"Isn't Sam coming to the team night?" I ask.
"Sam is with her dad," Jack says.
"You could have invited him," I point out.
"That's what I said," Daniel says, grinning at Jack.
"They're family. She doesn't get to see him very often," Jack defends.
"We're family, too," I say.
"I think it is a little different for her. She's got a real family in the way that none of the rest of us do. Sometimes she needs time with them."
"I don't know, Jack," Daniel says, picking up Shifu, who has crawled over to him. "My family feels pretty real, too."
"They don't count, because your real family is part of our fake family," Jack says.
"We could say the same for Sam's dad, if we'd let him," I point out.
"Fine, invite her over, but don't you feel bad if she says 'no'," Jack says. Daniel runs out of the room to comply with her request.
Janet grabs Jack's hand. I don't think she realizes that anyone can see her. She's been showing up at a lot of team nights. Actually, all of them. I mean, she and Cassie were always a regular feature, but… I think she and him are more serious than he led us to believe.
She sees me looking at their hands. Crap. I look away quick.
"I'm going to go get more dip," Janet says, shaking an empty bowl.
"Need help?" Jack asks, starting to stand up.
"Yeah, Steph?" she says, smiling.
Jack looks suspiciously at her, but doesn't say anything. I stand up and follow.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare. I asked Jack about how you were doing the other day, and he was… cagey about it."
"We're good," Janet says.
"I'm glad."
"How are you?" she asks.
"How do you make the decision to marry someone?" I blurt.
She tilts her head, "Baby daddy proposed?"
I nod, "A while ago. I said no. But… I'm sure the offer is still on the table. I love him. I don't think it's enough. I think Jack thinks so, though."
"Honey, if Jack thought love was all it took to get married, he'd be my husband by now."
I look at her in surprise. "Why aren't you getting married?"
"We've both been divorced. Which is, by the way, the reason you should have this conversation with someone else. I don't know how you know it's forever. I married my husband because I thought I was supposed to. I thought after you dated someone for two years, marriage is what you did. I'd advise against that reason."
"Why did you and Teal'c break up?" I ask.
She grabs the dip out of the fridge before she responds, "I started dating Teal'c because he was a really good kisser. You don't stay with someone forever because they are a really good kisser. I was with him so long I felt myself saying 'should', making a whole list of things I 'should' do. I didn't want to end up marring another guy because I feel like I'd passed the point of no return in our relationship."
"Was he good in the sack, too? I imagine he is," I say.
"That's also not a reason to stay with someone," she says, but suddenly her face breaks into a grin, "But for the record, the whole Jaffa meditation thing has benefits in the area of self-control."
"Really?" I say with a smile.
"Although, I must say Jack is a big improvement. You cannot beat a guy who is so attentive to your needs. I mean… wow."
"Gross!"
"I'm sorry, but you did begin the discussion of my sex life."
"Yeah, with Teal'c. Not with Jack, he's like…" I don't know how to finish that without offending the woman, not old enough to be my mother, who is dating Jack.
She smiles, "He's like your dad."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that we have to..." I say, not sure how to finish that sentence either.
"Honey, I'd be honored to be your sort of step-mom," she says.
"Is the 'sort of' from the you-and-Jack part or the me-and-Jack part?" I ask.
"We can just leave off the 'sort of' part all together," she offers.
I throw my arm around her. Daniel walks into the room, "Is there something I am missing?"
"Janet adopted me," I tease.
"Okay, great," he says, looking at us oddly, "Sam and Jacob are coming," Daniel says.
"Ha! Jack was wrong. We are a family people want to be a part of," I declare.
"Everyone wants into the craziness," Janet agrees.
When we return to the deck, Jack is looking at us suspiciously. "Did you have to run to the store for the dip? You girls took a long time in there."
"We were talking about sex," Janet says, causing his mouth to open in dismay.
Cassie is giggling.
"Talking about how it was very, very bad, right?" Jack suggests, looking at the teenager.
I make eye contact with him.
"No… no she wouldn't… Janet?" he squawks desperately.
Not that I enjoyed hearing about his sex life, but it's going to be fun to mess with him, "All good things," I say with false casualness.
Jack looks like he's about to hyperventilate. "Relax, I told her pretty much nothing, and she still freaked out," Janet says.
Cassie grins, "Jack, you might as well spend the night now."
"Great job, Janet, you let the cat out of the bag," Jack whines.
"Oh," Janet fake pouts, "You mean I get to have my boyfriend in my bed all night? Bummer." Then she goes over, and sits down on Jack's lap, "I'm kind of liking the idea of not hiding anymore."
"We weren't hiding," he grumbles, "We were being discrete."
