====
-- Chapter Nine: By Any Other Name!
====
A short while later, Jack and Daniel stood watching their three babies who were now in incubators. Jack's arms were around Daniel's waist.
"They're so beautiful, Danny. Just like you, Angel."
"I can't believe it, Jack. They're ours," Daniel leaned his head to rest on Jack's left shoulder as he placed his hands atop Jack's.
"Aislinn Elizabeth Claire."
"What, Angel?"
"Aislinn, our dream, Jack, and our inspiration, just like your mom, and mine. Our little Aislinn! Aislinn Elizabeth Claire."
"I like that. I like that a lot. Aislinn. It's even Irish."
Jack smiled, proud of his ancestry, and that his husband had suggested such a loving name.
"Look at our first born, Jack. He's so squirmy."
"He's a big one!"
"I'll say. Poor Kayla!" Daniel chuckled. "She was carrying triplets all that time and didn't know it."
"He needs a name."
"Jonathan Charles ... little Jonny, after you," Daniel stated firmly.
"Danny ..."
"No, Jack. He's our first, and I really want him to be named after you. Please?"
Jack gazed into the depths of Daniel's cerulean blue eyes and crumbled, seeing all the love and admiration those eyes held for him.
"I can never deny you anything," Jack spoke softly, and then after a beat, he joked, "Besides, he's big enough and definitely loud enough to be mistaken for me."
"So, he's named after you and ... our first son. Do you think he'd mind?"
Jack swallowed hard, so proud of Daniel for remembering Charlie at this moment.
"No, I think he'd be honored."
"Is ... is it okay with you, or would it make you feel funny? Be honest, Jack."
Jack smiled as he spoke.
"I'm touched, Angel, and I think it's perfect. Thank you for remembering Charlie with our little miracles. Love you so much."
"It just ... feels right, Jack. He'll help us watch them. I know Charlie will."
"Yes, he will." Jack nodded in agreement as he stopped a tear from flowing down his cheek. "And this one, this one is Daniel Michael, after you."
"Jaaaack ..."
"I want our son named after you. I didn't argue over little Jonny, did I? Well, not much anyway."
Daniel sighed lightly and after a few seconds asked, "Where'd the Michael come from?"
"The same place Aislinn comes from ... our hearts."
"Like your grandmother said -- sometimes things just happen. All those names we talked about, but looking at them, these names ... they are our children's."
"Grandmothers are always so wise. So ... Daniel Michael."
"We're not calling him Mikey."
"Mike."
"Michael."
"You drive a hard bargain, My Love."
Daniel laughed at their exchange, and then marveled at all the hours they had spent researching names for their children. Yet, in the end, it came down to one minute and a magic that just happened, like Jack's grandmother had said.
"Wow, Jack. We have three children, three little babies. Gawd, they're ours. Our miracles."
"Jonny, Little Danny, and Aislinn, our blessings," Jack said proudly.
"It's Michael," Daniel said firmly, and then softening his voice greatly, added, "Jack, we have a family."
"You can say that again. Geez, Danny, you'd think just once things would go according to plan."
In an instant, Daniel stiffened in Jack's hold. Panic began to build as he made a sudden realization.
"Jack, the nursery. We're not ready!"
"We will be. I have a hunch the babies are going to be here for a little while ... because of their size, except for the little giant there." Daniel started to laugh. "What's so funny?"
"Look at Michael."
"Yeah?"
"He's reaching for Jonny. He misses him already."
Jack and Daniel exchanged a look.
"I'll bet Jonny took care of all of them in the womb."
Daniel sensed something about the oldest of the triplets. He felt a protectiveness present in their first born. He smiled, knowing without having any logic or proof to support it, that as life progressed Jonny would always be the protector, with Michael and Aislinn looking up to him for guidance and support.
"Well, if he's my kid, he'd better take care of his brother and sister," Jack bellowed.
Daniel laughed again, teasing, "He did cry a lot when he was born."
"He was cranky. Wanted to stay where it was warm, not come out into this cold world."
"He's going to be a grizzly bear like you."
"And Little Danny there will make him a marshmallow."
"MICHAEL!"
"Okay, okay. Sorry. Little ... Michael," Jack said, a large grin on his face. But not for long, Angel. That's our Danny. He knows it, and I know it, and soon enough, so will you.
"Don't even think about it, Jack."
Jack chuckled.
"Hey, we need to go see our friends. They're out there worrying, I'm sure."
"Oh, forgot. I just ... I'm not sure I can leave here."
"I'll go."
Jack kissed Daniel's nape.
"No, we'll both go." Daniel reached out and touched the closest incubator. "I love you all so much," he whispered, and with the whisper, Jack couldn't stop the tears. Daniel turned, and the two held each other for a couple of minutes, knowing they were now more than their nation of two. "We're a family, Jack."
"We always were, Angel, but now, we're a brood."
"You're incorrigible, and I adore you."
"The feeling's mutual."
Jack kissed his lover as they held hands and headed for the waiting room.
====
"What is taking so long?" Lou asked.
Janet laughed. Lou had children; he should know they came on their own time, not that of the parents.
"Some births take hours, Colonel."
"Hours and hours," Mrs. Valissi teased, "and we've only been here for a little over three hours."
