Title: Getting to Know You: Part 15
Feedback: jm-webmistress@fsmail.net
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: The Broca Divide
Summary: Jack gets some good news, Janet loses her cool, and Sam heads off to get her son back.
Author Notes: Set in Season 1, Humour/Drama, Charlie O'Neill IS alive in this story, and Sam has a son with Jonas Hanson.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Note: Thank you very much to all of the people that send reviews! I am very grateful! :)
~ Getting to Know You: Part 15 ~
Copyright © 2004, Ruth
**********
When Janet Fraiser entered the infirmary that morning, the silence was disturbed, and the patients were awakened, by an angry shout.
"SAM!"
Jack was jolted awake as Janet came over to his bed, and started shaking him gently. He grunted and tried to turn over, so she poked him. Hard.
"Ow! Doc!" he groaned.
"Colonel, Sam isn't in her bed," Janet said quietly.
Jack suddenly remembered the events of the previous night and sat up in his bed, looking over at Sam's.
"Oh, I…I mean - where has she gone?"
Janet's eyebrows met in the middle.
"Colonel, please tell me that you had no part in this," she said, exasperation beginning to creep into her voice.
Jack shrugged and gave her a weak smile.
"I'm still here, aren't I?"
Janet put her hands on her hips and gave him a long stare.
"That's not what I asked, Colonel. Did you let Sam get out of this infirmary?"
"I…I tried to stop her," he said, "But you know what she's like when…"
"But nothing!" Janet said, "Colonel, neither of you are fit enough to even be out of bed, but now she's running around somewhere doing God-knows-what? Where did she go? And don't tell me you don't know, Jack, because I have a tray of needles over there telling me that you do!"
Jack winced.
**********
Just keep driving.
Sam stared straight ahead at the road in front of her, and bit her lip, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in her temples and the dull ache in the pit of her stomach.
Got to get Nathan back.
She took a left turn, then a right. The headache got worse.
Must keep going. Must keep going.
She pulled over at the side of the road and took a moment to get her breath back. Dammit, what was she doing out of the infirmary? Why had Colonel O'Neill let her go? Just why was she doing this to herself anyway?
The answer, however, was simple.
The answer was Nathan.
**********
Janet pulled on her coat and quickly left the infirmary. She hardly dared to think about how far Sam could have gone in the few hours that she'd been away, but she also knew that it was her duty, as both her doctor and her friend, to get her back.
She passed the airman on duty by the lift and swiped her ID through the slot. She waited for the doors to open, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Come on, come on!" she muttered, ignoring the curious and surprised glances being thrown her way.
The doors finally opened, and she practically jumped inside. Once there, she realised that she hadn't really thought about what she was going to do. In order to find Sam, she was going to have to start thinking like Sam.
That was a tricky one.
How would Sam have reacted upon hearing the news that her son had been kidnapped by her ex-husband? As well as anyone, she supposed. She would go to find them both - so the logical first step would be Jonas' house.
Yes! Janet thought, now I'm getting somewhere. She ran out of the lift and into the parking lot, jumped into her car and sped off.
**********
Daniel turned the key in the lock of Jack's house and quietly stepped inside.
"Hello?" he asked.
Teal'c followed him through and raised his eyebrows.
"It appears that Colonel O'Neill's house has been ransacked."
Daniel shook his head.
"No, don't worry, Teal'c - it always looks like this."
"I see," Teal'c frowned, going over to a table and scraping nearly a year's worth of dust off of it.
"Who's there?" came a nervous voice from the kitchen.
"Charlie?" Daniel asked.
"Who's there?" the voice repeated, sounding more agitated.
"It's Daniel and Teal'c. Charlie, is that you? Open the door!" Daniel said, getting nearer to the kitchen.
"I don't know what happened," Charlie said, "So don't ask."
"I'm not asking," Daniel said gently, "Just open the door, Charlie."
Charlie gingerly opened the door and looked at Daniel and Teal'c.
