"Ohhhhh man--" Gillian groaned as she came into the guest quarters, her hand rubbing the back of her tired neck. She stopped in mid track when she caught a glimpse of the bed and the expression on her face softened. There lying on the bed was Jack stretched out on his side, he had his arm slung over something and upon closer inspection Gillian climbed on the bed and saw Danny wrapped in a blue blanket.
"Sleep good sweet baby--" She whispered as she leaned forward and gave his forehead a kiss. Then turning her attention to Jack she straightened back up and touched his face, her fingers roaming over his relaxed features.
"Jack?"
He stirred, his eyes fluttering open and squinted as the face of his fiancée came into focus through the dim light. "Gill?"
"Yeah its me--" Gillian carefully leaned over and gave Jack a kiss, nuzzling his cheek.
"What time is it?" He asked in mid yawn as he wiped his hand down his cheeks.
"Late—almost two in the morning Jack--" Climbing from the bed, Gillian took off her white coat and flung it over a nearby chair. Placing one hand on the edge of the bed she took off her shoes and peeled her stockings off with a sigh.
"What took you so long?" Propping himself up on his elbow Jack carefully shifted, mindful of the sleeping baby.
"Just doing some of the lab work myself--" The next thing to go was her uniform, unbuttoning the shirt slowly as she pulled it out from her pants. Closing her eyes she rolled her neck along her shoulders and then stopped suddenly feeling as though she were being watched. She heard a creak and the patter of bare feet; suddenly a pair of big warm hands covered hers.
"Keep them closed--" Came a whisper and with a nod she kept going feeling Jack's long fingers helping her remove her shirt. Despite her lack of vision she could still see what was happening, sensing Jack take a step closer and the proximity of his body made her swallow hard.
"What about the baby?"
"Asleep, he's already had his midnight feeding and conked out--" He peeled the shirt down her shoulders and slid it down her arms letting it flutter to the floor. Dropping his head he skimmed his lips along the surface of her neck hearing her surprised gasp.
"Jack are you sure we should be doing this? What about the camera?" Gillian whispered, tipping her head back.
"No camera. Hammond's orders, he wanted us to have privacy with the baby--" He spoke against her jugular feeling the strong thudding of her pulse against his mouth. This delighted him, the way her body responded to his touch and kisses. Encircling her waist both hands slid across her firm stomach, fingers slipping into the waistband as he unbuttoned the pants and pulled the zipper down. With urging, the material slid over her hips and formed a navy blue puddle around her ankles.
Goose bumps immediately raised up on Gillian's exposed body, her lack of sight made her sense of touch that much more sensitive. Things had grown quiet and she wanted to open her eyes to find out where Jack had gone; she started to when a pair of hands touched her thighs and she jumped.
"There you are, I was wondering what happened to you."
"Oh I'm still here--" One strong arm snaked around her waist and pulled her backwards right up against a solid chest.
"This isn't fair Jack, when do I get to peel you out of your clothes?" Gillian reached behind her, hands weaving into the soft silky strands of Jack's hair. She heard him exhale and felt the hot wind of his breath on the nape of her neck, the sensation made goose bumps instantly break out all over her.
"You're not--" Jack sighed and dropped his head, planting kisses along her shoulders. His hands came to her upper arms and glided down them then moved inwards, fingers splaying to cover each lacy covered breast.
Gillian sighed, her eyes closing. She pressed herself against Jack's chest and wiggled against him, feeling the hot press of his erection nudging her butt through the material of his jumpsuit. Every rub and grind of her lower body against it made him moan; his hands gripped her chest pulling her further back.
"You've got some dangerous moves Doc--" He breathed huskily into her ear sinking his teeth into the delicate tissue just under it causing his fiancée to gasp gripping his hair firmly.
"I am huh? So what are you going to do about it Colonel?"
"I've got an idea or two--" Jack's hands moved south to her hips; he steered her back a little and guided her to walk around the front of the bed. Without saying a word he then touched her arms and moved each one forward, placing them on the footboard.
"Keep your hands right there--" His big hands covered hers and curled her fingers around the edge. His gaze locked to hers for a moment; Gill could see the desire bubbling in his eyes and gave an innocent smile.
"All right Jack."
He went over and checked on Danny, scooped him up and placed him gently in his glass crib. Then Jack wheeled it to a quiet corner of the room and once more joined his fiancée.
"Didn't want to wake him."
Gill glanced over her shoulder at Jack and cracked a smile. "Good idea."
His face grew serious, his gaze and expression turned heated once again. The stare of his eyes and the tight line of his mouth made Gillian swallow hard. She felt her pulse jump and faced forward as he positioned himself behind her. She shut her eyes once again, letting her other senses paint the picture of what was about to happen. Leaning over the end of the bed she flexed her spine and widened her stance, her knees rubbery with anticipation.
Jack stepped back a moment and studied Gillian; he noticed her slight tremble and the heady rush of power that suddenly flowed through him made him smirk.
