After Sam had left the room, Jack asked, "Guys, can you give us the room for a minute?" After the rest of SG-1 and General Hammond had left the room leaving Jack with his ex-wife and her father, Jack took Sara's hands once again.
"There's something else?" she asked nearly moaning at the thought.
"Sort of," Jack said. "Sara, in Charlie's reality I remarried."
"Oh," was the only response that came to her mind. In her heart, even though she'd been the one to divorce him, Jack was still hers. It had never even occurred to her that he would find someone else, that he could move on without her.
"I remarried Sam in his reality," Jack gently explained. "J.J. thinks of her as his grandma, and Charlie, while he works hard not to say it, thinks of her as his mom. She...in that reality...she really loved him, Sara. She was a good step-mother. J.J.'s already so confused. We're trying to keep his family as much what he knows as possible."
"So she's J.J.'s grandma even though here you're not..." Mike said his voice trailing off awkwardly.
"Right," Jack agreed.
Sara stared at him, and he returned her look. They had an entire conversation with that one look, and at the end Sara nodded and squeezed his hands where they held hers on the table. "I'm glad," she told him. There was no need to say what she was glad about. They both knew she was glad for many things at that moment, but Jack was most grateful that she was glad for the one thing that couldn't be spoken of aloud, at least not there. They sat in silence for a minute more each lost in their own thoughts before a knock at the door interrupted the quiet.
Sam entered the room with a toddler perched on her hip. "J.J., this is your Grandma Sara and your Great-Grandpa Mike," Sam said as she cocked her head to look at J.J. where his head rested on her shoulder. His thumb was firmly seated in his mouth and his big chocolate brown eyes accused her silently. "We aren't going anywhere, J.J. I promise, sweetheart! Grandma Sara and Great-Grandpa Mike just want their chance to spoil you rotten too," she told him before placing a kiss on his cheek. "Charlie's up at the range," she told Sara and Jack. "I sent someone up to get him, and Janet's bringing Sammy up." Sam sat down in the chair next to Sara hoping to coax J.J. out of his shyness. She pulled a box of crayons from her pocket and set them on the table. "Here J.J. why don't you and Grandma Sara and I draw a picture for Grandpa Jack," she suggested. "I bet he'd love a picture of Grandpa Danny's new rock," she said with a wicked smile. "The one with all the snakes on it."
Sara took one of the offered crayons and began to draw as she studied the other woman. She was very good with J.J. who seemed to prefer her even to Jack. 'I should hate this woman,' Sara thought. 'She's won Jack's heart even if they can't admit it, and she obviously has J.J.'s approval. She...in that other reality...she raised my son. She's his mom, not me.' The little boy had ventured just close enough to Sara to reach a crayon and begin to draw on the corner of the paper. His somewhat frightened gaze moved constantly from adult to adult trying to figure out what was really going on. As the two women and the little boy continued to draw the door opened again and another woman in a lab coat followed by Jack's other teammates entered the room. In the woman's arms was the unmistakable bundle of a baby.
"Sara, this is Janet Frasier" Sam said preempting Jack. "She and Daniel are J.J. and Sammy's other grandparents. Janet's the base CMO."
Sara greeted the other woman who relinquished the bundle in her arms. Sara looked down at the baby in her arms and gasped. "She looks like Charlie," Sara whispered.
"That's what Jack said," Janet told him. "She's in great health considering the circumstances of her birth."
Sara had to think about that statement for a moment, but Sam, noting her confusion offered an explanation. "Cassie, Charlie's wife, went into premature labor as they were evacuating," she said. "Cassie..." The expression in her eyes and the fact that Sammy hadn't been with her mother filled in what Sam left unsaid. Sara also noticed the look of pain in Dr. Frasier's eyes and suddenly made the connection that it was her daughter that had died in the other timeline.
With a glance towards J.J., she said, "I understand." She returned her focus on the baby in her arms. Sara was unaware that while she was examining her granddaughter, her grandson was examining her. The other adults in the room watch the tableaux quietly. They could see the wheels turning behind J.J.'s little brown eyes.
Something in J.J.'s expression shifted. "Gamma Sawa?" he asked.
"What J.J.?" she asked then forced herself to relax her breath as she waited to hear whatever it was he wanted to ask her. 'Grandma,' she thought. 'God that's...I'm a grandma!' The thought was enough to make her eyes tear with emotion.
"Awe you goin' to go 'way?" he asked sadly. "De psycho-gist said my gammas an' pappas wewe goin' 'way, and I wouldn' see dem any more. But den Pappa Jack hitted him in de nose, and Pappa Danny hitted him in de eye. And Gamma Sam pwomised dat dat psycho-gist was wong, and dey wewen't goin' 'way." J.J. took a deep breath as he finished his story.
