Author's note: Binky doesn't hate Daniel; she just doesn't like being stepped on and doesn't like being dried off with his shirt. Although she might harbor a grudge, since he is the one who named her, after all... who knows? She's just being a cat... fickle as all get out.
..............
"What is it with you and that cat?" Jack murmured to Jaffer in the elevator as they headed back down to the ground floor. "You know she's far too young for you, don't you?"
Jaffer looked up at him, cheerfully, his tail wagging idly like it always did when Jack was conversing with him in such a tone. Jack reached down and rubbed his ears, lovingly.
"It'll never work, you know... you're from two different worlds... she's a cat, you're a dog... what would Shadow say when you brought her home?"
The elevator opened and cut off Jack's litany of reasons, and the two of them headed through the lobby of Daniel's apartment building and out into the quiet street.
"Are you hungry? Or did you fill up on fair food?"
Dumb question! Jaffer was always hungry.
Jack felt a bit better after talking to Daniel. He wasn't positive that Xara was completely the real deal, but since he'd pretty much convinced Daniel it made it a bit easier for Jack to sort of believe as well. Enough so that he was going to go talk to Dotty the next day when she returned from her trip. He'd just have to figure out a way to breach the conversation without coming off sounding too off the wall.
"Let's grab something on the way home, little man," Jack said as he started the truck and pulled out. For someone who'd eaten a ton of fair food himself, Jack was pretty hungry.
...............
About an hour later, just as the clock on his fireplace mantel was reading midnight, Jack and Jaffer walked through the front door. Jack was carrying a bag filled with burgers and fries in one hand and a strawberry milkshake in the other. He knew Sam wouldn't approve of such a heavy meal so late at night, but she wasn't there, and between him and Jaffer there wouldn't be any evidence anyways.
He let Jaffer out the back door so he could make his final rounds of the backyard for the night, took a quick shower while he had the chance, then the two of them took their midnight snack to bed.
While he fed bites of burger to his patiently watching black lab, Jack considered how best to approach Dotty. He wasn't sure exactly what to tell her, after all. He and Shawn's mother got along very well – it's easy to like someone who loves someone you love as much as you do, after all – and they both loved Shawn. But he'd never had a conversation with her like the one that was rolling around in his head as he split his French fries with Jaffer. He didn't want her to think he was crazy, after all. Although the more he thought about it, the more he wondered if Daniel's initial reaction had been right. Maybe Xara had just gotten lucky on a few guesses. There was no real evidence to suggest she was really a psychic. Not really. A guess about a son. Maybe the wording hadn't been all that specific?
He replayed the conversation in his mind more than a few times. Jack was good at remembering things when he wanted to – although usually he didn't have to, since he could count on Sam or Daniel or Teal'c to remember things for him if they were around – and he had no trouble remembering Madam Xara's exact words. They'd been pretty specific. At least the part about Sam had. Jaffer being a guardian spirit hadn't made much sense, and that whole thing about him and the black lab sharing an aura... well that had just plain been kooky. Jack looked at Jaffer, who was watching him intently.
"You'd tell me if you were a guardian spirit, right?"
The look he received in return plainly said Jaffer would tell him anything if Jack would give him the rest of his fries.
Jack split the last of his meal with Jaffer and the stretched out, sinking into the pillows and considering the rest of Xara's predictions. Sam loved him. Big news there. Gina had a crush on someone? That was interesting. He supposed it was about time – if it were true. The girl was probably at that age when she should be getting crushes. As long as she didn't get one on him. He liked her too much to dodge her attentions. Many adventures and someone famous. Maybe she'd end up marrying some famous dancer. Or maybe she'd end up being some famous dancer? Who knew?
That whole thing about Carter traveling far... that could have been a guess. He scowled as he turned off the light, and Jaffer flopped down on the bed, resting his head on Jack's chest – which told O'Neill his baby wanted cuddling. Jack stroked Jaffer's sides and shoulder while the dog sighed contentedly, and his mind went back to the part about Sam not having any children. It wasn't acceptable. Jack knew Sam wanted to have a child – at least one, although occasionally she'd go for the shock thing and mention a house filled with 12 kids. Jack was pretty sure she didn't really want that many, but he was also sure that he'd give her that many if that was what she wanted. He liked kids. Loved Shawn. Had loved Charlie. He felt that same pang of loss at the thought of his son, and Jaffer stretched up and licked his chin gently, as if to reassure him.
