Chapter 14
Sam and Jack and had settled on a fall wedding. They stood outside under the partly cloudy skies near an altar in a nearby park. Sam wore a cream colored long flowing dress. Since this was their "second marriage" or a "vow renewal" as it was presented to those in witness, they kept the wedding low key. Jack wore a tan Army uniform under the chocolate brown tunic. Basic ribbon bars and badges were in place along with rank of lieutenant. Daniel stood beside him in an equal uniform. Sam has asked Jackie to be her maid of honor and the teen stood beside her in a strapless brown dress that matched the Army tunics in color. The ceremony was administrated by the base Chaplin.
The Carter family sat on wooden folding chairs next to Fred and Teal'c in witness. Though Sam always dreamed of a wedding where her father would walk her down the aisle that simply wasn't possible for her father was a toddler. The ceremony was short and they said their vows and sealed it with a kiss.
The reception followed in the same park with homemade good and gifts. Money was tight for everyone and thus people came together to support one another without asking for much in return. The ceremony and reception was rather quaint and low key. They didn't take a honeymoon for there simply weren't enough funds. All of Jack's pay went to buy the wedding rings. When questioned about what happened to their old wedding rings Jack said they were lost.
As time went by the days grew shorter and weather grew colder. The garden was harvested and the produce was canned for preservation through the winter. Jack, Jon, Daniel and Teal'c all pitched in to buy a car for them to use. It was a used car they bought from a family that was desperate need of food. Not only did they give the family money for the car but jars of food as well. They purchased a black, four door 1909 model T Ford with new tires recently installed. It had red interior and a hard top roof. They would split the cost of the gas and of upkeep for the vehicle. The men decided to leave Sam with the car and make her the designated driver. Sam also took on the role of housekeeping and cooking as well.
Sam's biggest hurdle was learning to sew. She knew simple hand sewing and how to make simple repairs but making entire outfits was a master seamstress's work. She took lessons from her grandmother, Caroline who found it odd that Sam was rather new to sewing. Her grandmother also taught her how to knit as well.
Christmas soon rolled around and roasting chestnuts on an open fire became a reality. Eggnog seemed to be a staple and fruitcake was a mandatory gift. Jack took Jon, Daniel and Teal'c to go get a Christmas tree. The tromped through the woods, found a nice tree and cut it down with a handsaw and ax. They tied it to the roof of the car and drove it back to the small home they shared. They fashioned a homemade tree stand and placed it in the corner of the living room ever so proud of themselves.
Jack stood in a red and white flannel coat with tan trousers. His dirty boots had scuffed up the wooden floor as he admired his handiwork. He motioned to Sam who stood in the doorway to the kitchen in a blue dress and an apron.
"Check it out!" he grinned at her. "We might be stuck in the past but we got ourselves and nice fat Christmas tree."
She cocked a smile, "That is a nice tree. Too bad we don't have any ornaments to put on it."
Jack rebutted, "I'm sure you, Jackie, Dee and Caroline can always make some."
She asked, "And what about you guys?"
He replied, "Well…We got the tree."
Jon stood nearby in a blue flannel coat and wagged his finger at Jack, "How is it that you and I have the same brain and yet I knew not to say that but you didn't?"
Jack realized his remark upset Sam, "I mean we can all decorate the tree. It will be just like when we were kids and made stuff."
Daniel wore a red heavy winter coat and agreed, "We can string up popcorn and make garland out of paper rings."
Jack added, "And little ornaments out of paper and stuff. Just can't afford a set of lights right now."
Teal'c suggested, "Perhaps we can borrow a set of lights from ColonelCarter or ColonelJackson."
Jon agreed, "They might lend us a set." He shrugged, "It ain't much but least we're not alone for Christmas."
Jack looked at Daniel, "Ya know…I'm kind of surprised you're into this since you're not all that religious."
Daniel replied, "I love Christmas."
"You do?" he asked unsure.
"It falls on the winter solstice which means were half way to summer," he reminded. "It keeps your mind off the long winter ahead."
"Anything else about Christmas you like?" he wondered.
He motioned sarcastically, "Who doesn't want to go cut down a tree and bring it into their house? I admit I'm not into the whole Jesus thing but I do like the spirit and meaning of good will behind it all." He pondered and confessed, "I also like hot cocoa, sitting by the fireplace and a nice hunk of fudge."