Just then Jack and Daniel walked out, and everyone gathered around.
"Wow! That was fast!"
Sam smiled as she stood and approached her friends.
"It's a boy!" Daniel exclaimed with pride.
"And it's a boy," Jack boasted.
"And it's a girl," Daniel said, unable to contain the biggest grin anyone had ever seen on him.
"Boy ... boy ... gi...girl?" Sam squeaked out in question.
"Triplets!" Jack and Daniel exclaimed in proud unison.
Sam almost fell backwards, but Teal'c caught her.
"Thanks T...Murray! Triplets! Oh gawd!"
Cassie laughed as she asked, "Are you serious? Kayla had trips?"
"Way to go, Doc!" Lou slapped Daniel on the arm.
"Details, General," Hammond demanded with a smile.
"You start, Love," Jack schemed.
"Well, the first baby is loud, like Jack," Daniel teased, "so naturally, we're naming him after him. He's Jonathan Charles Jackson-O'Neill. He's sixteen and one-quarter inches with all his toes and fingers and other parts," Daniel laughed, "and he weighed a whopping nine pounds which Syl says is enormous for a triplet, but not unheard of. The main thing is that he's healthy as a horse and came into the world bellowing like a grizzly bear, just like his dad."
Daniel looked softly at Jack, indicating it was his turn.
"Our second baby, just a little guy, came out pretty quietly. He keeps reaching over for Jonny, which we think seems appropriate. He's fifteen and three-quarter inches, weighs a healthy six pounds, two ounces, and of course, he's beautiful with everything right where it's supposed to be."
"What's his name, Jack?" Jeff asked.
"Danny."
"Jack!"
Jack smiled and shrugged, and then answered, "He's Daniel Michael Jackson-O'Neill."
"And we're calling him MICHAEL, aren't we, Jack?"
Daniel gave his husband a warning look.
"Yes, Dear." Daniel jabbed Jack in the abdomen, causing everyone to laugh. "Sorry, couldn't help myself."
"You are so sleeping alone tonight!" Daniel tried to threaten, but even he laughed at the bluff. "Oh gawd," he looked down, shaking his head, realizing the bluff was a lost cause, but with complete assurance, he faced his family of friends and stated firmly, "We're calling him Michael."
"And what about the little girl?" Cassie asked eagerly. "I can't wait to see you two raising a little girl."
"She's our blessing, our biggest surprise, and our deepest inspiration to be the best we can be, so we've named her after our mothers and given her a name that speaks of doing great things. Her name is Aislinn Elizabeth Claire Jackson-O'Neill. She's so beautiful, but she's tiny," Daniel frowned, "just five pounds, but she's all there, sixteen inches, and Sylvia says she seems just fine."
"And that's our brood. Bless their hearts!" Jack drew Daniel into him as he spoke.
Everyone chatted for a while, and then they began to disperse. It was close to 4 a.m. by the time their friends started to leave.
"Sir, what about Sara? I mean, I would have thought ..."
"It wasn't an oversight. She, Mark, and Angela are on vacation at Disney World. I have their number, and we'll give them a call in a few hours."
"She'll be thrilled."
"Stay healthy, Carter. I'm not sure how thrilled Mark is going to be."
"Um, Sir, any chance I could ..." Sam nodded towards the hospital nursery where the babies were.
"Jack?"
"What are you looking at me for? Like I have control of anything here."
"Always the CO, Jack."
"Right," Jack shook his head. "Come on, Carter, sneak a peek."
"Oh, wow! They're so tiny." Sam giggled. "This is Little Dan...Michael, right?"
"How'd you know, Sam?"
"He's reaching out for Jonny."
"Did I say they could have visitors?" Sylvia asked as she walked in.
"Um, well, it's just ..."
"Give me strength! Hello, Sam."
"Hi, Sylvia."
"Syl?"
"Everything checks out. They are remarkably healthy. Reflexes are perfect for all three; no complications at all. Jonny should be out of the incubator tomorrow. He's really the strongest, but they are all doing great."
"You didn't know she was having triplets, did you, Sylvia?" Daniel inquired.
"No, Daniel. We knew about the twins. Little Aislinn was a complete surprise."
Sylvia left Jack and Daniel alone with their children where they stayed for several hours before agreeing to go home and start making arrangements for their unexpected arrivals.
When they finally went to bed, Jack held Daniel as he always did and quickly went to sleep, but after a few minutes, Daniel gently moved out of Jack's embrace. He reached into the nightstand and pulled out his journal.
Turning on a small light, one just large enough to light the journal and not disturb his husband, Daniel began to write:
"It's September 24, 2006, and the most amazing thing happened. Today, I became a father ..."
====
"Look, we're married, and even if that isn't okay in your book, our names have been legally changed. Now, I want these birth certificates to have both of our names on them."
"It's impossible."
"Why? Look, I read about it in the paper a while back. There was a ..." Jack hesitated.
He wasn't used to using labels in describing his relationship with Daniel. He felt frustrated, furious, and sick to his stomach at the injustice of it all. Jack looked at Daniel for a moment, shaking his head, trying to will himself to remain calm.
