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Jack groaned as the alarm clock went off. He pulled the pillow out from under his head and placed it over his face. A slender arm reached across his chest and smacked the clock to the floor.
"You could have just turned it off," he muttered through the feathers.
The only response he got was an agitated groan.
A few minutes later, the bedroom door opened and a teenage boy about a year younger than Jack looked in. "Hey, Peta!" he barked, throwing stuffed animal at the head on Jack's chest. "Mom says if you're going to stay up drinking, do it on the weekend, 'cause you still have to go to school."
She looked up, pushing the curtain black hair out of her face. "We weren't drinking, Benny," she said, throwing the toy back, hitting him in the face. "If you're going to snitch, at least get it right. And you own me for that pot you stole."
He grinned evilly at her. "Why don't you tell Mom?" he taunted.
She snarled in anger as Benny retreated down the hall. She crawled over Jack and fell onto the floor, groping for her clothes. Jack peeked out from under the pillow as she wiggled into a pair of jeans while still lying on the floor.
"You know, that's supposed to be easier to do if you stand up," he muttered, sitting up.
She glared up at him. "O'Neill, the next time we go to the lake, I'm totally leaving you there."
He gave her a lopsided grin as she threw his shirt in his face. "Charlie, if that ever happens... come on, who are you kidding? That's never going to happen."
Continuing to glare, Peta stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Oh, you don't think I could leave you?" she demanded. Jack shook his head, still smiling. And annoyed smile made its way onto her face. "Dammit," she muttered.
Jack pulled her closer and grabbed some of her long hair in his teeth. She kissed the top of his head. "Come on," she said, backing away from him and pulling him to his feet. "Mama obviously wants to yell at us before we head out."
"I need shoes first," he said, turning back to find them. "Last time Mahin yelled at us we left before I could grab some."
~~~~~
Peta and Jack crept into the kitchen, unsure of how furious Mahin would be this morning. "Come over and eat something," she commanded without looking up from one of her Iranian journals. They took this as a good sign and
Mahin reached across the counter and smacked Peta without looking up. Peta rolled her eyes. "Good morning to you too," she muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Don't you take that tone with me!" Mahin snapped, still reading her paper. "I know you were up all night at the lake again. Don't try to deny it–I heard the car pull up. Just because you're graduating doesn't mean you get to run around doing whatever you feel like. You still have school today."
"It's hardly school," Jack pointed out. "It's just graduation practice." Mahin reached over and smacked him as well.
"You kids," she exclaimed, finally looking up. "You spend all of your time listening to Simon and Garfunkle and Jimi Hendrix and all of those other no-good pot-head, you have no idea what the rest of the world is like. Everything is sex, drugs, and rock and roll for you!"
Peta rolled her eyes. "I know Mama," she drawled. "Girl's younger than I am are already married with families in Iran. They don't even have the chance to finish school because they have oppressive husbands and wicked mothers-in-law. I'm lucky that I get to go to school and drive on roads that people don't die on every five minutes because we have speed limits."
Mahin smacked her again. "Your cousins are all jealous that you live here and get to go to college and have a career and a family, and you barely pass because you spend too much time at the lake! And you!" she snapped, turning on Jack who flinched. "Joining the military when the country is in a war? You make stupid decisions just like all of my children!"
Jack grabbed a piece of toast from the plate on the counter. "Um, we're gonna be late," he said, grabbing Peta by the arm and dragging her out of the house.
"Don't spend all day behaving like common hoodlums!" Mahin shouted after them. "I know your rehearsal is only going to take an hour. You have to pick up Felicia and Reza from school, and don't you dare forget and make them walk home again!"
Peta paused at the door. "What about Val and Salma? And Benny and Keith for that matter? Do you want me to go sit and watch their baseball practice? Cheer them on and such?"
Mahin gave her a look. "You're the oldest! You have to set an example for your brothers and sisters by not being a smart-ass!"
"Yes, ma'am," she muttered as Jack pulled her out to the car.
~~~~~
Peta stretched her arms up over her head and laid back down on the dock, her toes skimming the water. "I love fishing," she said, perfectly content to be in the sun.
Jack looked down at her and laughed. "We're not fishing."
"It's not about catching fish, it's about the act of fishing itself," she said, kicking her toes in the water slightly. "There are no fish here anyway. Poles would be redundant." She shaded her eyes and looked up at Jack, who was being oddly contemplative. "Penny for um," she said, nudging his shoulder.
He smiled down at her. "I was just thinking about what a stone cold fox you are."
