====
-- Chapter Five: What Do We Have Here?
====
"Jack, tell me something," Daniel said, his arms draped around his husband's neck, gently caressing.
"Anything, Love."
"We're retired. Why is it I'm not going with you to Washington?"
Jack smiled at his lover as their eyes locked. Daniel was the essence of beauty to Jack, so handsome and full of goodness. He hated their pending separation, but it was necessary this one time.
"Because you're supposed to be researching our new business venture."
"Oh yeah. It's going to be so much fun, Jack! You and me ... and our children ... excavating!"
"I'll miss you."
"Four days," Daniel sighed, his fingers now making sure Jack's collar was properly fixed and in place.
"Do I pass inspection?"
"Oh yeah. Sexy as ever!"
Jack smiled and then kissed his husband.
"Danny, when I get back, we need to make sure Mark has put those papers through. He's been busy, but we need to make sure everything is finalized."
"The Jackson-O'Neills ... officially! I can't wait."
"I'll call you."
"You'd better, and Jack ... don't be too hard on the new trainees. They're all good or they wouldn't be there in the first place."
"Trainees are meant to be abused, Daniel. It's in the manual," Jack laughed. "This is a special setup anyway, not so much a training as indoctrination. I still can't believe I let them talk me into this."
Daniel laughed, knowingly.
"You're doing it for the same reason I did when Megan talked me into consulting with that artifact SG-11 brought back a couple of weeks ago. It's ... fun to keep in touch."
"Do you miss it, Danny?"
"A little. You?"
"A little, but no regrets."
"Not a one, Jack. Gawd, not a single one," he said and then the two ravished each other, their love demanding a physical expression.
"You'd better go. I'll keep the cell on."
"You'd better! Love you."
"Love you, too!"
====
"Daniel, hey," Sam walked from the bar to greet her friend, their arms wrapping around each other.
"Sam! You look great!"
"Geez, it seems so strange not to see you and the General every day."
"Miss the yelling?"
"Actually ... yes."
The two laughed and then were seated at a table for their lunch. It was the second day of Jack's business trip, and Sam and Daniel had decided to have lunch together at O'Malley's.
"How's Kayla doing?"
"Oh, she's super. She's excited about her writing."
"Yeah, but I mean ..."
Daniel laughed a bit shyly.
"Yes, she's happy about that, too. She's keeping a journal for us, sort of a day by day account of what it's like to be carrying our child. Gawd, I still can't believe it."
"I'm so happy for you both," Sam said as she reached her hand across the table to squeeze Daniel's.
"We're so happy it almost seems ... wrong."
"Being happy is never wrong."
"I agree, Sam, and I think ... gawd, it sounds horrible to say it out loud, but I think Jack and I have earned it ... the right to be happy. It feels good," the young man smiled sweetly for a moment as he talked.
Daniel suddenly sighed, lost in thought, and Sam could tell it wasn't over the happiness they had just discussed.
"Is something wrong ... with the General?"
"It's just ... we have a little problem, and neither of us knows the solution. It's ... difficult."
"Wanna share?"
After the waitress took their order, Daniel took a drink of coffee, and sighed again.
"Sam, you know ... the babies. We've been planning the remodeling and how we need to childproof the house, and ... well ... you know Jack, he has ... " Daniel looked around the restaurant, "guns and ... stuff ..."
"Charlie."
Sam sat back in her seat, suddenly understanding.
"Sam, there's two big pieces to this. Jack has this really big part of him that never wants to put a child at risk again. He's ... Sam, it's taken years, lots and lots of painful memories, to get him to where he is now."
"And that is?"
"He can laugh now. He can look at a photo of our ... of Charlie and smile and remember why that photo was taken ... and then go on with the day, without getting consumed by the loss. He's at peace now, Sam. He's finally able to cherish Charlie's life and not let the way Charlie died eat away at him."
Daniel took a sip of his drink before continuing.
"We had decided to get rid of everything. Neither one of us want to take a chance. You know how curious kids are, always investigating. There's no such place as a safe place, so we decided to get rid of them."
"So what's the problem?"
"The neighbors gave us a surprise party recently."
"Really?"
"Yeah, Mrs. Valissi was behind it, but so many of them were there, Sam, full of nothing but ... friendship. They've known about us forever, but ... they pretended just like we did."
"They probably would have had to have been blind not to know it."
"I know. Anyway, we always knew the NID or ... whomever ... was checking on us. You know that."
Sam nodded, remembering when Daniel had been kidnapped and tortured. It had taken a year before the mystery had been solved and handled.
"Sam, we found out at the party that just six months ago someone was checking up on us. Jack's ... well, that other part of him ... it's the protector. His whole life has been about that. The team, me ... our children. It's deep inside of him, that need to keep us safe, and it scares him that he won't be able to do that without ... all that stuff."
"Yeah, I bet it's tearing the General apart."
"It is, Sam. He can't stand the idea of what might happen if we keep them, and at the same time, he feels like he'd be inviting something equally bad to happen if he doesn't have the tools to keep us safe."
The waitress brought their food, and the two began to eat.
"It's quite a dilemma, Daniel. Kids are inquisitive."
"I know. Telling them to stay out of someplace is like telling them to try and get into it. They could find the keys to any lock, guess a combination, find a way in. There's just no way. We can't figure out the answer. It's been so frustrating."
The two continued their lunch, and as they hugged goodbye, Sam suddenly pulled back, her speech excited and enthused, "Daniel! I think I've got it! Are you going to be home tomorrow?"
"Um ... I could be," the young man shrugged.
"Do be. And be prepared for ... company. I may need to bring Sergeant Siler with me ... upstairs ... okay?"
"Um, sure ... I guess. Sam?"
The blonde smiled brightly.
"I need to get back to the SGC. I have some ... things to work on. Be home, Daniel!"
Sam hurried away, leaving Daniel behind. He really didn't know what to make of her words, but he figured he'd find out soon enough.
====
"Morning, Daniel! Glad you're up."
"Up?" Daniel yawned.
It was 7 a.m., and to Daniel, that was the middle of the night. Sam had phoned from the porch to wake him. He was just happy that she was alone.
"Okay, Daniel, I need to see the den."
"The den?"
"Your den. Upstairs?"
"Oh, yeah. Um ..."
Sam laughed at her friend, knowing he wasn't really awake yet.
"Daniel, why don't you make some coffee. I need to check some measurements. I'm going into the den. Okay?"
Daniel nodded as he shuffled into the kitchen. Sam watched the young man. He wasn't wearing a pajama top, and the bottoms were hanging a little low. He was barefoot. His hair was uncombed, completely mussed. He had growth on his face from not shaving yet. He looked wonderful.
Smiling to herself, Sam thought, I should have grabbed him myself back on Abydos. There's nothing wrong with harems. Yeah. I could have started one and convinced Sha're to share Daniel with me!
Shaking her head, she walked upstairs to set about her task.
Daniel yawned as he put on the coffee. He reached up towards the ceiling to stretch, and then with his right hand scratched an itch on his abdomen. Suddenly, his eyes widened.
Oh, gawd.
Daniel literally ran upstairs to the bedroom and stared in the mirror, realizing how he had answered the door. He closed his eyes and shook his head, and then quickly shaved and got dress.
Fifteen minutes later, Sam saw Daniel walk in the den, dressed and looking more alert.
Good things never last, not that he's still not gorgeous now, but ... meow.
"Sorry, Sam. I'm not much of a morning person when I don't have to be." Sam was staring at him, but she looked far off. "Sam?"
Get a grip, Carter. You've got a fella, remember? Not to mention the General. Oh boy! Don't want to see that jealous streak again, not in this lifetime.
"Sorry. Lost in thought, and uh, I know. It's okay. I think I've got this figured out! I'll be back in a couple of hours, and then it'll take me a while to set it up and get it operating."
"Operating?"
"Trust me. Be back soon!"
Daniel shook his head. He still had no clue what Sam was contemplating, but he definitely did trust her.
====
While Sam was gone, Daniel decided to run a couple of quick errands himself. All the talk about child safety had gotten him thinking about things like open plug sockets and cabinets full of cleaners and other items that could harm a child. So, he went shopping and decided that while Sam was working on ... whatever she was doing, he would childproof the house.
Hours later, Daniel had completed his task, satisfied that for the moment anyway, he had done all he could. Sam was upstairs and had been working on her project for quite a while. Now, Daniel patiently waited downstairs, playing with the beagles.