"Sorry - I just had to be sure." he said by means of an apology, and then walked straight past the two of them. "Can we go back to the base? I want to see my dad."
"Sure," Daniel said, casting a concerned look at Teal'c and following the boy out of the house.
**********
Nathan glared at his father across the room.
"Nate, what the hell is wrong with you? You're home, you're surrounded by all of your stuff and you're still looking daggers at me!" Jonas said, exasperated.
"You practically kidnapped me," he muttered, "No, scratch that, you DID kidnap me, you took me away from my friend and my mom, and now you expect me to be happy?"
Jonas laughed. "I never thought I would hear you call Charlie O'Neill a friend, kid. What the hell's gotten into you? You've turned into a whiny geek!"
"As opposed to a brute?" Nathan shouted, "Well, maybe it's time I stopped being like you, and started acting more like me! If that's a whiny geek, so be it!"
"Your mother has definitely had a negative influence on you," Jonas muttered, lighting up a cigarette and frowning, "Now you see why you only stay with her for a few weeks a year."
"I want to see her more," Nathan said, with gritted teeth.
"Well, I'm not going to let you, son, and there's nothing you can do about it," Jonas smirked.
"Oh…I wouldn't be so sure about that," said a dry voice from behind him.
Jonas choked on his cigarette, and turned around to face his ex-wife.
**********
"Charlie!" Jack shouted happily, as his son entered the infirmary.
"Dad!" he replied, and threw himself at the bed, into his father's arms.
"It's okay," Jack soothed, "You're safe now."
Charlie soon recovered from his fear and sat up, looking embarrassed.
"Yeah, it's okay, dad, you don't need to make a fuss of me."
"Well, excuse me," Jack snorted, "But I believe that you threw yourself at me first."
"Yeah, whatever, Charlie muttered, with a grin.
"Can you get me some water?" Jack asked, gesturing to the empty cup by his side.
"It's all demands, demands, demands!" Charlie complained, going over to the cup and holding it in his hand, "And where's Nathan's mom, anyway?"
Jack's face fell a little.
"She…uh…she escaped and went to find Nathan."
He accepted the cup that Charlie gave him, and took a long drink.
"Cool," Charlie muttered, "You know…I wouldn't mind having her as a step mom."
Jack promptly snorted the water onto the bed and looked at Charlie in disbelief.
"Excuse me?"
"C'mon, dad, we read the file! When you and her were in the locker room, giving it a bit of…"
"Charlie! That file was none of your business! Where did you get it from, anyway?"
"Doctor Jackson's lab." Charlie smirked, enjoying the embarrassment on his father's face.
"Dammit, I told him to get rid of that one," Jack muttered, glaring at his son.
"There's no shame in liking her, dad," he goaded, "Even though you're a bit old."
"Charlie!" Jack said, indignantly, "You're supposed to be cheering me up!"
**********
"Well," Jonas said, eyeing Sam as she walked into the room, "Look what the cat dragged in."
"Mom!" Nathan shouted, getting out of his chair and running over to her, embracing her in a fierce hug.
"I'm here," she said, "Don't worry, Nate."
"You look like crap," Jonas observed, lighting another cigarette and blowing the smoke in Sam's face.
"Likewise," she replied, ignoring the ache in the pit of her stomach as Nathan hugged her.
"So, what can I do for you?" Jonas asked, crossing his legs.
"I want equal access," she said, sitting down in the chair opposite him, "And I would love to do this out of court."
"Asking a little much, aren't we?" He smirked, "After all, you've been MIA the past week - what if it happens again? What would happen to Nate?"
"I'll be fine!" Nathan interrupted.
Sam gently placed her hand on his arm.
"Nate, your father and I need to talk about this alone," she said softly.
"But…" Nathan protested.
"But nothing," she replied, "Go on."
Reluctantly, Nathan stood up and left the room, going to the top of the stairs and crouching low, listening out for the conversation between his mother and father.
"I have rights," Jonas said, taking another deep drag on the cigarette, "And I don't think you're fit to be a mother."