"Ah!" she said, sitting up. "I do believe my husband is hitting on me. Exactly how much have you smoked to be so sweet?"
"I'm not hitting on you," he said, chuckling slightly. "I'm just noticing, that's all. Thinking about what we're going to do."
Peta's happy mood was suddenly shattered, she jumped to her feet and glared at him. "You shit!" she snapped, grabbing her shoes and going back to the car.
"Charlie!" he called, getting up to follow her.
"This was your idea!" she reminded him, trying to force open the car door, but her fingers kept slipping. "'How are we supposed to stay married when we're never going to see each other? We were too young, our parents were right. I can't let you give up your dreams to stay here and be a military wife.' How dare you make me believe that then change your mind?" she shouted. She screamed in aggravation. "WILL YOU OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR FOR ME?"
He opened the door but wouldn't let her close it. "I didn't say I changed my mind!" he yelled back at her.
"Oh, no, you didn't say it," she agreed sarcastically. "But I know you Jonathan O'Neill! You have changed your mind, and that is just so goddamn unfair of you! Christ! Everything you do is unfair! You didn't even talk to me before you joined the Air Force! I had to find out from May Anderson. MAY ANDERSON! Do you have any idea how embarrassing that conversation was for me? And then I was willing to go to school wherever in the country, but you insisted that I shouldn't give up my dreams, and now you changed your mind?" she demanded incredulously.
"Okay, yes, I think we might be making a mistake!" he agreed. "Like everyone told us, getting married at sixteen wasn't smart–we know that! But we've made it two years without killing each other, and I can't imagine my life without you–I don't want to imagine my life without you."
"You think I'm happy about this?" she spat at him. "Do you not remember the weeks of convincing it took for you to get me to agree to get a divorce before you ship out? Before I go off to college? 'The things we want don't mix well,' you said. 'If we'd waited a few years we would have realised that.' How fucking unfair of you t change your mind after all of that!"
"Yes, I do remember," he said, a small amount of calm in his voice. "But I also remember you saying that if you had to choose between having a career and having a family, you'd choose having a family."
She glared up at him. "We're going to be late picking up Felicia and Reza," she said, finally yanking the door closed.
They drove to the elementary school in a furious silence. They hadn't said a word to each other and sat fuming in the car when Peta's two youngest siblings approached the car. They hesitated when they saw their sister's angry face.
When they looked like they were going to back away from the car, Peta rolled down her window. "Get in the car!" she barked. They jumped and dove into the backseat in a split second.
They were almost to the house when Jack finally spoke. "I want you to save the world."
"I want you to save the world, too."
"I'm sorry."
"So am I."
~~~~~
Jack was enveloped in a hug by his mother. "Are you sure you don't want us to drive you to the bus station?" she asked for the twelveth time. "It really wouldn't be any trouble. Your sisters and I wouldn't mind at all."
He shook his head, gently pushing his mother away. "I'm sure. Charlie's waiting for me." He gave his three younger sisters a sideways glance. "And anyway, I think Marie, Julia, and Nora have other plans for their weekends."
With one last hug from each member of his family, Jack shouldered his bag and walked to the door. "Tell Dad I said bye," he said before closing the door.
He walked next-door to where Peta was waiting in the passenger seat of the car. He threw his bag in the backseat and was about to climb in when Mahin came out to the car and gave him a hug every bit as tight as his mother's had been.
"Don't make any more stupid decisions," she said, chastising him one last time. "I'll be very angry if you do something to get yourself killed in a stupid war."
He smiled. "I'll try," he assured her, climbing into the car.
Jack and Peta drove in silence to the station. They'd resolved their last argument, but it was still hard now that everything was finally happening.
They both got out of the car when they stopped in front of the entrance. Peta caught Jack in a huge hug, and this one he returned just as tightly.
"I don't expect you to write every day," Peta informed him, obvious in her voice that she was about to cry. "But if you don't write twice a week, I'll be very angry will you, Jack O'Neill," she said, trying to be harsh but failing.
"Right," he said nodding. "And I expect you to write twice a week and tell me about everything that's happening in your life. It should be much more interesting than Nam."
She snorted. "I doubt it. It's only Iran." She finally pushed him away and stepped back. "You should go. If you miss the bus, well... I think the Air Force frowns on that kind of thing."
He smiled slightly and kissed her quickly. "I'll see you later, Charlie." He walked away from her toward the bus, and she turned back and got into the car. Neither of them looked back, knowing there final resolve wasn't strong enough to stand up through one last look.
