Lothar is released from the infirmary, and Jack decides to take her home with him, to keep her safe.
CHAPTER 11
All night long Jack tossed and turned in his sleep. He had a lot on his mind. Mainly the fact that Ba'al was coming to Earth and had some plans, but would not reveal them to him or Hammond. That worried him. He knew it had to be something bad. He knew all the Goa'ulds and what they wanted, but having had a personal experience with Ba'al, he knew this Goa'uld was more evil than the others.
As his alarm sounded, he reached over and shut it off. Despite he had gone to bed early, it seemed like a very short night, with all the tossing and turning he did during the night. But today was a new day. He turned his thoughts on Lothar. He hoped that she would be well enough to go home. He also promised Hammond that he would make sure that she was safe. Considering all that she had been through, he felt that it was his responsibility to make sure she was safe. He finally got up, and collected some clothes he had in his drawer in his quarters at the base, then headed for the shower. He quickly showered, shaved, and then got dressed. He brushed his teeth, then headed to the infirmary to check on Lothar. He hoped that Janet would release her so he could take her home. He knew she was getting anxious about leaving and wanted to go home.
As he walked into the infirmary, he noticed that Lothar was still sleeping. So he pulled up a chair beside her bed and sat down and waited for her to wake up. He hadn't had his morning coffee yet, and he was feeling the effects of not having that extra kick in the morning. But for now, he was more concerned for Lothar. Before he had left his room, he had picked up one of his crossword puzzle magazines he always worked on and decided to bring it with him. He decided he would work on a puzzle while he waited for Lothar to wake up. It was a good distraction, for when he had a lot on his mind. Not to mention, aside from listening to Sam, it was a good source of learning new words, and keeping his mind alert. He took out his pencil which he always used, and jotted down a few answers. As he sat in his chair, he was so absorbed in his puzzle that he didn't notice Lothar waking up.
Slowly she opened her eyes and saw Jack sitting next to her bed. Oh Jack, she thought, if you only knew. She looked at him. He didn't seem to notice that she woke up. She smiled when she saw him chewing his pencil, when he was thinking about an answer.
Then Jack looked at her. In a flash he saw another face smiling in that special way. But a moment later the image was gone. "Morning," he said. "How do you feel? Has Doc Fraiser given you the ok to leave yet?" he added.
She nodded. "She said, I could go home this morning," she answered him.
He looked at his watch. It was about eight thirty AM. He happened to think of breakfast. "Say, if you haven't had breakfast yet, we can go to the commissary. I haven't eaten yet either or had coffee. We can get something there," he suggested.
"I would like to have coffee," she admitted. "But I don't have clothes, mine are all messed up."
Jack nodded. He noticed that she was still wearing her hospital gown they had given her after her surgery. "Right. I'll see if I can't rustle up some clothes for you. I hope you don't mind our standard military issue. You won't exactly be a fashion plate, but at least you'll be dressed," he stated and smiled.
She smiled too. "That will be ok," she said. "I can always change my clothes at home, before I go to work." But then she remembered that she was expected to be there at eight AM. She saw that it was already eight-forty AM. "Oh no, I'm late. I had to be at the office at eight AM," she panicked.
Jack patted her hand. "Don't worry. I'll explain everything to Rick. I'll give him a call while you're getting dressed. Don't worry. He won't fire you," he assured. He got up from his chair, and handed her his crossword puzzle. "Here, you can work on number twelve. I seem to be stuck on that one," he remarked. He looked her over for a moment, then smiled. "I guess you're about Carter's size. I'll go see if I can find something," he stated. He turned and walked out of the infirmary to get Lothar's clothes.
Lothar stayed behind with the puzzle. She looked at number twelve. She smiled again when she saw his answers on a few other questions. Answers, which had the necessary letters, but were totally wrong.
After a few minutes, he came to the supply room and found some standard SG women's clothes that looked to be about the same size as Sam and Lothar. He even found some boots, and socks that he hoped would fit. He wasn't sure about the underwear, so he thought maybe Sam could help with that. He collected the clothes he had and headed back to the infirmary. On the way, he happened to see Sam walking down the hall. He walked up to her and smiled. "Hey Sam. How's it going?" he greeted.
Sam nodded and smiled. "It's going ok. How about you?" she asked.
Jack sighed. "Not too bad. I was just taking some clothes to Lothar. I'm glad I saw you. I need some help. Do you think you could get Lothar some underwear? I'm not too good in that department," he said a bit modest.
Sam noticed the clothes he was carrying and nodded. "Don't worry. I'll check the supply room and bring her some. Is she still in the infirmary?" she asked.
Jack nodded. "Yes. Just bring them there. She'll be glad to get them," he stated. Sam nodded and smiled. "I'll be glad to sir. See you later," she replied.
Jack nodded. "Thanks Sam. I don't know what I'd do without you," he said in earnest.
Sam nodded and smiled. "You're welcome," she replied. Jack nodded, then headed back to the infirmary. Sam walked off and went to the supply room to find Lothar's clothes.
Lothar was up for a while and had a good night rest. Because her own clothes were messed up with blood and dirt, Jack was bringing her some Airforce clothes. Now she was waiting for him, so she could return home and back to work again. She wondered what Jack would say about Cliff, when Rick would notice that his sauna chief didn't show up. For herself, she had decided not to tell him anything about what happened. She didn't want to make it more complicated, than it already was.
Not long after Jack had arrived with Lothar's outfit, Sam returned with some underclothes. Jack looked at Sam and smiled. "Nice. Perfect timing," he remarked.
Sam looked at Lothar. "How are you feeling? I hope your shoulder is better," she said with concern.
Lothar nodded. "Yes, it is." She looked at Sam. "Can you show me where I can get a shower?"
Sam nodded. "Yes of course. Here at the SGC, everyone uses the same locker room, but the women have certain times that we can use it. I happened to check a few minutes ago. At the moment, no one is there, and I can take you there and show you where the showers are," she informed.
"Ok," Lothar said. She got up from the bed and took the Airforce clothes from Jack. "Thanks for bringing, Jack," she said. Then she left the infirmary together with Sam.
Jack watched them leaving. He frowned. There was something about that woman. Something familiar, but he couldn't explain what. He shook his head. Maybe he was just imagining things. Then he left the infirmary too and went to the commissary to get some breakfast. Jack sat in the commissary eating his usual bowl of oatmeal. He normally had fruit loops but after awhile he decided that oatmeal was better. He had a cup of coffee beside his bowl too, and had taken a few drinks of that after eating a few spoonfuls of oatmeal. He even found a small glass of Jell-O to eat as a side dish.
While he ate, he kept thinking that there was something familiar about Lothar and how much she reminded him of his late wife, Sha're. He missed her terribly. Ever since the police had told him that she had been killed in that mob hit, his life wasn't the same. He was a single parent now, and he had focused all his responsibility on their children. Now he had to be both mother and father to them, and it was hard. But now he had managed to try to make things as normal for them as possible. Sometimes, he still needed help and having someone like Sam and Janet around to answer his questions, helped him cope with the problems of raising his children. He quietly sighed, and ate his oatmeal. Luckily he had found a good daycare for them to stay in while he worked. That relieved a lot of his responsibility, and he could concentrate on his work. Besides that, the kids could stay at night too at the daycare for emergencies like the evening before. But normally he tried to be at home with them.
A little later Sam and Lothar came in to have their breakfast. They took some toast and coffee and then joined Jack at the table. Lothar looks good in the Airforce clothes, Jack thought, just like Sha're did.
Lothar noticed the look in his eyes when she sat down. Carefully she laid a hand on his. "Something wrong, Jack?" she asked him.
He slightly blinked. "No, I'm fine. I was just thinking how lucky I was that I got the right size on those clothes. I'm usually not a good judge of sizes when it comes to women's clothes," he replied a bit modest. He noticed how good she looked in her black tee shirt and army green pants. "You look nice," he said and smiled.
"Thank you," she answered and smiled back. Then she saw the puzzle magazine beside his plate. "Did you get any further with your puzzle?" she asked.
He looked down at the puzzle and noticed some of his answers had been changed but he still had more empty blocks to fill. He looked up from the page at Lothar. "I noticed you changed some of my answers. Were they wrong?" he asked.
She laughed. "Completely! When they asked for a scientist, you answered Uma Thurman. Didn't know she was a scientist too."
Jack laughed. "She's not, but I think she's hot," he replied.
Sam glanced at the puzzle and noticed he had put the wrong answer for a chemical called Boron. "Sir, you put moron, in place of Boron," she corrected.
Jack felt a little disgusted and handed the puzzle to Sam. "Oh here! You finish the puzzle. You're so smart!" he grumbled.
Sam laughed. "Sorry, you're on your own. It's your puzzle, sir," she teased.
Jack sighed. "I'll do it later," he gave in. He picked up his spoon and finished eating his oatmeal.
Lothar ate her toast. Then she remembered that Rick could be worried. "Did you call Rick yet?" she asked Jack.
Jack finished the last bite, then wiped his mouth. He briefly frowned. "Damn! I knew there was something I was supposed to do. I'll get on it right away," he replied. He took out his cell phone, and quickly punched in Rick's number. He hoped he could catch him in time.
Rick sat in his office working on some paperwork, and noticed the time. He was getting worried. He hadn't seen Lothar all morning. He had a feeling that something was wrong. He was about to call her when his cell phone rang. He took it out and answered it. "Rick here, who's calling?" he answered.
"Rick, glad I got you. Jack here. I'm calling you to let you know that something came up, and Lothar won't be at work today," he replied.
Rick suddenly got that bad feeling again. "Is she ok?" he asked.
Jack decided that he needed to tell Rick in person about what happened to Lothar. He would never believe it over the phone. "She's fine. She's just feeling a bit under the weather. I'll give you the details later when I see you," he stated.
Rick sighed. "Ok. But tell her I hope she feels better. And give her my best," he stated. He still wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew Jack would fill him in.
Jack smiled. "Thanks, I'll do that. Talk to you later," he ended.
"Ok. Take care," replied Rick.
They hung up, and Jack smiled. "There. You're in the clear and Rick gives you his best," he informed.
She nodded. "Thanks Jack." She finished her breakfast a few moments later. "Could you bring me home?" she asked him. "I need to call someone to replace a new door."
Jack nodded. He happened to think of Siler, and looked at Lothar. "Say, that guy Siler in the bar... he's really handy. He could fix your door for you and it wouldn't cost you anything. I could call him if you want," he suggested.
