Shawn practically bolted for the door, with Jack moving at a more sedate
pace behind him.
"Why are you picking up Sam, Jack?" He asked as he scrambled up into the cab of O'Neill's truck. "Where's her car?"
"It's at the shop. When we pick her up, we'll take her to get it, then we can all go out for dinner."
"I just ate."
"Then you can have dessert while Sam and I have dinner."
"Cool. Is Daniel and Murray going to be there?"
"Nope. You probably won't see either of them this weekend. They're both out of town. Although Daniel might be back tomorrow, if all goes well."
"Where are they?"
Telling Shawn that the two were off-world was not an option, but Jack was prepared for this question.
"Teal'c's in Washington, and Daniel's in New York."
"What are they doing?"
"Teal'c's visiting family, and Daniel's giving a lecture." That much was true. Teal'c was visiting family, more or less. And Daniel was off giving some trainees a lecture on some spiffy obelisk SG-9 had found in the middle of a plain on some obscure world. Since they couldn't move the big rock, they group had gone to it.
"Cool. I hope Daniel comes back before Monday."
"I know he'll want to see you."
Jack smiled and pulled the truck out of the driveway, and the two chatted comfortably while they drove to Cheyenne Mountain.
Shawn had been to Cheyenne Mountain before. The base itself wasn't a secret. Everyone who did any research knew where NORAD was, so it was hardly a threat to the Nation's security to take Shawn with him there. He was never allowed off the elevator, however, when it came to the lower levels of the base, and it was a rule he understood from the very first trip there. He didn't mind. He'd have obeyed any rule as long as he was allowed to accompany Jack. The boy loved going to the base, and watching as the people at the gate checked Jack in, and he loved the fact that he was always checked in, too, and given a tag to wear on his shirt like he was someone important.
"You are important," Jack had told him when Shawn first admitted this to Jack, way back on the first trip to Cheyenne Mountain. The boy had smiled for hours.
They pulled up to the Main gate, and Jack stopped his truck. He wasn't in uniform, although everyone knew his truck, but it was best to stop in case there was someone new on duty, which was always a possibility. The Sergeant of the Watch came out and made sure the guy driving the truck that belonged to O'Neill was really O'Neill, then smiled at the boy sitting next to him, certain that the only thing keeping him from jumping out of his seat in excitement was the seatbelt holding him in.
"Good Afternoon, Sir."
"Afternoon Sergeant."
"Got a VIP with you, I see."
"You know it." Jack grinned over at Shawn, who was blushing. "Can't save the world without him, you know?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Do me a favor, Sergeant, and call ahead and let Major Carter know that I'm here, will you?" That way he wouldn't have to leave Shawn alone in the elevator long. Otherwise he'd have to have an Airman watch him while he went hunting for her. He trusted Shawn far more than he would most nine year olds, but the boy was still only nine, and he wasn't going to leave him alone any longer than necessary.
"Yes, Sir, I'll take care of it."
"Thank you."
The Sergeant grinned and saluted Jack, then waved them through the gate. "Have a good day, Sir."
"You, too, Sergeant." Jack grinned and drove onto the base, then parked his truck in his spot, and looked over at Shawn.
"Remember the rules?"
"Stay right beside you, and no getting out of the elevator."
"And?"
"And no petting the guard dogs."
"Good."
They got out of the truck and walked to the first checkpoint, which was where Shawn would get his Visitor's badge. The boy carefully put his name in the place for visitors to sign, and was handed his tag by a very serious looking Marine Corporal, then Jack pinned it on him and they went inside.
Military and Civilian personnel were everywhere. It was Friday afternoon and they were all scurrying to get their work done by their deadlines, otherwise it'd mean working over the weekend, and who wanted to do that? They were never too busy to greet O'Neill and Shawn, though. Jack because he was a senior officer, and Shawn because he was a cute little boy, and those were a rarity in Cheyenne Mountain. Even more rare the further into the mountain they went.
They went down one elevator, and then hit the final checkpoint before going into the SGC, and the Marines guarding this one carefully checked Shawn. Little boys were cute, yes, but these men had seen a lot of weird things, and they knew little boys could be an innocent face to something a lot more deadly. Jack didn't mind the scrutiny, and Shawn would have let them do anything to him as long as it meant he got to be with Jack. So the two were checked, then waved passed and headed for the last elevator.
They got in and the doors closed behind them, and Jack hit the right button. They started moving, and Jack looked down to remind Shawn once more to stay on the elevator, when there was a bright flash of light, and the Colonel was gone, leaving the little boy staring in disbelief.
