Author's note: If I'm wrong on my details on General Hammond, you'll just have to forgive me! I'm too tired to go double check things.
.........................
George Hammond lived on a quiet street in a suburb just outside of the edges of Colorado Springs. He lived in a modest house, but with a huge, green yard, that was surrounded by a garden, and flowers that were secretly his pride and joy. Of course, not a lot of people knew Hammond even liked gardening, but Jack did. And he always made sure to keep Jaffer out of Hammond's gardens the few times he brought his black lab over to the house.
Two little girls came tearing around the back of the house as soon as Jack had pulled the truck to a stop, and Jaffer leaped out of the window to go and meet them without so much as a by your leave from Jack. It was one of the few places he was allowed to do that, and he knew it.
"Jaffer!"
The girls were swamped under by Jaffer's greeting, much to their delight, and Jack shook his head and headed for the door. The girls were safe outside – Jaffer would never let anyone he didn't know near them, and the black lab knew better than to go out of the yard.
Hammond was waiting for him when he reached the sidewalk leading to the front porch.
"Colonel? Shouldn't he be at your house making puppies?"
O'Neill smiled, looking over at the girls, who were now chasing Jaffer, who was running slowly, looking back over his shoulder occasionally to make sure they weren't falling too far behind.
"Nah, he's done, Sir," Jack said, smiling. "Marissa took Abby home, so we're free to leave the house now."
"And did he do what he was supposed to do?"
"Marissa says he did. If all goes well, we should have puppies in a couple months."
"Congratulations." Hammond knew how excited Jack was about the prospect of a little Jaffer running around, and he also knew that there was some heavy betting going on at the base as to who Jack was going to give the puppy to. His money was on Sam Carter, but he'd never admit to Jack that he was betting on something like that.
"Thank you, Sir."
Hammond looked over at the kids playing with Jaffer, and decided that they'd be fine. The black lab was erratic at the best of times, and Hammond could well remember many incidents which led to believe that maybe he wasn't the most responsible of creatures, but he had proven himself when it came to protecting the people around him, and Hammond had no doubt that anyone foolish enough to try something with the black lab close at hand would find a very sharp and nasty surprise waiting for them.
"Can I get you some coffee, Colonel?"
He had to assume it wasn't a social call that had brought Jack to his house that Saturday morning. According to the rumor mill at the base – which Hammond was well tapped into, despite his rank – Jack and Sam Carter had finally decided on a date for their wedding, and Hammond was fairly certain this was what O'Neill was doing here.
"That would be great, General."
The two men walked into the house, leaving Jaffer mauling the two children.
"Black?"
"Please."
They went into the kitchen and Jack watched as Hammond poured the coffee, trying to figure out how to bring up what he'd come to say. Hammond, luckily, at least gave him the best opening he could when he handed him his coffee.
"What brings you out here on a Saturday, Colonel? I'd have thought you'd be spending the day with Major Carter, hanging out and enjoying the prospect of the patter of little puppy feet."
Jack smiled.
"Actually, I came to talk to you about Major Carter, Sir."
"Oh?"
"We've set a date for our wedding, Sir. I wanted to tell you before you heard it second hand, or third or fourth."
"What day?"
"August 12th."
He'd heard August 14th.
"This year?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Congratulations, Colonel."
"Thank you, Sir." Jack took a sip of his coffee. "I just didn't want to have this sprung on you from out of nowhere."
"I was wondering when the two of you were going to get around to picking a date."
Jack was surprised by this statement. Hammond didn't seem at all surprised.
"Are you okay with this, Sir?"
"You mean is it going to cause me problems?"
Jack nodded.
"Come with me, Jack." Hammond turned and left the kitchen, and O'Neill followed him, curiously. Outside the window, he saw Jaffer chasing Hammond's youngest granddaughter, who was toting a large stick. The other child was chasing the two, screaming happily.