Sergeant Siler had come by two hours earlier, carrying a heavy box of something. After making sure he had brought the desired amount, he had given Sam an acknowledging nod, one that seemed strange to Daniel. It was as if the two had a secret, one that was more serious than most others.
"Daniel," Sam called out as she quickly came down the stairs. "It's ready. Come see."
Daniel put Bijou down and followed his friend into the den. She walked over to the wall that adjoined the master bedroom and pointed out what looked like a large wall length painting. It stretched from the bottom of the floor to just one foot shy of the ceiling. It was just under eight inches in depth, fourteen inches wide, and looked solid.
"What is it?"
"Feel."
Daniel walked to it, taking a closer look. It had a gray background that highlighted the overlying Japanese artwork.
"I love the painting, but this is a strange material," Daniel said as he felt it.
It wasn't canvas, ceramic, or any of several other kinds of artistic platforms Daniel knew of.
"It's very unique," he said.
"You can say that again."
Daniel looked at Sam, full of questions.
"I don't get it. I mean, I love the artwork. It fits in even, but ... why?"
Sam pointed towards the top of the painting as she spoke, "See that piece of origami, the one representing the sun?" Daniel nodded. "And see that one, just to the left that represents the moon?"
"Yes."
"And a few inches down from both, this one which represents the Earth?" Again, Daniel nodded. "Put your hand against the painting so that your fingers touch the Sun and the Moon, and press softly. The bottom of your hand should be about here," Sam pointed to the spot, "where the Earth is."
Daniel did as Sam requested, jumping back when the painting began to move, splitting in two, the top half sliding up and over.
"Wow!" Daniel said wide-eyed. "It's ... oh gawd ... wow!"
Sam grinned, proud of her work. She had stayed up all night planning it, certain it was the answer Jack and Daniel were looking for.
"It's a palm scanner, like we installed at the SGC after the incident with the Reetou. I've used the patterns for just you and the General so you'll be the only two people it will open for. I wasn't exactly sure what weapons the General has, and ... I don't think I want to know," Sam smiled hesitantly, "but I made some gun racks here, and a few shelves, and if you need it modified, you can just let me know."
"Sam ... wow!"
Daniel was stunned and extremely grateful. It was like the answer to a prayer, and already, he felt a peace flowing through him.
"No keys, Daniel, and to everyone else, it looks like a painting. It should be silent with the tracking mechanism I used, so when it moves, it won't make noise, at least not much, and ..."
"Hey, what ..."
Daniel jumped again as the painting began to close.
Sam beamed again, happy her new twist had worked so well.
"I put a timer on it, just in case. I mean, you don't really know when you might need this, or if it'll be urgent, so it's set to stay open as long as the sensors show activity every few seconds, you know ... reaching in or out, but after sixty seconds without a reading, it closes automatically. Oh, and it slides back into the closet a little. I did have to make a bit of a false back, but I don't think the kids will figure it out if they find it."
"Sam, it's ... wow."
"Oh, and one more thing ..."
====
"Nice to see you, too, Kayla. Any problems before we begin?"
"No, Sylvia, everything's fine. Still adjusting, but I sure am putting on a lot of weight. Is this normal?"
"Oh, yes. It varies from pregnancy to pregnancy, of course, but you've been fine. Let's see what we have today." Sylvia proceeded with Kayla's check-up. "We need to do an ultrasound. Actually, we should have done one last month. Why didn't we?"
"I had a meeting with my publishers the day we had it scheduled originally, and the next time Jack and Daniel had some commitment they couldn't get out of."
"Well, I don't think we should put it off again. Let's schedule it."
"Something wrong?"
"Not at all." Sylvia smiled as she wrote some notes on her chart. "I'll give them a call, and then we'll set up something for next week, okay?"
"Sure. Any day but Thursday."
"Publisher?"
"Yes. I can't believe it, Sylvia. They aren't buying yet, but they're interested in the concept. We're just disagreeing on how it plays out."
"Keep to your guns, whatever they are!"
"Oh, I am. This is my one shot at my dream, and it's going to be my way or no way. I'm not compromising just for the sake of getting it published."
"Good for you, Kayla."
====
"Missed you so much, Angel."
"Ditto ... you feel good!"
The two lovers had been sitting on the sofa for an hour, just holding each other and reconnecting. They hated being apart, and always took time when reunited to just sit and enjoy the other's presence.
"Jack, I need to show you something."
"Oh, I'm all for that."
"Not that! ... Well, at least not yet."
"How about that first, and the whatever second?"
"Hmm ... very tempting, but ... um, no, you need to see this. I really want you to see this. It's ... amazing!"
"I'm all yours."
"Amen to that."
Daniel smiled as he stood to lead Jack into the den. As they stood just inside the doorway, Daniel asked, "Notice anything different?"
Jack studied the room, starting on the right and working his way around.
"Hey, what's that?"
"A painting -- Japanese. Like it?"
"Sure, looks great," Jack commented as he moved closer to look at it.
"It's kinda big, isn't it ... for a painting? I've never seen anything like this before."
"Me, either."
"Who's the artist?"
"Hmm, I think ... actually I don't know, but I'm thinking it's a Carter."
"A Carter? Carter who?"
"Samantha Carter."
"Carter? Sam? My 2IC Carter?"
Daniel nodded, smiling, his arms folded from habit.
"Go ahead, Jack. Touch it. I mean really study it, with your hands."
"You hit your head while I was gone?"
Daniel laughed, and urged his lover on.
"Trust me."
Smiling, Jack looked up and down the new piece, and with his hands traced the majority of the painting. Then, he flinched.
"Danny, if I didn't know better, I'd say this was made out of ..."
"Don't say it. You don't want to say it."
Jack looked at Daniel stunned.
"Daniel, this ... stuff protects the Stargate. I didn't know we were using that now as a canvas for a painting."
"Neither did I, until yesterday."
"How did she ..."
"Jack, I don't know. I didn't ask her. Do you want to ask her?"
Definitely not. Just exactly what the heck is going on here. "No ... oh no, I don't think so, but why is it here?"
Daniel took Jack's hand, opening the palm to his face. He kissed it gently, and then guided it up to the origami points. He placed Jack's palm in position and pressed slightly.
Jack's head moved back quickly in surprise.
"Surprise!" Daniel explained all the features of the hidden cabinet. "What do you think?"
Jack nodded, and then shook his head, not in a negative response, just a movement. He twisted his body to look at their Tree of Love, focusing on the photo of Charlie.
"What do you think, Son?"
Daniel slid his arm along Jack's, and took his hand, leaning his head against Jack's shoulder.
"I'm thinking Charlie will help us make sure we keep his siblings safe."
"I'm thinking your right. It's ... as perfect as it can be. Danny," Jack turned to face his husband, his hands on Daniel's arms, "no matter what, unless there's a threat in this house, we don't open this."
"Agreed."
"Look, the weapons ... they have to be maintained, but we schedule it. The kids ... none of them ... are ever in the house when I do that, okay?"
"Okay."
"No exceptions, Daniel."
"None. It's the best we can do, Jack, and for us, I think it's the safest answer. As much as we'd like to think we can be Ozzie and Harriett, as crazy as that sounds, we have a dangerous past, and," Daniel sighed, "something tells me we may always be associated with that past ... by choice as much as by need. You're right. We have to protect our family. Sam ... she gave us a way to ... at least let us breathe a little easier."
"That woman's a good friend. She's good ... very good."
"Just figuring that out?"
"No, but I don't want to know what she did or ... I just don't want to know."
"Then don't ask!"
"I won't. She just risked her career."
"Not for the first time, Jack."
Jack nodded as he spoke softly, "No, not for the first time. Now, about that other thing you were going to show me."
"This way ..."
Daniel led Jack to their bedroom, where once again, they said hello as only their bodies could.
====
"Oh, for crying out loud. DANIEL! What the heck did he do?" Jack glared at Bijou who looked like she was smirking at his inability to open the cupboard door. "Don't laugh, you. DANIEL!"
"Jack, what's wrong?" Daniel asked, running into the kitchen.
"I can't get this blasted thing open. What did you do?"
"It's childproofing. You just need to squeeze it right here, hold it, and then slide this off." Jack stared at Daniel. "Jack, without this lock, a child could easily open this cabinet without this lock. It only takes a second, and it only takes a spoonful of ... Comet or something like that to do serious harm. Do you want to risk that?"
