They were quiet for a long time. Jack was allowing Shawn a chance to think things through, and Shawn was gathering his scattered thoughts.
Jack was his father. What were the odds of that happening? The one person – besides James – that Shawn really, really wanted to be related to, and it turns out he is? Shawn thought the world of Jack. Looked up to him since the day they'd met. Had wanted to be like him since he'd first learned that Jack was in the Military. Now, he found out that he was Jack's son. Technically. Although Jack kept insisting that James was really his dad, and Shawn understood that, as well. James had raised Shawn as his own son, after all, and Shawn really loved him. No matter if he was his biological father or not, he'd always call him dad.
"What do I call you, then, Jack?" Shawn asked, allowing the question in his mind to become verbal.
Jack shrugged. "I guess you keep calling me Jack," he said.
Shawn leaned his head against Jack's chest.
"So can you sign my progress reports from school, then? And give me permission to go on field trips?"
"Nope. Only your mom and dad can do that."
"What if I ever need a kidney?"
"That I could do."
Shawn smiled. It would do.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you."
O'Neill shrugged. "You had a reason to." He ruffled his fingers through Shawn's hair. "You're going to have to learn to listen to people, though, you know? Even when they're telling you something you don't want to hear. Running off – like you did with your mom earlier, and like you tried to do with me a little bit ago – that's a good way to get yourself into trouble."
"I'm sorry."
"I know, Shawn. It's okay."
They were quiet for a while longer, just sitting together on the couch, when something else occurred to Shawn.
"So..." He paused, looking up at Jack, who looked down at him.
"What?"
"Do I have any powers?"
"What?"
"You know... I'm part alien, right?"
"Right."
"So do I have any powers?"
"Super powers, you mean? Like Superman?"
Shawn nodded, eagerly.
"No."
Awww...
"None?"
Jack shook his head.
"I've never seen your mom flying, or racing speeding bullets, and I've never seen her read minds or call down lightning. So chances are, you can't do any of those things, either."
"That sucks."
"Sorry."
Shawn sighed, and leaned against Jack's side.
"Not even a little Mind-Melding, like Mr. Spock?"
"I don't think so, Shawn. You might ask your mother, though."
He nodded. He would. Hopefully there'd be some benefit to being an alien. It didn't sound so bad, he supposed. It helped that he'd been hanging out with so many alien races lately. Not just the Asgard, but also Teal'c and Bra'tac, and a lot of the Jaffa. Alien was just a word, like Jack said. It was how a person acted that mattered. That was how he'd be judged by those around him.
"Did you have dinner?" Jack asked, before Shawn could think of any other question to ask. Now that the worry over telling Shawn had been taken care of, and the panic that was Shawn's initial reaction had been smoothed over, Jack was suddenly hungrier than he'd been in days. Far hungrier than a mere bowl of ice cream could handle – especially since he hadn't eaten much of that, either.
Shawn nodded.
"I'm starved. Think you could eat again?"
Shawn grinned and nodded again, and the two of them got up and headed for the kitchen, followed closely by Jaffer, who never missed an opportunity like that. Jack opened the fridge as Shawn ducked under his arm to look inside as well, and they both grimaced.
"I thought you told Sam you were going to clean this out?"
"I thought I'd wait and see if you had any superpowers that might help with this sort of thing..."
They both smiled, and Shawn felt a lot more at ease. Jack was willing to joke about it, which meant that he was fine with things. And really, if Jack was okay with him being an alien, why shouldn't Shawn be? Half alien, he reminded himself. Half Jack.
"I'd have to ask my mom," Shawn said, shrugging.
"Well, it'll wait." Jack reached for the milk, and opened it, smelling it tentatively, and putting it back on the shelf.
"So... how does a pizza sound?"
"Eating out? Or in?"
"You want to go out?"
Shawn shook his head. He was a little tired, and he'd had a rough day. He'd rather not face anyone else just then. Not even a waitress.
"I'll call and order one. You go find us something on TV."
Just like that, things were okay between the two of them. There were still questions, of course. Things that would have to be answered, both on Jack's part and on Shawn's, but really, they were, for the most part, small things in the whole grand scheme of life. Jack was okay. Shawn was okay. Their relationship was still intact.
Shawn went into the living room, trailed by Jaffer, and Jack watched as the two of them plopped down on the couch. The boy reached for the remote control, and Jaffer sniffed it, making sure it wasn't something edible. Satisfied, he flopped down, leaning slightly against Shawn, who was braced against the arm of the couch. Shawn flipped through the channels while Jack picked up the phone and a few minutes later, Jack joined the two on the couch, nodding his approval at the show Shawn had picked for them to watch.
Both of them made room for him when Jack sat down. Jaffer took one side, his big head resting on Jack's thigh, and Shawn stretched out on the other side, resting his head on the other leg. Jack smiled, wondering what in the world he'd ever done so right that he deserved the affection of the people he loved most. All that was missing in this picture was Sam.