She knows just how to press my buttons—Jack thought to himself as he moved closer to her. He placed one big hand in the center of her back and bent her forward a little more, then ran that hand down the curve of her spine to her hips.
"You're overdressed Doc, I think I should remedy that right now--" He spoke in her hair, his voice muffled and thick as his big fingers curled around the edge of the panties and slid them over the swell of her behind. Once the panties were pushed far enough down her thighs to let gravity finish undressing her, he stroked a possessive hand over the supple skin.
"Got a great ass, I've always thought so—Sometimes thinking about this luscious backside is what gets me through the tougher missions--" He pulled the tab on his jumpsuit, the material parting as he did so.
The sound of the zipper growling came in loud and clear; Gillian's breath caught in her throat at the noise. Instinctively she backed up a little more, rubbing her butt up against the rigid flesh she could feel protruding from the open zipper.
"Ohhh I want you Jack, I want you to take me--" She heard his sharp intake of breath behind her and did it again, rotating her hips in a circle. Jack's hands suddenly moved from her hips to her shoulders, giving them a firm squeeze.
"Naughty naughty Doc--" Jack spoke right in her ear, his voice deep and low. "It's not nice to tease and now I'm going to have to punish you."
"Punish?" Gillian's blood froze in her veins and her heart sped up yet again. "Punish how?"
Jack didn't answer, instead his grip on her shoulders turned into a shove and her upper half went over the footboard once again. Instinctively, Gill threw her arms out in front of her, hands slapping the maroon comforter bracing her fall. Before she could turn to look over her shoulder to voice her protest Jack's hands slid down her sides and took a hold of her hips, in one swift motion he brought them back as he tipped his pelvis forward sliding deep into her heated center all the way to the hilt.
Groaning in response, Jack's fingers tightened on her hips as he pulled her to him and then pushed her away in a gentle rocking rhythm. Every glide of his throbbing manhood deep inside his fiancée made his stomach muscles begin to tighten.
Gill gasped her head dropping forward. "Oh God Jack--"
She whispered feeling the flush come up over her face. Her eyes slid closed as she locked her elbows keeping herself upright as best she could. Despite the bracing against the mattress, each one of Jack's thrusts bobbed her up and down. With one strong push she straightened up and reached behind her, fingers twining in the shorts strands of his hair.
"Gill, what--" Jack started to say when her fingers touched his lips.
"I need to feel you Jack, I need to feel you--" She whispered, dropping her head back to rest on his shoulder. She could feel the strong thudding of Jack's heart against her shoulder blades and closed her eyes once again lost in the pleasure their meshing bodies created. The movement of their interlocked flesh became a single dance of mutual love and need that stretched out long into the night.
=====================================================
Gillian showered and changed into a clean uniform; she left Jack and Danny sleeping in the guest quarters giving each one a kiss before departing. Returning to the infirmary there were several messages that had been sent to her email concerning Danny's test results.
Taking a deep breath, she sat down at her desk and logged in hoping the results were good. She mentally crossed her fingers as the emails opened and seeing the results a wave of relief fluttered through her.
"Normal, normal, negative, no foreign bodies detected--" She recited to the empty office, a smile spreading across her face. "Thank God."
Leaning forward she rested her elbows on the desk, her hands covering her eyes. In the back of her mind she had hoped everything about the infant was all right but being a doctor she had prepared for the worst. But now things were just fine and she bowed her head, the long red tresses of her hair falling forward. Taking a few moments to compose herself, Gillian sat up and gathered up her hair, twisting it up and placing it on the top of her head in a neat bun. She had promised to report to the general immediately upon getting test results and she intended to keep that appointment.
With the clacking of a few keys on the keyboard, the laser printer across the room began to print. Gillian plucked her white coat from the back of her door and slipped it on, snatching the paper from the printer as she headed out of her office door to the elevator.
=====================================================
Jack whistled as he came into the guest room, his black gym bag in hand. He fluffed it out and set it down on the queen size bed. He had just gotten out of the shower and had changed into jeans and a grey t-shirt; it was time to take Danny home now and thanks to the grapevine spreading the news through the mountain like wildfire, a number of gifts had been given to him and Gillian for the baby. Now he had the task of trying to get them packed up and taken to his truck. Luckily he had lots of help though; Daniel, Sam and Teal'c had taken some of the larger items to the surface.
"Oh let's see here--" Jack said to himself as he turned to face the dresser, a collection of baby supplies had been stacked there and he began picking them up and placing them in his gym bag.
"Diapers, bottles, socks--"
A knock on the door stopped the inventory; Jack raised his head a pack of bibs in his hands.
"Come in--"
Hammond came through the door grinning. "Good Morning Colonel."
"Morning sir--" Seeing the general away from level 28 was a rarity that brought a smile to Jack's face as he piled things into his bag.
"I'd ask how you are this morning but from the looks of things I'd say pretty good--" Hammond noted the gift bags all around him on the floor, the desk and the dresser as he walked into the guest room.
