Jack never thought he'd be doing this again any time in his life.
Standing in the baby aisle of a 24-hour pharmacy at 10:30 at night. He
thought those days were behind him.
Yet, here he was.
And a beautiful woman and crying baby were in his house, waiting for him to come home.
Imagine that.
He scanned the shelves, searching through the infant acetaminophen drops and vitamin supplements. Either he was in too much of a rush or they were just hiding the stuff he wanted really, really well.
"Is there something I can help you find, sir?"
Jack pivoted on heels to the pimple-faced young man wearing a red pharmacy vest with a nametag that read 'Steve'. The kid couldn't have been more than seventeen or eighteen.
"Uh, yeah. I'm looking for the gas drop things."
"Certainly. They're right over here."
Yup... they'd been right under his nose. Take a deep breath, O'Neill...
"Great. Thanks. Um, do you have any of that soy formula stuff?"
"Yes. We keep the formula behind the front counter. It has a very high theft rate. Would you like the pre-mixed or the powder?"
"Pre-mixed." They didn't need the hassle of trying to make the stuff, too.
He followed the teenager to the front of the store and took his wallet from his back pocket as his purchase was rung through.
"That'll be $32.54."
"Damn," he mumbled as he took the bills out. This stuff had gotten expensive since the last time he bought it.
"Have a good night, sir."
Jack nodded and grabbed his bag. He glanced at his watch. If he hurried, he might just make it back to the house in less than the twenty minutes he promised.
He pulled into his driveway, seeing the soft glow of lights from inside. Jack knew he couldn't dwell on the whole situation, couldn't let him think about how nice it was. Not a crying baby, but having a baby and a woman in his home. It was something he hadn't thought about. Not since Charlie died. Not since the divorce. Not ever.
Yet... it wasn't a thought that seemed completely foreign.
He climbed out of the truck and hurried to the front door. Sam turned her stunning blue eyes on him as he bounded down the steps into the living room, shrugging off his jacket as he went.
"See? Told you I'd be right back."
She tried to smile. It was a valiant effort, but he knew she was at the breaking point. Doc Fraiser knew Sam wouldn't have turned her down, and he had seen the connection she had already made with Lorelei, but it had to be overwhelming.
"I think she's not crying quite so hard," Sam said, her voice weak.
"The heat of the towel should have helped. Pick her up and cradle her while I get this damn box open," he said, trying to get through the three safety seals on the packaging.
As he made it through the final obstacle, he sat down on the couch beside Sam. She had Lorelei in her arms, and the nearness and motion brought her against his hip. But neither moved. Now was not the time to be worrying about imaginary buffer zones.
"Here we go." He unscrewed the cap of the bottle, taking out the dropper inside. It was pre-marked and he measured out the medicine. "Turn her to me."
Sam moved closer to him and he touched the dropper to Lorelei's lips. The clear fluid drained into her mouth and she immediately began to suck on instinct. Her face screwed into a surprised expression, and Jack figured the stuff must not have tasted very good.
Sam chuckled softly.
Within moments, Lorelei calmed. With one final shuddered breath, she managed to work her fist to her mouth and began to suck hard on her own knuckles. Wide blue eyes stared at the two of them.
"Oh, my god," Sam said in a soft whisper. "You're a miracle worker. What did you do?"
"It was gas. Giving her one hell of a stomachache. This stuff," he said, holding up the bottle. "Works fast. Sara and I spent three nights up with Charlie before someone told us about it."
Sam looked up at him, her eyes still glistening with tears. "Three nights?"
Jack nodded. "Sure. We were new parents. We didn't know what the hell we were doing. And we had nine months to prepare. You had all of about two hours."
A tremble moved through her body as she released a long breath, and new tears brimmed in her eyes. A tiny sob, still so restrained and controlled because she was – after all – Major Samantha Carter, escaped from her throat.
"Hey," Jack said softly, disregarding their unspoken rules to put his arm around her and pull her against his side. "It's okay, Sam."
"I feel like an idiot."
He pressed his lips against her hair, stopping just short of allowing it to be a kiss, and said softly, "You're not. Hell, not even you can know everything, Sam.
She laughed, and he felt better. He tightened his hold around her shoulders until she released a pent up breath and relaxed against him. Her head rested back on his shoulder, and together they looked down at Lorelei. Without realizing he started doing it, Jack ran his fingertips along Sam's arm and shoulder. She didn't seem to mind, and he didn't mind, so he didn't stop.