She took a moment to decipher the toddler's words and then looked at the two men in question who managed to look both ashamed and pleased with themselves at the same time. "No, J.J. I'm not going away," Sara promised. "Cross my heart. Grandma Sam's right. Great-grandpa Mike and I are going to spoil you rotten, too." Sara whirled around as she heard a strangled cry from behind her. There standing in the doorway was a young man in his twenties. For a minute she thought she was having a heart attack the pain in her chest was so intense. "My baby," she whispered and rose from the table. The next thing she knew she was in her son's arms and they were clinging to each other.
"I'm so sorry, Mom. I'm sorry" Charlie whispered over and over again, but all Sara could do was cry and hold him tighter. She finally forced herself to loosen her hold on him as the cry of the baby in her arms penetrated. She turned and handed the baby to the nearest adult who happened to be Teal'c before enfolding Charlie into her arms again. Teal'c merely raised one eyebrow and tucked the tiny baby girl more securely into his arms.
"It's okay, baby" she murmured as she continued to hold him as he sobbed on her shoulder. "I love you, Charlie. Let it out. Let it go." Mike rose unsteadily and joined Sara in embracing his grandson. He held them both as they sobbed.
Sam murmured quietly to Jack, "You were right. They did need this. All three of them."
"Why is Daddy and Gamma Sara and Pappa Mike crying?" J.J. asked from his perch in Sam's lap.
"Because he hasn't seen your Grandma Sara and Great-Grandpa Mike in a very long time," Jack answered. He held out his arms, and Sam relinquished J.J. to his grandfather. "He's very happy to see them, and sometimes when people are very very very happy, they cry."
"Well, Jack. You done good here" Hammond told him as he slapped Jack on the back.
"Thank you, sir" Jack replied and whether he was thanking his commanding officer for the compliment or for helping him make this reunion possible no one was sure.
"I just have one question," the general said. "Were you the one that taught J.J. to call McKenzie the psycho-gist?"
"Actually that was me, sir" Sam admitted.
Hammond just chuckled and shook his head. "I need to see the two of you in my office," he ordered.
Jack and Sam traded a look before Jack handed J.J. to Daniel and followed the general into his office.
"At ease," Hammond said as he seated himself behind his desk and opened a folder in front of him. He handed Sam a piece of paper. "As of now, you are being re-assigned to the Pentagon as a liaison with Admiral Fitzwallace's office."
"Sir!" Sam protested.
"General, there's gotta be a way..." Jack protested as well.
Both of their protests were cut off by the General's raised hand. "Major, consider yourself on permanent detached duty from Admiral Fitzwallace's office. You'll be going out to Washington regularly to report to him and the other brass about the SGC, but the majority of your time will be spent here. You'll continue your work in the labs and join Colonel O'Neill's team on missions as assigned. You will report to me or Admiral Fitzwallace directly. In other words, you are no longer part of Jack's direct chain of command except while on off-world missions."
It took a minute for each of them to sift through the general's words. "Are you saying..."
"Keep it off duty," Hammond warned. "Consider yourselves on probation. If the two of you can't handle things as they've been laid out, we may have to consider other solutions."
"Yes, sir!" Jack said as he and Sam snapped to attention.
Anything else they might have said was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Enter," Hammond ordered.
Colonel Kawalsky stepped into the room. "You wanted ta see me, sir?" he asked.
"Yes, Colonel. Follow me, people" he ordered as he rose from his desk. "We may as well do this all at once." He lead them back to the conference room where Charlie and Sara now sat at the conference table deep in conversation while J.J. was being entertained by Daniel and Janet. Teal'c and Mike cooed to tiny Sammy. The four entering the room couldn't help trading an amused smile at the sight of the big jaffa acting the doting uncle to the baby. "Captain O'Neill, Colonel Kawalsky, your new identification has arrived along with your commissions and orders," General Hammond said causing both men to snap to attention. "Colonel, we couldn't come up with a cover story to give you back your own name as we have the captain."
"I understand, sir" he assured the general.
"From now on, you're Colonel Charles Richard Guarnere," Hammond told him as he handed the refugee soldier a folder. "You'll be keeping your rank, Colonel, and I'm assigning you command of SG-3. It's been something of a jinxed team since Colonel Makepeace's arrest. I'm hoping you can change that."
"I'll do my best, sir" he told the general. "Guarnere?" he whispered quietly to Jack who could only shrug his shoulders in reply.
"Captain, you were born Charles William Speirs. Your mother's name was Mary Ellen Speirs. She was a high school friend of your dad's. She died when you were very young, and you grew up in foster care," Hammond explained. "A year ago you found out Jonathon Charles O'Neill was your father. After changing your name and J.J.'s to O'Neill, you began searching for him."
"J.J. and Sammy's mother?" he asked so quietly he hoped J.J. wouldn't hear.
"Elizabeth Cassandra Marcum whom you called Cassie. I've also arranged for a memorial service here on base, son," General Hammond supplied in a voice barely above a whisper before continuing in normal voice. "I've decided not to assign you to a permanent team as of yet, Captain. You're going to be Major...err..Sam's second in command in the labs. I plan to send you out with various teams on an as needed basis for now until J.J. and Sammy are more settled."