"Yes sir, pretty good. The infirmary staff threw Gill and I a breakfast baby shower this morning. We had no idea they were going to do that so we were pretty surprised--"
"And where is the baby now?" He peeked into one of the bags; it was bright yellow and had a picture of a stork on it.
"The infirmary with Gillian."
"Here, let me give you a hand--" Hammond picked up three of the bags and brought them to the bed; he pulled the items out of each one and folded the bags neatly.
"Thank you sir, I appreciate it--" Jack took each item from the general and packed it.
"I bet I'm not the only one helping you out this morning."
"No sir as a matter of fact, Daniel, Carter and Teal'c have been hauling things up top. Then once we leave here we're going to go on a bit of a shopping spree."
"Speaking of which Colonel, that reminds me of why I'm here--" He headed back out the door for a brief moment and came back in carrying a large box.
"Consider this one less thing you need to buy today."
Jack eyebrows went up as he took the box and set it down on the bed. "You didn't have to get us anything sir."
"I'm well aware of that Colonel, but I wanted to--" Hammond stepped back watching as Jack pulled open the flaps and reached inside. He peeked in the box a moment and raised his gaze to the general.
"This really is too much--" Jack gripped the object and with a tug freed it from the box; a brand new blue Evenflo car seat.
A pleased grin came to the Hammond's face as he looked it over giving the blue straps a tug.
"You need one to get your son home in and you having been at the base the whole time made it hard for you to acquire one."
"You're right and this will save me a trip back here--" Jack looked the car seat over reading the tags; it was a top of the line seat that had undoubtedly cost the general a pretty penny. He glanced at the man standing before him that was not only his commanding officer but his friend.
"A card would have been just fine you know."
Hammond chuckled at that shaking his head. "And who got Kayla and Tessa brand new bikes for their birthdays a few years back? And who was it that spoils my granddaughters rotten every Christmas?"
Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Well—they're great kids."
"You're right they are but you've always treated them they were members of your family. This is the first opportunity I've had to return some of that kindness Jack--" Hammond's mouth tightened and he raised his chin slightly. "You and the rest of your team are more than just the people that work under me. We've been through life and death together and that's made us a family."
"I couldn't agree more sir--" Jack stuck out his right hand and the two men shook. "Thank you for the seat."
"You're welcome--" A paternal gaze dropped over Hammond's face, the two men exchanging a look of appreciation and understanding that went deeper than words.
=====================================================
"So we're basically going to get everything?" Daniel pushed up his glasses, glancing over his shoulder at the occupants of the back seat, Sam and beside her Danny in his car seat. The infant's head leaned against one side of the seat as he slept. He, Sam, Danny and Gillian were all in her red Jeep following Jack and Teal'c in the truck, the gang heading to Barnum's.
"Yeah Daniel that's pretty much the plan--" Gillian reached up and took her sunglasses from the visor and slipped them on.
"We don't have hardly anything for Danny, even the things we got from the shower don't cover the major items we need."
"Crib? High chair? Stroller?" Sam shifted in her seat watching the baby sleep. She touched one of his little hands smiling at the softness of his skin.
"Right Sam, all of that."
"Is there a particular shopping strategy?" Daniel licked his lips a moment; the wind coming in from the cracked window beside him tousled his hair.
Gillian watched Jack turn on his left signal, his brake lights coming on as he slowed down. She mimicked his movements spotting the turn off for the store up ahead.
"I don't know about that Daniel, we'll probably just split up. Jack and I will get the big items while you guys get the smaller items."
Sam played with Danny's fingers then stretched out, planting a hand on Daniel's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. He reached back and covered her hand with his, a smile coming to his face.
"Looks like we're in luck today guys, the parking lot is practically deserted--"
The Jeep eased down the entrance ramp, the garden section surrounded by chain link fence the area they came to first.
"Ohh nice plants!" Gillian observed looking at the rows of colorful flowers set out in front.
"Maybe we can get some of those for the backyard."
Jack pulled the truck into a parking space close to the main entrance and Gillian found a parking place a few spaces down.
"Not bad—we're pretty close to the entrance--" Shutting down the engine, Gill took off her seat belt and climbed out of the Jeep.
=====================================================
Barnum's had been appropriately named, the huge store resembled a barn with its bright red paint and white trim. Located a short drive from the base, it contained both a grocery store and a department store all under one convenient roof.
Once inside the superstore, SG-1 had split up; Jack, Gillian and Teal'c with baby Danny headed for the furniture area, while Daniel and Sam steered their red cart towards the baby aisle.
Jack found the right aisle, the length of it covered on both sides with every type of baby crib created; the shelf above had a demo model of each one on top of it.
"Well, looks like we've got a lot of choices here--" He started down the row, perusing each crib. "What kind should we get Gill?" Jack asked as he ran his hands over the surface of a cherry wood crib.