Jack groaned as the alarm clock went off. He pulled the pillow out from under his head and placed it over his face. A slender arm reached across his chest and smacked the clock to the floor.
"You could have just turned it off," he muttered through the feathers.
The only response he got was an agitated groan.
A few minutes later, the bedroom door opened and a teenage boy about a year younger than Jack looked in. "Hey, Peta!" he barked, throwing stuffed animal at the head on Jack's chest. "Mom says if you're going to stay up drinking, do it on the weekend, 'cause you still have to go to school."
She looked up, pushing the curtain black hair out of her face. "We weren't drinking, Benny," she said, throwing the toy back, hitting him in the face. "If you're going to snitch, at least get it right. And you own me for that pot you stole."
He grinned evilly at her. "Why don't you tell Mom?" he taunted.
She snarled in anger as Benny retreated down the hall. She crawled over Jack and fell onto the floor, groping for her clothes. Jack peeked out from under the pillow as she wiggled into a pair of jeans while still lying on the floor.
"You know, that's supposed to be easier to do if you stand up," he muttered, sitting up.
She glared up at him. "O'Neill, the next time we go to the lake, I'm totally leaving you there."
He gave her a lopsided grin as she threw his shirt in his face. "Charlie, if that ever happens... come on, who are you kidding? That's never going to happen."
Continuing to glare, Peta stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Oh, you don't think I could leave you?" she demanded. Jack shook his head, still smiling. And annoyed smile made its way onto her face. "Dammit," she muttered.
Jack pulled her closer and grabbed some of her long hair in his teeth. She kissed the top of his head. "Come on," she said, backing away from him and pulling him to his feet. "Mama obviously wants to yell at us before we head out."
"I need shoes first," he said, turning back to find them. "Last time Mahin yelled at us we left before I could grab some."
~~~~~
Peta and Jack crept into the kitchen, unsure of how furious Mahin would be this morning. "Come over and eat something," she commanded without looking up from one of her Iranian journals. They took this as a good sign and
Mahin reached across the counter and smacked Peta without looking up. Peta rolled her eyes. "Good morning to you too," she muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Don't you take that tone with me!" Mahin snapped, still reading her paper. "I know you were up all night at the lake again. Don't try to deny it–I heard the car pull up. Just because you're graduating doesn't mean you get to run around doing whatever you feel like. You still have school today."
"It's hardly school," Jack pointed out. "It's just graduation practice." Mahin reached over and smacked him as well.
"You kids," she exclaimed, finally looking up. "You spend all of your time listening to Simon and Garfunkle and Jimi Hendrix and all of those other no-good pot-head, you have no idea what the rest of the world is like. Everything is sex, drugs, and rock and roll for you!"
Peta rolled her eyes. "I know Mama," she drawled. "Girl's younger than I am are already married with families in Iran. They don't even have the chance to finish school because they have oppressive husbands and wicked mothers-in-law. I'm lucky that I get to go to school and drive on roads that people don't die on every five minutes because we have speed limits."
Mahin smacked her again. "Your cousins are all jealous that you live here and get to go to college and have a career and a family, and you barely pass because you spend too much time at the lake! And you!" she snapped, turning on Jack who flinched. "Joining the military when the country is in a war? You make stupid decisions just like all of my children!"
Jack grabbed a piece of toast from the plate on the counter. "Um, we're gonna be late," he said, grabbing Peta by the arm and dragging her out of the house.
"Don't spend all day behaving like common hoodlums!" Mahin shouted after them. "I know your rehearsal is only going to take an hour. You have to pick up Felicia and Reza from school, and don't you dare forget and make them walk home again!"
Peta paused at the door. "What about Val and Salma? And Benny and Keith for that matter? Do you want me to go sit and watch their baseball practice? Cheer them on and such?"
Mahin gave her a look. "You're the oldest! You have to set an example for your brothers and sisters by not being a smart-ass!"
"Yes, ma'am," she muttered as Jack pulled her out to the car.
~~~~~
Peta stretched her arms up over her head and laid back down on the dock, her toes skimming the water. "I love fishing," she said, perfectly content to be in the sun.
Jack looked down at her and laughed. "We're not fishing."
"It's not about catching fish, it's about the act of fishing itself," she said, kicking her toes in the water slightly. "There are no fish here anyway. Poles would be redundant." She shaded her eyes and looked up at Jack, who was being oddly contemplative. "Penny for um," she said, nudging his shoulder.
He smiled down at her. "I was just thinking about what a stone cold fox you are."