"As I remember, the court thought I was perfectly fit," Sam said darkly, "I only lost him when you decided to pursue more unofficial channels."
"It's great having contacts in the legal system," Jonas smirked, "I have the power to fuck up your life, and you can't stop me."
He got up and went into the kitchen. Sam followed him.
"Why are you bringing him into this?" she asked.
"Into what?" Jonas protested innocently, pouring a shot of vodka into a glass.
"Into your personal vendetta against me," Sam replied.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jonas said, lifting the glass to his lips.
Sam shook her head, grabbed the glass out of his hand and threw it at the wall. The glass shattered and lay about the floor, glinting like water.
"I have spent fifteen years being ignored, Jonas, and you are damned well going to listen to me now!" She shouted.
**********
Janet pulled up outside the house and saw Sam's car sitting in the drive. Grimly, she opened the door and got out. This was no more Mrs nice doctor.
She was about to knock on the door when it opened, and Nathan came out.
"Nathan?" Janet asked, "What are you?"
"Shh!" Nathan said, closing the door shut behind him, "They're talking."
"That may be, Nathan, but your mother needs medical attention. She shouldn't be on her feet!"
"I know that too!" Nathan said, close to tears, "But if they don't have this talk, I might never get to see her again! Do you have any idea what that would be like?"
Janet sighed, and pulled the boy closer to her.
"Are you hurt?" she asked.
"No, I'm just tired. I want to go home with my mom."
"I know you do," Janet soothed, "And you will, soon enough. If I know your mother - and I do know your mother - she will move heaven and earth to get you back."
"But that might not be enough," Nathan said, trembling.
**********
Jonas looked at Sam, and then back at the glass on the floor. Then, he calmly walked over to the cupboard, got another glass and poured himself another shot of vodka.
Sam bit her lip, and winced as a sharp pain shot through her arm. Jonas eyed her curiously.
"What the hell's the matter with you, anyway?"
"Nothing," she lied, "Can we try and be sensible about this, please? For Nathan's sake."
"I am being sensible," Jonas replied, "You have a very stressful and demanding job, which takes priority over everything else in your life, including your son. I can't risk leaving you with him."
"You? You can't risk leaving him with ME? Have you looked in the mirror recently, Jonas? If any one of us is the unfit parent, it's you!"
"Maybe, maybe not," Jonas replied smartly, "But as far as the courts are concerned, the unfit parent is you, sweetie."
"All I'm asking for is equal access," she pleaded, "You'll still get to see him! Hell, the school is nearer to your place than it is to mine, it's not like I'll have priority."
"Oh, I do so love it when you beg me," Jonas sneered, "It's so uplifting."
"Fine." Sam said, running a hand through her hair, "If you won't do it the easy way, we'll have to go through the court."
"Fine by me," Jonas smiled, "I'll see you there, babe."
Sam stormed out of the kitchen and pulled open the front door, to find Janet standing there with Nathan.
"Sam!" she nearly shouted, "What the hell did you think you were doing? Leaving the infirmary - you shouldn't be on your feet!"
"I know!" Sam replied, "Can we just get in the car, please?"
"Mom?" Nathan asked nervously, "What did he say?"
Sam looked sadly at her son, and pulled him into her arms. A tear slid from her eye as she held him.
"He won't agree to equal custody," she said, and Janet's heart sank. "We're going to have to go through the courts, Nate."
"But…last time…" Nathan said, his voice tailing off.
"I know," Sam said, with a sob, "I know."
To Be Continued…
**********
Next time: The custody battle takes its toll on Sam, Jack does some thinking about his personal life, and General Hammond pulls some strings.
**********
Author's Note: Eek! It's the last one next time! Unless I do an epilogue, which I could be persuaded to do. I'll need feedback though, of course. Please send it to jm-webmistress@fsmail.net Many thanks to all those of you who have supported me throughout this series - I had no idea that it would become this popular.