"One that we'll get some good use out of Jack--" Gillian caught a glimpse of some of the prices and her eyes widened. "Make that a lot of use."
At that Jack whipped around, the comment that had come from his fiancée made him raise an eyebrow.
"A lot of use?"
Gillian grinned, meeting his gaze as her face flushed. "Yeah…got a problem with that?"
He pondered a moment his expression softened and he mirrored her smile.
"No, I don't--" Reaching out, Jack gave one of Danny's hands a kiss before once more going back to check over the crib displays. He stepped up onto one of the shelves, leaning over to get a closer look.
Teal'c walked around the cart Gill pushed, his arms behind his back as he moved ahead of the couple.
"These cribs are of poor construction, perhaps it might be better if we build one ourselves O'Neill."
"Build one ourselves?" Jack straightened up suddenly his eyebrows going up.
"Uhh T, I'm not exactly what you'd call handy with my tools. I can do some things but building a crib might be a bit out of my league."
"Then perhaps I may be of some assistance?" He stopped walking and turned around to address his friend. "I would gladly lend my time to such a task."
"And I'd appreciate that T, I really would--" Jack put his hand on this Jaffa's shoulder. "But--given the fact that normally we'd have about nine months to prepare for the baby-- Don't you think that it'd be easier to just…buy a crib?"
He thought about this, Teal'c looking away a moment. "Perhaps you are correct O'Neill; it might be more efficient to simply acquire a crib from this facility."
"Good choice--" Jack gave Teal'c's shoulder a pat as they went further down the aisle. Suddenly Jack stopped and pointed to one.
"Hey look at that one. It converts to a toddler bed and then to a daybed--" He glanced over his shoulder at Gillian.
"What do you think?"
Gillian came forward pushing the cart. She saw to which crib Jack pointed too, the wood a honey colored oak. It had tall sides with rounded arch-like tops, the bars narrow for safety purposes. Just beneath the display model were pictures of the crib being transformed into the toddler bed and the daybed.
"Hmmm seems to be perfect Jack, once Danny gets old enough we just convert it--" Gill caught a glimpse of the price and sighed.
"Well, its $136 dollars…Think it's worth it?"
"Probably, for this one price we get three beds. That's good enough for me--" Jack bent down and began checking all the boxes for the serial number, he found the right one and together he and Teal'c pulled out a long thin box. Together the two men lifted the large white square and gently set it down in the cart.
"That's one thing down, a thousand to go--" Jack said as he brushed off his hands.
=====================================================
"Okay... well that's takes care of another one--" Daniel looked down at the list in his hands. Plucking a pen from the pocket of his green polo, he checked the item off then pushed his glasses up. He glanced over his shoulder at Sam seeing a mellow expression crossing her face.
"Something wrong?"
"Wrong? No--" She peeked down into the cart, seeing the endless supply of packages and baby items before raising her gaze to look at Daniel.
"So…if there's nothing wrong, why do you look like that?" He asked with a small smile as he folded up his list, running his fingers across the crease.
"I guess it's just the fact we're buying baby things…sorts of makes me think about the future--" She fiddled her left hand, the ring catching the light of the fluorescents hanging above, the sparkles it created hitting the pink t-shirt she wore.
Daniel saw the glint of her ring and a smile came to his face. "Yeah I know what you mean—I think Gillian and Jack are lucky. Not only is Jack getting a second chance but…"
"But what?" Sam stepped away from the cart, wrapping her arms around her fiancé's neck
He lifted his gaze, staring into Sam's blue eyes. "I think we all get the chance to see first hand how important the work we do is, how important the Stargate program really is and the good that's come from it."
Sam nodded. "You're right Daniel; we've done a lot of good with the gate--" She closed her eyes and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "The future I was talking about is the one that we have together. It made me imagine that it's our baby that we're buying all these things for."
A smirk drew Daniel's lips up at the corners. "Yeah, I've thought about it too Sam--" He brought his right hand up, fingertips gliding along her jaw line. "And I do want them Sam. I want lots of them."
Her face took on a slightly pinkish hue, two round spots forming on her cheeks as she leaned into Daniel's hand.
"I want them too Daniel; I want a family of my own."
The light in Daniel's eyes intensified, taking on a softer affectionate quality; he touched the back of Sam's neck and pulled her into a hug.
"Then I think we definitely have a lot to talk about and soon."
=====================================================
Jack sighed with annoyance as he brought in yet another group of red plastic bags, the white lettering of Barnum's across them. He set them down on the dining room table, its shining wooden surface slowly being taken over by the increasing sea of red. And he wasn't alone; the members of SG-1 carried the bags in and the bulkier items as well.
All except Gillian.
Gillian had a more tender cargo, pressing the infant to her chest, his blue and yellow checkered diaper bag slung over her shoulder. She passed Jack on the way in, the two of them meeting up sandwiched against one another at the door.
"I'm going to change Danny and see if he'll take a nap. He's had a pretty exciting day."