Jack was his father. What were the odds of that happening? The one person – besides James – that Shawn really, really wanted to be related to, and it turns out he is? Shawn thought the world of Jack. Looked up to him since the day they'd met. Had wanted to be like him since he'd first learned that Jack was in the Military. Now, he found out that he was Jack's son. Technically. Although Jack kept insisting that James was really his dad, and Shawn understood that, as well. James had raised Shawn as his own son, after all, and Shawn really loved him. No matter if he was his biological father or not, he'd always call him dad.
"What do I call you, then, Jack?" Shawn asked, allowing the question in his mind to become verbal.
Jack shrugged. "I guess you keep calling me Jack," he said.
Shawn leaned his head against Jack's chest.
"So can you sign my progress reports from school, then? And give me permission to go on field trips?"
"Nope. Only your mom and dad can do that."
"What if I ever need a kidney?"
"That I could do."
Shawn smiled. It would do.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you."
O'Neill shrugged. "You had a reason to." He ruffled his fingers through Shawn's hair. "You're going to have to learn to listen to people, though, you know? Even when they're telling you something you don't want to hear. Running off – like you did with your mom earlier, and like you tried to do with me a little bit ago – that's a good way to get yourself into trouble."
"I'm sorry."
"I know, Shawn. It's okay."
They were quiet for a while longer, just sitting together on the couch, when something else occurred to Shawn.
"So..." He paused, looking up at Jack, who looked down at him.
"What?"
"Do I have any powers?"
"What?"
"You know... I'm part alien, right?"
"Right."
"So do I have any powers?"
"Super powers, you mean? Like Superman?"
Shawn nodded, eagerly.
"No."
Awww...
"None?"
Jack shook his head.
"I've never seen your mom flying, or racing speeding bullets, and I've never seen her read minds or call down lightning. So chances are, you can't do any of those things, either."
"That sucks."
"Sorry."
Shawn sighed, and leaned against Jack's side.
"Not even a little Mind-Melding, like Mr. Spock?"
"I don't think so, Shawn. You might ask your mother, though."
He nodded. He would. Hopefully there'd be some benefit to being an alien. It didn't sound so bad, he supposed. It helped that he'd been hanging out with so many alien races lately. Not just the Asgard, but also Teal'c and Bra'tac, and a lot of the Jaffa. Alien was just a word, like Jack said. It was how a person acted that mattered. That was how he'd be judged by those around him.
"Did you have dinner?" Jack asked, before Shawn could think of any other question to ask. Now that the worry over telling Shawn had been taken care of, and the panic that was Shawn's initial reaction had been smoothed over, Jack was suddenly hungrier than he'd been in days. Far hungrier than a mere bowl of ice cream could handle – especially since he hadn't eaten much of that, either.
Shawn nodded.
"I'm starved. Think you could eat again?"
Shawn grinned and nodded again, and the two of them got up and headed for the kitchen, followed closely by Jaffer, who never missed an opportunity like that. Jack opened the fridge as Shawn ducked under his arm to look inside as well, and they both grimaced.
"I thought you told Sam you were going to clean this out?"
"I thought I'd wait and see if you had any superpowers that might help with this sort of thing..."
They both smiled, and Shawn felt a lot more at ease. Jack was willing to joke about it, which meant that he was fine with things. And really, if Jack was okay with him being an alien, why shouldn't Shawn be? Half alien, he reminded himself. Half Jack.
"I'd have to ask my mom," Shawn said, shrugging.
"Well, it'll wait." Jack reached for the milk, and opened it, smelling it tentatively, and putting it back on the shelf.
"So... how does a pizza sound?"
"Eating out? Or in?"
"You want to go out?"
Shawn shook his head. He was a little tired, and he'd had a rough day. He'd rather not face anyone else just then. Not even a waitress.
"I'll call and order one. You go find us something on TV."
Just like that, things were okay between the two of them. There were still questions, of course. Things that would have to be answered, both on Jack's part and on Shawn's, but really, they were, for the most part, small things in the whole grand scheme of life. Jack was okay. Shawn was okay. Their relationship was still intact.
Shawn went into the living room, trailed by Jaffer, and Jack watched as the two of them plopped down on the couch. The boy reached for the remote control, and Jaffer sniffed it, making sure it wasn't something edible. Satisfied, he flopped down, leaning slightly against Shawn, who was braced against the arm of the couch. Shawn flipped through the channels while Jack picked up the phone and a few minutes later, Jack joined the two on the couch, nodding his approval at the show Shawn had picked for them to watch.
Both of them made room for him when Jack sat down. Jaffer took one side, his big head resting on Jack's thigh, and Shawn stretched out on the other side, resting his head on the other leg. Jack smiled, wondering what in the world he'd ever done so right that he deserved the affection of the people he loved most. All that was missing in this picture was Sam.