Until the next chapter, thank you again
Ruthie : )
Feedback: jm-webmistress@fsmail.net
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: The Broca Divide
Summary: Jack gets some good news, Janet loses her cool, and Sam heads off to get her son back.
Author Notes: Set in Season 1, Humour/Drama, Charlie O'Neill IS alive in this story, and Sam has a son with Jonas Hanson.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Note: Thank you very much to all of the people that send reviews! I am very grateful! :)
~ Getting to Know You: Part 15 ~
Copyright © 2004, Ruth
**********
When Janet Fraiser entered the infirmary that morning, the silence was disturbed, and the patients were awakened, by an angry shout.
"SAM!"
Jack was jolted awake as Janet came over to his bed, and started shaking him gently. He grunted and tried to turn over, so she poked him. Hard.
"Ow! Doc!" he groaned.
"Colonel, Sam isn't in her bed," Janet said quietly.
Jack suddenly remembered the events of the previous night and sat up in his bed, looking over at Sam's.
"Oh, I…I mean - where has she gone?"
Janet's eyebrows met in the middle.
"Colonel, please tell me that you had no part in this," she said, exasperation beginning to creep into her voice.
Jack shrugged and gave her a weak smile.
"I'm still here, aren't I?"
Janet put her hands on her hips and gave him a long stare.
"That's not what I asked, Colonel. Did you let Sam get out of this infirmary?"
"I…I tried to stop her," he said, "But you know what she's like when…"
"But nothing!" Janet said, "Colonel, neither of you are fit enough to even be out of bed, but now she's running around somewhere doing God-knows-what? Where did she go? And don't tell me you don't know, Jack, because I have a tray of needles over there telling me that you do!"
Jack winced.
**********
Just keep driving.
Sam stared straight ahead at the road in front of her, and bit her lip, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in her temples and the dull ache in the pit of her stomach.
Got to get Nathan back.
She took a left turn, then a right. The headache got worse.
Must keep going. Must keep going.
She pulled over at the side of the road and took a moment to get her breath back. Dammit, what was she doing out of the infirmary? Why had Colonel O'Neill let her go? Just why was she doing this to herself anyway?
The answer, however, was simple.
The answer was Nathan.
**********
Janet pulled on her coat and quickly left the infirmary. She hardly dared to think about how far Sam could have gone in the few hours that she'd been away, but she also knew that it was her duty, as both her doctor and her friend, to get her back.
She passed the airman on duty by the lift and swiped her ID through the slot. She waited for the doors to open, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Come on, come on!" she muttered, ignoring the curious and surprised glances being thrown her way.
The doors finally opened, and she practically jumped inside. Once there, she realised that she hadn't really thought about what she was going to do. In order to find Sam, she was going to have to start thinking like Sam.
That was a tricky one.
How would Sam have reacted upon hearing the news that her son had been kidnapped by her ex-husband? As well as anyone, she supposed. She would go to find them both - so the logical first step would be Jonas' house.
Yes! Janet thought, now I'm getting somewhere. She ran out of the lift and into the parking lot, jumped into her car and sped off.
**********
Daniel turned the key in the lock of Jack's house and quietly stepped inside.
"Hello?" he asked.
Teal'c followed him through and raised his eyebrows.
"It appears that Colonel O'Neill's house has been ransacked."
Daniel shook his head.
"No, don't worry, Teal'c - it always looks like this."
"I see," Teal'c frowned, going over to a table and scraping nearly a year's worth of dust off of it.
"Who's there?" came a nervous voice from the kitchen.
"Charlie?" Daniel asked.
"Who's there?" the voice repeated, sounding more agitated.
"It's Daniel and Teal'c. Charlie, is that you? Open the door!" Daniel said, getting nearer to the kitchen.
"I don't know what happened," Charlie said, "So don't ask."
"I'm not asking," Daniel said gently, "Just open the door, Charlie."
Charlie gingerly opened the door and looked at Daniel and Teal'c.
