HappyFather'sDay
Time Frame: After TheDevilYouKnow (Season 3)
Related Episode: BriefCandle
Family Series 1 of 2 (second in the series: Wishes)
I.
General George Hammond was already on the way to the control room when the warning horns disrupted the relative quiet of Stargate Command. He frowned when he heard Lieutenant Graham Simmons calmly announce, "Unscheduled off-world activation." There was no telling who was calling in, though more times than not it was a team or an ally in trouble.
The Security Forces' First Response Team poured into the embarkation room from their ready room just outside the entrance. They were quickly joined by the rest of the SFs on duty. Now that SG-1 had confirmed that Apophis was very much alive, Hammond had issued the order for all SFs to respond to every 'gate opening, including scheduled ones.
"Lieutenant, any ID yet?" asked Hammond as he approached Simmons.
"Uh, no, sir, not yet." After a brief pause, Simmons said, "It's the Argosians, General."
Hammond frowned again. The Argosians were calling in two weeks early. The pit of his stomach curled into a tight knot. Trouble, he thought sadly. Though he had never visited Argos, he had come to like the inhabitants immensely thanks to the reports from the teams who checked on them and the conversations he personally had with them by radio. A quick glance at the microphone confirmed that the transmission would be heard in the 'gate room.
"General Hammond, are you there?" came an excited male voice through the stargate.
"Yes, I am. With whom am I speaking?"
The sigh that was unquestionably one of relief came through quite clearly. "General, this is Alekos. Please, will you allow Jack to come to his home here as quickly as possible? It is most urgent. There is not much time left."
"Not much time left for what, son?"
"For Jack to be here in attendance at the birth of his child! Please, hurry. The midwife says the time is near."
Struck dumb with shock and fury, Hammond could feel every eye of every SF and Simmons on him, watching him turn a fiery red. "Um . . . I make no promises, Alekos, but I'll do my best to get him there as soon as possible. Hammond out."
The general closed his eyes against all those still staring silently at him and took a deep breath. He searched his memory for the last time SG-1 went to Argos. The timing fit. Colonel, this better be a misunderstanding, or I'll be nailing your randy hide to the wall. "Lieutenant, call the desk on Level 11 and instruct the airman on duty to have SG-1 report back to me immediately." After a timid, "Yes, sir," Hammond grabbed the microphone. "Stand down, people. And no one"—he threw Simmons, known to be a major branch in the SGC scuttlebutt tree, a warning glare—"breathes a word about what you just heard. Is that clear?" He toggled the mike off. "Lieutenant, have someone from the armory bring a zat gun and three pistols in holsters—make one of those a shoulder holster—and four GDOs and radios to the 'gate room A-SAP. And find out who from SG-2 is still here."
"Yes, sir."
Hammond turned crisply on his heel and was back in his office in seconds. He punched the speed dial number for Doctor Fraiser's office so hard that he grimaced from the pain in his finger. "Ah, good, you're still here," he said brusquely when she answered. "Report to my office in ten minutes, ready to go off-world to deliver a baby."
"Sir?"
"You heard me, Captain."
"But, General, I'm not an obstetrician."
"You are today, Doctor."
II.
On the elevator ride back to Level 27 and Hammond's office, SG-1 had speculated what could possibly be urgent enough to cancel their first foray out of the mountain since Jack O'Neill's discharge from the infirmary. It would've been sooner had O'Neill stayed unconscious, thereby allowing Aldwin to finish using the healing device on the burn. But the contrarian colonel had summarily dismissed the Tok'ra and a skin graft was done to complete the treatment. The small graft was taking nicely, and Fraiser had finally allowed him up with the use of a cane and an elastic wrap on his knee to minimize movement. O'Neill hated both things, but he hated the thought of needing a second graft and being off the mission list even more. Just before the elevator door opened, Jack groused, "It better be really important. I'm starving."
Teal'c nodded and said, "As am I."
At the general's open door, O'Neill used the cane's handle to knock on the frame. "Sir, SG-1 reporting as ordered," he said cheerily to the back of his superior officer's head.
As soon as the general spun his chair around, the team knew something had greatly upset the man.
"Come in, SG-1," Hammond said brusquely.
Jack's good mood and hunger vaporized into nothing and was replaced by wariness. He immediately made the decision to use his military mouth, not the usual borderline insubordinate, smart-ass, and/or snarky—depending on the situation—one. "Uh, General . . . sir. What's the problem? Sir."