"Why are you picking up Sam, Jack?" He asked as he scrambled up into the cab of O'Neill's truck. "Where's her car?"
"It's at the shop. When we pick her up, we'll take her to get it, then we can all go out for dinner."
"I just ate."
"Then you can have dessert while Sam and I have dinner."
"Cool. Is Daniel and Murray going to be there?"
"Nope. You probably won't see either of them this weekend. They're both out of town. Although Daniel might be back tomorrow, if all goes well."
"Where are they?"
Telling Shawn that the two were off-world was not an option, but Jack was prepared for this question.
"Teal'c's in Washington, and Daniel's in New York."
"What are they doing?"
"Teal'c's visiting family, and Daniel's giving a lecture." That much was true. Teal'c was visiting family, more or less. And Daniel was off giving some trainees a lecture on some spiffy obelisk SG-9 had found in the middle of a plain on some obscure world. Since they couldn't move the big rock, they group had gone to it.
"Cool. I hope Daniel comes back before Monday."
"I know he'll want to see you."
Jack smiled and pulled the truck out of the driveway, and the two chatted comfortably while they drove to Cheyenne Mountain.
Shawn had been to Cheyenne Mountain before. The base itself wasn't a secret. Everyone who did any research knew where NORAD was, so it was hardly a threat to the Nation's security to take Shawn with him there. He was never allowed off the elevator, however, when it came to the lower levels of the base, and it was a rule he understood from the very first trip there. He didn't mind. He'd have obeyed any rule as long as he was allowed to accompany Jack. The boy loved going to the base, and watching as the people at the gate checked Jack in, and he loved the fact that he was always checked in, too, and given a tag to wear on his shirt like he was someone important.
"You are important," Jack had told him when Shawn first admitted this to Jack, way back on the first trip to Cheyenne Mountain. The boy had smiled for hours.
They pulled up to the Main gate, and Jack stopped his truck. He wasn't in uniform, although everyone knew his truck, but it was best to stop in case there was someone new on duty, which was always a possibility. The Sergeant of the Watch came out and made sure the guy driving the truck that belonged to O'Neill was really O'Neill, then smiled at the boy sitting next to him, certain that the only thing keeping him from jumping out of his seat in excitement was the seatbelt holding him in.
"Good Afternoon, Sir."
"Afternoon Sergeant."
"Got a VIP with you, I see."
"You know it." Jack grinned over at Shawn, who was blushing. "Can't save the world without him, you know?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Do me a favor, Sergeant, and call ahead and let Major Carter know that I'm here, will you?" That way he wouldn't have to leave Shawn alone in the elevator long. Otherwise he'd have to have an Airman watch him while he went hunting for her. He trusted Shawn far more than he would most nine year olds, but the boy was still only nine, and he wasn't going to leave him alone any longer than necessary.
"Yes, Sir, I'll take care of it."
"Thank you."
The Sergeant grinned and saluted Jack, then waved them through the gate. "Have a good day, Sir."
"You, too, Sergeant." Jack grinned and drove onto the base, then parked his truck in his spot, and looked over at Shawn.
"Remember the rules?"
"Stay right beside you, and no getting out of the elevator."
"And?"
"And no petting the guard dogs."
"Good."
They got out of the truck and walked to the first checkpoint, which was where Shawn would get his Visitor's badge. The boy carefully put his name in the place for visitors to sign, and was handed his tag by a very serious looking Marine Corporal, then Jack pinned it on him and they went inside.
Military and Civilian personnel were everywhere. It was Friday afternoon and they were all scurrying to get their work done by their deadlines, otherwise it'd mean working over the weekend, and who wanted to do that? They were never too busy to greet O'Neill and Shawn, though. Jack because he was a senior officer, and Shawn because he was a cute little boy, and those were a rarity in Cheyenne Mountain. Even more rare the further into the mountain they went.
They went down one elevator, and then hit the final checkpoint before going into the SGC, and the Marines guarding this one carefully checked Shawn. Little boys were cute, yes, but these men had seen a lot of weird things, and they knew little boys could be an innocent face to something a lot more deadly. Jack didn't mind the scrutiny, and Shawn would have let them do anything to him as long as it meant he got to be with Jack. So the two were checked, then waved passed and headed for the last elevator.
They got in and the doors closed behind them, and Jack hit the right button. They started moving, and Jack looked down to remind Shawn once more to stay on the elevator, when there was a bright flash of light, and the Colonel was gone, leaving the little boy staring in disbelief.
