Here it is a sequel for those of you who requested it. Hope you like!
A Little Sequel
The pirate stood proud at the helm of his ship. Holding his sword up high towards the sun, he eyed the approaching naval fleet.
A voice floated over the water which churned below;
"Surrender you fiend, or else die at the hands of her Majesty's fleet!"
The pirate slapped his hat down onto his head. It drooped, sloping to cover one eye. He returned;
"Never! You shall be the ones to sink to oblivion!"
"Nay, sir. You shall regret engaging us in battle."
"The fates shall decide then!" He raised his sword even higher, pushed his hat back to rest on his head properly and shouted back to his ship; "You, right hand man, make sure the men are ready!"
His right hand man, shorter and with an even bigger hat, yelled back; "Aye Cap'n." Then; "All hands on deck - prepare for battle!"
Then they charged. Within seconds the seafaring pirate and naval admiral were in sword to sword warfare. The sound of the clash of their swords was hollow, as their small crews battled around them.
"Captain O'Neill, sir, we're being crushed," cried the right hand man as one of the enemy flung his sword to the side, white teeth gleaming against dark skin as he approached the short pirate.
Left, right and centre his crew were being slain, and the captain still battled against the strong admiral. With a swift right sweep of the sword he knocked his opponent's hat to the ground. Long, braided and blonde, the admiral's hair was released. With another swoop of swords, the Captain's weapon sailed over the side of the ship and into the roiling sea.
"Noooooo!" His scream died on his lips as the enemy's sword was held to his neck.
"Surrender then, fiend."
"Never."
"Tis too late to be brave young warrior, you must now give in to the crown and be hanged for your crimes."
Looking about at his fallen crew, the captain gave a small nod of consent which belied the stubborn frown on his face. He lifted one hand to knock his hat off in surrender.
"Yes! Yes! I don't believe it!" His enemy jumped, dropping her sword in disbelief. "I won! I won!"
"Yeah yeah, all right, no need to get your chemise in a twist."
"Don't be rude." Taking a swipe at his arm, Grace did another little dance of success. Around them, various members of both crews were standing, shaking away grass from their hair and hiding away their wooden swords.
Putting her long blonde tresses back into a slightly-less-than-respectable bun, Grace grinned widely at her brother. "I've never beaten you before."
"That's because," her brother explained patiently, "the pirates are supposed to win."
"Codswallop," his sister retorted rudely.
"They are," Jacob insisted stubbornly. His right hand man approached, hat still wobbling precariously on his head.
"Jake, Gracie, Te'car knocked me to the floor!" His four year old face glowed in excitement. A rather sheepish looking Te'car approached behind him. From the other side David, Louisa and Brooke walked side by side to the small wooden construction on which the two leaders stood.
That second a voice rang out.
"Children! Dinner's ready." With that another game began, as they all scrambled to be first to the sink to wash, and then the first to the table. Laughing at their antics, Catherine Langford served them equal portions of broth and large chunks of homemade bread.
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That night, with an eight year old's pride, Grace informed her mother,
"I won today mama." A small smiled graced her features. "And Brooke and Louisa beat David."
"See, I told you girls could win." Her eyelids feeling heavy and lowering over her bright blue eyes, Grace missed the smile her mother sent her father's way. Jack O'Neill stood in the doorway of his eldest child's bedroom taking in the sight of his wife and daughter.
When Sam O'Neill silently closed the door on Grace's sleeping figure, he took her into his arms and kissed her lightly on the lips, a smile still lingering on both their mouths.
"Eeew!" They both turned at the whispered remark, seeing two heads poking out from behind another bedroom door. The only thing that betrayed both heads as belonging to two brothers was the expression of identical boyish horror on their faces. Chuckling at the brown and blond heads, Jack walked to them, grabbing them and hauling them over his shoulder and into the bedroom where he play threw them onto two small beds.
"So, I hear you two lost to girls today!" Ignoring his wife's mock scowl he proceeded to tuck them into bed while informing them exactly how they could win the next battle.
"I'm seven tomorrow," Jake announced sleepily.
"Yes you are," agreed his father. "A big boy now." Jacob nodded, a slight snore escaping even before his eyes were fully closed.
Sam kissed Ryan's head as he was already asleep, and both parents escaped to the next bedroom.
"Jacob's seven tomorrow," Brooke stated as her parents entered. "Te'car says that's old."
"Then I don't know what Teal'c is teaching his son," commented Jack.
"When will Ryan and me be seven daddy?"
"Ryan and I," chided Jack. Rolling her eyes at her husband, Sam answered the question the four year old had posed.
"A few years yet honey."
"Awww…" but her eyes were closing also.
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It was another good ten minutes before Jack had his wife in bed to himself. Pulling her close, and inhaling the smell he only new as Sam, he sighed in contentment.
"You owe me a farthing, husband," she reminded him. He could feel her smile against his chest, and he laughed shortly.
"Do I?"
"Indeed. I do believe you said there was absolutely no way any girls, even your own, would beat your boys."
"There were more girls than there were boys today."
"Louisa Jackson is no match for her nine year old brother - she's only two. Neither is Brooke at just four. It was pure tactics on Grace's part."
"They had Te'car on their side, and he's a strapping boy for his age. They had an unfair advantage."
"Jack."
"Yes?"
"He's three."
"Teal'c has been training him in hand to hand combat."
"He's three."
Her husband harrumphed, then grumbled. The sound vibrated under her cheek and she laughed silently.
"Yeah, alright. You win. They talk of a battle again tomorrow though. How about double or quits?"
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