"That would be very nice, I would be glad if I had a new door." But then she looked scared again. "I don't know if I'll ever feel safe again there," she said quiet.
Jack nodded. "I've been thinking about that. I think it would be a good idea if you stayed with me for awhile. We can stop by your place, and you can pick up whatever you need," he suggested. He looked at his watch. "Thinking of picking up... I need to pick up my kids at the daycare and pick up a few things at the store. I haven't been to the store for awhile and my cupboards are starting to look bare," he stated.
"Maybe I can come with you?" Lothar said. "I would like to see the kids," she explained.
Jack nodded. "Sure. They like it when someone comes over. They get tired of hearing me all day," he joked.
"Oh really?" she said smiling. "I wonder why," she teased him. Then she stood up from her chair and waited for him.
Jack got up from his chair and looked at Sam. "Thanks for helping Lothar. I'm not really good at things like that," he said.
Sam stood up, and smiled. "You're welcome. Anytime," she replied. She looked at Lothar. "If there's anything you need, just let us know," she insisted.
"I will, Sam. But I think Jack will take care of everything now." She waved at Sam and then she left the room together with Jack. The elevator to bring them up was already there, so they stepped in. Jack punched the button that would bring them to the surface.
End of chapter 11
Jack decides that Lothar should stay with him and the children. However, the moment Lothar sees the children, she has begins to remember how it was with her, Jack, and the children.
CHAPTER 12
A few minutes later they were at the parking lots, and walked to Jack's car. Lothar didn't say much. She was thinking about Jack's kids.
"Do you miss her?" she suddenly asked him.
Jack was briefly taken off guard. He had his mind on other things. "What?" he asked.
"Do you miss her," she asked him again.
He finally realized who she was talking about and nodded. "My wife..., yes of course! It's been really hard on the kids, but we manage. I've learned to do a lot things that I never had to do before. Things like laundry, dishes, etc. The things women do when their husbands aren't home. But I finally got it down to a science," he smiled.
"I'm glad to hear that," she said. "And the kids? I guess they miss their mother a lot," she said.
Jack nodded. "Yes. They really do. We talk about her all the time, so it's not like she's really gone. We have good memories of her," he replied. He opened the passenger side of his door and gestured for Lothar to get in. "We'd better go. I don't want to be late picking them up," he said.
Lothar stepped in the car and put on her seatbelt.
Jack stepped in and did the same. Then he started the car and drove from the parking lot to the exit. The soldier at the gate saluted him. He saluted back and drove in the direction of the daycare. They didn't talk during the ride. Lothar watched him driving, hoping that he wouldn't notice how nervous she felt. Her heart pounded faster with each mile they got closer to the daycare.
They finally arrived at the daycare. Jack looked at Lothar. "You're welcome to come in. Since you're with me, they don't mind if you come in," he said.
"I would love to," she said. She stepped out of the car. She had a hard time controlling herself. She was so looking forward to seeing them. Jack got out too, and shut the door. They walked inside the daycare and Jack walked up to the desk.
A tall slender woman with dark hair, and nice features wearing a floral dress approached the desk and smiled. "Hello Mr. O'Neill. How are you?" she greeted.
Jack smiled. "I'm fine. I'm here to pick up my children. Are they ready?" he asked.
The woman smiled. "Yes, but you need to show some ID. Despite that we know you, it's procedure," she stated.
Jack nodded. "Ah yes. I'm quite familiar with procedures," he said in his usual tone. He took out his driver's license and showed it to the woman.
The woman looked at his driver's license, then looked at Lothar. "Is she a relative?" the woman asked with interest.
Jack shook his head. "No, but she's a friend. Is it ok if she goes in with me?" he asked.
The woman nodded. "Well, since she's with you, I think it would be all right," she replied.
Jack nodded. "Thanks. And don't worry, she loves kids," he stated.
The woman nodded. "That's nice," she replied. She looked at Jack. "Before you go in, may I remind you that we don't allow firearms in the facility." She knew about his occupation and was concerned for the children.
Jack nodded and took out his sidearm and handed it to the woman. "Sorry. I forgot," he said a bit embarrassed.
The woman carefully took his sidearm, and put it in a safe place, then pushed a button near the door. A buzzer sounded, and she gestured for Jack and Lothar to go in. "You may enter now. The children should just be finishing their lessons and they should be in their rooms. I'll inform their teachers that you're coming," she stated.
Jack nodded. "Thanks," he replied. He looked at Lothar. "Well, let's go," he stated and smiled.
They walked through the doorway, and down a long hall. Jack looked at Lothar. "Sorry about the interrogation. Their security is almost as tight as the SGC," he joked.
She nodded. At the end of the hall was a closed door. Jack knocked and went in. Immediately two boys and a little girl ran to him. "Daddy!" the boys shouted both at the same time. The little girl pulled at his pants. In her arm she held a light brown teddy bear. Jack lifted her up and took her on his arm. "Hey sweetie, wanna come home with daddy?" The little girl nodded. Then Jack gave the boys his attention. "Hey guys, come on. Let's go home. Say goodbye to Ms. Sally." The boys turned both to their teacher and waved at her. "Bye!" they said. The female teacher smiled when she saw the happy kids. "Bye kids, see you on Monday."
Lothar stood a bit aside from them and watched the kids. The boys were about 4 years old now. But it looked like they were not identical twins. One had the brown hair his father used to have, the other one's hair was black. And it wasn't only the hair that looked different. The brown-haired boy was a bit taller than the other one. And she knew what the reason for that difference was. The girl had long dark hair and looked pretty. She should be two and a half now. Tears came into her eyes when she saw the kids. She blinked to hide them.
Jack carried Serena in his arms and the boys followed him and Lothar to the front desk so Jack could collect his sidearm. As they approached the desk, Jack put Serena down, then looked at the woman. "I'm here to pick up my sidearm," he informed.
The woman nodded. "Wait here," she replied. She turned and went to get his gun. Serena looked up at Lothar with curiosity and pointed. "Who dat daddy?" she asked. Jack looked at Lothar and smiled. "Her name is Lothar. She's going home with us today. Is that ok?" he asked. Jona and Evan smiled. "Is she going to be our new mommy?" asked Evan. Jack almost choked and coughed. "No, no. She's just a friend. She's just visiting," he replied a bit embarrassed.
Soon the woman came to the desk, and handed Jack his weapon. She looked at him serious. "Here you are Mr. O'Neill. In the future, we would appreciate it if you left your weapon in the car the next time," she stated. Jack nodded. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again," he promised. The woman nodded. "Very well. Have a nice day," she replied. Jack nodded, then picked up his sidearm, and quickly put it in the holster inside his coat. He picked up Serena, and held her in his arms. "Well kids, let's go," he said.
As they walked out to the car, luckily Jack had brought the car seats for the children. He took them out of the trunk, then quickly fastened them in place in the back of the car. He looked at his children. "Ok guys, you know the drill. Hop in and buckle up," he ordered. Jona, Evan, and Serena immediately got into their designated car seats, then Jack made sure they were buckled in. When he was finished, he gave them all a kiss and smiled. "I sure did miss you guys. We need to stop by the store before we go home. If you think of anything you want, be sure to tell me," he said. Immediately they all said. "ICE CREAM!" Jack chuckled. "Right!" he replied. He made sure the back doors were closed and locked, then looked at Lothar. "You can tell they're my kids all right," he joked.
Lothar laughed about the reaction of the kids. "I guess all kids like ice cream," she said. "Maybe you could bring me home first, so I can get some clothes together. And then pick me up when you're finished?" she said. But in fact she needed to be alone for a while. Seeing the kids made her more upset than she had expected.
Jack happened to think of Lothar getting her clothes. "I promised Hammond I would keep an eye on you. Me and the kids can wait in your apartment while you get your clothes. I hope you don't mind if they come with me. They're very well-behaved. I promise they won't break anything," he stated.
Lothar looked at the kids and smiled at them. All three were sitting quiet in their seats. Serena smiled back at her. Lothar sighed. "Ok, if you promised the general, then you had better come with me. And I don't mind the kids in my apartment. You're lucky to have them," she said.
Jack looked at his children and smiled. "Yes, I am. They keep me grounded in more ways than one. Not to mention very busy. But we have fun times too," he replied. He smiled at Lothar. "Thanks for letting them come with me. That's very kind of you," he replied. He helped Lothar into the car, then shut the door. He walked around to the driver's side, and got in. He buckled his seatbelt, then put the key into the ignition, and started the car. He looked at Lothar. "Seatbelt," he stated as he noticed she hadn't buckled her seatbelt.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot," she said. Quickly she buckled her seatbelt. She hadn't paid attention. She kept thinking about the kids. Oh, how she had missed them. And she couldn't tell them.
Jack nodded. "It's ok. It's just a habit. When you're a parent, you start telling people how to do things. Just ignore me if I start correcting you or cutting your food up for you," he joked.
She smiled at him. "Don't worry, Jack. I will play deaf if you start correcting me. But I don't mind if you cut my food up," she said serious. She looked at him and saw the look of disbelieve on his face. She started to laugh. "Sorry, I was only joking."
Jack shook his head and laughed. "Thank God. But I wouldn't mind a bit. I'm used to it," he assured. He shifted the car into drive and headed out of the parking lot. He turned the car in the direction of Lothar's apartment, then headed down the road.
As they drove down the road, Jona and Evan happened to see a burger place they liked and smiled. "Daddy...can we go to Chuckie Cheese on da way to Wofar's pwace?" Jona asked. Jack looked at the clock on his dashboard and noticed it wasn't quite lunch time yet. "Let's wait until after. By then it will be lunch time. We can go there before we go to the store. How's that?" he replied. Jona and Evan nodded. "Ok." replied Jona. It was obvious they weren't too thrilled by that idea, but they were willing to wait. Serena started to cry. The poor little girl had wet herself all over, from head to toe. Evan who was sitting close to Serena, noticed her wet dress, and looked at his father. "Dad... Seweena just peepeed and made a big wet spot on her dwess," he informed. Jack shook his head. "Oh man!" he groaned. The little girl kept crying. Jack glanced up in the rearview mirror at Serena. "Don't panic baby. We'll stop and get you some clean clothes. Don't worry." he assured. Serena was hungry too.
"Let's get my stuff quickly and then drive to your place," Lothar offered. "I can take care of Serena, while you go back to the groceries." Jack looked at Lothar surprised. "Are you sure you don't mind? I don't want to trouble you," he said a bit modest.