Hammond stood, squared his shoulders, and peered at the team across the desk from him, primarily focusing on the leader. "SG-1 was last on Argos almost nine months ago. Is that correct, Colonel?"
O'Neill furrowed his brow, wondering what the general was getting at. "Yes, sir, that sounds about right."
"Do you, and I mean all of you, stand by the completeness and accuracy of your reports on that mission?"
Sam Carter answered first with a confident, "Yes, sir!" Right on her verbal tail came Teal'c and Daniel Jackson's affirmative responses.
O'Neill stayed quiet, as he studied Hammond's face for some clue as to what was going on.
"Colonel, am I to take your silence as an admission that your report was . . . missing some important details?"
"No, sir, it's not. I stand by every word in my report. General, what's going on?" Jack began to get very concerned about what might be happening to the people SG-1 had grown to love and respect. "Is there a problem on Argos?"
"Not in the least, Colonel. They're fine. In fact, their population is about to increase by one. It's you with the problem."
Daniel shot a glance at Jack and smirked before looking down at his feet. Teal'c arched an eyebrow in amusement. Sam rolled her eyes skyward and fought to keep a straight face.
Jack sighed, a lost look on his face. "General, maybe it's the happy pills I'm taking, but I'm not exactly following you. I've got a problem . . . how?"
Daniel snickered. "Nine months, Jack," he whispered. "Baby on the way."
Jack craned his neck to look at Daniel, happy to take his eyes off the fuming general. "What. Baby? Who's having a baby?"
Hammond snorted in frustration. "I believe you are, Colonel."
All five heads turned to the sound of a loud gasp. It was Doctor Fraiser, dressed in scrubs and standing in the doorway, medical bag in hand.
Hammond nodded at Fraiser, then returned his glare to a slack-mouthed Jack O'Neill. "Kynthia is in labor at this moment and Alekos has requested that you be there for your child's birth. Unless it's not Kynthia and you've married someone else on Argos."
Recovering quickly, O'Neill said emphatically, "Well, I'm not the father! It's been, uh, two years since Kynthia and I made . . . uh, got married, sir." He made air quotes as best he could with the cane in one hand when he said "married." "It was just that once, and I don't even remember it. Well, most . . . some of it." He took a deep breath. "General. Nothing happened during that last visit, sir. I swear."
"General, we don't know how long pregnancy is for the Argosians," chimed in Doctor Fraiser. "Children have been born there in the last two years, but we haven't studied length of gestation. We've just assumed it's been the typical nine months. However, it is possible that the nanocytes might have altered-"
"Doc, you're not helping," O'Neill snapped without much bite.
Janet blushed lightly and said, "Yes, sir."
Hammond leaned forward until his fingertips touched the desk. "We'll discuss this . . . situation in greater detail on your return, SG-1. Right now, you are to go to Argos with Doctor Fraiser for the birth of . . . this baby. Give my congratulations to the mother. And don't bother changing clothes. Civvies will do this time. Dismissed." He punctuated the last word with a piercing stare at his second-in-command.
Daniel had to grab Jack, who managed to look dazed, doomed, and ecstatic simultaneously, by the elbow and pull him out of the general's office and to the 'gate room.
III.
A preoccupied and deathly silent Jack O'Neill quickly worked his way into the shoulder holster carrying the customary Beretta. He studiously avoided eye contact with everyone and only glanced fleetingly at the only two members of SG-2 on base as they ran into the 'gate room.
In the control room, Hammond flicked on the intercom switch. "Major Coburn and Captain Griff, one of you will remain at the stargate on Argos and the other will accompany SG-1. You will stay in constant contact with each other until your return to the SGC. Is that clear?"
Coburn gave his CO a precise salute. "Yes, sir!"
To Simmons, Hammond said, "Dial 'er up, Lieutenant."
Jack stood at the center of the ramp's base. The rest of the team formed a rear guard: Teal'c was one step behind on his right, Sam one step behind O'Neill on the left, and Daniel one step directly behind his friend, with Fraiser at Daniel's side. Coburn and Griff, aware of the tension but not understanding its source, dared not get any closer than a few steps behind SG-1.
The instant the exploding wormhole settled into a stable event horizon, O'Neill hobbled up the ramp at an energetic pace before Hammond could say, "You have a go, SGs 1 and 2." The last thing he heard before entering the wormhole was Fraiser's shouted admonishment to slow down and walk carefully.
IV.
