”

“Plan? I have no plan. It’s the same thing every year. She’ll bring David in to try and sweep me off my feet and I’ll play nice until he wears on my nerves. In the end I’ll be forced to strip him of any feelings of self-worth he’s ever garnered.” She paused, considering something. “Actually, I’m surprised there are men still falling for this.”

“You would think your general, disagreeable nature would scare them away by now. However, your brothers mentioned something in passing that has me thinking. I think I could be of help to you.”

“Ha! You? Help me? And why would you even contemplate doing something like that?”

Camulus gave her a placid, almost human smile. “In spite of our differences, you do perform your job admirably. You’ve gotten me in better quarters, improved the quality of my meals and have seen to it that I am treated with a great deal more respect and dignity than before. We still have our disagreements, but my life here has become almost… acceptable. I owe you.”

Peace hesitated, uncertain of how to respond to the almost compliment. “No… that’s all right. You don’t have to do anything. Just… try not to tip off anyone that you’re not human. I don’t want to have to try and explain it to my folks.” She frowned, apparently suddenly uneasy around him. She unfolded her arms as she turned around and went back into the house.

Camulus watched her go, a mischievous smile crossing his face. Perhaps this little respite from the mountain would turn out to be amusing after all.

---------------------------------------

Ways to kill General O’Neill for this: #3 – Stock his favorite fishing spot with giant, mutant Snakehead fish. It seems to work on Sci-Fi.

“Dad played with dolls?”

“Yep.” Peaceful opened the trunk in the attic that contained Justin’s G.I. Joe collection. Amanda, Rachael and Sue crowded around her. Mandy reached in and claimed a soldier doll as Rachael scowled.

“Those are boy dolls!”

“They’re still dolls.” Sue giggled as Peace handed her a couple to play with. “Some of them are girls.”

“Like you?” Amanda put the tiny gun in ‘Duke’s’ hand and made rat-tat-tat noises.

“Yep, like me.”

“Grandma Helen says it isn’t right for a girl to be a soldier.”

“Yeah, well, Grandma Helen forgot to enter into the twenty-first century. Women can be soldiers, just as men can be soldiers. Anyone who loves their family and their country can serve.”

Sue dug deeper and found a toy tank. “Mom says Grandma Helen’s afraid they’ll make you go somewhere far away and you’ll never come back.”

“Well… Sweetie… that happens to soldiers sometimes. I knew that when I signed up.”

“Does it make you afraid?”

“Of course it does. But then I think about how there are evil people in the world who want to harm my family and my country and I know that I have to do my part to keep you all safe.”

“Pa-paw calls you his ‘Angel Hero’.” Rachael sat down next to her, examining a miniature Jeep. “He talks about you with the other old men at church. Goes on and on about how brave you are.”

Peace smiled, a warm, happy feeling blooming in her chest. She was about to say something when the thundering sound of footsteps came up the steps. Four boys came barging into the attic storeroom, each red faced and gasping for breath. The eldest, Derek, recovered first. “Grandma Helen says you’re to get your scrawny butt downstairs and say ‘hi’ to Mr. Hatchley.”

“I’ll pay you twenty each to go downstairs and say you couldn’t find me.”

“Grandma’s baking us chocolate chip cookies that she says we don’t have to share with the girls.”

Peace scowled at the boys. “Ungrateful little snots. You’re getting coal in your stockings. All of you!” The girls giggled as she got to her feet and headed towards the door. She descended the stairs, stopping at the landing before she was in view of anyone downstairs. Doing this year after year after year was getting boring.

“I doubt hesitation will make him disappear. Your mother seems like the persistent sort.”

She jumped and turned around, frowning at Camulus. “Make some noise when you walk. Stop sneaking up on people like that. And I thought you were hiding from the rugrats.”

“No, I was hiding from your sister, Samantha. She wanted to interrogate me about my love life.”

“Which is even more non-existent than my own.” She grinned up at him, batting her lashes before turning away and heading down the stairs. She didn’t see his scheming expression or the brief flash of his eyes before he followed her.

David Hatchley had not aged well. He was carrying an additional fifty or sixty pounds that he hadn’t had when she was in high school and more than half of his hair was gone. There were two children, a boy and a girl, being cooed over by her mother. Peace steeled herself as she drew closer. David caught sight of her and smiled, but his expression dimmed when he noticed the handsome man behind her.

“Peace, you look great. You haven’t aged a day.”

She plastered a phony smile on her face. “Neither have you.” She noticed that Justin, David (her brother) and Mark were standing to the side, watching the show with enthusiasm. Torn between the desire to wipe the smiles off their faces and screaming, she felt it best to fall silent.

That was when she felt a large, strong hand come to rest on her shoulder as Camulus stepped forward. He extended his free hand towards Hatchley. “Please forgive her, we had a long trip here. I’m Cam Jones, Peaceful’s fiancé.”

Her blood ran cold as silence fell like a lead weight in the hallway. From somewhere far off she heard her mother stutter in shock. Justin made it a whole ten seconds before he broke out into laughter. David Hatchley looked as though someone had hit him between the eyes with the blunt side of an axe.

“Peaceful! Why didn’t you say anything?” Helen pulled her daughter into a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you, Sweetie!”

“I apologize for not saying anything sooner. Peace wasn’t sure how you would react, considering that she’s never had the chance to tell you about me before now. I’m afraid that when I learned why you were inviting David to dinner tonight, my jealous side got the better of me.”

He sounded so believable! And then he had the gall to wrap his arms about her waist and pull her back so that she was snug against him. Her weapon hand twitched, but she was painfully without a side arm. Killing him would simply have to wait until they got back to Cheyenne Mountain.

Helen frowned at her daughter’s pale complexion and placed a hand on her cheek. “Honey, are you okay?”

“Yeah… I’m fine. Could you excuse us for a bit? The attic was a bit stuffy and I could use some fresh air.”

Helen looked from her daughter to the handsome man she had brought home with her. Cam was such a good-looking individual! Those dark eyes, all that thick, shiny hair and so tall! She did hope her grandchildren got their father’s height. The boys, anyway. “Of course, Sweetie. Don’t forget your jacket. It’s cold out there.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.” She turned and gave a brittle smile to her ‘fiancé’. “Sweetheart… walk with me?”

Camulus gave her a winning smile as he followed her to the side door. She reached for the latch but he stopped her. “Your jacket, Darling.” He reached over and pulled the garment from the coat rack by the door and held it open for her. She gave him a glare that only he could see, but slipped her arms into the jacket.

“Thank you, Darling.” He went so far as to open the door for her, even. Oh, he was gonna get it! She headed down the roughly shoveled path towards the main stables. The sound of his boots on the snow and ice assured her that he was still following. She waited until they were inside the stable and the door was shut behind them before attacking. “Fiancé?”

“Your mother cannot seriously consider that pathetic excuse for a man as a potential son-in-law?” His contempt at the idea was evident. “I wouldn’t entrust him to scrub the steps of one of my temples!”

“Don’t you change the subject! What was that?”

“You should be thanking me. Your dear matron clearly realizes that I would be the better candidate. She should spend the rest of the holiday in perfect bliss. You can enjoy yourself without any more of her interfering.”

“Sure, except now she’s going to want to talk about wedding dates and china patterns. She’ll probably drag out that damn dress from the attic for me to try on!”

“What dress?”

