Jack
Two and a half months. I've been gone for two and a half months. I knew Sam was going to be furious the moment that I put my head in that machine. Risking my life to save the world. It's kind of what I do. But this was above and beyond the call of duty. And I knew she'd be furious.
But she wasn't. That made it worse. She was sure I was going to die, and she didn't want to ruin it by being angry. But I didn't die. I'm coming home. Even if it's after being frozen for two and a half months.
"Does Sam have the day off?" I ask her team when she doesn't greet us when they return from the rescue mission.
"Ah…I don't think so," Daniel stammers.
"What do you mean you don't think so?" I ask.
"Jack…Sam moved," I say.
My heart drops. Two and a half months, "moved on?" I gasp.
"Oh God no Jack! Definitely not! But she moved…to Nevada. She's working at Area 51."
"Cassie ok?" I ask. I know that Cassie was accepted to the University of Nevada. She hadn't made her final selection by the time that I left. But I figure if Sam moved to Nevada, it was probably to be close to our daughter
"She's fine. I mean…not great. She was devastated when you were frozen, and Janet's death hit her pretty hard. But she's ok…I mean Sam didn't move because she had to." But Daniel's face scrunches up strangely when he says it. It kind of makes me think there is something to the 'have to move' concept.
"Ok, so why did she move?"
"Jack, I'll get you your wife'sr wife's address, and a ticket to Las Vegas, and you can go ask her."
I nod. "But everyone's alright? Sam? Ser? Charlie? You and Teal'c?"
He nods.
Sam
The nicest thing about the move to Area 51 is the ability to take work home. I mean, I did it at the SGC. But it was riskier. It was all new technology, and we never knew what it did. Here we know the stuff is pretty safe. I don't feel like I'm putting Ser at risk. She's really all I have to consider when I take stuff home, because it really is just me and Ser now.
It's what I was afraid of seven years ago when I found out there was going to be a Ser. It's what Dad worried about for me. But it doesn't just suck, because I'm a single parent. That isn't as scary as I thought it was going to be.
But I miss my husband.
And I miss my daughter.
And I really wish my son was full instead of part time.
I feel so alone.
A hand goes absently to my stomach, "I know I won't be alone long, little one. You'll make mommy feel less blue?"
But I should feel lucky. I mean Cassie drives two hours from Las Vegas every weekend in order to make my house feel less empty, and the bus drops off my youngest child every single day. I'm lucky. But God, I want Jack back.
The door rings. There is a definite downside of being home in the middle of the day. If you watch TV or go shopping or answer the door you always end up feeling like you are a loser with no life.
I go to answer the door.
Oh my God it's Jack. I squeal and he laughs pulling me into a bear hug. He lifts me off the porch with the squeeze. Then he pulls me into a kiss which ends in a dip just like out wedding kiss.
"You could have called," I saw swatting him on the shoulder.
"I wanted to see you in person."
"I would have known over an hour ago," I say. I hold him at arm's length and examine him, "You ok?" He's examining me the same way. We both have the eyes of a soldier, and it seems like we are always prepared to field dress a wound.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thor thawed me out. We kicked a little replicator ass. Everything's fine. But why are you home in the middle of the day? Are you on medical leave?"
What did I tell you about answering the door in the middle of the day?
"I am working more from home these days," I say not answering the question. We both come into the house, and sit down on the couch.
He notices, but doesn't push it. "Ser alright?" I nod. "Cassie is ok?" he asks, and I feel like that is the real question.
"Yeah, she's wonderful. She's loving school."
"She and Dominic still together?" I ask.
"Yeah."
"You moved here to be with Cassie, what's wrong with her?" he asks nervously.
"I didn't move here for her," I say.
Suddenly his eyes go wide, "You needed her. I was thinking she needed you, but…" he says pulling me into another hug.
"I'm ok," I tell him, but I know the voice is going to convince neither of us.
"I'm sorry, Sam," I say softly.
"It's not your fault."
"It is…I knew it was risky."
"You can't say that, ok? Military wives. Military husbands. This is the deal that we make when we love someone in the uniform. You deal with it as much as I do, ok. No guilt. Our jobs are risky. That's how it works."
"I took more risk than I had to. And I guess I'll have to worry about you less now that you're…all scientist?"
"I'm not sure if that's permanent."
"It was a single mom choice?"
"I knew you were coming back. You've always come back. I mean, you had those three months on Endora, and you were gone for a while on that planet with Maybourne, and then there was the time that you were with Kanan and Ba'al."