"No way," she convinced him. "She's such a sweet kid. And I think I can handle the boys too," she said.
Jack thought for a moment. "I don't know. That's a bit much. I might take the boys with me. They're good shoppers. They help me pick out what they like for dinner. Not to mention, I promised I would take them to get a hamburger," he replied. He thought about Lothar and Serena. "I have an idea. I'll just get some burgers to go, and bring back everything to my place and we can eat our burgers at home. Then I can go to the store," he decided.
"That sounds good," Lothar agreed with him.
A few minutes later they reached Lothar's apartment. Jack parked his car besides Lothar's and stepped out. Lothar got out too and helped Serena out of her seat, as if she'd never done anything else. After Lothar had taken Serena out of the car, Evan and Jona unbuckled their seatbelts, then they too got out of the car and closed the doors. Once everyone was out of the car, Jack locked all the doors with the automatic door lock on his keybob. "Wow little girl, you're all wet. And I don't think I have anything to replace your dress. But let's go see what we can do about your wet clothes right?" said Lothar when she noticed how wet Serena was. Hearing the familiar voice calmed Serena a bit.
Jack noticed how calm Serena became when Lothar held her. He thought that was interesting. Serena was usually shy with strangers, but she seemed to like Lothar. "I think she likes you," he remarked and smiled.
"I admit... I like her too," Lothar replied. "In a strange kind of way... I feel... I feel as if... I'd be carrying my own child."
Her remark seemed to pique Jack's interest. He wondered if maybe she had left some children behind when she was forced to change her identity in that witness protection program. He knew how stressful that could be on people, especially if there was family involved. Leaving everyone you had ever known and loved behind, and being forced to acquire a new identity, was hard to accept. He had a feeling that Lothar was still having difficulty adjusting to her new life and still missed her loved ones whom had she left behind. For now, he decided not to question her. She had a lot on her mind as it were and so did he.
They all went into Lothar's apartment. Lothar took a towel and dried the little girl. "It's not much I can do, sweetie," she said. "But I promise you that when we get home... I mean your daddy's home, I'll get you some clean clothes, ok?" Serena nodded. She snuggled up against Lothar's chest, and started to suckle her thumb. Lothar had to struggle to fight the tears back. She did her best to keep her breath even. I never thought I'd feel like this, she thought. If Jack only knew! But I have to keep my promise and hide the truth, at least for the time being.
While Jack and the boys waited for Lothar and Serena, Jack instructed the boys to sit on the couch and wait. He thought that was really nice of Lothar to let them wait in her apartment. Not everyone liked children, but he was lucky that he had friends who liked children, and especially his children. So he was glad that Lothar liked children too. She seemed to have a way with them too. Even Serena didn't mind Lothar holding her. He thought that was cute the way his little daughter snuggled up to Lothar. He remembered how she used to do that with Sha're. It had been a long time since the children had been around a woman for any length of time. At least not on a permanent basis. Oh yes, their teachers were women, but that was different. It wasn't like having a mother around. Several times Jack had thought about getting married, but due to his job, and all the responsibilities that came with it, marriage just never seemed to enter the picture. Not to mention, he still missed Sha're, and wasn't quite over her death. He couldn't bring himself to replace her, not now. He sighed, and looked around the apartment. He never had time to look around before. He was too busy rescuing Lothar. It was a nice apartment. It was small and just the right size for one person. She managed to have a few decorations setting around, the kind of decorations women scatter about their homes to make it look feminine. He thought of their own house and smiled, as he thought of how Sha're had managed to sneak in some of her own decorations along with his, to make their house look more like a home, instead of just a place where you ate, slept, came home from work, and watched TV. He remembered all the shopping trips they used to go on to buy things for their home, and even after the children were born, they bought things for them.
As for buying for the children, he never had any problems buying clothes for the boys. He could always find clothes that little boys wore. But buying for Serena took a bit more thought. He wanted her to look like a little girl. Sha're always knew what to pick out, but now that she was gone, Jack sometimes had trouble finding just the right outfit that was cute for Serena. He wasn't used to frilly clothes, but he wanted to make sure that his daughter wore something that was feminine. Sometimes he would invite Sam along to go with him, so she could help him pick out some clothes for Serena. So most of the clothes his daughter had were due to Sam. He had to admit, for someone who had a degree in computer science, she was good at picking out clothes for little girls. Serena always looked cute in her little outfits. He had also learned how to fix her hair to keep it out of her eyes. He often used different colored plastic hair bands to push back her hair, and sometimes he would wrap her ponytail up with fancy colored elastic scrunches that all the little girls loved. She was his only daughter, and he wanted her to look pretty. She was pretty anyway. She looked a lot like her mother. She had her mother's dark eyes, and dark hair. The boys on the other hand, were a handsome pair. He had to admit they looked like him. But they had a little of their mother's features too. He sat down on the couch beside them, and picked up Jona and sat him in his lap. He looked at both of them and smiled. "So, what did you guys do in school today?" he asked. Evan was the first to speak as always. "We went on a field twip to a museum," he informed. Jack nodded. "That sounds like fun. What did you see?" he asked. Jona looked at his father and smiled. "We saw some dinasawers, and fossols," he stated. Jack smiled. "Cool!" he replied. "I got to bwing home a dinasawer bone, daddy," Jona informed. Jack looked interested and smiled. "Way cool! Can't wait to see that," he replied. He looked at Evan. "What did you get?" he asked. Evan smiled. "I got a T-Wex!" he replied looking very proud. Jack nodded and smiled. "OOOH that's totally cool," he replied. He looked at the boys and smiled. "Well, it sounds like you guys had a really fun day today," he replied.
At that moment Lothar came back. A suitcase in one hand and Serena on the other. She had managed to dry Serena's dress a bit and had washed the girl. "Sorry, I don't have clean clothes for her. I never counted on the fact to have a little girl here in my apartment," she said.
Jack looked up and stared for a moment at Lothar and Serena. There was something familiar about the way they looked. It was like they had been together for a long time. He slightly blinked, and decided he was just having another flashback, or maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part. He nodded and smiled. "That's ok. She has plenty of dresses at home. No problem," he replied. "I really do appreciate you letting me bring them here," he said again.
She shrugged. "That's ok, Jack. But if you don't mind, I don't want to stay here." She showed her suitcase. "In here is everything I need for now. Thank you, that you want to let me stay at your place." She walked up to Jack. "We better get Serena home, so I can change her clothes," she continued.
Jack nodded and smiled. "It's no trouble, really. I'll call Siler and have him come here and get your door fixed. That way no one will break in while you're gone," he replied. He put Jona on his feet again and stood up. "Come on, boys and girls, let's go home." The boys ran from him out through the hallway, and waited by the door. Jack took Lothar's suitcase, while she took Serena on her arm. Together they left the apartment to go back to Jack's car.
Jack made sure the boys stayed close as they walked to the car. He had taught them about being safe while walking through parking lots, but sometimes he had to remind them. "Heads up guys, and look sharp," he reminded. The boys looked around then proceeded to the car. Jack unlocked the car with the button on his keybob, then opened the trunk so he could put Lothar's suitcase inside. He put her suitcase in the trunk, then closed the lid on the trunk. He opened the doors, then helped his children into their car seats.
When everyone was inside and secured he shut the doors, then opened Lothar's door for her. She stepped in and buckled up her seatbelt. Jack stepped in at the driver's seat. When he buckled up his seatbelt he looked at Lothar. "I promised the boys burgers, so if you don't mind we'll get those first. We can eat the burgers when we get home."
Lothar nodded. "That's ok," she said.
Jack started the car and soon they were on their way. Halfway they stopped to get the burgers and then Jack drove to his house. Lothar's heart was pounding faster than normal. In her mind she went back in time. Same man, same car, same kids. Only she was a different person back then. She saw the familiar road again. The farms they were passing, the forest and at last the house at the lake. It felt like coming home again, after a very long time.
End of chapter 12
Lothar suddenly finds herself trapped by memories of her and Jack, and reality.
CHAPTER 13
Jack pulled into the driveway, and stopped the car. "We're home, at last," he announced. He got out, then helped the children out of the car. He made sure he got all the bags of burgers he had ordered. He made sure he got enough for everyone. He even got a kids meal for Serena, and the boys. They always enjoyed getting those little toys they put in. He unlocked the trunk, and helped Lothar carry her suitcase into the house. Once they were in the house. Jack set the suitcase on the floor, then set the bags of burgers on the table. Immediately the two boys started taking out everything in the bags. Jack held up his hand. "Hold it! I don't see anyone washing their hands," he said in a firm tone. The two boys frowned. "AWW. But we're hungry!" Jona grumbled. Jack nodded. "I know, but first things first," he argued. Jona and Evan sighed, then went to wash their hands. While the boys were getting cleaned up, he looked at Lothar. "I'll get Serena changed. Would you mind getting out some paper plates and cups? They're in the pantry there." He pointed to the pantry in the kitchen.
She nodded. She put Serena down. "Go with your daddy, sweetheart," she said with a smile. But her heart cried. She hated to let the little girl go. Then she went into the kitchen. She took out the plates and cups. She looked around. Nothing had changed here. Everything was still in the same place as she had left it, the evening before the nightmare started. She went back to the other room and put everything on the table. She looked at the fireplace and saw that their wedding picture was still on the wall there. She walked up to it and looked at it for a while.
As Jack was changing Serena, she hugged his neck and smiled. "I wike Ms Wofar. She wikes me too," she remarked. Jack gave her a hug and smiled. "I'm glad baby. That's nice," he replied. Serena looked at her daddy. "You wike Ms Wofar too?" she asked curious. Jack nodded. "Yes. She's very nice," he replied. He tried not to sound too interested. He didn't want Serena to get any ideas that he was thinking of getting married. When he had finished dressing her, Serena looked at him curious. "Can she be our mommy? I wike her," she asked. Jack felt his heart sink, and shook his head. "I don't think so, honey. We don't know her very well. Besides, she might not want children right now," he explained. Serena looked sad. "AW. Dats too bad," she replied. Jack nodded. "That's the way it is. But right now, we need to eat. I bet you're hungry," he said trying to change the subject. Serena nodded. "Yeah!" she replied. Jack kissed her cheek, then picked her up. They went to the bathroom and washed their hands, then came back to the living room.