"Okay—I'll get the Jeep and truck unloaded. Looks like we'll be needing help getting all this stuff unpacked--" Jack sighed, pulling his sunglasses off to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Then we better think about dinner."
"There's always the Fabricimo Brothers and a trip to the Quick Mart for beer--" Gillian place a hand against Jack's cheek before leaning up on her toes to give him a kiss.
"Thanks, I needed that--" He said as he moved his hands away from his face and held the screen door open. "Go on in, the troops and I have more bags to bring in."
"As soon as I get him settled down I'll help."
"Nah, we'll be done by then, don't worry about it just take care of Danny."
She went inside, pausing a moment. Jack stood on the other side of the glass and she gave him a smile; he returned it, enjoying the picture of his fiancée and his son.
He had a family again.
The fleeting moment of tenderness that rose up through his chest made him soon forget his grousing about all the work that lay ahead.
=====================================================
The spare room Gillian and Jack had chosen for Danny sat right beside the master bedroom. The only room completely empty—they had plans to turn it into a study but no more. The other room would do as both the study and the guest room, Jack's military wall-o-fame not withstanding.
Gillian looked around at the blank walls; the wallpaper border they had chosen would go nicely with the dark blue carpeting, and that brought a smile to her face.
"Well this is it Danny--" She said as she sank down, crossing her legs Indian style as she sat down. Moving the baby away from her chest, she gently laid him down in front of her.
"I know it's not much to look at now but don't worry, your Daddy and I have picked out a nice wallpaper for the walls. We liked the Classic Pooh, and its got Winnie and Eeyore and Piglet--" She took both of Danny's hands in hers, waving his little fists around as she spoke. "And we got a nice dresser for you too so we can put all the clothes we got for you in it--" Gill started to open her mouth to tell Danny more but then closed it again when she noticed him staring directly at her. His big green eyes were locked on her, hanging on her every word.
"You looking at me Baby?" This brought a smile to her face as she leaned over moving closer to him, his eyes growing larger. "There, can you see me now?"
Danny's eyes returned to their normal size as he and Gill stared at one another. She let go of his hands and stretched out, propping herself up on her elbows over him.
"I think this is a first for you and me, I don't think we've been alone together this long before--" She stroked her finger down his little button nose, then tickled his chin snickering as she did so.
"You really are a cutie you know, which you'll probably use against me to get out of getting in trouble I'm sure. Believe me your Daddy has often used that trick with me and gotten away with it--" She stopped talking a moment, feeling a lump forming in her throat as she gazed down at the infant.
"I know we don't know each other that well or for that long Danny but…I do love you and I'm going to try very hard to be a good mother to you--" With that, she leaned down and gave his little cheek a kiss as she closed her eyes.
=====================================================
Sam lightly knocked on the master bedroom door; she opened it and peeked into the room watching Gillian arrange all the pillows on the bed around the sleeping infant.
"Gill?"
She turned at the sound of her name, seeing Sam's face in the crack of the door. She touched her finger to her lips and waved her inside.
"He probably won't sleep very long--" She climbed down from the bed and stepped back, the pillows formed a perfect square around Danny. He slept on his back, a blue blanket over him.
"I know he's too little to roll off but--"
"Yeah, I think it's a good idea--" Sam stood beside Gillian; the two women watched the infant sleep. "This is a pretty big adjustment for the both of you, isn't it?"
Gillian glanced at her and gave a nod. "Yeah, it is--"
"Have the both of you decided what to do about the SGC?"
"We haven't really talked about it Sam--" Gill gave a sigh, her gaze drifting back to Danny. "We talked about wanting a family but to suddenly have one almost overnight--" She sighed, shaking her head. "I think Jack and I are both still shocked by it."
Sam nodded; she put her hand on Gillian's shoulder and squeezed it.
"You'll figure it out, I know you will."
Reaching up, Gill gave Sam's hand a pat. "Thanks--" Sam's confidence made her feel better and a soft smile came to her face. "Why don't we go see what the men are up to?"
"Probably no good--" Sam countered, the statement made Gillian snicker.
"You're probably right about that."
They both turned and left the room quietly, closing the door behind them.
=====================================================
"Are you sure these are written in English?" Jack sat on the living room floor, fumbling with a set of instructions; the unfolded paper stretching out and almost completely covering him.
"Yes Jack of course they're written in English--" Daniel sighed patiently as he reached out and pulled the paper out of Jack's hands. "Here let me see."
Jack stared down at his empty hands a moment before folding them in his lap. "Yes of course—go right ahead."
Beside him, Teal'c had a white garbage bag in his hands and was picking up the Styrofoam chunks and packing bits that littered the carpeting.
"You must have patience for such an endeavor O'Neill--"
"Well that's the first mistake right there T, I'm not exactly what you'd call a patient man."
"No kidding—could have knocked me over with a feather with that one--" Daniel mumbled then licked his lips, his eyes cast up from the instructions to see Jack's eyebrows go up. He cleared his throat and folded part of the paper back up.
