Jack sent Daniel, Sam, Shawn and Andrew off to the commissary to get a
quick snack, while he and Teal'c went to Hammond's office to talk to the
General. He was sitting in his office working on last minute paperwork, but
he set his pen down immediately when O'Neill rapped lightly on the open
door, and gestured for the two to come in.
"How is he?" Hammond asked as Jack sat down in the chair across from his desk, leaving Teal'c to take the couch or to stand. Teal'c remained on his feet.
"He's fine, Sir. Just received a shock is all."
"And what have you decided, Colonel? Did you talk to him?"
"Yes, Sir. He says he'll keep the secret, and seems interested in taking the lessons with the Asgard as well."
"And what do you two think?"
"We feel he'll keep the secret just fine, now that he understands why it needs to be a secret."
"And the lessons?"
"They will be conducted in the same manner as Shawn Adams' lessons are, and with the same stipulations." Teal'c said, firmly. He wasn't going to let the Asgard have open rein with Andrew any more than Jack was going to let them screw with Shawn – and for the same reason.
"Agreed." Hammond reached for the phone on his desk. "I'll call the President and let him know we've got the situation in hand."
"Yes, Sir."
"Do I ask him for another one of those papers?" Hammond asked, referring to the certificate that Shawn had – which was kept for safekeeping at Jack's house. It was his 'ticket' into the Air Force academy as soon as the boy was old enough to attend.
"Let's wait on that, Sir," Jack said, smiling. "Andrew's expressed an interest in going into the Air Force, but let's give him a bit more time to decide that."
"You didn't give Shawn-"
"Shawn's been planning on the Military since the minute after he and I met, General." O'Neill said.
Teal'c nodded his agreement, but it was Jack that continued.
"I don't want him to get the feeling we're deciding his life for him. If he changes his mind about the Air Force, he knows he can still do the lessons and come on board as a civilian, like Daniel."
"That's fine, Colonel." Hammond had to admit there was certain logic in this. O'Neill was a good thinker when he wasn't doped up. "I'll call the President, but then I want to meet with Thor and the boy together – with you and Teal'c around, of course – so we can make sure there are no misunderstandings at how – and where – the lessons will take place."
"Good idea." Jack nodded. "I'll get in touch with Thor, and we'll meet you in the briefing room in half an hour?"
"Fine." Hammond waved them out, dismissing them, and Jack and Teal'c left and went to get a message to Thor and to round up the others. Everyone might as well be there, after all.
................
"We agree to these restrictions, O'Neill." Thor said, about an hour later.
They were all seated in the briefing room. Andrew was sitting between Daniel and Teal'c, his frank stare still on Thor, as it had been since the Asgard had materialized half an hour before. There wasn't any fear in the boy's expression, now. Just curiosity. Which was all good, as far as Jack was concerned. He and Sam were sitting with Shawn tucked between the two of them, and the boy was grinning, glad to have one of his friends joining him in his lessons. It was great learning things that no one else knew, but it was terrible when you had no one but adults (and aliens) to talk to about them. Andrew was about to make his life a little easier.
Jack nodded, looking at Andrew. He'd purposely not seated himself next to the boy, because he wanted to be able to watch Andrew's expression as they explained to him all the rules and restrictions. He hadn't seen anything that led him to believe Andrew didn't approve of the restrictions, and he hadn't seen anything to lead him to believe that the boy wouldn't obey them, but he had to make sure.
"Andrew?"
Andrew's eyes went from Thor to Jack.
"Do you understand these rules?"
"Yes."
"And you agree to them?"
"Yes."
"It is imperative you do not stray from the restrictions we place on you, Andrew." Teal'c said. "For your own safety, and because we would not have you pressed into something you are not prepared for." The Jaffa looked down at the boy, and then turned a far more serious gaze towards Thor. "I will be monitoring your progress personally."
Yeah. Very subtle, there. Jack thought wryly. Of course, they'd had a nasty scare with Shawn when the boy had begun his training with the Asgard, and they would not repeat it with Andrew. There would be no mistakes, no misunderstandings.
"We will make sure he is not pushed harder than what he can handle," Thor assured the Jaffa, seemingly unperturbed by the thinly veiled threat, which didn't mean he didn't take it seriously. An angry Jaffa with a score to settle was not something you took lightly.
"Good." Hammond nodded, pleased that everything was working out well. Far better than he could have hoped for. He supposed that if all else failed, they'd at least have two very capable officers to take over things when the rest of them retired. "On that note, I think we can all call it a day, my grandchildren are waiting for me. Thor? Thank you for sticking around."
"You are welcomed, General Hammond." He looked at Shawn, then Andrew. "I will be in touch with both of you through your computers when the weekend is over." There was a flash of light, and the Asgard was gone. Hammond stood up, told them to have a good weekend, and left as well.
Jack shook his head, and pushed his chair back.
"What's the plan now, Sir?" Carter asked.
"I'm going to go get my puppy, and we're going to finish this weekend." O'Neill said, smiling. "Daniel? You coming over?"
"I'd love to." If for no other reason than to watch Jaffer chew up something of Jack's instead of something of his.
"Teal'c?"
"Of course."
"Let's go, then. And maybe we'll make a stop at DQ on our way home. I could use some ice cream."
"We haven't had dinner, yet," Sam protested.
