He should have been concerned at the display of temper he was seeing. Not concerned for himself, of course. Jacob was pretty sure that despite the threat, there was very little Jack could do to hurt him permanently. Pretty sure. He should have been concerned because the man who was showing such a nasty temper was the one who his daughter had decided she would eventually spend the rest of her life with, and if that temper was ever turned on her it was capable of terrible things. Irreversible things.
Of course, he knew better. Jacob knew without a doubt that Jack would never turn on Sam in the same manner he'd just turned on him. He could tell by the anger in the younger man's voice, and by the way he had immediately risen up to confront the one – potential – threat to what he thought was going to make Sam happiest. Jack was the kind of man that would step in front of a bullet for someone he didn't know; he'd certainly go to far more extreme measures for those he liked. God only knew what he'd do for Sam, who Jacob knew he loved more than anyone else.
Obviously, though, one of those things was to make it immediately clear to her father that his meddling was not appreciated. Jacob shook his head, and raised a hand to stop Jack from saying in his anger something that couldn't be unsaid.
"Jack, I'm not."
"Not what, Jacob?" O'Neill asked, his brown eyes flashing with unbridled anger still.
"I'm not here to tell you not to marry Sam." Jacob frowned. "Well, maybe I thought about it on my way here, but... well, it's not as bad an idea as I might have originally thought it was..."
"So you came down here to tell me... that it's sort of okay?"
The frown turned into a scowl. "Look. Maybe we can go get a drink and talk about this a little..."
"Jacob, I don't want to go get a drink. For one thing, if I have a drink, I'm not going to be able to fly home tonight. For another, I'm not sure I want to drink with you, and not to mention that if you get me drunk, I might forget that you and I are on the same side and I might do something I... might... regret later."
"How about a cup of coffee?"
"Why don't you just tell me what you want to tell me, Jacob?" Jack said, folding his arms across his chest. "That way we're not someplace I have to pretend that I'm enjoying myself."
Jacob sighed, frustrated, but he understood why the man was being so defensive, and so belligerent. If the situations were reversed, he might be acting the same way.
"Look. I love Sam. I want her to be happy."
"So do I."
"Do we have to go to a different room, Colonel?" Jacob asked, scowling at him. "I get to talk now, even if it is your lecture room."
The use of Jack's rank was a pretty low blow, and Jacob knew it, but it did stop Jack from making a scathing comment, reminding him that while Jacob was with the Tok'ra, he was still a General, and out-ranked Jack. More or less.
"Fine, Sir." The sarcasm was not the gentle sarcasm Jack had used earlier. He recognized the cheap shot as easily as Jacob did. "You have the floor."
Jacob was quiet while he thought through what he wanted to say, but Jack didn't move, and he didn't hurry him along. He watched the older man intently, and Jacob was immediately reminded of the way Jaffer watched him whenever he'd been around Sam.
"Look. I know you love Sam, Jack." Jacob started. "God knows, she loves you." He shrugged. "I love her, too, though, you know? I'm her dad. She's supposed to need me..." He sighed. "If she marries you, then she won't need me, anymore."
There, it was out in the open. One of the reasons he didn't want his little girl to get married. He wanted to be the primary focus in her life, and if she got married, Jack would take that role away from him – if he hadn't already.
"Sam's always going to need you, Jacob."
He shrugged. "Maybe."
"She needs me, too, though." Jack said. "Although I can't for the life of me figure out why..."
"Me, either."
This time, though, Jacob wasn't serious, and Jack's expression cleared a bit of the anger that had been there.
"I'll never hurt her, Jacob. That's the only promise I can make you. I'd die first."
"I know, Jack." Yeah, he knew.
"Sam really doesn't know you're here?"
Jacob shook his head.
"How did you manage that?"
"Had George find her busy work to keep her occupied. He sent her to go guard Daniel Jackson while he did some rubbings or something."
"Off-world?" Jack frowned.
"Don't worry, Jack," Jacob said. "It's not dangerous, and she took that demon of yours with her, so she'll be fine."
"Jaffer is a sweetheart," Jack objected, smiling. "Like his owner."
"Jaffer is spoiled and overprotective."
"Overprotective? My little black lab?" He was over his mad, now, and Jacob was glad. The two of them would have more to discuss, of course, but none of it without Sam knowing about it.
"Your little black lab about ripped my throat out last night," he told him.
"What did you do to make him do that?"
"I'll tell you all about it over lunch. Then I have to get back to Cheyenne Mountain."
"How did you get here?"
"Borrowed an F-15."
Jack shook his head, amazed. All this way just to tell him he sort of was okay with Jack marrying his daughter, but wasn't positive. And really Jack wasn't even certain that Jacob had said it was okay. He frowned, again, but the scowl didn't reach his eyes.
"She'll be pretty upset if she finds out you came down her to pick a fight with me."
"I didn't come down here to pick a fight with you."
"And yet, you did."
"You yelled at me. I didn't yell at you."
"See? You're still arguing with me..." Jack shook his head, pretending to be dismayed.
"I'm not-"
"That's okay, Jacob, you can make it up to me by buying me lunch."
Jack headed for the door, and Jacob stared after him, wondering how he'd managed to lose control of the situation so quickly that he was now buying lunch for the guy. He frowned, and shrugged.