Peace rolled her eyes. “My great-grandmother’s wedding gown. I’m the only one who was ever small enough to have a chance at fitting into it!” She ran her fingers through her short, blond hair with a sigh. “She’ll probably even drag out those awful shoes with all the buttons. And it’s your fault! What were you thinking telling her that?!”

He smirked, folding his arms over his chest. She was rather adorable when she got like this. Of course he knew that she could be quite dangerous when she chose to be, but it didn’t stop her from looking more like a fine porcelain doll. She couldn’t even blush grandly; her cheeks would only turn a soft rose color that some women used cosmetics to imitate. Anyone else would have thought her temper rather charming. He only dared it because he knew that she couldn’t actually harm him as long as he didn’t try to escape or do harm to others.

“I thought I might repay you for the kindness you have shown me since O’Neill assigned my care to you by helping you escape the plots and schemes of your family.”

Peace started to laugh. “Oh, that was good. If I didn’t know you so well I’d have believed that. You sounded so sincere.”

“One has to be a skilled liar if one is to outsmart system lords.”

“I hope you’re enjoying yourself, because I’m hurling your butt through the ‘gate the second we get back!”

“Over this? O’Neill would not sanction such an action of something so trivial.”

“Trivial? You just told my family we’re going to be married. That’s not what I’d call ‘trivial’.”

“Then you are not putting it in the proper perspective. Getting your mother and the infamous Aunt Louisa to leave you alone regarding your non-existent love life isn’t even worth mentioning. Afterwards you can always say that we had a falling out and called it off. It’s not as though I told them… say… that I am an alien life form who once ruled here as a god and that your job actually involves traveling to other worlds through an ancient device hidden inside a mountain in Colorado.”

She stared at him, her jaw slightly open in shock. He kept his smile placid and calm, his expression one of complete innocence. He was really good at looking innocent when he wanted to be. Her mother probably thought he looked like an angel. She knew that Aunt Louisa would.

“All right. Fine. Just remember; you’re the one who got us into this mess. You’ve made your bed, now you gotta lie it. Don’t come crying to me when the harpies get their claws into you.”

“I have nothing to fear from your family. After dealing with you on a daily basis, they should be easy. Besides, you mother and sisters already believe I can do no wrong. What was it Juliet said to you? You need to ju…”

“Ah!” She held up her hand to silence him. He smirked down at her. “I remember what she said. I wouldn’t let it go to my head if I were you. She’s married. I’m certain having sex with the same man night after night gets boring and makes the mind wander.”

“How would you know? I can account for most every one of your nights over the past year. You haven’t had the chance to experience sex with even one man, let alone many.”

She glared at him, her raised hand curling into a fist, which she shook at his nose. He grabbed her wrist and placed a playful kiss on her knuckles. Peace jerked her hand back as though burned, then smiled. “You know what? I think I know exactly how to break it to Mom that we’re calling it off.”

“Oh? And what is your grand plan?”

Peace smiled brighter. “I’m going to tell her how heart broken I was to learn that you’re actually gay.” His smirk vanished, a look of incredulity and insult taking it’s place. She only continued to smile and walked by him towards the stable door, humming a little holiday tune as she did so.

She supposed it would have been too much to hope that he would have been so dumbfounded that he remained in the stables, giving her time to get to the house without him. Camulus returned in time to meet her at the door as she opened it to go back into the house, his expression carefully schooled. Peace knew he was furious, she had learned enough about his behavior over the past year that she could almost read his mind. Why did they need to be married? She knew him better than her mother knew her father.

She stepped across the threshold, but was stopped by her brother, Justin’s, shrill whistle. “You’re forgetting something, Trouble.” Peace frowned, not sure what her idiot sibling was talking about until he pointed above her head. She craned her neck upwards and scowled. She was pretty certain there had not been any mistletoe over the door when she had walked through it a little while ago.

Camulus seemed confused as to why a bit of greenery would increase Peaceful’s surly mood until one of the smaller children tugged at his pants leg. He looked down to see the pretty child who had complimented him on his arrival, her face split in a grin from one ear to the other. “You’re s’posed to kiss her!”

Justin laughed. “That’s right, Sister Dear. All couples caught under the mistletoe have to share a kiss. Come on! Show my wife how it’s really done!” He was rewarded with a sharp slap on his shoulder. He rubbed at it as though she had really hurt him. “You know I’m just teasing you, Sweetie. No one kisses better than you.”

Peaceful turned slowly, her eyes narrowed in a silent warning to him. He could almost hear her thoughts. ‘Make it quick.’ Well, what would be the fun in that?

He wrapped his arms about her before she could react, making sure to catch her own arms in such a way as to prevent her from being able to hit him. She frowned and opened her mouth to scold him, but he silenced her quickly. Her brothers cheered as he kissed her, making sure to turn it into a proper kiss. His actions seemed to have surprised her so greatly that she returned it for a time before she started to squirm in an attempt to break free.

He broke the kiss, but did not let her go. Letting her go right now, before she had time to recover from the shock, could end in bodily harm. He would have sworn her eyes flashed if he hadn’t known that she wasn’t a Goa’uld. He could have probably locked her in a room with Baal right now and she would have torn him into little pieces before she was done, so he wasn’t foolish enough to give her the chance to get her hands on himself just yet.

“Now, Cam, you’ll need to let her go. I know it’s hard for you young folks to do, but we need Peace to help with dinner.” Helen was beaming at the pair of them. The woman didn’t know it, but she was his savior. Peaceful wouldn’t dare cause him injury with her mother watching on. To add to his crime he smiled down at his ‘fiancé’ and placed a brief kiss on the tip of her nose.

“I didn’t know you could cook. I’m looking forward to it.”

Peaceful gave him a tight smile and spoke quietly enough that only he could hear her. “I don’t cook, I bake. I hope you like arsenic.”

---------------------------------------

Ways to kill General O’Neill for this: #4 – Find a really good excuse why he has to go through the Stargate with SG-1 and then tell Baal where he’ll be. Let the Goa’uld do the dirty work.

She was in Hell. This hell was located underneath the pink canopy of her childhood bed and was in the form of her sisters and sisters-in-law, all of whom where rather giggly and talking incessantly!

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us when you got here! He’s gorgeous!” Samantha was busy going through Peaceful’s luggage. “Don’t you have anything nice in here? What do you wear when you have to dress up?”

“It’s called a ‘dress uniform’. It has all my pretty ribbons on it.”

Sabrina rolled her eyes. “You always were hopeless when it came to behaving like a girl.” The middle sister had arrived shortly after Camulus’ big announcement. Her response upon being introduced to her baby sister’s fiancé was to crack up laughing at the idea, followed by condolences for such a handsome man to be stuck with the family ‘hellcat bitch-queen’.

Helen Day had smacked her over the head with a wooden spatula.

“I didn’t need to be the prissy little prom-queen. That was your job.”

Juliet grinned. “Helen did make the dreamy velvet number for you.”

“I am not dressing up for dinner.” Peace looked at the clock. Another two and one half hours until the family meal. “When’s Aunt Louisa showing up?”

“Justin left for the air port about thirty minutes ago to pick up her and Uncle Harry.” Juliet grinned. “She’s gonna adore him.”

“Hell, I adore him.” Sammie threw aside a sweater after deciding it would never do. “Are you sure you can handle that much man, Sis?”

Peace glared at her sister. “Bite me!” She sat up and grabbed a red sweater from her suitcase. “I can handle him just fine.” Caroline made a ‘hubba-hubba’ motion with her hand while Juliet and Brina giggled, actually giggled! Peace was about to unleash on them when her sat phone went off.

