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PART 3: Family Life
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Four months had passed and Jack had settled into life with his new daughter. Daniel and Teal'c doted on her almost as much as Jack did.
They didn't go out as SG-1 on regular missions anymore. Daniel went offworld on scientific missions with other teams as he chose. Teal'c freelanced with the other teams… and all of the teams worked hard to entice the Jaffa to accompany them on any and all of their missions. As a result, Teal'c also owned a position where he was allowed to choose which missions he went on and for what purposes. Occasionally, he accompanied Daniel on some of his shorter archeological excursions. Teal'c was also able to spend some of his time working with rebel Jaffa, his mentor Bra'tac and his son Ry'ac.
Jack took a swig of his beer as he watched his two 6-foot-plus friends crawling around on his living room floor amusing his daughter.
Daniel glanced up and stood up to join him, leaving Teal'c playing with her. Daniel saw the small sad smile on Jack's face as he watched his daughter. "She reminds me a lot of Sam," he ventured and waited apprehensively. Sam Carter had become a taboo topic around Jack O'Neill as the months had passed.
But this time, Jack didn't react. The sad look on his face didn't change and Daniel knew that he'd pegged his friend's thoughts.
"You know, I still can't quite believe that she isn't coming back. I keep expecting her to walk through that gate… with some explanation for what happened," and he paused and didn't take his eyes off of his giggling daughter.
Daniel didn't reply, he just let Jack say what he needed to. They all still watched and waited and hoped every time there was an incoming wormhole. Their hopes certainly weren't as high as they'd been the first few months of her absence, but the hope was still there. And the disappointment. Every time it wasn't her.
As the CO of the base, Jack went to the control room every time there was an incoming wormhole. Teal'c didn't have to be there but he always was. Silently watching until the travelers arrived and the wormhole shut down.
Daniel couldn't do it any more. He just waited in his office. He still had hope, but it hurt too much each time the wormhole shut down. And she wasn't there.
"I miss her, Daniel," Jack said it softly.
Daniel nodded, "So do I, Jack."
"I loved her," and Daniel couldn't quite believe his ears. Jack had just said… and he said it out loud! The archeologist was unprepared to reply and he stopped with his mouth open and no words coming.
Jack gave him an amused look, "Surprised you?"
"Actually no, O'Neill," came a deep voice from the floor and they both looked down to meet the Jaffa's level eyes.
Jack made a small 'oh' with his mouth and then dazedly took another swallow of his beer.
"She loved you too, Jack," Daniel offered.
Jack kept his eyes on his daughter and the stuffed toy that she was sucking on.
"She didn't think that you two would ever have a chance though," Daniel continued.
"Neither did I," Jack replied wearily. They'd maintained the professional boundaries demanded of them. They'd dated other people. Tried to make lives with other people. He'd begun a new life with Laira on Edora. She'd tried with Pete. He'd dated other women. She'd dated other men. But neither of them had managed it very often. Work and all… Saving the world and all…
"I just wish that I'd gotten a chance to just hold her. To have her here. I just wanted to… to take her fishing, for God's Sake!" he couldn't put it all into words. He wasn't that kind of guy. And, they all knew there were no fish in that lake.
"I don't know what I'd do if she came through that gate. I don't think I could go back to… to the way it was," he admitted. As remarkable as that admission was coming from Jack O'Neill, they all knew that it was a fairly safe admission…because it was very unlikely that he would ever have to do anything about changing his relationship with her.
"Well… I don't think you'd have to worry about things going back to the way they were… not with -this- one here," and Daniel tipped his head towards the child on the floor.
"Guess that would be kind of an ice-breaker, huh?" Jack gave a faint smirk. "Hi, where've you been for the past fourteen months? Oh, and by the way, here's -our-child!" And the sad smirk grew a little.
"Yeah, I think that would stump her," Daniel agreed. "But stunned or not, I still maintain that she'd be pissed at you when she found out what you named her daughter."
"Yeah, I just wish she'd get the chance to tell me off about that," Jack sent back as he finished his beer.
"O'Neill," Teal'c diverted their attention, "I believe that young Samantha needs to be changed. I will take care of it if you wish."
"No, no, I'll take care of it. Why don't you two go and warm up some dinner for her. Believe it or not, she's taken a liking to that mashed vegetable horror that Teal'c concocted," he instructed. "And, Teal'c, how many times do I have to tell you, it's Sam or Sammy, she's too small for 'Samantha'."
"I do not believe that her size has anything to do with what you call her. O'Neill, you always shorten everyone's names, regardless of their size or age," the Jaffa responded.
"Yeah well, she's my daughter, and her name is Sam or Sammy," he insisted as he collected his daughter before heading down to the nursery to change her. And then he decided to try a new tack with the stubborn Jaffa. "Carter was always asking you to call her Sam… so how about if you do it for her?"
And for the first time in seven months of this argument the stoic Jaffa paused, and Jack knew that he'd won. Teal'c solemnly nodded, "You are right, O'Neill. However, I do believe that she would object to 'Sammy'."
"He's right, Jack. She'd hate that," Daniel piped up.
"Yeah, you're both right," he conceded, "But then I'd just keep saying it anyway… just to…," and he let it trail off and he could see the understanding in their eyes. Jack would keep calling her Sammy… just like he would have if Carter were here. Because he would have enjoyed twisting her tail a bit. .