"Do you want me off your lap?" Janet asks playfully.
"Not really," he mutters, holding her close.
Cassie grins at them.
"Cassie, your new role model is Daniel. Observe him, and imitate his behavior," Jack says, pointing, before kissing Janet.
"I do not think I want that responsibility, Jack," Daniel says.
"What? You're married, and faithful to your wife. Perfect example," Jack says.
"But do I have to be Cassie's role model in everything?" Daniel protests.
"Naw, just romance. The rest she can get from her big sister," Jack says.
"Wait… you don't mean me, do you?" I ask, shocked.
"Resilient, poised, smart, and compassionate, what more could we want?" Jack asks.
I blush.
-0-
"Seriously, Dad, it's fine, I'm sure they're out on the deck," Sam's voice says.
"We are!" Janet calls.
Sam lets herself in through the gate, and laughs at seeing Janet perched on Jack's lap.
"I see he got over that whole 'won't show affection in front of the kid' thing that was driving you nuts," Sam says conversationally to Janet as she jumps over a bush to get onto the deck without walking around to the stairs.
Her father snorts at her actions and mutters something that sounds like "unladylike" before walking around himself.
"Well, she shared details of our sex life with my kid, so I figured what's the point?" Jack teases.
"Jack has a kid?" Jacob asks, looking around at Daniel's children as if one of them was going to suddenly change eye colors to look more like Jack.
"Not technically, but he means me," I offer.
"You're his kid all right, Steph," Sam says with an eye roll as she plops down on a chair, and scoops up some dip with the chips.
Her father stares at her in horror.
"Dig in, Jacob," Jack offers, trying to ease the tension.
"You say that like it's your food. When, in reality, everyone begged me to provide the catering, because you burn everything, even vegetable platters," Janet teases.
"If someone is sitting on your lap, you can play host with their things, it's a rule," he teases.
"Oh, then I suppose I should get off your lap the," Janet teases back, following her own suggestion.
"I'm not sure I like them flirty," I say conspiratorially to Daniel.
"I blame you for creating a monster," he replies.
"Jacob, seriously, if you're going to wait for someone to offer you a seat, you're going to be standing a long time," Jack says.
"Especially since Janet and Jack are having some sort of weird power-grabbing host-off," Sam adds, dipping another chip.
"Exactly how much time do you spend over here?" Jacob says, looking very out of his depth.
"Someone hand him a baby," Jack mutters.
Mattie volunteers herself by crawling into the older man's arms and doing that heart-melting toddler thing where she curls up into his shoulder. He smiles.
"I knew it would relax him," Jack says smugly.
Kush holds out his hands toward Jack, and the older man picks him up. Kush curls up into him. "Good boy," Jack says. He glances at Janet with a look I can't miss.
Oh my, Jack wants to have more kids. Grandkids and kids all mixed together with ages, interesting.
Janet looks away blushing. Yeah, she's okay with kids, too.
"Whose kids are these?" Jacob asks.
"Mine, sir," Daniel says, pushing glasses up on his face.
"All four of them?" Jacob asks.
"Janet is my mom, and Jack is my dad," Cassie says, sticking out her chin, just daring someone to contradict her. Her mom considers it, but shrugs.
"Okay, but all the little ones?" Jacob asks.
Mattie pulls back from him, "Baby Booboo isn't his blood, but Daddy is his daddy."
"What?" Jacob asks.
Daniel sighs, "They call my youngest that. He's… technically, he's my stepson, but he's only ever lived with me."
"Where is your wife?" Jacob asks.
"Kidnapped by the Goa'uld," Jack says, when it becomes clear that Daniel isn't going to answer.
Jacob swallows three times, bows his head, and I swear his voice is deeper when he says, "I'm sorry to hear that."
"Dad!" Sam scolds.
Jacob rubs Kush's back, "When you giving me one of these?"
"Dad!" Sam scolds again. Jack hands her a beer.
"I know, I know. Your career," Jacob says.
"You already have grandbabies, dad. Ones you never see," Sam says with reproach in her voice. She curls her legs up around herself like they are protection, and she takes a swig of the beer.
Kush pulls back from Jacob enough that he can see his face, "You a grandpa?"
"Yes, honey, I am," Jacob says.
Kush laughs, "Grandpas wear dresses."
Daniel's face goes pale, "It's a robe, and you're not supposed to tell people I showed you that picture."
"Actually, I wear robes too, most of the time," Jacob says.
What?
"Well, if anyone thinks I'm going to give up pants when Steph pops her baby out, you're all crazy," Jack says.
Kush shrugs his shoulders, "Then you can't be a grandpa."