"Now, if she'd get some sleep. I should probably go. I didn't mean to wake you up."
"It's okay. Stay. You shouldn't do this first night alone."
Sam looked up at him, and heat rolled out through his limbs at the gentle emotion behind her eyes. It was looks like those that kept him going. Kept him strong. Finally, he knew he had to break the spell before it took him over. He raised his arm and brought it over her head so he could stand.
"Come on," he said. "We'll give her another bottle. I bought a different kind. It might be easier on her stomach."
He gripped her elbows and helped her stand, Lorelei still in her arms. Once she was on her feet, he led the way to the kitchen, grabbing the diaper bag she had brought and the pharmacy bag along the way. Sam stood against the counter as he poured six ounces of formula into the bottle, trying not to make a face at the smell.
It might be more expensive, but it didn't smell any better.
When he turned towards her, he paused at the way she watched him. Her cheeks were flushed, but her eyes had lost their moist haze. A small smile tipped her lips, and she held his gaze as he took the few steps towards her.
"What?" he asked.
"You amaze me. After seven years, you can still shock the hell out of me." After a pause, she added "Sir," but the weight of her voice gave the reference as much intimacy as his own name would have.
Jack shrugged, trying to ignore the intensifying awareness that grew with each minute. This was ... nice. Probably too nice. And he shouldn't let himself enjoy it too much.
Sam fed Lorelei standing in the kitchen, her body leaned back against the counter edge. Jack stood in front of her, his hands shoved half way into his pockets, just his thumbs hanging out, and watched the baby suck down her food.
"We should know in awhile if this settles better for her. If not, I still have a whole bottle of that stuff."
Sam looked up from Lorelei's face, her features soft again. Relaxed. "Thank you so much. I must have been a fright when I arrived."
"You were just frazzled. No big deal."
Lorelei drained the bottle, gave them a big burp, and started showing signs of drifting off. They took her back to the living room and Jack watched as Sam changed her diaper. Fed, dry and content – Lorelei curled against Sam's burp cloth-draped shoulder with a sigh. But her big eyes still watched everything around her.
"I don't know. She might need some help getting to sleep," Jack said, reaching out to brush his finger along the little girl's cheek.
"Okay. You're the expert here. What do I do?"
"Sing much, Carter?"
Yet, here he was.
And a beautiful woman and crying baby were in his house, waiting for him to come home.
Imagine that.
He scanned the shelves, searching through the infant acetaminophen drops and vitamin supplements. Either he was in too much of a rush or they were just hiding the stuff he wanted really, really well.
"Is there something I can help you find, sir?"
Jack pivoted on heels to the pimple-faced young man wearing a red pharmacy vest with a nametag that read 'Steve'. The kid couldn't have been more than seventeen or eighteen.
"Uh, yeah. I'm looking for the gas drop things."
"Certainly. They're right over here."
Yup... they'd been right under his nose. Take a deep breath, O'Neill...
"Great. Thanks. Um, do you have any of that soy formula stuff?"
"Yes. We keep the formula behind the front counter. It has a very high theft rate. Would you like the pre-mixed or the powder?"
"Pre-mixed." They didn't need the hassle of trying to make the stuff, too.
He followed the teenager to the front of the store and took his wallet from his back pocket as his purchase was rung through.
"That'll be $32.54."
"Damn," he mumbled as he took the bills out. This stuff had gotten expensive since the last time he bought it.
"Have a good night, sir."
Jack nodded and grabbed his bag. He glanced at his watch. If he hurried, he might just make it back to the house in less than the twenty minutes he promised.
He pulled into his driveway, seeing the soft glow of lights from inside. Jack knew he couldn't dwell on the whole situation, couldn't let him think about how nice it was. Not a crying baby, but having a baby and a woman in his home. It was something he hadn't thought about. Not since Charlie died. Not since the divorce. Not ever.
Yet... it wasn't a thought that seemed completely foreign.
He climbed out of the truck and hurried to the front door. Sam turned her stunning blue eyes on him as he bounded down the steps into the living room, shrugging off his jacket as he went.
"See? Told you I'd be right back."
She tried to smile. It was a valiant effort, but he knew she was at the breaking point. Doc Fraiser knew Sam wouldn't have turned her down, and he had seen the connection she had already made with Lorelei, but it had to be overwhelming.
"I think she's not crying quite so hard," Sam said, her voice weak.