"Ma'am, there have been couples like Daniel and I before, in this state, that have had both their names on the birth certificate."
"I understand that, General O'Neill ..."
"JACKSON-O'Neill," Jack barked in frustration.
"I understand that, General, but we have laws in this county."
"You know what you can do with those laws?"
"Jack. Stop. Let's go."
Daniel walked off in resignation, arms folded.
"Daniel ..."
"It's our fault, Jack. We didn't check on this and prepare for it. Gawd. How could we forget this?"
"Too much else going on," Jack moaned. "We'd better get back."
====
"General Hammond, do you have a moment?"
"Come in, Colonel Carter. Is there a problem with the ..."
"No, Sir. Sir, there's a problem with the babies. Um, no, they're fine. It's more like a ... red tape, problem. Daniel mentioned it to me last night when I went to visit the babies. Sir, they wouldn't ask, and I don't know if there are ... strings that can be pulled, but I thought, considering all they've done ..."
"Spit it out, Colonel."
"The birth certificates. Legally, they're only allowed the name of one man ... and the hospital insists Kayla's name has to go on it. The General and Daniel have tried to reason with them, even to work out a compromise that would include all three names, but they say that legally they can't. They're heartbroken, Sir. This is one thing they just hadn't thought about."
Just then the klaxons began to blare, interrupting the conversation.
"Thank you, Colonel. No one's scheduled to return, so right now, we'd better focus on matters here."
"Yes, Sir."
====
"There we go," Jack said, scooting the crib back into place. You sure about this, Danny?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. I did a lot of research last night, and I was pretty amazed, but most of the parents used one crib for the first few months. This crib that they made for us is larger than normal so it's perfect. We can keep the crib they gave us at the shower downstairs. We'll just buy a third if we need to later."
"I still can't believe that Sylvia said we can bring Jonny home tomorrow."
"And Michael in a couple of days." Jack saw Daniel's frown. "What is it?"
"Aislinn will be alone. I don't like that. She's spent a good eight months with her brothers, someplace safe, and now she's in a loud, noisy world, and we're going to take them away from her? I don't like it, Jack. I just don't like it, that's all." Daniel drew a loud breath. "Jack, when you talked with Sylvia, did she say for sure how long she'd keep Aislinn at the hospital?"
"She wanted her to gain another pound, I think, so however long that takes."
"Jack, I want them to come home together. Is that unreasonable?"
"I don't know."
"Jack?"
"Okay, we'll talk to Syl, and see what she says. After all, why should we conform to the norm at this stage in our lives?" Jack chuckled. They knew so little about having triplets and what did or didn't make sense, so they'd do what they always did and follow their hearts. Somehow, he knew life would never quite be traditional for them. Would be boring if it was.
====
"They are beautiful, aren't they?" Kayla asked, staring at the three babies she had given birth to a couple of days earlier.
"They definitely are, " Jack said, a bounce in his step as he stood, smiling at his children, pride evident in his entire demeanor and tone.
"It was the most incredible experience of my life. I will never forget it," Kayla said, patting her now-flat stomach. She looked down, and added, "Oops, definitely going have to work out."
"We'll never forget it, either," Daniel said, grateful as always for Kayla's gift of life. "And for the record, we think you're beautiful just the way you are.
Kayla smiled brightly at the compliment, knowing Daniel meant every word.
I still need to work out, but thank you for making me feel such a part of this. "Sylvia told me that for triplets, it was a pretty calm delivery. I mean, when you think about it, it was over fairly quickly, and you know what else, guys?"
"What?" both Jack and Daniel asked.
"The pain. At the time, it hurt like heck, but now, it just ... seems dull. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, and in fact, I can't wait for the next pregnancy."
"Kayla ..."
"Jack, do you still want another child, or are the triplets ..."
Kayla paused, unsure what word to use. Were three children too many? Was it overwhelming? Would they want to change their plans now?
Daniel answered, "No, we have lots of love to give. We'd still like to have another child, if ... I mean ..."
"Oh, Daniel. You booked me for two pregnancies, and I wouldn't dream of backing out."
"It wouldn't be backing out," Jack responded. "After all, Kayla, I think you've done far more than asked. Carrying triplets -- wow!"
"Listen, guys. I'm serious. I love those babies. I'm so glad I was able to do this for you, and I want to finish what we started. So, if you still want to go ahead, then as soon as Sylvia says it's okay, or whenever you two are ready, then you let me know. I'll be here."
"Thank you," Daniel said softly. "Thank you so much."
====
Jack had spent the morning running household errands. This would be one of the last chances he had to take care of business and restock non-baby related items before the triplets came home. Though they were spending most of their time with the children, they had agreed to spend the bulk of this day at home or doing things that had been neglected since the birth of the Jackson-O'Neill children.
Carrying bags of supplies with him, Jack walked into the living room and tripped over something. He cursed loudly, barely stopping himself from falling, though the supplies didn't have the same luck, falling from Jack's arms onto the floor.
"What the ... DANIEL!"
Jack picked up the things he'd dropped, and then took a good look around the living room. There were stacks of books, some open, some closed.
"DANIEL?" Jack called out again.