"I could do without the run-down of times I deserted my family right now, Samantha."
"Uh-uh," I say firmly shaking my head, "You never deserted us Jack. Not once."
"Ok, so you knew I was coming back, but you just wanted to take a safe job until I did?" he asks.
"Sort of. I mean, I always intended to go back. Teal'c's renting the place. But…getting a science job didn't have anything to do with you. Well, it does, but not because you disappeared."
I take his hand, and put it on my stomach. He blinks.
"No," he says with an excited laugh.
"Oh yeah, we're going to have another kid."
"Oh, Sammy, how do you feel about this?" he asks concerned.
"Good. It's a baby," I say with a smile.
"Ah, I do remember you saying you didn't want more kids."
"Ok, but I do want this kid."
He laughs, "On our wedding day you were worried you lied to the priest about being open to more kids.
"Theoretical children are different from real ones. Once there is a kid, inside of me, and I know it. I don't know, the love starts right then. Or with our adopted kids. You see them, and you know they are ours. Ready or not, it doesn't matter as soon as the kid exists. I love this kid."
"Ok, good. And you…I don't want to say want it, but I mean…it's not messing up your life?"
"Of course it is, but I want it to mess up my life."
"Baby," he repeats rearranging his hand on my stomach. "So how…far along are you?"
"Two months and three weeks. Not long before you left."
He grins, and holds me for a bit. But suddenly he pulls away looking at me concerned, "Ok, question. If you are happy about the baby then why did we need Cass?"
"Cass!" I exclaim.
"What's wrong with Cass?" he asks with concern.
"Nothing, but her dad just came back from…from the limbo you were in." I say grabbing my cell phone.
"Hey, let her finish school," he mutters.
I glance at my watch, "She's done for the day. She's got one class tomorrow, but not until eleven. She's less than two hours away."
"She doesn't need to come."
"Oh, she's going to want to come. And…she comes down once a week anyway," I tell him.
"Would it be too shocking if I talked to her?" he asks.
"Let me start," I say. I dial the familiar number.
"Hi Mom, what's up?" her voice says easily.
"Honey…Whatcha doing right now?"
"Homework," she says slightly annoyed. I know it sounds a bit like nosy mother, but it really isn't.
"I just wanted to know…you're sitting down?" I ask.
"Oh God, he died?" she asks.
"No, no sweetie. He's here. Your dad is right here. And he's fine."
"What?" she asks in shock.
"Yeah, ah…the Norwegian doctor revived him," I say using a code word for Thor.
"Jack is there, he's fine? Dad's ok?" she asks.
"Yeah, he wants to talk to you, Honey, I just wanted to tell you first," I tell her.
Jack eagerly grabs the phone from me, "Oh, no you don't. You don't have to come up here. Ok, if you're going to come you had better wait until we're done talking little missy. Don't make me regret letting you get a cell phone. I promise, I am all right, perfectly healthy. Yeah, I'll be glad to see you too. Although you probably missed me more since I don't remember the last three months," Jack's face gets all disturbed, "No sweetie, that isn't anything to cry about! I was fine, no pain, no nothing! Ok, that's better. I'm going to have to inspect your dorm room before long. I want to see Ser tonight…Oh, and are you hinting about the new baby. Yeah, your mom told me, you're not letting any cats out of the bag. Happy as hell…I suppose I still shouldn't be swearing to you huh? Still too young to hear your Daddy swear. Nope girl, always Daddy never Dad. Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing you. But honey, tell me what your major is."
I thought Jack would be thrilled. But I can tell he's not. She's in aerospace studies just like him.
"Ok, Honey, I'll see you in a couple of hours. You drive safe and slow." He rolls his eyes, "Yeah, I'm aware you've been driving for two years now. But I've been driving for thirty years, and I'm telling my daughter to be careful." A grin covers his face, "I love you too."
He hangs up the phone, "Aerospace Studies?" he asks.
"Jack...let's go pick Ser up from school. She'll be eager to see you, and this way she won't be on the bus for fifteen minutes."
"Ok, let's talk about this as we go."
He gets into the car and sits down. "Do you think she's joining the Air Force because of us or because it's what she really wants to," he says so quietly that I can barely hear him.
"She hasn't actually joined the Air force yet. She's doing her general requirements. She'll have to commit at the end of the year."
"I…I don't know if I can do it," I glance at him prompting more, "Worrying about you…it's about all I can take. I can't worry about her too. When you know what it's like…you're a little reluctant to subject yourself to that."