“Do those people even know what ‘holiday’ means?”

Peace frowned. Camulus would use her pager. Only the base, or worse, would use the phone. “Clear out. I need privacy.” Her tone was abrupt, but the other women in the family didn’t mention it. They knew that there were things that Peace couldn’t talk about around them. They got up and left without comment, shutting the door behind them. Peace flipped the phone open, frowning when she saw the number. “This is Day.”

“Major! Just checking up on things. How’s the problem child?”

She sighed. “Sir, I really think that you should send a guard to come and collect him.”

There was silence on the other end of the connection. It went on for several seconds before General O’Neill spoke again. “May I ask why?”

“I believe that Camulus may be an unwelcome distraction to my family, Sir.”

“Of course he is, Major. He’s an orphaned Army officer who needed a place to spend the holidays.”

“Sir, it’s more than that.” Her voice was pleading and she hoped he would just believe her in this. Of course, he didn’t.

“What, exactly, has he done, Major?”

She took a deep breath and let it out. “Sir, he just introduced himself to my family has my fiancé.”

There was a heavy silence over the line. She was beginning to wonder if she had caused the general to have a heart attack, which he would have deserved for putting her in this position in the first place, when he cleared his throat. “Could you repeat that, Major?”

“I’d rather not, Sir. It’s too embarrassing.”

“Major, I’m sure that I don’t need to remind you about protocol and…”

“He isn’t really! He’s just screwing with my life and trying to drive me insane. And it’s working! Sir, I’m begging you to please send a guard and haul his butt out of here in shackles!” The general fell silent again. She had the sneaking suspicion that he was trying not to laugh.

O’Neill cleared his throat. “Major Day, I realize that this may be a burden to you, but we discussed this. There isn’t anyone available with the clearance needed to watch him right now. If he comes back I’ll have to throw him back into a cell, which will undo all the progress you’ve made with him so far. Just bear with him. When you get back you can tell your family that the two of you had a big fight and called it off.”

Argh! He was actually using the same logic as Camulus? Life was not fair! “General, I don’t know what I’ve done to make you hate me this much, but I swear I’ll never do it gain. Please just send someone to get him.”

“No, Major.”

“Then can I at least shoot him?” It came out far too fast and hopeful to sound professional. Deciding that the damage was done, she decided to run with it. “Just once? I’ll aim for something non-vital… like his…”

“Major, I order you not to shoot Camulus unless he does something that compromises the security of the base or endangers the planet.” He paused for a moment and Peace thought she heard him give an aborted chuckle. “I’ll also allow you to shoot him if he does anything to harm a member of your family. Do you understand?” Peace groaned into the phone, rubbing her eyes with her free hand. “Do you understand, Major?”

“Yes, Sir, I understand.”

“Good. Now, have a happy holiday with your family, Major. Try to relax. I’m sure it will all work out in the end.” The phone disconnected without a good bye, leaving Peace staring at the wall in silence.

It was official; she was in Hell.
~***~
Camulus swallowed his mouthful of hot chocolate and frowned when the small communication device he had been provided rang. Peace would not bother to call him if she wanted to speak with him, not when they were within the same building. She was more likely to storm down the stairs, eyes burning hot enough to incinerate anyone in her path, and drag him outside to yell at him in private. Curious, he pulled out the small device and opened it.

“Hello?”

“Fiancé?”

A smiled crossed the Goa’uld’s features. “That was quick.” He set down the mug and excused himself from the room, stepping outside on the wide deck that overlooked a large pond in the rear area of the property. “I take it that you’ve spoken with Major Day.”

“Yeah. She wants me to send in Special Forces to drag you off in chains.”

“Hmm. She can’t be too angry with me, then, or she’d be requesting your permission to kill me herself.”

“She did that, too.” He heard the human sigh. “Cammy, I thought we discussed this before you left. You have to behave.”

“I am behaving. Do you know anything about the Days? I’m surprised that the major is as stable as she is. This family is obsessed with marriage and childbirth, and the women of the family seem to find something lacking in the major because she hasn’t fallen into line with the rest of them. You should see the man they’ve drug here in hopes of getting her to submit! He’s absolutely laughable.”

“So you’re doing this out of the goodness of your heart.”

“Of course.”

“Cammy….”

He could no longer keep a straight face. “And it torments Major Day. I wasn’t going to until she insulted me earlier.”

“Camulus, allow me to remind you that Major Day is your second chance. She’s the one that’s keeping you alive. She’s gone to bat for you on more than one occasion when I wanted to shove you through the gate with a bright, shiny bow taped to your butt. You’re biting the hand that feeds you.”

Day had stood up for him? That didn’t sound like the woman who never missed a chance to remind him that she was the one in charge. “I assure you, O’Neill, the Major and I will get alone well enough to avoid any unfortunate incidents.”

“See that you do.” He didn’t bother to say ‘good-bye’ before disconnecting, leaving Camulus to close and pocket his phone in silence.

Peaceful had stood up for him when O’Neill wanted to throw him to Baal. He tried to think of a time when she had been in good enough spirits to do something like that, but could not recall a moment when she wasn’t surly and ill tempered. He didn’t like it when people did not behave in a manner in which they were expected.

~***~
Peaceful put the final white chocolate rose atop the cake. She didn’t bake often, but the concentration and steady hand required to do a proper decorating job always helped her to tune out her family. Standing back, she wiped her hands clean and smiled at the finished product; a three-layer double fudge cake with chocolate ‘lard’ icing and sculpted white chocolate roses trailing over the tops and sides. A masterpiece fit for a wedding reception or fancy state dinner.

“Can we eat it now?” Dustin’s cherub-like face was inching closer and closer to the cake. Peace reached over and pushed him back with an index finger against his forehead.

“Not yet. You’ll have to wait until after dinner.”

“Not even a lick?”

“You already licked the bowl. Here.” She handed him the remains of rose buds that hadn’t turned out well enough. The child accepted them greedily. She grinned as she watched him devour the chocolate; glad she wasn’t the one who had to clean him up later.

“Oh, Peace, that’s beautiful!” Sammie came in with three bags of ice from the freezer out in the storage shed behind the house. “Have you told Cam you can cook?”

“It’s never come up. I don’t have time to cook at home.” She picked up the top of the cake safe and carefully lowered it over the dessert to protect it, twisting it in place and moving the entire thing to an out-of-the-way place on the counter.

“That’s a shame. You know what they say; the fastest way to a man’s heart…”

“Is to slaughter all of his enemies and help him achieve world domination.”

“That is so you.” Sammie threw a dishtowel at Peace, who caught it and grinned. Both women turned their attention to the door of the kitchen as the sound of a car engine was heard outside. “They’re here.”

“Joy.”

“Oh, relax. Justin’s probably filled her in all ready. She’ll be too busy drooling over Cam to pay you any attention.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Peace washed her hands up properly using dishwashing liquid at the kitchen sink. She was still drying them when she heard Aunt Louisa’s in the other room, talking to her mother.

“Where is he, Helen?”

“He’s in the other room with James.”

“Helen! That husband of yours will scare him off talking about the finer points of horse manure, or whatever.”

Sammie grinned over at her sister. “Are you going to hide out in here all night or are you going to go out and take your medicine?”