"No, of course not," Jack sighed, "but how about giving me a lesson? A P-90 was a lot easier to use than these plastic things."
Daniel smiled, walked to his husband, and kissed him, and then spent the next thirty minutes acquainting Jack with all the new safety features he had installed.
====
Daniel was laughing as Bijou and Katie were tickling Jack with kisses on the living room floor.
"You little beasts," Jack laughed, moving to 'box' with the girls, his hands doing little jabbing motions. "Okay, okay, I give. You win!"
Jack sat up, leaning his back against the sofa, in between Daniel's two legs. Daniel placed a kiss on his husband's head, and massaged his shoulders.
"They're just too much for you, Babe!"
"Yeah, should have known I could never get the best of those two!"
Jack put his head all the way back to look up into Daniel's eyes. He smiled.
"What?"
"Just looking."
Daniel leaned down and pressed his lips against Jack's and smiled, "Hey ... I had an idea while you were gone."
"I'll bet you had lots of ideas!"
"Well, this one might be functional."
"What is it?"
"J-O Enterprises."
"I like that."
"It's so simple, but it seems perfect."
"Did you check it out?" Jack asked.
"Yep, it's ours ... if you agree."
"Oh, I agree. I most definitely agree," Jack said, moving up onto the sofa to kiss his husband tenderly.
Sitting side by side, facing each other, their hands caressing and stroking each other's bodies, the two shared a smile and another moment of acknowledging the birth of yet another dream come true.
"How do we work this, Angel?"
"I'm still figuring it out, but there are a lot of options. We can limit our focus or be more open-ended, doing everything from excavations to surveys and appraisals ... and the usual assessments and briefs. There's a lot we can do, Jack, and we can work with companies and foundations plus museums ... even private investors."
"I have a lot to learn, Danny. I still don't have a handle on all the lingo. Briefs are underwear to me."
"You're doing great ... my foxy genius," Daniel chuckled! "Don't worry, I have faith in you."
Daniel paused for a moment and smiled, seeing that Jack was waiting for an explanation. Daniel's heart was so full. He had never imagined that Jack would really want to get so involved with the other great love of his life ... archaeology.
"A watching brief is just ... in very simple terms ... watching an area for signs of any remains. It's usually in developing regions or smaller sites where a full-scale project isn't in the budget. Most of the time, there's already been some indication that it might have some historical significance ... or not."
Daniel laughed and then continued his educational lecture.
"Think of it as being similar to an environmental impact report. You're building a garage complex, and you have to meet a code, not just electrical or environmental, but also archaeological. No one knows for sure what might be found once the digging starts, so someone goes out and checks it out when groundbreaking happens and whenever necessary after that."
"Okay ... briefs equate to making sure a developer meets a code."
Daniel laughed. Close. "That's good enough for now."
"But it's not that simple?"
"Of course not."
"What about assessments? To me, that's evaluating my archaeologist. How many times did he disobey my orders? How many times did he touch something he wasn't supposed to? How many gray hairs did I get each mission just because of him?"
"You're so funny, Babe!"
"Thank you for the acknowledgement. Assessments?"
"Computer junkie stuff. In a sense, it's a watching brief on the computer, an analysis of all the historical and archaeological data that's been gathered."
"What kind of data, Danny?"
"Hmm, photographs, especially aerial ones. Monument records, archives, museum notes, land owner records ... that kind of thing. We feed it all into the computer and study the results. It's another way of giving a preliminary report before someone actually starts digging."
"Like Jimmy the Greek?"
Daniel laughed at his lover's analogies.
"Yeah, what are the odds? Exactly that."
"We're going to have it, Danny." Jack smiled, exchanging a loving look with his partner. "Do you still want to try and incorporate some of the college types?"
"If we can. I mean, I know we need to make money, Jack, but if we can provide practical training for one or two a year, it would be so beneficial for them. There's so much to see and learn that you can't find in a book. Still," Daniel brought Jack's hand up to his mouth and kissed it, "we'll need to hire some sharp staff. I don't want anyone who can't think beyond their noses."
Jack chuckled and was about to say something when Daniel continued to speak.
"Maybe the job application should be a copy of that lecture I was giving about the pyramids when Catherine found me. 'Read and evaluate the following'."
Daniel laughed, shaking his head at the absurdity of the thought.
"Why not? Danny ... seriously ... why not? After all, we may not be fighting the Goa'uld anymore, but we want J-O to be the best, right?"
"Yes, of course we do."
"Well, if they think your theory is full of crap, and the way they evaluate it indicates they think it's a ridiculous piece of ... manure, then we don't want them on the team. If, however, they approach it from the point of view that it's possible, and evaluate it realistically ... or Danny, even if they think it's crazy, but yet your opinion is considered with due merit and not just assumed to be ... crackpot based, then maybe they'll fit in." Jack gazed at his husband. "What do you think?"
"I think it could be the most unique application in the history of all of archaeology!" After a moment, Daniel couldn't help but comment, "Jack, you're really excited about this, aren't you?"
"Oh, yeah. It's exciting, Danny -- working with you, like this, making this company real."
"Real and different, Jack!"
"Just like us, Love. When have we ever done anything that could even remotely be described as normal?"
"Not often."
"Hey," Jack took Daniel into his arms, "Tell me."
Daniel lightly shook his head.
"It's just ... I see it in your eyes. Jack, I'm so happy, and this is just so incredible to be starting our company in a profession that is meaningful and that I'm passionate about, but gawd, you, the General, and knowing what you thought about me that first day ... I mean, not just me, but how you felt about science, and look at you ... gawd, Jack, you're working so hard, but it's not ... I mean ..."
"You mean I'm loving it."
"Yes, that's what I mean. I love you for that, Jack." The two kissed for a few minutes. "Sorry, I got a little sappy there," Daniel spoke softly as they pulled apart.
"Love sap, but back to work," Jack chirped. "Danny, we should hire Carter to do some part-time stuff for us."
"Like what?"
"Listen, I just ... I think we need to move forward in our lives, but I don't believe we should ignore who we are, or what we've done in the last decade ... longer for me."
"Background checks?"
"Yeah, and Carter can do more than a service would ... and ... I trust her to do it right."
"Me, too. We can ask her when she comes for dinner next week."
"One more thing, Love. Have you considered trying to, uh," Jack winked, "steal away some of that SGC talent!"
"Jack, you're impossible!"
"You know who's good and who's passing time."
"Yes, but ... we can't afford to pay them what they're making now ... at least not until we get off the ground. The best civilians on the SGC payroll are making good money."
"Too bad the military can't match it. I made table scraps compared to you," Jack smirked. "But Danny, they might want to work for us."
"The wonders of the universe versus Egypt, Jack?"
"Aren't there still wonders to be found in Egypt? Or Israel? Or Africa? Or South America? Aren't there wonders here on Earth just waiting to be found by someone with the heart to find them? Isn't it possible there are others out there, including people like ... well, Megan Williams ... who just might want to buy into the dream of our own world for a while?"
"Gawd, Jack ... what happened to that military bravado of yours?"
"Oh, it's there, but it's in perspective now."
"I'll make a list, and we can go over it later and maybe make some offers. You could be right."
"J-O Enterprises. You did good, Danny."
"We did good, Jack!"
"Woof! Woof!"
"Oops, our girls are beckoning," Jack said.
"You'd think they'd be a little less obvious than standing right by the drawer with their harnesses."
"Why hide it? We're pushovers, and they know it."
Jack and Daniel exchanged a kiss and stood up.
"Okay girls, time for a walk," Jack said happily, as he and Daniel prepared their children for a nice long walk through the neighborhood they loved so very much.
====
"The Rancolinis were very nice, Jack."
"It was great seeing them again, and Sean, and some of the others."
Daniel unbuttoned his shirt, lost his thought about the backyard barbecue they had just arrived home from. Jack looked at the man who was his heart and knew he was thinking about Kent Stevens, the one man at the unofficial Air Force Academy reunion who had reacted negatively to Jack's and Daniel's love affair.
"Kent was always a jerk, Danny. He has ... limited tolerance. I'm not even sure why Dale would have invited him. He was never really part of the group."
"It's not like we've haven't dealt with intolerance before."