"Sorry - I just had to be sure." he said by means of an apology, and then walked straight past the two of them. "Can we go back to the base? I want to see my dad."
"Sure," Daniel said, casting a concerned look at Teal'c and following the boy out of the house.
**********
Nathan glared at his father across the room.
"Nate, what the hell is wrong with you? You're home, you're surrounded by all of your stuff and you're still looking daggers at me!" Jonas said, exasperated.
"You practically kidnapped me," he muttered, "No, scratch that, you DID kidnap me, you took me away from my friend and my mom, and now you expect me to be happy?"
Jonas laughed. "I never thought I would hear you call Charlie O'Neill a friend, kid. What the hell's gotten into you? You've turned into a whiny geek!"
"As opposed to a brute?" Nathan shouted, "Well, maybe it's time I stopped being like you, and started acting more like me! If that's a whiny geek, so be it!"
"Your mother has definitely had a negative influence on you," Jonas muttered, lighting up a cigarette and frowning, "Now you see why you only stay with her for a few weeks a year."
"I want to see her more," Nathan said, with gritted teeth.
"Well, I'm not going to let you, son, and there's nothing you can do about it," Jonas smirked.
"Oh…I wouldn't be so sure about that," said a dry voice from behind him.
Jonas choked on his cigarette, and turned around to face his ex-wife.
**********
"Charlie!" Jack shouted happily, as his son entered the infirmary.
"Dad!" he replied, and threw himself at the bed, into his father's arms.
"It's okay," Jack soothed, "You're safe now."
Charlie soon recovered from his fear and sat up, looking embarrassed.
"Yeah, it's okay, dad, you don't need to make a fuss of me."
"Well, excuse me," Jack snorted, "But I believe that you threw yourself at me first."
"Yeah, whatever, Charlie muttered, with a grin.
"Can you get me some water?" Jack asked, gesturing to the empty cup by his side.
"It's all demands, demands, demands!" Charlie complained, going over to the cup and holding it in his hand, "And where's Nathan's mom, anyway?"
Jack's face fell a little.
"She…uh…she escaped and went to find Nathan."
He accepted the cup that Charlie gave him, and took a long drink.
"Cool," Charlie muttered, "You know…I wouldn't mind having her as a step mom."
Jack promptly snorted the water onto the bed and looked at Charlie in disbelief.
"Excuse me?"
"C'mon, dad, we read the file! When you and her were in the locker room, giving it a bit of…"
"Charlie! That file was none of your business! Where did you get it from, anyway?"
"Doctor Jackson's lab." Charlie smirked, enjoying the embarrassment on his father's face.
"Dammit, I told him to get rid of that one," Jack muttered, glaring at his son.
"There's no shame in liking her, dad," he goaded, "Even though you're a bit old."
"Charlie!" Jack said, indignantly, "You're supposed to be cheering me up!"
**********
"Well," Jonas said, eyeing Sam as she walked into the room, "Look what the cat dragged in."
"Mom!" Nathan shouted, getting out of his chair and running over to her, embracing her in a fierce hug.
"I'm here," she said, "Don't worry, Nate."
"You look like crap," Jonas observed, lighting another cigarette and blowing the smoke in Sam's face.
"Likewise," she replied, ignoring the ache in the pit of her stomach as Nathan hugged her.
"So, what can I do for you?" Jonas asked, crossing his legs.
"I want equal access," she said, sitting down in the chair opposite him, "And I would love to do this out of court."
"Asking a little much, aren't we?" He smirked, "After all, you've been MIA the past week - what if it happens again? What would happen to Nate?"
"I'll be fine!" Nathan interrupted.
Sam gently placed her hand on his arm.
"Nate, your father and I need to talk about this alone," she said softly.
"But…" Nathan protested.
"But nothing," she replied, "Go on."
Reluctantly, Nathan stood up and left the room, going to the top of the stairs and crouching low, listening out for the conversation between his mother and father.
"I have rights," Jonas said, taking another deep drag on the cigarette, "And I don't think you're fit to be a mother."