Five sets of eyes all looked at her imploringly, and she rolled her own eyes, giving up. If they wanted to spoil their dinners, who was she to say otherwise?
"Fine. We can stop and have ice cream."
"How is he?" Hammond asked as Jack sat down in the chair across from his desk, leaving Teal'c to take the couch or to stand. Teal'c remained on his feet.
"He's fine, Sir. Just received a shock is all."
"And what have you decided, Colonel? Did you talk to him?"
"Yes, Sir. He says he'll keep the secret, and seems interested in taking the lessons with the Asgard as well."
"And what do you two think?"
"We feel he'll keep the secret just fine, now that he understands why it needs to be a secret."
"And the lessons?"
"They will be conducted in the same manner as Shawn Adams' lessons are, and with the same stipulations." Teal'c said, firmly. He wasn't going to let the Asgard have open rein with Andrew any more than Jack was going to let them screw with Shawn – and for the same reason.
"Agreed." Hammond reached for the phone on his desk. "I'll call the President and let him know we've got the situation in hand."
"Yes, Sir."
"Do I ask him for another one of those papers?" Hammond asked, referring to the certificate that Shawn had – which was kept for safekeeping at Jack's house. It was his 'ticket' into the Air Force academy as soon as the boy was old enough to attend.
"Let's wait on that, Sir," Jack said, smiling. "Andrew's expressed an interest in going into the Air Force, but let's give him a bit more time to decide that."
"You didn't give Shawn-"
"Shawn's been planning on the Military since the minute after he and I met, General." O'Neill said.
Teal'c nodded his agreement, but it was Jack that continued.
"I don't want him to get the feeling we're deciding his life for him. If he changes his mind about the Air Force, he knows he can still do the lessons and come on board as a civilian, like Daniel."
"That's fine, Colonel." Hammond had to admit there was certain logic in this. O'Neill was a good thinker when he wasn't doped up. "I'll call the President, but then I want to meet with Thor and the boy together – with you and Teal'c around, of course – so we can make sure there are no misunderstandings at how – and where – the lessons will take place."
"Good idea." Jack nodded. "I'll get in touch with Thor, and we'll meet you in the briefing room in half an hour?"
"Fine." Hammond waved them out, dismissing them, and Jack and Teal'c left and went to get a message to Thor and to round up the others. Everyone might as well be there, after all.
................
"We agree to these restrictions, O'Neill." Thor said, about an hour later.
They were all seated in the briefing room. Andrew was sitting between Daniel and Teal'c, his frank stare still on Thor, as it had been since the Asgard had materialized half an hour before. There wasn't any fear in the boy's expression, now. Just curiosity. Which was all good, as far as Jack was concerned. He and Sam were sitting with Shawn tucked between the two of them, and the boy was grinning, glad to have one of his friends joining him in his lessons. It was great learning things that no one else knew, but it was terrible when you had no one but adults (and aliens) to talk to about them. Andrew was about to make his life a little easier.
Jack nodded, looking at Andrew. He'd purposely not seated himself next to the boy, because he wanted to be able to watch Andrew's expression as they explained to him all the rules and restrictions. He hadn't seen anything that led him to believe Andrew didn't approve of the restrictions, and he hadn't seen anything to lead him to believe that the boy wouldn't obey them, but he had to make sure.
"Andrew?"
Andrew's eyes went from Thor to Jack.
"Do you understand these rules?"
"Yes."
"And you agree to them?"
"Yes."
"It is imperative you do not stray from the restrictions we place on you, Andrew." Teal'c said. "For your own safety, and because we would not have you pressed into something you are not prepared for." The Jaffa looked down at the boy, and then turned a far more serious gaze towards Thor. "I will be monitoring your progress personally."
Yeah. Very subtle, there. Jack thought wryly. Of course, they'd had a nasty scare with Shawn when the boy had begun his training with the Asgard, and they would not repeat it with Andrew. There would be no mistakes, no misunderstandings.
"We will make sure he is not pushed harder than what he can handle," Thor assured the Jaffa, seemingly unperturbed by the thinly veiled threat, which didn't mean he didn't take it seriously. An angry Jaffa with a score to settle was not something you took lightly.
"Good." Hammond nodded, pleased that everything was working out well. Far better than he could have hoped for. He supposed that if all else failed, they'd at least have two very capable officers to take over things when the rest of them retired. "On that note, I think we can all call it a day, my grandchildren are waiting for me. Thor? Thank you for sticking around."
"You are welcomed, General Hammond." He looked at Shawn, then Andrew. "I will be in touch with both of you through your computers when the weekend is over." There was a flash of light, and the Asgard was gone. Hammond stood up, told them to have a good weekend, and left as well.
Jack shook his head, and pushed his chair back.
"What's the plan now, Sir?" Carter asked.
"I'm going to go get my puppy, and we're going to finish this weekend." O'Neill said, smiling. "Daniel? You coming over?"
"I'd love to." If for no other reason than to watch Jaffer chew up something of Jack's instead of something of his.
"Teal'c?"
"Of course."
"Let's go, then. And maybe we'll make a stop at DQ on our way home. I could use some ice cream."
"We haven't had dinner, yet," Sam protested.
Five sets of eyes all looked at her imploringly, and she rolled her own eyes, giving up. If they wanted to spoil their dinners, who was she to say otherwise?
"Fine. We can stop and have ice cream."