Shaking off the split-second of disorientation on exiting the 'gate on Argos, Jack saw a fretful Alekos standing at the bottom of the steps. He started descending immediately.
The first Argosian SG-1 had met years before smiled broadly. "Jack! You must hurry. Hopefully the child is not yet born. Aricia the midwife is with Kynthia." He made to hug Jack once Jack stood by him, but the colonel's outstretched arm stopped him.
"Let's go, Alek."
"Yes, yes. Follow me, Jack."
Moments later, Jack heard the squish of the others exiting the stargate. He didn't look back, knowing they would follow without any prompting from him.
V.
The rest of SG-1, Fraiser, and Griff caught up with Alekos and the limping colonel at the outskirts of the village. The group slowed to Jack's pace, who kept moving without slowing at all.
"Welcome!" greeted Alekos. "Kynthia will be pleased Jack's Earth family is here with him for this happy event."
"Thanks, Alekos," said a slightly winded Daniel. "How long has Kynthia been in labor?" With no forthcoming answer from the native, he rephrased the question. "Uh, how long has Kynthia known the baby was coming?"
"I believe four birth dances ago, but I am not sure."
Daniel smiled at the appropriateness of the measurement. On Argos, time was measured by how long it took to do various activities. The birth dance, he had learned on SG-1's last visit, was performed five times during labor, which was exactly how long labor lasted for Argosian women, and was considerably longer than the marriage dance Kynthia had performed for Jack after he'd eaten the cake on the initial mission.
They entered the birthing commons. The design included a narrow path that opened up to an almost circular oval, like a cul de sac, with a high-ceilinged, one-storey building painted a warm tan. The whole thing reminded Daniel of a woman's uterus and birth canal. He wondered if this was intentional or coincidental, and why he hadn't noticed this before.
Outside the entrance to the building, ten men were dancing. Daniel assumed it was the birth dance. It struck him as odd that all the dancers were men. "Where are the women?" he asked quietly of no one in particular.
"Jack, hurry! They are almost at the end of the fifth. The child is almost here!"
Daniel noted that O'Neill put on a burst of speed and winced, presumably at the pull of the skin graft beneath the wrap. The archeologist chuckled as he watched his friend push through the dancers who hadn't noticed their arrival and rush into the building.
"Jack is here!" shouted Alekos at the men in the circle.
A heartfelt cheer arose, and all of them followed Jack into the building.
"Come, Jack's family," Alekos said as he stood at the doorway waving them in. "This child is yours as well."
Daniel's eyes narrowed slightly as he began to contemplate the possible meanings of what Alekos said. Maybe he'd get to do a little more cultural study of the Argosians this time, instead of the usual too-brief check-in to see if they were adapting to a longer lifespan and their physical needs were being met.
VI.
Though there were several people already in the room, O'Neill saw only Kynthia. Every square inch of her exposed skin glowed and her cheeks were rosy. Her lips frowned, baring her teeth in the pain of birth, but turned up in a bright smile that lit up her eyes as well the moment she saw Jack.
"Husband," she whispered joyfully through clenched teeth.
"I'm here, baby." Immediately, Jack made for the bench beside his Argosian "wife." Kynthia herself was sitting on the edge of a tall chair with a high back and a short seat that looked remarkably like one he had seen in a photograph in a book he and Sara had read when she was pregnant. As he dropped his cane and sat down, he took the hand she proferred him and kissed the palm. "You're doing great. You're so -"
The woman he presumed was the midwife, who was sitting on a lower chair and facing Kynthia, interrupted him. "Push hard now, first mother. The child's head is almost through."
Kynthia closed her eyes and pushed, squeezing Jack's hand ever so lightly. Then . . .
"It's a girl!"
It was at that moment that Teal'c, Janet, Sam, and Daniel jostled their way through the semi-circle of men watching the birth.
Jack felt them there, but said nothing, didn't acknowledge them in any way. Instead, he gazed at the radiance of the new mother and the squirming infant, already free of her umbilical cord and wrapped in a blanket, being passed to her mother.
Kynthia kissed the top of the newborn's head. "Welcome, our child. We have waited for you for many months and are full of joy to have you with us."
Daniel blanched when he thought it was possible, depending on how the passage of time related to gestation, that Jack may actually be the biological father.
"Jack, it is your turn to welcome our baby." Kynthia placed the child in Jack's waiting arms. She, along with everyone else in the room, watched Jack expertly and confidently take the baby and hold it close, with her head against his left breast.