Peaceful glared at her eldest sister. “Sometimes I really wish I were an only child.” She took a deep breath and walked through the kitchen door and out into the entryway. Aunt Louisa, a handsome aging woman with olive skin and black hair that refused to succumb to gray, was standing there next to her mother. She was looking around, no doubt in hopes of seeing Camulus, when her eyes rested upon the youngest Day.

“Peaceful! Come here and give your auntie a hug!”

An obedient Peace walked over, a forced smile straining her features, and hugged Aunt Louisa. Louisa was a statuesque woman, just an inch short of being six feet tall, which made Peace feel even shorter than she really was. Hugging her was like being grabbled by a lumberjack. “Merry Christmas, Aunt Louisa.”

“Louisa! Let the girl go so she can breathe!” Uncle Henry pulled Peace from his wife’s arms and hugged her as well. “How have you been, Angel-Girl?”

Uncle Henry was far better than his wife. Peace hugged him back happily. “Busy. Working hard from sunup to sunset.”

“I hear you. This crazy wife of mine has been in a tizzy ever since they started sending soldiers over to Iraq. She’s convinced they’re going to ship you off any day now.”

Peace grinned and shook her head. “Not likely.”

“Oh, not likely! You’re the fool who ran off and joined the Air Force! You have to do what you’re told!”

“Louisa!” Henry glared at his wife who merely responded by putting her hands on her hips, her chin lifting a bit. Still, she fell silent. “Well, Peace, where is this young man of yours? Drag him out before your aunt has a stroke.” Louisa gave a ‘humph’ behind him.

“They’re in the study, Darling. Why don’t you go and introduce him to your aunt.” It was not a request. Helen Day rarely made requests when it came to the serious business of possible future sons-in-law. Peace turned and went towards the study, knowing that Louisa would be close behind.

Camulus and her father were facing one another over a chessboard. Chess was one of James Day’s favorite ways to hide from large gatherings. Both men looked up when Peace entered, followed by Henry and Louisa. James smiled broadly and got to his feet, beaming at his only brother. The two men hugged in greeting.

James turned towards Camulus, who was standing up from his seat. “Henry, I want you to meet Major Camulus Jones, United States Army.”

Henry smiled and shook Camulus’ hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Son. Mighty brave of Peace to bring you home in the middle of this chaos, and you’ve only got one half of us here so far.”

Camulus looked surprised. “One half?”

“Oh, sure.” Henry let go of the other man’s hand. “This is just James’ brood, six grown children and eighteen grand children. Louisa and I had five kids of our own and twelve grand children so far. They probably won’t all get here until the day before Christmas.” He smiled over at his wife and waved her towards him. “This is my better half, Louisa.”

Camulus gave the dreaded ‘Aunt Louisa’ his warmest, most charming smile. However, it didn’t seem to work as well as it normally did. The handsome woman looked him over from head to toe with an appraising gaze, her dark eyes unreadable and her expression cold.

“Well, where did she find you?”

Camulus arched a single brow at the woman’s abrupt behavior. “We met at the base. We work together.”

“I thought that wasn’t allowed.”

“It wouldn’t be if I were her superior or she mine. As it is I’m Army; she’s Air Force. It’s a fortunate little loop hole.”

Louisa folded her arms across her chest with a ‘humph’. “That’s rather foolish, isn’t it? What if one of you gets transferred to another base somewhere? What then?”

Camulus flicked his gaze back towards the door. Peace was now leaning against the doorframe, an amused grin on her face as she watched the show. Deciding that if ‘Aunt Louisa’ was going to be rude then there was no reason for him to pretend to any niceties, he sat back down in the chair he had been using before, relaxing into the leather cushion. “That is something the two of us will discuss should it ever arise. It would be difficult, I am certain, but it isn’t impossible.”

Louisa narrowed her dark eyes. “You mean you’re just going to let her carry on with this Air Force foolishness? I had hoped that once she’s found a man he’d put an end to this and make her get out.”

Camulus frowned at the woman’s acerbic nature. He looked back towards the door where Peace was rolling her eyes, apparently used to this line of attack. “Why would I do that?”

Louisa Day gave him an incredulous expression. “Because she needs to settle down and raise a family! Not go gallivanting all over the globe getting shot at.”

“I hardly see where it is any of your concern what Peaceful chooses as a career.” The room fell silent. Louisa looked at him in shock. James and Henry exchanged a look over Camulus’ head. Peace blinked, her jaw falling open. “But since you have insisted on making it your business, I would never ask her to leave the Air Force if it wasn’t what she wanted to do. She’s an exemplary officer and a credit to the uniform. As for children, there are many women who serve who also raise families. I see no reason at all for her to walk away from her commission.”

Aunt Louisa snapped her mouth closed with an audible click, her chin rising up defiantly. She turned on one heel and marched towards the door. Before exiting she looked right at her niece. “He won’t do.” Peace’s brow rose as she stepped aside to let the angry woman exit the room.

Henry gave a deep chuckle. “Oh, I’m not getting much sleep tonight. She’s gonna be complaining until daybreak.” He gave Camulus a pat on the shoulder. “Glad you could make it, Son. Welcome to the mad house.” He walked past and out of the study.

Peaceful was giving him an odd look, as though no sure what to do. Camulus gave her a brief, inquiring look, but couldn’t keep from smiling. He had a feeling that ‘Aunt Louisa’ was going to be more amusing that his ‘keeper’ ever was. He turned his attention back to the chessboard, intent on continuing the game.

He didn’t hear anyone approach him, but he was aware of it when two small hands framed his face and turned it back upwards. He got just a glimpse of delicate features and green eyes before Peace pressed a sweet, gentle kiss on his lips. It was surprising if nothing else, and just as he was going to start participating, she broke it off.

“Thank you.” Her smile was grateful before she let him go and walked out of the study. He heard James Day chuckle warmly before he resumed his own seat across from him.

“Cam, you seem like a smart boy, but you’d better try harder to not look surprised when my daughter kisses you. Otherwise Louisa and Helen are going to realize this is all a farce.” He reached out and moved his knight into position.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Ways to kill General O’Neill for this: #5 - 010101000110000101100011011010110110110001100101001000000110100001101001011011010010110000100000011101110111001001100101011100110111010001101100011001010010000001101000011010010110110100100000011101000110111100100000011101000110100001100101001000000110011001101100011011110110111101110010001000000110000101101110011001000010000001100111011011110111010101100111011001010010000001101111011101010111010000100000011010000110100101110011001000000110010101111001011001010111001100100000011101110110100101110100011010000010000001100001001000000111001101110000011011110110111101101110001000010010000000100000010101000110100001100101011011100010000001100011011011110110111001110100011010010110111001110101011001010010000001110100011011110010000001110101011100110110010100100000011101000110100001100101001000000111001101100001011011010110010100100000011100110111000001101111011011110110111000100000011101000110111100100000011100110110001101101111011011110111000000100000011011110111010101110100001000000110100001101001011100110010000001100010011100100110000101101001011011100010000001101101011000010111010001110100011001010111001000100001

There was a rustle of activity in the front den; caused by eighteen children all trying to figure out which brightly wrapped packages belonged to whom. Camulus, freshly showered and dressed, spared them an amused glance as he came down the stairs. He was about to walk past when one of the boys called out to him. “Hey, Uncle Cam! Where’s Aunt Peace’s present?”

“I beg your pardon?”