As they walked into the room, Jack noticed Lothar looking at his and Sha're's wedding picture. "We're back," he announced. Lothar didn't notice Jack. She was thinking back at the day they got married. It had been a warm day in August. Jack was looking great in his Airforce uniform. She had a lovely white dress and a bouquet of white, yellow and red roses. She remembered the man who married them, the guests, the presents, and the big party afterwards. She tried to fight back her tears. She wondered how long she could keep this façade up. How long could she hide her true self from Jack. How long would it take before he would find out who she really was?
Jack noticed Lothar had the table set, and looked at her. "Nice job on the table. I hope you like burgers," he said a bit modest.
"Yeah, I like them," she said and turned to the table. "But I'm not that hungry at the moment. I'm sorry," she apologized. "If you will excuse me? I'd like to be alone for a while." Without waiting for an answer she went outside, to the place at the lake where she used to go before. Tears ran over her cheeks.
Jack stayed behind with the kids, totally confused. He suddenly got worried when she left. He wasn't sure what was wrong. Maybe she was still feeling the stress of being alone in a new place. Or maybe it was the after effects of being attacked by Ba'al. He got the children some juice, and fixed their plates. He noticed her looking a little sad and thought maybe she needed someone to talk to. Jona and Evan noticed her behavior and looked at their dad. "What's wong wif Ms Wofar?" asked Evan. Jack shook his head. "I don't know. I guess she's just tired. You kids eat your burgers, and I'll go see if she's ok," he said. They nodded, then went ahead, and ate their burgers.
Jack walked out of the house and saw her by the lake. He walked over to her and looked at her with concern. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly. She didn't turn around to him. Instead she stared over the lake. "Just leave me alone...," she whispered. She couldn't tell him what was wrong. "Please..., go back to the kids... don't leave them alone..." Like I did, she thought.
Jack felt sad. He always hated to see a woman cry. He wasn't sure if it was him or something else. But he had a feeling it wasn't him. He put his hands in his pockets and looked out over the lake trying to think of something to say. After a few minutes he finally spoke. "Look, I know it's been hard on you trying to adjust to this new life of yours. You must really miss your family. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know," he said with compassion.
She sat down on the ground, wrapped her arms around her knees, and laid her head on her knees. Her shoulders shook while she cried. All the things that happened the evening before. It all had brought back memories. Memories she tried so hard to forget. When she met Jack yesterday in the bar, she had thought that she could handle seeing him back again. But she hadn't counted on seeing the kids again, seeing how they had grown over the last two years. To see what she had been missing.
Jack felt helpless. He never was good at situations like this. But his heart went out to this poor woman. He seemed to sense that she felt lost and confused at the same time. Knowing what she had gone through, he knew right now, that she needed a friend. Not to mention, he couldn't just leave her sitting there all alone. He glanced back towards the house and could see through the sliding glass door, that the children were still eating their lunch. He sighed, then sat down beside Lothar. He took out his handkerchief, and handed it to her, then put his arms around her and held her in a comforting embrace. "It's ok. Sometimes I feel like crying too," he said in a sympathetic tone. He could still feel her body shaking as she cried and tenderly stroked her hair. "It's going to be all right. I promise," he assured.
As he held her in his arms, he wished there was something more he could do to ease her mind, but for now he decided that just being there for her, was good enough.
When she felt Jack's arms around her, she calmed down. His hand stroking her hair, his soft voice. The warmth of his body against hers. It all felt so safe, and she missed that so much. "I'm sorry," she said between two sobs. "I just missed them so much..." She sniffed and looked up at him. And I missed you too, but I can't tell you that, she thought.
Jack nodded. "It's ok. I understand. I know you must be going through some hard times. But if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm a good listener," he assured.
She laid one hand against his cheek. "Thank you, Jack. I will remember that," she said.
As he looked into her eyes, that familiar feeling came over him. He wasn't sure what it was, but he suddenly felt this strange urge to kiss her, but he decided against it. She didn't need that right now. She just needed a friend. He just looked at her and smiled. "You're welcome," he replied. He slowly got up, then helped Lothar to her feet. He looked at her with concern. "Are you going to be all right?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes, I feel better now," she assured. Then they heard noises coming from within the house. "Go inside, the kids need you. I just need a few minutes on my own." She saw him hesitating. "Go," she whispered. "I'm fine."
He nodded and smiled. "Don't forget, we still have burgers in the house," he reminded.
"I won't forget them," she promised. Jack looked at her for a moment, but then he went into the house again, to see what the noise was all about.
Lothar stayed behind and watched him go inside. She sighed. She had noticed the look in his eyes when he was holding her. As if he remembered another time, but at the same place.
She remembered it just too good. It was between the birth of the boys and the pregnancy from Sheryl. They had a fight about the boys, and she literally had stormed out of the house. She couldn't stand being with him at that moment. Then, when she was sitting there outside, he came to her and apologized. He had wrapped his arms around her in the same way he had done now. Oh if she could just turn back the clock. And to prevent that she would see the murder. Then she wouldn't have to be in the witness protection program and Jack wouldn't have to bury an empty coffin. But she knew that was impossible. She took a deep breath and went inside too.
As Jack walked into the house, the scene was total chaos. He had to restrain himself from beating the crap out of the boys. They had been arguing and had thrown French fries everywhere, and Serena was crying. Jack glared at the two boys in anger. They were still arguing right when he walked inside. "All right! Hold it right there! What's going on here? I can't leave you guys alone for one minute!" he shouted.
Jona and Evan pointed to one another. "He did!" they replied glaring at each other. Jack managed to get himself under control and sighed. "Ok. I don't care who started it. I want both of you to apologize to each other and then to your sister. Then I want you both to go to your rooms and don't come out until I tell you," he ordered.
The boys looked at Jack in disbelief. "But he started it!" argued Jona and pointed an accusing finger at Evan. Jack shook his head. "I don't want to hear it! Just do what I say," he argued. Jona and Evan sighed. They looked at each other. "I'm sorry," replied Jona. "Me too," replied Evan. Jack nodded. "Now go to your rooms," he ordered. The boys sighed, then turned, and went to their rooms. As they walked away. Jack gave a parting remark. "And I don't want to hear another word out of you two," he added. He went over and picked up Serena, and held her in his arms. "It's ok baby. Those nasty boys are gone," he said in a calm tone. He noticed her toy on the floor, then sighed. He picked up a toy that was on the table, and handed it to the little girl. "Here, you can play with this one. I think yours got broken," he stated. Serena sniffed, and took the toy. "Jona bwoke my toy," she cried. Jack kissed her cheek, and gave her a hug. "It's ok. I'll get you another one," he promised. He looked at the mess on the table, and sighed. "Why don't you go play in your room, and I'll clean up this mess," he said. Serena shook her head. "I want to go outside," she replied as she looked out the window and noticed Lothar was still outside. Jack nodded. "Ok. But stay in the yard, and just play on your swings where I can see you," he said. Serena nodded. "Ok daddy," she replied. He put her down, then wiped her eyes, and blew her nose for her. When he was finished, Serena turned and trotted out the door. Jack sighed once more, and started cleaning up the mess on the table.
After a few minutes, he finally got the table cleaned up and picked up the toys off the floor. He felt so embarrassed that the boys picked this time to misbehave. They hardly ever argued, but now that they were older, their tempers were shorter and he kept having to put them in time out more often. He had to admit that he was like that when he was their age, so he guessed they got that from him, poor kids.
Luckily the burgers he had bought for him and Lothar had gone untouched. He went in the kitchen and got a tray, then walked back to the table, and put their food on the tray. He noticed Lothar was still outside, so he picked up the tray with their food, drinks, and napkins, then carried the tray out to the picnic table. He set the tray on the table, then looked at Lothar. "Hope you don't mind. Inside was a little messy so I thought we could eat out here," he stated.
"No I don't mind at all," she said without looking away from Serena. She watched the little girl swinging. She seemed happy at the moment. She sat down at the picnic table and waited for Jack to sit down too. Jack sat down to the table and took a drink of his juice. He sighed once more. "Sorry. Had some trouble with the boys. I don't know what gets into them sometimes. They act like they don't have a brain in their heads. A lot like me I guess," he said a bit sad. He slightly blinked then started eating his burger.
She laughed. That was so true what he said. At least Jona was a lot like his father. For Evan, she wouldn't know for sure. But he also had HIS father's temper. But it was better, that the boy wouldn't know who his real father was. Jack swallowed the burger in his mouth, then took a drink. He wiped his mouth, then looked at Lothar. He noticed she wasn't eating. "I don't blame you. They're not very good. But the boys insisted I buy them," he apologized.
"I'm sorry Jack, I was thinking and watching Serena," she apologized. "And I'm not really hungry at the moment." She looked from Serena to Jack, "Why don't you go to the store and buy some vegetables and meat for tonight's dinner? I could cook for all of us. And don't worry, I can handle the kids when you're gone," she said when she saw that he wanted to refuse her offer.
Jack thought for a moment. "I don't know. The boys were really bad. I would hate to leave you alone with them. Maybe I should take them with me," he said in defense.
"And give them what they want?" Lothar shook her head. "That is just what those two want, to go with you. Don't give in this time Jack. Leave them home and I'll make them stay in their rooms. As it is for me, they don't come out, until it is time for dinner. And don't you have to go to the office? You can't take them with you there."
Jack looked at Lothar with surprise. It was as if she knew just what to do. He decided that having a family herself she was used to situations like this. She didn't seem to be fazed by the boys behavior. He thought for a moment, then nodded. "Are you sure you'll be ok? I do need to talk to Rick about what happened. He's going to wonder what happed to Cliff too. I'll have to think of something to tell him. I can't tell him he's a Goa'uld. He won't understand it," he replied trying to think of something to say to Rick.
"Just tell him that he came drunk to my place, and that you arrived just in time," Lothar said. "But don't tell him that you had to shoot me, just tell him that I will be at work on Monday morning." Jack thought for a moment. "Good idea. That would work," he replied. He thought about the boys. "I'll tell the boys that they're staying here. I'll make sure they don't give you any trouble," he replied. He looked at his watch. "They don't need to stay in their rooms that long. They can come out before I leave. Just make sure they don't make a mess," he stated. He finished his burger and drink, then looked at Serena. "I'd better tell Serena where I'm going. She doesn't like it when I just leave. She gets upset," he stated. He got up from the table, then walked over to the swings where his little daughter was swinging.