Jack sighed contentedly as he gazed on the newborn, whose face and head were still covered with the fluids of birth, cradled in his arms. With a thumb, he tenderly stroked the baby's head. "Kynthia, she's beautiful. Just like her mother."
There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Jack had fallen in love with the new arrival.
Kynthia beamed. Already delivered of the afterbirth, she half-stood, ignoring the offer of assistance from Doctor Fraiser and Daniel Jackson, and moved to sit on the bench next to Jack. "Our child would be no less than beautiful, Jack, for she was made from much love." She kissed Jack's ear. "Now, as is the custom of our people, you as the first father will name our child."
Daniel perked up at the words "first father." Immediately, lots of questions popped into his head, along with recall of conception and birth beliefs on Earth.
"That's easy," said Jack without skipping a beat. "Riona. My grandmother's name."
"Pure," whispered Daniel. "It means 'pure' or 'queenly,' depending on the source."
Carter grinned, which finally started the tears rolling down her cheeks. "That's a beautiful name, sir."
Kynthia gave Jack a curious look. "'Grandmother'?"
"Uh, his mother's mother. Or father's mother," responded Daniel.
"Father's mother. It's a custom among my people, Kynthia, to name a child after a loved and honored one in the family."
Kynthia smiled happily. "That is a very good custom, first husband." Gently, she took Jack's chin with her fingers and turned his head until they were face to face. "I love you, first husband. Thank you for our baby." Then she kissed him. It was a tentative kiss at first, but it changed to one of mutual caring and genuine affection.
When the kiss ended, Jack and Kynthia touched foreheads. "I should be thanking you," he said.
Daniel looked to Teal'c and Sam, and saw in their faces that they were thinking the same thing he was: they had the rare privilege of seeing a very private Jack O'Neill with his guard down in a very intimate moment.
She smiled broadly and pulled away. "Jack, hold Riona so that each of her fathers may greet their new daughter."
"Uh, Kynthia," Daniel said, "what do you mean by 'other fathers'?" Jack said "Fathers?" at the same time Daniel did. Janet shook her head in disbelief and moved Riona around in Jack's arms so everyone could see the newborn. "And 'first husband'?"
Kynthia placed a gentle hand on the infant's head. Looking at each of the ten men in turn, she said, "Here is our daughter Riona. She will love and honor her fathers all the days of her life, as her fathers will love and honor her."
The birthing room filled with the sound of happy, joyful cheering. This was soon followed by the men kissing the head of Riona and the cheeks and lips of a glowing Kynthia and a stunned USAF colonel.
VII.
The next few hours were filled with dancing, singing, and feasting, with Jack, Kynthia, and Riona at the center of the festivities. Jack had quickly gotten over his paralyzing surprise and managed to prevent most kisses from finding their mark on his lips and without insulting anyone. Mostly, though, Riona held him completely captive. He only passed her to Kynthia for nursing and to the "other fathers" as they requested to hold her.
Daniel was frustrated during the celebration because no one would answer the many questions he had surrounding the Argosian beliefs on conception, marriage, and paternity. The only thing he found out was that a party of this magnitude was unheard of after the birth of a child, but was deemed fitting after the birth of this special child—one born of the man who opened their eyes and gave them life beyond a hundred days.
Being a bit more patient than Daniel when it came to discovering local customs, Teal'c, Carter, and Griff simply enjoyed themselves. Fraiser hovered close to the colonel to ensure he ate and drank during those rare times Riona was out of his arms.
VIII.
After the celebration, SG-1, Fraiser, and Griff wound up in Kynthia's residence. Kynthia had to convince Jack to give the baby to one of the five women accompanying them. Reluctantly, he gave her to Thetys, Alekos's wife. When she bared her breast and Riona latched on, Jack's mouth was not the only one to drop.
Daniel was the first to find his voice. "Uh, Kynthia, you called Jack 'first husband' and 'first father.' The midwife called you the 'first mother.' These, um, titles are new to us. Could you explain them to us?"
Kynthia smiled sweetly at the eager man sitting on the other side of Jack. "Of course, Daniel. Before a woman may make love, she must marry her first husband. I chose Jack as my first. Once they have made love"—Kynthia took Jack's hand in hers and squeezed it—"the woman may then take one or two more husbands. However, the woman must choose other men with whom to make love, because the milk of many men is needed to make a child."
"Oh," said Daniel in a small voice. When he saw Jack blush lightly, he said, "Jack, I think she means –"
"I get what she means, Daniel."
