Jacob sighed to himself as he waited with Daniel at the gate for his son Mark's plane to arrive at Dulles International Airport. After several days of testimony for the defense, they would finally hear closing arguments today, and tonight Sam and Jack would be married. It had been an awkward phone call he and Sam had made from A.J.'s study the previous night informing Mark of the events of the last few weeks and asking him to fly to D.C. to be present at Sam's wedding. The tentative reconciliation forged between father and son since his blending with Selmak had taken quite a beating when Sam had been declared MIA. George Hammond had offered to perform the sad task of informing Mark for him, but Jacob had declined. So Jacob, accompanied by Daniel Jackson and Janet Frasier, had gone to his son's California home fourteen months ago and told Mark his sister was missing. That the police had not been called to the Carter home was a testament to Daniel's diplomatic skills and Selmak's keen sense of when to take command of their shared body. Mark had been happy for Sam's return and resentful of their inability to explain fully what had happened to Sam. She had told him the cover story that had been decided upon.
Supposedly she and Jack had been on temporary duty in Columbia helping the government set up satellite surveillance on the cartels when they'd been captured by the very drug lords they were supposed to be helping to catch. The rest of the story was pretty much the truth. Jack had claimed her as his wife to keep the drug runners away from her. In this fictionalized version of the truth they had overpowered their captors then spent the next two weeks walking out of the jungle. Jacob had been forced to take over the story at this point as Sam choked back silent sobs as she had tried to tell Mark about the twins. There the story strayed once again from the absolute truth. Jacob had told Mark the twins had been born in a hospital in Bogotá before Sam and Jack could be transferred to a military hospital. As far as anyone outside the SGC was concerned, including Mark, the twins had been taken by someone in the hospital. Black market adoptions weren't unheard of from that region, and two white newborns would bring enough for the fictional kidnapper to live in comfort for the rest of his or her life.
The silence on the other end of the phone had been deafening until the screaming started.
"He looks pissed, Jacob" Daniel remarked quietly as Mark strode towards them among the throng of other passengers disembarking from the American Airlines flight.
"Yeah, well, what did you expect? He's got the Carter temper," Jacob reminded Daniel. "Just like Sam and I. He'll stay mad until Hell freezes over unless someone intervenes. Let's hope the twins have Jack's temper instead."
"Blows like Mt. St. Helens," Daniel agreed with a chuckle, "but then it's over."
Jacob nodded just before he stepped forward to embrace his son in a heartfelt, but awkward, hug. "Hi, son" Jacob greeted Mark. "You have any bags to claim?"
"No," Mark answered. The frosty tone of his voice confirmed to the other two men that Mark was still very much angry. "You said the trial was almost over so I don't expect to stay long."
"Yeah," Jacob agreed. He gestured with his head for Daniel to lead the way back to the rental car. Daniel nodded before heading off a few feet ahead of Jacob and Mark giving the two men some privacy to talk.
"How are the kids?" Jacob asked picking a topic he hoped would help thaw the frigid atmosphere between them.
"They're fine," Mark informed his father. "Enjoying the summer. They wanted to know where I was going."
Jacob winced at the accusing note in Mark's voice. They had asked him to keep quiet about the reason behind his trip to D.C. even to his wife and children. Jacob said nothing in return hoping to let Mark vent his anger at his father before he set eyes on his sister. Jacob silently acknowledged Selmak's opinion that his strategy wouldn't be sufficient to assuage Mark's anger. 'Well there's always Plan B,' Jacob thought silently to Selmak. Her derisive mental snort left no doubt about how she felt about that idea, but she offered no alternatives either. All of Jacob's further attempts at engaging Mark in conversation were rebuffed as they walked to the rental car. He got behind the wheel as Daniel climbed into the back seat leaving Mark the front seat next to his father. The tense silence continued as the elder Carter maneuvered the car out onto the interstate. As Jacob concentrated on driving in the heavy commuter traffic, Daniel took his turn at trying to engage Mark in conversation. His attempts were rebuffed with only slightly more politeness than he had given his father.
