Stargate: "Together with Apartment"
Title: Together with apartment.
Author: Keenir
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Shen Xaioyi/Cameron Mitchell.
Warnings: Jack O’Neill is running the IOA.
Spoilers: The Scourge, Remnants.
Word Count: 976.
Written For: SG_Rarepairings 2009.
Prompt: Pairing: Shen Xaioyi/Cameron Mitchell.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters.
Summary: Three connected scenes from Cam and Xaio’s present/near future.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cam was ladling spaghetti to both plates when Xaio mentioned as an aside a bit of politics from work.
“O’Neill still hasn’t retired?” Cam asked, surprised.
“No, but it’s his favorite threat,” Xaio said. “Given he has several favorites, there would be great uncertainty if he,” and switched to Chinese, then back in English, "without leaving any indication which he would prefer succeed him."
“Up and high-tailed it out of there,” Cam translated. He knew she knew the English term, but this was a pastime for the two of them - mostly because they didn’t like the ‘finishing each others’ sentances’ cliché. So they were making this one. “Pretty sure I know why Mexico’s saying he owes them a seat on the I.O.A.” Hathor.
Xaio nodded. “The representative nations,” in the I.O.A. “are evenly divided over whether to accede to the request. But it is not in their hands.”
It’s up to O’Neill, Cam knew. The I.O.A. had seized on the US President’s creation of the ‘Director of Homeworld Security’ and pointed out that it fit perfectly with the international nature of stargate politics. Director Jack O’Neill was grandfathered in, allowed to remain in office as the man in command of HS, with the ranks below him a good mix of employees from I.O.A. nations. Reap the whirlwind, boys.
“And how was your day?” Xaio asked Cam, the pair of them seated at the table in the dining room of the apartment they shared - each had a house of their own, from before, true, but this was theirs.
“Submitted my application to the Language Studies Department,” of the SGC. A branch of the SGC which, ironically, Daniel Jackson had never had his hand in. A branch needed more and more, both to gain allies against the Ori and Wraith, and to settle disputes - the SGC was held in high repute far and wide.
Massaging her thumb on the top of his near hand, she assured him, “I’ve no doubt you’ll get it. They would be fools to deny your aptitude at learning languages.”
“Thanks. I’d rather I didn’t need to do this, but…” Cam said and sighed. “There’ll be reunions, but no more tours,” Cam said. It’s not like sprinkling dirt on the casket, but it hurts just the same.
Shen Xaioyi trusted him, and didn’t press what he meant; he’d told her enough that she had an idea.
“So, you’ve met my folks,” Cam said a little later. And man do they love you.
“My mother’s hiking in New Zealand,” she replied. “But I’d love for you to meet my grandmother.”
.~~.
TIME: the day after Remnants:
“You okay?” Cam asked Xaio, him standing in the doorway.
“I am well,” she replied, still looking at her reflection.
“Hey,” Cam said. “Diǎnr bēi never.” Fate never turns its back on you, Xaio.
Raising one eyebrow and turning to look at him, “Shi shi, Cam.” Thank you. “Does this change anything?”
“Nope. I’m still aiming for the desk job,” as it’s more in-the-field than sitting in a cubicle.
“I’m sure you’ll get it.” She wouldn’t pull strings to get him a job & vice versa, and they both liked and appreciated that. Merit counted for much; favors were what you asked of other people.
“Thanks,” coming inside. “Got your favorite,” holding up a carry-out bag.
Xaio smiled. “I thought I smelled bao and English curry.” In a few short strides, she was at the table and set the folders to one side. “What of your team?”
“Oh same as last time,” Cam said regretfully. “Carter’s still out in that ship of hers, Teal’c’c put down heavy-duty roots,” not that I blame the guy, “and last I heard of Daniel, ‘s that he’s making some videos for the I.O.A. and S.G.C.”
“’There’ll be reunions, but no more tours,’” she asked, repeating his words from before.