Not getting a response, Jack went in search of his husband, starting with the study where he found Daniel muttering to himself. Daniel was seated on the sofa, deeply involved in his reading. Jack watched as Daniel made a few notes, talking to himself as if figuring out a puzzle. Jack smiled and went to sit by his lover.
"Danny, whatcha' doin?"
"... babies are born with more than one-hundred billion brain cells ..."
"Huh?"
"... babies develop in somewhat different ways and at somewhat different rates ..."
"Angel, we've read all these things. Danny?"
"Hi, Jack. I'm reading." Daniel got up and began to pace the room as he continued, "Newborns may look quiet, but they are alert and ready to learn ..."
"Danny, how about putting that book down for a minute?" Jack asked, still seated on the sofa.
Daniel walked to the desk, read another passage, mumbling it aloud, "Spend lots of time engaging your baby in eye contact" and then wrote down some notes.
"But we need a refresher, Jack. Triplets. Gawd, we have triplets!"
Still reading his book, Daniel turned and headed out of the room, only to crash gently into the wall.
"Daniel!"
Jack leaped up and ran over to the doorway where Daniel stood.
"Oh, sorry, Babe. Didn't mean to bump into you," Daniel spoke quickly, moving into the hallway, totally unaware he had just tangoed with a wall and not his husband.
Jack shook his head as he hurriedly went after his distracted lover.
"Danny, watch out!"
Jack quickly shoved a pile of four books out of Daniel's path, preventing the younger man from tripping over them. Daniel went to the coffee table, urgently looking for another book, pulling out one that looked more like a pamphlet in Jack's opinion.
"Danny?"
"... Wipe away any poop with the diaper, taking care to cover the ..."
"DANIEL!"
"Busy, Jack."
Daniel went towards the dining area, and Jack began to panic.
"Oh, crap."
Jack ran towards the table, moving the chair into position, just in time to prevent Daniel from "sitting" right smack down on the floor.
Jack chuckled at his lover's single-focused mind and ran his hands down Daniel's chest from behind, "I love you, Danny," and then Jack realized the humor had changed to deep desire, "I want you," Jack leaned over as he kissed Daniel's nape.
"Crap? What's crap, Jack?" Daniel asked as he focused on his book, quietly reading the current passage, "... Once you determine which nipple he likes best, you can select the bottles and bottle accessories you need ..."
"Oh geez." Jack laughed at the craziness of the situation they were in. "Want you, Angel. Come to bed."
Jack slid his hand around to unbutton Daniel's green polyester shirt.
"Love you, too."
Daniel was very compliant, in spite of his words, and suddenly, Jack quieted, standing and moving away.
"Geez, Danny, this is just like the time a few years ago when we made love, and I'm still not convinced you were there."
Jack's memory took him back and in an instant, he found himself woefully lost in that day. Their lovemaking had been sensational, but it had been just a few months into their relationship, and when Jack had arrived at Daniel's apartment, the young man had been deeply involved in his research. His responses had been delayed, like they were now. In essence, Jack had handled his lover as if he had been a puppet.
Afterwards, Jack had felt guilty. Later, Daniel had tried to convince him that he had been aware of what they had been doing, even if he had been behind in the conversation.
Now, it was like Jack had been transported back to those feelings of doubt and insecurities. He had worried that day about taking advantage of the man he loved, and that was something Jack never wanted to do.
Jack solemnly walked to the fireplace, consumed with guilt. His thoughts were spoken aloud, to the air, not to Daniel whom he knew was still operating on a response delay.
"You weren't there, were you, Danny, just like you aren't here now? You just ... wanted me to feel better."
Jack stared down at the cold fireplace and silently thought how cold he felt now. He'd never forgotten that day in Daniel's apartment, though his lover had told him over and over again that he had done nothing to feel guilty about.
"I was there, Love," Daniel said suddenly at the same time he wrapped his arms around his husband. "I was there. No one touches me like that, Jack, unless I want them to, and you are the only one, the only one, that I've ever wanted to touch me in that way. Jack, I told you, I know I get ... involved sometimes, but it's because I trust you so much. I know you'll always keep me safe."
Jack turned, still in Daniel's hold.
"I love you, Danny. I just ... I know it was a long time ago, but ..."
"No buts, Jack," Daniel said as he kissed his love. "You're my soulmate. We're one heart," Daniel's lips brushed Jack's, "one, Jack, in every way." Daniel nibbled on Jack's upper lip. "Want you."
Jack's arms went fully around his husband as their passion ignited, the two falling to the ground and joining their bodies together in a powerful unison that left both satiated and completely blissful. As their sweat-soaked bodies held on to each other afterwards, each was thankful for their blessings in life.
"We're parents, Jack. Do you believe it?"
"I think I'm still in shock. Geez, Danny, it's been just us for years, and now, now we'll have three beautiful little babies."
"Triplets. It's like a dream."
"Jonny, Michael and Aislinn ... our miracles."
"You're my miracle, too, Jack. Thank you for loving me and bringing our children into our home."
"I love you," Jack said, arching up to kiss his husband again. "You know, we might not have much time for this once we bring the kids home."
"We'd better take advantage of the moment then."
"Take advantage of me, Danny."
... and Daniel did, pleasing both men tremendously.
