Chapter 11 - No More Secrets
The awkward silence seemed to stretch for minutes, although it wasn't more than a fraction of that. It was Indira that broke the spell by looking Sam in the eyes.
"Jack's a very lucky man, Samantha. I hope he appreciates that fact."
Before she could answer, Daniel's look of confusion was replaced with a frown. "Indira, how come you know Jack so well? When did you meet?"
"Oh, last year, just before he left Colorado Springs." she replied. Daniel's face flushed red and he reached for an adjacent chair, sitting down heavily in it. Sam meanwhile stood in silence, her heart racing and a lump in her throat as the shock took hold.
"Oh." said Daniel quietly. "That was you. Well, thank you very much, Jack." he added sarcastically.
"Hey, come on, Daniel!" Jack retorted. "It wasn't as if..."
"As if what, Jack?" Daniel replied testily. "As if you and Indira weren't really an item? That's not what I heard. I just never thought it could be the two of you."
"Well, it was Indira that ended it." exclaimed Jack, who then looked suddenly at Sam, realising the hole he was digging for himself. He knew that women's logic would not follow his own in these situations, scientists or no. The scowl she was wearing confirmed his suspicions.
"So, if she hadn't, you'd still be together I suppose?" asked Sam archly. "I just came along at a convenient time to pick up the pieces?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Sam." replied Jack. "You know it wasn't like that!"
"Do I?" she retorted. "How can I be sure of that now?"
"Oh for crying out loud, Sam! It wasn't me who conveniently forgot what we meant to each other in the past and went off with someone else without a word! I was a completely free agent when I met Indira, while you were playing happy families!"
The look of surprise and distaste on Sam's face brought Jack up short, and he realised he'd hurt her, but right at this moment he didn't care.
"Stop it, you two!" Indira hissed. "And Daniel, you can stop sulking too. Jack, you were very special to me at the time, but I wasn't going to destroy myself when you were so obviously hung up on someone else. Now I know who. Daniel, you are the one who's very special to me now, so stop glaring at Jack like that. What do you expect? Pistols for two, coffee for one?"
Jack was still fuming, though, and suddenly placed his beer bottle back on the table. "I'll be back in time for George's announcement." he said, turning on his heel and disappearing quickly across the lawn. Sam made to go after him, but stopped when Indira caught her arm.
"Let him go, Sam. Things need to cool down for a while." They sat down with Daniel and a glum silence hung over them, to be broken by Sam after a few moments.
"I'm sorry, Indira. I didn't mean to be rude about you. But I can now see what Jack saw in you. You are a remarkable woman in every sense. I wouldn't have blamed him if.."
"Sam," replied Indira, "it was always you. He tried so hard to make me feel special, but his subconscious gave him away. And I'll say this in front of you, Daniel, so that we have no secrets either. I could easily have fallen for Jack, but I knew that he wasn't ever really mine. It took a while to get over him, but I did. You, Sam, can easily destroy him now - you very nearly did in the past. Just think about why you're upset now. Is it because you've met the real person he was with?"
"Yeah, I guess so." sighed Sam.
"And did Jack meet the person you started a relationship with? How did he behave towards him?" Indira continued. "If he did, knowing Jack, he probably kept a stone face and said nothing."
"Briefly." replied Sam. "Pete came to the cabin with my father and brother, hoping to convince me to get back with him. They didn't know that Jack and I were already married by then. They all said some pretty nasty things about him, and that got me mad. I showed them the door."
"Good for you, Sam." Daniel interjected, coming out of his doldrums. "But are you having second thoughts? It seems like you and he still have things to talk about."
"Me? Good God, no!" said Sam. "And you know how Jack is at talking about personal things. There's a thoughtful, surprisingly deep side of him I never knew about that comes out in flashes. He makes me think about things I'd taken for granted all my life. He's not always Homer Simpson." She smiled. "He makes me feel small and uncertain at times, but not in a bad way. He cares about folks a lot more than he ever lets on. If I'm honest, I fell in love with him all over again the first night I went to the cabin. I couldn't bear to lose him now."
"Does he know that?" asked Indira. "I mean, have you told him?"
"Not in so many words lately, I'll admit." Sam replied softly.
