This is a story that just appeared from nowhere, popped into my fron as I was working on something else, and I thought the idea was interesting enough that I would write it down. Here we learn about Jack's family, I've already mentioned his background in another story (Caveman) and chose to keep the same line so the stories fit together. I hope you'll enjoy this little insight in our favorite Colonel's past!

THE FAMILY TREE

.

"So... When did you buy the cabin Sir?" Sam asked once they were all packed in the rental car, leaving the regional airport behind them.

"I didn't. I inherited it." Jack grinned. Eight years he had worked with these people, and only Teal'c had ever been up here. Well aware that the Jaffa hadn't had the greatest time then, Jack really hoped they'd all enjoy themselves together now.

"What is «inherited» O'Neill?"

"It means that Jack's parents were owning the cabin and it became his when they died, Teal'c" Daniel explained.

"Actually it was my grand-parents'. They built it" Jack beamed.

"Wow, that's cool" The cabin had a history. Daniel was clearly impressed and interested!

"Isn't it!?" Teal'c in the passenger seat, and Sam behind him, had to smile at the obvious pride in the Colonel's voice.

"How old is it then?" Daniel asked.

"Let's see...Mom was born at the cabin in January 1931 and it was built the year before so they must have been done with the main room in 1930. Then they added the master room before Uncle Martin was born, probably around 1937. When I moved in in 1959 we added a couple of bedrooms at the back and in the 1970's we turned the cot into a bathroom"

"When you moved in? You actually lived there Sir?"

"Oh yeah! I lived there from age seven to fifteen, then I went to boarding school but I went back for the holidays"

"Wait a minute Jack! You're actually telling us that you lived in a cabin for eight years? I thought you said you grew up in Chicago?" Daniel was as confused as his friends. None of them had heard that story before.

"OK, let me put this right.." Jack tempered. "My father, John, was born in Chicago. Worked at the steel mill there, where he met my mom. When I was six, there was an accident and he was killed. My mom had to work long hours to keep a roof over our heads. In the end, she was worried I'd become a thug, seen that I spent my days on the streets. She felt I'd be safer with her parents in Minnesota. So yeah, I grew up in Chicago until I was seven, then I lived at the cabin. Had my best boy years there" he smiled fondly. His friends sat there, dumbfounded for a moment.

"How is it you never told us before?!" Daniel was a little hurt that Jack had never mentioned losing his dad at such a young age, nor growing up away from his mom when the three of them had shared similar trauma during their childhoods. He had always thought they were close friends...

"You never asked" Jack answered bluntly.

"You never asked about my parents, I told you all the same. Friends tell those things to each other you know" he whined. Jack shrugged. For once he didn't want to go into the argument. He really wanted for them to have a good time, and arguing with Daniel would ruin it. Teal'c seemed to agree and changed the subject.

"Cassandra Fraiser told me the children of the Tauri are required to attend institutional facilities O'Neill. Was it not the case when you were a child?" he wanted to know.

"Yeah. Of course it was" Jack saw Sam grinning in the rear-view mirror, he glared at her. He was not THAT old, school HAD already been compulsory when he was a kid!

"How did you attend to such facilities O'Neill? Your grand-parents' cabin lies far into the wilderness" Teal'c clearly remembered the long trip with kilometers of nothing but trees.

"You are right buddy" Jack conceded. "I was home-schooled, got my work by post and sent it back by post, once a week"

"Tell us about your maternal grand-parents Sir" Sam asked gently. Jack smiled at her, happy that she showed interest in his family.

"Moffa's name was Johan, he was a young man when he left Norway to come over here in the twenties. He found work on the docks when he arrived, then he worked as a carpenter on construction sites. Momo's family was Mohawk, they moved to New York when she was a teen. Her dad and all her brothers were iron-builders in Brooklyn. Her name was Mary, she told me Johan became friend with her brothers at work and that's how they met"

"Moffa and Momo?" Teal'c wondered.

"Oh! Right.. That's how I called my grand-parents. It's from some Norwegian words I forgot, means "Mother's father" and "Mother's mother"

"Interesting" Teal'c acknowledged.

"So how did they end up in Minnesota, from New York?" Daniel asked.