The boy, one of the older ones, pointed to a large package wrapped in glossy white paper and dressed with an elaborate silver ribbon and bow. “There’s one here from her to you, but I couldn’t find the one from you to her.”

He frowned and moved towards the tree, crouching down to examine the package. It was rectangular and thick, and surprisingly heavy when he picked it up. Attached to the ribbon was a white card with ‘To: Camulus, From: Peace’ written in silver calligraphy.

“Nice paper. That’s a high dollar wrap job, there.” He turned to see Sammie standing in the doorway. “She either took it to a professional wrap stand or got it at one of those fancy little boutiques. She must really think the world of you. My little sister hates to shop.”

“Time’s up.” One of the boys took the package from him and put it back under the tree. “That’s the house rule. You can’t hold a present more than twenty seconds. The adults don’t want you to have time to guess correctly.”

Camulus stood up, frowning. Sammie arched a brow. “Don’t tell me you forgot to bring her present. That’s not a good way to kick off a relationship, Cam.”

“I didn’t forget. I… I didn’t think we were exchanging gifts this year.” It had never occurred to him that Peace would give him anything. She didn’t like him most of the time.

“She’s not about to let you be the only person without a gift. Tell you what; I’m going into town to pick up some last minute items that were on order and a few things for the Barn Blast. You can tag along, if you like. Maybe you could find something nice.”

“Find something nice for what?” Juliet had come downstairs, turning down the top of her turtleneck as she walked.

“Cam still needs to get a gift for Trouble.”

“Oooh! Shopping! Count me in.” Juliet grinned brightly. “I’ll go raid the hubby’s wallet.” She bounded back upstairs.

He had never thought that he would be expected to provide a gift to anyone, but now he supposed it made sense considering the season. He considered the heavy, perfectly wrapped present with his name on it and found himself wondering what his keeper had gotten for him. Also on his mind was how he was supposed to purchase anything considering that he didn’t truly have a means to get money here.

The answer came to him quickly. “If you’ll excuse me. I need to get my coat.”

“Sure thing. Don’t worry about Peace. Mom and the kids will tell her where we’ve gone.”

He nodded and went upstairs. He took the coat from the chair in his room and crossed over to Peace’s room. The doors in this house had no locks, save for the ones on the bathing facilities. He opened the door and looked in, spying the small form of the woman still asleep in the bed.

He walked over and looked down at her. He had never seen her while she was asleep. Usually she was up, perfectly groomed and breathing fire. Asleep she almost seemed to live up to her namesake. The sweet, frilly bedcovers accentuated her doll-like features and her short blond hair was tousled in an endearing fashion. He smiled to himself as he turned around to find her slim pocket book. It was on the wooden seat before her small dresser. Opening it, he took out the slim wallet and flipped through the cards until he found the slim piece of plastic that her superiors had given her so that she could access SGC funds if needed. Either of them could use it in an emergency, it was just that she had possession of it as the one ‘in charge’.

He had fastened the pocketbook closed and slipped the card into his own wallet, empty except for some fake identification provided for him, when she stirred restlessly. Her eyes flickered open blearily, but she grew more alert when she saw him. “What is it? Are you all right?”

The genuine concern in her voice took him by surprise. “I am fine. I was merely wondering if you were still asleep. I don’t see how anyone could be with so many children around.”

She sighed and snuggled back down into her pillow. “It’s a gift.” She seemed reluctant to get up. “Anything else?”

He couldn’t help but smile. She seemed so docile when she was just woken up. “Nothing else. Your mother is busy preparing the morning meal. She’ll be worried if you don’t eat.”

“I’ll make a sandwich from the leftover ham. She’s used to it.”

He leaned down and pulled the cover back up over her shoulder. “Then sleep. You’ll need all your strength to deal with Aunt Louisa.” She gave him a look that was half suspicious and half tiredness before her eyes fluttered closed and she snuggled her pillow again. He left the room quietly and went downstairs to join Samantha and Juliet.

“All ready?” Sammie was wrapping a scarf about her neck as Juliet looked over a list. “Mom gave us a few things that she wants us to pick up in town.”

Camulus nodded without comment and took Juliet’s coat from the back of a chair to hold it open for her. The woman gave him a warm smile as she slipped her arms into it. “We’re taking my car. It’s newer, a four-by-four and has studded tires. Mom’s paranoid we’ll go off the side of the mountain in Sammie’s mini-van.”

~***~

She did sleep in longer. A little after eleven her mother had resorted to sending in the ‘Morning Brigade’ to get her up. No one could sleep through six children, all under the age of seven, jumping on your bed while screaming your name. After a few whacks with a pillow and some tickles, she chased them out of her room and hit the shower. Once she was cleaned, dried and dressed, she went out to face the day.

The house was in the usual holiday uproar. Somewhere there were siblings bickering. In another part of the house there were her brothers, father and uncle watching a game and ‘arm chair coaching’. Through one window she saw that the annual contest to see who could build the best snow fort had already begun. She pondered whether or not she should go outside and help the girls out so they’d be better prepared when the snowball war began as she went into the kitchen.

Helen and Louisa were already busy with preparations for that night’s meal. A pair of pork roasts, loaded down with carrots, onions, potatoes and celery, were being slid into the main oven as Louisa rolled out her pie crust. Aunt Louisa made the best piecrusts, light and flaky and always buttery. Peace stole a pecan half from a bowl on her way to the fridge. During the holidays the kitchen was usually reserved for dinner. Mom would make simple breakfasts, but lunch was usually leftovers from the night before or simple sandwiches. Truth be told, for the women lunch was usually a slice of pie or cake. Holiday calories didn’t count.

She had pulled out what was left of the ham from last night and set it aside before reaching back in for the mayonnaise, mustard and pickle relish. “Where’s your ring?”

“Huh?” She found the dill relish hiding behind the milk and pulled it out. Aunt Louisa was rolling out the circle of dough with long, strong movements.

“You’re engagement ring. Where is it? Hasn’t that young man of yours bought you one?” Even after all her years in this country, Louisa still spoke with a detectable Italian accent.

“We haven’t bothered.” Crap. She hadn’t thought of a ring.

“Why not? Every girl should get a ring.”

Thinking fast she considered all plausible explanations. “We work with a lot of machinery. Most people in our job don’t wear rings, or even watches. There’s too much danger of them getting caught in something and tearing your hand off.” That was just the right amount of gruesomeness, apparently, because Louisa stopped rolling her piecrust to cross herself, muttering a prayer in Italian. “Besides, you know I’ve never been able to keep up with jewelry.”

“Peaceful! Don’t traumatize your aunt.” Helen glared at her daughter as she measured out rice to go in a broccoli and cheese casserole.

“Why not? You saw how she was treating Cam last night. She acted as though he was something she found on the bottom of her shoe.” She truly had. Louisa had snubbed Camulus something horrible, doting on David Hatchley instead. She knew she was in the wrong, as well, because the older woman fidgeted uncomfortably.

“I don’t like that he’s going to let you keep working. A woman’s place is in the home.”

“Wake up and smell the new millennia!” Peace slathered mayo and mustard on bread and layered ham and pickle relish on until she had a thick sandwich. “Lots of women have both a career and a family these days. In this economy it’s often a must. I happen to like what I do and Cam knows it.” She put back the mayo, mustard and pickles and grabbed a soda from the bottom shelf before sitting down to eat.

“What exactly do you do in that mountain of yours?”

“I told you, Mom, deep space radar telemetry.”

