Hammond left, and the four of them sat around a while longer, not really
talking about anything, but sitting and just being together. They'd had a
rough weekend and Jack was well aware that he'd thoroughly chewed out
Daniel only a short time ago. Yeah, he'd meant everything he said, and he
wouldn't take it back, but he wanted to make sure things were okay between
the two of them, and could only do that by spending some time with him.
"Jack?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm a little confused." Obviously Daniel was thinking about the 'discussion' he and Jack had had about Shawn as well. "Why did you agree so readily to allow the Asgard to continue teaching Shawn, if you don't want them to be using him?"
The others turned to look at him as well, and Jack took a sip of his coffee, more to give himself a minute to gather his thoughts so his answer would make sense.
"Shawn's not mine to use anymore than he is the Asgard's." Jack told them. "I can't plan his destiny for him. No more than I was willing to allow the Asgard to. I can guide him. Nurture him as well as I can, and teach him how to grow up to be the best man he can be. But when it comes down to it, it's his choice. If I took that choice away from him and made the decisions for him, I'd be no better than the Asgard that had his future all planned out."
He took another sip of his coffee, allowing them a moment to think that over, but when he saw that Daniel was going to say something, Jack held up a hand to stop him.
"I'm not totally stupid, though, Daniel. As it is right now, the Asgard think I am in control, and I'll let them think that until he's a bit older. This will stop them from trying anything reckless – and it'll keep Shawn from doing anything too reckless as well. He's still a little boy, after all. And little boys make mistakes. Our job is to keep them mistakes from being fatal. And if they think I'm in charge, they'll think twice before allowing him to do something dumb. I'm pretty sure Thor thinks I'm way over protective when it comes to Shawn, but I'll let him think that. If that's what it takes."
Oh, yeah. Like any of them believed that Jack wasn't way over protective when it came to Shawn.
"He wants to help the Asgard," Sam said, smiling softly. "I still wonder what it is they want him to do for them."
Jack shrugged.
"Don't know. Thor wouldn't discuss it with me. Too personal."
"You realize Shawn is going to join the Air Force, right?" Daniel asked. "There's no way the Asgard agenda will sway him from his own agenda."
"He doesn't have an agenda, Daniel," Jack protested. "He's ten."
"Oh, he's got one, Jack," Sam agreed, setting her coffee cup down and standing up. "He's told me a million times exactly what he's going to do with his life, and I'm pretty sure that even helping out the Asgard isn't going to stop him from achieving it. It'll probably just accelerate the process."
"Yeah, well. I'm not going to force him into that, either. But if it's what he wants, then I'll help him wherever I can."
"As will I." Teal'c agreed, standing up as well.
"I'd say it's something we can all agree to," Daniel said.
"I'm going to go cuddle up with Shawn and get some sleep," Carter told them, heading for the door. "It's too late to drive home."
"I shall walk with you part of the way," Teal'c said, opening it for her.
They both looked over at Daniel and Jack, neither of whom had moved out of their chairs.
"You guys go ahead. I'm going to have another cup of coffee." Jack said, reaching for the pot.
"Me too."
The door closed, and Jack looked over at Daniel, holding the pot above his half empty cup, questioning.
"Yeah, please."
Jack poured the coffee, and settled back in his chair once more, nursing his own mug as he watched Daniel. Gleaming on his chest were his dog tags, but nestled next to them was the arrowhead necklace that Shawn had given him.
"You were right, you know?" Daniel said, finally, breaking the silence of the room.
"Yeah." There was no gloating in Jack's voice, although he wasn't always the right one when it came to confrontations with Daniel.
"What's the next step with him?"
"What do you mean?"
"He's going to grow up to be like you, Jack. He's told me that more than once. What are you going to do about it?"
"I thought I'd take him to a ball game next weekend. You want to come?"
"How is that-"
"If he's going to be like me, he might as well learn about baseball, Daniel."
"Ah. Then yeah, I'd better come. If nothing else, I can help remind you that he doesn't need to learn all the swear words right away."
Jack smiled, but gave Daniel a look that was beyond serious.
"We're okay, right? You and me?"
"We're fine, Jack. You were right, and I wasn't listening."
"Yeah, well, next time I'll probably be right, too, you know?"
"Um... yeah. We'll have to wait and see about that."
Jack grinned, and drained his cup, then stood up. "I'm going to go get some sleep, Daniel. I suggest you do the same. You look beat."
"Is that an order?"
