Language: UK English
This is the first one-shot of the Bedtime Stories series.
Summary: It's Thanksgiving at the O'Neill household but someone is missing.
PINK AND BLUE
Jack blinked; it was quite, too quiet. He lay still, listening for any sound of movement; he heard a creak and a quiet sniff, followed by the padding of feet on the thick carpet. He waited in the silence before something warm and found his face. Something soft pressed on his right eye and something damp and rough touched his nose, repeatedly.
"Bleurgh!" He opened his eyes and pushed the small face away. He yelped in pain as needles impaled his hand and small teeth bit his fingers. The little demon rolled onto his back and started to attack his wrist with his back paws too.
Loki eventually let go and flattened his lithe ginger body down onto the bed, his rear end raised slightly and his ears turned back, flicking around of their own accord. His front paws were out in front of him and his head lowered. His blue eyes targeted Jack's outstretched hand, he flicked his paws forwards and backwards, waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce.
"You just try it."
Jack sat up and pushed the duvet off his body, he leaned back and stretched his legs and arched his back, he raised his arms and stretched them until he could feel the muscle pulling. He flexed is toes and paws grabbed his feet. He looked down and reached over to pick the tiny kitten up. He squirmed and wriggled but Jack was not perturbed.
"Miaow!" Loki told him, "Miaow!" A large white paw pressed against Jack's face. "Miaow!"
"I know you love me but you don't have to show me by licking my nose!" He ticked the kitten under the chin and allowed him to nip his fingers playfully and trap his wrist between his strong front paws. "Come on Mr, let's check on Alex."
He let the kitten jump down onto the floor as he climbed out of bed. He crossed the bedroom, scratching his neck and ruffling his hair. He sighed and smiled at the small purr-like squeak Loki made as he trotted past him into the hall. The little guy disappeared down the stairs as Jack pushed open another bedroom door.
"Alex." He called softly. "It's time to get up."
The walls were mid-blue, the ceiling deep navy, a random pattern of stars, planets, rockets and moons covered the ceiling, and one wall was a giant star map, each constellation painstakingly painted in glow-in-the-dark paint. The bed was covered in a star patterned bedspread, rumpled and unmade, and most worryingly, empty.
He turned and looked back at the top of the stairs, it was only then that he realised that the child-safety gate was unlocked.
"Damn it! Alex!"
He hurried down the stairs in a panic, imaging his child lying unmoving at the bottom. Flashes of Charlie, the gunshot, his limp body in his arms, seeing him Breathing easier at the empty stairs and floor he continued into the living room. Everything was suspiciously quiet and still, he followed the open plan L-shaped space into the kitchen and finally found the evidence he was looking for.
Splashes of chocolate milk on the floor in front of the refrigerator, and on the high-gloss breakfast bar, mixed with cookie crumbs and, perched precariously on the edge of the bar, an open cookie jar.
"Miaow"
Loki jumped up onto the breakfast bar and nuzzled his arm. Jack tickled his ears and neck.
"I know you want your breakfast, but we gotta find Alex first, you know where she is?"
"Miaow." He lifted a paw up to prod his arm.
"Didn't think so."
He yawned and headed towards the open door at the far end of the room. He swore loudly. The bag of dog food was split and upended, an avalanche of dry dog food covered the floor and completely buried the dog bowl.
"For crying out loud! Alexis Eleanor O'Neill!"
He caught a flash of blonde and blue from the corner of his eye. As if in slow motion, he turned and looked out of the window, Alex was stood on top of his tool shed. Her arms spread wide and a look of concentration upon her face. He pushed the door open and bolted across the lawn as she lifted one foot off the roof and moved it forwards.
His heart beat nineteen to the dozen and fear engulfing him like water. The shock and fear closing in on all sides as though he was drowning.
He threw himself forwards and stretched out his arms, he barely registered the pain as his ribs and knee hit the solid ground, or the burn as his skin slid across the grass. All he felt was the thump as his precious daughter landed in his arms and sprawled across his stomach.
"God Alex! What the hell were you doing?" He clutched her tightly too him, kissing her soft blonde hair and rubbing her back gently.
"Flying!" She pushed up from his chest and beamed. The wide smile and shining eyes, making her look just like her mother.
"You made daddy's heart jump into his throat! You could have hurt yourself."
"No owies, see." She held out her arms to him and smiled widely.
"But you could have hurt yourself very badly, daddy might have had to take you to hospital."
"No hopital." She shook her head quickly, making her shoulder length blonde waves, flap around her ferociously, her eyes wide with fear under raised eyebrows, her mouth open in a small 'o'.