"Fine, but I'm picking the place..."
"Fine."
Oh, yes, there were so many places here to choose from. Jack waited just long enough for Jacob to catch up to him in the corridor, then the two headed for the exit.
Of course, he knew better. Jacob knew without a doubt that Jack would never turn on Sam in the same manner he'd just turned on him. He could tell by the anger in the younger man's voice, and by the way he had immediately risen up to confront the one – potential – threat to what he thought was going to make Sam happiest. Jack was the kind of man that would step in front of a bullet for someone he didn't know; he'd certainly go to far more extreme measures for those he liked. God only knew what he'd do for Sam, who Jacob knew he loved more than anyone else.
Obviously, though, one of those things was to make it immediately clear to her father that his meddling was not appreciated. Jacob shook his head, and raised a hand to stop Jack from saying in his anger something that couldn't be unsaid.
"Jack, I'm not."
"Not what, Jacob?" O'Neill asked, his brown eyes flashing with unbridled anger still.
"I'm not here to tell you not to marry Sam." Jacob frowned. "Well, maybe I thought about it on my way here, but... well, it's not as bad an idea as I might have originally thought it was..."
"So you came down here to tell me... that it's sort of okay?"
The frown turned into a scowl. "Look. Maybe we can go get a drink and talk about this a little..."
"Jacob, I don't want to go get a drink. For one thing, if I have a drink, I'm not going to be able to fly home tonight. For another, I'm not sure I want to drink with you, and not to mention that if you get me drunk, I might forget that you and I are on the same side and I might do something I... might... regret later."
"How about a cup of coffee?"
"Why don't you just tell me what you want to tell me, Jacob?" Jack said, folding his arms across his chest. "That way we're not someplace I have to pretend that I'm enjoying myself."
Jacob sighed, frustrated, but he understood why the man was being so defensive, and so belligerent. If the situations were reversed, he might be acting the same way.
"Look. I love Sam. I want her to be happy."
"So do I."
"Do we have to go to a different room, Colonel?" Jacob asked, scowling at him. "I get to talk now, even if it is your lecture room."
The use of Jack's rank was a pretty low blow, and Jacob knew it, but it did stop Jack from making a scathing comment, reminding him that while Jacob was with the Tok'ra, he was still a General, and out-ranked Jack. More or less.
"Fine, Sir." The sarcasm was not the gentle sarcasm Jack had used earlier. He recognized the cheap shot as easily as Jacob did. "You have the floor."
Jacob was quiet while he thought through what he wanted to say, but Jack didn't move, and he didn't hurry him along. He watched the older man intently, and Jacob was immediately reminded of the way Jaffer watched him whenever he'd been around Sam.
"Look. I know you love Sam, Jack." Jacob started. "God knows, she loves you." He shrugged. "I love her, too, though, you know? I'm her dad. She's supposed to need me..." He sighed. "If she marries you, then she won't need me, anymore."
There, it was out in the open. One of the reasons he didn't want his little girl to get married. He wanted to be the primary focus in her life, and if she got married, Jack would take that role away from him – if he hadn't already.
"Sam's always going to need you, Jacob."
He shrugged. "Maybe."
"She needs me, too, though." Jack said. "Although I can't for the life of me figure out why..."
"Me, either."
This time, though, Jacob wasn't serious, and Jack's expression cleared a bit of the anger that had been there.
"I'll never hurt her, Jacob. That's the only promise I can make you. I'd die first."
"I know, Jack." Yeah, he knew.
"Sam really doesn't know you're here?"
Jacob shook his head.
"How did you manage that?"
"Had George find her busy work to keep her occupied. He sent her to go guard Daniel Jackson while he did some rubbings or something."
"Off-world?" Jack frowned.
"Don't worry, Jack," Jacob said. "It's not dangerous, and she took that demon of yours with her, so she'll be fine."
"Jaffer is a sweetheart," Jack objected, smiling. "Like his owner."
"Jaffer is spoiled and overprotective."
"Overprotective? My little black lab?" He was over his mad, now, and Jacob was glad. The two of them would have more to discuss, of course, but none of it without Sam knowing about it.
"Your little black lab about ripped my throat out last night," he told him.
"What did you do to make him do that?"
"I'll tell you all about it over lunch. Then I have to get back to Cheyenne Mountain."
"How did you get here?"
"Borrowed an F-15."
Jack shook his head, amazed. All this way just to tell him he sort of was okay with Jack marrying his daughter, but wasn't positive. And really Jack wasn't even certain that Jacob had said it was okay. He frowned, again, but the scowl didn't reach his eyes.
"She'll be pretty upset if she finds out you came down her to pick a fight with me."
"I didn't come down here to pick a fight with you."
"And yet, you did."
"You yelled at me. I didn't yell at you."
"See? You're still arguing with me..." Jack shook his head, pretending to be dismayed.
"I'm not-"
"That's okay, Jacob, you can make it up to me by buying me lunch."
Jack headed for the door, and Jacob stared after him, wondering how he'd managed to lose control of the situation so quickly that he was now buying lunch for the guy. He frowned, and shrugged.
"Fine, but I'm picking the place..."
"Fine."
Oh, yes, there were so many places here to choose from. Jack waited just long enough for Jacob to catch up to him in the corridor, then the two headed for the exit.