"Put him out of your mind, Danny. Everyone else was fine with us. In fact, I thought that once they got used to the idea, most were cool."
"They were, especially the Rancolinis and Douglas'." Daniel put on his pajamas and walked over to the bed where Jack was sitting, removing his shoes and socks. "Jack, wasn't Jeff Cornell part of your class at the Academy?"
"Yeah. I asked Dale why he wasn't there. He said Jeff and Margaret were invited, but they phoned, said they would be out of town visiting Margaret's sister in Florida. Bad timing."
"Oh. I guess that's why he hasn't been over to visit the girls recently."
"Probably."
Jack joined his lover in their bed, and they snuggled together.
"Jack, tell me how it felt when you first flew a plane."
Daniel hadn't forgotten the discussion he had overheard at the Rancolinis, a discussion about the passion of flying, something Jack had said he missed. It had planted a seed in Daniel's mind, but he needed to be sure, and this was one way of doing it.
"It was incredible, soaring through the sky. It puts you in your place, but there's nothing quite as serene as flying a plane through the sky, fluffy white clouds all around you, doing a spin or two. I remember ..."
Daniel smiled as he listened to his lover talk ... and talk ... and talk. In fact, it was two hours later before Jack finally realized he had gone into lecture mode, something that was normally Daniel's forte.
"I'm sorry, Love."
"No, I loved hearing you talk about it. Thank you for sharing your passion with me."
Jack turned them over so that Daniel was lying on his back. He leaned forward for a tender kiss, his hand caressing Daniel's cheek.
"You're my true passion. Nothing compares with you."
"Not even flying?"
"Close, but no."
"Fishing?"
"Well, there you have ... OUCH!"
Jack laughed at the pat Daniel had given him on his rear. It hadn't hurt, nor was it intended to.
"You're my passion, all I need, all I want. I love you."
"Show me."
Jack did, much to Daniel's delight.
====
"Excited about the ultrasound?"
"Hmm-mmm," Daniel responded, zipping up his navy pants.
"You don't sound like it."
"Jack, we're going to find out the sex of the baby today."
"I know."
Then each caught a glimpse of the other's eyes, and at the same time, they spoke, "I don't want to know."
Both laughed, and Daniel said, "Gawd, I really don't. I want the surprise."
"Me, too."
"I guess that seems unusual with my curiosity about things, but ... this isn't an experiment. This is our child, and I want it all to be ... magic. I want to be surprised!"
"Okay, then we agree," Jack held Daniel to him. "We have Syl screen the ultrasound. What about Kayla?"
"We can't stop her from knowing. She has a right to know if she wants to, and she'll respect our wishes if we explain it to her."
"You're right. Let's go. Traffic is going to be murder this time of day."
====
"I thought you boys might not make it," Sylvia said as she greeted Jack and Daniel in her office at the clinic.
"Traffic, Syl. It was terrible."
"They need a couple more lanes on that freeway," Daniel added.
"No argument from me," Jack agreed.
"Sylvia, we need to let you know about a decision we've made."
"Okay, have a seat."
Sitting, Daniel continued his comments, "Jack and I ... we want to keep the surprise alive."
"The surprise?"
"We don't want to know the sex of the baby. All we want to know is that the baby is healthy and that Kayla is okay."
"Oh, I see."
"Is there a problem with that, Syl?" Jack asked.
"No, you're certainly not alone in that. I just wasn't anticipating that you'd feel that way. What about the ultrasound?"
"Well," Daniel said, "we'd love to see our baby, if you can ... screen it for us."
"I think I can handle that. There is something you might want to know, though. You see ..."
"No," Jack interrupted sternly, "sorry, I just ... I can't explain it, Syl, but this morning, we discovered we just want to experience it ... as it happens. We don't want to ... have it all be planned like some ... mission briefing. It's personal ... not an itemized agenda."
Sylvia nodded in understanding.
"Okay, let's go."
====
Jack and Daniel said hello to Kayla as she lay on the bed, her bulging belly exposed.
"I swear, I feel like I'm the size of a house, and it's only the half-way point."
"He's going to be a big one," Jack boasted.
Daniel just smiled. This was his baby. It didn't matter to him anymore if it was his sperm or Jack's. It was their baby. It was his baby. It was Jack's baby. It was a well-loved baby. He had so many emotions flowing through him, and all of them were good.
"Whoa, a kick!"
Daniel's heart fluttered in excitement. His eyelashes batted shyly as he realized that little life would soon be one he could hold in his arms.
"Can .. I mean ... can I ..."
"Come here, Daniel."
Kayla reached out for Daniel's hand and placed it on her protruding belly.
Jack moved to stand on the other side of the bed. He wanted to see his lover's face. He knew the feeling. Watching Daniel become aware of that life was going to be a beautiful memory for Jack. After a few moments, the baby kicked again. Daniel's eyes grew wide, and his face beamed.
"Wow! Gawd, Jack! Wow! That's my baby ... our baby! Hey, he kicked again."
Jack nodded, full of emotion. Daniel's serene look had gone beyond what Jack had imagined, and when Daniel looked up, their eyes bore into each other's. No words were needed, and Jack had to turn away and feign a cough to stop the tears welling in his eyes from falling.
"Jack ..." Daniel reached out for his soulmate's hand.
The older man took it, and together, their hands joined, they felt their child kick yet again.
Jack shook his head. He couldn't speak.
Kayla and Sylvia exchanged a look, and both smiled, holding back their own tears of happiness for their friends.
Finally, Sylvia said, "We'd better get to that ultrasound."
"Yeah," Jack sniffed, backing away. "Thanks, Kayla."
"It won't be the last time," the young woman promised.
This time, it was Jack who held out his hand for Daniel, who immediately walked to him. They stood together, their hands around the other's waist as Sylvia took a final check of the equipment.
"You two sure you don't want to know?" Sylvia asked one more time.
"Positive."
"Okay, then you two had better come over here behind the monitor and I'll tell you if it's safe to look. You know I can only control this so much!"
They nodded and moved to where Sylvia had indicated. Then, Sylvia began the ultrasound.
Kayla laughed.
"What?" Daniel asked, a bit alarmed.
"I'm having a baby. Gee whiz, look Sylvia ... how funny is that?"
Sylvia shook her head.
"Take a look guys. This baby is definitely yours!"
The two looked at the monitor. Jack laughed.
"Oh, this is definitely yours, Danny -- too shy to show anything if anything is there!"
Daniel blushed, but still a tear fell from his eye as he watched their little baby. The hands could just be made out, and it was appropriately covering up the "tell-all" area where they'd know if it was a boy or girl.
"Our baby is beautiful, Jack," Daniel whispered.
"Just like his Daddy," Jack said, kissing Daniel's temple as he held him close.
"Hands are moving ... better move back, unless ..."
The couple quickly moved back, still holding hands.
Sylvia laughed.
"SYLVIA!" Kayla gasped.
"What?" Jack and Daniel asked with alarm, in perfect unison.
"You two sure you don't want to know anything?"
"Not a thing. We told you ... just healthy."
"Oh -- healthy, definitely healthy," Sylvia said.
Kayla was laughing as she said, "Oh Sylvia."
"Careful, Kayla, they really don't want to know."
"But this is different. Don't you think they'd want to know ... this?"
"Kayla's right. This is important, Jack."
"The baby is healthy?" Jack asked.
"Yes."
"And Kayla is healthy?" Daniel asked.
"Yes, but ..."
"Then we don't want to know. We want it to be a surprise. Sylvia, I've studied histories and cultures all over the uni ... world. We're one of the few societies that are so preoccupied with knowing the details of an unborn child. Jack and I just want to feel it all as it happens. I don't know how to explain it any better than that we just want to let it happen. Please."
Sylvia and Kayla exchanged another nod.
"Okay, but you'll probably not want to see the ultrasounds that we do in the future."
"No more modesty, uh?"
"No ... no more, Jack!"
"Well, thanks, Syl. Kayla, we'll call you tonight, okay?"
"Okay, Daniel."
"Kayla ... thank you ... just ... thank you so much for what you're doing for us."
Jack and Daniel left, leaving the two women alone.
"Sylvia, they are going to be so unprepared. Are you sure we shouldn't tell them?"
"You heard them. As long as the pregnancy continues smoothly, we should probably adhere to their wishes."
"Imagine ... Jack and Daniel ... with twins!"
"Heaven help those babies!"
====On to Chapter Six...