Hammond led Jack to his study, where he rummaged through his desk for a few moments, before withdrawing a piece of paper and handing it over. Jack took it in the hand that wasn't carrying his coffee, and read it. It wasn't long. Then he looked up at Hammond.
"When did you do this, Sir?"
"About a month after you came and told me that you were going to resign from the military to be with Sam when she'd lost the baby." Hammond said. "I figured that eventually you'd ask her to marry you, and I didn't want to go through another scene in my office, so I decided to cut out the problem before it could manifest itself. So I called the President."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I figured you didn't need me to tell you it was okay. You're a grown up, and she's a grown up. The President thinks that the two of you have saved our asses enough times that it warrants you having permission to do whatever you want to do with your lives. As long as you're still in the military – and with the SGC."
Jack smiled, and looked down at the Presidential order once more. Here was his permission to marry Sam, without either of them needing to resign, or transfer.
"Thank you, General."
"Just make sure I get an invitation, Colonel."
"Of course." Jack smiled. Like he'd ever get married without Hammond there. The man was like a father to him, even if Jack never said it.
"Is there any particular reason the two of you chose August 12th?"
Jack shrugged.
"I'm not sure. Sam chose it."
"And you just jumped at the chance to tell her yes before she changed her mind?"
"Yup."
Hammond smiled. How well he knew those under his command.
"Would you like more coffee, Colonel?"
Jack looked down at his cup, and shook his head.
"No, Sir. Thanks. I'm going to head home."
"Tell Sam I said hello."
"I will." Jack handed the Presidential order back to Hammond. "Thank you... for everything."
"That's what I'm here for, son. Now take your dog and get out of here, before he drools all over my grandkids."
"It's probably too late for that, Sir." Jack smiled, and headed for the door, calling for Jaffer, who came rushing over, trailed by the grandkids. "Say goodbye, little man," Jack said, reaching down and hugging the closest child. "We're out of here."
"I'll see you Monday, Colonel."
"Yes, Sir."
After a half a week of doing nothing, Jack was looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.
.........................
George Hammond lived on a quiet street in a suburb just outside of the edges of Colorado Springs. He lived in a modest house, but with a huge, green yard, that was surrounded by a garden, and flowers that were secretly his pride and joy. Of course, not a lot of people knew Hammond even liked gardening, but Jack did. And he always made sure to keep Jaffer out of Hammond's gardens the few times he brought his black lab over to the house.
Two little girls came tearing around the back of the house as soon as Jack had pulled the truck to a stop, and Jaffer leaped out of the window to go and meet them without so much as a by your leave from Jack. It was one of the few places he was allowed to do that, and he knew it.
"Jaffer!"
The girls were swamped under by Jaffer's greeting, much to their delight, and Jack shook his head and headed for the door. The girls were safe outside – Jaffer would never let anyone he didn't know near them, and the black lab knew better than to go out of the yard.
Hammond was waiting for him when he reached the sidewalk leading to the front porch.
"Colonel? Shouldn't he be at your house making puppies?"
O'Neill smiled, looking over at the girls, who were now chasing Jaffer, who was running slowly, looking back over his shoulder occasionally to make sure they weren't falling too far behind.
"Nah, he's done, Sir," Jack said, smiling. "Marissa took Abby home, so we're free to leave the house now."
"And did he do what he was supposed to do?"
"Marissa says he did. If all goes well, we should have puppies in a couple months."
"Congratulations." Hammond knew how excited Jack was about the prospect of a little Jaffer running around, and he also knew that there was some heavy betting going on at the base as to who Jack was going to give the puppy to. His money was on Sam Carter, but he'd never admit to Jack that he was betting on something like that.
"Thank you, Sir."
Hammond looked over at the kids playing with Jaffer, and decided that they'd be fine. The black lab was erratic at the best of times, and Hammond could well remember many incidents which led to believe that maybe he wasn't the most responsible of creatures, but he had proven himself when it came to protecting the people around him, and Hammond had no doubt that anyone foolish enough to try something with the black lab close at hand would find a very sharp and nasty surprise waiting for them.
