CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE O'NEILLS, ROUND ONE
Vicky had just dressed after when she heard a knock on the door. She wondered who it could be this early as she opened the door to see Jack standing there.
"Breakfast?" He had that slightly quizzical look on his face.
//Damn, could he be any more adorable? It was so not fair that he was sexier as he had gotten older\\ When he was younger he looked a little to much like Ricky Nelson for her taste, a little to pretty. As he aged he had gotten more rugged looking. //And I so don't need to be going there. Get a grip Victoria Elizabeth\\
"Sure, your timing is perfect."
He gave her a pleased grin.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
They had just sat down with their food when Daniel stumbled to the table and slouched down and took a large gulp of coffee. Jack got an evil grin and sail way to cheerily, "good morning, Danny!"
He was rewarded with an angry glared. "I see Daniel is not a morning person."
"No, indeed." He grinned at her, "He doesn't get going until he has had at LEAST a gallon of coffee."
Vicky grinned back, realizing where he had gone. "Oh really? I don't care for the stuff, myself."
Daniel looked at her like she had just grown horns. "How can anyone NOT like coffee?"
"Just never cared for the taste. I'm from a long line of tea drinkers." Jack beamed at her like a proud father because she had picked up of his lead to harass Daniel.
"So, JACJ, how did the therapy session go yesterday?"
Vicky looked at her plate, just managing not to laugh.
"Went just fine, Danny, and I'm also looking forward to today's."
"Looking forward to today's what, sir?" Sam asked as she joined them.
"Today's therapy session, Carter," he replied with a small sardonic smile.
Sam stared at him for a moment before she spoke, "a little early for sarcasm, isn't it, Sir?"
"On the contrary, Sam, it's NEVER to early, or to late for that matter, for Jack's sarcasm."
Daniel mumbled something about being "surrounded by evil" and got up, refilled his coffee and left.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Alex again answered the door himself to their knock. "Good morning," he smiled at them. "Come in and have a seat."
Jack sat and looked around slightly confused, "didn't this couch use to be...I don't know...larger?"
"Very observant, Jack. It's a standard practice in couple's therapy to have a love seat instead of a couch. The physical closeness is a subliminal message that helps to convey emotional closeness."
Jack beamed like a student who had been praised by the teacher. "So, Alex, where do we start?"
"First of all I would like to ask, are either of you in a relationship, or have someone with whom they might be in a relationship soon?"
They both looked at each other and shook their heads.
"Good, this will make this easier. You both seam to be under the impression that you have to make a decision about whether or not to continue with your marriage immediately. If neither of you are likely to be with someone else there is no hurry to decide. In fact it would be better for both of you to take your time."
They both gaped at him. It never occurred to either of them that they could take their time in deciding. The looked at each other for a moment before they both visibly relaxed.
"Damn, Doc, you're smart!"
"Thanks, Jack, but it's just as much good training. Now, I want to tell you that Vicky will have a very difficult time adjusting to life back on Earth. Whether or not you stay together as a couple she is going to need all the support that she can get from people that she can trust."
"OF course, I'll always be there for her no matter what." Vicky and Jack smiled at each other. Vicky appeared to tear up a little and they squeezed each other's hands.
//They do still love each other. I have a feeling that both will help each other heal from all the things they have been through\\
"These joint sessions are for the purpose for me to help the two of you to be able to talk to each other. I will be a guide, if you will, to show you paths that you will have to travel. If you start commutating sufficiently on your own then I don't think that these joint sessions need necessarily need to be long term. I, also, think that discussing certain things with Vicky will help you, Jack, progress faster."
"What things?"
"Like your both having captured by Ball."
They both gaped at him and paled as they whipped their heads around to stare at each other.
"Jesus, Jack!"
"Oh Honey, I'm so sorry! I should have killed the bastard..."
"Jack, I'm pretty sure that he had me first, if anything I should have killed him. It's my fault that he got you."
Jack put his hand to her face and looked at her with such sorrow that it broke her heart. "Baby, it's not your fault. I'm just glad that you got away."
He pulled her into a tight embrace and Alex could see tears running down both of their faces. A good beginning, indeed.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
"OK, good session. I'll want Vicky to begin leaving the base with close supervision soon, but just for a couple of hours at first."
"Tomorrow's Saturday, can I take her to lunch?"
"That would be a nice idea, but some place quiet and only for a couple of hours."
"Yeahsureyoubetcha. So it's a date?" He smiled at her. Vicky beamed back and nodded. The both said good-by to the doctor as Jack held the door for her.