"And each child has more than one mother, too?"
"Yes, Daniel."
"Uh, why?"
Kynthia gave Daniel a look that seemed to question his intelligence. "A child needs the milk of many women to grow strong. And with many fathers and mothers, the child is sure to know only love and will never be lonely."
"So, it's kinda like the saying we have on Earth: it takes a village –"
"To raise a child," Jack finished.
Kynthia took a moment to consider the statement. "You understand, so this must be your way, too."
At that moment, the baby began fussing. Jack rose without preamble and took the baby back from Thetys. With a soothing coo, and holding her upright against his chest, he gently patted her back.
"So Riona has ten other fathers. Two of them are my other husbands." Kynthia smiled innocently. "Just as Sam has three husbands." She gestured to indicate the men of SG-1.
"I do?" Carter asked, shock and denial easily readable in her tone. Both of Teal'c's eyebrows reached for the sky, Daniel's body jittered with excitement, and Jack had that "What?" look plastered all over his face. Janet and Griff snickered in unison.
Kynthia was taken aback by Sam's response. "Of course!" she exclaimed with some uncertainty. "Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c are your husbands, are they not?"
"Uh, I'm not married to anyone, Kynthia." Sam could feel her face turning redder with each passing second.
"Please forgive me. I thought this was a custom we shared. And you are always together."
"When it comes to this sorta thing, Kynthia, we don't share many of your customs."
"Not necessarily, Jack."
"Daniel. What are you talking about?"
"Well, not everyone on Earth lives the way we do. Not even everyone in the U.S. lives like we do. But they do, even though it's illegal."
"I know that, Daniel."
"There are people, societies that practice something similar to this."
"Daniel," Jack warned ever so lightly.
"In fact, the Kulina of Brazil believe that babies are formed only when there is enough accumulated, um, milk from a number of men. And any woman can nurse the child, even if she isn't lactating. This way, the child is always provided for and secure and it strengthens the bonds of the community. And to have this particular family structure in a society where everything is plentiful is—"
"Daniel, can you spare us the National Geographic lesson for now? It can wait until we're back home."
Jack's tone and glare effectively closed down Daniel's mouth but not his brain. Examples of non-monogamous cultures and sub-cultures kept popping into his head. It was going to be a lot of fun telling Jack all about them, because he was confident that Jack would squirm with discomfort and embarrassment.
IX.
Griff nodded at the three men he had come to know as some of Riona's fathers lounging on ornate benches just outside the communal house where Kynthia lived. He entered and took a deep breath as he surveyed the scene in front of him.
The colonel and his "wife" dozed while they reclined together on her bed, baby Riona perched firmly on Jack's chest. The rest of SG-1 sat on the floor on Jack's side of the bed. Daniel leaned against the bed itself, Sam's head was on his shoulder, and Teal'c was near the foot, watching over his teammates and Kynthia.
On the other side were three of the other "mothers," napping as well. Each was on her own cot. He assumed they were inside so they could readily feed Riona when she got hungry. He thought that was a pretty darn good idea; it allowed the birth mother to get needed rest. Though from what he knew of the Argosians, they were a hardy bunch. Kynthia hadn't seemed tired or slowed down by childbirth at all.
Kynthia's housemates were present as well. Two couples were asleep in their beds, but one couple appeared to be engaged an intimate act—Griff just couldn't bring himself to call it anything else.
Oh,well, he thought, ifitdoesn'tbotherthenativesorSG-1,itdoesn'tbotherme. Then his neck felt as if it were on fire.
He took another deep breath and approached the team.
"Captain Griff," whispered Teal'c. "You have come with a message from Stargate Command, have you not?"
"I have. General Hammond says the party is over, and he really wants us back. No more extensions."
"I will inform O'Neill and the others. We will meet you in the temple in due time."
"Sure thing, Teal'c. See you in a few." He left, glad to leave the too-open expression of love or desire or lust behind.
Teal'c gently shook Carter and Jackson awake as he said, "O'Neill, GeneralHammond is insisting on our immediate return to Earth."
Jack came to full alertness quickly. The baby wriggled a little but quieted after a moment. Kynthia took longer to wake.
"Yeah, sure. Give me and Kynthia a minute, will ya?"
"Of course, O'Neill." Teal'c offered his hands to Sam and Daniel, which they took to stand.
"May I, Colonel?" asked Sam.