Serena had just finished swinging, and was about to go slide on her sliding board. Jack playfully snatched her up, and grabbed her around her waist. Serena squealed with delight as her dad swung her around, then gave her a warm hug and a kiss. He gently put her down, then knelt down in front of her. He put his hands about her shoulders, then smiled. "Hey baby. I just wanted to let you know, that I have to go into town for awhile, but I'll be right back," he explained.
Serena looked at him with curiosity. "Where you gowin?" she asked.
Jack sighed. "Well, first of all, I have to go talk to Uncle Rick about something, and then I'm going to the store to get us something for dinner," he explained.
Serena nodded. "Can I go? I want to see Uncle Wick too," she replied a bit excited.
Jack shook his head. "Not this time, honey. Maybe this weekend Uncle Rick can come over and see you. I'll ask him," he replied.
Serena nodded. "Ok," she replied. She looked at Lothar then looked at her father. "Is Ms Wofar gowin too?" she asked a bit anxious. Jack shook his head. "No. She's going to stay here with you and your brothers. Don't worry. She'll take good care of you," he assured.
Serena nodded and smiled. "Ok!" she said a bit more cheerful. She liked the idea of Lothar taking care of her.
Jack kissed her cheek. "Ok. I need to go tell your brothers where I'm going. But you be a good girl while I'm gone," he stated.
Serena looked at him with curiosity. "Will you bwing me a toy, daddy?" she asked.
Jack nodded and smiled. "I sure will, baby. I'll write that on my list," he assured.
Serena hugged her father, and kissed his cheek. "I wuv you daddy," she replied and smiled.
Jack kissed her cheek and gave her another hug. "I love you too," he replied. He looked at his watch, then looked at Serena. "You can play on your swing set for a few more minutes, and then you have to go inside, ok?" he stated.
Serena nodded. "Ok daddy," she replied. Jack stood up then patted her on her back. "Have fun!" he said and smiled. Serena nodded then went to play on her sliding board.
Jack sighed, then walked back over to Lothar. He looked at her and smiled. "I told Serena where I was going, and I told her that she could play outside for a few more minutes, then she had to go inside," he stated.
Lothar looked at him. "Why? Let her play outside if she wants. It's a beautiful day, and I will keep an eye on her. And the boys, when you let them out."
Jack nodded. "You're right. You know what? I'll let those two monsters free for now. But at the first sign of trouble you send them back to their rooms ok?"
"I promise," Lothar answered him.
Jack looked at his daughter for a moment and then he went back inside to Jona and Evan. "Ok guys," he said when he opened the doors of their rooms. "You both can go outside. And behave! I will be gone for a while, but Ms Lothar will keep an eye on you. So don't let me hear about misbehavior when I come back." He looked at his sons. "Well? I'm waiting for an answer," he said. The boys looked ashamed at the floor with bowed heads. "Yes daddy," they said quietly. That was all Jack wanted to hear. He went down on his knees and hugged them both. "Now go outside and play. And be nice to your sister. I'll be back soon." He kissed his sons and then he let them go outside. When he passed the kitchen he saw Lothar writing a note. He walked up to her and saw it was a shopping list. "Chicken, salad, dressing, corn," he read from the list. And that was only the top of it.
"I noticed that your fridge was almost empty," she explained. "And the kids will love this. And besides, this is everything we need for the weekend. I know it is quite a lot, so you better go. And don't forget a toy for Serena." She gave him the list. When he took the list from her, it felt as if it always had been that way. He looked down at her. When she looked at him, she suddenly laid a hand in his neck and pulled his head down. Carefully she kissed his lips, just for a moment. Then she let him go. "Be careful," she whispered.
As Lothar kissed him, he was once again, reminded of that familiar feeling. She was a total stranger to him, and yet, there were things that she did, that reminded him of Sha're. He glanced at her list once again and studied it. For some reason, her handwriting resembled Sha're's. But it had been awhile since he had read anything she wrote. He put the list in his shirt pocket, and looked at her a bit surprised. "What was that for?" he asked.
"I... eh... don't know," she stuttered. "I'm sorry... I didn't want to... embarrass you," she said. She couldn't tell him, that she wanted to kiss him. To feel if it would be the same as she remembered.
He looked at her and smiled. "It's ok. I'm not embarrassed. I was just surprised. You don't have to be sorry," he assured. He quietly sighed. "Thanks for watching the kids. I really appreciate that," he said in earnest.
She nodded. "That's ok," she answered. "Now go, I need those groceries and you also promised to see Rick. He has a right to know what happened. Or at least the censured version of it."
He thought for a moment, then nodded. "Right. Yes, I guess we shouldn't say too much about what happened. He wouldn't understand. That was a good idea you had about what to tell Rick. Let's just hope he believes it," he stated.
"I hope so too, but you just can't tell him the real story. He has never heard of Goa'ulds or Tok'ra. And he certainly never had seen one."
Jack smiled. "Yeah, you're absolutely right."
Together they went outside. "I'll be back soon," Jack told her. Then he looked at the kids, who were making sandcastles in the play sand and smiled. He saw Lothar looking at them. "Have fun with the kids. They seem to like you," he remarked and smiled.
"I'm glad they do," she said smiling. Then she turned her attention to the kids again. Jack stepped in his car, and then buckled up his seatbelt. He started the engine, then slowly drove away, from his driveway. A few moments later he was gone and Lothar was alone with the kids.
End of chapter 13
Jack begins to have strong feelings for Lothar. In the meantime, he finds a way to tell his cousin Rick about the incident with Lothar and Cliff.
CHAPTER 14
As Jack drove to town, he still couldn't shake that familiar feeling he felt when Lothar kissed him. It was as if it were Sha're who had kissed him. But that was impossible. She was dead. He had stood there by the open grave, and had watched them lower her coffin into the ground. His mind flashed back to her funeral. The coffin had been closed during the service. They had told him that she had been beaten beyond recognition before they had killed her, and wanted to spare him anymore pain. They even showed him blood tests that proved that it was Sha're who had died, and had other tangible evidence that proved that it was his wife. He signed the necessary papers then they proceeded with the funeral. He was glad that the coffin had been closed. He didn't want the children to be upset anymore than they already were. He wanted them to remember her the way she was. He wanted to remember her that way too.
After the funeral, he made sure that he kept everything the same. He tried to make life as normal as possible for the children. That was important. He still kept pictures of her setting around to remind him and the children, that she had been a very important part of their lives. However, he had donated some of her clothes to charitable organizations that provided clothes for people who couldn't afford to buy them. He didn't think she would mind. That's what he had always loved about Sha're. She was a very caring and giving woman. Always wanting to help people in need. Everything else, that they had bought together, he kept. He couldn't bring himself to give away everything. He needed those things as a reminder of how much he loved her, and how much he missed her.
He slightly blinked, and cast his mind back to Lothar. He thought considering all that she had been through, he couldn't get over how well she seemed to get along with the children. He guessed having a family of her own, she was used to all the chaos and confusion that went along with having children. Despite all that, the children seemed to enjoy being around her as well. Especially Serena. He had never seen her get attached to anyone so quickly as Lothar. Serena was usually shy and sometimes hid behind him when anyone new came around. But she seemed to take to Lothar right away. He was glad about that. For some odd reason he was glad to have her around. He was used to doing everything himself, and it was good to have someone who was familiar with running a house, to help him out. Not to mention, it was nice to have another adult to talk to for a change. He quietly sighed, and continued on his way to Rick's office.
After about an hour, he finally came to the entrance gate of the company. He pulled up and stopped, then smiled at the guard at the gate. "Hey Joe. Would you tell Mr. Anderson, that I'm here to see him?" he informed. Joe nodded. "Hey Mr. O'Neill. Sure thing. I'll let him know you're here," he replied. Jack nodded, then Joe picked up the phone and called. Rick. "Hey Mr. Anderson. Mr. O'Neill is here to see you," he informed. "Hey Joe. Thanks. I'll be waiting," replied Rick as he sat at his desk. He hung up, then waited for Jack to arrive. Joe looked at Jack. "Go ahead, Mr. O'Neill. Mr. Anderson is waiting for you," he informed.
Jack nodded. He drove past the gate, and into the parking lot. He quickly found a place to park, and stopped his car. He got out, and locked his car. He made his way to the elevator, and punched the button. A few minutes later, the elevator doors opened and Jack stepped in. He punched a number that would take him to the upper level and to where Rick's office was. The doors closed then Jack rode up to the main floor. A few minutes later, the bell dinged, and the doors opened. Jack stepped out of the elevator car and walked down the long hallway to his cousin's office. As he came to Rick's office, he knocked on the office door.
Rick looked up from his desk, as he heard the knock on his door. "Come in," he replied.
Jack opened the door and walked in. "Hey Rick. How's it going?" he greeted.
Rick stood up and walked around to greet Jack. He held out his hand and smiled. "Hey Jack. It's going good. Nice to see you," he replied.
Jack shook Rick's hand, and smiled. "Good to see you too," he replied. They finished shaking hands then Rick gestured to a chair in front of his desk. "Have a seat," he offered. Jack nodded and sat down.
Rick leaned back against the front of his desk, and put his hands in his pockets as he gave Jack an expectant look. "So, what's this I hear about Lothar? You said you'd fill me in. Not to mention, I haven't seen Cliff all day either. What's going on with him? He hardly ever misses a day of work," he stated with concern.
Jack remembered about what Lothar had said, then finally answered. "Rick, there's something I have to tell you. You probably won't believe this, but something happened last night at Lothar's place," he began.
Rick suddenly got that bad feeling again as he listened to Jack. "What happened?" he said in a worried tone.
Jack quietly sighed. "Well, last night about seven, I went to Lothar's apartment to talk to her about something we had discussed at work. When I arrived, I knocked on the door. All of sudden, I heard her screaming. I got worried, and broke down her door. I got inside just in time to see Cliff getting ready to rape Lothar. Not only that, he had a knife to her throat and was about to use it when I pulled out my gun, and shot him," he recounted.
Jack was right. The minute he finished his story, Rick looked at him in disbelief. "Good God! That poor woman! She must have been terrified," he replied with concern.
Jack nodded. "Yes. She was pretty shook up. But she's all right now. In fact, I told her that she could stay at my place this weekend," he stated.
Rick nodded. "Good. That's really nice of you to do that," he replied. He thought about Cliff, and looked at Jack with concern. "Whatever possessed Cliff to do a thing like that? He's always been a gentleman, and I've never heard any bad things about him, since he's been working here. You didn't kill him did you?" he asked.
