Author's Note: I'm afraid this chapter will be one of those that are more
informative than interesting. I need to describe where they are, so I need
to do the tour, and it's just not all that exciting. Sorry!
~*~
The lodge was impressive on the outside, but it was even more so on the inside. There was a large dining room, with a huge table that could seat at least twenty, Jack was sure. These walls were wood as well, a theme that was repeated thru out the entire lodge, giving it a rugged, rustic look - which was, of course, intentional. Besides the main living room area, there was also another room. A large family room. This one was less formal, but still well maintained. There was a stereo system, a TV, and DVD player, with a well-stocked shelf of movies. This room was also made far more personable by the fact that this was obviously where Andrew's grandmother showcased her family.
There were literally walls of photos in frames of every size and shape. School pictures, wedding pictures, baby photos. Photos of people hunting, sailing, skiing, and even one where someone had jumped out of an airplane from the looks of it. Whatever else she was, Andrew's grandmother was proud of her family.
The boys had gathered here, and were crowded around the TV, taking turns playing video games and yelling excited instructions to whoever was at the controls. They all looked up when Jack and the others appeared at the doorway.
"This is the kid's room," David said, waving his hand as though it were obvious. There were sleeping bags all over the floor, and it was obvious that the boys were going to be sacked out here for the weekend.
"Murray!"
"Jack!"
"Daniel!"
The boys came rushing up, grinning excitedly.
"How do you like the place?" Andrew asked, leaning down to scratch Shadow's ears. The black lab had decided to follow the group on their tour, and was waddling happily beside Jack.
"It's nice," Jack said, wrapping an arm around Devon, who'd come up for a hug. "Think your grandma will adopt me?"
"We could ask!" Andrew said, smiling.
"I'm giving them a tour of the place, now, Andrew," David told his son. "Did you guys put their stuff in their rooms?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Finish your games, dinner will be in less than an hour."
"Okay, dad."
As a group, the boys turned and went back to their game, although Shawn was obviously torn between going with Jack and the others and hanging out with his friends. Jack shooed him off, making the decision easy for him. Shawn needed time with kids his age, and Jack was going to make sure he got some.
"The boys are sleeping in there?" Daniel asked as they walked down the hall.
"Yup. It seemed easier for us to do it that way, since it would save more of the bedrooms for the adults. Speaking of which..."
He led them up a wide staircase, and to a hallway. Opening the first door on the right, he showed them a fair sized bedroom with two beds. "This is where you and Murray will be staying, Daniel." He looked at Jack. "We made the sleeping arrangements when we thought Sam was coming still, so we put the two of you together in a single room. Since she's not, you'll have your own room, but I guess Rank Hath its Privileges, eh?"
Jack smiled. Not that he minded sharing a room, especially since the room Teal'c and Daniel had wasn't all that small, but his own room was even better.
"Sounds fine with me."
"It's across the hall." He pointed at the door, but didn't open it; instead he continued walking down the hallway. "All the bedrooms are upstairs, except for Shelby's and my mother's. They can't handle the stairs very well anymore. We have 12 bedrooms – singles and doubles – but most of them are rented out, usually. This weekend is just for family and friends, though, so there won't be anyone we don't know."
He led them down a staircase that was on the opposite end of the one they'd walked up. This one led down to a foyer that had several openings. One lead back into a large room that held yet more sofas and chairs and another fireplace, although there wasn't a fire in this one. Another doorway led to the kitchen. Another obviously led outside, and David took them through the last one, which went into a room that looked like a well-lit storage closet. Only larger than many, and with several benches lining the wall.
There were racks of skis, here, and snowboards, and assorted other items, such as an actual toboggan, a number of inner tubes (already inflated and neatly stacked in a corner) ski poles, boots, bindings, coats, scarves, goggles, masks, helmets, ropes, snow shoes, and things that Jack didn't have a clue what they might be used for. David gave the three a chance to look at the stuff, and grinned.
"We'll be skiing tomorrow, so I thought I'd show you the supply room. Are you guys skiers? I know Murray hasn't tried it, but what about you two?"
"I've never done it," Daniel said.
Jack shook his head as well. The last thing he really wanted to do was speed down a mountain with no way to stop except a sudden meeting with a tree, or worse, a rock. He hadn't been joking with Sam about that whole Wide World of Sports thing. It had been what stopped him from learning to ski when he'd had the opportunity in the first place.
"I've never tried it, either. Sorry."
"No problem. The twins are ski instructors, so we'll have them give the three of you lessons."
"Oh, that'll be fun." Daniel said, grinning. Better the twins, who seemed to be more interested in Jack than in him.
Jack scowled. He wasn't sure if Daniel meant the skiing or the lesson, but he had a feeling it wasn't the skiing.
A bell started clanging somewhere off in the lodge and David interrupted them before Jack could say anything.