“What does that mean, exactly?” Louisa carefully put the crust into the pan. “You were a good enough student, Peace, but you were never overly intelligent.”

She gave her aunt an incredulous look. “Feeling the love here. You know, with relatives like you who needs in-laws?” She was through half of her sandwich, washing it down with her soda. “Where’s Cam?”

Helen passed her a paper towel to wipe a spot of mustard from the side of her lips. “Sammie and Julie took him into town to help with some last minute shopping.”

Peace nearly chocked on a bite of sandwich. “What?”

“Don’t worry, they took Mark’s new SUV and Juliet has never had a wreck.”

Peace got up, wiping her mouth off hurriedly. “How long have they been gone?”

“Peace, I know the two of you are in love, but you can survive being apart for a few hours.” She noted that her daughter was making a run to the kitchen door. “Peaceful Heavenly Day you haven’t finished your breakfast!”

“No time!” She ran up the stairs two at a time and hit her bedroom door running. She kicked the door closed and grabbed her cell phone, hitting the pre-programmed number for the general. It rang three times before it was picked up.

“O’Neill.”

“Sir, I have a situation.”

“Tell your mother that it’s your wedding and you don’t have to use pink taffeta if you don’t want to.”

“General, Camulus is gone.”

There was a pause. “Excuse me.”

“He apparently left with my sisters while I was sleeping, Sir.”

“And why would your sisters go anywhere with your fiancé?”

“Shopping. Mom says they’re in Mark’s new SUV.”

“And this helps how?”

“It’s one of those new ones with the On Star setup. I need someone with a bit more pull than me to get them to track the GPS on it.” She sat down on the bed, pulling on her boots. Standing back up she grabbed her suitcase and put it on the bed, unzipping a compartment inside the bottom to take out her shoulder holster and side arm.

“I see. I’m very surprised at you, Major. The holidays seem to have made you lax.”

She sighed. “Sir, with all due respect, could we please hold off on the lecture? I know I screwed up and you can court martial me, dock me three months pay, whatever you want to do. Right now I need to know where that SUV is.”

“Agreed, Major. Give me something to work with.”

She gave him the information on Mark and Juliet for him to use with the On Star people as she fastened her shoulder holster and made sure she was loaded. The call ended and she closed the phone with a flip before slipping on her coat and heading back downstairs.

“Peaceful Day, where are you going?” Helen was wiping her hands off on a dishtowel, frowning at her youngest child.

“Uhm… just something I gotta do, Mom. I’ll be back later.” She kissed her mother on the cheek before running outside. There was fresh snowfall on the jeep and she cursed under her breath as she scooped it off the windows with her bare hands as quickly as she could. She didn’t have time to waste to get out a scraper. There was a brief struggle to get the door open, but she did manage it.

She was halfway down the mountain when her phone rang. She flipped it open. “Day.”

“Major, this is Brad with On Star. We have located the vehicle in question. It’s parked outside the Walnut Mall.”

So they did at least get to the mall. “Thank you.”

“Do you require police assistance?”

“No, thank you. I’ll call them directly if I need them.”

“Thank you, Major. Have a nice day.”

Have a nice day? She closed the phone and sped up as much as she dared on the rural road. Once she hit pavement she felt a lot better. There wasn’t much traffic out, thank goodness, until she reached town and had to deal with everything from bad drivers to traffic lights. She did, eventually, reach the mall and locate her brother’s car. Unfortunately the parking lot was packed, forcing her to park her jeep in the very back and walk across the expanse of asphalt to get into the mall itself.

The mall was crowded, which she hated. They were playing canned muzak, which she hated. There was a large, shopping center Santa in the middle of the foyer, which she… okay, she didn’t hate the Santa.

She started to make her way through the crowd, moving slowly and casting her eyes from side to side to look into the glass windows of the various stores, watching for any sign of a tall, bronze-skinned man with thick dark hair. She figured he’d be easy to find. He’d be the one with the women crowded about him.

She wasn’t jealous.

Moving through another crossroad within the mall, she ignored the person trying to give away free samples of gourmet cookies, blew off the woman trying to show her the latest fragrance and didn’t even blink at the poor kid dressed up as an elf in front of the toy store. She tried to think of where her sister would have been going when she rounded a corner and heard Cam’s low baritone.

“She’s not really the type to need anything that extravagant. She’s military. The only time she dresses up is in a uniform, and this would not meet regulations.”

“Surely she wears something other than a uniform when you go out together.”

She stopped and looked over, spying Camulus in a store filled with glitter and shine. Looking up, she felt the blood freeze in her veins. What was he doing in Smiths’ Jewelers? She looked back in the store and saw Hyram Smith, the old man who was the family patriarch, overseeing the conversation between Cam and Joey Smith.

Joey still had a face that could stop traffic. She clenched her hands into fists within her pockets, old pain flooding back in on her. She felt her strength falter for a moment, but then shook her head and took in a deep, bracing breath. Taking her eyes from Joey she looked over at Cam. A smirk touched her lips as she realized why Joey looked to be in pain. He never was able to stand anyone being better looking than himself.

Making sure that her coat still covered her sidearm she made her way towards the jewelry store.

~***~

It had been halfway to the town when Juliet pointed out that either Helen or Louisa was going to ask why Peace wasn’t wearing an engagement ring. He considered making that Peace’s ‘Christmas Present’, but Sammie had been dead set against the idea.

“You can’t give her an engagement ring as a Christmas gift. The engagement ring is a promise that you’re going to marry her and a gift in it’s own right. A Christmas gift is supposed to be separate.”

They had left him to his own devices once they reached the indoor marketplace. It was different from what he was used to, louder and more chaotic. The holiday decorations and music gave the place an almost unreal quality to it. He had explored for a bit, amazed at how these humans seemed to lose all sense of rationality during this season. They seemed to be battling over unattainable prizes in some of the shops geared towards children. The jewelers, thankfully, were more docile.

He examined them from the outside, making his selection of which to patronize by the mannerisms and dress of the attendants. If he were going to truly irritate O’Neill, then he needed to make sure that the shop he went into was likely to be the most overpriced. He settled, finally, on the one called ‘Smiths’ because of the handsome man attending it. The human had a smug, superior air about him that needed to be taken down a notch.

“Can I help you, sir?”

Camulus noted that the man already seemed less than comfortable with him. This might be more fun than he had previously thought. “Yes, I’m looking for an engagement ring.”

“Very good. Any ideas on what cut or size?” The man led him over to a case with several black velvet boxes of rings. Camulus looked over them with a curious eye and pointed out the marquis. The clerk pulled out the box.

They were nice rings, all of them, though he had trouble imagining any of them on Peace’s finger. It wasn’t because she wasn’t truly his intended; it was because none of them were… her. They were too cold, too elegant. She needed something that was more like her own wild temperament.

The clerk noticed his displeasure. “Is there something wrong with the selection, sir? Perhaps you had something else in mind.”

“Yes, something more suited to my fiancé. She’s… spirited. These are all too reserved.”

“Well, then, perhaps you should tell us a bit about her.” This came from an older gentleman with the feeling of someone ‘in charge’. “I’m sure we have something here that will suit her.”

Camulus noticed that the younger man shifted a bit now that his superior was there. Upon closer look he thought he could detect a familial resemblance between the two of them. “She’s small, smaller than me. Short blond hair, green eyes. Easy to anger and military.”

“Military? Is this a local girl?”

“She is from around here, yes. Peaceful Day.”

