Chapter Eleven
Knowing that Daniel was somewhere on base, Jack hurried to the surface. He didn't want to talk about what had happened between him and Sam. He didn't even want to think about it. Seeing her had been even harder than he expected it would be, and he had said all the wrong things. He knew that now, but it was too late to take them back.
How could he have thought that she would give herself to that Goa'uld! She wouldn't, not even to gain her freedom! Sam was better than that! But then why hadn't she been tortured, or worse? Could her story be true? Could Yu have kept her alive just to have her company?
He had to admit that Sam was lovely to look at, and she was a pretty good conversationalist too, most of the time. He didn't always understand everything she said, but he knew other people did, and maybe Yu did. So, even though her story clashed with everything he knew about the Goa'uld, he tried to believe that what she had told him was the truth. But the more he thought about it, the more his doubts grew.
When he got home, he fed Beth cream of rice cereal and some peaches. He took the time to spoon feed her every last bit, rather than let her feed herself. And when she was finished, he cleaned off her face and hands and put her in the playpen with a few of her favorite toys. She was almost too big for the small space, and soon he'd have to let her roam free. And since he knew the dangers in having a toddler running around the house, he had already begun child-proofing the cabinets with hooking mechanisms that only an adult could release.
Jack was putting the laundry into the washer when he heard Daniel call out to him. So, after putting the fabric softener into the little dispenser and turning on the washer, Jack went to face what he was sure was going to be a tirade of accusations and reprimands from his friend.
When he walked into the foyer, Daniel was standing there looking daggers at Jack. "What the hell did you say to her?!"
"I don't want to talk about it," Jack replied as he made a sharp right turn into the kitchen. Daniel followed him.
"Well, you're going to, because I'm not leaving here until you do!"
"Butt out, Daniel," Jack growled, and then he moved to the refrigerator, where he got a bottle of beer. He didn't ask Daniel if he wanted one, since he didn't want to encourage the man to stay.
When Jack walked out the back door, Daniel followed him. He wasn't going to give up so easily. "Jack, Sam's going through hell! She thinks you don't trust her anymore, and it's killing her. You should know how much your trust means to her…has always meant to her."
"Ya? Then she shouldn't lie to me!" Jack shot back.
"Lie to you? Lie about what?"
"Daniel, isn't it obvious? She's lying to all of us. Yu had her for a year, Daniel, but there's not a mark on her. How do you explain that?"
"A sarcophagus? Maybe he put her in one in order to keep her alive, so he could torture her repeatedly. Sound familiar?"
"Then if he did, why won't she tell us? She's lying, Daniel, and that's all there is to it!"
"No, Jack, I can't believe that, and I don't understand how you can either. Has it really come to this? Are you really so hurt by what happened in the past that you doubt her word? Do you really believe she'd lie about something this important?"
Jack didn't say anything, so Daniel continued. "I think she's telling the truth. Think about it. We know that Lord Yu was the oldest system lord. We also know that he was held hostage by the Replicator who looked like Sam. Maybe he became fascinated by her back then and therefore he wanted to get to know the real Sam? Whatever his motivation, I believe he did keep Sam alive just for her companionship. He knew he was dying, Jack . If you could spend your last days with anyone, wouldn't you choose Sam?"
Jack could see Daniel's point, but his stubborn side wouldn't allow him to admit it. "Could you leave me alone for a while, Daniel? I need to think," Jack said, as he stared at the flowers in the garden. Sam hadn't always had time to replant the annuals, so her garden had often been lacking in color. But now he was tending her garden regularly, and it was looking great. And suddenly he wished she could see it.
He heard the door close, and he knew that Daniel had left. So he went inside and sat down in his favorite chair, which was next to the playpen. "I think Daddy may have made a big mistake," he said, and Beth looked up at him and giggled. Then she stood up and held out her hand to him. He bent down and pretended to nibble on her fingers, sending her into a fit of screeching and laughing.
Needing the solace that holding her could provide, Jack picked her up and sat her on his lap. "What d'ya say we blow this joint and go someplace fun?" he asked, and Beth clapped her little hands in understanding, for they had a way of communicating that didn't require words.
"Horsies!" she cried happily, and Jack knew exactly what she meant. Whenever they went to the children's park, the first thing she wanted to do was ride the merry-go-round. There were many other animals on the colorful ride too, but Beth's favorites were the horses.
"Yes, let's go see the horses!" Jack put a pair of coveralls, a long-sleeved shirt and a sun hat on Beth, and a pair of shorts and a clean T-shirt on himself, and then he put Beth in the stroller, along with her diaper bag.
Twenty minutes later they were at the park and headed for the carousel. He was in line buying tickets, when he heard a feminine voice address him.
"Jack, what a nice surprise!"
Jack turned around and came face to face with Kate, the woman he'd met in the grocery store. "Oh, hi! I was just about to take Beth on the carousel."
"Me too! I mean I'm buying tickets for my daughter and her friends. It's my daughter's birthday. We're having the party here in the park. You should join us for cake later."