Teal'c smiled, "Indeed!"
A knock came at the door.
Sam walked across the dirtied floor, "I'll get it." She got the front door and opened it. There stood her friends with a box. "Fred, Jackie!" she smiled at them.
Fred mentioned, "Jack said he was going to get ya a tree."
Sam opened the door wide, "Right inside."
"Great," he grinned back and led his daughter inside.
She held the box in her arms and mentioned, "We thought you guys could use some lights."
Sam graciously took the cardboard box and peaked inside. She spotted a string of lights with large colored bulbs. "Thank you!"
Fred stepped into the living room, "Nice tree ya got there, Jack!" He grinned at Jon, "Your dad did good getting that tree. He let ya help?"
Jon rolled his eyes, "It was a group effort." Jon discovered that with Jack posing as his father he was treated more like a kid than before and it irritated him.
Jackie sported her flight jacket and wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. "I love the tree. Dad and I don't usually get one."
He held her in return, "Why not?"
Fred scoffed, "Too much work! Who the hell wants to go chop down a tree, drag into your house and light it up for a few days just so some fat man living in the North Pole can come and give presents? Jackie knows the fat man doesn't exist and see no reason to do that."
Sam asked, "You don't bother to celebrate Christmas with your daughter? I thought you were a religious man, Fred."
"We're Presbyterian," he informed them.
Daniel mentioned, "That's a rather liberal church for someone like you, Fred. I thought you would more strict about that kind of thing."
Jon gave Daniel a funny look, "The man lets his daughter smoke and drink! Why would he be strict?"
He pondered, "I stand corrected."
Jack asked Fred, "You have dinner yet?"
"Nope," he grinned back.
"Take your stuff off and stay for a while," he mentioned.
"Great, what we having?" he asked.
Sam answered while placing the box by the tree, "Lasagna! I got the recipe from Caroline."
Jon fearfully asked, "What kind of meat?"
"Venison," she told him.
"Least it's not squirrel lasagna," he sighed relived.
Jackie was peering at the tree and mentioned, "Did you guys see the bird's nest in the tree?"
Jon asked, "There's a bird's nest?"
She pointed to the empty nest, "There."
Jack squinted and peaked into the tree, "Look at that! There's a bird's nest. I guess it's already decorated!"
"I can help you decorate it," Jackie volunteered.
Sam told her, "You don't have too."
"I have nothing else to do right now," she shrugged. "Racing doesn't start back up for a few months and I'm waiting for money to replace some parts in the plane. So, I'm free!"
Sam smiled, "We will have a great time decorating that tree."
Few Months Later
Christmas came and went followed by the ringing in of the New Year. It was 1936 and SG-1 had given up hope of ever returning home. They had begun to settle into their new lives and wondered if they would even be able to get the Gate back.
News soon came of Fred's evolving plan to retrieve the Gate from the Japanese. He had lined up Perdue University as a sponsor for Amelia Earhart to fly around the globe. They would secure a larger plane from Lockheed and have it retrofitted with additional fuel tanks and the secret camera that the press would not be privy too. As the plans for the historic flight developed Sam and Jon helped out more on the racing plane with as Dee Carter went deeper into her studies and became less and less interested in flight.
As spring neared Sam decided she was going to go hunting with Jon to get meat on the table. She wore a set of fatigues and men's long underwear as she sat in a blind with Jon hunting wild turkey.
Jon would make a bird call with a small box he held in his hands. He was growing older now. He had filled out another two sizes. He looked more like a seventeen year old boy rather than a fifteen year old. Facial hair started to develop and Jon for first time in over a year had to start shaving again.
As they passed the time Jon whispered, "I kind of liked not having to shave for that year and half there."
"I see you're getting a beard," she whispered back.
"Yeah," he nodded. "As I recall it can get pretty thick."
"You're getting taller too," she informed.
"Ya think?" he asked unsure for Jack was still taller than him.
"You should be the same height as Jack soon," she assured him.
He smirked, "He can't use being bigger than me as an excuse much longer."
She grinned, "He can always try to say he's older than you."
