Jack got one of the motor pool kids to drive him from Peterson to the Cheyenne facility. He had put his blues back on for the standby flight to Denver then taken a commuter job to Peterson. He's wanted to talk to Brian about the command of the Hammond anyway and he was already wearing his monkey suit.
The nice thing about being in uniform is you really very consistently got a seat flying standby. Added bonus every kid on the flight had wanted to come by and ask him questions. As the only thing Jack loved more than dogs were kids, he had a blast mean mugging them then winking in amusement as they walked by.
So after his chat with the perennially eclectic General Hickerson and a couple IOA flunkies that he played nice with because he didn't want to irk Dick Woolsey after his help with that little city ship thing, he headed back for the SGC. It was a nice day for a drive after all and Jack was going home to his kids, at least for a couple days he hoped. He'd have liked it even more if he'd been able to come home to his wife and his kids but he was working on that.
"Happy to be going home sir?" The young airman asked him.
"I am. Missed my kids." Jack told the kid that couldn't be a day over twenty.
"When I was a kid sir, my dad would come home in his blues and I don't know who was more excited, him or my little sister and me. There was something about dad coming in with that grin of his."
Jack chuckled. "What rank was he?"
"Captain sir, he was a pilot." The kid said over the rumble of the vehicle.
"Being a dad is one of the greatest things in the world son."
"My dad used to say the same thing sir. Then my sister and I became teenagers and all his hair fell out."
Jack laughed outright. "Sounds about right airman." He said thinking of Cassie.
A little over half an hour later Jack was wandering through the enormous door of NORAD at the top of the Cheyenne facility. Some jokester had put an SG placard on a supply closet in the hallway to the elevator banks. A nod to Martin's show a few years back. Jack had heard Marty was trying to revive a new series but the studio was balking because it was a budget nightmare.
The motor pool kid had said his goodbyes at the gate and Jack was signing in, noting all of SG-1 was on staff and his kids were signed into the daycare. He ought to drop by there first before he headed down. The facility head had been thrilled by Jack's admission the last time he was picking them up that he'd started adoption proceedings. She'd been a little concerned by the boys shouting 'Dad' instead of 'Jack' at him as they had before.
"Did Carter leave any instructions Genie?" He asked the sweet tempered NDC head who was in on the weekends so her people could get much needed rest. It was hit or miss if they would be empty or packed those days."
"Nothing specific General. I do have a question though?"
"What's that?"
"Well, the boys have insisted I use your last name when addressing them rather than their birth father's. I opted to just avoid either for the time being." She was whispering to him so the boys who were distracted by a TV show at the moment, "But I didn't know if you or Colonel Carter had given them permission to do so."
Jack grinned a little. "Carter had his parental rights severed. He wasn't paying his child support and hadn't called or seen them in several months. It will take a while before the adoption goes through so Carter is getting me legal guardian papers in case something unfortunate happens to her in the meantime. She wants to keep the kids with the family they know loves them. I told them if it was ok with their mom they could legally change their names to mine. Their father hasn't been the most stellar parent and they want nothing to do with him."
"I'm so sorry sir, those poor boys. They rarely came in when Colonel Carter was married but I do notice they seem happier overall now."
"That's good to hear. Kids don't deserve to be in the middle of their parent's fights."
"I agree sir. I'll keep them entertained here until you or Colonel Carter comes to pick them up. Make sure I get a copy of the guardianship paperwork for my files please."
"Yes ma'am" He said to the kindly woman. "You two be good for Major Nelson, all right?" He admonished the boys.
"Yes sir." Came the absent replies, their father already forgotten for the far more interesting yellow talking sponge.
"All right Daniel, lay it on me." Jack told his oldest friend. A man he considered more brother than friend. Jack had changed into base uniform. His blues were hanging in a locker.
"All right, so I couldn't figure out how to handle this without tipping off our shady friend so I spent a couple days figuring out who might be able to pull that off. Then I remembered Richard Woolsey was head of field operations at IOA since his return from Atlantis."
"I take it I owe him a favor now then?"
Daniel slid a pile of papers for Jack to look at. "Not according to Woolsey. Apparently he was very interested in digging into the situation once his people discovered what our little turtle has been up to. Especially after I told him how he'd been the one responsible for your relationship issues. Apparently he was a big fan of your situation and had been one of the loudest voices in support of your appointment to HWC knowing it would effectively eliminate any lingering issues for you romantically."
"You would think he had something better to do than play matchmaker." Jack said.
"Well be glad he didn't because if he had, he wouldn't have been nearly as interested in digging up crap on a member of congress. The problem is, he can't directly confront the situation and if he does it won't solve your problem so you still need your contingency plan to pull this off unless you want to take your chances with the next election."
"Rats." Jack said reading the IOA preliminary findings.
"Agreed."
"No, they're all a bunch of rats. Almost as bad as snakes."
Daniel snorted in amused agreement. "So I take it we need to sneak off then?"
"Without Carter catching us, or we're all doomed." Jack agreed.
"Ok, well, I'll go grab Teal'c and gear up while you play dodgem with your wife." Daniel said companionably.
"That's not funny Daniel."
"It is to meeeeā¦." Daniel's voice floated back from the hall.
