"This has got to be the most uncomfortable car ride I've ever taken."
The three of them were piled into Sam's car, a four door sedan, and Jaffer was in the back seat right behind Jacob, who could feel the lab breathing down the back of his neck.
"You could have followed me in your car," Sam reminded him, smiling. She'd never really seen Jaffer acting like he was, but it was kind of cute and extremely touching.
"I wanted to spend time with you," Jacob said. "I just didn't know I'd have the big goon breathing down my neck trying to intimidate me."
"Is it working?"
"Nah."
It was, actually, a little. But really it was just more of an annoyance – although he'd felt those teeth around his throat and knew just how sharp and big they were.
"He's usually not this bad, dad." Sam assured him. "It's probably just that Jack's gone and you didn't make a very good first impression on him by sneaking into the house last night. He's just making sure you know who's boss."
"He's just a dog, Sam," Jacob said. "I think you're probably giving him too much credit."
"Sometimes I wonder," she said, looking at Jaffer in the rearview mirror for a moment. The lab was focused on her father, though, and didn't turn his attention to her. "I've seen him do some pretty amazing things. Sometimes I wonder about him."
"He's just a smart dog, Sam." Jacob said, shrugging. "Labs are smart, and he's well trained." He felt more hot breath on his bare neck, and scowled. "And annoying."
"You haven't seen annoying, yet."
He looked over at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll see." It was almost more of a promise than a comment, and Jacob was a little nervous as they pulled into the drive thru of a fast food place to get some breakfast.
Ten minutes later, Jacob knew. He was trying to eat a breakfast sandwich and drink his cup of coffee and all the while he was trying to ignore the steady steam of dog drool sliding down the back of his neck. Jaffer had finished the sandwich that Sam had handed him fairly quickly, and was now watching Jacob as the Tok'ra tried to finish his own.
Occasionally Sam would look over and turn back quickly, trying to hide her grin. Jaffer had always been a drooler, and he was outdoing himself. Her father's neck was soaked. His shirt collar was covered in slobber, and the back of his neck was gleaming.
"I feel like I should have a snorkel on," Jacob complained finally, well aware of his daughter's amusement.
Sam snorted, her laughter finally gaining the upper hand.
Jacob scowled.
"Why isn't he drooling on you?"
"Because I'm driving. He never bothers the driver – although most of the time that's Jack, and I'm usually the one getting drooled on."
"I wonder how he knows the difference," Jacob mused, giving up on his sandwich and passing it back over his shoulder to the black lab, who took it carefully from his fingers then gobbled it as if he hadn't seen a meal in weeks.
"Beats me," Sam said, shrugging. "I'll tell you something that's even more impressive, though."
"What's that?"
"Jaffer can tell the difference between a human with a symbiote and one without."
"Bullshit."
"It's true." Sam said, looking over at him for a moment before turning her attention to the road. "He knows a Goa'uld or Tok'ra from a regular human. Jack can do it, too – Teal'c's yellow lab," Sam added. "They must give off some kind of scent, or hormone, or pheromone. I'm not sure. Whatever it is, it's a pretty nifty trick."
Jacob turned in his seat to look at the black lab, who was watching him cheerfully. After all, the man had just given him a snack, and one of the best ways to Jaffer's heart was through his stomach.
"Maybe that's why he's so guarded with me?" Jacob hazarded. "Because of Selmac?"
"Nah," Sam shook her head. "Jaffer doesn't dislike Tok'ra – or Jaffa, for that matter. He's been around Teal'c all his life, after all, and he doesn't hold any prejudices." Probably the only thing Jaffer didn't have in common with his owner, since Jack was very much the opposite. "You make it or break it with Jaffer on how you act around him – and if Jack likes you." Sam smiled. "What it probably is, though, is that he doesn't like sharing me."
"That's only fair," Jacob said, turning around and facing forward again as they were waved to a stop at the main gate at Cheyenne Mountain. "I don't like sharing you, either."
Sam smiled.
..........
"Listen dad, I need to go take care of a few things in my lab really quick. You can either come with, or hang out somewhere else. No promises you'll find what I'm doing interesting, though."
The three of them were walking down the corridors of the SGC now, and once more Jaffer was walking between Jacob and Sam, his head up and his eyes watching everything, even though he was in one of the most secure places on the planet. Jaffer took his responsibilities seriously – although it was one of the few things he ever took seriously. Something he had in common with Jack.
Jacob shrugged.
"You go ahead, Sammy. Take your time and get what you need to do done. I'll go talk to George, and then meet you somewhere, or come find you."
"You don't mind?"
"Not at all," he assured her, smiling. "I'll be fine."
"Thanks, dad."
She turned and headed for her lab, with Jaffer right beside her, and Jacob took the next left and headed for General Hammond's office.