"They worked in New York for some time but they didn't like it there. Moffa had never lived in a big city before, he came from a little village up a valley, was a man of the outdoors. He said New York was stinky and too crowded. He had some relatives in Minnesota so they tried their luck there. And then, they found the perfect spot and decided to build the cabin! They had four kids, Mom was the oldest, only girl. Moffa had a soft spot for her, she was brilliant so she got to go to boarding school in Chicago, although girls' education wasn't a thing at the time. But he always regretted to let her go, cause after graduating she got herself a job at the steel mill instead of coming back home to them"

"So you grew up here in these forests? Wow... It explains a few things" Sam commented.

"What you mean?" Jack asked, suspicious.

"I always thought that you must have had very good survival classes, like.. it's more than training, it's under your skin really, and yeah.. now it makes sense" she smiled.

"My grand-parents really loved that kind of life, they had also both grown up close to nature, knew it, respected it. In the sixties, a lot of young folks dreamed of going back to nature. Some of them stayed with us for a few days, it was nice, chatting and singing by the campfire... They had great dreams, ideals, they were always happy. But Moffa didn't like it very much. He said those guys were playing around and didn't realized how brutal nature could be if you didn't know it well. Yeah, they were serious about that stuff"

"So basically" Daniel supplied "When you say you come here for fishing, you are actually going home" Jack didn't answer, but catching his friend's eyes in the rear-view mirror, he grinned. Daniel smiled back, they were good.

"Your family history is most intricate O'Neill. It is unusual for Jaffas to travel as the Tauri do"

"Really Teal'c?" Sam was surprised. "I would have thought Jaffas would travel a lot to follow the Goa'uld they serve?"

"You are correct Colonel Carter, those in service do follow their god, but our home and family remain in the same place all of our lives"

"So your parents were born on Chulak, and their parents before them? That's nice..." Sam mused.

"I was not born on Chulak, my mother and I were forced to leave our home planet after Cronus murdered my father and banished us, but this is most unusual" Teal'c explained, looking around at the few houses they were passing by. "I believe we will soon reach your cabin O'Neill, I recognize this village"

"You are right Teal'c, this is were we go grocery shopping!" Jack announced, turning to stop at the local store.

.

A key turned in the old door, and the cabin came to life once again. Jack relished in the familiar sent of wood, cold smoke and childhood as he walked though the entrance hall, struggling to carry the grocery bags to the little kitchen. It was such a good feeling to be back and hear other voices filling his little hideaway. Carrying most of the bags inside, Teal'c led the way to the rooms at the back so they could change into something more comfortable for the evening. Meanwhile, Jack started a fire in the fireplace. Once satisfied with the roaring fire which would soon warm the place, he was about to go and start dinner but stopped on his tracks, delighted to find Sam standing by the couch, admiring the old beams under the roof.

"It's amazing to think that your grand-parents were the ones to build this with their own hands Sir, it's beautiful!"

"I'm glad you like it" he smiled. "Did you find your room?"

"Yes, thanks" she beamed. "It's a big room"

"It's the master room. The guys will sleep in the newer ones"

"Where will you sleep Sir?" Sam worried. "I don't want to chase you out of your own room, I can sleep.."

"Ack! Don't worry Carter! I'll bunk with one of the guys, or on the couch, wouldn't be the first time" he grinned. Although the cabin was isolated, he had had many people over and many good memories with people lying all over the place, even in the shed!

"But Sir..."

"Forget it! The master has the best bed and I want you to have a good time here and relax. You've been through a lot lately, you need the rest..." Sam was about to protest again, but his eyes were carrying his concern and she knew the gesture was his way to take care of her. She chose to humor him.

"Thank you Sir" she smiled softly.

"Anytime" he answered, glad she'd let him spoil her a little. Then, refusing to wallow in her gratitude, he clapped his hands happily and strolled toward the kitchen.

"Let's make dinner! I'm starving!"

Sam stood alone in the living room, a smile on her lips and a warm feeling in her chest. She was really, really fond of this man...

.

NOTE: Moffa stands for "Morfar", and Momo for "Mormor", and as Jack explained, these are the name given by Norwegian children to their mother's father and mother's mother.

The parents of the father are designed as Farfar (Father's father) and Farmor (Father's mother).