"It's not that funny" Jack muttered as he left to go find Landry.
"So Woolsey's people have a line on the guy but they can't go after him directly yet until I deal with this other situation."
"Jack, he belongs in a penitentiary."
"No argument there. Talk about double dipping. I bet he's skimming too considering he's flooding his state with crime with one hand and beefing up police power to go after whoever he wants with the other."
"Slimy bastard. He taught you how to treat him Jack."
"That's pretty much what the head of DoD said a couple days ago." Jack admitted.
Hank looked thoughtful and tapped a pen on his desk. "All right." He said after a long moment. "If you think this is the solution you've got Daniel and Teal'c for a couple days but then I want them back Earthside. What do you want me to tell Sam?"
Jack hadn't thought of it. "I was hoping you would just keep her distracted until we left Hank."
"Jack. Are you trying to kill me here?"
Jack grinned. "Tell her I had to go powder my nose."
"I'm starting to understand why George lost all his hair."
Jack gave him an innocent look which earned him a frown and a Sam Carter worthy eye-roll. "You owe me Jack."
Jack's next stop was the infirmary for a pre-mission physical that Hank insisted on considering he was going offworld. Teal'c and Daniel joined him for their checkups shortly after. After they cleared out, Jack snagged Carol's sleeve.
"Did you need something General?"
"How hard is it to reverse a vasectomy?"
"Not very. Having second thoughts sir?"
"Well, at the time, I wasn't with the person I wanted to have kids with. Then I wasn't with anyone."
Carolyn patted his hand. "If you want it done here for privacy reasons sir, I can arrange it."
He looked at her. "I might." He admitted.
"Have a good mission sir." She said with a smile and moved on to her next patient.
"What was that about?" Daniel asked him as Jack pulled his jacket back on.
"I'll tell yah later if this screwball idea of mine pans out Danny boy."
"Jack."
"Daniel."
"It wasn't your fault Charlie was an only child."
"I was gone too much, in a way it was, but it wasn't because of equipment failure if that's what you mean."
"Does Sam want another baby?"
"Possibly and if she does, I'd like to give her that option sooner than later."
"Makes sense and if she doesn't?"
"Then I go back to being extra careful like." Jack said flippantly as he walked past.
Daniel stared at Jack's back in shock. Did that mean Sam and Jack had been? How the hell had he not caught on to that?
"Sir! May I speak to you a moment alone?" Sam called as she finally caught up to him. He'd clearly been sneaking around base the last couple hours and she'd caught him as he was about to knock on Teal'c's quarters.
"Colonel Carter, it's good to see you." He said with a mild tone and expression.
She gave him such a cut the crap look that he was taken aback and wanted to kiss her right then and there. THERE was his Carter.
Jack knocked on Teal'c's door politely. "T, we've got a go." He'd changed into a set of field BDUs and tac vest so it was pretty obvious he was going out on a mission.
Part of Sam really wanted to admire how he looked dressed for battle. Muscle hard and eyes flinty. She wasn't about to lie, it did it for her, always had. "Sir." Her eyes narrowed.
Teal'c opened his door. "O'Neill. Colonel Carter." He said with a nod and a smile for Sam.
"Landry gave us a green light. Go gear up. I need to talk to Carter for a moment."
"My quarters are at your disposal." He told them and left.
Jack nudged Sam inside and closed the door.
Before Sam could round on him for sneaking around base he'd maneuvered her against the door and claimed her mouth hungrily. When he came up for air, his eyes were heavy lidded and his breath ragged. "Before you chew my ass out Carter, I love you."
Sam looked up at him, eyes having gone from heavy lidded to wide. "Quit trying to change the subject sir."
"I'm 'sir' again. Ouch."
"Where are you going and why are you only taking Daniel and Teal'c?"
"I need some help solving a problem and the only guy who can pull it off is Maybourne."
"Harry? That double crossing sex addict?"
"I know, I know, but he's got the right kind of shady con-men in his corner that can plug this problem once and for all."
She frowned and poked him in the chest with her finger. "You have two little boys who are going to be very put out if you damage yourself O'Neill. Don't do any of your usual level of crazy." She ordered him.
He captured her finger, brought her hand up to his face and kissed the fingertip that had pointed at him so hard she'd shoved him. "I'm doing this for them Carter. They deserve a family. A whole family."
"Jack." She said softly, her eyes searching his.
"Marry me Sam."
"Right now?"
He laughed. "No, after I solve my little personality clash with a dumb hillbilly."
She giggled.
"Stop giggling Carter, I pitch a tent every time you do it."
"That's why?" She asked him incredulously. "For years I thought it was because you thought it sounded unprofessional."
He hummed and tugged her forward so they were hip to hip. "That is definitely not my sidearm Carter."
Sam snickered. "I didn't think it was the first time either sir."
"Smart ass."
"Yes sir."
"Stop it."
"On your orders sir."
"Dammit Carter."
Half an hour later Sam sat in the control room and watched half her team gate out.
"You ok with this?" Cam asked.
"Have you ever tried to talk him out of anything Cam?"
"Can't say I have Sam."
"Well don't waste the effort. You may as well try to alter time and speed up the harvest."
"Or teleport you off this rock?"
Sam waved at the Stargate. "That one we have covered."
