Jack exhaled as he sat in the Carter-Jackson lounge, looking at the amber hued liquid in the glass bottle that he held, not feeling up to drinking during what was proving to be a very painful time for all concerned. He said to Cam who was stood nearby,
"George Hammond is a legend. You missed out on a lot not having him as your CO. He's the best damn base commander the SGC will ever have. He's a fine upstanding officer, gentleman, grandfather, father..." He looked up at Cam. "Tell me, do you ever go to Hank's house?"
Cam frowned at the seeming digression. "No Sir. I hung out at his cabin once though..." he grimaced on remembering his and Landry's encounter with a Sodan warrior.
"Yeah, heard about that... damn Sodan. My point is that George was still 'The Man', but he took an active interest in those under his command, and despite himself, made friends with each of us. He would even say 'no' when he saw fit... Hank won't say 'no' to you guys much because he trusts you and knows that you know more about the Milky Way than he does. George was like a father to all of us... and he saved our asses in 1969."
Cam smiled briefly as he remembered the exaggerated secrecy surrounding that particular mission report from classic SG-1's past, as well as his team-mates implying that Jack had fathered him during that mission. "I know Sir. Jackson finally let me read the report not long ago."
Jack chuckled, having heard the story of the prank through Teal'c. "Weird sense of humour, my old gang."
Cam perched on the arm of the couch. "I didn't know the General that well, but he seemed like a good man."
Jack smiled faintly. "Yeah... he thought the world of you for bringing the band back together. Damn shame he's gone and the world will never know just what he did. Forget that... his own family won't even know."
"You thought of bringing them into the fold, Sir?"
Jack sighed as he put the beer bottle down with a firm thud onto the coffee table, his eyes showing only an inkling of his pain."Yes... and it'll be a bad idea. It's going to needlessly put their lives at risk. He was very protective of his granddaughters in particular, because Susan, their Mom, is his only kid. They've already been used in a threat against him... years back."
0o0o0o0o0o0
Teal'c, sporting one of his growing collection of hats for outdoor use, sat next to Vala on the front porch as Jake took a nap inside, and Vala said, glancing at the ever stoic Jaffa, "So... Muscles... tell me about him. He seemed nice going by the few times that I encountered him."
Teal'c smiled slightly. "That is a great understatement, ValaMalDoran." His smile vanished. "GeneralHammond was a great man who governed the SGC firmly but justly. He was a kind man who supported those beneath him in rank. His loss is a great blow to this planet, and he will surely be missed."
Vala nodded, looking thoughtful. "It seems like it. I can't believe he reached that many people. I mean, look at General Landry. If he passed away, we wouldn't be mourning him like this."
"He is a different man, ValaMalDoran. If GeneralLandry passed away, he would indeed be greatly mourned. However, GeneralHammond deserves a greater level of respect. He was not afraid to inform me of being erroneous."
Vala looked impressed. "Wow, that must have taken lots and lots... and lots of courage. He's got my respect already."
0o0o0o0o0o0
Sam lie in bed, sniffing as she cried quietly. Daniel, upset too at the loss but also highly concerned because of her condition, said, his voice breaking as he kneeled at her bedside, "Please Sam. Eat something... for the baby's sake at least."
Sam shook her head as she stared into nothingness. "He's gone, Daniel." She closed her eyes and turned, with difficulty, to lie on her back. "It's like Dad all over again... and I didn't even get to say goodbye. He was going to come over for brunch on Sunday." She sniffed. "I've known him for such a long time. He and Auntie Martha – she died from cancer a few years before you and Jack went to Abydos – used to visit Mom and Dad from when I was Jake's age at least." She smiled through her tears as she remembered events from many, many years before. "I remember he and Dad would work on each other's cars and drink beer. When Mom and Auntie Martha went shopping, they would play Poker in the kitchen with Uncle Fred and smoke cigars."
He held her hand tightly as he listened to her words, remembering stories she had already told him, and he said softly, "We were blessed to have him in our lives as long as we did. I'm going to miss him."
She looked at him, her eyes filled with tears and she said in a broken whisper, her face falling again, "Daniel... what am I going to do?"
He lie next to her, holding her in his arms as he whispered in reply, fresh tears running down his cheeks, "We are going to get through this... as a team. He's gone to a better place."
She sniffed. "But you're an Agnostic."
"Sam. Someone like Uncle George has to go somewhere good. It's only right after everything that he's done, everything that he's accomplished." As they wiped away each other's tears, he kissed her forehead and said, running his hand up and down her waist as she rested her head on his chest, "Get some rest, Sam."
0o0o0o0o0o0
With Sam and Jake asleep, the rest of their friends gone with only Jack remaining, Daniel sat downstairs, trying to be philosophical about their loss. He finally looked at Jack, the General seeing his own pain reflected in those clear blue eyes,
"You shouldn't have told her."
Jack said, briefly rubbing Daniel's shoulder consolingly, "She had to find out. If we didn't tell her and we all pretended everything was sunshine just for her sake, when would you have broken the news to her? You'd have kept putting it off until she finds out the worst way – from someone else – and she'll never forgive you for not giving her a chance to say goodbye to him. I know you're pissed but..." He sighed. "Ok, we should have let you break it to her gently. I just didn't think you'd actually do it."
Daniel leaned back on the couch, stretching his head back as he tilted his face up towards the ceiling, his eyes closed. "It's a relief in one way... he had that heart problem for a while and his health had been declining." He sighed. "It makes you think doesn't it, how the people closest to you can go when you least expect it, before you get a chance to tell them how you feel about them, what they meant to you. I didn't tell him a lot of things that I guess I should have."
Jack nodded shortly. "It happens. It's life." He paused for a long moment. "There's talk of the funeral... The President's given express permission for Arlington... which is pretty good going for someone who was originally planning on retiring the year the SGC started."
Daniel smiled slightly at the irony. "There'd be nothing more fitting... on the SGC front but..." his smile disappeared as he recalled witnessing Hammond's Will a couple of years previously. "... he always wanted to be buried next to his wife."
"Now there's a dilly of a pickle. We're gonna have to ask Susan what she thinks." He paused. "How's Carter doing?"
Daniel nodded, looking down at his hands. "She's ok. It's hit her hard... she's known him since she was a kid."
"Yep, Jacob number one and him were best buddies. Saw action together. Carter was another daughter to him." Jack exhaled, running his fingers through his cropped hair. "It just seems unreal that he's gone."