"Well, then." Indira smiled. She turned to her current *amour*. "Now what's your beef, Daniel? Have I been a naughty girl?"
After a moment's frown, his faced creased in smiles. "No, Indira, but I'm hoping that might change tonight." Sam and Indira burst into laughter.
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As Jack unlocked the cab to let the dogs out, he found himself surrounded by the Hammond grandchildren and other kids.
"Can we walk the dogs with you, Colonel O'Neill?" asked one, fussing over Sam 2 as she had her lead attached. The pup was more of a handful, bouncing up and down and getting its lead tied around several legs.
"OK, kids, but first you have to call me Jack, and then someone has to tell the General where you're all going with me. That'll be down to the park and back within thirty minutes, OK?" One of the detachment scooted off to pass on the vital information. When he returned, they all set off down the road, observed by General Hammond from the front window.
'Like a Pied Piper.' he mused.
The entourage, comprised of Jack surrounded by excited, chattering children, duly reappeared in the back garden after their walk. Sam 2 recognised Sam 1 across the lawn and pulled a surprised junior handler towards her at high speed. Her pup, attached to a second victim, followed in excitement. Sam reached down to make a fuss of both dogs to stop them leaping up at her.
Jack appeared, looking a little sheepish, but Sam took control of the situation by standing up and throwing her arms round his neck, smiling and kissing his surprised lips. "Sorry." she whispered to him. He looked back at her and squeezed her waist.
"Me too." he muttered.
"So, Sam," asked Daniel, "is this the *namesake* that you skinned a rabbit for?"
"Yup! The first of quite a few. And *this*.. Is 'Teal'c', the last of her pups. We gave the other two to friends back home. We're keeping him." Sam explained as she held the excited young dog.
"Er, *Teal'c*?" queried Daniel.
"Yes!" said Sam. "The yellow spot above his eyes decided us." Indira looked on in puzzlement.
"Jack, have you named your other dogs after people you know, like *me* for example?" Daniel continued.
"No." said Jack tersely, his face deadpan. "Wrong breed." Sam spluttered and looked away quickly.
"Sam, what does he mean, 'wrong breed'?" said Daniel, glaring suspiciously at her. She made as if to reply, but suddenly burst out laughing again.
"Sam!"
She brought herself under control, but noticed that Indira had started to laugh as well, having caught on quickly. "We haven't got a spaniel yet, Dan.." Sam almost finished, but failed to do so as her laughter took over.
"Homer's turning you into Marge, you know, Sam." sighed Daniel.
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At the appointed time, the sound of the gong brought everyone back to the house, where General Hammond stood on a footstool to be seen by all. When silence fell, he began in a firm voice.
"In twenty minutes time, the President will appear on all networks with a special announcement. Simultaneously, other world leaders will broadcast in their own countries to announce to the world the existence of the Stargate and the alien races we have encountered."
Gasps and a few shouts broke out spontaneously around the room. The General, well used to giving speeches, raised his voice and silenced them again.
"We felt it right to give you, the men and women of the SGC, an opportunity to explain it to your families and partners ahead of the TV programs. It will come as a considerable shock to many, and maybe also will confirm their suspicions that you have been doing something very significant to warrant all the secrecy of the past. We all know how hard it has been on them, and especially on the loved ones of our fallen comrades, who will now have the small consolation of knowing how the sacrifices were made."
He paused and looked round at the many familiar faces. "Naturally, the media folks will beat a path to your doors soon enough. You should expect your faces to become known around the world. I'll leave you now to start explaining it all to your guests. The TV program will be shown on a large screen in here, and will be recorded for anyone who wants to see it again."
As the noise of many conversations filled the air, people broke into family groups and started to react to the astounding news. Back in the garden, Indira had taken hold of Daniel's hand, requesting rather than demanding an explanation. Daniel's thoughts of Jack and her having spent time together were forgotten as he wondered how he was going to explain his own incredible circumstances.
Jack and Sam stood holding hands, watching their good friend starting out on the next stage of his life.
"Penny for them, Jack." said Sam, squeezing his hand.