-- Chapter Five: What Do We Have Here?
====
"Jack, tell me something," Daniel said, his arms draped around his husband's neck, gently caressing.
"Anything, Love."
"We're retired. Why is it I'm not going with you to Washington?"
Jack smiled at his lover as their eyes locked. Daniel was the essence of beauty to Jack, so handsome and full of goodness. He hated their pending separation, but it was necessary this one time.
"Because you're supposed to be researching our new business venture."
"Oh yeah. It's going to be so much fun, Jack! You and me ... and our children ... excavating!"
"I'll miss you."
"Four days," Daniel sighed, his fingers now making sure Jack's collar was properly fixed and in place.
"Do I pass inspection?"
"Oh yeah. Sexy as ever!"
Jack smiled and then kissed his husband.
"Danny, when I get back, we need to make sure Mark has put those papers through. He's been busy, but we need to make sure everything is finalized."
"The Jackson-O'Neills ... officially! I can't wait."
"I'll call you."
"You'd better, and Jack ... don't be too hard on the new trainees. They're all good or they wouldn't be there in the first place."
"Trainees are meant to be abused, Daniel. It's in the manual," Jack laughed. "This is a special setup anyway, not so much a training as indoctrination. I still can't believe I let them talk me into this."
Daniel laughed, knowingly.
"You're doing it for the same reason I did when Megan talked me into consulting with that artifact SG-11 brought back a couple of weeks ago. It's ... fun to keep in touch."
"Do you miss it, Danny?"
"A little. You?"
"A little, but no regrets."
"Not a one, Jack. Gawd, not a single one," he said and then the two ravished each other, their love demanding a physical expression.
"You'd better go. I'll keep the cell on."
"You'd better! Love you."
"Love you, too!"
====
"Daniel, hey," Sam walked from the bar to greet her friend, their arms wrapping around each other.
"Sam! You look great!"
"Geez, it seems so strange not to see you and the General every day."
"Miss the yelling?"
"Actually ... yes."
The two laughed and then were seated at a table for their lunch. It was the second day of Jack's business trip, and Sam and Daniel had decided to have lunch together at O'Malley's.
"How's Kayla doing?"
"Oh, she's super. She's excited about her writing."
"Yeah, but I mean ..."
Daniel laughed a bit shyly.
"Yes, she's happy about that, too. She's keeping a journal for us, sort of a day by day account of what it's like to be carrying our child. Gawd, I still can't believe it."
"I'm so happy for you both," Sam said as she reached her hand across the table to squeeze Daniel's.
"We're so happy it almost seems ... wrong."
"Being happy is never wrong."
"I agree, Sam, and I think ... gawd, it sounds horrible to say it out loud, but I think Jack and I have earned it ... the right to be happy. It feels good," the young man smiled sweetly for a moment as he talked.
Daniel suddenly sighed, lost in thought, and Sam could tell it wasn't over the happiness they had just discussed.
"Is something wrong ... with the General?"
"It's just ... we have a little problem, and neither of us knows the solution. It's ... difficult."
"Wanna share?"
After the waitress took their order, Daniel took a drink of coffee, and sighed again.
"Sam, you know ... the babies. We've been planning the remodeling and how we need to childproof the house, and ... well ... you know Jack, he has ... " Daniel looked around the restaurant, "guns and ... stuff ..."
"Charlie."
Sam sat back in her seat, suddenly understanding.
"Sam, there's two big pieces to this. Jack has this really big part of him that never wants to put a child at risk again. He's ... Sam, it's taken years, lots and lots of painful memories, to get him to where he is now."
"And that is?"
"He can laugh now. He can look at a photo of our ... of Charlie and smile and remember why that photo was taken ... and then go on with the day, without getting consumed by the loss. He's at peace now, Sam. He's finally able to cherish Charlie's life and not let the way Charlie died eat away at him."
Daniel took a sip of his drink before continuing.
"We had decided to get rid of everything. Neither one of us want to take a chance. You know how curious kids are, always investigating. There's no such place as a safe place, so we decided to get rid of them."
"So what's the problem?"
"The neighbors gave us a surprise party recently."
"Really?"
"Yeah, Mrs. Valissi was behind it, but so many of them were there, Sam, full of nothing but ... friendship. They've known about us forever, but ... they pretended just like we did."
"They probably would have had to have been blind not to know it."
"I know. Anyway, we always knew the NID or ... whomever ... was checking on us. You know that."
Sam nodded, remembering when Daniel had been kidnapped and tortured. It had taken a year before the mystery had been solved and handled.
"Sam, we found out at the party that just six months ago someone was checking up on us. Jack's ... well, that other part of him ... it's the protector. His whole life has been about that. The team, me ... our children. It's deep inside of him, that need to keep us safe, and it scares him that he won't be able to do that without ... all that stuff."
"Yeah, I bet it's tearing the General apart."
"It is, Sam. He can't stand the idea of what might happen if we keep them, and at the same time, he feels like he'd be inviting something equally bad to happen if he doesn't have the tools to keep us safe."
The waitress brought their food, and the two began to eat.
"It's quite a dilemma, Daniel. Kids are inquisitive."
"I know. Telling them to stay out of someplace is like telling them to try and get into it. They could find the keys to any lock, guess a combination, find a way in. There's just no way. We can't figure out the answer. It's been so frustrating."
The two continued their lunch, and as they hugged goodbye, Sam suddenly pulled back, her speech excited and enthused, "Daniel! I think I've got it! Are you going to be home tomorrow?"
"Um ... I could be," the young man shrugged.
"Do be. And be prepared for ... company. I may need to bring Sergeant Siler with me ... upstairs ... okay?"
"Um, sure ... I guess. Sam?"
The blonde smiled brightly.
"I need to get back to the SGC. I have some ... things to work on. Be home, Daniel!"
Sam hurried away, leaving Daniel behind. He really didn't know what to make of her words, but he figured he'd find out soon enough.
====
"Morning, Daniel! Glad you're up."
"Up?" Daniel yawned.
It was 7 a.m., and to Daniel, that was the middle of the night. Sam had phoned from the porch to wake him. He was just happy that she was alone.
"Okay, Daniel, I need to see the den."
"The den?"
"Your den. Upstairs?"
"Oh, yeah. Um ..."
Sam laughed at her friend, knowing he wasn't really awake yet.
"Daniel, why don't you make some coffee. I need to check some measurements. I'm going into the den. Okay?"
Daniel nodded as he shuffled into the kitchen. Sam watched the young man. He wasn't wearing a pajama top, and the bottoms were hanging a little low. He was barefoot. His hair was uncombed, completely mussed. He had growth on his face from not shaving yet. He looked wonderful.
Smiling to herself, Sam thought, I should have grabbed him myself back on Abydos. There's nothing wrong with harems. Yeah. I could have started one and convinced Sha're to share Daniel with me!
Shaking her head, she walked upstairs to set about her task.
Daniel yawned as he put on the coffee. He reached up towards the ceiling to stretch, and then with his right hand scratched an itch on his abdomen. Suddenly, his eyes widened.
Oh, gawd.
Daniel literally ran upstairs to the bedroom and stared in the mirror, realizing how he had answered the door. He closed his eyes and shook his head, and then quickly shaved and got dress.
Fifteen minutes later, Sam saw Daniel walk in the den, dressed and looking more alert.
Good things never last, not that he's still not gorgeous now, but ... meow.
"Sorry, Sam. I'm not much of a morning person when I don't have to be." Sam was staring at him, but she looked far off. "Sam?"
Get a grip, Carter. You've got a fella, remember? Not to mention the General. Oh boy! Don't want to see that jealous streak again, not in this lifetime.
"Sorry. Lost in thought, and uh, I know. It's okay. I think I've got this figured out! I'll be back in a couple of hours, and then it'll take me a while to set it up and get it operating."
"Operating?"
"Trust me. Be back soon!"
Daniel shook his head. He still had no clue what Sam was contemplating, but he definitely did trust her.
====
While Sam was gone, Daniel decided to run a couple of quick errands himself. All the talk about child safety had gotten him thinking about things like open plug sockets and cabinets full of cleaners and other items that could harm a child. So, he went shopping and decided that while Sam was working on ... whatever she was doing, he would childproof the house.
Hours later, Daniel had completed his task, satisfied that for the moment anyway, he had done all he could. Sam was upstairs and had been working on her project for quite a while. Now, Daniel patiently waited downstairs, playing with the beagles.