"That's the dinner bell. We'd better go eat before that mob of boys eat it all."
~*~
The lodge was impressive on the outside, but it was even more so on the inside. There was a large dining room, with a huge table that could seat at least twenty, Jack was sure. These walls were wood as well, a theme that was repeated thru out the entire lodge, giving it a rugged, rustic look - which was, of course, intentional. Besides the main living room area, there was also another room. A large family room. This one was less formal, but still well maintained. There was a stereo system, a TV, and DVD player, with a well-stocked shelf of movies. This room was also made far more personable by the fact that this was obviously where Andrew's grandmother showcased her family.
There were literally walls of photos in frames of every size and shape. School pictures, wedding pictures, baby photos. Photos of people hunting, sailing, skiing, and even one where someone had jumped out of an airplane from the looks of it. Whatever else she was, Andrew's grandmother was proud of her family.
The boys had gathered here, and were crowded around the TV, taking turns playing video games and yelling excited instructions to whoever was at the controls. They all looked up when Jack and the others appeared at the doorway.
"This is the kid's room," David said, waving his hand as though it were obvious. There were sleeping bags all over the floor, and it was obvious that the boys were going to be sacked out here for the weekend.
"Murray!"
"Jack!"
"Daniel!"
The boys came rushing up, grinning excitedly.
"How do you like the place?" Andrew asked, leaning down to scratch Shadow's ears. The black lab had decided to follow the group on their tour, and was waddling happily beside Jack.
"It's nice," Jack said, wrapping an arm around Devon, who'd come up for a hug. "Think your grandma will adopt me?"
"We could ask!" Andrew said, smiling.
"I'm giving them a tour of the place, now, Andrew," David told his son. "Did you guys put their stuff in their rooms?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Finish your games, dinner will be in less than an hour."
"Okay, dad."
As a group, the boys turned and went back to their game, although Shawn was obviously torn between going with Jack and the others and hanging out with his friends. Jack shooed him off, making the decision easy for him. Shawn needed time with kids his age, and Jack was going to make sure he got some.
"The boys are sleeping in there?" Daniel asked as they walked down the hall.
"Yup. It seemed easier for us to do it that way, since it would save more of the bedrooms for the adults. Speaking of which..."
He led them up a wide staircase, and to a hallway. Opening the first door on the right, he showed them a fair sized bedroom with two beds. "This is where you and Murray will be staying, Daniel." He looked at Jack. "We made the sleeping arrangements when we thought Sam was coming still, so we put the two of you together in a single room. Since she's not, you'll have your own room, but I guess Rank Hath its Privileges, eh?"
Jack smiled. Not that he minded sharing a room, especially since the room Teal'c and Daniel had wasn't all that small, but his own room was even better.
"Sounds fine with me."
"It's across the hall." He pointed at the door, but didn't open it; instead he continued walking down the hallway. "All the bedrooms are upstairs, except for Shelby's and my mother's. They can't handle the stairs very well anymore. We have 12 bedrooms – singles and doubles – but most of them are rented out, usually. This weekend is just for family and friends, though, so there won't be anyone we don't know."
He led them down a staircase that was on the opposite end of the one they'd walked up. This one led down to a foyer that had several openings. One lead back into a large room that held yet more sofas and chairs and another fireplace, although there wasn't a fire in this one. Another doorway led to the kitchen. Another obviously led outside, and David took them through the last one, which went into a room that looked like a well-lit storage closet. Only larger than many, and with several benches lining the wall.
There were racks of skis, here, and snowboards, and assorted other items, such as an actual toboggan, a number of inner tubes (already inflated and neatly stacked in a corner) ski poles, boots, bindings, coats, scarves, goggles, masks, helmets, ropes, snow shoes, and things that Jack didn't have a clue what they might be used for. David gave the three a chance to look at the stuff, and grinned.
"We'll be skiing tomorrow, so I thought I'd show you the supply room. Are you guys skiers? I know Murray hasn't tried it, but what about you two?"
"I've never done it," Daniel said.
Jack shook his head as well. The last thing he really wanted to do was speed down a mountain with no way to stop except a sudden meeting with a tree, or worse, a rock. He hadn't been joking with Sam about that whole Wide World of Sports thing. It had been what stopped him from learning to ski when he'd had the opportunity in the first place.
"I've never tried it, either. Sorry."
"No problem. The twins are ski instructors, so we'll have them give the three of you lessons."
"Oh, that'll be fun." Daniel said, grinning. Better the twins, who seemed to be more interested in Jack than in him.
Jack scowled. He wasn't sure if Daniel meant the skiing or the lesson, but he had a feeling it wasn't the skiing.
A bell started clanging somewhere off in the lodge and David interrupted them before Jack could say anything.
"That's the dinner bell. We'd better go eat before that mob of boys eat it all."