The young clerk drew in a sharp breath before he could stop himself, his face paling. The older man, however, smiled broadly. “Well, I never thought I’d see the say that some young man managed to get that girl to stand still long enough to kiss her, let alone marry her. Congratulations, son. James Day’s always known how to grow’em and that girl is his best piece of work yet.” He waved Camulus towards another case. “You’ll want something with a little color to it.”

The older man pulled out a tray of rings that were primarily diamond, but with other precious gems as well. “Now, if I remember correctly, Peaceful has her grandmother’s eyes. Dora Day was a remarkable woman right up until the day she passed away. Had the most beautiful green eyes, real light, like new spring leaves.”

“You have something in mind?”

“Indeed I do, son.” The rings he showed him were diamond and emerald, set in various bands of platinum and white and yellow gold. They were a vast improvement over the others. “Now, Peaceful was always built like her grandmother, small and fragile looking. You’ll be wanting a size five band for her.”

Camulus looked over the rings. These were far easier to picture on Peace than the previous selection. He disregarded platinum; it would have been too cold against her coloring. In the end he selected an exquisite creation set in 18k gold, an oval cut center stone with emerald baguettes surrounding it. “This one.”

“And excellent choice. Joseph,” the clerk stepped forward, “ring this up for, I’m sorry but you didn’t give me your name.”

“Camulus Jones.”

“Camulus? Nice sounding name.” The old man grinned as he walked to ring and his clerk over to the far side of the shop. Camulus pretended to be interested in a tray of diamond bracelets, all the while taking advantage of his superior hearing.

“Dad, you can’t cut the price that much. You’ll take away all the commission.”

The older man leveled a steely gaze at the clerk, his voice low so as not to be overheard. “I don’t think you realize just how badly you messed things up for us when you pulled that little stunt of yours. James Day may not have ever said a bad word about us, but folks around here noticed that we weren’t his favorite people any longer. You almost cost this family it’s livelihood. The least you can do it to forgo a fat commission. Now see if the customer needs anything else, and be polite about it.”

Camulus schooled his features into passivity as the clerk returned. “Is there anything else you would like to see, sir?”

Cam smiled. He got the distinct impression that this toady of a man didn’t like him, even without his connection to the Day family. “Yes, I also need a gift. Something nice, something special. For Peace.”

A little muscle ticked at the corner of the man’s eye. “Of course. Let me show you a few of our more elegant pieces.” He pulled out a velvet case with several bracelets laid out for display. Each was gold and diamond, staring with a single line of stones and going up to some that were almost an inch wide. The man pulled up one of the wider ones. “What about this. Ladies often enjoy the solid weight of a heavier piece.”

“She’s not really the type to need anything that extravagant. She’s military. The only time she dresses up is in a uniform, and this would not meet regulations.”

“Surely she wears something other than a uniform when you go out together.”

“Sometimes.” Actually, he liked the bracelet, but he didn’t want to let the man go too soon. He was about to ask to see something else when he heard a familiar voice.

“Cam? I’d wondered where you ran off to.” Peaceful came into the shop from outside with a smile on her face that didn’t quite reach her eyes. He recognized the look of displeasure, and when she wrapped her arms around one of his and squeezed it a bit more than was needed, he was certain she was furious. “What are you up to?”

“I am shopping for your Christmas present, so you really shouldn’t be here.”

“My Christmas present?” She didn’t seem to know how to responds to that particular answer. The clerk cleared his throat, drawing her attention towards him. Camulus saw the shift in her eyes, from anger to something else. He had learned to read his keeper’s emotions quite well in the time that he had known her. He could tell when she was angry, sad, nervous or happy. What he saw now was something that he had never seen before, not even directed towards himself. It was hate, pure, unfettered hate. “Joey. You’re looking well.”

The old man came back over, the small ring box in his age worn hand. “Peaceful Day, you certainly have grown up into a beauty, just like your grandmother.”

“Hello, Mr. Smith.”

She seemed uncomfortable with the present location. Camulus was suddenly unwilling to force her to stay. “Since you’re here, I might as well give you your ring.”

“My ring?” She looked up at him, puzzled. He smiled and held his hand out for the ring box. She watched as he opened the box and removed the diamond and emerald ring. “I can’t have your Aunt Louisa thinking that we aren’t serious about this.” He took hold of her left hand even as she was shaking her head.

“Cam, you don’t have to get me a ring.”

“Yes, I do.” Mr. Smith had been correct. Her hand did seem rather fragile and delicate, and the tiny ring slipped over her finger easily. He looked down and was surprised at just how right the ring looked on her hand. She seemed to be uncertain of how to respond to it as well, her eyes fixed on the ring. He recovered first. “Now, why don’t you go find your sisters so that you’re present will be a surprise?”

She shook herself. “I don’t need a present, Cam. That’d be too much. This is fine.”

He gave a snort. “With your family? I’d be shot.”

“Peace? What are you doing here?” They both turned to see Julie and Sammie coming in, each burdened down with purchases. Sammie gave her sister a mischievous grin. “Can’t let him out of your sight for a few hours. You’ve got it bad, Sister Dear.”

Peaceful was quickly recovering and gave her sister an irritated glare. Camulus smiled and took advantage of his new allies. “I was trying to get her to leave so I could finish buying her present, but she’s being stubborn.”

Julie rolled her eyes. “That’s our girl.” She hit the smaller woman in the leg with a handful of packages. “Move, Brat. Let the man be sweet. Believe me, they grow out of it after you’ve got them locked in. I can’t remember the last time that brother of yours bought me jewelry.”

Juliet and Samantha herded her from the shop, allowing Camulus to turn his attention back to ‘Joey’. He saw that the clerk was still watching Peace with an unpleasant expression in his eyes, a mixture of resentment and disdain. It was obvious that doing anything to help out Peaceful Day, or even another member of the Day family, was not something he was willing to do. All the more reason for Camulus to take his time in selecting the perfect gift for his fiancé.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Ways to kill General O’Neill for this: #6 – Two Words: Strategic Nuke

She picked up the small box, about six inches square. It was wrapped in heavy, low-gloss red paper and had an elaborate ribbon of red velvet and gilt around it. Curious, she shook it next to her ear until someone snatched it from her hands. “Aunt Peace, you know the rules.”

“They don’t apply to me. I’m a grown up!”

“Peaceful!” She flinched and looked over to where her mother was standing. With a huff, she stood up and walked away from the tree, children giggling. Camulus smiled from the doorway of the study before turning around to join James in another game of chess. For a man who had only served briefly in the military, and as an enlisted man at that, he was a skillful strategist.

“She certainly tore out of here in a hurry when she found out you’d gone into town.”

“I think she was afraid of what her sisters might say about her in her absence.” He took his seat, examining the board.

“Hope the jeweler lets you take that ring back without a fuss. Where did you go?”

He moved his pawn forward. “Smiths. I got the impression that they aren’t a comfortable acquaintance of yours.” He noted that his host had gone rather still and frowned. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen Peace that hostile towards anyone, not even myself.”

“Yeah, well, my Angel Girl has good reason to want Joseph Smith to die a slow and painful death. He hurt her badly.” James made a counter move. “He’s the reason I knew the two of you aren’t really engaged.”

“How so?”

“You’re too good looking. Peaceful hasn’t had anything to do with handsome men who aren’t a blood relation since she was fifteen. She feels none of you can be trusted.”