"As I remember, the court thought I was perfectly fit," Sam said darkly, "I only lost him when you decided to pursue more unofficial channels."
"It's great having contacts in the legal system," Jonas smirked, "I have the power to fuck up your life, and you can't stop me."
He got up and went into the kitchen. Sam followed him.
"Why are you bringing him into this?" she asked.
"Into what?" Jonas protested innocently, pouring a shot of vodka into a glass.
"Into your personal vendetta against me," Sam replied.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jonas said, lifting the glass to his lips.
Sam shook her head, grabbed the glass out of his hand and threw it at the wall. The glass shattered and lay about the floor, glinting like water.
"I have spent fifteen years being ignored, Jonas, and you are damned well going to listen to me now!" She shouted.
**********
Janet pulled up outside the house and saw Sam's car sitting in the drive. Grimly, she opened the door and got out. This was no more Mrs nice doctor.
She was about to knock on the door when it opened, and Nathan came out.
"Nathan?" Janet asked, "What are you?"
"Shh!" Nathan said, closing the door shut behind him, "They're talking."
"That may be, Nathan, but your mother needs medical attention. She shouldn't be on her feet!"
"I know that too!" Nathan said, close to tears, "But if they don't have this talk, I might never get to see her again! Do you have any idea what that would be like?"
Janet sighed, and pulled the boy closer to her.
"Are you hurt?" she asked.
"No, I'm just tired. I want to go home with my mom."
"I know you do," Janet soothed, "And you will, soon enough. If I know your mother - and I do know your mother - she will move heaven and earth to get you back."
"But that might not be enough," Nathan said, trembling.
**********
Jonas looked at Sam, and then back at the glass on the floor. Then, he calmly walked over to the cupboard, got another glass and poured himself another shot of vodka.
Sam bit her lip, and winced as a sharp pain shot through her arm. Jonas eyed her curiously.
"What the hell's the matter with you, anyway?"
"Nothing," she lied, "Can we try and be sensible about this, please? For Nathan's sake."
"I am being sensible," Jonas replied, "You have a very stressful and demanding job, which takes priority over everything else in your life, including your son. I can't risk leaving you with him."
"You? You can't risk leaving him with ME? Have you looked in the mirror recently, Jonas? If any one of us is the unfit parent, it's you!"
"Maybe, maybe not," Jonas replied smartly, "But as far as the courts are concerned, the unfit parent is you, sweetie."
"All I'm asking for is equal access," she pleaded, "You'll still get to see him! Hell, the school is nearer to your place than it is to mine, it's not like I'll have priority."
"Oh, I do so love it when you beg me," Jonas sneered, "It's so uplifting."
"Fine." Sam said, running a hand through her hair, "If you won't do it the easy way, we'll have to go through the court."
"Fine by me," Jonas smiled, "I'll see you there, babe."
Sam stormed out of the kitchen and pulled open the front door, to find Janet standing there with Nathan.
"Sam!" she nearly shouted, "What the hell did you think you were doing? Leaving the infirmary - you shouldn't be on your feet!"
"I know!" Sam replied, "Can we just get in the car, please?"
"Mom?" Nathan asked nervously, "What did he say?"
Sam looked sadly at her son, and pulled him into her arms. A tear slid from her eye as she held him.
"He won't agree to equal custody," she said, and Janet's heart sank. "We're going to have to go through the courts, Nate."
"But…last time…" Nathan said, his voice tailing off.
"I know," Sam said, with a sob, "I know."
To Be Continued…
**********
Next time: The custody battle takes its toll on Sam, Jack does some thinking about his personal life, and General Hammond pulls some strings.
**********
Author's Note: Eek! It's the last one next time! Unless I do an epilogue, which I could be persuaded to do. I'll need feedback though, of course. Please send it to jm-webmistress@fsmail.net Many thanks to all those of you who have supported me throughout this series - I had no idea that it would become this popular.
Until the next chapter, thank you again
Ruthie : )