====
"Mark, that's great! ... Yes, I know, but that's not what we wanted. This sounds perfect ... Sure ... Okay, I'll check the schedule with Daniel and we'll call and make an appointment ... Bye, Mark."
"How's Sara?" Daniel asked, entering the living room from the backyard, Bijou and Katie on his heels.
"Wrong Mark."
"Oh," Daniel laughed, "Too many Marks."
"Yeah, well this one was our lawyer. They've finalized all the details for the scholarship with the clinic."
"No problems?"
"No. Joel has been more than cooperative and, Mark said, even excited. He likes our idea."
"No hedging financially?"
"Nope, and I admit I never thought I'd end up seeing medical integrity outside of the few good guys I know, but according to Mark, Joel took our concept and enhanced it. He's actually grouping together with a few other friends who run clinics and may need qualified staff when the students graduate."
"That's great, Babe."
"Uh, Daniel ..." Jack coughed nervously as he walked towards his husband. "there is one thing." Jack placed his hands on Daniel's shoulders, rubbing gently. "Mark insisted and actually, he said it was Joel who felt there should be some, um ..."
"Jack? Get to the point."
"They insist on at least a small trust for the babies. The scholarship is great and no problem, but they think there should be something between the clinic and us."
Daniel sighed. He didn't want this.
"How much?"
"Danny, I told them we were against it, but Mark said there should be something."
"How much, Jack?"
"I talked them down to forty-thousand dollars which by the time the babies grow up ..."
"Oh gawd." Daniel turned and sat on the sofa. "I don't want it, Jack."
"It's not for us, Danny. It's for our kids."
"Fine."
"Give me an 'or' and we can ..."
"Jack, this thing happened to us. We don't have to do anything we don't want to do. Do you want this money? Tell me the truth."
"I already told you. No, I don't need to have it, but Mark thinks that legally there should be some retribution."
"Fine."
"Danny ..."
"Let's give it away. No trust fund. Just let them give it to us, and we can donate it."
"To who?"
"How about the children's shelter?"
"Molly's?"
"I'm sure she could use it."
"That's my genius. I love your 'or's!" Jack smiled as he sat down next to Daniel and took his hand. "We'll give it to Molly for the children at the shelter. Agreed?"
"Agreed," Daniel leaned over and laid his head on Jack's shoulder. "Do you think we're being unfair to our children? I mean, maybe they'd want the money."
"Our babies have two parents full of love and a beautiful home full of treasures. The kids at that shelter ..." Jack paused, emotion starting to get the better of him. "I love you, Danny."
"I love you, too, Jack."
"I wanted to ask you one more thing."
"Hmm?" Daniel asked as he relaxed against Jack.
"Any chance I could snatch one of those chocolate truffles?"
"No way. There's only one left."
"Oh. Only one."
Daniel turned, kissed his lover, and then suggested, "But we can share it!"
"Sharing is good."
"Sharing is fun," the young man chuckled.
"Let's share!"
"Now?"
"Definitely now," Jack said, suddenly hungering for something other than the truffles.
"I'll go get it."
Daniel started to get up.
"Forget the chocolate, Danny," Jack said as he pulled Daniel back down to the sofa and began to ravish him.
====
"She's doing fine. You know, it's the norm for triplets to not go home at the same time." Sylvia stared at Jack and Daniel. Neither flinched. "Okay, it's been five days. If everything checks out, we'll send the lot home on day seven, okay?" Jack and Daniel grinned, their mission a success. "In the meantime, as you asked me to do, I sent the DNA tests in a couple of days ago. We should have those back in a few days."
"Thanks, Sylvia. We appreciate that. You know it's only because ..."
"Yes, I know. You still want to have another child for whichever one of you isn't the biological father."
"Right," both acknowledged at the same time.
Sylvia asked, "You sure Kayla wants to give it another go?"
Jack laughed.
"She's a gutsy young lady. She's already assured us she's willing."
"And we didn't even ask her," Daniel smiled sweetly as he commented.
"Okay, we'll know in a week."
====
"Jack, I don't like it."
"I know, but since we can only have one name, it makes sense that it's yours."
"Or yours."
"I know those babies are from your genes."
"Jack, we've been through this."
"We might as well face the music and tell them. Let's just put your name on this batch, and I'll take the next."
"That's not an answer, Jack."
"Does it matter, Danny? I mean, really?"
"No, I guess not, but I wanted both of us on there. I should have checked it out," Daniel spoke, guilt written in his tone of voice.
"Neither of us thought about it. Let's get this done, and we'll never have to think about it again."
"Okay. Might as well."
====
"Just a moment. What was the name?" the administrative clerk asked.
"Jackson-O'Neill," Jack answered, twiddling his thumbs as he leaned against the window counter top.
Daniel stood next to Jack with his hands in his pants pockets.
"I don't see anything under that name."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN? THEY'RE TRIPLETS ... THREE OF 'EM!"
"Jack, calm down."
"Maybe it's spelled unusually?" the clerk asked, her voice high from her nerves.
"Jackson-O'Neill. What's so DIFFICULT? J - A - C - K - S - O - N - O - N - E - I - L - L!" Jack said, his voice loud.
"I just don't see anything like that."
"YOU'VE LOST MY CHILDREN?"
