Abby was a cheerful dog. All labs are cheerful by nature, and she was as happy a creature as Jack had ever seen. But when Marissa came walking through the door the next morning, Abby went crazy with happiness. She swamped Marissa and Oliver, wuffling excitedly with her tail wagging so hard Jack was certain the thing was going to fly off and hit something any minute. It was incredibly endearing, and Jack smiled. What made it even more amusing was that Marissa was just as ecstatic to see Abby, and she was making little happy noises, too, as she hugged her little lab and made much of her.
"She looks great, Jack," Marissa said, looking up when the initial greeting was over.
"She looked great already," Jack said, leaning against the door jam. He was pleased, though, because Marissa didn't have any reason to be disappointed with the way he'd taken care of her baby. He'd simply treated her like he'd have wanted Marissa to treat Jaffer if the situations were reversed.
"You took good care of her."
"She's a great dog."
"Shall we see if she's a pregnant dog?"
Jack nodded, and called Jaffer to his side so he'd be out of the way. He didn't exactly know what she was going to do, but he figured she probably needed room to do it.
"How are you going to check her?" Sam asked, curiously. "Is there a doggie pregnancy test?"
Marissa nodded. "That's exactly it."
Jack decided he didn't really need to be there to watch the process. He didn't even want to know what a doggie pregnancy test included, but he was pretty sure Abby didn't need his help, and decided she probably should have a little privacy.
"I'll... um... be waiting in... where are you going to do this test thing?"
"The living room."
"I'll be outside." He headed for the door. "C'mon Jaffer."
Sam smiled, understanding immediately, and she and Marissa exchanged an amused glance.
"Oliver? Why don't you go keep him company?"
Marissa's husband followed Jack out the door, more than willing to miss this part of the whole breeding experience.
"Can I help?" Sam asked. She was far more intrigued than grossed out.
"Sure. You can hold her head and keep her occupied for a minute. Let's go into the living room."
................
"Congratulations," Marissa said, smiling, a half hour later as she, Sam and Abby walked out onto the deck. "Jaffer's going to be a poppa."
Jack looked up from the chair he was sitting in. He and Oliver had been talking sports and tossing a stick for Jaffer to chase.
"Already? You're sure?"
Marissa nodded.
"99% sure."
Sam smiled when she saw the look on Jack's face. It was a mixture of relief, pleasure and excitement and a large smattering of pride.
"That's great." Oliver said. His expression was almost identical to Jack's, and Sam realized the two men were going to be 'grandpas'.
"It's wonderful news," Jack said, taking hold of Abby's face and planting a kiss on the top of her nose. The black lab reacted instantly with a kiss of her own, her tongue snaking out and catching Jack on the lips. He sputtered, but it wasn't serious, since he'd long since grown used to dog slobber.
"We're going to take her home," Marissa said, smiling both at the treatment Jack was receiving and at the prospect of bringing Abby home after missing her for so many days – which felt like far more than it really was.
"You'll keep us informed of how she's doing?"
"Of course! You're more than welcome to come by anytime and see her, and I'll send digital pictures of her as she gets fat, so you can keep track of her progress."
"That'll be great." Jack wasn't positive he wanted to be there when the puppies were born, but he definitely wanted to see them soon afterward.
They stayed out on the deck discussing puppies – Abby's upcoming puppies in particular – for another half hour or so, but it was obvious Marissa wanted to get Abby home where she could make a big deal out of her baby without an audience. Jack could understand perfectly. He helped Oliver gather all of Abby's equipment, extra food that hadn't been necessary, and assorted doggie treats, and they loaded it into the car, while Sam said goodbye to Abby. Jack gave the little black lab a good scratch, too, promising her that he'd see her soon, then watched as they piled into the car and drove off.
Jack sighed.
"What's wrong?" Sam asked, putting her arm around his waist as the two walked in the front door.
"I miss her already."
She smiled.
"You're such a softie."
"I am not."
"Liar."
"I'm not."
"Okay, you're not."
"Hey, don't patronize me..."
"I'm not... you're tough and mean."
He scowled, but it wasn't the serious scowl, and Sam laughed as Jack wrapped his arms around her tightly and wrestled her down onto the couch, where he pinned her and started tickling her. Sam's laughter turned to helpless giggles, and Jaffer rushed over, trying to decide if it was Sam who needed his help or Jack. Both looked like they were happy to him. He finally just ended up jumping up on both of them, pinning them both down as he growled happily, his tail wagging and slobber dripping.
"I... thought... you were going... to go... see... General Hammond!" Sam's voice was broken by giggles, and squeals – something that would have amused anyone from the base, since they'd never seen her in such a position before.
"I am," Jack told her, finally. He was still pinning her down, pretty much sprawled on her with a hand bracing himself above her so his weight combined with Jaffer's weight didn't smoosh her flat. "I just had to take care of other things first."
"Like tickling me until I almost pee my pants?"
Jack smiled. "Like this."
He bent down and kissed her. Sam's smile faded immediately, and she sighed against his kiss. God, he was such a softie. No one would ever believe it if she tried to tell them.
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Want to come with me?"
"I'm going back to bed." She'd been up late, after all, and unlike him, she'd had to work all week. She was ready to relax.
"I'll take Jaffer so you can sleep."
She knew better. He was taking Jaffer because he wanted to get out of the house he'd been stuck in for the last three days and he wanted the company. Besides, Hammond's grand daughters loved it when Jaffer came to visit, and chances were they'd be there.
"Hurry home."
Jack smiled and kissed her again. He loved it when she said stuff like that. It meant even more since she'd agreed to come live with him. It was her home, too, now. Or would be, when she moved in.
"Wild horses couldn't keep me away."