"Thank you, sir" Charlie told him as he accepted the folder containing his new identity.
"The Air Force has also agreed to my request for resettlement funds for you, but I'm afraid I could only get them to part with five thousand for each of you," Hammond told them.
"We'll make do, sir" Kawalsky now Guarnere assured him. "It's enough to get me into an apartment and get a few essentials. I take it that means we're allowed off-base, sir?" he asked hopefully.
"Yes, Colonel" the general agreed. "As of now, you are free to leave the base. Captain, the children..."
"Yes, sir" Charlie agreed understanding that Sammy and J.J. couldn't continue to stay on base now that their new identities had been arranged. Child care would have to be Charlie's first priority. "When am I assigned to be on duty next?"
"Considering Sammy's age, you have another couple weeks of paternity leave, Captain" Hammond assured him. "You've also been working on an almost daily basis since you're arrival so those days won't be counted against that leave."
"Thank you, sir" Charlie said with some relief.
"We need to get Charlie and the kids moved into my house tonight," Jack said. "Now that they have identities, they can't stay on base."
"Your house? Why your house?" Sara demanded.
"Because I've got the most room," Jack explained. "I'm also smack dab in the middle of all the grandma's houses." All three women glared at him for that remark, but he just shrugged knowing he'd win this particular battle.
"Mom," Charlie said as he took her hands in his. "It would be best for the kids and I to stay with Dad."
"Why?" she asked as alarm bells began ringing in her head.
"Dad's got security already set up at his house," Charlie explained. "And his neighborhood is full of personnel from the base."
"Why are you worried about security?" Sara asked.
"It's complicated," Charlie told her.
"Charlie," Sara said in the universal voice of mothers everywhere that meant 'you're pushing my buttons.' "Everything about this whole situation is complicated!"
"Let's sit down," Jack said as he ushered his ex-wife and father-in-law back to the large conference table.
"I've got a department meeting," Sam said. "I'll take the kids with me. Charlie, get down there when you finish here," she ordered.
"Yes, ma'am" Charlie replied.
"Sara. Mike. It was nice meeting you," she said before taking the stairs out of the room.
Sara and Mike listened as those remaining explained about the NID and their thirst for alien technology. "So let me get this straight," Mike said. "You're afraid someone may kidnap the kids? Then why'd you accept a commission?!"
"Commission or not, it doesn't matter," Jack said. "Charlie knows more about the Stargate and the technologies it's brought us than anyone else. He's a target."
"And because I'm a target the kids are as well," Charlie added. "The people in Dad's neighborhood know he works on a top secret project. Most of them being military they automatically keep an eye out for....odd things in the neighborhood."
"I remember," Sara said. She couldn't refute their reasoning. "Ok, go to your meeting. I'm convinced. Your grandfather and I will help your dad get you and the kids moved to his house. We'll need to go back to Dad's house, Jack, to get Charlie's crib from the attic."
Jack nodded. He was grateful she wasn't going to give them a hard time about it. "It's only temporary, Sara" he reminded her. "Charlie will want a home of his own for the kids soon enough, and you know you're welcome at any time."
"Dad, how about we have that barbeque you were talking about tonight?" Charlie suggested. "Mom and Grandpa Mike can get to know everyone."
Jack cocked his head as his conversation with Sam during their last mission replayed itself in his mind. "That's probably a good idea. Janet....ahh," he stuttered.
"Spit it out, Colonel," the doctor ordered.
"Cassie...Sam and I were talking, and....she needs to be told Janet," Jack said.
"Maybe this barbeque would be a good time to do it. With the entire family there and all," Daniel suggested.
Janet sucked in a deep breath almost gasping at this new can of worms Jack was opening. The more she thought about it though, the more she knew he was right. They had no hope of keeping J.J. and Sammy's existence from her forever. It would be best to tell her now. Janet could only grimace knowing that there was no way to break this gently.
Janet wasn't the only one whose mind had gone into overdrive at Jack's suggestion. Charlie squeezed his eyes shut. 'Cassie,' he thought. 'But not mine...she's sixteen now, and I'm twenty-seven.'
"Will J.J. recognize her?" General Hammond asked.
"No," Charlie said. "I don't think he's old enough to really understand that she's his mom considering how different she looks. We'll introduce her as Aunt Cassie."
Hammond rubbed at the top of his head. "Well there's no way around introducing them," he said finally. "Do you want McKenz..."
"NO!" several voices emphatically denied before he had even finished the suggestion.
"Very well," Hammond said. "Handle it as you see fit, people. Let me know if there's anything I can do." He left then leaving the others to decide what they would do.
"I think it would be best if I tell her before we come over to your place, Colonel," Janet said. "Give her some privacy to digest it all."
"Before J.J. sees her," Charlie agreed. The details were soon worked out, and Charlie and the others left to return to duty while Jack took Sara and Mike down to Charlie's temporary quarters to gather his things and those of the kids to take back to Jack's house.