"Can I get you some coffee, Colonel?"
He had to assume it wasn't a social call that had brought Jack to his house that Saturday morning. According to the rumor mill at the base – which Hammond was well tapped into, despite his rank – Jack and Sam Carter had finally decided on a date for their wedding, and Hammond was fairly certain this was what O'Neill was doing here.
"That would be great, General."
The two men walked into the house, leaving Jaffer mauling the two children.
"Black?"
"Please."
They went into the kitchen and Jack watched as Hammond poured the coffee, trying to figure out how to bring up what he'd come to say. Hammond, luckily, at least gave him the best opening he could when he handed him his coffee.
"What brings you out here on a Saturday, Colonel? I'd have thought you'd be spending the day with Major Carter, hanging out and enjoying the prospect of the patter of little puppy feet."
Jack smiled.
"Actually, I came to talk to you about Major Carter, Sir."
"Oh?"
"We've set a date for our wedding, Sir. I wanted to tell you before you heard it second hand, or third or fourth."
"What day?"
"August 12th."
He'd heard August 14th.
"This year?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Congratulations, Colonel."
"Thank you, Sir." Jack took a sip of his coffee. "I just didn't want to have this sprung on you from out of nowhere."
"I was wondering when the two of you were going to get around to picking a date."
Jack was surprised by this statement. Hammond didn't seem at all surprised.
"Are you okay with this, Sir?"
"You mean is it going to cause me problems?"
Jack nodded.
"Come with me, Jack." Hammond turned and left the kitchen, and O'Neill followed him, curiously. Outside the window, he saw Jaffer chasing Hammond's youngest granddaughter, who was toting a large stick. The other child was chasing the two, screaming happily.
Hammond led Jack to his study, where he rummaged through his desk for a few moments, before withdrawing a piece of paper and handing it over. Jack took it in the hand that wasn't carrying his coffee, and read it. It wasn't long. Then he looked up at Hammond.
"When did you do this, Sir?"
"About a month after you came and told me that you were going to resign from the military to be with Sam when she'd lost the baby." Hammond said. "I figured that eventually you'd ask her to marry you, and I didn't want to go through another scene in my office, so I decided to cut out the problem before it could manifest itself. So I called the President."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I figured you didn't need me to tell you it was okay. You're a grown up, and she's a grown up. The President thinks that the two of you have saved our asses enough times that it warrants you having permission to do whatever you want to do with your lives. As long as you're still in the military – and with the SGC."
Jack smiled, and looked down at the Presidential order once more. Here was his permission to marry Sam, without either of them needing to resign, or transfer.
"Thank you, General."
"Just make sure I get an invitation, Colonel."
"Of course." Jack smiled. Like he'd ever get married without Hammond there. The man was like a father to him, even if Jack never said it.
"Is there any particular reason the two of you chose August 12th?"
Jack shrugged.
"I'm not sure. Sam chose it."
"And you just jumped at the chance to tell her yes before she changed her mind?"
"Yup."
Hammond smiled. How well he knew those under his command.
"Would you like more coffee, Colonel?"
Jack looked down at his cup, and shook his head.
"No, Sir. Thanks. I'm going to head home."
"Tell Sam I said hello."
"I will." Jack handed the Presidential order back to Hammond. "Thank you... for everything."
"That's what I'm here for, son. Now take your dog and get out of here, before he drools all over my grandkids."
"It's probably too late for that, Sir." Jack smiled, and headed for the door, calling for Jaffer, who came rushing over, trailed by the grandkids. "Say goodbye, little man," Jack said, reaching down and hugging the closest child. "We're out of here."
"I'll see you Monday, Colonel."
"Yes, Sir."
After a half a week of doing nothing, Jack was looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.