He gestured for Jaffer to get off his back and then he reluctantly rolled off the couch as well, letting her up. Sam had the final say, though, when a hand slid erotically along his body as he moved, and he smiled.
"Wanton."
"I'm addicted to you, what can I say?"
"She looks great, Jack," Marissa said, looking up when the initial greeting was over.
"She looked great already," Jack said, leaning against the door jam. He was pleased, though, because Marissa didn't have any reason to be disappointed with the way he'd taken care of her baby. He'd simply treated her like he'd have wanted Marissa to treat Jaffer if the situations were reversed.
"You took good care of her."
"She's a great dog."
"Shall we see if she's a pregnant dog?"
Jack nodded, and called Jaffer to his side so he'd be out of the way. He didn't exactly know what she was going to do, but he figured she probably needed room to do it.
"How are you going to check her?" Sam asked, curiously. "Is there a doggie pregnancy test?"
Marissa nodded. "That's exactly it."
Jack decided he didn't really need to be there to watch the process. He didn't even want to know what a doggie pregnancy test included, but he was pretty sure Abby didn't need his help, and decided she probably should have a little privacy.
"I'll... um... be waiting in... where are you going to do this test thing?"
"The living room."
"I'll be outside." He headed for the door. "C'mon Jaffer."
Sam smiled, understanding immediately, and she and Marissa exchanged an amused glance.
"Oliver? Why don't you go keep him company?"
Marissa's husband followed Jack out the door, more than willing to miss this part of the whole breeding experience.
"Can I help?" Sam asked. She was far more intrigued than grossed out.
"Sure. You can hold her head and keep her occupied for a minute. Let's go into the living room."
................
"Congratulations," Marissa said, smiling, a half hour later as she, Sam and Abby walked out onto the deck. "Jaffer's going to be a poppa."
Jack looked up from the chair he was sitting in. He and Oliver had been talking sports and tossing a stick for Jaffer to chase.
"Already? You're sure?"
Marissa nodded.
"99% sure."
Sam smiled when she saw the look on Jack's face. It was a mixture of relief, pleasure and excitement and a large smattering of pride.
"That's great." Oliver said. His expression was almost identical to Jack's, and Sam realized the two men were going to be 'grandpas'.
"It's wonderful news," Jack said, taking hold of Abby's face and planting a kiss on the top of her nose. The black lab reacted instantly with a kiss of her own, her tongue snaking out and catching Jack on the lips. He sputtered, but it wasn't serious, since he'd long since grown used to dog slobber.
"We're going to take her home," Marissa said, smiling both at the treatment Jack was receiving and at the prospect of bringing Abby home after missing her for so many days – which felt like far more than it really was.
"You'll keep us informed of how she's doing?"
"Of course! You're more than welcome to come by anytime and see her, and I'll send digital pictures of her as she gets fat, so you can keep track of her progress."
"That'll be great." Jack wasn't positive he wanted to be there when the puppies were born, but he definitely wanted to see them soon afterward.
They stayed out on the deck discussing puppies – Abby's upcoming puppies in particular – for another half hour or so, but it was obvious Marissa wanted to get Abby home where she could make a big deal out of her baby without an audience. Jack could understand perfectly. He helped Oliver gather all of Abby's equipment, extra food that hadn't been necessary, and assorted doggie treats, and they loaded it into the car, while Sam said goodbye to Abby. Jack gave the little black lab a good scratch, too, promising her that he'd see her soon, then watched as they piled into the car and drove off.
Jack sighed.
"What's wrong?" Sam asked, putting her arm around his waist as the two walked in the front door.
"I miss her already."
She smiled.
"You're such a softie."
"I am not."
"Liar."
"I'm not."
"Okay, you're not."
"Hey, don't patronize me..."
"I'm not... you're tough and mean."
He scowled, but it wasn't the serious scowl, and Sam laughed as Jack wrapped his arms around her tightly and wrestled her down onto the couch, where he pinned her and started tickling her. Sam's laughter turned to helpless giggles, and Jaffer rushed over, trying to decide if it was Sam who needed his help or Jack. Both looked like they were happy to him. He finally just ended up jumping up on both of them, pinning them both down as he growled happily, his tail wagging and slobber dripping.
"I... thought... you were going... to go... see... General Hammond!" Sam's voice was broken by giggles, and squeals – something that would have amused anyone from the base, since they'd never seen her in such a position before.
"I am," Jack told her, finally. He was still pinning her down, pretty much sprawled on her with a hand bracing himself above her so his weight combined with Jaffer's weight didn't smoosh her flat. "I just had to take care of other things first."
"Like tickling me until I almost pee my pants?"
Jack smiled. "Like this."
He bent down and kissed her. Sam's smile faded immediately, and she sighed against his kiss. God, he was such a softie. No one would ever believe it if she tried to tell them.
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Want to come with me?"
"I'm going back to bed." She'd been up late, after all, and unlike him, she'd had to work all week. She was ready to relax.
"I'll take Jaffer so you can sleep."
She knew better. He was taking Jaffer because he wanted to get out of the house he'd been stuck in for the last three days and he wanted the company. Besides, Hammond's grand daughters loved it when Jaffer came to visit, and chances were they'd be there.
"Hurry home."
Jack smiled and kissed her again. He loved it when she said stuff like that. It meant even more since she'd agreed to come live with him. It was her home, too, now. Or would be, when she moved in.
"Wild horses couldn't keep me away."
He gestured for Jaffer to get off his back and then he reluctantly rolled off the couch as well, letting her up. Sam had the final say, though, when a hand slid erotically along his body as he moved, and he smiled.
"Wanton."
"I'm addicted to you, what can I say?"