Disclaimer: See Default Chapters
Spoilers: Not for anything on the actual show... but I'm already thinking of a story that might fall post Changes (except for this one chapter).
Chapter 17: Dorothy's Trip to Oz
Jack picked up one of the many little doohickeys from Sam's desk and held it up to the light. He turned it, looked down the angle of his nose at it... even sniffed it. Then he shrugged and put it down again. Sam and her thingamabobs... he'd never get it.
"Hey, I heard you were here, Jack," Daniel said as he came through the door.
The two men clasped hands and embraced, loudly patting each other's backs. "Good to see you, Daniel."
"What brings you in? Bored of retirement?"
Jack smiled and shook his head. "Nope. Lovin' it more every day. I'm here to... you know..." He made a circle in the air with an extended finger, then kinda waved at the ceiling.
"Oh, that's right! That's today. I've been so caught up with this amazing sandstone monument the Tok'ra brought to us last week, I forgot what day it was. This thing is amazing, Jack. I'm pretty sure the writing is a form of cuneiform, yet it has a definite Latin influence."
"Keepin' you up nights, is it?"
Daniel smiled, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Well, not all of us can enjoy a life of leisure like you, Jack. We've got to find ways to keep busy."
Jack chuckled. "Danny boy, I've got more to keep me busy than you can even imagine."
"Speaking of which, where is she?"
Jack motioned to the door. "She just took off with Teal'c. Wanted to see General Hammond. You know how she is."
Movement at the door caught Jack's eye and he turned to see his wife of three years come in. Her smile lit up the room, and his heart, as she crossed to him and he leaned down to kiss her cheek.
"I wasn't expecting you for another hour," she said, slipping her arm around his waist beneath his leather jacket. "Did you bring everything?"
Jack saluted with his free hand. "Yes, ma'am."
Sam playfully tapped his stomach and asked, "Where is she?"
Jack did his best to look put out. "You know, that's all I ever here these days when I come to the SGC."
"Do you blame us, Jack?" Daniel asked, looking at Jack and Sam over the rim of his glasses.
"Well, no. Can't say as I do."
A loud squeal echoed outside in the hall, and both Jack and Sam O'Neill turned towards the door... the same instinct drawing both their attentions. The squeal was followed by a giggle akin to silver bells at Christmas. General Hammond appeared in the doorway first, followed by Teal'c. And in Teal'c's gentle hold was the object of everyone's affection.
Nine-month-old Dorothy O'Neill sat high on her Uncle Teal'c's arm, giggling and clapping her hands together as he entertained her with a carved gift he had brought with him from his last trip to Chulak. When he twirled the toy between his fingers, it clacked and jangled, completely enthralling Dorothy. The usually stoic face of the big Jaffa was spread wide by a smile not often seen.
"She is most amused by the cap'tche. I knew she would, for Ryak spent many an hour at this age filling our home with laughter as his mother and I held it for him."
Dorothy twisted in Teal'c's hold until her bright blue eyes found who she wanted. "Da! Da!" she cried, holding her arms out, fingers flexing frantically.
In nine-months, since the moment the doctor put his Gift in his arms, the swelling feeling in his chest hadn't lessened. Only growing so large at times he felt like his shirt would bust open with it.
"C'mere, you," he said, taking Dorothy from Teal'c. He bounced her in his arms, blowing kisses on her Baby Magic-scented neck until she giggled and squirmed, curling her fingers into his hair.
Sam rested her hand against his back, leaning into him to watch their daughter's face light up. "Who's got you? Daddy got you?" she asked, and Dorothy laughed again.
"Well, since you're here, Jack, the three of you can leave whenever you like," General Hammond said, forcing Jack to look away from his daughter's dark eyes and light brown hair.
"Thanks, George."
"We appreciate this, General," Sam said as she took Dorothy from Jack. "It will be nice to get away."
"And P3X-998 is about as 'away' as you can get on a vacation," Daniel said with a smile, stroking Dorothy's hair as Sam held her.
En masse, they left Sam's lab and headed for the Gate room. As they entered, the final Chevron locked and the event horizon 'kawooshed' into the room. Dorothy's constant chatter stopped and she stared in awe.
Jack laughed. "Now she's got something to tell the kids at the park over mud pies."
With Sam carrying their daughter, Jack picked up the two large duffels and an almost equally as large diaper bag at the base of the Gate ramp. He slung them over his shoulder, and pressed a hand against his wife's back.
"We'll see you in two weeks, Jack. Sam."
"Thanks, George."
A familiar rush coursed over Jack's skin as he approached the Gate. Familiar, yet one he hadn't felt in over three years. At one time, he thought walking through the Gate into a wormhole that would carry him to planets and solar systems thousands of light-years way was the greatest rush he could ever know. But now, standing with his wife and daughter on their first vacation as a family, he knew he was wrong.
Life was the best rush around.
"Dorothy Darlin', welcome to OZ."