"Jack, relax. The babies are upstairs," Daniel had his hands on Jack's right arm, trying to calm him. "They're fine."
Daniel looked at the clerk and requested, "Could you look again, please?"
"I've looked five times, Sir. There's nothing even close to that name in the O's."
"I said JACKSON-O'NEILL ... WITH A J!"
"Jack, quiet. She's doing her best."
"With ... a J?" the clerk asked timidly.
"It's hyphenated," Daniel explained, "Jackson hyphen O'Neill, so it should be under the J's, not the O's."
"Oh, let me check. Yes, here they are."
Jack scowled, leaving the clerk visibly shaken.
"Don't mind him. He's just a bit surly this morning."
"Yes ... Sir, anything you say."
"Okay, so you said you need to supply the name of the birth father?"
"That's correct."
The clerk frowned as she observed the papers. Confused, she said, "But everything is ... wow."
"What wow?"
Jack stood up a bit straighter.
The clerk's eyes were wide as she explained, "Um, there's a note here that says the birth certificates are being issued by a Special Commission ... by the federal government."
"What?" Jack and Daniel both asked at the same time.
"By a ... Presidential order. Wow! ... Um, the, uh, certificates are being mailed, apparently."
"What names are on them?" Daniel asked.
"Wow!"
"What now?" Jack asked, quickly running out of patience with the clerk.
"There are notes in the file. One says that the President called the Governor who called the Mayor who called the Board of Directors, and then the presidential order was issued. Wow!"
"WILL YOU STOP WITH THE WOWS AND ANSWER THE FRIGGIN' QUESTION?"
"Jack!"
"Daniel, will you stop 'Jack'ing me here?"
"JACK! Gawd!"
"I'm sorry, but for crying out loud, get her to answer the question, will ya?"
"Miss, please, what names are on the birth certificates?"
"See for yourselves," the clerk responded, turning the file around that had the completed form so that the two men could see it.
Daniel grinned. A giant weight had just been lifted from him. Happily, he exclaimed, "Look, Jack!"
"I wonder who did this."
Jack nodded his head in approval as he leaned over the papers, indicating that the babies Jackson-O'Neill were born to Daniel Jackson-O'Neill and Jonathan Jackson-O'Neill with the loving assistance of Kayla Armentrout.
"Presidential order? I didn't call him, did you?"
"No. I didn't feel I had a right to for something like this, so ... personal."
"Wow!" the clerk said again upon overhearing the discussion.
Jack glared at the young clerk who physically took a step back.
"Jack."
"Daniel!"
"Let's go see our children," Daniel said, handing the file back to the clerk and saying, "Thank you," as they turned to walk away.
"Loving assistance ... I like that," Daniel commented, still smiling at the unexpected resolution to their problem.
"We need to find out who arranged for that so we can thank them."
"Definitely. It's a precious gift. We need to call the President, too, Jack."
Jack roared and was still laughing when he asked, "Did you see that clerk's expression when she realized we knew the Prez?"
"Jack, behave. We're teaching our children humility, even if I have to keep duct tape over your mouth!"
"Duct tape? Daniel, have you decided you'd like to try ..."
Jack suddenly found Daniel's hand over his mouth. Two nurses stared as they passed by.
"Jack, one word ... NO!"
"You sure. I remember those ties you got for that ..."
Daniel glared at Jack, his eyes delivering a message to change the topic in a hurry.
Jack gulped and tried to back peddle, saying, "It ... was just the ... ties. Never mind. Let's go see our babies."
Daniel groaned and looked up towards the ceiling, his hands spreading out from his sides as he asked, "Why me?"
He walked a few steps to catch up with Jack, but then stopped. Looking up again, Daniel smiled as he sincerely and solidly stated, "Thank you. I wouldn't want him any other way."
====
Over the past seven days, Jack and Daniel had spent most of their time at the hospital with their children. They held them frequently, and were able to feed them. They had fallen in love each and every time they saw their babies.
They also received lots of advice and tips on how to raise them from nurses and other parents. Jack laughed at the notebook full of notes Daniel had taken of the pearls of wisdom being passed on to them.
They had taken Kayla home and made sure she was taken care of. Janet and Cassie helped out quite a bit in that regard with Cassie promising to spend a lot of time at Kayla's apartment for a while to make sure she was okay.
The nursery was ready to go, and they were as prepared as they were going to get. All they needed now was the all-clear from Sylvia, and they knew that would come at any moment.
On this day, after spending hours with their babies, they headed to the clinic to see Sylvia. She had phoned earlier to let them know that the DNA tests were in.
The elevator ride was quiet, and so was the wait for Sylvia who had to delay the meeting due to an emergency. Finally, the doctor greeted them and invited them into her office.
Jack and Daniel both sat down, their chairs separated by mere inches.
"Okay, the test results are in," Sylvia opened her file, "and I think you'll find them interesting. Okay, the father of ..."
"NO!" both Jack and Daniel shouted at the same time, stunning Sylvia. The two looked at each other, surprised. Both gave small smiles.
Jack reached over and took his husband's hand, turning his body to face him at the same time.
"Danny, I don't need to know. I don't even want to know."