Sergeant Siler had come by two hours earlier, carrying a heavy box of something. After making sure he had brought the desired amount, he had given Sam an acknowledging nod, one that seemed strange to Daniel. It was as if the two had a secret, one that was more serious than most others.
"Daniel," Sam called out as she quickly came down the stairs. "It's ready. Come see."
Daniel put Bijou down and followed his friend into the den. She walked over to the wall that adjoined the master bedroom and pointed out what looked like a large wall length painting. It stretched from the bottom of the floor to just one foot shy of the ceiling. It was just under eight inches in depth, fourteen inches wide, and looked solid.
"What is it?"
"Feel."
Daniel walked to it, taking a closer look. It had a gray background that highlighted the overlying Japanese artwork.
"I love the painting, but this is a strange material," Daniel said as he felt it.
It wasn't canvas, ceramic, or any of several other kinds of artistic platforms Daniel knew of.
"It's very unique," he said.
"You can say that again."
Daniel looked at Sam, full of questions.
"I don't get it. I mean, I love the artwork. It fits in even, but ... why?"
Sam pointed towards the top of the painting as she spoke, "See that piece of origami, the one representing the sun?" Daniel nodded. "And see that one, just to the left that represents the moon?"
"Yes."
"And a few inches down from both, this one which represents the Earth?" Again, Daniel nodded. "Put your hand against the painting so that your fingers touch the Sun and the Moon, and press softly. The bottom of your hand should be about here," Sam pointed to the spot, "where the Earth is."
Daniel did as Sam requested, jumping back when the painting began to move, splitting in two, the top half sliding up and over.
"Wow!" Daniel said wide-eyed. "It's ... oh gawd ... wow!"
Sam grinned, proud of her work. She had stayed up all night planning it, certain it was the answer Jack and Daniel were looking for.
"It's a palm scanner, like we installed at the SGC after the incident with the Reetou. I've used the patterns for just you and the General so you'll be the only two people it will open for. I wasn't exactly sure what weapons the General has, and ... I don't think I want to know," Sam smiled hesitantly, "but I made some gun racks here, and a few shelves, and if you need it modified, you can just let me know."
"Sam ... wow!"
Daniel was stunned and extremely grateful. It was like the answer to a prayer, and already, he felt a peace flowing through him.
"No keys, Daniel, and to everyone else, it looks like a painting. It should be silent with the tracking mechanism I used, so when it moves, it won't make noise, at least not much, and ..."
"Hey, what ..."
Daniel jumped again as the painting began to close.
Sam beamed again, happy her new twist had worked so well.
"I put a timer on it, just in case. I mean, you don't really know when you might need this, or if it'll be urgent, so it's set to stay open as long as the sensors show activity every few seconds, you know ... reaching in or out, but after sixty seconds without a reading, it closes automatically. Oh, and it slides back into the closet a little. I did have to make a bit of a false back, but I don't think the kids will figure it out if they find it."
"Sam, it's ... wow."
"Oh, and one more thing ..."
====
"Nice to see you, too, Kayla. Any problems before we begin?"
"No, Sylvia, everything's fine. Still adjusting, but I sure am putting on a lot of weight. Is this normal?"
"Oh, yes. It varies from pregnancy to pregnancy, of course, but you've been fine. Let's see what we have today." Sylvia proceeded with Kayla's check-up. "We need to do an ultrasound. Actually, we should have done one last month. Why didn't we?"
"I had a meeting with my publishers the day we had it scheduled originally, and the next time Jack and Daniel had some commitment they couldn't get out of."
"Well, I don't think we should put it off again. Let's schedule it."
"Something wrong?"
"Not at all." Sylvia smiled as she wrote some notes on her chart. "I'll give them a call, and then we'll set up something for next week, okay?"
"Sure. Any day but Thursday."
"Publisher?"
"Yes. I can't believe it, Sylvia. They aren't buying yet, but they're interested in the concept. We're just disagreeing on how it plays out."
"Keep to your guns, whatever they are!"
"Oh, I am. This is my one shot at my dream, and it's going to be my way or no way. I'm not compromising just for the sake of getting it published."
"Good for you, Kayla."
====
"Missed you so much, Angel."
"Ditto ... you feel good!"
The two lovers had been sitting on the sofa for an hour, just holding each other and reconnecting. They hated being apart, and always took time when reunited to just sit and enjoy the other's presence.
"Jack, I need to show you something."
"Oh, I'm all for that."
"Not that! ... Well, at least not yet."
"How about that first, and the whatever second?"
"Hmm ... very tempting, but ... um, no, you need to see this. I really want you to see this. It's ... amazing!"
"I'm all yours."
"Amen to that."
Daniel smiled as he stood to lead Jack into the den. As they stood just inside the doorway, Daniel asked, "Notice anything different?"
Jack studied the room, starting on the right and working his way around.
"Hey, what's that?"
"A painting -- Japanese. Like it?"
"Sure, looks great," Jack commented as he moved closer to look at it.
"It's kinda big, isn't it ... for a painting? I've never seen anything like this before."
"Me, either."
"Who's the artist?"
"Hmm, I think ... actually I don't know, but I'm thinking it's a Carter."
"A Carter? Carter who?"
"Samantha Carter."
"Carter? Sam? My 2IC Carter?"
Daniel nodded, smiling, his arms folded from habit.
"Go ahead, Jack. Touch it. I mean really study it, with your hands."
"You hit your head while I was gone?"
Daniel laughed, and urged his lover on.
"Trust me."
Smiling, Jack looked up and down the new piece, and with his hands traced the majority of the painting. Then, he flinched.
"Danny, if I didn't know better, I'd say this was made out of ..."
"Don't say it. You don't want to say it."
Jack looked at Daniel stunned.
"Daniel, this ... stuff protects the Stargate. I didn't know we were using that now as a canvas for a painting."
"Neither did I, until yesterday."
"How did she ..."
"Jack, I don't know. I didn't ask her. Do you want to ask her?"
Definitely not. Just exactly what the heck is going on here. "No ... oh no, I don't think so, but why is it here?"
Daniel took Jack's hand, opening the palm to his face. He kissed it gently, and then guided it up to the origami points. He placed Jack's palm in position and pressed slightly.
Jack's head moved back quickly in surprise.
"Surprise!" Daniel explained all the features of the hidden cabinet. "What do you think?"
Jack nodded, and then shook his head, not in a negative response, just a movement. He twisted his body to look at their Tree of Love, focusing on the photo of Charlie.
"What do you think, Son?"
Daniel slid his arm along Jack's, and took his hand, leaning his head against Jack's shoulder.
"I'm thinking Charlie will help us make sure we keep his siblings safe."
"I'm thinking your right. It's ... as perfect as it can be. Danny," Jack turned to face his husband, his hands on Daniel's arms, "no matter what, unless there's a threat in this house, we don't open this."
"Agreed."
"Look, the weapons ... they have to be maintained, but we schedule it. The kids ... none of them ... are ever in the house when I do that, okay?"
"Okay."
"No exceptions, Daniel."
"None. It's the best we can do, Jack, and for us, I think it's the safest answer. As much as we'd like to think we can be Ozzie and Harriett, as crazy as that sounds, we have a dangerous past, and," Daniel sighed, "something tells me we may always be associated with that past ... by choice as much as by need. You're right. We have to protect our family. Sam ... she gave us a way to ... at least let us breathe a little easier."
"That woman's a good friend. She's good ... very good."
"Just figuring that out?"
"No, but I don't want to know what she did or ... I just don't want to know."
"Then don't ask!"
"I won't. She just risked her career."
"Not for the first time, Jack."
Jack nodded as he spoke softly, "No, not for the first time. Now, about that other thing you were going to show me."
"This way ..."
Daniel led Jack to their bedroom, where once again, they said hello as only their bodies could.
====
"Oh, for crying out loud. DANIEL! What the heck did he do?" Jack glared at Bijou who looked like she was smirking at his inability to open the cupboard door. "Don't laugh, you. DANIEL!"
"Jack, what's wrong?" Daniel asked, running into the kitchen.
"I can't get this blasted thing open. What did you do?"
"It's childproofing. You just need to squeeze it right here, hold it, and then slide this off." Jack stared at Daniel. "Jack, without this lock, a child could easily open this cabinet without this lock. It only takes a second, and it only takes a spoonful of ... Comet or something like that to do serious harm. Do you want to risk that?"
