Saturday morning came with Elliott up early, making breakfast for the rest of them. Jack went down the steps at 0800.
Jack smirked, wondering how long the kid was going to keep it up because if he was trying to get on Jack's good side, this wasn't the way to go. Elliott stood a little straighter when Jack walked down, followed shortly by Sam.
"I thought since I was up, I'd start breakfast," Elliott claimed.
"Thanks!" Jack stated.
Cassie was the last to meander down the steps at 8:30.
"Mmm Elliott, these are so good, just like last time, do I get the secret recipe this time?" Cassie asked.
Jack shot a glare.
"Where you be that he would have made you pancakes?" Jack asked suddenly.
"Cooking class, dad, we have free cook once a week, and you can make whatever you want and sample it with the class," Cassie claimed.
"Oh! Well, that sounds nice." Sam claimed.
"It is, this girl Julie in the class makes the best Mac and Cheese and Steve he has this awesome pie," Cassie stated.
"What about you Cass, I'm sure you've made something delicious," Jack stated.
"Nah, I do okay," Cassie claimed.
"What are you kidding? That flourless cake is AMAZING!" Elliott exclaimed.
"Flourless, what?" Jack asked.
"Cake," Cassie claimed.
"I love cake, had kinds, chocolate, vanilla, pineapple upside-down, crumb, pound, angel food, cup… they all have flour," Jack stated.
"It's so good. You should make one," Elliott claimed.
"Maybe, this weekend?" Cassie asked.
"Mm, I don't know our schedule, sweetheart, but next time we'll go to the store and get what you need," Jack claimed.
Cassie smiled.
Sam and Cassie parted from Jack and Elliott, Sam needing to get some things done and home and Cassie back at home, with her mom, who happened to have the weekend off. That left Jack and Elliott sitting around, not quite sure how to talk to one another. Jack had to meet new people and learn to adapt, but they weren't living in his home, they weren't dating his daughter. This was weird. So for the next several hours, the two would say a few words to each other, but other than that, it was quiet, and the air was thick.
"So, are you into Hockey?" Jack asks.
"It's okay," Elliott claimed.
"The Simpsons?" Jack asked.
"I wasn't allowed to watch it when I was younger, I've seen it before but don't have an opinion," Elliott claims.
"What about opera?" Jack asks.
"Cassie told me you enjoy it, I mean, I understand the appeal, but I can't say I listen to it for fun," Elliott claimed.
"What's your favorite cake?" Jack asked.
"That too hard to chose!" Elliott claimed.
"Finally, we have something in common," Jack stated.
Elliott smiled.
"So Cassie told me you work at a book store." Jack brought up.
"Since I was 15, Gillow Brothers on 5th street. He works with my schedule, I don't work a lot 15-20 hours a week, usually on Sundays, but he lets me come in whenever I want." Elliott explained.
"Your lucky," Jack stated.
"I know, I've been lucky with a lot lately, thanks again for letting me stay here," Elliott claimed.
It was Wednesday before anyone realized, and Jack felt nervous going back into work. He wanted to be back on the line. He wanted to be with Sam. He wanted to go back to normal, well close to normal as he's going to get.
It was 0700, and there Elliott was cooking breakfast. Jack wondered how much he's saved in the past few days, not eating out. Elliott didn't cook every meal, but he had cooked breakfast every morning, and last night he cooked dinner. He was excellent, and if Jack had known that he was going to get a personal chef, he would have asked for Elliott to move in a while ago. It did irk Jack, though. Not the fact he was cooking, but Elliott explained this is what he's used to doing at home with his parents.
This morning Elliott was stirring cream of wheat and had toast and bacon already on the table.
"You know you don't have to do this every morning; I can eat at work, you can eat at school." Jack pointed out.
"Have you had school food?" Elliott asked.
"Fair point, works not much better, except for the cake, and well Sam likes jello, blue particularly," Jack stated.
Elliott smiled.
"So, should I expect you back home tonight?" Elliott asked.
"What are you, my mom?" Jack asked.
"No, I, well, I didn't know what to expect. This would be my first time alone here and…" Elliott stopped.
"No, I know, I should be back tonight, unless there is an emergency. There is a number to call on the fridge in case you have an emergency, and not something like where the can opener is if I'm not available, someone military will be here, so it's not to be taken likely." Jack claimed.
Elliott nodded.
"If I am gone, it's usually only a few days, but it's been known to be a week or more," Jack stated.