"We'll go see Dotty tomorrow," Jack said softly into the darkness of his room as he caressed Jaffer's ears. If that was what would make Sam happy, and Dotty had some way of knowing what was wrong, then Jack would figure out a way to bring it up. Even if it made him look stupid.
Jaffer snorted softly, as though in agreement, and Jack closed his eyes, his hand still rubbing the black lab gently.
He fell asleep only moments later, lulled by Jaffer's steady heartbeat beating against his own chest in an almost identical rhythm, and the black lab's comforting warmth soothing Jack in ways that only Jaffer seemed to be able to soothe. And while he slept, he dreamed.
Xara was there. She was looming over him in a similar fashion to the way Jaffer tended to loom. The woman was looking down at Jack while he slept, and Jaffer raised his head to look at her as though he could see her. Xara's hand, ghostly pale and translucent, reached out to touch Jack, but before she made contact, Jaffer moved slightly, placing his head between Jack and the hand. The woman smiled, unconcerned.
"I wasn't going to hurt him... I just wondered if there was more... that I hadn't seen..." She said in that calm voice she had. "You guard him so carefully, and yet you need him as much as he needs you..." Her voice was puzzled. She reached down and touched the black lab, closing her eyes. "So much concentrated love... what could possibly be so important about him that he needed such power to look after him...?" Her hand reached for Jack once more, her eyes opening again and troubled. "What is he... what is his purpose...?" Even as her hand came close to Jack, Jaffer's low growl warned her she was getting too close. He didn't speak, but he didn't need to. He'd never needed to. The growl made it more than clear. The hand paused, and then started forward again. There was so much she wanted to know. She was so curious...
This time the growl was deeper, and far more dangerous. There was no doubting that Jack was off-limits. As the thunder rumbled deep in Jaffer's chest and belly, Xara's hand retreated, and the growling subsided, although he still watched her suspiciously.
Jack woke up, looking around, feeling... something. His hand was on Jaffer's side, and the black lab was sound asleep, snoring gently with his breath warming Jack's belly every time he exhaled. Frowning, Jack looked around once more, but the dark room was quiet and he knew that no one was there. If someone had been, Jaffer wouldn't be asleep.
"That's what I get for eating so much crap before bed..." he murmured into the dark, quietly so he didn't wake his sleeping dog. Promising himself he'd only eat salad the next day, Jack closed his eyes once more. This time, his sleep was untroubled.
..............
"What is it with you and that cat?" Jack murmured to Jaffer in the elevator as they headed back down to the ground floor. "You know she's far too young for you, don't you?"
Jaffer looked up at him, cheerfully, his tail wagging idly like it always did when Jack was conversing with him in such a tone. Jack reached down and rubbed his ears, lovingly.
"It'll never work, you know... you're from two different worlds... she's a cat, you're a dog... what would Shadow say when you brought her home?"
The elevator opened and cut off Jack's litany of reasons, and the two of them headed through the lobby of Daniel's apartment building and out into the quiet street.
"Are you hungry? Or did you fill up on fair food?"
Dumb question! Jaffer was always hungry.
Jack felt a bit better after talking to Daniel. He wasn't positive that Xara was completely the real deal, but since he'd pretty much convinced Daniel it made it a bit easier for Jack to sort of believe as well. Enough so that he was going to go talk to Dotty the next day when she returned from her trip. He'd just have to figure out a way to breach the conversation without coming off sounding too off the wall.
"Let's grab something on the way home, little man," Jack said as he started the truck and pulled out. For someone who'd eaten a ton of fair food himself, Jack was pretty hungry.
...............
About an hour later, just as the clock on his fireplace mantel was reading midnight, Jack and Jaffer walked through the front door. Jack was carrying a bag filled with burgers and fries in one hand and a strawberry milkshake in the other. He knew Sam wouldn't approve of such a heavy meal so late at night, but she wasn't there, and between him and Jaffer there wouldn't be any evidence anyways.
He let Jaffer out the back door so he could make his final rounds of the backyard for the night, took a quick shower while he had the chance, then the two of them took their midnight snack to bed.
While he fed bites of burger to his patiently watching black lab, Jack considered how best to approach Dotty. He wasn't sure exactly what to tell her, after all. He and Shawn's mother got along very well – it's easy to like someone who loves someone you love as much as you do, after all – and they both loved Shawn. But he'd never had a conversation with her like the one that was rolling around in his head as he split his French fries with Jaffer. He didn't want her to think he was crazy, after all. Although the more he thought about it, the more he wondered if Daniel's initial reaction had been right. Maybe Xara had just gotten lucky on a few guesses. There was no real evidence to suggest she was really a psychic. Not really. A guess about a son. Maybe the wording hadn't been all that specific?