"No, no hospital today. But if you keep misbehaving I'll have to take you to see Carolyn and get her to stick you with her big needles."
"No needles!" She squealed.
A large wet tongue ran across Jack's cheek. He turned his attention to the boisterous Labrador pup, staring intently at a wet tennis ball beside him. The pup picked up the ball and dropped it closer to him.
"And what part did you play in this flying expedition? Hmm."
"He needed go potty." She nodded eagerly.
Jack ruffled the dog's fur and ticked her chin.
"You better have not dug up mommy's flowers again."
Thor bounded off across the grass. Jack held Alex tightly in his arms and gently swept her bangs from her face.
"Don't ever do that again Alex. It's dangerous."
Alex sighed loudly.
"Just want fly like mommy."
"I know ya do kid. One day, when you're a big girl, I'll take you flying, but now, you keep those skinny little legs on the ground."
Thor ran back and dropped her ball beside Jack. She stared at it, trembling slightly and bounced backwards.
Jack picked up the ball and Thor looked up, her ears pricked and eyes never leaving the ball as he tossed it up. She twitched forwards as the ball rose into the air and froze as Jack caught it again.
"You wanna play do ya? Come on then."
He got to his feet and Alex bounced up and down excitedly. Jack picked up the ball and teased the pup for a minute, pretending to throw it and hiding it behind his back, whilst she followed it with her eyes and jumped forwards and backwards ready to catch it.
He finally stopped teasing her and threw the ball high into the air.
"Go on Thor, catch!"
The Labrador darted across the lawn and jumped into the air, her jaws clamping shut over the ball. She ran back to him, her tail wagging violently and her ears up.
She dropped the ball as she neared him. He stretched out his hand and pulled a sad face.
"Can't reach."
Thor pawed the ball and nudged it with her nose, then looked at him and quickly back to the ball, then him and then the ball.
He exaggerated trying to reach the ball.
"Can't reach Thor."
She picked up the ball and dropped it a few inches closer, then looked at him, then the ball, then him, then the ball then him, then the ball.
He reached down and picked it up. He threw it hard and Alex joined Thor in chasing after the ball.
When they both returned, Thor wagging her tail and Alex giggling and stroking her, he herded them back inside.
…
"No pink!" Alex screamed kicking and punching the air in front of Jack, as he neared her holding a pink short-sleeved dress.
"Alex, Cassie bought you this especially for today, you wanna make Cassie sad?"
"No like pink."
"I know but it's just today."
"Mommy no wear pink. I no wear pink!"
"To make Cassie happy?"
"I no wear pink!"
"Cassie's going to be here in ten minutes and you will be wearing this dress."
"No! Won'!"
Alex threw herself on the floor on her back, and kicked, screamed and punched, her toys, her bed and the carpet, whilst Jack sat and watched. He looked over at the cat, which had stopped mid-wash to watch the entertainment. Jack shook his head at him. Loki stuck his tongue out and continued to wash his face and ears.
Jack leaned against the wall and waited for Alex to tire herself out. He looked at his watch, sighed and picked up one of her books. He read about a yellow elephant looking for her mother before the room fell quiet.
"Finished?"
Alex nodded; she sniffed and pouted at him.
"Are you gonna put the dress on and behave like a good little girl?"
Alex frowned, pouted and glared at the dress. She glared at the floor and lifted her arms up.
"Good." Jack lifted her pyjama top over her head and helped her pull her pyjama bottoms down. He helped her out of her underwear and waited, as she pulled on her favourite pair of panties, navy blue and covered in stars. They were boys' shorts really but she had insisted on the pack of space themed underwear instead of hearts and butterflies.
The front door bell rang and Alex started jumping up and down. From downstairs a rumble and chirpy barking preceded Thor's charge at the door.
"Cassie here, Cassie here." She ran from the room and Jack shot after her, he grabbed her around the waist as she reached the top of the stairs and tossed her over his shoulder. She giggled and squealed happily as he carried her down the stairs and opened the front door. He nudged the hyperactive dog out of the way and unlocked the door.
Thor squirmed through the gap and jumped up to greet Cassie, licking her and nuzzling her excitedly.
"Hello you," Cassie stroked and fussed the dog whilst pushing her back inside the house.
"Where's my favourite three year old?" Cassie grinned as she pretended to look around Jack's legs.
"I here!" Alex squealed, wriggling in Jack's arms.
"I don't know Cassie she ran away when you rang the doorbell." Jack told her.
"I here!" Alex kicked her legs and squirmed in Jack's grip.
"Oh, I'll have to look for her."