"This shouldn't be a problem Jack; the three of us should be able to put it together."
"Oh my God!"
The three men all turned to see Gillian and Sam; their faces stunned by the mess that covered the carpeting. Gillian shook her head.
"Looks like you were right Sam."
"Uhh--" Jack got up, brushing his butt off as he took his fiancée by the arm leading her into the doorway of the kitchen. "Don't worry about the mess Gill, we'll clean it up--" He glanced over his shoulder at Sam.
"Why don't you and Carter go and get some beer and dessert? I already called the Fabricimo Brothers and the pizza will be here in about 45 minutes."
Gillian looked at Sam, who gave a shrug. "I know a great bakery not too far from here. They make good cheesecakes."
"Okay--" Gillian sighed, the last thing she wanted to do was to go back out but the pleading look in her fiancé's eyes caved her resistance in. "Danny is asleep but I don't know how long he'll stay that way."
"No problem, we got that set of baby monitors--" He went into the kitchen, where all the items were laid out on the table and picked up the two monitors.
"I'll just go plug it into the room and keep the other one with me in the living room."
Jack went down the hall and into the master bedroom; he came out a short time later and turned it on, putting the white and blue monitor close to his ear.
"See? We can keep an ear out for him while we put his crib together--" Jack hung the monitor on the front of his shirt and gave it a pat. "He'll be right here so I can hear him if he cries."
"I'll get some Guinness and some Dr. Pepper for Teal'c--" She craned her neck around the doorway frame. "That is the soda you like, right Teal'c? Dr. Pepper?"
Teal'c sat beside Daniel, the two of them going through the many bolts and screws for the crib. He heard Gill and raised his gaze. "It is indeed."
"Okay Teal'c--" Gillian straightened back up and gave Jack a kiss.
"We'll be back soon."
=====================================================
Ehhhhhhh! Ehhhhhh!
"Uh oh--" Daniel raised his head looking at the monitor sitting on the coffee table. He cleared his throat and lifted his chin. "Jack!" He called out towards the kitchen; Jack had gone out to the back porch in search of a missing tool.
"Seems that O'Neill's child is awake--" Teal'c brought a large piece of the crib closer to Daniel, shifting onto his knees.
"Is that the baby?" Jack came back into the room, handing his medium-sized red toolbox to Teal'c. "Here, I'll get him."
Jack went down the hall and into the master bedroom. Danny lay in the center of the king-sized bed, his little fists waving in the air and his face scrunched and red in anger.
"Whoa there… easy now big guy--" He sat down on the bed and reached out, picking the baby up. "Easy now, you're all right--" Jack stroked his big hand over the infant's back, Danny nuzzled his face against Jack's t-shirt, whimpering.
"Oh so that's the problem--" A quick glance at the nightstand showed that the time, a little before four o'clock.
"Yup…right on time. You ate at around noon, right after we picked out your crib--" He stood up, holding his son close as he left the bedroom.
"I think your mom put everything away."
Whistling Jack headed into the kitchen, taking a moment to glance into the living room. "Boys? How's it going?"
"Fine Jack, just fine--" Daniel turned around; he and Teal'c had already managed to put up one side of the crib, both men on their knees. He smiled when he saw Danny.
"Time for someone's dinner?"
"Well...early dinner--" The baby started fussing and that brought the conversation to an end. "Hold that thought, I have to get him a bottle--" Jack moved back around the corner and disappeared.
"Okay, let's see here--" Jack shifted the baby over, holding him with one arm as he faced the pantry. There were five rows of shelves, each one lined with food but the center one had cans of formula that Sam had placed there perched close to the edge. The two smallest ones were the opened ones they had been using on the base.
"There's your food--" He gripped a can and set it down on the counter, pulling off the lid.
"Now we need a bottle--" Turning around, Jack spotted the brand new bottle holder; Sam had placed it on top of the microwave, a few small four ounce bottles were there, upside down.
"See what did I tell you about your Aunt Sam? She's always knows how to handle a crisis--" He picked up a small blue bottle and the nipple and top that went along with it.
"Okay…add a little water--" He set the bottle down in the sink, pausing a moment to lift Danny a little higher against his chest as he reached out and turned on the water, filling the small bottle up.
"Now all we need is the formula and you're all set--" The water shut off now, Jack got the bottle and set it down on the counter. Danny started fussing again and he lightly bounced him up and down as he reached into the can and managed to get two scoops of the formula into the bottle.
"We've almost got it—just give me a second here--" Jack capped the bottle and picked it up, his thumb over the top of the nipple as he gave the bottle a few strong shakes. By now Danny's patience had come to an end and he began to cry again, wiggling against Jack.
"Okay! Okay! We're done!" He shifted Danny over, lying him in the crook of his arm as he rubbed the nipple against his lips. The baby opened his mouth and quickly took it in, sighing as he began to eat.