"No, of course not," Jack sighed, "but how about giving me a lesson? A P-90 was a lot easier to use than these plastic things."
Daniel smiled, walked to his husband, and kissed him, and then spent the next thirty minutes acquainting Jack with all the new safety features he had installed.
====
Daniel was laughing as Bijou and Katie were tickling Jack with kisses on the living room floor.
"You little beasts," Jack laughed, moving to 'box' with the girls, his hands doing little jabbing motions. "Okay, okay, I give. You win!"
Jack sat up, leaning his back against the sofa, in between Daniel's two legs. Daniel placed a kiss on his husband's head, and massaged his shoulders.
"They're just too much for you, Babe!"
"Yeah, should have known I could never get the best of those two!"
Jack put his head all the way back to look up into Daniel's eyes. He smiled.
"What?"
"Just looking."
Daniel leaned down and pressed his lips against Jack's and smiled, "Hey ... I had an idea while you were gone."
"I'll bet you had lots of ideas!"
"Well, this one might be functional."
"What is it?"
"J-O Enterprises."
"I like that."
"It's so simple, but it seems perfect."
"Did you check it out?" Jack asked.
"Yep, it's ours ... if you agree."
"Oh, I agree. I most definitely agree," Jack said, moving up onto the sofa to kiss his husband tenderly.
Sitting side by side, facing each other, their hands caressing and stroking each other's bodies, the two shared a smile and another moment of acknowledging the birth of yet another dream come true.
"How do we work this, Angel?"
"I'm still figuring it out, but there are a lot of options. We can limit our focus or be more open-ended, doing everything from excavations to surveys and appraisals ... and the usual assessments and briefs. There's a lot we can do, Jack, and we can work with companies and foundations plus museums ... even private investors."
"I have a lot to learn, Danny. I still don't have a handle on all the lingo. Briefs are underwear to me."
"You're doing great ... my foxy genius," Daniel chuckled! "Don't worry, I have faith in you."
Daniel paused for a moment and smiled, seeing that Jack was waiting for an explanation. Daniel's heart was so full. He had never imagined that Jack would really want to get so involved with the other great love of his life ... archaeology.
"A watching brief is just ... in very simple terms ... watching an area for signs of any remains. It's usually in developing regions or smaller sites where a full-scale project isn't in the budget. Most of the time, there's already been some indication that it might have some historical significance ... or not."
Daniel laughed and then continued his educational lecture.
"Think of it as being similar to an environmental impact report. You're building a garage complex, and you have to meet a code, not just electrical or environmental, but also archaeological. No one knows for sure what might be found once the digging starts, so someone goes out and checks it out when groundbreaking happens and whenever necessary after that."
"Okay ... briefs equate to making sure a developer meets a code."
Daniel laughed. Close. "That's good enough for now."
"But it's not that simple?"
"Of course not."
"What about assessments? To me, that's evaluating my archaeologist. How many times did he disobey my orders? How many times did he touch something he wasn't supposed to? How many gray hairs did I get each mission just because of him?"
"You're so funny, Babe!"
"Thank you for the acknowledgement. Assessments?"
"Computer junkie stuff. In a sense, it's a watching brief on the computer, an analysis of all the historical and archaeological data that's been gathered."
"What kind of data, Danny?"
"Hmm, photographs, especially aerial ones. Monument records, archives, museum notes, land owner records ... that kind of thing. We feed it all into the computer and study the results. It's another way of giving a preliminary report before someone actually starts digging."
"Like Jimmy the Greek?"
Daniel laughed at his lover's analogies.
"Yeah, what are the odds? Exactly that."
"We're going to have it, Danny." Jack smiled, exchanging a loving look with his partner. "Do you still want to try and incorporate some of the college types?"
"If we can. I mean, I know we need to make money, Jack, but if we can provide practical training for one or two a year, it would be so beneficial for them. There's so much to see and learn that you can't find in a book. Still," Daniel brought Jack's hand up to his mouth and kissed it, "we'll need to hire some sharp staff. I don't want anyone who can't think beyond their noses."
Jack chuckled and was about to say something when Daniel continued to speak.
"Maybe the job application should be a copy of that lecture I was giving about the pyramids when Catherine found me. 'Read and evaluate the following'."
Daniel laughed, shaking his head at the absurdity of the thought.
"Why not? Danny ... seriously ... why not? After all, we may not be fighting the Goa'uld anymore, but we want J-O to be the best, right?"
"Yes, of course we do."
"Well, if they think your theory is full of crap, and the way they evaluate it indicates they think it's a ridiculous piece of ... manure, then we don't want them on the team. If, however, they approach it from the point of view that it's possible, and evaluate it realistically ... or Danny, even if they think it's crazy, but yet your opinion is considered with due merit and not just assumed to be ... crackpot based, then maybe they'll fit in." Jack gazed at his husband. "What do you think?"
"I think it could be the most unique application in the history of all of archaeology!" After a moment, Daniel couldn't help but comment, "Jack, you're really excited about this, aren't you?"
"Oh, yeah. It's exciting, Danny -- working with you, like this, making this company real."
"Real and different, Jack!"
"Just like us, Love. When have we ever done anything that could even remotely be described as normal?"
"Not often."
"Hey," Jack took Daniel into his arms, "Tell me."
Daniel lightly shook his head.
"It's just ... I see it in your eyes. Jack, I'm so happy, and this is just so incredible to be starting our company in a profession that is meaningful and that I'm passionate about, but gawd, you, the General, and knowing what you thought about me that first day ... I mean, not just me, but how you felt about science, and look at you ... gawd, Jack, you're working so hard, but it's not ... I mean ..."
"You mean I'm loving it."
"Yes, that's what I mean. I love you for that, Jack." The two kissed for a few minutes. "Sorry, I got a little sappy there," Daniel spoke softly as they pulled apart.
"Love sap, but back to work," Jack chirped. "Danny, we should hire Carter to do some part-time stuff for us."
"Like what?"
"Listen, I just ... I think we need to move forward in our lives, but I don't believe we should ignore who we are, or what we've done in the last decade ... longer for me."
"Background checks?"
"Yeah, and Carter can do more than a service would ... and ... I trust her to do it right."
"Me, too. We can ask her when she comes for dinner next week."
"One more thing, Love. Have you considered trying to, uh," Jack winked, "steal away some of that SGC talent!"
"Jack, you're impossible!"
"You know who's good and who's passing time."
"Yes, but ... we can't afford to pay them what they're making now ... at least not until we get off the ground. The best civilians on the SGC payroll are making good money."
"Too bad the military can't match it. I made table scraps compared to you," Jack smirked. "But Danny, they might want to work for us."
"The wonders of the universe versus Egypt, Jack?"
"Aren't there still wonders to be found in Egypt? Or Israel? Or Africa? Or South America? Aren't there wonders here on Earth just waiting to be found by someone with the heart to find them? Isn't it possible there are others out there, including people like ... well, Megan Williams ... who just might want to buy into the dream of our own world for a while?"
"Gawd, Jack ... what happened to that military bravado of yours?"
"Oh, it's there, but it's in perspective now."
"I'll make a list, and we can go over it later and maybe make some offers. You could be right."
"J-O Enterprises. You did good, Danny."
"We did good, Jack!"
"Woof! Woof!"
"Oops, our girls are beckoning," Jack said.
"You'd think they'd be a little less obvious than standing right by the drawer with their harnesses."
"Why hide it? We're pushovers, and they know it."
Jack and Daniel exchanged a kiss and stood up.
"Okay girls, time for a walk," Jack said happily, as he and Daniel prepared their children for a nice long walk through the neighborhood they loved so very much.
====
"The Rancolinis were very nice, Jack."
"It was great seeing them again, and Sean, and some of the others."
Daniel unbuttoned his shirt, lost his thought about the backyard barbecue they had just arrived home from. Jack looked at the man who was his heart and knew he was thinking about Kent Stevens, the one man at the unofficial Air Force Academy reunion who had reacted negatively to Jack's and Daniel's love affair.
"Kent was always a jerk, Danny. He has ... limited tolerance. I'm not even sure why Dale would have invited him. He was never really part of the group."
"It's not like we've haven't dealt with intolerance before."
"Put him out of your mind, Danny. Everyone else was fine with us. In fact, I thought that once they got used to the idea, most were cool."