Elliott nodded again.
"Look, if I'm not here, I'd prefer no one else in the house. I know your 18 and all, but there are some risks that you need to know. I don't know how much Cassie has told you, and she really shouldn't have said much…" Jack claimed.
"Well, she's told me that you and Sam and a few other people found her when she was about 10. She said that she couldn't give me a lot of detail, but where she lived was highly underdeveloped, and her parents were farmers, a disease took out her village, and there was no one to care for her, so you and Sam couldn't leave here there and brought her here, because she had no other family. She said that you guys go away a lot, but she doesn't even know where you go or what you are doing most of the time." Elliott claimed.
Jack nodded.
"Well, she was telling you the truth. We go on covert operations, and if you see anyone sneaking around or looking in windows or anything while I'm away, call that number. If you see suspicious cars or vans around, you haven't noticed before the call that number." Jack said seriously.
"Yes, sir," Elliott claimed.
"Well, you're going to be late, leave the dishes, have a good day, and no kissing Cassie," Jack stated.
Elliott blushed and walked back up to his room, grabbed his book bag, and drove to school.
Jack shook his head; Cassie's explanation was perfect; it was accurate and didn't give anything away. He wondered how long she has been telling that one to her friends. It was the easiest and what was best. Jack wondered how Elliott would feel if he knew the whole truth. It would blow his mind. Jack was sure; there are some days he still doesn't quite believe it.
With the dishes done, and Jack ready for his check-up, he left the house to start his day.
Daniel greeted Jack. They have, of course, seen and talked to each other multiple times since he had returned to earth, but Daniel was in full-on research mode about something they had found about a year ago that Daniel was getting around too. Jack was starting to wonder if he could re-bruise his leg to stay away a few more weeks. Daniel was his best friend, but when he was hung up on something, he didn't let it go, and right now was one of those times.
"Jack, hey, I know you just got here, but you remember Px-3247?" Daniel asked.
"Huh?" Jack asked.
"The planet with the bright pink moon, and purple stars," Daniel claimed.
"The one with the ruins you believed to be similar to our Myan culture?" Jack asked.
"No, that was planet PX 47856. It had purple stars too, but the moon was blue," Daniel claimed.
"The one with the small group of people who seemed to have an ancient form of Hindu as their belief?" Daniel claimed.
"Sure…" Jack claimed.
"Do you remember when we were there, and they had a drink from the ceremonial pitcher, and I pointed out the script on it that looked like Arabic?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah, Arabic," Jack claimed.
"Well, I don't know if it's a good thing or not, but I finally translated it. The ritual was for long health and vitality," Daniel stated.
"Yeah, so?" Jack claimed.
"Well, I don't know there seemed to be many elders on the planet; we never did bother to ask them there age," Daniel claimed.
"So, what you want to go back?" Jack asked.
"Possibly, I am going to bring it up to General Hammond in just a few minutes.
Jack looked at him.
"Well, at least their friendly." Jack shrugged his shoulders and made his way to the infirmary where Janet awaited.
"Colonel O'Neill, everything been going well, I take it," Janet claimed.
"Feel great," Jack stated.
Janet got his vitals his weight and drew some blood.
"You know you've gained a few pounds, nothing out of the norm," Janet claimed.
"That kid is going to make me gain a lot more he's cooked breakfast every morning," Jack claimed.
Janet smiled.
"Cass says he's a good cook," Janet claimed.
"He is, but he was expected to cook at home all the time," Jack stated.
Janet frowned.
"You know I tried connecting with his parents a few times, and we talked they seemed alright, nothing that put me on edge, sounds to me like I should have asked some more questions," Janet claimed.
"Well, it seems like his parents seemed to find things for him to do. I don't know how he keeps up, sports, work, school." Jack explains.
"I know, it's good for him though, Cassie said he's only been working a 2-3 days a week if that, and only a few hours, apparently last summer he was working the max he could, saved up some money," Janet explained.
Jack just nodded.
"Alright, Colonel, let's see this bruise," Janet claimed.
Jack pulled down his pants, and Janet told him he didn't have to go any further.
"It looks the same throughout?" Janet asked.
"Yeah, some yellow spots here and there," Jack said.
"No pain," Janet asked.
"No, not for about a week," Jack admitted.
"All right, you're clear for active duty," Janet claimed.
"Be careful, Colonel," Janet claimed.
"You know me, Doc," Jack stated.
Janet laughed and shook her head as Jack walked out the door.