Jack shook his head. "No. I just winged him in the shoulder. He's at the hospital now. I could smell liquor on his breath, and it was obvious that he had been drinking quite a bit," he stated.
Rick shook his head and sighed. "What a shame! I just can't believe Cliff would do such a thing. It's obvious that I don't know him as well as I thought," he said with regret.
Jack looked at Rick with compassion. "Don't blame yourself, Rick. It wasn't your fault. You had no idea. But the main thing is that Lothar is all right and she's safe," he assured.
Rick nodded. "You're right. I agree. I suppose Lothar will be pressing charges against Cliff for attempted rape," he stated.
Jack shrugged. "Well, she hasn't mentioned that yet. Right now, she's just taking it easy, and is watching the kids while I came to talk to you," he explained.
Rick looked at Jack in amazement. "Say, she must be an incredible woman after going through all that and then taking care of the children too," he remarked.
Jack nodded. "Oh yes. She's pretty amazing all right," he agreed. He felt bad about not telling his cousin the real reason for Lothar's and Cliff's absence, but he knew that it was for the better. At least for now. Hopefully later he could explain things better when he had more information. He slowly got up. He looked at his watch and then looked at Rick. "Well, guess I'd better get going. I was on my way to the store, and wanted to stop by to let you know what was going on," he stated.
Rick nodded. "I'm glad you did. Just out of curiosity, did you call the police about this?" he asked. Jack shook his head. "No. Not right away. I had the paramedics take Cliff to a private facility. I was afraid the press might get wind of this and put it in the paper. I was trying to keep this as private as possible. I didn't want to upset Lothar anymore than she already was. I thought I would wait and see if she was going to press charges and then I thought we could talk to the police about it," he replied.
Rick thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Yes. That sounds like a good idea. She's been through enough already," he agreed. He looked at Jack with concern. "I'm really glad you got to her apartment in time. Good job, Jack," he stated in earnest. He stood up straight and sighed. "Tell Lothar if there is anything I can do to help, just let me know. I know some lawyers that can help, and we'll get this situation settled," he offered.
Jack nodded. "Thanks Rick. I'll do that," he replied. He happened to remember what he had told Serena. "By the way, I told Serena that you might come to see her this weekend. So I have a feeling that she's expecting you," he stated and smiled.
Rick nodded and smiled. "Well, I'll be sure not to disappoint her. I always enjoy seeing my favorite niece. Wylie just got home from visiting a friend, so I'll ask her if she would like to come with me. And I have a feeling that she'll say yes," he said.
Jack nodded. "That's great. Serena will love seeing both of you. And the boys will too. I'll be sure to tell them," he replied. He glanced at his watch once more, then looked at Rick. "Guess I'd better go. I need to get back before dark," he stated.
Rick nodded. "Ok. Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate you telling me all this. I'm glad Lothar is all right," he stated once more. Jack nodded. "Me too. You're welcome," he replied. The two men, shook hands once more, then said good-bye.
Jack sighed, then walked out of Rick's office. He seemed to think that Rick believed him, at least he appeared to. Now he could concentrate on getting his groceries. He walked down the long hallway to the elevator. He punched the button and waited for the doors to open.
A few minutes later the doors opened, and Jack stepped inside. He punched a button that would take him to the parking lot. The doors closed, and he quietly rode the elevator to the parking lot. The elevator finally brought Jack to his floor. The bell dinged, and the doors opened. Jack stepped out of the elevator, then walked to the parking lot to his car. He finally arrived at his car. He unlocked the door to the driver's side and got in. He shut the door, and buckled his seatbelt, then put the key in the ignition, and started the car. He backed out of the parking spot, then turned the car, and headed to the front gate. As he approached the front gate, he briefly stopped the car, and waved to the guard. "Have a good weekend Joe," he parted. Joe nodded and smiled. "Thanks. You too, Mr. O'Neill," he replied. Jack nodded, then drove out of the gate. He turned the car, then headed to the store for his groceries. It was quite a distance to the grocery from where he worked, so it took awhile to get to the store.
After about an hour, he finally arrived at the store. He pulled into the parking lot and quickly found a parking spot. He parked his car, then got out, and locked it. He made his way across the lot and into the store. He found a shopping cart at the entrance of the store, and pulled it out, then pushed it into the store. He briefly paused to take out his list, then proceeded to fill his cart. He happened to remember that they needed some cereal. He pushed his cart down the cereal aisle, and selected some cereal that Serena and the boys liked. He tried not to get the kind that was filled with sugar, but something that was healthy and good too. He put the boxes in his cart, then found a box of oatmeal for himself. He went to the produce section and found some fruits and vegetables that looked good, and found some different kinds of lettuce and spinach, to make a salad. He checked his list again, then proceeded to the bread aisle. He found some whole wheat bread for sandwiches and toast, and even bought some blueberry muffins too. He and the kids especially liked those. He went to the meat section and bought some chicken and pork. He even went to the seafood section and found some fresh salmon, and flounder. He knew the kids liked fish, and he hoped that Lothar did too.
He looked at his list again and happened to remember that he needed a few things from the bath section. He pushed his cart to that section of the store, and found a few things he and the kids needed. He happened to remember that they needed some toothpaste and bought some for him and the kids. He even bought some kids shampoo and bubble bath too. They loved taking bubble baths. He bought some shave cream, and shave lotion for himself, and some razorblades too. He bought some bath soap and deodorant for himself too. He happened to see some different types of shower gel and thought he would get some for Lothar. He checked out the different bottles to see what they smelled like and found one that smelled fresh and clean, so he put that in his cart.
Luckily this was the type of store, that had a toy section. He wheeled his cart over to the toys, and looked around until he found a pretty little rag doll that had a soft plush body, and that Serena could sleep with. It was a cute doll, with yellow yarn hair, and a floral print dress with ruffles. He picked it up and put it in his cart. She liked cuddly things and he knew she would like this. He looked over the items in his cart, and looked at his list too. He happened to think that they didn't have any popcorn so he wheeled his cart over to the snack section and found a box of natural microwave popcorn and put that in his cart. He also went over to the dairy section, and bought some milk, juice, eggs, and yogurt. He happened to remember that the children wanted some ice cream. He found a box of their favorite ice cream, and put that in his cart. He looked over his cart and decided that he had everything on the list and a few things more. He picked up a few other things that they needed and then finally made his way to the check out.
Luckily there wasn't a long line and he didn't have long to wait. Not to mention, he was in the check out aisle where you could check out your own items and scan your card. When it was his time to check out, he scanned all his items, and put them in bags, then put them back in his cart. When he was finished, he scanned his credit card, then took his ticket. He put his card and ticket back in his pocket, then pushed his cart out of the store and over to his car. He quickly unlocked the car, then started loading everything into the trunk of the car.
After a few minutes, he emptied the cart, then pushed it over to the section where they park the empty carts. He walked back to his car, and closed the trunk, then unlocked his car and got in. He quietly sighed, then put his key in the ignition, and started the car. He backed out, then turned, and drove out of the parking lot.
It was a fairly warm day, so he hoped that he could get home before the ice cream melted. As he drove toward home, he hoped that the boys were behaving and not giving Lothar any trouble. He knew that sometimes they could get a little nuts but most of the time, they were good. He knew Serena would be all right. She hardly ever caused any trouble. But then again, she wasn't as old as the boys, and her temper wasn't as short. He was glad about that.
After about an hour, he finally arrived home. As he pulled into the driveway, he honked the horn, to let Lothar and the kids know that he was home. He hoped that Serena liked her doll. She always liked toys she could sleep with. He stopped the car, and turned off the ignition, then put the car in park. He got out and walked to the back of the car and opened the trunk, then started taking out the groceries.
Inside the house Serena looked up when she heard the horn honk. "Daddy's home!" she said happy and ran outside. Lothar laughed about the girl and followed her, to help
Jack unload the trunk. She was aware that she had given him quite a list. The boys, who were playing in Jona's room, stormed out too and almost run over Serena. Lothar was just in time to pick up the little girl. "Hey you two, be careful with your sister!" Lothar said a bit angry. "She almost fell on the ground." Jona and Evan came back to Lothar and Serena. "We're sorry," Jona said. "Indeed," Evan filled in. In spite of their behavior Lothar had to laugh when she heard Evan's answer. "Looks like you both have spent too much time with Teal'c," she said, while she put Serena back on her feet. "Go on, go help your daddy."
As Jack saw the children approach, he smiled. "Hey guys. Have I got a load for you! Grab a bag or two. This could take awhile," he stated.
Serena ran up to him and hugged him. She looked up at him. "Did you bwing me a toy?" she asked. Jack picked her up and smiled. "I sure did! And I just know you'll like it," he replied. He gave her a kiss, and put her down. "I wanna see!" she said really excited. Jack laughed. "Hold on. You can see it when we get in the house," he replied. Serena sighed. "Ok!" she replied.
Lothar walked up to the car. "Let me help you," she said and reached out for two of the bags. She took the groceries to the kitchen and started to put them away in the fridge and other places. She knew her way around in the kitchen. She noticed that Jack hadn't changed anything and she was glad about it. Wow, she thought, this was enough to feed a complete football team.
Jack carried in quite a few bags and put them on the kitchen table. He happened to notice how well Lothar managed to find where everything went, yet this was the first time she had been in his house. He watched her putting away the groceries, and briefly smiled. "Say, you learn pretty quick," he remarked.
She hadn't heard him come in and looked a bit guilty over her shoulder at him. "Yeah, guess I am a quick learner," was the first answer that came up to her.
Jack nodded. "I'll say. You seem to find your way around pretty quick. Guess it's one of those women things," he remarked. He remembered there were more bags outside. "I'd better get those other bags. I got some ice cream too. Don't want that to melt," he stated. He turned and went to the get the other groceries.
She smiled and went on putting away the groceries. Soon the car was empty and everything was put away in the right place. But then Lothar thought of something. "Jack," she started. "Where am I suppose to sleep? It seems to me that you don't have a spare room..."
Jack thought for a moment. "Oh well, that's not a problem. You can take the main bedroom. I'll take the couch," he decided.
Lothar looked at him. "I can't do that, I can't let you sleep on the couch," she said. "Maybe I can sleep there."
Jack shook his head. "Nonsense. You're a guest. I insist. Besides, I'm used to sleeping on the couch. Sometimes I have nights when I can't sleep, so I usually end up on the couch," he replied.