"I think Cassie wanting to join the Air Force might also be about Dominic," she says.
"What?" I ask staring at her.
"He joined up not long after he graduated. Enlisted. He finished up basic training, and they sent him to Iraq."
"Wow, how's she doing with that?" I ask in concern.
"Pretty good."
"But wait…if he's enlisted, and she's going to be an officer…" I say. Frat regs are things I dealt with enough in my career. I don't want my daughter to have to put up with that.
"I know."
"Have you told her that?"
"I'm a bit worried that she might…well, that that might decrease her motivation to finish college."
"Oh for crying out loud, she's going to finish college!" he explains.
"Jack she's eighteen. On her planet she'd have been considered an adult for three years already. We can't force her to do anything."
"She is too young to be giving up an education for this boy."
"Jack," I say taking a big sigh. This is hard for me to argue for, because I'm actually on Jack's side. I feel like she's throwing her future away, and I want better for her. "Jack…we can't stop this. If we try we might…" lose her, we might lose her.
He pauses, "I won't push it. But not because of that. I'm not going to push it because I don't want to be the overbearing father worthy of blame if her life doesn't turn out the way that she wanted it to be. But…we're not in danger of losing Cassie. I mean she threw a few temper tantrums when she was in her teens, sure. But this whole unconditional love thing…it's not just from a parent to a child."
I nod. But that last part. It's true. And unconditional love isn't just from a child to a parent either. It's also what Cassie feels for Dominic, and sooner or later we are going to have to deal with that fact.
"Ok, we'll have to head in to get her. She usually gets on the bus, so to prevent that we're going to have to be right outside the classroom when school lets out," I say parking in front of the school. I hope Jack doesn't mind a bit of a wait. If you wait until five minutes before school gets out the parking lot gets both crazy and dangerous.
He takes one look at the school and says, "Oy!"
"What?" I ask concerned why he doesn't approve of our daughter's school.
"You've got to be kidding me, 'Military Heights'. We just had the discussion that I'm not entirely pleased that our oldest daughter is following in our footsteps, and now you're telling me that our youngest is too."
Outside of the first grade classroom there are already a couple of parents waiting. One of the dads, Alex, a single dad who picks his son up every day, extends his hand to Jack.
"Hey, nice to meet you. Your kid go here?" but I can tell there is a bit of security guard role to the question. He wants to make sure that this guy has a legitimate purpose in the elementary school.
"Yeah, Ser," Jack says somewhat awkwardly. I'm not exactly sure when he last had his hand shaken, but I'm guessing it's been awhile.
"You're Serendipity's dad?" Alex asks with excitement, and the few moms standing around look more enthused. "This is the missing-in-action husband of yours Samantha?" Alex asks turning to me.
"Yeah, I got him back today without a scratch. Ser doesn't have a clue," I say. One of the moms, a stepmom actually, named Tiffany, gives off a squeal. She's in her early twenties. As far as I can tell, her life consists mostly of watching soap operas. She calls herself a "stay at home mom." but her stepson is twelve, and her stepdaughter is in first grade. I've never seen her do any volunteering in the classroom, and from what I've heard from her daughter (Ser's best friend) she doesn't appear to do any cooking or cleaning or checking homework or playing with the kids or really anything that you'd expect a stay-at-home mother to do.
Tiffany probably figures this is better than a soap opera.
"Wow, so does this mean we're losing the sunbeams that are your wife and daughter?" Alex asks.
Jack looks at me with concern. In our line of business "losing" means something different than it does to a normal person.
"I just told them that I might move when my husband came back from…I mean when you were found," I stammer.
"We're actually going to talk about that later. I got new orders…But if we don't like them I can always retire. Ah…and I've got a month off," he says.
"That's the kind of thing they do for heroes who almost lose their lives for their country," I say. I feel myself getting all choked up, and I look around to see the rest of the parents are right with me, and Jack is completely embarrassed. Also, I'm pretty sure Alex feels the spontaneous need to salute.
"Please, Sam. If they gave you a month off every time you risked your life for this nation you'd never have a day of work!" he exclaims. "I'm just glad I don't have to worry about you for a couple of months," Jack says putting an arm around me.
"You taking some time off?" Alex asks.
"No, but the military put her on light duty. And Sam's kind of obsessive about safety when she's pregnant."
The cat is out of the bag.
"Ah…" Jack stammers turning to me, "So you weren't telling people then?"
I shake my head, "It's ok, it was about time anyway. But…don't tell Ser like that, we'll do that later tonight ok?"