"I here Cassie!" Alex called again.
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Cassie, daddy! I here!"
Cassie leaned around him and pointed at Alex.
"Oh! Jack she's here!" Cassie slipped her arms around Alex and lifted her onto her hip. "Hey baby. I got a surprise for you."
"Mommy coming?" Alex looked at her with wide eyes and a smile.
"No baby. Mommy's very busy flying her plane."
Alex looked crestfallen, her bottom lip trembled and her eyes turned glassy. She buried her head into Cassie's chest.
"Miss mommy."
"I know, I miss her too." Cassie wrapped her arms around the little girl she had adopted as a sister, and hugged her tightly. She reached out for the package on the floor.
"You stay till mommy home." Alex held onto her tightly.
"I can't baby, I've got to go back to college." Alex started to sniffle.
"Want you stay."
"I know. I brought you this so you wouldn't be alone when I go."
She bent down and set Alex beside her. She reached behind her and picked up a large box.
Alex's eyes widened and she reached out to take the box. She carefully opened it and reached inside. She pulled her arms out and stared at the camo backpack in her hands.
"What this?"
"Open the bag up."
She fought with the zip, her brows furrowed and her mouth contorted in concentration. Eventually, defeated, she passed it to Cassie to open. She eagerly delved into the bag and lifted out a teddy. It was sandy brown with soft curly fur. It was dressed in a mini green camo' outfit with matching hat and black boots. It even had a camo' back-pack and a blonde wig.
"Daddy, look!"
Alex stared at the bear and hugged it tightly.
"What her name?"
Cassie smiled and lifted Alex onto her lap.
"This is Princess Sophia, and she loves to explore and go camping. She's going to take special care of you, and when you miss mommy, you give her a big hug and it'll be like mommy is with you."
Alex hugged her new bear tightly, "Hello Ofia." She squeezed her and twisted around with her. The bear let out a loud familiar giggle. Jack looked at Cassie, she grinned and winked at him. Alex giggled at it.
"She sound like mommy!"
"Come on." Cassie stood up and lifted Alex up into her arms. "Let's get you dressed so Uncle Daniel doesn't see you naked."
"Me no naked. Me got shorts on."
"You want Uncle Daniel to see you in just your shorts?"
"No."
Cassie started up the stairs.
"Let's get you in that new dress I picked out."
"No pink!"
"You look beautiful in pink."
"Me no wear pink!"
"You'll be like a beautiful princess."
"Me no princess. Me fly like mommy."
"Mommy likes pink."
"No not! Mommy no wear pink!"
Jack smiled as the chatter continued on as his daughters disappeared from view.
It was days like this that he really missed Sam. The special family days, when Alex hurt herself or when she learned something new and desperately wanted to tell her mommy about it. He didn't know what he'd do without Cassie to provide a feminine influence in Alex's life. True Vala was around too, but he didn't think she was quite the right role model for a three year old.
He knew they would have a wonderful day, Daniel, Teal'c, Ishtar, and Vala, were coming to join them for dinner. Cameron and Carolyn were joining Hank for their meal but would pop over to say hi in the evening. He couldn't help but wish, for just a moment, that Sam would beam down into their living room and give their daughter a hug and tell her she loved her.
He wondered where Sam was for a moment, somewhere out in the galaxy, fighting unseen enemies and policing the voids between planets and solar systems.
He thought about all the thanksgiving's he had missed, all the holidays spent abroad, doing thing's he never wanted his daughter to know about. He thought of lost friends and family, George Hammond, Jacob Carter, Janet Fraiser. He thanked god quietly for their lives and all they had done, the time they had given and the risks they had taken. He thought of the men and women that had served with him, the time spent away from their families. He thought about the sacrifices he and many others had made, and would continue to make in the name of duty, to protect their country.
He thought about his vibrant, happy little girl, and smiled. He had waited nearly twelve years, and nearly lost her mother to someone else. He put everything he wanted, everything he desired, second. He put his country and the world first. He had made his sacrifices, he had done his duty, now, he could enjoy his future. His daughter and all the joy she would bring with her.
He thanked god for his family, Alex, Cassie, Daniel, Teal'c, Ry'ac, Ishtar, Vala, Cameron and all their friends. He thanked god for sending him his tiny daughter, the child they never expected to have; their little miracle and bundle of joy. He thanked god for freedom, democracy, education, food and healthcare, everything his daughter would have access to when so many live in poverty. Most of all, he thanked god for love, the love that pulled him away from the edge and showed him the meaning of life once more.
He thanked god for her, his Carter. His scientist. His Colonel. His wife.