"Jacob, what are you doing?" Daniel asked when he noticed the older man veering onto the off-ramp miles from the correct exit.
Jacob didn't answer immediately. Once off the interstate he pulled into the nearest gas station and put the car in park. "Here's what's going to happen, son" he said turning in his seat to face Mark. "You're going to lose the attitude, or I'm taking you back to the airport. I'll tell Sam you missed your connection. She'll be disappointed, but at least she won't have to deal with this crap."
"You wouldn't," Mark snapped at his father.
"In a heartbeat!" Jacob growled back. "Sam and Jack are holding it together by a thread. I'm not taking you anywhere near them like this. You wanna be pissed? Fine. Be pissed in California."
Daniel winced as he sunk deeper into the back seat and away from ground zero.
"You didn't call for two weeks!" Mark snarled.
"I didn't know for a week!" Jacob yelled back. "By the time I got here everything was already going to Hell in a handcart."
"I should have been informed," Mark stubbornly argued. "All this secrecy..."
"Don't go there, Marcus" Jacob warned his son reverting to the parents' habit of calling his son by his full name.
"Why not?" the younger Carter man demanded. "Your precious Air Force left her down there to die! Left her like you left Mom."
Jacob squeezed his eyes shut as the barb struck the still open wound of his wife's death. Jacob felt Selmak forcing him to calm down at the same time the symbiote prevented him from saying something that would further damage the relationship between father and son. "You're going to get that one for free, Mark" he told his son. "Can you keep the attitude in check or not? Because this fighting isn't getting us anywhere."
His jaw was clenched tight with rage, but Mark nodded his agreement. Jacob stared at his son searching Mark's face for the truth in that nod. After a long tense moment, he put the car into gear and headed back out onto the interstate. The rest of the trip was passed in an almost ominous silence disturbed only by the quiet noise of the radio.
"I've got some arrangements to make for the wedding," Daniel announced as he held out his hand for the keys to the rental car.
"Can you do a little shopping for me as well, Daniel?" Jacob asked. At Daniel's nod, he pulled a list and an envelope full of cash from his pocket and handed them to the younger man. "Thanks."
"I'll be as quick as I can," Daniel told the two Carters as he opened the driver's door and slid behind the wheel. Jacob and Daniel shared a significant look that Mark remained oblivious to.
Jacob watched the car disappear down the street before turning back to Mark. "Let's find your sister," he suggested leading the way into the building and down the corridor towards the courtroom. "You're not going to be allowed in the courtroom," Jacob reminded Mark. "The trial is..."
"Classified," Mark completed for his father. "Why am I not surprised?"
Jacob was about to remind Mark of his attitude when Mark stopped in the middle of the corridor. He followed his son's line of sight to where Jack and Sam stood with their lawyers outside the courtroom.
"They look like..." Mark whispered before snapping his jaw closed on the last.
"They'll recover," Jacob assured his son. He grabbed Mark's elbow and ushered him over. "Ready for closing arguments, Admiral?"
A.J. Chegwidden turned to the retired general. "Yes, sir" he confirmed. His facial expression and tone of voice exuded a calm confidence in his statement. He extended his hand to Mark who automatically took it. "You must be Mark. My name's A.J. Chegwidden. I'm your sister's attorney." Chegwidden shook hands with the younger man before introducing him to his two subordinates.
Mark paid no attention as he pulled Sam into his arms. "I'm so glad you're safe," He whispered into her hair. Over her shoulder Mark met the concerned gaze of the man who would become his brother-in-law tonight. He finally released Sam who stepped back slightly until she was nearly touching O'Neill who stood behind her. "You must be Jack," Mark said extending his hand to the older man.
O'Neill nodded as he shook hands with Mark. "Pleased to finally meet you," Jack told him. "Sam's told me a lot about you."
"Oh?" Mark questioned.
"We had a lot of time to talk over the last year or so," Jack informed him.
There was a moment of awkward silence as Mark struggled to find a reply until finally Harm rescued him. "We should be going in," he announced.