Jack pulled the car to a slow hault and they exited and stood next to the car, not really sure what to do next. Jess hopped out of the lifted truck and waved them over as she walked around the back side of the house.
"This isn't really what I had in mind." Jack said as they rounded the corner of the house and were greeted with a backyard full of people. Music played loudly by a live band and children ran around chasing each other.
"All this because of a softball game?" Daniel asked taking in the scene.
"Actually its a combination party." Jess said.
"Oh, what else are we celebrating?" Jack asked
"My father's 50th birthday." she grinned.
"50 you say?" Jack commented trying to calculate in his head how old Jess could be.
"That makes him what two years younger then you Jack" Daniel teased.
"Hey!"
"Make yourselves at home." Jess grinned and opened a cooler in front of them revealing an amazing assortment of beer. Jack's eyes lit up.
"Don't mind if we do!" Jack picked out a Coors.
"Jack!" Daniel whispered, "Don't you think drinking on the job is frowned upon?"
"Oh come on Danny. One beer isn't gonna hurt anything." Jack said and flashed a smile at Jess, she flashed back a sideways grin.
"So Jess!" he began, "do ya think we can go somewhere and talk for a few minutes?"
"Yeah sure, I'm sorry I forgot. Hmm," She looked around the back yard looking for a spot that wasn't overrun by the masses of people. "Come on in." she motioned for them to follow her as she walked into the house, dodging a small boy as he ran out with an arm full of water balloons.
The house was as beautiful on the inside as it was on the out. Their feet tapped softly on the hard wood floors as she led them back into the quiet den. They all stepped in and she shut the double doors behind them. She motioned for them to sit. Jack and Sam sat down and a brown leather couch and were amazed at how far they sank into it. Tealc stood staring down at tiger striped blob on the floor and raised an eyebrow. The bean bag chair wasn't his first choice of places to sit, but he turned and sat on it regardless, causing Jess to raise and eyebrow and let loose another crooked smile. Daniel slowly wandered the room, studying its contents while Jack and Sam began the awkward conversation with the young woman.
"Miss Haskel, "Jack began.
"Jess." she corrected.
"Ok, Jess," he began again, "Were you born here in Colorado?"
"Yes, I was born here in Carson Falls."
"Really?"
"Yes, the doctor who delivered me is outside." she grinned. " I know, its very Mayberry."
"Do you have any reason to contact the Air Force, for any reason at all?" he asked.
"The Air Force?" Her face flashed with confusion. "Not that I'm aware of. Whats this about?" She looked around at the team. Her vision settled on Daniel who was intently looking over the titles of the books cluttering a bookshelf.
"We were told that you may want to be contacting us for something." Jacks brown eyes focused into her deep blue ones and he begged her to give him some sort of clue.
"Look around,"she grinned, "this is the easiest life anyone could dream of. I'm sure you all are very good at your jobs, and I totally respect everything you do. But I have no need for the military in my life."
"We have reason to believe that you are not who you say you are." Jack finally spat out.
"Uh, who do I say I am?" she was genuinely confused now.
"Is this yours?" Daniel asked, causing all of them to look at him.
In his hand he held a hard back copy of published works by none other then Dr. Daniel Jackson.
"Yes."
"Whats it about?" he asked curiously.
"The author was an archeologist. He had a theory that the Egyptian pyramids were actually landing sites for alien space ships."
"Really?" Jack asked
"Yeah, poor guy was laughed out of the feild. Brilliant guy."
"What do you think about all that?"
"What does it matter what I think about that?" she challenged.
"It doesn't really. I'm just curious."
"I think he was right." she confessed. "They pyramids are covered with markings that have nothing to do with Egypt."
"What if I told you you were right."
Jack stared intensly into her eyes. She held the stare for a few second until the urge to smile tugged lightly at her mouth. Then she cracked open a huge smile and shook her head back and forth. Then she leaned back in her chair and took a drink from her beer bottle.
"You guys are good. You had me goin there for a little while. Marcus sent you guys huh?" she laughed. "He's always picked on me for believing in that stuff."
"Marcus didn't send us." Sam said.
"Bull."she laughed, " I fell for it, okay. Where is the little punk?"
Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He flipped it open, pulled out his Air Force ID and handed it to her. She read it carefully, the smile quickly falling from her mouth. She looked up at him desperately.
"Colonel?" she asked. He nodded.
"This is Major Carter, and that is," he pointed to Daniel who stood still holding the copy of his book," Well thats Dr. Daniel Jackson."
She let out a noise that sounded like a mix of a cough and a snort. Daniel waved.
"THE Dr. Daniel Jackson?" He nodded. She stood quickly from her chair and walked over to Daniel. She took the book from him and flipped to the back cover. She looked down at the picture of the author then up and Daniel. He had aged a bit, had a different hair cut but it was him. She poked him just to be sure.
"Ow," he said rubbing where she had poked him.
"What the hell is going on?" she asked looking around the room at the group.
"Sit down Jess, we have a lot to tell you." She slowly walked back over to her chair and sat down, opening up the other bottle of beer she had carried in with her after Daniel refused it.
"Daniel, maybe you should explain this to her, its more your area and shes already a little familar with your..stuff."
Daniel walked over to the group and began.
"You're right to believe my work. Everything I said about the pyramids is true. The human race is actually descended from a race of people known to us as the ancients. Now, the ancients somehow developed a way for them to ascend to a higher plane of existance. Before they ascended, they created a system of travel. They used a device called a Stargate to travel instantly to other worlds. However the ancients had an enemy. There is a race of beings called the Gould. They are intelligent parasites that take humans as hosts and claim to be Gods. The Goulds took the people of Earth through the stargate and populated other planets to work as slaves of the Goulds. Where they are not slaves, they are forced to served the Gould as Gods. We are members of a team that goes throught the stargate to other worlds exploring new worlds and searching for those the Gould have abandoned. Unfortunately the Gould are on to us and more times then we'd like to admit, they've come very close to destroying us."
Jack nodded his approval at the lecture Daniel had given and the light speed rate and which he had done it. Sam looked expectantly at Jess, who had turned an abnoraml color. She sat silently staring at Daniel before taking another swig of the beer.
"Jess?" Jack tested. Her eyes focused on him. "Did you catch all that?"
"You go to other planets?" she asked. He nodded. "You fight these Gould things?"
"Yes." Daniel answered.
"Where are the ancients?" They all glaced at each other.