"You act like me when its suppertime--" Jack leaned his head down and kissed Danny's. "Come on; let's go watch your uncles put your bed together."
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"And here we are! Beer and cheesecake for all!" Gillian announced as she came into the front door, stopping when she saw what was going on in the living room. On the couch sat Jack feeding a bottle to Danny while Teal'c and Daniel put the last touches on the almost completed crib. She took a moment to set her bag down on the dining room table beside the pizzas, the glass beer bottles rattling against one another.
"Wow!" Sam's eyes widened when she saw the crib, checking her watch. "We were only gone a little over half an hour."
"I figured it was going to take hours--" Gill walked around the couch and sat down while Sam went and put the cheesecake in the fridge.
"How'd you guys managed to put the crib together so fast?" Sam asked as she joined the others in the living room, sitting down on the floor.
"Don't look at me--" Jack motioned towards Daniel and Teal'c with his chin, a small smile on his face. "I've been sitting here watching, wisely staying out of the way--"
Teal'c gave a small bow of his head. "It was not my doing O'Neill; I merely did as Daniel Jackson instructed me."
Three sets of eyes then shifted to Daniel, who gave a sheepish grin as he shrugged. "Archaeologists know how to follow instructions--"
He turned back to the crib and got to his feet, leaning over he gave a twist to a few more screws and straightened up.
"That should just about do it--" Daniel pushed his glasses up. "So…what do you think?"
Gillian glanced at Jack a moment and smiled as she stood up. "I think its wonderful Daniel--" She gave him a hug around his neck. "Thank you."
"You're welcome--" He returned the hug briefly, his face pinkening in a blush that he tried to dismiss as he cleared his throat. "What do you say we move this to the nursery?"
"Well, how about we eat first?" Gill suggested as she let go of Daniel. "I mean there's no rush--" She cast a glance over her shoulder at Jack. "Right?"
"He's wide awake now that he's eaten—but we might as well move the crib and get that out of the way--" Jack stood up, handing Danny to his mother.
"It won't take but a second to push it down the hall, it's got wheels."
"Okay--" Gillian and Sam moved out of the way watching as the three men each took a side and gave the crib a push. The small black wheels on the bottom of the crib caught on the carpeting and with another shove they worked free, the trek down the hall resuming.
"There's your crib Baby--" The word whispered to Danny as Gill lifted him higher, resting him on her shoulder. Both her and Sam followed the male procession down the hall towards the nursery.
"What the hell?" Jack straightened up, his face less than pleased as he looked at Daniel.
"Archeologists follow instructions?" He said with a raised eyebrow, a scowl coming to his face.
"What? What's wrong?" Gillian asked as they met the men outside the nursery room door. Sam saw it immediately and sighed.
"Oh no--" She looked at Jack's annoyance as he glanced over his shoulder. Daniel stood on the other side of the crib, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Guess maybe we should have assembled it inside the nursery."
Jack tipped his head to one side. "Ya think?"
Teal'c stepped back and glanced at the problem, the crib being too wide to fit through the door. "Can we not simply remove the ends and fold the crib up?"
Daniel perked up at this suggestion, then looked at the crib. "You mean sideways? Kind of shift it and close it at the same time?" He crouched down to check the screws, then stood up and bent over to look inside the crib.
"I think that might work--" Sam went back down the hall to the living room. She found the screwdriver Daniel had been using and brought it back.
"Here, let's try it."
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"Okay…one…two…three!"
Sam called out and the men turned the crib sideways and pushed it through the doorway. On the carpeting at their feet lay the butt ends of the crib and the bottom piece lay up against the master bedroom door. The crib slipped through easily and everyone gave an audible sigh of relief, especially the new parents.
"See? Not a big deal at all--" Sam picked up the pieces and took them into the room.
"So…where do you want the crib?" Daniel asked as he glanced at Gillian and Jack. "Over by the window? In the center? Against a wall, what?"
"Ooo good question--" Jack looked around the room a moment. "The dresser we ordered will go over there against the wall…" He muttered to himself a moment before consulting with his fiancée. "Uhh…how about in front of the window?"
"Okay, we can always move it later if we want its on wheels after all--" Gillian glanced down at Danny and pressed her hand to the back of his head. She rocked him from side to side.
"Can we kind of pick up the pace? I know one baby boy that's getting drowsy again."
"If he falls asleep we can put him back down on our bed--" Jack ran his hand down Danny's back.
"We'll get it back together soon Gill, I promise--" Daniel crouched down and took the one side from Sam and held it in place while Teal'c began to screw it back into place.
Jack watched the crib's reconstruction, his hands slipping into his pockets. "The pizza's going to be ice cold by the time we get to it."
Teal'c held the big wide piece of wood still raising his head. "Is that not the preferred way for it to be consumed O'Neill?"
Sam snickered as she walked around the crib and began to attach the other end of it. Jack lent a hand, holding the large slat in place while Sam worked the screws into it and tightened them.
