Chapter 6

Both Teal'c and O'Neill had spent the evening at Janet/Rhiva's place, watching funny movies and eating pizza with the children. It had been a great, relaxing time.

Janet and Rhiva had shopped for food and drink for the picnic, and the next morning they, together with the children, prepared a large picnic basket.

About half an hour before O'Neill and Teal'c were to show up, the telephone rang, and Janet answered. When she hung up, the children looked worriedly at her.

"They didn't call to say they couldn't come, right?" Sam asked, worriedly.

"No surprise Goa'uld attacks, please?" Martouf looked very concerned.

"Nothing like that." Janet smiled mysteriously. "They called to say we're going to get a few guests."

"Guests? Who?" Anise frowned, trying to think of who it could be.

"Will there be enough food?" Martouf asked.

Janet laughed. "You'll see who it is - as for the food? Jack said he'd bring some extra, so no need to worry."

"Good." Martouf looked relieved.

"Should we bring some games? Where are we going for the picnic?" Daniel wondered.

"We're going to the Memorial Park," Janet said. "I've been there a couple times before - it's a nice place, with some great picnic areas, stuff you can look at, and places you can run and play. I think Jack and Teal'c said they were going to bring some games we could play, but if there's anything you think you'd like to bring, then that's okay. Oh, and you should bring your bathing suits if you want to swim - there's a nice spot for that."

"Yay, that sounds great!" Martouf smiled widely.

"I think we've got enough cheese-and-ham sandwiches now, Sam - start making some turkey sandwiches too," Janet told her. "You know Teal'c prefers those."

"And peanut-butter-and-jam, please!" Anise said, putting the fruit she had just washed into a plastic bag. "We need many of those."

"We have no ice cream!" Martouf suddenly realized. "You said yesterday we could have some for dessert - and we don't have any!"

"Don't worry, they're selling it at the park - you'll get to pick when we get there. Doesn't that sound much better?" Janet asked.

"Yes - but do you think they have pistachio?" Daniel asked, suddenly worried.

"Maybe, but if they don't, I'm sure they have some other ice cream you'll like," Janet said, soothingly.

"Hm." Daniel looked doubtful.

"Listen, I know you've got some toys here, and your swimwear is here too, so why don't you run and find that? I'll finish up packing the rest of the food," Janet told them.


"It's the doorbell - go open it, one of you, will you?" Janet called out.

Sam ran for the door, followed by Martouf, Daniel, and Freya. They opened the door, and saw who stood outside.

"Dad!" Sam exclaimed. "I didn't know you were going to be here!"

"It's a surprise!" Jacob smiled, as he held out his arms and let Sam and the other children jump him. "We were just stopping by with some intel, and then Teal'c told us about the picnic you guys were going on. Since we're not in any hurry to get back, we decided to join you!"

"We missed you!" Martouf told him. "You, too, Malek, Johan!" He exclaimed, seeing the other Tok'ra.

"Hello, children." Malek smiled at them.

"No greetings for Teal'c and me?" O'Neill asked, pretending to pout.

"Hi, Jack, Teal'c!" Daniel greeted.

"Sorry, Jack and Teal'c. Hello," Freya said. "We are pleased to see you."


It was a fairly short drive to the park, and soon they were walking along a track.

"What would you like to do first? Swim? Play ball? Go to the playground? Or should we perhaps rent a couple of boats?" O'Neill asked.

"Swim!" Lantash exclaimed excitedly, forgetting to hide the distortion.

"Voice," Janet warned.

"Sorry," Lantash said, using Martouf's voice and looking ashamed.

"Rowboat!" Daniel insisted.

"Swim!" Sam countered.

"Anise wants to swim, but I want to sail!" Freya said.

"Maybe we could dive from the boat?" Sam suggested.

"Nope, that's too dangerous," O'Neill insisted.

"Why don't you change to your swimwear, and take a quick dip, then we'll rent a boat afterwards?" Janet said, trying for a compromise.


"Wheeee!" Sam exclaimed, as she jumped from a large rock and into the water, making a huge splash, that showered the other children with a wave of water.

"Sam!" Daniel complained. "Don't do that!"

"You're already wet! Why do you care? It's fun!" Sam insisted.

"It feels cold and unpleasant when all those little splashes hits you - and you get water in your mouth and nose!" Anise said.

"You need to hide the distortion or let Freya speak, Anise," Martouf admonished her.

She stuck out her tongue at him and splashed water at him.

"Hey! You hit me too!" Daniel cried, scooping up water and throwing it at Anise.

"You did not hit me!" she said, triumphantly.

