"Jacob?" Hammond looked up when he heard his friend knock on his office and door, and waved him in, closing his laptop and moving it aside. "I figured you'd be spending the morning with Major Carter."
"I was planning on it, George," Jacob said as he walked in and sat down. "But she had some stuff to take care of."
"She's amazing, Jacob," Hammond said, smiling. "You should be very proud of her."
"I am."
He looked distracted, though. Not at all like he normally did when the two friends were discussing Samantha Carter. Hammond, of course, noticed immediately. He knew his friend better than anyone.
"What's wrong, Jacob?"
"Did you know Jack O'Neill asked Sam to marry him?"
Hammond nodded, understanding the distraction immediately. He hadn't thought to mention it to Jacob when the Tok'ra had come through the Stargate the night before – that was definitely something Major Carter should break to her father, not Hammond.
"I understand it was something O'Neill had been planning for sometime," He said.
"Did he ask you?"
Hammond smiled and shook his head.
"What do you think?"
Jacob scowled.
"There are regulations, George."
"They've saved the world enough times that I think we can give them a little leeway, Jacob. God knows if anyone deserves a chance to be happy, it's your daughter."
Hammond knew how tough it was for Sam to always have the weight of the world on her shoulders, and he saw that load lighten considerably every time she was around Jack O'Neill. The two were good for each other, as far as he was concerned.
"Are you against them getting married?" He asked his friend.
Jacob scowled, and threw up his hands, frustrated.
"No, I'm not against them getting married. Christ, Jack O'Neill is about the most honorable man I've ever met, and I know he loves her – and she's made it perfectly plain that she loves him. I just..."
"You just don't want your baby to grow up?"
The scowl deepened.
"I know she's grown up, George. I just don't want her to get hurt. What if something happens to him? How would she...?" He trailed off, an old pain in his expression. Jacob knew how much it hurt to lose a spouse. Hammond did, too. Both men were silent, reflecting on past loves for a long moment, and then Hammond spoke up.
"Would you have ever changed anything, Jacob? Knowing what was going to happen, would you have not married her?"
"No." The answer was immediate. There had been far more good times than bad, and he knew he'd never have wanted to live without having loved Sam's mother. "I just... I don't want her to go through what I did if something happens... Why can't she love a banker?" "
"Life's a gamble we take, Jacob." Hammond said, shrugging. "Love is an even bigger gamble."
"I know."
"They have a right to take the gamble, too."
"You're supposed to be on my side, George." Jacob complained.
Hammond smiled, slightly, and leaned forward. "You want Sam to be happy. I want Sam to be happy. We're on the same side. Jack O'Neill makes her happy."
"She's..." Jacob sighed, and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead, tiredly. "Where's Jack?"
"Out of town."
"I know that, George. Where out of town? When will he be back?"
"Tomorrow sometime. He's at Area 51 giving a lecture."
"A lecture? Jack O'Neill?"
"A tactics lecture," Hammond said, smiling. "No one better for teaching tactics than Jack."
"Do you have any flights heading that way today?"
"No."
"Can I borrow an F-15, then?"
Hammond looked at his friend for a long moment.
"Why?"
"I need to see him. Alone. Without Sam."
"Jacob..."
"George. I'm not going to cause trouble. I just want to talk to him. I need to talk to him. This is my little girl's future I'm talking about here."
"She's not a little girl, anymore, in case you haven't noticed."
"I know. But she'll always be my little girl."
"If you do something crazy behind her back, you're liable to hurt her."
"I'd never hurt her, George." Jacob assured him. Hammond knew that, though. Well, he knew that Jacob wouldn't hurt her on purpose, anyways. "So? Can I borrow a plane?"
"I can't just give you an F-15, Jacob." Hammond said, scowling. He saw his friend's expression darken, and shrugged. "However, Colonel O'Neill appears to have left some... very important papers on his desk... that I'm sure he'll need for his lecture. I can't remember the fax number there – secret stuff, you understand – so maybe you could deliver them for me? If you have a bit of spare time?"
Jacob smiled. "I think I could do that, George. As a favor to you, you understand."
"I'll call the Air Command and have them fuel up a jet for you."
"Thanks."
"Are you planning on telling Major Carter where you're going?"
"Good Lord, no. And don't you tell her, either. She'll just worry, or be mad."
"I'm not going to lie to her."
"Why don't you do me a favor and find something important off-world for her to do for the rest of the day?"
"Your favors list is running pretty high, old friend."
Jacob shrugged. "I seem to recall a young Lieutenant who really wanted to be introduced to this beautiful young woman who just made his heart flutter- "
"Fine, fine... I'll find something for her to do." Hammond sighed, rolling his eyes. "Just... don't do anything dumb, okay?"
"Me???"