Daniel let out a whiff of air. It was a release he didn't even know he needed.
"I was just thinking the same thing. Gawd, Jack, they're ours. All three of them. We love them. It just doesn't matter."
Jack reached over to caress Daniel's cheek.
"No, it doesn't. They're our hearts and souls, and since we're one, then the technical stuff isn't important. Little Jonny bellows like me, and little Michael is so like you, and Aislinn is our little miracle gift. We both gave them life."
"I don't want to know, Jack."
"You know, Danny. It's just like with Charlie. You are every bit as much his father as I am because you love him like I do. That's what a child needs ... our love."
"Gawd, Jack."
Daniel felt like he was about to lose what little composure he had left. Never before, with the exception of their wedding, had Jack so openly talked about Charlie as being Daniel's son.
"He is your son. You know that, and all three of these babies belong to both of us. Sperm is just ... sperm."
"But love ... love is home and life."
Jack nodded, and then faced their doctor.
"Syl, Daniel and I don't want to know the DNA test results. Keep them in case the kids need it some day. When they get older, they may want the information for themselves, so when they're eighteen or twenty-one or something, if they want to know, they can have the results."
"They have a right to know if they want to," Daniel added. "Or maybe they'll need to know for medical reasons."
"We love our brood, ALL of them ... equally, and it's not important like we thought it was."
"Then, are you going to give up the idea of another pregnancy for Kayla?"
"We'll decide that later," Daniel said, "but it's okay, no matter what we ultimately decide. In fact, it's better than okay."
Daniel gazed into his soulmate's eyes. The two were locked onto each other, their hands practically glued together.
"Geez, I love you, Danny."
Jack leaned forward to kiss him.
"I love you, too."
"The files will be locked away, per your request. If you change your minds, you can call me at any time."
"Um, we should," Daniel said hesitantly.
"We should what?"
"Jack, if one of us should ever change our minds, we should just make sure that it's okay for Sylvia to tell. You might want to ..."
"No, Danny. I have everything I want and need. Genes are great, but they are aren't the defining factor. Love is, and I am surrounded by it."
"Me, too!"
Jack and Daniel thanked Sylvia, and then they discussed taking the babies home. Because of the lateness of the day, Sylvia asked them to wait and pick up their children at 9 a.m. the next morning. The two hugged Sylvia and headed for the door, but just as they got there, Sylvia spoke up.
"Wait. Listen, I agree with and applaud the decision the two of you have just made, but I think you both should know this much."
"Syl ..."
"Jack, on this I'm going to insist. Please. Trust my decision this time."
Jack nodded and Daniel shrugged, assuming Sylvia would have a good reason for whatever she was about to say.
"I truly believe it's more than right, that there's a magic involved here, a special magic. Jack. Daniel. Each of you is the biological father of one of those children."
"What?" both men asked in unison, amazed at what they had just been told.
"How?" Jack asked.
"How is that possible?" Daniel asked at the same time, his words overlapping Jack's.
"Truthfully, it's not all that unusual. These babies came from three eggs. One of you is the father of twins, the other one of one baby."
Jack and Daniel beamed at each other, huge grins on their faces. It was yet another miracle of their love.
"Oh, Danny," Jack took Daniel into his arms. "Geez, we've got it all!"
"We're so lucky, Jack. We should thank that nurse for messing up. I mean, who would we give back?"
"Not a one, not ever!"
After a few more minutes of conversation, the couple finally left for home, happier than ever.
Sylvia glanced again at the test results and smiled. Silently, she thought how lucky the three babies were. She had never been more proud of her friends than she was at this moment. She took a final look at the read out and the notes she had summarized ...
Baby Jackson-O'Neill, Boy, first born -- father: Jonathan Jackson-O'Neill Baby Jackson-O'Neill, Boy, second born -- father: Daniel Jackson-O'Neill Baby Jackson-O'Neill, Girl, third born -- father: Daniel Jackson-O'Neill
... and then she closed it, making a note to have the file sealed for privacy in the morning.
====
"Jack, don't forget to have the camcorder, the regular camera, and the digital camera out so we don't have to search for them."
"We won't have time to search for anything," Jack said, locking the door as they entered the living room. Then he laughed. "Danny, Love. Don't you think using all three might be ..."
"Going overboard?" Jack nodded. "Too much?"
Jack looked at his soulmate, then shook his head.
"Actually, no. Backups for the backups! I'll go get them."
====
The two had been home for a few hours. They had let the girls in, briefly petted them, and then attended to business, ending up back in the nursery doing a final check. When Bijou and Katie had walked up to join them, Daniel had shooed them out.
"Sorry, Girls, not in here. Go back downstairs."
Once the beagles had gone, Jack and Daniel had gone back to their discussion about how they would manage their babies the next day when they brought them home.
When they had gone downstairs, they headed straight for the study to look up some more information about sleeping habits of newborns on Jack's computer.
It was now almost 10:30 p.m., and they entered the living room to get a snack before going to bed.
"Jack, look at this." Daniel looked at the beanbag which was torn to pieces. "Bad girls," Daniel said, both surprised and shocked at the sight, the beanbag completely destroyed.
"I'll get the broom," Jack said, heading for the garage.