"For crying out loud." he sighed. "I need this as much as a hole in the head. But I've already got that, haven't I? I just wonder what's in store when they find out."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
The awkward silence seemed to stretch for minutes, although it wasn't more than a fraction of that. It was Indira that broke the spell by looking Sam in the eyes.
"Jack's a very lucky man, Samantha. I hope he appreciates that fact."
Before she could answer, Daniel's look of confusion was replaced with a frown. "Indira, how come you know Jack so well? When did you meet?"
"Oh, last year, just before he left Colorado Springs." she replied. Daniel's face flushed red and he reached for an adjacent chair, sitting down heavily in it. Sam meanwhile stood in silence, her heart racing and a lump in her throat as the shock took hold.
"Oh." said Daniel quietly. "That was you. Well, thank you very much, Jack." he added sarcastically.
"Hey, come on, Daniel!" Jack retorted. "It wasn't as if..."
"As if what, Jack?" Daniel replied testily. "As if you and Indira weren't really an item? That's not what I heard. I just never thought it could be the two of you."
"Well, it was Indira that ended it." exclaimed Jack, who then looked suddenly at Sam, realising the hole he was digging for himself. He knew that women's logic would not follow his own in these situations, scientists or no. The scowl she was wearing confirmed his suspicions.
"So, if she hadn't, you'd still be together I suppose?" asked Sam archly. "I just came along at a convenient time to pick up the pieces?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Sam." replied Jack. "You know it wasn't like that!"
"Do I?" she retorted. "How can I be sure of that now?"
"Oh for crying out loud, Sam! It wasn't me who conveniently forgot what we meant to each other in the past and went off with someone else without a word! I was a completely free agent when I met Indira, while you were playing happy families!"
The look of surprise and distaste on Sam's face brought Jack up short, and he realised he'd hurt her, but right at this moment he didn't care.
"Stop it, you two!" Indira hissed. "And Daniel, you can stop sulking too. Jack, you were very special to me at the time, but I wasn't going to destroy myself when you were so obviously hung up on someone else. Now I know who. Daniel, you are the one who's very special to me now, so stop glaring at Jack like that. What do you expect? Pistols for two, coffee for one?"
Jack was still fuming, though, and suddenly placed his beer bottle back on the table. "I'll be back in time for George's announcement." he said, turning on his heel and disappearing quickly across the lawn. Sam made to go after him, but stopped when Indira caught her arm.
"Let him go, Sam. Things need to cool down for a while." They sat down with Daniel and a glum silence hung over them, to be broken by Sam after a few moments.
"I'm sorry, Indira. I didn't mean to be rude about you. But I can now see what Jack saw in you. You are a remarkable woman in every sense. I wouldn't have blamed him if.."
"Sam," replied Indira, "it was always you. He tried so hard to make me feel special, but his subconscious gave him away. And I'll say this in front of you, Daniel, so that we have no secrets either. I could easily have fallen for Jack, but I knew that he wasn't ever really mine. It took a while to get over him, but I did. You, Sam, can easily destroy him now - you very nearly did in the past. Just think about why you're upset now. Is it because you've met the real person he was with?"
"Yeah, I guess so." sighed Sam.
"And did Jack meet the person you started a relationship with? How did he behave towards him?" Indira continued. "If he did, knowing Jack, he probably kept a stone face and said nothing."
"Briefly." replied Sam. "Pete came to the cabin with my father and brother, hoping to convince me to get back with him. They didn't know that Jack and I were already married by then. They all said some pretty nasty things about him, and that got me mad. I showed them the door."
"Good for you, Sam." Daniel interjected, coming out of his doldrums. "But are you having second thoughts? It seems like you and he still have things to talk about."
"Me? Good God, no!" said Sam. "And you know how Jack is at talking about personal things. There's a thoughtful, surprisingly deep side of him I never knew about that comes out in flashes. He makes me think about things I'd taken for granted all my life. He's not always Homer Simpson." She smiled. "He makes me feel small and uncertain at times, but not in a bad way. He cares about folks a lot more than he ever lets on. If I'm honest, I fell in love with him all over again the first night I went to the cabin. I couldn't bear to lose him now."
"Does he know that?" asked Indira. "I mean, have you told him?"
"Not in so many words lately, I'll admit." Sam replied softly.