"They were, especially the Rancolinis and Douglas'." Daniel put on his pajamas and walked over to the bed where Jack was sitting, removing his shoes and socks. "Jack, wasn't Jeff Cornell part of your class at the Academy?"
"Yeah. I asked Dale why he wasn't there. He said Jeff and Margaret were invited, but they phoned, said they would be out of town visiting Margaret's sister in Florida. Bad timing."
"Oh. I guess that's why he hasn't been over to visit the girls recently."
"Probably."
Jack joined his lover in their bed, and they snuggled together.
"Jack, tell me how it felt when you first flew a plane."
Daniel hadn't forgotten the discussion he had overheard at the Rancolinis, a discussion about the passion of flying, something Jack had said he missed. It had planted a seed in Daniel's mind, but he needed to be sure, and this was one way of doing it.
"It was incredible, soaring through the sky. It puts you in your place, but there's nothing quite as serene as flying a plane through the sky, fluffy white clouds all around you, doing a spin or two. I remember ..."
Daniel smiled as he listened to his lover talk ... and talk ... and talk. In fact, it was two hours later before Jack finally realized he had gone into lecture mode, something that was normally Daniel's forte.
"I'm sorry, Love."
"No, I loved hearing you talk about it. Thank you for sharing your passion with me."
Jack turned them over so that Daniel was lying on his back. He leaned forward for a tender kiss, his hand caressing Daniel's cheek.
"You're my true passion. Nothing compares with you."
"Not even flying?"
"Close, but no."
"Fishing?"
"Well, there you have ... OUCH!"
Jack laughed at the pat Daniel had given him on his rear. It hadn't hurt, nor was it intended to.
"You're my passion, all I need, all I want. I love you."
"Show me."
Jack did, much to Daniel's delight.
====
"Excited about the ultrasound?"
"Hmm-mmm," Daniel responded, zipping up his navy pants.
"You don't sound like it."
"Jack, we're going to find out the sex of the baby today."
"I know."
Then each caught a glimpse of the other's eyes, and at the same time, they spoke, "I don't want to know."
Both laughed, and Daniel said, "Gawd, I really don't. I want the surprise."
"Me, too."
"I guess that seems unusual with my curiosity about things, but ... this isn't an experiment. This is our child, and I want it all to be ... magic. I want to be surprised!"
"Okay, then we agree," Jack held Daniel to him. "We have Syl screen the ultrasound. What about Kayla?"
"We can't stop her from knowing. She has a right to know if she wants to, and she'll respect our wishes if we explain it to her."
"You're right. Let's go. Traffic is going to be murder this time of day."
====
"I thought you boys might not make it," Sylvia said as she greeted Jack and Daniel in her office at the clinic.
"Traffic, Syl. It was terrible."
"They need a couple more lanes on that freeway," Daniel added.
"No argument from me," Jack agreed.
"Sylvia, we need to let you know about a decision we've made."
"Okay, have a seat."
Sitting, Daniel continued his comments, "Jack and I ... we want to keep the surprise alive."
"The surprise?"
"We don't want to know the sex of the baby. All we want to know is that the baby is healthy and that Kayla is okay."
"Oh, I see."
"Is there a problem with that, Syl?" Jack asked.
"No, you're certainly not alone in that. I just wasn't anticipating that you'd feel that way. What about the ultrasound?"
"Well," Daniel said, "we'd love to see our baby, if you can ... screen it for us."
"I think I can handle that. There is something you might want to know, though. You see ..."
"No," Jack interrupted sternly, "sorry, I just ... I can't explain it, Syl, but this morning, we discovered we just want to experience it ... as it happens. We don't want to ... have it all be planned like some ... mission briefing. It's personal ... not an itemized agenda."
Sylvia nodded in understanding.
"Okay, let's go."
====
Jack and Daniel said hello to Kayla as she lay on the bed, her bulging belly exposed.
"I swear, I feel like I'm the size of a house, and it's only the half-way point."
"He's going to be a big one," Jack boasted.
Daniel just smiled. This was his baby. It didn't matter to him anymore if it was his sperm or Jack's. It was their baby. It was his baby. It was Jack's baby. It was a well-loved baby. He had so many emotions flowing through him, and all of them were good.
"Whoa, a kick!"
Daniel's heart fluttered in excitement. His eyelashes batted shyly as he realized that little life would soon be one he could hold in his arms.
"Can .. I mean ... can I ..."
"Come here, Daniel."
Kayla reached out for Daniel's hand and placed it on her protruding belly.
Jack moved to stand on the other side of the bed. He wanted to see his lover's face. He knew the feeling. Watching Daniel become aware of that life was going to be a beautiful memory for Jack. After a few moments, the baby kicked again. Daniel's eyes grew wide, and his face beamed.
"Wow! Gawd, Jack! Wow! That's my baby ... our baby! Hey, he kicked again."
Jack nodded, full of emotion. Daniel's serene look had gone beyond what Jack had imagined, and when Daniel looked up, their eyes bore into each other's. No words were needed, and Jack had to turn away and feign a cough to stop the tears welling in his eyes from falling.
"Jack ..." Daniel reached out for his soulmate's hand.
The older man took it, and together, their hands joined, they felt their child kick yet again.
Jack shook his head. He couldn't speak.
Kayla and Sylvia exchanged a look, and both smiled, holding back their own tears of happiness for their friends.
Finally, Sylvia said, "We'd better get to that ultrasound."
"Yeah," Jack sniffed, backing away. "Thanks, Kayla."
"It won't be the last time," the young woman promised.
This time, it was Jack who held out his hand for Daniel, who immediately walked to him. They stood together, their hands around the other's waist as Sylvia took a final check of the equipment.
"You two sure you don't want to know?" Sylvia asked one more time.
"Positive."
"Okay, then you two had better come over here behind the monitor and I'll tell you if it's safe to look. You know I can only control this so much!"
They nodded and moved to where Sylvia had indicated. Then, Sylvia began the ultrasound.
Kayla laughed.
"What?" Daniel asked, a bit alarmed.
"I'm having a baby. Gee whiz, look Sylvia ... how funny is that?"
Sylvia shook her head.
"Take a look guys. This baby is definitely yours!"
The two looked at the monitor. Jack laughed.
"Oh, this is definitely yours, Danny -- too shy to show anything if anything is there!"
Daniel blushed, but still a tear fell from his eye as he watched their little baby. The hands could just be made out, and it was appropriately covering up the "tell-all" area where they'd know if it was a boy or girl.
"Our baby is beautiful, Jack," Daniel whispered.
"Just like his Daddy," Jack said, kissing Daniel's temple as he held him close.
"Hands are moving ... better move back, unless ..."
The couple quickly moved back, still holding hands.
Sylvia laughed.
"SYLVIA!" Kayla gasped.
"What?" Jack and Daniel asked with alarm, in perfect unison.
"You two sure you don't want to know anything?"
"Not a thing. We told you ... just healthy."
"Oh -- healthy, definitely healthy," Sylvia said.
Kayla was laughing as she said, "Oh Sylvia."
"Careful, Kayla, they really don't want to know."
"But this is different. Don't you think they'd want to know ... this?"
"Kayla's right. This is important, Jack."
"The baby is healthy?" Jack asked.
"Yes."
"And Kayla is healthy?" Daniel asked.
"Yes, but ..."
"Then we don't want to know. We want it to be a surprise. Sylvia, I've studied histories and cultures all over the uni ... world. We're one of the few societies that are so preoccupied with knowing the details of an unborn child. Jack and I just want to feel it all as it happens. I don't know how to explain it any better than that we just want to let it happen. Please."
Sylvia and Kayla exchanged another nod.
"Okay, but you'll probably not want to see the ultrasounds that we do in the future."
"No more modesty, uh?"
"No ... no more, Jack!"
"Well, thanks, Syl. Kayla, we'll call you tonight, okay?"
"Okay, Daniel."
"Kayla ... thank you ... just ... thank you so much for what you're doing for us."
Jack and Daniel left, leaving the two women alone.
"Sylvia, they are going to be so unprepared. Are you sure we shouldn't tell them?"
"You heard them. As long as the pregnancy continues smoothly, we should probably adhere to their wishes."
"Imagine ... Jack and Daniel ... with twins!"
"Heaven help those babies!"
====On to Chapter Six...