He replayed the conversation in his mind more than a few times. Jack was good at remembering things when he wanted to – although usually he didn't have to, since he could count on Sam or Daniel or Teal'c to remember things for him if they were around – and he had no trouble remembering Madam Xara's exact words. They'd been pretty specific. At least the part about Sam had. Jaffer being a guardian spirit hadn't made much sense, and that whole thing about him and the black lab sharing an aura... well that had just plain been kooky. Jack looked at Jaffer, who was watching him intently.
"You'd tell me if you were a guardian spirit, right?"
The look he received in return plainly said Jaffer would tell him anything if Jack would give him the rest of his fries.
Jack split the last of his meal with Jaffer and the stretched out, sinking into the pillows and considering the rest of Xara's predictions. Sam loved him. Big news there. Gina had a crush on someone? That was interesting. He supposed it was about time – if it were true. The girl was probably at that age when she should be getting crushes. As long as she didn't get one on him. He liked her too much to dodge her attentions. Many adventures and someone famous. Maybe she'd end up marrying some famous dancer. Or maybe she'd end up being some famous dancer? Who knew?
That whole thing about Carter traveling far... that could have been a guess. He scowled as he turned off the light, and Jaffer flopped down on the bed, resting his head on Jack's chest – which told O'Neill his baby wanted cuddling. Jack stroked Jaffer's sides and shoulder while the dog sighed contentedly, and his mind went back to the part about Sam not having any children. It wasn't acceptable. Jack knew Sam wanted to have a child – at least one, although occasionally she'd go for the shock thing and mention a house filled with 12 kids. Jack was pretty sure she didn't really want that many, but he was also sure that he'd give her that many if that was what she wanted. He liked kids. Loved Shawn. Had loved Charlie. He felt that same pang of loss at the thought of his son, and Jaffer stretched up and licked his chin gently, as if to reassure him.
"We'll go see Dotty tomorrow," Jack said softly into the darkness of his room as he caressed Jaffer's ears. If that was what would make Sam happy, and Dotty had some way of knowing what was wrong, then Jack would figure out a way to bring it up. Even if it made him look stupid.
Jaffer snorted softly, as though in agreement, and Jack closed his eyes, his hand still rubbing the black lab gently.
He fell asleep only moments later, lulled by Jaffer's steady heartbeat beating against his own chest in an almost identical rhythm, and the black lab's comforting warmth soothing Jack in ways that only Jaffer seemed to be able to soothe. And while he slept, he dreamed.
Xara was there. She was looming over him in a similar fashion to the way Jaffer tended to loom. The woman was looking down at Jack while he slept, and Jaffer raised his head to look at her as though he could see her. Xara's hand, ghostly pale and translucent, reached out to touch Jack, but before she made contact, Jaffer moved slightly, placing his head between Jack and the hand. The woman smiled, unconcerned.
"I wasn't going to hurt him... I just wondered if there was more... that I hadn't seen..." She said in that calm voice she had. "You guard him so carefully, and yet you need him as much as he needs you..." Her voice was puzzled. She reached down and touched the black lab, closing her eyes. "So much concentrated love... what could possibly be so important about him that he needed such power to look after him...?" Her hand reached for Jack once more, her eyes opening again and troubled. "What is he... what is his purpose...?" Even as her hand came close to Jack, Jaffer's low growl warned her she was getting too close. He didn't speak, but he didn't need to. He'd never needed to. The growl made it more than clear. The hand paused, and then started forward again. There was so much she wanted to know. She was so curious...
This time the growl was deeper, and far more dangerous. There was no doubting that Jack was off-limits. As the thunder rumbled deep in Jaffer's chest and belly, Xara's hand retreated, and the growling subsided, although he still watched her suspiciously.
Jack woke up, looking around, feeling... something. His hand was on Jaffer's side, and the black lab was sound asleep, snoring gently with his breath warming Jack's belly every time he exhaled. Frowning, Jack looked around once more, but the dark room was quiet and he knew that no one was there. If someone had been, Jaffer wouldn't be asleep.
"That's what I get for eating so much crap before bed..." he murmured into the dark, quietly so he didn't wake his sleeping dog. Promising himself he'd only eat salad the next day, Jack closed his eyes once more. This time, his sleep was untroubled.