“Yeah,” as he drew the food from the bag. “Anyway, got some news you’ll find amusing.”
“Yes?” Xaio asked.
“Woolsey asked me which of two people should represent the I.O.A. on Daedelus Base. ‘Gesture of goodwill’ or something. Anyway, the candidates were Antonio diSienna or Camille Wray.”
“Difficult choice. Your enemies can use your decision to accuse you of bias.”
“They do that anyway,” Cam said with an easy smile. I picked Wray - some’ll say because she’s Chinese, some’ll say because she’s American. “I don’t mind.”
“If you wanted an easy job, you wouldn’t have enlisted,” Xaio said, knowing the way he thought: the long view.
If I’d never signed up for duty, none of this would’ve happened to me. And I’d never met you. “Damn right,” Cam agreed, stroking her hand with his.
.~~.
With the possible exception of Piraha, all human languages have a way of distinguishing the present from the past, and the recent past from the distant past. Hankan was one of a handful which had yet another form of past: Narrative.
‘Before, I lived with my family. And they’re gone.
‘And Nirrti came. And she was trounced.
‘And I had a boyfriend. And he’s gone.
‘And Nirrti came back. And she’s gone.
‘And my new mom died. And I moved.’
“Have to say, Hankan narratives’ nice an’ rhythmic; but in English, it’s this side of CliffNotes,” Cam said.
“The perpetual danger in translating,” Xaio said. “All we can do is get the intent.”
“Not get hung up on overly-literal word-for-word.”
Xaio smiled gently at him. “I’ve said it more’n a few times?”
“Never enough for my ears,” Cam told her.
"Zhōngguó yŏu pí jiŭ,” she teased him with what Chinese he’d learned - in college - before any other: literally the ungrammatical-sounding ‘China / have / beer.’ But casually spoken, ‘There is beer in China.’
“Zhéli zái nǐ,” he replied, his lips brushing hers. Zhéli zái nǐ = here / be located / you = you are here. There may be beer in China, but you’re here with me.
.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The End
Author: Keenir
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Shen Xaioyi/Cameron Mitchell.
Warnings: Jack O’Neill is running the IOA.
Spoilers: The Scourge, Remnants.
Word Count: 976.
Written For: SG_Rarepairings 2009.
Prompt: Pairing: Shen Xaioyi/Cameron Mitchell.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters.
Summary: Three connected scenes from Cam and Xaio’s present/near future.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cam was ladling spaghetti to both plates when Xaio mentioned as an aside a bit of politics from work.
“O’Neill still hasn’t retired?” Cam asked, surprised.
“No, but it’s his favorite threat,” Xaio said. “Given he has several favorites, there would be great uncertainty if he,” and switched to Chinese, then back in English, "without leaving any indication which he would prefer succeed him."
“Up and high-tailed it out of there,” Cam translated. He knew she knew the English term, but this was a pastime for the two of them - mostly because they didn’t like the ‘finishing each others’ sentances’ cliché. So they were making this one. “Pretty sure I know why Mexico’s saying he owes them a seat on the I.O.A.” Hathor.
Xaio nodded. “The representative nations,” in the I.O.A. “are evenly divided over whether to accede to the request. But it is not in their hands.”
It’s up to O’Neill, Cam knew. The I.O.A. had seized on the US President’s creation of the ‘Director of Homeworld Security’ and pointed out that it fit perfectly with the international nature of stargate politics. Director Jack O’Neill was grandfathered in, allowed to remain in office as the man in command of HS, with the ranks below him a good mix of employees from I.O.A. nations. Reap the whirlwind, boys.
“And how was your day?” Xaio asked Cam, the pair of them seated at the table in the dining room of the apartment they shared - each had a house of their own, from before, true, but this was theirs.
“Submitted my application to the Language Studies Department,” of the SGC. A branch of the SGC which, ironically, Daniel Jackson had never had his hand in. A branch needed more and more, both to gain allies against the Ori and Wraith, and to settle disputes - the SGC was held in high repute far and wide.