Camulus made a non-committal noise in his throat and returned his attention to the game. It lasted well over an hour before they were called to dinner. David Hatchley, he was pleased to see, had not returned to the house and Aunt Louisa seemed even more disgruntled towards him now that Peace was wearing her ‘engagement ring’, which made Peace actually want to talk about it. He couldn’t have asked for a better partner in crime.

“Take a walk with me?” Peace threaded her arm through his and tugged him towards the front door after dinner while the older children went off to clean the dishes, grumbling all the way. They put on their coats and headed outside. “You realize that the general is going to hit the roof when he sees that bill.”

“That’s part of the reason I did it.” The snow crunched beneath their boots as they made their way to the fenced in lot off the house stables. Camulus leaned up against it, folding his arms over one another. Peace turned around and pulled herself up so that she was sitting on the top rail.

“You shouldn’t have taken off like that.”

“Afraid I might run away?”

She sighed. “Camulus, I know you think I’m your watch dog, but I’m also your caretaker. Your safety is my responsibility. The NID, the Trust, there are people out there who know about you and would be more than happy to strap you onto an examining table to dissect you.” She kicked at the iron rung below her foot. “Your safety and well being are my responsibility.”

“So you were worried about me?”

“I’m always worried about you. Half the time I’m worried that you’ll drive me insane, but it’s my job to be worried that you’re safe.”

This was new. He turned himself so that he was leaning against the railing with his shoulder, looking up at the woman next to him. “Why did you get chosen for this job?”

“Truthfully?” He nodded. “I opened my big, fat mouth.”

“How so?”

She sighed. “It was right after O’Neill took command, when we thought Baal had SG-1. You had been brought in and spoken with him, and obviously were your usual, charming, asinine self. I was in the elevator on my way up to medical for a routine eval when O’Neill and that guy the Pentagon sent were talking. The general was complaining about your attitude and I… kinda mentioned that you sounded like one of my younger nephews; spoiled rotten and impossible to reason with.”

“Your nephews!”

“Well, you were! Most of the System Lords do, for that matter. You all behave like irrational toddlers. I suggested that maybe you needed a babysitter. Someone to keep an eye on you while at the same time providing you with one person to whom you could make your requests and voice your complaints.”

“So you’re my ‘babysitter’.”

“I didn’t volunteer for it. O’Neill was throwing a hissy fit after that stunt you pulled with the power source. He passed me in the hallway on his way to confront you and grabbed me. He told me to wait outside the door when he went in to talk to you and the next thing I knew I was being assigned to the job.” She shrugged. “I was as surprised as you.”

“That’s fair enough. I thought it was laughable that he thought you an acceptable choice at being my liaison.”

“And why would that be laughable?”

He smirked. “You looked better suited to being in someone’s bed than in a uniform.”

“Ah!” She balled up her fist and made a swipe at his nose. He was expecting it, however, and caught her hand. “Oh, that does it! Just see if I go out of my way to save your butt any time soon. We’re a long way from the base, Buddy, and I bet those money guys in the Trust would pay me a lot of money to turn you over.”

He laughed. “Now, now. That’s no way for a loving bride-to-be to speak to her future lord and master.”

“You’re a little behind the times, Cammy. Husbands aren’t the lords of anything anymore. Not even their own minds. Women rule all.”

“So that’s what’s wrong with this world.”

“Careful. Remember, I’m the one who keeps you safe.” She kicked him lightly, her expression mirthful. “You do realize we’re being watched, don’t you?”

“I figured that we were. Your mother or the children?”

“Aunt Louisa in all her tyrannical glory.”

“Really?” He grinned as he changed his position. She gave him a puzzled frown as he pushed her knees apart so he could stand between them, wrapping his arms around her back.

“What are you doing?”

“Keeping up appearances. She is supposed to believe that we are in love.”

“So you’re going to get grabby on me?” She leaned away, her expression skeptical.

“What’s wrong? You don’t think you can make it convincing?” His expression was challenging. She narrowed her eyes before framing his face in her hands and lowering her mouth to his.

There was a lingering sweetness from the pie they had eaten for desert clinging to his lips and tongue. The angle between the fence and the kitchen window was such that they would be in profile to the house, so she made the kiss as convincing as she was able. It wasn’t that hard, actually. Camulus seemed very well versed in the art of kissing, far more so than she. She let him take the lead and was rewarded with a kiss that she was able to feel down to her toes.

Through the small sliver her eyes were still open she saw the change in the light, a sign that Aunt Louisa had snapped the curtains on the kitchen window closed, most likely in a huff. Some part of her told her that they could stop now but she just wasn’t able to pull away. The arms around her tightened, pulling her off of the cold metal of the fence and flush with a body that was substantially larger and stronger than her own. The winter chill was forgotten as she wrapped her arms about his neck.

There was a low, feral growl from somewhere deep in Camulus’ throat, bringing her back to reality. She wrenched herself away from him with a gasp, bringing her hands back to his shoulders. “Down boy! She’s gone.”

Camulus’ eyes flashed, giving her a start of concern, but he did release his hold on her, allowing her to slide down until her feet touched the snow covered ground. “Do you think she believed it?”

To the untrained ear he would have sounded perfectly normal. She, however, had learned to recognize his various moods and could detect the faint tremor to his voice. “She’s probably in there tell Mom that we’re practically having sex out here in the open.”

“We’ll save that for the next time she decides to be nosy.”

Peace blinked. He sounded dead serious about that. “Uh… yeah. Not likely.” She tugged her coat straight.

“How much longer does this holiday last?” He seemed desirous of changing the subject. That was just fine with her.

“Tomorrow’s the Barn Blast. The day after that is Christmas Eve when we have the big dinner and open the presents. Christmas Day everyone who’s married packs up and goes to their other relations. We’ll likely head for the base the day after that.”

“Hmm.” Camulus looked up into the clear, night sky. “What did a mortal man do to make you hate him so much?”

“I beg your pardon?”

He looked back at her. “I’ve seen you angry, witnessed you when you’re mad enough to kill, but I’ve never seen you look at anyone with hatred, not even me. Yet you truly despise that clerk at the jewelry store. Your father says that he’s the reason you don’t trust men. What did he do?”

She took a deep breath, putting her hands in her coat pockets and stepping away from him. “It’s personal.”

“If I am to entrust my safety and well-being to you, then I need to know that I can trust you. How can I do that if you won’t tell me what it takes to turn you away from a person completely?”

She gave a short, bitter laugh. “What it takes? It takes betraying me. It takes breaking my heart into a thousand little pieces. It takes knocking me up and then…” she stopped, her throat constricting too tightly to continue. She took a deep breath and collected herself. “I was fifteen, Joey was seventeen. Before that summer I never paid attention to anything male that didn’t have at least four legs.”

She turned back around to face him. The scant light from the house windows reflected in her eyes. “He was the catch of the county. All the girls were crazy about him. A little kid like me who had never been kissed before didn’t stand a chance. He turned my head so many directions I couldn’t think straight. Then I came up pregnant. I told him… and he just laughed. He said it wasn’t any concern of his and moved on to the next girl.

“I’ve never been that scared, not before and not since. I didn’t know what to do. I had no idea how to tell my parents. I got caught up in the stress of it all and it made me careless, careless enough that I got thrown off a horse I was supposed to be training. I got thrown from a horse. I hit the ground hard. A high ankle sprain and a really bad wrist sprain, then the cramping started. I was about… two months along then?