"Sure, Carter. You are one of my wives, after all." His tone was a touch sarcastic, but his eyes had a teasing glint in them.
Sam blushed lightly, laughed, then kissed Riona. "'Bye, baby girl. See you soon." She smiled affectionately at Kynthia. "And really, I'm not one of his wives."
This time, Kynthia laughed.
Daniel said nothing; he simply kissed both Kynthia and the baby. Teal'c dipped his chin to his chest and slowly raised it until he could clearly see Kynthia's face. "May you have many more children as beautiful as this one." He rested his hand delicately on Riona, his hand so big that it nearly covered her entire body. "Be well, child of much love." He took his and O'Neill's weapons before following his teammates out of the house.
For a long moment, Jack simply breathed in Riona's fresh, pure scent, committing it to memory and strengthening his connection to her. Leaving her was going to be one of the most difficult things he had ever done; in fact, he had known that from the second he had set eyes on her.
"Kynthia, I have to go. But I promise I'll be back as often as I can." He took the hand she had placed on his shoulder and kissed the palm. "Is that okay with you?"
Kynthia smiled brightly, happy affection apparent in her eyes. "Yes, Jack. You and our Earth family are always welcome in this, your home."
Jack kissed Kynthia's forehead, then Riona's, before giving the infant back to her mother. He rose to sit on the side of the bed for a few moments, until he found the mental strength to stand. He had to dig very deeply to find the strength to leave. There wasn't enough, though, to speak at all.
X.
Fraiser and O'Neill took the lead, walking side by side back to the temple. Everyone was quiet, but it wasn't uncomfortable, just circumspect. However, she couldn't help but grin, knowing she was going to get him off Hammond's shit list soon.
"So, Doc, you look like a kitty cat who just ate a canary. Does that mean you'll sing now?"
Fraiser caught Jack's drift and chuckled. "Yes, it does, sir. I have good news. I talked with several women who have given birth since Argos was liberated, as well as the midwife. I am certain that gestation is nine months, so you're not the father."
"Oh. That's good. That's a good thing."
Janet easily read the minute but discernible sag in Jack's body, saw he leaned more heavily on the cane, heard the unconvincing pronouncement of the situation being good. She felt miserable that she had just dashed her friend's hopes that Riona was actually his.
Daniel, walking behind them with Teal'c and Sam, sensed it too. He trotted until he was next to his best friend.
"Jack, do you remember what you said when Teal'c was trapped in the labyrinth on Cimmeria?"
"I said a lot of things. Anything in particular you want to reminisce about?" Some impatience came through in his voice.
"You told Teal'c, 'You're part of this family now.' But you were telling Sam and me that we're family, too." He paused to let the memory come to the forefront for Jack. "And so are Kynthia and Thetys and all the others. And Riona is your child, Jack, in the only way that really counts."
Jack gave Daniel a long, neutral look before facing forward again. They walked the rest of the way back to the 'gate in silence, each person aware of the sadness radiating from Jack.
As they entered the temple, Major Coburn stood and said, "I'll dial her up, sir." As he did, Jack looked at each member of his team.
"If I can talk Hammond into it, how about us being the team that checks up on the Argosians from now on?"
"I'd like that very much, sir."
"As would I, O'Neill."
"Could I be included, too?" asked Fraiser.
Griff raised his hand. "Me, too, Colonel."
The 'gate opened at that moment. Coburn entered his IDC and said, "Colonel, after you."
"No, Major, you take the lead. I'll take the six this time."
"Yes, sir."
Coburn went through, followed by Fraiser and Griff, Sam and Teal'c.
Jack and Daniel stopped just in front of the event horizon. Jack took a deep breath and pushed it out. "Let's go . . . home, Daniel."
Daniel heard all he needed to know about Jack O'Neill in the way he said "home"—that family was the most important thing to him, why he lived and fought and protected, why he was welcome on so many planets. For Jack, Earth was home, and so were Argos, Tollana, Abydos, Land of Light, and more because family was there, too.
Daniel smiled warmly. "Happy Father's Day, Jack." He bumped Jack's upper arm with his.
A smile slowly formed on Jack's lips. With his free hand, he ruffled Daniel's hair, then they stepped through the 'gate.
The End
This story in part was inspired by SexatDawn:HowWeMate,WhyWeStray,andWhatItMeansforModernRelationships by Ryan and Jetha. I suggest it if you're interested in a thought-provoking read.
Thanks to CoriKay, one of my trusted and excellent betas.
©2013