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====o0o==== End Part 3 ====o0o====
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PART 3: Family Life
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Four months had passed and Jack had settled into life with his new daughter. Daniel and Teal'c doted on her almost as much as Jack did.
They didn't go out as SG-1 on regular missions anymore. Daniel went offworld on scientific missions with other teams as he chose. Teal'c freelanced with the other teams… and all of the teams worked hard to entice the Jaffa to accompany them on any and all of their missions. As a result, Teal'c also owned a position where he was allowed to choose which missions he went on and for what purposes. Occasionally, he accompanied Daniel on some of his shorter archeological excursions. Teal'c was also able to spend some of his time working with rebel Jaffa, his mentor Bra'tac and his son Ry'ac.
Jack took a swig of his beer as he watched his two 6-foot-plus friends crawling around on his living room floor amusing his daughter.
Daniel glanced up and stood up to join him, leaving Teal'c playing with her. Daniel saw the small sad smile on Jack's face as he watched his daughter. "She reminds me a lot of Sam," he ventured and waited apprehensively. Sam Carter had become a taboo topic around Jack O'Neill as the months had passed.
But this time, Jack didn't react. The sad look on his face didn't change and Daniel knew that he'd pegged his friend's thoughts.
"You know, I still can't quite believe that she isn't coming back. I keep expecting her to walk through that gate… with some explanation for what happened," and he paused and didn't take his eyes off of his giggling daughter.
Daniel didn't reply, he just let Jack say what he needed to. They all still watched and waited and hoped every time there was an incoming wormhole. Their hopes certainly weren't as high as they'd been the first few months of her absence, but the hope was still there. And the disappointment. Every time it wasn't her.
As the CO of the base, Jack went to the control room every time there was an incoming wormhole. Teal'c didn't have to be there but he always was. Silently watching until the travelers arrived and the wormhole shut down.
Daniel couldn't do it any more. He just waited in his office. He still had hope, but it hurt too much each time the wormhole shut down. And she wasn't there.
"I miss her, Daniel," Jack said it softly.
Daniel nodded, "So do I, Jack."
"I loved her," and Daniel couldn't quite believe his ears. Jack had just said… and he said it out loud! The archeologist was unprepared to reply and he stopped with his mouth open and no words coming.
Jack gave him an amused look, "Surprised you?"
"Actually no, O'Neill," came a deep voice from the floor and they both looked down to meet the Jaffa's level eyes.
Jack made a small 'oh' with his mouth and then dazedly took another swallow of his beer.
"She loved you too, Jack," Daniel offered.
Jack kept his eyes on his daughter and the stuffed toy that she was sucking on.
"She didn't think that you two would ever have a chance though," Daniel continued.
"Neither did I," Jack replied wearily. They'd maintained the professional boundaries demanded of them. They'd dated other people. Tried to make lives with other people. He'd begun a new life with Laira on Edora. She'd tried with Pete. He'd dated other women. She'd dated other men. But neither of them had managed it very often. Work and all… Saving the world and all…
"I just wish that I'd gotten a chance to just hold her. To have her here. I just wanted to… to take her fishing, for God's Sake!" he couldn't put it all into words. He wasn't that kind of guy. And, they all knew there were no fish in that lake.
"I don't know what I'd do if she came through that gate. I don't think I could go back to… to the way it was," he admitted. As remarkable as that admission was coming from Jack O'Neill, they all knew that it was a fairly safe admission…because it was very unlikely that he would ever have to do anything about changing his relationship with her.
"Well… I don't think you'd have to worry about things going back to the way they were… not with -this- one here," and Daniel tipped his head towards the child on the floor.
"Guess that would be kind of an ice-breaker, huh?" Jack gave a faint smirk. "Hi, where've you been for the past fourteen months? Oh, and by the way, here's -our-child!" And the sad smirk grew a little.
"Yeah, I think that would stump her," Daniel agreed. "But stunned or not, I still maintain that she'd be pissed at you when she found out what you named her daughter."
"Yeah, I just wish she'd get the chance to tell me off about that," Jack sent back as he finished his beer.
"O'Neill," Teal'c diverted their attention, "I believe that young Samantha needs to be changed. I will take care of it if you wish."
"No, no, I'll take care of it. Why don't you two go and warm up some dinner for her. Believe it or not, she's taken a liking to that mashed vegetable horror that Teal'c concocted," he instructed. "And, Teal'c, how many times do I have to tell you, it's Sam or Sammy, she's too small for 'Samantha'."
"I do not believe that her size has anything to do with what you call her. O'Neill, you always shorten everyone's names, regardless of their size or age," the Jaffa responded.
"Yeah well, she's my daughter, and her name is Sam or Sammy," he insisted as he collected his daughter before heading down to the nursery to change her. And then he decided to try a new tack with the stubborn Jaffa. "Carter was always asking you to call her Sam… so how about if you do it for her?"
And for the first time in seven months of this argument the stoic Jaffa paused, and Jack knew that he'd won. Teal'c solemnly nodded, "You are right, O'Neill. However, I do believe that she would object to 'Sammy'."
"He's right, Jack. She'd hate that," Daniel piped up.
"Yeah, you're both right," he conceded, "But then I'd just keep saying it anyway… just to…," and he let it trail off and he could see the understanding in their eyes. Jack would keep calling her Sammy… just like he would have if Carter were here. Because he would have enjoyed twisting her tail a bit. .
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====o0o==== End Part 3 ====o0o====
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