He nods.
"Congratulations," Margie says with a friendly smile. But I know her well enough to know there is already gossip starting. It would probably go something like this, 'her husband's been missing for goodness knows how long, and she had this pregnancy that she didn't want anyone to know about.' This kid is most assuredly Jack's, and the reason why I didn't tell people is quite different. A little silly really. I'm too old and too logical for superstitions, but that doesn't mean I don't have them. I almost miscarried Ser, and I didn't want to tell anyone until this baby was safe. I thought it would keep it safe.
"Yeah, almost three months," I say rubbing my belly.
I give him a grin, and Tiffany, Alec, and Liz add their congratulations to the fray. Just then a bell rings. Kids start pouring out of every classroom. Ser is one of the first ones out. She's eagerly talking to a boy that she refers to as her "bus friend."
"Ser," I say. She doesn't hear me.
"Dipity-doo," Jack says. I flinch. I'm not sure how well my daughter is going to take people in a new place knowing her 'baby' nickname. But I quickly realize it really isn't going to matter.
She turns in shock. In the time it takes her to register that this is indeed her father about eight kids slam into her.
"Daddy!" she screams and starts running down the hall. Startled children slam themselves against the walls knocking finger paintings pinned there to the floor.
"Hey, Ser, it's ok," Jack says somewhat startled by his daughter's emotion. He moves toward her and scoops her up.
"Daddy you were missing," she mutters burying herself into his neck.
He rocks her back and forth, "Oh, honey, they found me, I'm fine."
She pulls herself back, and presses her forehead against her father's. "Is it all ok in there now?" she asks.
"Yeah, that Norwegian doctor put everything right back in my brain where it belonged," he says quietly.
"You'd better set me down," Ser says gravely. "Mommy says I'm much too heavy to carry."
This was one of my ways of taking precautions with the baby without letting my daughter know there was a baby.
"Well, you aren't really too heavy. But you are too old. It's beneath your dignity to be carried. But there exceptions to every rule. And seeing your dad for the first time in three months is definitely an exception to this rule," Jack says. He holds her tight, "What do you say we go make the rest of this scene in the car."
"Ok," she says leaning trustingly against him.
"And your sister is on her way here," he adds.
She bounces in his arms almost causing him to drop her. After all she really is too big to be carried, "Cassie's coming?"
"Yeah," I say walking up next to them, "she wants to see her dad just like you do."
By now most of the crowd in the hall has sort of shrunk away.
We're almost to the door before I realize. "Ser? Where is your backpack?"
She makes a face, "I forgot it."
"Did it get lost in the shuffle?" Jack says looking back over his shoulder.
"It wouldn't be the first time Ser forgot her work," I say. My daughter has started first grade since Jack left. And there is a world of difference from kindergarten to first grade. Maybe I should have warned him. But I didn't quite know how to tell him. Yeah, glad you're home, and your daughter can't read.
"Ah…and are we forgetting our backpack, because there is hard, abrasive homework in it?" Jack asks. Ah…he knows.
"Abrasive?"
"Sandpaper is abrasive," he clarifies.
She giggles at that. "Reading is DEFINITELY abrasive," she says.
He sets her down, "get your bag baby girl."
Jack
I can tell that Sam's a little tired when we get home. I hope it's just from the emotional excitement. I don't want to think of her having walked around tired the whole time I was gone.
"You need a nap?" I ask.
"I'm good," Sam says.
"I've got supper," I say heading to the kitchen.
"Can I help?" Ser asks.
"I don't know, I thought there was some abrasive homework," I hedge.
"She gets a half hour break after school," Sam says. Then she begins to hedge, "I mean she has, we can change the rule."
"Sounds like a good one," I say. "Let's look what is for dinner then," I say turning to the fridge.
Half an hour later I've got supper well underway. I hear the door open, and someone walk into the hallway.
Cassie starts crying. "Hey," I say pulling her into a hug. "It's ok, I'm home."
"Dad," she says.
"It's ok." The hug goes on for so long that I eventually have to break to check on the food.
"Time to read your book," Sam cautions.
Ser makes a face, but without protest goes to get her backpack. She pulls out a thick glossy book.
"Can I read to Daddy?" she asks.
"I'm just supposed to make sure she reads it right?" I ask.
"Yeah, and prompt and prod," Sam says looking grateful for a night off.
"I'll watch supper," Cassie says going over to take a stand by the stove.