THE END
Spoilers: Not for anything on the actual show... but I'm already thinking of a story that might fall post Changes (except for this one chapter).
Chapter 17: Dorothy's Trip to Oz
Jack picked up one of the many little doohickeys from Sam's desk and held it up to the light. He turned it, looked down the angle of his nose at it... even sniffed it. Then he shrugged and put it down again. Sam and her thingamabobs... he'd never get it.
"Hey, I heard you were here, Jack," Daniel said as he came through the door.
The two men clasped hands and embraced, loudly patting each other's backs. "Good to see you, Daniel."
"What brings you in? Bored of retirement?"
Jack smiled and shook his head. "Nope. Lovin' it more every day. I'm here to... you know..." He made a circle in the air with an extended finger, then kinda waved at the ceiling.
"Oh, that's right! That's today. I've been so caught up with this amazing sandstone monument the Tok'ra brought to us last week, I forgot what day it was. This thing is amazing, Jack. I'm pretty sure the writing is a form of cuneiform, yet it has a definite Latin influence."
"Keepin' you up nights, is it?"
Daniel smiled, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Well, not all of us can enjoy a life of leisure like you, Jack. We've got to find ways to keep busy."
Jack chuckled. "Danny boy, I've got more to keep me busy than you can even imagine."
"Speaking of which, where is she?"
Jack motioned to the door. "She just took off with Teal'c. Wanted to see General Hammond. You know how she is."
Movement at the door caught Jack's eye and he turned to see his wife of three years come in. Her smile lit up the room, and his heart, as she crossed to him and he leaned down to kiss her cheek.
"I wasn't expecting you for another hour," she said, slipping her arm around his waist beneath his leather jacket. "Did you bring everything?"
Jack saluted with his free hand. "Yes, ma'am."
Sam playfully tapped his stomach and asked, "Where is she?"
Jack did his best to look put out. "You know, that's all I ever here these days when I come to the SGC."
"Do you blame us, Jack?" Daniel asked, looking at Jack and Sam over the rim of his glasses.
"Well, no. Can't say as I do."
A loud squeal echoed outside in the hall, and both Jack and Sam O'Neill turned towards the door... the same instinct drawing both their attentions. The squeal was followed by a giggle akin to silver bells at Christmas. General Hammond appeared in the doorway first, followed by Teal'c. And in Teal'c's gentle hold was the object of everyone's affection.
Nine-month-old Dorothy O'Neill sat high on her Uncle Teal'c's arm, giggling and clapping her hands together as he entertained her with a carved gift he had brought with him from his last trip to Chulak. When he twirled the toy between his fingers, it clacked and jangled, completely enthralling Dorothy. The usually stoic face of the big Jaffa was spread wide by a smile not often seen.
"She is most amused by the cap'tche. I knew she would, for Ryak spent many an hour at this age filling our home with laughter as his mother and I held it for him."
Dorothy twisted in Teal'c's hold until her bright blue eyes found who she wanted. "Da! Da!" she cried, holding her arms out, fingers flexing frantically.
In nine-months, since the moment the doctor put his Gift in his arms, the swelling feeling in his chest hadn't lessened. Only growing so large at times he felt like his shirt would bust open with it.
"C'mere, you," he said, taking Dorothy from Teal'c. He bounced her in his arms, blowing kisses on her Baby Magic-scented neck until she giggled and squirmed, curling her fingers into his hair.
Sam rested her hand against his back, leaning into him to watch their daughter's face light up. "Who's got you? Daddy got you?" she asked, and Dorothy laughed again.
"Well, since you're here, Jack, the three of you can leave whenever you like," General Hammond said, forcing Jack to look away from his daughter's dark eyes and light brown hair.
"Thanks, George."
"We appreciate this, General," Sam said as she took Dorothy from Jack. "It will be nice to get away."
"And P3X-998 is about as 'away' as you can get on a vacation," Daniel said with a smile, stroking Dorothy's hair as Sam held her.
En masse, they left Sam's lab and headed for the Gate room. As they entered, the final Chevron locked and the event horizon 'kawooshed' into the room. Dorothy's constant chatter stopped and she stared in awe.
Jack laughed. "Now she's got something to tell the kids at the park over mud pies."
With Sam carrying their daughter, Jack picked up the two large duffels and an almost equally as large diaper bag at the base of the Gate ramp. He slung them over his shoulder, and pressed a hand against his wife's back.
"We'll see you in two weeks, Jack. Sam."
"Thanks, George."
A familiar rush coursed over Jack's skin as he approached the Gate. Familiar, yet one he hadn't felt in over three years. At one time, he thought walking through the Gate into a wormhole that would carry him to planets and solar systems thousands of light-years way was the greatest rush he could ever know. But now, standing with his wife and daughter on their first vacation as a family, he knew he was wrong.
Life was the best rush around.
"Dorothy Darlin', welcome to OZ."
THE END