"Ah!" she said, sitting up. "I do believe my husband is hitting on me. Exactly how much have you smoked to be so sweet?"
"I'm not hitting on you," he said, chuckling slightly. "I'm just noticing, that's all. Thinking about what we're going to do."
Peta's happy mood was suddenly shattered, she jumped to her feet and glared at him. "You shit!" she snapped, grabbing her shoes and going back to the car.
"Charlie!" he called, getting up to follow her.
"This was your idea!" she reminded him, trying to force open the car door, but her fingers kept slipping. "'How are we supposed to stay married when we're never going to see each other? We were too young, our parents were right. I can't let you give up your dreams to stay here and be a military wife.' How dare you make me believe that then change your mind?" she shouted. She screamed in aggravation. "WILL YOU OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR FOR ME?"
He opened the door but wouldn't let her close it. "I didn't say I changed my mind!" he yelled back at her.
"Oh, no, you didn't say it," she agreed sarcastically. "But I know you Jonathan O'Neill! You have changed your mind, and that is just so goddamn unfair of you! Christ! Everything you do is unfair! You didn't even talk to me before you joined the Air Force! I had to find out from May Anderson. MAY ANDERSON! Do you have any idea how embarrassing that conversation was for me? And then I was willing to go to school wherever in the country, but you insisted that I shouldn't give up my dreams, and now you changed your mind?" she demanded incredulously.
"Okay, yes, I think we might be making a mistake!" he agreed. "Like everyone told us, getting married at sixteen wasn't smart–we know that! But we've made it two years without killing each other, and I can't imagine my life without you–I don't want to imagine my life without you."
"You think I'm happy about this?" she spat at him. "Do you not remember the weeks of convincing it took for you to get me to agree to get a divorce before you ship out? Before I go off to college? 'The things we want don't mix well,' you said. 'If we'd waited a few years we would have realised that.' How fucking unfair of you t change your mind after all of that!"
"Yes, I do remember," he said, a small amount of calm in his voice. "But I also remember you saying that if you had to choose between having a career and having a family, you'd choose having a family."
She glared up at him. "We're going to be late picking up Felicia and Reza," she said, finally yanking the door closed.
They drove to the elementary school in a furious silence. They hadn't said a word to each other and sat fuming in the car when Peta's two youngest siblings approached the car. They hesitated when they saw their sister's angry face.
When they looked like they were going to back away from the car, Peta rolled down her window. "Get in the car!" she barked. They jumped and dove into the backseat in a split second.
They were almost to the house when Jack finally spoke. "I want you to save the world."
"I want you to save the world, too."
"I'm sorry."
"So am I."
~~~~~
Jack was enveloped in a hug by his mother. "Are you sure you don't want us to drive you to the bus station?" she asked for the twelveth time. "It really wouldn't be any trouble. Your sisters and I wouldn't mind at all."
He shook his head, gently pushing his mother away. "I'm sure. Charlie's waiting for me." He gave his three younger sisters a sideways glance. "And anyway, I think Marie, Julia, and Nora have other plans for their weekends."
With one last hug from each member of his family, Jack shouldered his bag and walked to the door. "Tell Dad I said bye," he said before closing the door.
He walked next-door to where Peta was waiting in the passenger seat of the car. He threw his bag in the backseat and was about to climb in when Mahin came out to the car and gave him a hug every bit as tight as his mother's had been.
"Don't make any more stupid decisions," she said, chastising him one last time. "I'll be very angry if you do something to get yourself killed in a stupid war."
He smiled. "I'll try," he assured her, climbing into the car.
Jack and Peta drove in silence to the station. They'd resolved their last argument, but it was still hard now that everything was finally happening.
They both got out of the car when they stopped in front of the entrance. Peta caught Jack in a huge hug, and this one he returned just as tightly.
"I don't expect you to write every day," Peta informed him, obvious in her voice that she was about to cry. "But if you don't write twice a week, I'll be very angry will you, Jack O'Neill," she said, trying to be harsh but failing.
"Right," he said nodding. "And I expect you to write twice a week and tell me about everything that's happening in your life. It should be much more interesting than Nam."
She snorted. "I doubt it. It's only Iran." She finally pushed him away and stepped back. "You should go. If you miss the bus, well... I think the Air Force frowns on that kind of thing."
He smiled slightly and kissed her quickly. "I'll see you later, Charlie." He walked away from her toward the bus, and she turned back and got into the car. Neither of them looked back, knowing there final resolve wasn't strong enough to stand up through one last look.