They headed out of the door and towards the truck. Sam opened the door for Nana, the older woman thanked her as she got in, and Sam walked round to get into the driver's seat. Once she was sat down she sorted out the seat, moving it forwards so she could actually drive properly. That gave Nana a chance to sort herself out and secure the seat belt.
Sam put the key in the ignition and turned, the truck coming to life. Sam quickly put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb.
They remained silent for a few minutes until they were on their way, than Nana spoke. "So how have you been my dear?" she inquired, "It's been a long time since we've seen you or Jack."
"Work's been busy," Sam explained, "And we haven't had much time off since our wedding." She felt a little bad for lying to Nana but Sam knew that it was a necessary evil. Nana didn't need to know that they'd been kidnapped and tortured since the last time they'd seen Jack's family, and she didn't need to know that Sam had spent time unconscious or that more than once they'd come back thoroughly bruised and battered.
Nana nodded her head and gave a hum of understanding. A quick look out of the corner of her eye though told Sam that Nana didn't quite believe everything that Sam had said. Sam was just thankful that she didn't say anything about it though.
Instead Nana asked, "So what is it that your father does?"
"He works with some of our allies," Sam responded, keeping her eyes on the road in front of her as she spoke.
"Sounds interesting," Nana muttered, "If a little vague."
Sam smiled at her words. "He enjoys it," she replied, "For the most part at least anyway."
Nana nodded her head in understanding and the two remained quiet for the rest of the drive to the mountain.
Once they reached the mountain Sam slowed for the first security check point, just off the main road and just before the main gate. She came to a complete halt and then wound down the window. "Good afternoon Major," the airmen at the gate greeted.
"Afternoon airman," Sam responded.
The airman smiled as his counterpart quickly searched the underneath of the truck, while a dog sniffed at the rest of it. "Who is that in the truck with you ma'am?" the airman asked, gesturing to Nana.
"Mary Driscoll," Sam replied, "She's Colonel O'Neill's grandmother."
The airman nodded and made a note of it on the clipboard he was holding. "And what is she doing here?" he questioned further.
"I'm here to pick up my father," Sam explained, "And she came along for the ride."
The airman nodded his head in understanding as he made another note on the clip board. "Go on Major," the air man instructed waving them through, "Just make sure that Mrs Driscoll stays in the truck."
"I know the drill air man," Sam assured him with a smile as she pulled forward. She stopped again at the barrier and waited for it to lift before she drove through. She parked as close to the building as she could get before she killed the engine and turned to Nana.
"Sorry about that," Sam apologised, "But we take security very seriously around here."
Nana just smiled at her. "Don't worry about it dear, I understand."
Sam smiled and then pulled out her phone. "Just let me ring my dad so he knows that we're here and waiting for him." Nana just nodded. Sam quickly dialled Jacobs mobile, which she kept charged and in her office for her dad to pick up whenever he was on world.
She waited for him to pick up, tapping the steering wheel impatiently. "Hello Dad," Sam eventually greeted him when he picked up.
"Hello Sammie," came Jacob's reply over the phone.
"I'm here Dad," Sam explained, "But I'm up top, Mary Driscoll is with me so I can't come in."
"That's fine," Jacob responded, "Give me ten minutes to get up top."
"Alright dad," Sam agreed before she hung up and put the phone on the dash. "He'll be up in ten minutes," Sam informed Nana.
"Ok dear," Nana responded.
They sat in silence for two minutes before Nana asked, "So what is it that actually goes on here Sam?"
"Deep space radar telemetry," Sam answered promptly. It was something that she had said so many time that it was now feeling rehearsed but sometimes she managed to trick herself into believing it was true, that she wasn't lying straight to someone's face.
Nana raised an eyebrow but didn't say what she was clearly thinking, that Sam wasn't telling her the whole truth. Instead she asked, "So do you like it here?"
"Yes," Sam answered, totally truthfully this time.
"What about my Jack?" Nana asked, "Does he like it here too? Deep space radar telemetry doesn't sound like something he'd enjoy."
Sam smiled at her. "He doesn't mind it," she responded, "There's always plenty to do."
Nana nodded. "He always did like to keep busy," she mussed, "Even as a child he was always up to something, although that wasn't always necessarily a good thing."
Sam laughed aloud at her words and the two fell into comfortable small talk.