"Oh, no, I wouldn't want to butt in." Jack loved cake, and this woman was very attractive, but he thought seeing her would only make his life more complicated.
"Nonsense! There's plenty of cake, and I'm sure the girls would love to meet Beth. Jessie, come and meet my friends!" Jessica and her friends gathered round the stroller, and the girls visited with Beth for a bit, while Kate bought the tickets.
Meanwhile, Jack checked out Kate's figure. Today she was dressed casually in jeans, a tank top and sandals, and with her hair pulled back in a pony tail Jack thought should looked no more than twenty. He knew she couldn't be that young, but he was sure she was at least 20 years younger than him, and suddenly he felt out of place.
He knew he looked old enough to be Beth's Grandfather, and that fact bothered him a lot. Never the less, Jack finally accepted Kate's invitation, not for himself but for Beth. She was enjoying being with the girls so much that he hated to end it. So, while the kids took Beth on the various rides, he and Kate sat on a nearby park bench and watched. Two hours later they had all eaten cake and ice cream, and now Jessie was opening her presents.
But now Beth was starting to get cranky, a sure sign that she needed her nap. So Jack bid good-bye to Kate and the girls, and then he pushed the stroller home.
As he changed Beth and put her down for her nap, he recalled his earlier conversation with Kate.
"You seemed upset yesterday when I called."
"I had just gotten some upsetting news."
"Is everything okay now?"
"No, actually it's not. Remember I told you my wife was dead?" She nodded. "Well, it turns out she's not."
"But that's wonderful news, isn't it?"
"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Jack shook his head. He didn't know what to say or how to explain without telling her things she wasn't allowed to know. "Let's just say it's complicated."
She laughed a short, ironic laugh. "Believe me, I know all about complicated. I just lived through a messy divorce. If you ever need someone to talk to, or you just want to have some fun with no strings attached, call me."
Jack had told her he appreciated her offer, and he did. But he wasn't ready to make any decisions about his personal life just yet. First he needed to figure out how he felt about Sam. And there was the matter of their immediate future. Sam would be coming home soon, which meant he'd have to move out of her house, or figure out a way to stay there without making his life, or Beth's, miserable.
As for what would happen to their marriage, he had no idea whether or not they would get divorced. He wasn't really sure what he wanted to do, but he did know the decision wasn't going to be easy. He was worried how this whole mess was going to affect Beth. He didn't want to have to fight to see her. He thought maybe, if he showed Sam what a good father he was, she would share custody with him without him having to take her to court. So when Daniel phoned to say he was bringing Sam home later that day, Jack panicked and started cleaning the house like a man possessed.
Daniel pulled his car into the driveway and turned off the ignition. He intended to at least accompany her inside, but Sam turned to him. "No, Daniel. I'd like to go in by myself, if you don't mind?"
"No, of course I don't mind. I just thought maybe you might need a referee. Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Just try not to judge him."
"You can still say that, after what he's done?"
"Yes. Sam, he loves Beth, and he's a very good father. And I think he still loves you."
"He had a hell of a way of showing it when I told him I was pregnant!" she responded crossly.
Daniel didn't know what to say to her anymore, so he let her go in alone. But he sat there and watched until she was inside the house, wondering if he was doing the right thing.
Inside the house was brightly lit, as though she was expected. Sam had no doubt that Daniel had alerted Jack to her arrival, so that much didn't surprise her. What did surprise her was how good the place looked! Everything sparkled, from her Mother's crystal mantel clock and the small chandelier over the dining table, to the wood floors and the glass panes of the china cabinet. Clearly Jack had been preparing for her arrival, and suddenly she felt at a disadvantage.
Sam knew her hair looked messy. All she'd been able to do was wash it and let it dry naturally. It was quite long now, and the front kept falling in her eyes. Plus, she had no makeup on, and she'd had to borrow a pair of too-large jeans and a baggy T-shirt from someone on base. She thought she must look like a homeless person, albeit a clean one, and that wasn't the sort of entrance she wanted to make.
"Jack?" she asked, as she walked to the living room. But he wasn't there and neither was Beth. Next she looked in the kitchen, but no one was there either. So she went down the hallway to the bedrooms.
Sam found Beth asleep in the nursery, and for several minutes she just stood there, breathing in the baby-scented air as she gazed at her perfect daughter. It was like a dream she'd had many times in the past year. And more than anything she wanted to pick Beth up and cuddle her. But since she realized that such a direct approach might frighten the child, she quietly left the room, closing the door behind her.
The door to the master bedroom was closed, so Sam opened it, wondering what she would find.
Inside, the bedroom was tidy and clean, her Mother's quilt folded at the foot of the old oak bed which had belonged to her grandparents. Her family photos were there too, and her Grandmother's trunk, the one she'd brought from Sweden when she was just a bride. That Jack hadn't gotten rid of her cherished possessions tugged at Sam's heart strings, and a lump formed in her throat. Had he believed she'd come back one day? Or had he kept on using these things for Beth's sake? She wanted to know the answer!
But now the sounds she heard coming from the bathroom distracted her. And though she thought it might be wrong to go in uninvited, she couldn't resist.
TBC