"The heat of the towel should have helped. Pick her up and cradle her while I get this damn box open," he said, trying to get through the three safety seals on the packaging.
As he made it through the final obstacle, he sat down on the couch beside Sam. She had Lorelei in her arms, and the nearness and motion brought her against his hip. But neither moved. Now was not the time to be worrying about imaginary buffer zones.
"Here we go." He unscrewed the cap of the bottle, taking out the dropper inside. It was pre-marked and he measured out the medicine. "Turn her to me."
Sam moved closer to him and he touched the dropper to Lorelei's lips. The clear fluid drained into her mouth and she immediately began to suck on instinct. Her face screwed into a surprised expression, and Jack figured the stuff must not have tasted very good.
Sam chuckled softly.
Within moments, Lorelei calmed. With one final shuddered breath, she managed to work her fist to her mouth and began to suck hard on her own knuckles. Wide blue eyes stared at the two of them.
"Oh, my god," Sam said in a soft whisper. "You're a miracle worker. What did you do?"
"It was gas. Giving her one hell of a stomachache. This stuff," he said, holding up the bottle. "Works fast. Sara and I spent three nights up with Charlie before someone told us about it."
Sam looked up at him, her eyes still glistening with tears. "Three nights?"
Jack nodded. "Sure. We were new parents. We didn't know what the hell we were doing. And we had nine months to prepare. You had all of about two hours."
A tremble moved through her body as she released a long breath, and new tears brimmed in her eyes. A tiny sob, still so restrained and controlled because she was – after all – Major Samantha Carter, escaped from her throat.
"Hey," Jack said softly, disregarding their unspoken rules to put his arm around her and pull her against his side. "It's okay, Sam."
"I feel like an idiot."
He pressed his lips against her hair, stopping just short of allowing it to be a kiss, and said softly, "You're not. Hell, not even you can know everything, Sam.
She laughed, and he felt better. He tightened his hold around her shoulders until she released a pent up breath and relaxed against him. Her head rested back on his shoulder, and together they looked down at Lorelei. Without realizing he started doing it, Jack ran his fingertips along Sam's arm and shoulder. She didn't seem to mind, and he didn't mind, so he didn't stop.
"Now, if she'd get some sleep. I should probably go. I didn't mean to wake you up."
"It's okay. Stay. You shouldn't do this first night alone."
Sam looked up at him, and heat rolled out through his limbs at the gentle emotion behind her eyes. It was looks like those that kept him going. Kept him strong. Finally, he knew he had to break the spell before it took him over. He raised his arm and brought it over her head so he could stand.
"Come on," he said. "We'll give her another bottle. I bought a different kind. It might be easier on her stomach."
He gripped her elbows and helped her stand, Lorelei still in her arms. Once she was on her feet, he led the way to the kitchen, grabbing the diaper bag she had brought and the pharmacy bag along the way. Sam stood against the counter as he poured six ounces of formula into the bottle, trying not to make a face at the smell.
It might be more expensive, but it didn't smell any better.
When he turned towards her, he paused at the way she watched him. Her cheeks were flushed, but her eyes had lost their moist haze. A small smile tipped her lips, and she held his gaze as he took the few steps towards her.
"What?" he asked.
"You amaze me. After seven years, you can still shock the hell out of me." After a pause, she added "Sir," but the weight of her voice gave the reference as much intimacy as his own name would have.
Jack shrugged, trying to ignore the intensifying awareness that grew with each minute. This was ... nice. Probably too nice. And he shouldn't let himself enjoy it too much.
Sam fed Lorelei standing in the kitchen, her body leaned back against the counter edge. Jack stood in front of her, his hands shoved half way into his pockets, just his thumbs hanging out, and watched the baby suck down her food.
"We should know in awhile if this settles better for her. If not, I still have a whole bottle of that stuff."
Sam looked up from Lorelei's face, her features soft again. Relaxed. "Thank you so much. I must have been a fright when I arrived."
"You were just frazzled. No big deal."
Lorelei drained the bottle, gave them a big burp, and started showing signs of drifting off. They took her back to the living room and Jack watched as Sam changed her diaper. Fed, dry and content – Lorelei curled against Sam's burp cloth-draped shoulder with a sigh. But her big eyes still watched everything around her.
"I don't know. She might need some help getting to sleep," Jack said, reaching out to brush his finger along the little girl's cheek.
"Okay. You're the expert here. What do I do?"
"Sing much, Carter?"