"Get out of my office, Jacob." George said. "I have a base to run." And some kind of busy work to find for Carter to take care of while her father was off meddling in her personal life.
"I was planning on it, George," Jacob said as he walked in and sat down. "But she had some stuff to take care of."
"She's amazing, Jacob," Hammond said, smiling. "You should be very proud of her."
"I am."
He looked distracted, though. Not at all like he normally did when the two friends were discussing Samantha Carter. Hammond, of course, noticed immediately. He knew his friend better than anyone.
"What's wrong, Jacob?"
"Did you know Jack O'Neill asked Sam to marry him?"
Hammond nodded, understanding the distraction immediately. He hadn't thought to mention it to Jacob when the Tok'ra had come through the Stargate the night before – that was definitely something Major Carter should break to her father, not Hammond.
"I understand it was something O'Neill had been planning for sometime," He said.
"Did he ask you?"
Hammond smiled and shook his head.
"What do you think?"
Jacob scowled.
"There are regulations, George."
"They've saved the world enough times that I think we can give them a little leeway, Jacob. God knows if anyone deserves a chance to be happy, it's your daughter."
Hammond knew how tough it was for Sam to always have the weight of the world on her shoulders, and he saw that load lighten considerably every time she was around Jack O'Neill. The two were good for each other, as far as he was concerned.
"Are you against them getting married?" He asked his friend.
Jacob scowled, and threw up his hands, frustrated.
"No, I'm not against them getting married. Christ, Jack O'Neill is about the most honorable man I've ever met, and I know he loves her – and she's made it perfectly plain that she loves him. I just..."
"You just don't want your baby to grow up?"
The scowl deepened.
"I know she's grown up, George. I just don't want her to get hurt. What if something happens to him? How would she...?" He trailed off, an old pain in his expression. Jacob knew how much it hurt to lose a spouse. Hammond did, too. Both men were silent, reflecting on past loves for a long moment, and then Hammond spoke up.
"Would you have ever changed anything, Jacob? Knowing what was going to happen, would you have not married her?"
"No." The answer was immediate. There had been far more good times than bad, and he knew he'd never have wanted to live without having loved Sam's mother. "I just... I don't want her to go through what I did if something happens... Why can't she love a banker?" "
"Life's a gamble we take, Jacob." Hammond said, shrugging. "Love is an even bigger gamble."
"I know."
"They have a right to take the gamble, too."
"You're supposed to be on my side, George." Jacob complained.
Hammond smiled, slightly, and leaned forward. "You want Sam to be happy. I want Sam to be happy. We're on the same side. Jack O'Neill makes her happy."
"She's..." Jacob sighed, and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead, tiredly. "Where's Jack?"
"Out of town."
"I know that, George. Where out of town? When will he be back?"
"Tomorrow sometime. He's at Area 51 giving a lecture."
"A lecture? Jack O'Neill?"
"A tactics lecture," Hammond said, smiling. "No one better for teaching tactics than Jack."
"Do you have any flights heading that way today?"
"No."
"Can I borrow an F-15, then?"
Hammond looked at his friend for a long moment.
"Why?"
"I need to see him. Alone. Without Sam."
"Jacob..."
"George. I'm not going to cause trouble. I just want to talk to him. I need to talk to him. This is my little girl's future I'm talking about here."
"She's not a little girl, anymore, in case you haven't noticed."
"I know. But she'll always be my little girl."
"If you do something crazy behind her back, you're liable to hurt her."
"I'd never hurt her, George." Jacob assured him. Hammond knew that, though. Well, he knew that Jacob wouldn't hurt her on purpose, anyways. "So? Can I borrow a plane?"
"I can't just give you an F-15, Jacob." Hammond said, scowling. He saw his friend's expression darken, and shrugged. "However, Colonel O'Neill appears to have left some... very important papers on his desk... that I'm sure he'll need for his lecture. I can't remember the fax number there – secret stuff, you understand – so maybe you could deliver them for me? If you have a bit of spare time?"
Jacob smiled. "I think I could do that, George. As a favor to you, you understand."
"I'll call the Air Command and have them fuel up a jet for you."
"Thanks."
"Are you planning on telling Major Carter where you're going?"
"Good Lord, no. And don't you tell her, either. She'll just worry, or be mad."
"I'm not going to lie to her."
"Why don't you do me a favor and find something important off-world for her to do for the rest of the day?"
"Your favors list is running pretty high, old friend."
Jacob shrugged. "I seem to recall a young Lieutenant who really wanted to be introduced to this beautiful young woman who just made his heart flutter- "
"Fine, fine... I'll find something for her to do." Hammond sighed, rolling his eyes. "Just... don't do anything dumb, okay?"
"Me???"
"Get out of my office, Jacob." George said. "I have a base to run." And some kind of busy work to find for Carter to take care of while her father was off meddling in her personal life.