"He can try," he agreed. "Jackie seems to have stopped growing," he noticed.
"Girls reach maturity faster," she reminded him. "She won't get any taller."
He gave a sigh, "She's about Fraiser's height. I was kind of hoping she would grow a little taller. She's so short as it is."
Sam shook her head, "You are gonna tower over her."
He miffed, "When we get married she will have to stand on a box."
Sam perked up, "You're gonna marry her?"
"Not right away," he assured her. "I want her to be an adult first." He glanced over at her, "So when are you and Jack having kids?"
"Not right away," she assured him.
"Heck I thought you two would be reproducing like bunnies by now," he teased her.
"Economically it's not a good time," she admitted. "I'm out here hunting turkey for food. This isn't a good time. The only reason Fred and Jackie have that plane is Army Intel giving them support. Not even Fred could afford that on his paycheck and he's a colonel."
"Yeah," he gave a nod. "We read about this time in books and heard about through old folks but you never really understood it until you lived it. Hunting for food because you have too is different than hunting because you want too."
She smirked, "I would much rather just go to the store and buy a turkey to be honest."
"Me too," he agreed. "Though…" he tailed off in thought.
"What?" she asked.
"I think Jackie likes hunting," he admitted.
"I think attitude makes a difference," Sam replied. "She's more optimistic than you."
"Not many people really like venison lasagna but she likes it. She eats venison, squirrel, raccoon, possum, and crow. She loves duck!" His eye widened, "She's one those redneck hunters. She even can use a bow and arrow."
Sam teased him, "And she can trap too. If you're ever stranded in the wilderness she's the one you want with ya."
He winced upon realizing that Jackie would be hunting long after the depression was over, "For crying out loud."
Meanwhile
In another blind Jackie sat with Teal'c hunting turkey. She liked hunting with Teal'c for he far more professional about it compared to many others. They too wore green fatigues and worked a turkey call. Teal'c made a call and placed the small box down and then picked up the shotgun and waited.
She sat next to him holding her single shot 20 gauge and looked over at him. She had grown more curious about Teal'c over the year.
"You've been through the Gate to other planets?" she asked him.
"Indeed," he replied.
She cocked her head, "You from another planet?"
"I am from Chulak," he told her.
"That's another planet," she wondered.
"Indeed," he admitted.
"When you say you are Jaffa then that's your people not your last name," she gathered.
"That is correct," he informed. He gave her a smile, "You are very intuitive."
"Since you've been here nearly a year and I'm just figuring this out now, I would say I'm pretty slow." she confessed. "So, tell me about your people. Tell me about the Jaffa."
"My people were once like your people. Then we were altered and enslaved to a false god." he informed.
"False god," she asked unsure what he met.
"The Goa'uld," he explained. "They are a symbiotic race that enslaves other races and demands to be worshipped as a god."
"Sounds not so fun," she gulped.
"Indeed," he admitted. "But there are other races."
"Such as?"
"The Asgard, The Nox, The Furlings, The Tok'ra and The Tau'ri." Then he gave her a smile, "Your race is the Tau'ri…The greatest ally to the Jaffa."
"Really?" she wondered.
"Indeed," he gave another nod. "The Jaffa would not be free if weren't for the Tau'ri. Your race has assisted us more than any other. More than the Tok'ra who also have been of great assistance."
"The Tok'ra are who?" she wondered.
"They were once Goa'uld but rejected the ideology and became Tok'ra," he explained. "They are at war with the Goa'uld and do not take slaves or suppress a host."
"These Goa'uld take a host and suppress them?" she wondered.
"Indeed," he stated. He gave her a smile and assured her, "This shall never affect you, JackieJackson. You will never leave your world and the Stargate will not be operation in your life time. You remain safely here and live a long and fruitful life," he declared. Though in reality Teal'c had no idea what became of her but he thought it would help ease her worries.
"Good to know," she agreed. She looked up and motioned, "We got a nice tom turkey coming in."
Teal'c raised the shotgun and took aim. Jackie placed her fingers in her ears as Teal'c pulled the trigger taking the large bird.
She looked upon the mess of feathers, "Good shot! You took its head clean off. No pellets to dig out of the meat."
"Indeed," the Jaffa stated proudly.