Grace

by Aria

Chapter Twenty-Six

Rating: Same as the show.

Disclaimer: I don't own them; if I did then I would be a hell of a lot richer. No one's paying me to write this, so I'm not making any profit from writing it. I'm just killing time.

Spoilers: In the line of duty, Divide and Conquer, Beneath the Surface, Point of No Return, Tangent, Serpent's Venom, Grace, The Other Guys, Heroes.

Synopsis: Grace arrives through the Stargate, and it's not just Sam that can see her. Set a couple of months after Heroes, and Lost City.

Just in case you still haven't noticed - even chapters tell one reality, odds another.

-*-*-

"He did what?!" Daniel exclaimed, incredulous.

Daniel, Teal'C, Jacob and Dr Turner were sat at the briefing room table. General Hammond had just informed them that Jack O'Neill had fled the base during the middle of his post-mission physical.

"He appears to have gone to visit Major Carter at hospital." General Hammond continued.

Daniel shrugged. "General, you've got to know that there was no point when Jack was alone - he couldn't be a Goa'uld."

"I'm well aware of that, and of Dr Fraiser's ultrasound scan completed prior to his departure. This appears to be yet another example of Colonel O'Neill's indiscretion." George Hammond was clearly fuming at his second in command.

"Have Colonel O'Neill brought straight to my office when he returns to the mountain." He barked at the SF by the stairwell and then stormed into his office, shutting the door.

Daniel scowled and looked around the table. "He knows post-mission protocol." He said to no one in particular.

"Indeed." Agreed Teal'C, tilting his head to one side.

Dr Turner remained mute, but shrugged when Daniel looked at her.

His gaze rested on Jacob. The older man met his gaze with a level expression.

Daniel's eyes narrowed. Jacob's expression remained neutral. "You know something." Daniel surmised.

"Who? Me?" Jacob laughed.

"Yes." Daniel drew out the word.

Jacob shrugged and laughed, "My daughter has a certain appeal to her." Something about Jacob's manner inspired further knowledge.

Daniel wasn't so easily rubbed off, despite Jacob's nonchalant statement. He prodded Jacob, wondering if his long held suspicions were about to be proven. "Daughters are always important to their fathers." Daniel spouted.

Jacob nodded to Daniel, raising his eyebrows before he did so.

"This is Jack's daughter?" No one spoke. "Sam and Jack are... woah, oh my God, I had no idea." He'd suspected, but he also would never properly suspect. His two best friends had always seemed to be deep in denial about their feelings for each other.

Foot steps sounded on the stairwell, and Colonel O'Neill was escorted up the stairs by a pair of SFs. He was led straight past the table into the General's office, and the door shut firmly behind him.

Through the clear wall of Hammond's office, they could see an animated conversation. The voices were muffled by the wall.

"How long have you known about this?" Daniel demanded.

Jacob shrugged, he realised that whilst he wanted his daughter's friends to know, to be happy for her, he also knew some elements to the tale were hers and hers alone to tell.

-*-*-

General Hammond rose to his feet as Colonel O'Neill was led into his office. The two SFs left via the second door, closing it on their way out. They knew their commander was in a foul mood.

"You're playing on my patience, Jack." George reprimanded.

"I'm sorry, sir, but when I heard Carter was in trouble I just wanted to be there for her, as quickly..."

"But it wasn't just Major Carter, was it? You were concerned for the child - your child, I might add."

Jack gulped. "Yes, yes I was, sir. Wouldn't you be?"

"Of course, Jack...and I would've let you go see Major Carter, and the baby - immediately after your post mission physical."

Jack looked down, embarrassed, grateful, unsure of his footing. "I'm sorry, sir, but Doc Fraiser told me about the ruptured placenta and I just had to know they were all right."

George sat down in his chair. "You fathered a child with an officer under you command."

Jack winced, "In my defence, sir, we didn't know anything about that when I did the...fathering..." Jack wasn't too happy about his choice of words.

"You could have mentioned it at the time."

"What? In my report? Hello court martial! Carter and I never discussed it until she told me, a month ago. I've spent the better part of the last year thinking there was a guy on the scene that Danny, T and I never heard about."

"I see your point." George sat back in the chair. "Did you see the child?"

Jack nodded, a smile creeping across his face.

"She's a doozy." George muttered agreement to the younger man's unspoken thoughts, using an adage Jack had no interpretation for. He took it as a good thing. "I don't know what to tell you, Jack, I haven't done much thinking about this." George changed the conversation's tone once again.

"You will never, ever be in a position to recommend Major Carter for promotion or commendation. She may be seconded to your team, to your command, for individual missions, during which time you are to act with the utmost professionalism. I don't want to see a single wayward glance or hell, Jack...just keep it off the base."

George Hammond turned his attention to his paperwork, and Jack felt mildly insulted at the comment, "Sir, I assure you, we..."

Hammond cut him off. "That'll be all, Colonel."

-*-*-

Jack O'Neill made his way quickly to the men's room after the debriefing. He paused in front of the urinals, looking at his face in the panel mirror. He'd missed his shower after the medical, what with running off base and all, and so he still looked scruffy from his stay on Vorash. He ran his hands through his hair and dislodged a couple of particles of sand.

Forgetting himself, and the awkwardness of the debriefing, the stony silence with the team, he moved to the door, intending to lock it before anyone else could enter - thus giving himself fifteen minutes alone. Airmen needing to pee could go one floor down.