Vicky had just dressed after when she heard a knock on the door. She wondered who it could be this early as she opened the door to see Jack standing there.
"Breakfast?" He had that slightly quizzical look on his face.
//Damn, could he be any more adorable? It was so not fair that he was sexier as he had gotten older\\ When he was younger he looked a little to much like Ricky Nelson for her taste, a little to pretty. As he aged he had gotten more rugged looking. //And I so don't need to be going there. Get a grip Victoria Elizabeth\\
"Sure, your timing is perfect."
He gave her a pleased grin.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
They had just sat down with their food when Daniel stumbled to the table and slouched down and took a large gulp of coffee. Jack got an evil grin and sail way to cheerily, "good morning, Danny!"
He was rewarded with an angry glared. "I see Daniel is not a morning person."
"No, indeed." He grinned at her, "He doesn't get going until he has had at LEAST a gallon of coffee."
Vicky grinned back, realizing where he had gone. "Oh really? I don't care for the stuff, myself."
Daniel looked at her like she had just grown horns. "How can anyone NOT like coffee?"
"Just never cared for the taste. I'm from a long line of tea drinkers." Jack beamed at her like a proud father because she had picked up of his lead to harass Daniel.
"So, JACJ, how did the therapy session go yesterday?"
Vicky looked at her plate, just managing not to laugh.
"Went just fine, Danny, and I'm also looking forward to today's."
"Looking forward to today's what, sir?" Sam asked as she joined them.
"Today's therapy session, Carter," he replied with a small sardonic smile.
Sam stared at him for a moment before she spoke, "a little early for sarcasm, isn't it, Sir?"
"On the contrary, Sam, it's NEVER to early, or to late for that matter, for Jack's sarcasm."
Daniel mumbled something about being "surrounded by evil" and got up, refilled his coffee and left.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Alex again answered the door himself to their knock. "Good morning," he smiled at them. "Come in and have a seat."
Jack sat and looked around slightly confused, "didn't this couch use to be...I don't know...larger?"
"Very observant, Jack. It's a standard practice in couple's therapy to have a love seat instead of a couch. The physical closeness is a subliminal message that helps to convey emotional closeness."
Jack beamed like a student who had been praised by the teacher. "So, Alex, where do we start?"
"First of all I would like to ask, are either of you in a relationship, or have someone with whom they might be in a relationship soon?"
They both looked at each other and shook their heads.
"Good, this will make this easier. You both seam to be under the impression that you have to make a decision about whether or not to continue with your marriage immediately. If neither of you are likely to be with someone else there is no hurry to decide. In fact it would be better for both of you to take your time."
They both gaped at him. It never occurred to either of them that they could take their time in deciding. The looked at each other for a moment before they both visibly relaxed.
"Damn, Doc, you're smart!"
"Thanks, Jack, but it's just as much good training. Now, I want to tell you that Vicky will have a very difficult time adjusting to life back on Earth. Whether or not you stay together as a couple she is going to need all the support that she can get from people that she can trust."
"OF course, I'll always be there for her no matter what." Vicky and Jack smiled at each other. Vicky appeared to tear up a little and they squeezed each other's hands.
//They do still love each other. I have a feeling that both will help each other heal from all the things they have been through\\
"These joint sessions are for the purpose for me to help the two of you to be able to talk to each other. I will be a guide, if you will, to show you paths that you will have to travel. If you start commutating sufficiently on your own then I don't think that these joint sessions need necessarily need to be long term. I, also, think that discussing certain things with Vicky will help you, Jack, progress faster."
"What things?"
"Like your both having captured by Ball."
They both gaped at him and paled as they whipped their heads around to stare at each other.
"Jesus, Jack!"
"Oh Honey, I'm so sorry! I should have killed the bastard..."
"Jack, I'm pretty sure that he had me first, if anything I should have killed him. It's my fault that he got you."
Jack put his hand to her face and looked at her with such sorrow that it broke her heart. "Baby, it's not your fault. I'm just glad that you got away."
He pulled her into a tight embrace and Alex could see tears running down both of their faces. A good beginning, indeed.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
"OK, good session. I'll want Vicky to begin leaving the base with close supervision soon, but just for a couple of hours at first."
"Tomorrow's Saturday, can I take her to lunch?"
"That would be a nice idea, but some place quiet and only for a couple of hours."
"Yeahsureyoubetcha. So it's a date?" He smiled at her. Vicky beamed back and nodded. The both said good-by to the doctor as Jack held the door for her.