"Ok, if it is no problem for you." She took her suitcase and went into the main bedroom. She put her suitcase on the side of the bed, where she used to sleep. Then she sat down and looked around for a long time. Even here in this room nothing was changed. Only a few recent pictures of the children were hanging on the wall, but for the rest all had stayed the same. It was odd to be back in this room, this house, where she had been so happy for a few years. She saw the doll on the nightstand. It was a doll that she got from a girl, during an off world mission. The girl had noticed that she was pregnant, even before she knew it herself. She picked up the doll. It was meant to be for Sheryl, but she had never been able to give it. She sighed and placed the doll back on the nightstand.
Jack put all the empty bags in a bin to be recycled for later. He happened to think that he had not changed his sheets for awhile, and went to a linen closet in the hall and got some clean sheets, and pillow cases. He carried them into the bedroom, and put them in a chair. He looked at Lothar. "Sorry. I brought some clean sheets and cases for the bed. I haven't changed it in awhile. I don't want my guest sleeping on used sheets," he said a bit modest.
Lothar got up from the bed and put her suitcase on the ground. "No problem, I will change them for you. I'm glad I can do something in return for your hospitality," she answered him.
Jack looked at her and smiled. He noticed she seemed a bit tense, and a little nervous. "Just relax and make yourself at home. I'll be glad to help you with those sheets. I need to run some laundry anyway. You know how it is with kids. Seems like every day is laundry day," he joked. He pulled off the top covers, then started taking off the sheets, and pillow cases. Lothar remembered how they used to change the sheets together. And often it ended in a pillow fight. Almost automatically she started to put on the clean covers and pillow cases. She tried to ignore Jack. Being with him in the bedroom made her more nervous then she wanted to admit.
As they made the bed, Jack suddenly laughed. "You know, it's funny... every time Sha're and I used to make the bed together, we used to have these pillow fights. I really miss that. We had some good times together," he reflected a bit wistful.
She lifted her head up surprised and looked hopefully at him. Did he recognize her? Or was it just a memory. No, he couldn't recognize her. She had been away for such a long time.
Jack looked a bit embarrassed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," he apologized.
She shook her head. "No, it's ok," she said. "I'm glad you have good memories of your wife." But when they almost finished changing the sheets, she picked up a pillow. "If you want a pillow fight, you can have one," she said in a challenging way and threw the pillow towards him. Jack caught the pillow and laughed. Then suddenly he felt a little sad. All those memories came flooding back. He held the pillow in his arms for a moment, then carefully put it on the bed. He picked up all the dirty linen, then looked at Lothar. "Well, guess I'd better go start laundry. Not to mention, I need to find something for dinner. If you have any ideas, just let me know," he stated. He gathered the linen in his hands, and walked out.
Lothar sat down again, pulled one leg up, and wrapped her arms around it. She let her chin rest on her knee. She felt sad. It looked like she had upset him, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. But when they were changing the sheets together, it was as if she was back two years ago. She totally forgot who she was now. She only knew, that she was together again, with the only man she had ever loved. Now she realized that it was a mistake to accept his invitation to stay for the weekend. It was better that she would go back to her apartment, but she didn't know if the door was fixed yet. Maybe she could try to stay out of his way as long as possible.
End of chapter 14
Lothar reflects upon her life with Jack as Sha're, and remembers her terrible ordeal with the system lord Ba'al. Later she helps Jack with dinner.
CHAPTER 15
Jack had finally collected all the dirty laundry, and had sorted it out according to color, hot and cold water, gentle, and regular cycle. He started up the washer, then put in some of the children's clothes. He put in the necessary amount of soap, then shut the lid to the washer. As he stood in the laundry room, he suddenly felt guilty for being so rude to Lothar. She was being her usual friendly self, and he had to go and throw a wet blanket on everything. But the moment she tossed him that pillow, it seemed to open up a floodgate of memories. Memories that were so near and dear to him. He quietly sighed and decided that he would try to make it up to Lothar somehow. He directed his thoughts to what they could have for dinner. He remembered that he had bought some fresh salmon, and had remembered a recipe he had for grilled salmon.
While the clothes were washing, he went into the kitchen and looked for his special recipe for his salmon. As he studied the array of cookbooks they had he suddenly felt a small hand tugging on his pant leg. He looked down, and saw Serena holding the doll he had bought for her in her arm and smiling.
"You got me a dauwy," she said excited. Jack looked down at her and smiled.
"Yes I did. Do you like her?" he asked.
Serena nodded and smiled. "Uh huh! Her's pwetty!" she replied and hugged her doll close against her.
Jack nodded and smiled. "Aw I'm glad you like her. What are you going to name your new dolly" he asked.
Serena thought for a moment. "I fink I name her Saywa!" she replied.
Jack nodded. "Sarah. That's a pretty name. She looks like a Sarah," he agreed as he studied the doll's features.
Serena nodded. "Uh huh," she replied.
Jack kneeled down, then looked at Serena, and smiled. "I'm glad you like her," he said once more.
Serena put her arms around her father's neck and hugged him. "Tank you daddy," she replied and kissed his cheek.
Jack hugged Serena, and smiled. "You're welcome, baby," he replied. He parted from their hug, then looked at her. "I need to find something for dinner. You and Sarah go play," he suggested.
Serena nodded. "Ok," she replied. She hugged her doll, then trotted off to the living room.
After Serena left, Jack returned his attention to his dinner. He finally found his recipe book and opened it up. He looked through the book until he found his recipe for grilled salmon. It was a very simple recipe. He noticed that you just combined brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and honey in a bowl then mix that up. Then with a brush you put that on the salmon. He thought that sounded really good. He read where you removed the bones first, then put on the glaze. He put a marker in his book, then set the book on the counter. It wasn't quite time for dinner yet, and he had to let the salmon thaw a bit before he grilled it. He turned and took it out of the freezer, then put the fish in the fridge, to thaw. Hopefully before dinner time, it would be ready.
He happened to remember that he hadn't called Siler about fixing Lothar's door. He took out his phone book with his list of personal numbers he kept by the phone, then looked up Siler's number. When he found it, he took out his cell phone and dialed Siler's number.
It rang a few times, then a few minutes later Siler finally answered his phone. "Hello!" he answered.
Jack smiled. "Hey Siler. Jack here. Hate to bother you, but I need your help," he stated.
"What's up Jack?" he asked. "Well, something happened that Lothar's door at her apartment got messed up, and I was wondering if you could go over there and fix it so no one would break in," Jack stated.
Siler thought for a moment, then answered. "Sure. No problem. I'll have to go over to her apartment and get some measurements, but it shouldn't be a problem," he stated.
Jack smiled. "That's great. I'm sure the people at her apartment could fix it, but they might charge her an arm and a leg. But I told her that you could fix it for nothing. Just send me the bill and I'll take care of everything," he stated.
"Will do Jack. In fact, I can go over there right now and get those measurements and go find the right door. I know a hardware place that sells those kinds of doors. It shouldn't be a problem," he stated.
Jack smiled. "That's great. I really appreciate that," he replied.
"No problem, Jack. I'll keep you posted if I run into any snags," he assured.
Jack nodded. "Ok. Thanks. Oh yes. I'll give you the address of her apartment and her apartment number," he stated. He looked in the phone book and found where she lived, then told Siler.
Siler wrote down the address, then replied. "Thanks Jack. I'll get right on it," he stated.
"Thanks," Jack replied.
"You're welcome," replied Siler.
Jack smiled. "Talk to you later. And thanks again," he replied.
"You're welcome," replied Siler. They finished their talk, then hung up. Jack sighed. At least that was something he could do for Lothar. Hopefully if Siler was able to fix her door, she would feel safe about staying in her apartment again. But for now, she would stay here. He seemed to think that she felt safe with him and the children. At least she wouldn't have to be afraid of being alone and that made him feel better.
He happened to remember that she was still in the bedroom. He thought he would give her a run down on where to find the bath towels and washcloths, in the bathroom. He also remembered that he had bought her some bath gel and decided to take it to her. He looked around and saw the bottle setting on the table. He picked it up and carried it to the bedroom. When he got to the bedroom, he stood in the doorway and noticed Lothar sitting on the bed looking very upset. He already felt guilty for being so rude to her, and seeing her upset, made him feel worse. He quietly sighed, and knocked on the door.
Lothar turned her head around and saw Jack standing in the doorway. She stood up. "Hey," she said quietly. "I think I owe you an apology. I should have known how much it hurts. I feel the same way. I had to leave my husband and kids behind when I got this new identity... they think... I mean... the government made them think, that I'm...," her voice broke when she saw the look in his eyes. He looked so terribly sad. "Jack... I'm so sorry."
Jack set the bottle down, and walked over to Lothar. He put his arms around her and held her close. He hated that she felt so bad, yet understood how she felt. "It's not your fault. I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to upset you. I guess we've both been through some really hard times," he said in a sympathetic tone.
She nodded. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "At least you still have the kids," she whispered. She didn't trust her voice. "I had... to leave everyone... and everything... I ever loved..."
Jack gave her a warm hug. "It's ok. I understand," he replied as he held her close and stroked the back of her head.
For a moment, she laid her head against his shoulder and let him hold her. But then she pushed him carefully away. "Maybe it's better that I go back to my apartment," she said. "We both might get our feelings hurt, when I stay here with you."
Jack shook his head. "No way. You're staying here. I made a promise, and I'm going to stick by it. Besides, the kids really like you. Especially Serena. She would get upset if you left. Don't worry. It's going to be ok. I've even invited Rick and his daughter over this weekend. We'll have a good time with them here," he assured.
"I like the kids too," she said. "They're wonderful kids." She stepped away from him, and then she saw the bottle of shower gel. "You bought that one for me?" she asked him.
Jack looked around and saw the bottle on the table, then looked at Lothar. "Yes. I hope you don't mind. I just happened to see it in the store and thought it smelled good. I know it's not much. But I thought you might like it," he replied and smiled.
She studied the bottle, then opened it to smell. "Mmm yes, I sure like this one. Thanks Jack. I really appreciate that. Do you mind if I take a shower and change clothes before dinner? I'd rather have my own clothes than Airforce fashion."
Jack looked at her and smiled. "I guess you are getting tired of being in those clothes. I'm sure you'd be more comfortable in your own clothes," he agreed. He happened to remember about showing her the towels and washcloths. "I'll show you where everything is," he offered.