"Nah, but if you want, I'll write it in Goa'uld across your forehead."
Daniel laughed, and Jack felt a lot better as he walked out the door and headed for one of the VIP rooms.
Author's Note: Epilogue to follow!
"Jack?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm a little confused." Obviously Daniel was thinking about the 'discussion' he and Jack had had about Shawn as well. "Why did you agree so readily to allow the Asgard to continue teaching Shawn, if you don't want them to be using him?"
The others turned to look at him as well, and Jack took a sip of his coffee, more to give himself a minute to gather his thoughts so his answer would make sense.
"Shawn's not mine to use anymore than he is the Asgard's." Jack told them. "I can't plan his destiny for him. No more than I was willing to allow the Asgard to. I can guide him. Nurture him as well as I can, and teach him how to grow up to be the best man he can be. But when it comes down to it, it's his choice. If I took that choice away from him and made the decisions for him, I'd be no better than the Asgard that had his future all planned out."
He took another sip of his coffee, allowing them a moment to think that over, but when he saw that Daniel was going to say something, Jack held up a hand to stop him.
"I'm not totally stupid, though, Daniel. As it is right now, the Asgard think I am in control, and I'll let them think that until he's a bit older. This will stop them from trying anything reckless – and it'll keep Shawn from doing anything too reckless as well. He's still a little boy, after all. And little boys make mistakes. Our job is to keep them mistakes from being fatal. And if they think I'm in charge, they'll think twice before allowing him to do something dumb. I'm pretty sure Thor thinks I'm way over protective when it comes to Shawn, but I'll let him think that. If that's what it takes."
Oh, yeah. Like any of them believed that Jack wasn't way over protective when it came to Shawn.
"He wants to help the Asgard," Sam said, smiling softly. "I still wonder what it is they want him to do for them."
Jack shrugged.
"Don't know. Thor wouldn't discuss it with me. Too personal."
"You realize Shawn is going to join the Air Force, right?" Daniel asked. "There's no way the Asgard agenda will sway him from his own agenda."
"He doesn't have an agenda, Daniel," Jack protested. "He's ten."
"Oh, he's got one, Jack," Sam agreed, setting her coffee cup down and standing up. "He's told me a million times exactly what he's going to do with his life, and I'm pretty sure that even helping out the Asgard isn't going to stop him from achieving it. It'll probably just accelerate the process."
"Yeah, well. I'm not going to force him into that, either. But if it's what he wants, then I'll help him wherever I can."
"As will I." Teal'c agreed, standing up as well.
"I'd say it's something we can all agree to," Daniel said.
"I'm going to go cuddle up with Shawn and get some sleep," Carter told them, heading for the door. "It's too late to drive home."
"I shall walk with you part of the way," Teal'c said, opening it for her.
They both looked over at Daniel and Jack, neither of whom had moved out of their chairs.
"You guys go ahead. I'm going to have another cup of coffee." Jack said, reaching for the pot.
"Me too."
The door closed, and Jack looked over at Daniel, holding the pot above his half empty cup, questioning.
"Yeah, please."
Jack poured the coffee, and settled back in his chair once more, nursing his own mug as he watched Daniel. Gleaming on his chest were his dog tags, but nestled next to them was the arrowhead necklace that Shawn had given him.
"You were right, you know?" Daniel said, finally, breaking the silence of the room.
"Yeah." There was no gloating in Jack's voice, although he wasn't always the right one when it came to confrontations with Daniel.
"What's the next step with him?"
"What do you mean?"
"He's going to grow up to be like you, Jack. He's told me that more than once. What are you going to do about it?"
"I thought I'd take him to a ball game next weekend. You want to come?"
"How is that-"
"If he's going to be like me, he might as well learn about baseball, Daniel."
"Ah. Then yeah, I'd better come. If nothing else, I can help remind you that he doesn't need to learn all the swear words right away."
Jack smiled, but gave Daniel a look that was beyond serious.
"We're okay, right? You and me?"
"We're fine, Jack. You were right, and I wasn't listening."
"Yeah, well, next time I'll probably be right, too, you know?"
"Um... yeah. We'll have to wait and see about that."
Jack grinned, and drained his cup, then stood up. "I'm going to go get some sleep, Daniel. I suggest you do the same. You look beat."
"Is that an order?"
"Nah, but if you want, I'll write it in Goa'uld across your forehead."
Daniel laughed, and Jack felt a lot better as he walked out the door and headed for one of the VIP rooms.
Author's Note: Epilogue to follow!