"We can always heat the pizza up—" Gillian sat down and gently laid Danny down on the carpeting. She unsnapped the bottom of his green onesie and gave his diaper a quick check. Still dry, she picked Danny back up and set him in her lap, the both of them watching his crib get reassembled.
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Things had finally grown quiet in the O'Neill household; the team had finally left after dinner and dessert. The kitchen had been cleaned up, the food put away, the dishes placed in the dishwasher—the soft humming and sloshing of it the only sound in the otherwise quiet home. In the living room, the soft glow of candles provided the only light as two adults sat on the couch. Gillian sat sideways on Jack's lap, in her own sat Danny, the little tyke in his blue pajamas propped up by his mother's thighs.
"It's been a good day Jack--" Gillian took one of Danny's little hands in hers and gave it a kiss before her eyes once again focused on her fiancé.
"Don't you think?"
Jack set his beer down on the coffee table behind Gill, he took gentle hold of Danny's other hand and held it. "A little frustrating at times, especially with our minor crib crisis…but other than that, yeah."
Gill leaned to one side, her head pressing to Jack's chest. "Sam, Daniel and Teal'c have been amazing through all this. They were such a big help today and they will be tomorrow too when they come back to help us finish putting the nursery together."
He brought his other hand up and touched Gillian's hair, his fingers stroking down the long tresses. "I know, they've been great. I didn't expect them to help as much as they have been."
"How can you say that?" She raised her head, peering into Jack's face. "The four of you have been through a lot together. I mean…Daniel came to you when he wanted help asking Sam to marry him. And who was it that Sam came to when she wanted to buy her house? She came to you asking if you would co-sign the loan in case the bank gave her a hard time. And who does Teal'c have on his speed dial?" She touched the side of his face, her fingers stroking his cheek. "He's got you Jack. The four of you are a family and if you had your doubts about that, today should have cleared them up--" Gill's expression softened. "They love you and they need you."
"I need them too--" He admitted with a soft whisper; he gazed down at the squirming infant and touched the side of his tiny face. Danny's big eyes looked into his father's and the tiniest hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"Hey…I think he smiled at you--" Gillian grinned as she gave Danny's hand a squeeze.
"Did you smile at your Papa?" She turned her attention back to Jack, seeing his astonished expression; his dark eyes seemed wide and uncertain.
"Jack?"
"He doesn't even know me Gill--we're still strangers. He's been in my life for exactly two days."
Gillian nodded. "I know, but I don't think that matters."
"It doesn't?" He turned to look at her.
"No--" She glanced down at Danny. "He needed someone to take care of him Jack, that's why Jada Grey gave him to you but I think you needed him too--" Her eyes were a bit shiny when they once more focused into her fiancée's burnt sienna ones.
"You were longing for a family again, not just the one you've got with the team but one here at home too--" Gill closed her eyes and pressed her lips to Jack's in a gentle kiss.
"And I want a life with you Jack, you and Danny and whoever else just might happen to come along--" Her arms wrapped around his neck as she hugged him.
"You finally got what you wanted."
"And it's more than I deserve--" Jack leaned his head against his fiancée's shoulder and closed his eyes.
"No it's not Jack—you have a lot more coming to you and its about time you got your reward--" Gillian's fingers touched the back of Jack's head, stroking his silver hair.
They stayed that way for long moments, the hustle and bustle of the past two days beginning to catch up with them. Jack opened his eyes and looked down at Danny; the baby had fallen asleep and that brought a chuckle from his father.
"Looks like our company is exciting."
"He's asleep isn't he?" Gill let go of the hug and saw for herself, a smile coming to her face. "Yup—I can't say I'm surprised--" She gently picked the baby up and pressed him to her shoulder as she climbed down from Jack's lap.
"I'll get a bottle and put him to bed."
"Okay--" Jack watched her get up and walk away, when Gillian disappeared down the hall he stood up and went over to the mantle; a few candles sat there and he took in a deep breath and blew them out. Beside the now smoking candles sat a silver filigree photo frame; the picture was of Jack, Sara and Charlie with the house and the yard off to the side of where they sat; the frame above their heads had the words Our Family carved into the silver.
"Our family--" He whispered quietly as he picked the heavy frame up and looked at the picture. His finger stroked down Charlie—how it seemed like another lifetime ago, like another person staring back at him beside Charlie and Sara.
Jack turned the photo over and slid the black velvet backing off. He carefully removed the glass and picked the photo up. Reaching behind him, he touched the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a Polaroid snapshot of himself, Danny, Gill and the team that had been taken at the baby shower. For a moment he found himself staring at both photos, did he replace one with the other?
The answer came to him as he put the frame back together, then returned it to the mantle. He looked at it a moment and gave a nod, a small pleased smile came to his face as he went to help Gillian with Danny.
Below the engraved words Our Family sat the photo of Jack, Sara and Charlie. Except this time the photo had been folded, the house and yard tucked underneath; in their place right beside it sat the Polaroid from the party.
END.