"Well, then." Indira smiled. She turned to her current *amour*. "Now what's your beef, Daniel? Have I been a naughty girl?"
After a moment's frown, his faced creased in smiles. "No, Indira, but I'm hoping that might change tonight." Sam and Indira burst into laughter.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
As Jack unlocked the cab to let the dogs out, he found himself surrounded by the Hammond grandchildren and other kids.
"Can we walk the dogs with you, Colonel O'Neill?" asked one, fussing over Sam 2 as she had her lead attached. The pup was more of a handful, bouncing up and down and getting its lead tied around several legs.
"OK, kids, but first you have to call me Jack, and then someone has to tell the General where you're all going with me. That'll be down to the park and back within thirty minutes, OK?" One of the detachment scooted off to pass on the vital information. When he returned, they all set off down the road, observed by General Hammond from the front window.
'Like a Pied Piper.' he mused.
The entourage, comprised of Jack surrounded by excited, chattering children, duly reappeared in the back garden after their walk. Sam 2 recognised Sam 1 across the lawn and pulled a surprised junior handler towards her at high speed. Her pup, attached to a second victim, followed in excitement. Sam reached down to make a fuss of both dogs to stop them leaping up at her.
Jack appeared, looking a little sheepish, but Sam took control of the situation by standing up and throwing her arms round his neck, smiling and kissing his surprised lips. "Sorry." she whispered to him. He looked back at her and squeezed her waist.
"Me too." he muttered.
"So, Sam," asked Daniel, "is this the *namesake* that you skinned a rabbit for?"
"Yup! The first of quite a few. And *this*.. Is 'Teal'c', the last of her pups. We gave the other two to friends back home. We're keeping him." Sam explained as she held the excited young dog.
"Er, *Teal'c*?" queried Daniel.
"Yes!" said Sam. "The yellow spot above his eyes decided us." Indira looked on in puzzlement.
"Jack, have you named your other dogs after people you know, like *me* for example?" Daniel continued.
"No." said Jack tersely, his face deadpan. "Wrong breed." Sam spluttered and looked away quickly.
"Sam, what does he mean, 'wrong breed'?" said Daniel, glaring suspiciously at her. She made as if to reply, but suddenly burst out laughing again.
"Sam!"
She brought herself under control, but noticed that Indira had started to laugh as well, having caught on quickly. "We haven't got a spaniel yet, Dan.." Sam almost finished, but failed to do so as her laughter took over.
"Homer's turning you into Marge, you know, Sam." sighed Daniel.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
At the appointed time, the sound of the gong brought everyone back to the house, where General Hammond stood on a footstool to be seen by all. When silence fell, he began in a firm voice.
"In twenty minutes time, the President will appear on all networks with a special announcement. Simultaneously, other world leaders will broadcast in their own countries to announce to the world the existence of the Stargate and the alien races we have encountered."
Gasps and a few shouts broke out spontaneously around the room. The General, well used to giving speeches, raised his voice and silenced them again.
"We felt it right to give you, the men and women of the SGC, an opportunity to explain it to your families and partners ahead of the TV programs. It will come as a considerable shock to many, and maybe also will confirm their suspicions that you have been doing something very significant to warrant all the secrecy of the past. We all know how hard it has been on them, and especially on the loved ones of our fallen comrades, who will now have the small consolation of knowing how the sacrifices were made."
He paused and looked round at the many familiar faces. "Naturally, the media folks will beat a path to your doors soon enough. You should expect your faces to become known around the world. I'll leave you now to start explaining it all to your guests. The TV program will be shown on a large screen in here, and will be recorded for anyone who wants to see it again."
As the noise of many conversations filled the air, people broke into family groups and started to react to the astounding news. Back in the garden, Indira had taken hold of Daniel's hand, requesting rather than demanding an explanation. Daniel's thoughts of Jack and her having spent time together were forgotten as he wondered how he was going to explain his own incredible circumstances.
Jack and Sam stood holding hands, watching their good friend starting out on the next stage of his life.
"Penny for them, Jack." said Sam, squeezing his hand.
"For crying out loud." he sighed. "I need this as much as a hole in the head. But I've already got that, haven't I? I just wonder what's in store when they find out."
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