Ser opens the book to a brightly colored bookmark. She takes a deep breath.
"O…n…k" "s" I provide. She nods. "Once," she says firmly. "u…p…o…n" she glances at me. I smile and nod, even though I feel panic, "upon a t…i…m tim" "Time," I whisper, "a long, long time a…g…o."* She struggles with every word. I heap on the praise, but she seems pretty naturally determined. Twenty minutes later supper is done, and we've read less than a third of her reading assignment.
After dinner we finish off the story. It takes agonizing hours, and she gets so fatigued by the end. But she perseveres with a shockingly good attitude. It could have something to do with the fact that I'm here for the first time in months. But I hope not. No doubt she is going to have years of this type of thing in front of her.
When we're done, I read the same story to her, and then Sam, and then Cassie. She seems to enjoy that, so she hasn't become completely disenchanted with reading yet.
By the time we're done with all of that it's nearly bedtime. I'd like to send her off to play for a little bit, but I know we have to have a serious discussion first.
"Hey Ser, your mother and I want to tell you something," I say.
She comes and sits between us, "I know we gotta move," she says with a big sigh, "It's the cross of a military family. But Cassie thinks she isn't moving with us, and that's wrong, right, because she's my sister."
"Well Sweetie, I don't know if we're going to be moving or not yet. And if we do move, Cassie wouldn't move with us. She's your sister forever, but that doesn't mean she lives with you forever. When people grow up they get their own lives."
"But she already lives away from us," Ser whines, "It takes her hours to get here. If we moved so far away we'd never get to see her."
"Honey, Cassie is always going to be a part of our life. We might not get to see her as often, but we'll always see her sometimes," Sam adds.
"And we don't know if we're moving yet," I add. "But we were just talking about siblings, right. You like having siblings?"
"I don't know. What's a sibling?" Ser asks.
I smile, "A brother or a sister."
"Yeah, I like my brother and sister," Ser says confused by the question.
"Ever wished you had more?" Sam asks.
"I'm not getting a baby brother or sister, and that's ok," she says with a shrug.
I smile, "Ser, there is a baby sister or brother in your mom's stomach right now."
"What?" she asks looking horrified.
"What's wrong?" Sam asks.
"Why did you eat the baby?" she asks.
We all start laughing.
She looks alarmed.
"Honey, your mom didn't eat the baby. It's growing safe inside of her. It will stay there until he or she is old enough to be born and come live with us," I explain.
She crinkles up her forehead, "But…stomachs break things apart not build them together," Ser says thoughtfully.
"Right honey," Sam says proudly, "but the baby isn't actually growing in my stomach. It grows near my stomach. In a part of me made just for growing babies."
"Do all people have this?" she asks amazed.
"All girls," she explains.
"I could grow a baby?" she asks excitedly.
"Not until you're older," Sam says.
"And even when you can, it doesn't necessarily mean you SHOULD," I point out.
"But we just wanted you to know that we're having a baby," Sam says.
"When will the baby come?" Ser asks.
"Five months, about March," Sam says.
"Too long to wait," Ser says collapsing back against the chair in anguish.
"It will be alright," I say kissing her forehead, and ruffling her hair.
Sam
Jack and Cassie catch up while Ser takes her bath. Then he tucks her in, and then Cassie and Jack continue to talk until well past the time Cassie should have gone to bed. But, at long last, Jack comes and lies down next to me in bed.
"Jack."
"I didn't mean to wake you up," he whispers.
"I'm glad you did. I want to hear this job offer…if you aren't too tired."
"Nope, unless you are," he says looking worried at my stomach.
"I'm fine, Jack," I say.
"They're crazy enough to make me General," he says.
"General?" I ask in excitement.
"Yeah, they want me to work on the Odyssey project."
"They want you to be in charge of building a spaceship?"
He nods.
"And this spaceship is about thirty miles from this house."
"Not a bad commute," I say.
"If you want to go back to the SGC, SG-1 after the baby is born. I can retire."
"I like this…I think Nevada, is right for now."
"Well, our daughters will be pleased," he says.
"General," I whisper, "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too."
*While this could be the beginning of almost any children's book known to man it is specifically Tiki Tiki Tempo by Arlene Mose. The book is actually written at a high first grade reading level, and since it's the beginning of Ser's first grade year shouldn't be assigned. But as a nanny and a teacher, I've seen many years of discrepancies in the difficulty in assigned text and the ability of students. In fact, it's well known that the reading level of science/social studies text are on average two grade levels above the students they're targeted at.