The three of them were piled into Sam's car, a four door sedan, and Jaffer was in the back seat right behind Jacob, who could feel the lab breathing down the back of his neck.
"You could have followed me in your car," Sam reminded him, smiling. She'd never really seen Jaffer acting like he was, but it was kind of cute and extremely touching.
"I wanted to spend time with you," Jacob said. "I just didn't know I'd have the big goon breathing down my neck trying to intimidate me."
"Is it working?"
"Nah."
It was, actually, a little. But really it was just more of an annoyance – although he'd felt those teeth around his throat and knew just how sharp and big they were.
"He's usually not this bad, dad." Sam assured him. "It's probably just that Jack's gone and you didn't make a very good first impression on him by sneaking into the house last night. He's just making sure you know who's boss."
"He's just a dog, Sam," Jacob said. "I think you're probably giving him too much credit."
"Sometimes I wonder," she said, looking at Jaffer in the rearview mirror for a moment. The lab was focused on her father, though, and didn't turn his attention to her. "I've seen him do some pretty amazing things. Sometimes I wonder about him."
"He's just a smart dog, Sam." Jacob said, shrugging. "Labs are smart, and he's well trained." He felt more hot breath on his bare neck, and scowled. "And annoying."
"You haven't seen annoying, yet."
He looked over at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll see." It was almost more of a promise than a comment, and Jacob was a little nervous as they pulled into the drive thru of a fast food place to get some breakfast.
Ten minutes later, Jacob knew. He was trying to eat a breakfast sandwich and drink his cup of coffee and all the while he was trying to ignore the steady steam of dog drool sliding down the back of his neck. Jaffer had finished the sandwich that Sam had handed him fairly quickly, and was now watching Jacob as the Tok'ra tried to finish his own.
Occasionally Sam would look over and turn back quickly, trying to hide her grin. Jaffer had always been a drooler, and he was outdoing himself. Her father's neck was soaked. His shirt collar was covered in slobber, and the back of his neck was gleaming.
"I feel like I should have a snorkel on," Jacob complained finally, well aware of his daughter's amusement.
Sam snorted, her laughter finally gaining the upper hand.
Jacob scowled.
"Why isn't he drooling on you?"
"Because I'm driving. He never bothers the driver – although most of the time that's Jack, and I'm usually the one getting drooled on."
"I wonder how he knows the difference," Jacob mused, giving up on his sandwich and passing it back over his shoulder to the black lab, who took it carefully from his fingers then gobbled it as if he hadn't seen a meal in weeks.
"Beats me," Sam said, shrugging. "I'll tell you something that's even more impressive, though."
"What's that?"
"Jaffer can tell the difference between a human with a symbiote and one without."
"Bullshit."
"It's true." Sam said, looking over at him for a moment before turning her attention to the road. "He knows a Goa'uld or Tok'ra from a regular human. Jack can do it, too – Teal'c's yellow lab," Sam added. "They must give off some kind of scent, or hormone, or pheromone. I'm not sure. Whatever it is, it's a pretty nifty trick."
Jacob turned in his seat to look at the black lab, who was watching him cheerfully. After all, the man had just given him a snack, and one of the best ways to Jaffer's heart was through his stomach.
"Maybe that's why he's so guarded with me?" Jacob hazarded. "Because of Selmac?"
"Nah," Sam shook her head. "Jaffer doesn't dislike Tok'ra – or Jaffa, for that matter. He's been around Teal'c all his life, after all, and he doesn't hold any prejudices." Probably the only thing Jaffer didn't have in common with his owner, since Jack was very much the opposite. "You make it or break it with Jaffer on how you act around him – and if Jack likes you." Sam smiled. "What it probably is, though, is that he doesn't like sharing me."
"That's only fair," Jacob said, turning around and facing forward again as they were waved to a stop at the main gate at Cheyenne Mountain. "I don't like sharing you, either."
Sam smiled.
..........
"Listen dad, I need to go take care of a few things in my lab really quick. You can either come with, or hang out somewhere else. No promises you'll find what I'm doing interesting, though."
The three of them were walking down the corridors of the SGC now, and once more Jaffer was walking between Jacob and Sam, his head up and his eyes watching everything, even though he was in one of the most secure places on the planet. Jaffer took his responsibilities seriously – although it was one of the few things he ever took seriously. Something he had in common with Jack.
Jacob shrugged.
"You go ahead, Sammy. Take your time and get what you need to do done. I'll go talk to George, and then meet you somewhere, or come find you."
"You don't mind?"
"Not at all," he assured her, smiling. "I'll be fine."
"Thanks, dad."
She turned and headed for her lab, with Jaffer right beside her, and Jacob took the next left and headed for General Hammond's office.