"Don't bother, I already found everything," she said and walked out of the bedroom to the bathroom, leaving him behind.
He happened to remember calling Siler about the door to her apartment. He followed her to the bathroom, then looked at her, and smiled. "By the way, I forgot to tell you. I called Siler about fixing your door. He said he would get right on it," he informed.
"Oh thanks!" she said surprised. "I'm glad he can do it. But if you don't mind, I'd like to take a shower now... in private please," she said, when she saw that he didn't have the intention to leave the bathroom.
Jack slightly blushed. "You're welcome. Sorry. I just wanted to tell you about your door. No problem. Have a good shower. Oh, by the way, just put your clothes in that hamper there," he stated as he pointed to the hamper by the wall. He smiled at her once more, then turned, and left Lothar to her shower. She smiled back at him and closed the door. She undressed herself, laid the Airforce clothes in the hamper, and opened the shower cabin. A little later she stepped under the warm water. She had the bottle of shower gel with her. She also found some shampoo to wash her hair. She recognized it as Jack's. She smiled, he probably wouldn't mind if she used a little bit.
While she showered, she thought back about the last few days. It seemed a lifetime ago, when she had that lunch with Rick, but that was only yesterday. A lot happened after she had left the office. And she had been scared to death, when she had seen Cliff suddenly standing in her apartment yesterday evening. Oh yes, she knew exactly who he was. The symbiote inside her had sensed him and recognized him as the system lord Ba'al. Also the biological father of Evan. A shiver ran down her spine. What would have happened if Jack hadn't been there just in time? Would he have forced her again? She felt dirty when she remembered again what happened on his ship. She remembered the touch of his lips against hers, the touch of his hands over her body. Oh, he was so tender to her... after he threatened to kill her if she didn't cooperate. She had no other choice, but to let him do what he wanted to. But she also was ashamed to admit, that he was a tender lover...She shivered and tried to wash the memories away. She had told Jack what happened, after the birth of Jona and Evan. Of course his feelings were hurt, when he found out that he wasn't the biological father of Evan. And for weeks they hardly talked to each other. And if it wasn't for Jacob who came to explain to Jack what was going on back then, it would have taken a long time for Jack to trust her again. But after Jacob's explanation, he was convinced that it wasn't her to blame and that night they had made love again after a long time.
Lothar sighed and closed the tap. She took the towel and started to dry her body. Then she wrapped a big towel around her body and went back to the bedroom to get dressed. When she was finished she brushed her long blond hair, put on a little make-up and went back to the living room, where Jack was reading the newspaper.
As Jack sat on the couch reading the paper, he became aware of another presence in the room. The scent of the shower gel he had given Lothar along with the shampoo he always used drifted toward him. He briefly inhaled the scent and quietly sighed. It smelled clean and fresh. Years of training in the military taught him to become aware of scents and odors in the air. This came in handy when he was in black ops and they could tell when the enemy was close by just by their smell. But fortunately he was no longer back in enemy territory and in black ops. He was back in his own home, where the only thing he had to worry about, was making sure the children were safe, and making sure he didn't burn the dinner.
He looked up from the paper, and gazed at Lothar as she walked into the room. Not only did she smell good, but he could have sworn he was seeing Sha're standing before him. The way she had fixed her hair, and the dress she was wearing looked just like a dress that Sha're might have worn if she were still living. He couldn't believe how pretty she looked. He slightly blinked, then laid down his paper, and stood up. He looked her over for a moment, and smiled. "Wow! You look great! Not to mention, you sure do smell good," he complimented. He never was one for being subtle. He just came out and said what he thought. And right now, he thought Lothar looked beautiful and smelled even better. He had forgotten what it was like to have a woman in the house. He had been used to being around the children for so long, and he was used to the scent of their bubble bath and toothpaste. He quietly inhaled her scent once more, and sighed. "Nice," he remarked and smiled. He stood for a moment, just looking at her and thinking of how beautiful she looked. He slightly blinked as he heard Jona and Evan coming into the room.
"We're hungry!" stated Jona furrowing his brows and frowning.
Jack looked at the two boys, and sighed. "Don't worry. We'll have dinner soon," he assured. He looked at the two boys and gestured to Lothar. "Don't you boys think Ms Lothar looks nice?" he asked them.
Jona and Evan studied Lothar for a moment, then smiled. "You look willy pwetty, Ms Lothar," Evan commented. "Indeed!" Jona chimed in. Serena walked in with her doll Sarah. She sniffed the air, then looked at Lothar. "You smell just wike mommy. You smell pwetty," she commented and smiled. Serena's remark, suddenly reminded Jack that the shower gel he had bought for Lothar, just happened to be the same kind as the shower gel that Sha're used to use. He slightly blushed at her remark, and nodded. "You're right. She does smell pretty," he replied and smiled.
Lothar blushed when she heard Serena's words. She went down on her knees and stretched her arms towards the little girl. "Wanna hug?" Serena rushed to her and wrapped her little arms around Lothar's neck. Lothar wrapped her arms around Serena too.
Serena laid her head against Lothar's shoulder. "Mommy," she whispered. Lothar's eyes got wet, when she heard the quiet spoken word.
Jack felt embarrassed when Serena called Lothar mommy. He noticed Lothar looking sad. "I'm sorry. She misses her mother," he apologized.
"And I miss my kids," Lothar answered quietly. Then she turned her attention to Serena again. "I wish I could be your mommy, sweetheart," she said.
But Serena shook her head. "You are mommy," she said stubborn.
Jack looked at Serena confused. "Serena honey, that's Lothar. That's not mommy. Mommy died, remember?" he explained sadly.
"But she smells wike mommy, and feels wike mommy," the little girl stated. In spite of everything Lothar had to laugh. It was obvious that she had the stubborn character of her father.
Jack nodded. He knelt down by Serena and looked at her with compassion. "I know. But she's not. I know how much you miss mommy. I miss her too. But I think it's nice of Lothar to be your friend. And I know how much you like her too. She's been really nice to you and the boys, and I really appreciate all she's done to help," he replied. He looked at Lothar and smiled.
Her heart melted when she saw that smile and quickly she looked the other way. "Your daddy is right, Serena," she said. "But I can be a very good friend. Do you want to be my friend too?" she asked Serena. Serena nodded. "Yeah!" she replied and hugged Lothar's neck again.
Jack laughed. "We may have to resort to surgery to remove her," he joked as he noticed how tight Serena was hugging Lothar. He looked at Serena. "Don't choke Lothar. She needs some air," he cautioned his daughter. Lothar placed one arm under Serena's butt and lifted the girl up when she stood up again. Serena's head laid against her shoulder. In one hand she still had the doll. The thumb of the other was again in her mouth.
Jack stood up, then looked at his watch. "Well, guess I'd better start working on dinner. The natives are getting restless," he stated. He looked at Lothar holding Serena, and smiled. "Thanks," he replied in earnest. He went to the pantry and found some charcoal to put in his grill, then took it outside to his grill. Lothar kissed Serena's head. "I think I'm gonna help your daddy with dinner," she said. She put the girl on her feet again. "Evan, Jona," she called the boys. "Please keep an eye on your sister ok?" The boys both nodded.
Jack opened up his bag of charcoal, then opened up his grill. He put in some brickets, then picked up his lighter that he kept by the grill and lit the brickets. They were the kind that already had the charcoal lighter in them and it didn't him take long, to light them. The coals all burned right away, with a small low flame. While they were burning, Jack decided to go prepare his salmon. He hoped it would be ready by now. He went back in the house and went to the kitchen to get his salmon from the fridge. He opened the fridge, then took out his salmon.
Luckily it was thawed out. He took it out of the package, then placed it on a long tray. He found some small pliers he used in the kitchen, and started removing the bones. After he was finished, he found his recipe book, then started mixing up his glaze. As he mixed up the glaze, he made sure the sugar was dissolved. When it was all mixed up, he found a basting brush, then dipped it in the mixture, and brushed it on the salmon. It was already smelling good. He noticed Lothar in the kitchen too, then briefly looked at her. "I hope you like salmon. The kids love it," he remarked.
She nodded. "Yes I do," she answered. "It's my favorite fish." She watched him brush the mixture on the salmon. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked him. She didn't like the idea of letting him do everything on his own.
Jack thought for a moment. "I was thinking of having a salad, and some corn on the cob. I bought some corn at the store. You could put that on to boil," he decided. "At your orders, Colonel," she said and saluted him with a smile. Then she took the corn, and started to make the salad.
Jack chuckled. "I'm not at the SGC now. You don't have to call me Colonel. Jack is just fine," he replied.
She laughed. "I know that Jack. I just couldn't resist to tease you a bit." She put the corn on to boil. In another bowl she made the salad.
He nodded. "I know. I'm used to it. Sometimes even the boys salute me. It's embarrassing," he replied.
Now she looked surprised. She had saluted him before, when she was still Sha're and he never felt embarrassed about it back then. "I'm sorry, Jack. It won't happen again," she said.
In the meantime the corn had boiled and she took it out. It had to cool down, before she could put it together with the rest of the salad.
Jack thought for a moment, then looked at Lothar. "It's different when I was at the SGC. I was used to being saluted. But something about having your kids saluting you... I just don't like that. I want them to think of me as their father and a friend. Not just a figure of authority. They get enough of that from me anyway. I just want them to feel like they can talk to me whenever they need me," he stated with concern.
She nodded. "You're right about that. But you shouldn't make such a point of the boys saluting you. They are so young yet, for them it is a game. And they admire you. A lot. Their father used to be one of the big guys at the Airforce. Jack, they look up to you and not only because you are an adult. But you're THE big example for them. YOU are the man they want to be when they're grown up."
He thought about what Lothar said, and nodded. "Actually I hope they become better. I did a lot of things that I wasn't proud of when I was young. I just want them to have a good life, and make something of themselves that they can be proud of. And I wouldn't mind a bit if they never made the military their career. That just happened to be my choice. But what they want to do, would be up to them. And I would be just as proud of them as I am now," he stated in earnest.
She smiled briefly. "Of course you would," she said. "And of course they should make their own choice. But for now they're just kids. Let them have fun. Life will become serious enough for them in the future." Then she took plates, forks and knifes and brought that outside to the picnic table. She made up the table for five persons and then went back into the kitchen again. She looked in the fridge and took out the milk. She filled five cups with milk and brought that outside too. A few moments later the table was finished and they only needed to wait until the salmon was ready.
End of chapter 15