"No, but I will!" Sam made a big splash with both her arms, then hurried away, grinning loudly.

"It's fun to splash in the water!" Martouf agreed, using his arms and legs to cause huge cascades of water to shower them all.

"Calm down!" O'Neill yelled at them from the beach. "Or else you're coming in right now!"

"Look!" Sam pointed down into the water. "Orange fish!" She took a breath of air and submerged to see if she could see the fish better, then started chasing them. She did not catch any, but instead collided with first Martouf, then Daniel, before coming up for air, sputtering.

"What are you doing!" Martouf exclaimed.

"Trying to catch the fishies!" She dove again.

Daniel and Martouf both followed, trying to spot the fish Sam had discovered, while Anise watched from a little distance away.

"It's not orange fish, it's goldfish!" Daniel insisted, when they again came up for air.

Martouf had given Lantash control, and he attempted to catch one of the fish with his hands. He almost caught it, but not quite, and it got away. "It's not really easier with hands than it was using your mouth - when I was little, I mean."

"You are little," Sam said.

"I meant the first time. When I was a child not in a host." He shuddered. "This is much better."

"Are not goldfish those fish that are in the aquarium in Janet's house?" Anise asked. "You said they were from some other place and did not live wild in this country!"

"Some of those fish are goldfish. Not all of them." Daniel clarified. "And they don't live here in the wild."

"These obviously do!" Anise insisted.

"This isn't the wild - not really..." Daniel defended himself.

"They don't live in the wild here - unless someone re-leases them. These were pets, probably," Sam added.

"Why would you let your pets out?" Lantash looked confused.

"People get tired of them and just dump them somewhere. It's common. People are stupid." Daniel shrugged.

"That is evil! A-ban-doning someone who is your friends!" Anise looked horrified.

"And often bad for the en-vironment - and the pets," Daniel said.

"Bad humans!" Lantash concluded, unhappily. "We should catch all the poor fishies and keep them in a tank?"

"Maybe we better ask first?" Sam threw a worried look in the direction of the beach, where Teal'c, O'Neill, Jacob/Selmak, Malek, and Janet were sitting. She had not forgotten how Jacob had reacted to the pets they had caught when they were living with the Tok'ra for a while.


The children had been told to come out of the water, and they were all currently sitting in two rowboats. One held O'Neill, Jacob, and the children, and one had Teal'c, Malek, and Janet. They were sailing around at a low speed, just enjoying the nice weather.

"Why won't you let us catch the little fish and keep them in a tank?" Sam wondered, letting her hand trail in the water, now and then grabbing for a stick or plant floating on the water.

"Yes, won't you please let us?" Martouf begged. "It would be better for the fish. That is, I think it would..."

"It would be e-du-cational for us," Daniel added.

"And fun. Pleeease?" Freya said, hopefully.

"I told you no! Do you have any idea how much work it will be trying to catch them?" O'Neill argued.

"But you like fishing!" Sam insisted.

"Not like this - not with a net. Besides, I doubt people would take kindly to us catching anything in this lake. I don't think it's permitted."

"Maybe you can get a... a li-cense?" Daniel suggested.

"No. This discussion is over." O'Neill gave them a stern look. "Understood?"

"Hey, guys! What do you say we sail to that nice spot and have our picnic there?" Janet shouted, from the boat behind them. She pointed at a small stretch of white beach, flanked by lush green grass, and a few bushes and trees. It did look like the perfect place.

"That sounds like a great idea," Jacob quickly said, happy to have something to hopefully take the children's interest away from the fish. "Don't you think so, Jack?"


"Do you want me to help bar-be-cue the food?" Lantash asked, hopefully.

"No, I think I can manage just fine, thank you." Jacob smiled at the boy.

"Are you sure you brought enough patties? And sausages? Chicken drumsticks? Bread? Don't you think we need to get more?" Daniel asked, looking with concern at the barbecue.

"Nope, we've got enough - look in the cooler," O'Neill told him. "Less than a quarter of the food is cooking right now. If anything, we brought way, way too much."

"Especially with all those sandwiches you guys made," Jacob said. "Delicious sandwiches." He quickly added, seeing Sam starting to look unhappy. "Why don't you find one of those for each of us, then we can eat that while we wait for the warm food to cook?"

"Great idea!" Lantash exclaimed, running for the basket they had brought. "What kind of sandwich do you want? Turkey? Cheese and ham? Strawberry jam?"

"You're forgetting the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!" Anise said. "I want one of those!"

After some time, everyone had gotten a sandwich of the type they wanted, and peace fell over the group as they ate their food.



Chapter 7