Massaging her thumb on the top of his near hand, she assured him, “I’ve no doubt you’ll get it. They would be fools to deny your aptitude at learning languages.”
“Thanks. I’d rather I didn’t need to do this, but…” Cam said and sighed. “There’ll be reunions, but no more tours,” Cam said. It’s not like sprinkling dirt on the casket, but it hurts just the same.
Shen Xaioyi trusted him, and didn’t press what he meant; he’d told her enough that she had an idea.
“So, you’ve met my folks,” Cam said a little later. And man do they love you.
“My mother’s hiking in New Zealand,” she replied. “But I’d love for you to meet my grandmother.”
.~~.
TIME: the day after Remnants:
“You okay?” Cam asked Xaio, him standing in the doorway.
“I am well,” she replied, still looking at her reflection.
“Hey,” Cam said. “Diǎnr bēi never.” Fate never turns its back on you, Xaio.
Raising one eyebrow and turning to look at him, “Shi shi, Cam.” Thank you. “Does this change anything?”
“Nope. I’m still aiming for the desk job,” as it’s more in-the-field than sitting in a cubicle.
“I’m sure you’ll get it.” She wouldn’t pull strings to get him a job & vice versa, and they both liked and appreciated that. Merit counted for much; favors were what you asked of other people.
“Thanks,” coming inside. “Got your favorite,” holding up a carry-out bag.
Xaio smiled. “I thought I smelled bao and English curry.” In a few short strides, she was at the table and set the folders to one side. “What of your team?”
“Oh same as last time,” Cam said regretfully. “Carter’s still out in that ship of hers, Teal’c’c put down heavy-duty roots,” not that I blame the guy, “and last I heard of Daniel, ‘s that he’s making some videos for the I.O.A. and S.G.C.”
“’There’ll be reunions, but no more tours,’” she asked, repeating his words from before.
“Yeah,” as he drew the food from the bag. “Anyway, got some news you’ll find amusing.”
“Yes?” Xaio asked.
“Woolsey asked me which of two people should represent the I.O.A. on Daedelus Base. ‘Gesture of goodwill’ or something. Anyway, the candidates were Antonio diSienna or Camille Wray.”
“Difficult choice. Your enemies can use your decision to accuse you of bias.”
“They do that anyway,” Cam said with an easy smile. I picked Wray - some’ll say because she’s Chinese, some’ll say because she’s American. “I don’t mind.”
“If you wanted an easy job, you wouldn’t have enlisted,” Xaio said, knowing the way he thought: the long view.
If I’d never signed up for duty, none of this would’ve happened to me. And I’d never met you. “Damn right,” Cam agreed, stroking her hand with his.
.~~.
With the possible exception of Piraha, all human languages have a way of distinguishing the present from the past, and the recent past from the distant past. Hankan was one of a handful which had yet another form of past: Narrative.
‘Before, I lived with my family. And they’re gone.
‘And Nirrti came. And she was trounced.
‘And I had a boyfriend. And he’s gone.
‘And Nirrti came back. And she’s gone.
‘And my new mom died. And I moved.’
“Have to say, Hankan narratives’ nice an’ rhythmic; but in English, it’s this side of CliffNotes,” Cam said.
“The perpetual danger in translating,” Xaio said. “All we can do is get the intent.”
“Not get hung up on overly-literal word-for-word.”
Xaio smiled gently at him. “I’ve said it more’n a few times?”
“Never enough for my ears,” Cam told her.
"Zhōngguó yŏu pí jiŭ,” she teased him with what Chinese he’d learned - in college - before any other: literally the ungrammatical-sounding ‘China / have / beer.’ But casually spoken, ‘There is beer in China.’
“Zhéli zái nǐ,” he replied, his lips brushing hers. Zhéli zái nǐ = here / be located / you = you are here. There may be beer in China, but you’re here with me.
.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The End