The door was pushed open just as Jack reached for the latch, and Jacob Carter stood in his way. "Hello, Jack, going somewhere?" He asked, obviously mistaking a hand for the lock with one for the handle.

Jack raised his eyebrows, "Just finished in here and thought I'd..."

"Good, didn't think so." Jacob over-spoke, and turned to switch the lock where Jack had failed.

Jack pursed his lips, and cursed inwardly.

"So, did you have something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Jack shook his head once, "Did you have something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Jacob smirked, "Look, don't play dumb with me kid. You got my daughter knocked up, you don't get to play dumb. You obviously weren't too dumb to know what you were doing."

Jack winced again.

"Now, I've heard the wiped memory story from my daughter, but you've still got your memory now, and you know what you're doing. At least I think you know what you're doing."

"I'm glad somebody does."

"Are you telling me you haven't got a plan when you have so totally and completely altered the life of my daughter?"

"No sir." Jack raised a single eyebrow. This was uncomfortable, he hadn't had the conversation with the pissed off father for at least forty years now - Sarah's dad had liked him - and it had still been awkward as hell.

"No sir?" Jacob growled.

"I mean, yes, sir, I kind of...have a plan." Jack back tracked. Adding, at Jacob's venomous scowl, "I intend to provide for Grace and Sam."

"Oh...oh" with pure sarcasm Jacob dripped, "you intend to provide for my daughter and your child...by letting everyone on base think the child is by some random stranger. By letting them think that my grand-daughter is..."

"Okay, okay," Jack relented, "so you're right, but Carter and I hadn't agreed yet on when to tell everybody, so I hadn't told everybody. Which is more than I can say for you - you opened your mouth." Jack enunciated his reference to Sam, to ensure Jacob knew his priorities and then swiftly pointed a finger at him. His waggling finger would either ensure a swift decapitation or a chuckle, knowing Jacob as he did, he would bet on the latter.

Jacob smirked and raised an eyebrow at the impertinence. "I'm a proud grandfather, we're expected to talk." and with that, he unlocked the door and left.

Jack breathed out a sigh of relief, and then in an ungraceful push pressed himself against the open door, slamming it shut. He turned the lock.

-*-*-

Daniel Jackson sat alone in the commissary. He had chosen a table right by the door, and placed squarely in the seat in front of him was a cocktail cup of red Jell-O. Stan, the cook, had gone into the back room and shut the door, and, as it was neither lunch nor dinner, the room was devoid of other military personnel.

Daniel lay in wait.

After the briefing, delivered without Jack's usual quips and any evidence of distraction, he'd sprinted off and Daniel hadn't been able to find him. He'd been unable to find Jacob for a while either, and when he did try to confront him he was only able to speak with Selmak.

Part of Daniel wondered if Jack had already left the base, but another part of him was sure that Jack would be starving.

He cleared his throat as a familiar form walked through the door.

Jack O'Neill pivoted on his heels and cursed his bad luck. He attempted to make the pivot complete, a 180 degree turn and then started to leave the commissary again when his friend's voice beckoned for him. "Jack..." Daniel tapped an index finger in front of his own plate, gesturing to the Jell-O and seat in front of him.

"Oi" Jack relented, inserting a Jewish twinge to the word, and slid into the chair opposite. "Daniel," he greeted, "how goes things?"

Daniel swallowed his mouthful of coronation chicken. "Good, good, you?"

"You know, the knee's a little..." Jack bobbed his head and Daniel nodded "after all that sliding around on the floor with the replicators."

Daniel smiled. "And I hear you're a dad again?"

Jack winced, "Look, Daniel, I didn't tell you because Sam and I wanted to tell you guys together."

Daniel nodded, "Is she okay?"

"I think so, a bit overwhelmed."

"So, when did the two of you...?" Daniel trailed off, unsure how to phrase the next part of his question.

"On the planet where we lost our memories. If you want more details, you'll have to ask Sam, 'cos I ain't tellin'" Jack took a spoonful of Jell-O.

Daniel ignored his friend's flippant comment. "So that explains why the two of you have been able to act professionally this whole time."

Jack paused his eating and scowled at Daniel. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, just that if you and Sam had been engaged in a relationship this whole time, you would have shown some signs of..."

"Special forces pal," Jack announced, becoming slightly irritated by his friend. "We wouldn't have shown signs of anything."

"Jack, I've known you and Sam five years now."

"So?" Jack said, through a mouthful of Jell-O.

Daniel relented, shaking his head. "So, when can T and I visit the baby?"

Jack smiled, feeling he'd won the argument. "Later, Sam's getting released. If she's not too tired."

"Shall we come round to yours or Sam's?"

Jack paused and then slowed his swallow. He was stumped. Was he going to pick Sam up from the hospital? Was she set up for the baby at home? Jack wasn't, not entirely. Would she want to come to his and have him wait on her and the baby for a few days, at least whilst he was on downtime? Could he get paternity leave to help out a bit longer? Was he eligible for it?

"I don't know." He took his next mouthful slowly.

"So you and Sam aren't..."

"I don't know, Daniel." The annoyance welled up in him again. "The SFs pulled me outta there before we could make any plan."

Daniel relented again, taking one of the last few mouthfuls of coronation chicken. The fluffy white rice was filling him up quickly.

Jack continued with his red Jell-O, secretly wishing it were blue, in honour of Sam.

"It'll work out okay Jack." Daniel said, after a while.

Jack scowled at him, and Daniel held his fork hand in surrender. They ate the rest of their dinner in quiet companionship.