The room was cluttered with pieces of white fluffy beanbag filling. It was everywhere. When Daniel looked, Katie was lying down by the patio door, Bijou protectively near her puppy.
"Well, I guess you two can go outside then. Why'd you do that? Gawd, we don't have time to go shopping for you two right now," Daniel sighed, as he opened the door and ordered the dogs outside.
"I brought a garbage bag, too, Danny. Geez, it's all over the carpet."
"Jack, we need to make sure everything is perfectly clean in here."
"Just what we needed to be doing tonight," Jack grumbled. "What were those girls thinking?"
"I don't know, but the sooner we get it done, the sooner we get to sleep."
====
"Morning, Angel"
"Did you sleep, Jack?"
"Not much."
"So you know ..."
"... that you didn't sleep much either?" Jack laughed. "Yes, I know."
Daniel lifted his head off of Jack's chest.
"This is it, Jack. All those years of dreaming and hoping ... it becomes reality today."
"Any regrets?"
"None. You?"
"Not a one."
"Shower?"
"Shower."
====
"This is insane!" Daniel whined.
"Daniel, it doesn't matter what you wear. Trust me; it'll just end up with drool all over it."
"That doesn't make me feel any better, Jack."
Jack laughed and tossed Daniel a tan shirt.
"Wear that. Never liked it much anyway."
"What's wrong with it?"
"Doesn't fit your shape well."
"Excuse me?"
"It just ... doesn't accentuate your positives," Jack teased.
"Jack, what the heck are you talking about?" Daniel asked, slipping on the short-sleeve tan shirt.
"That!"
Jack pointed to the shirt.
"What?"
"Look how baggy it is. You could gain forty pounds, and it would still be baggy."
"I doubt that." Daniel rolled his eyes. "I thought you liked my clothes now."
"I do ... just not that baggy thing."
Daniel was about to argue some more when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it, Angel," Jack chimed as he gave Daniel a peck on the cheek and headed downstairs.
"Baggy. It is not baggy," Daniel whined to himself ... until he looked in the mirror. "Well, maybe just a little."
====
"Kayla, come on in."
"Thanks."
"You look great!"
"Not yet, but I will soon! I saw the babies yesterday. They are so adorable, Jack!"
"They sure are."
"Kayla!"
"Daniel, hi!"
The young woman moved towards the younger man, and they embraced warmly. They were family now for sure; a bond that could never be broken now connecting Kayla with the Jackson-O'Neills.
"We were just about to leave to get the babies."
"They're coming home today? That's so exciting!"
"Um, did you want to come with us?"
Kayla smiled gently at Daniel and then to Jack.
"Fellas, I meant what I said. I'll be their friend, and I admit, I love them to pieces, but I'm not mother material, at least not right now. These are important moments, and I shouldn't be part of it. Okay?"
"Okay," Daniel said softly.
"Which doesn't mean I don't want frequent updates, dinner invitations, and babysitting privileges!"
"Deal!" Jack grinned. "So what's up? Did you need our help with something?"
"No, not right now, but I brought you something ... for the children."
Kayla went to the tote bag of items she had brought with her.
"Um, I think I know some of what you wanted, Daniel, in terms of the babies knowing their birth mother, and also, from my friend's experience, I have an idea of the kind of medical history and whatnot that might be important, so I made these."
"Videos?" Jack asked.
"Yes, partially. This is a set of four videos that I made during the pregnancy. It's a bit of a journal. Everything is there from my hormonal insanity, ridiculous cravings, and why I did this whole thing. I also made these. There are three books, one for each child."
"Oh my gosh," Daniel reacted as he looked through the albums of photographs, family trees, copies of articles Kayla had written. "This is wonderful. It'll mean so much to them. I'm ... I'm sure of it."
"It's a treasure, Kayla," Jack said sincerely as he peeked over Daniel's shoulder to see the compilation. "Thank you."
"I was hoping it would be of help whenever the time was right. Hey, I've got to go. I have a meeting with a publisher."
"How's the book coming?" Daniel inquired.
"Amazingly well. It took me a long time to get it into a reasonable draft, and I've gone through a few publishing companies, but I feel like it's headed someplace incredible. I'm so excited about it."
"Are you ever going to tell us what it's about?"
"I'll let you read it ... later," Kayla smirked pleasantly. "Give those sweethearts a kiss for me."
After Kayla left, Daniel looked again at the journal-like album.
"This is incredible, the way she personalized it and highlighted special moments for her. It's just great."
"It sure is, but we need to go get our kids."
"Oh yeah. Let's go." The two locked up the house and got into the truck. "Jack, I feel like we're forgetting something very important, but I can't put my finger on it."
"Well, it probably isn't very important then. It'll come to you later," Jack said, backing the truck out of the driveway and heading for the hospital.
Meanwhile, in the backyard of their home, Bijou let out a sad "Woof!" and walked slowly over to her puppy, who was lying quietly in the doghouse. The mama beagle lay down, a frown on her face. Katie rolled over on her side, leaning against her mother, and cried a few tears.
====On to Chapter Ten...
-- Chapter Nine: By Any Other Name!
====
A short while later, Jack and Daniel stood watching their three babies who were now in incubators. Jack's arms were around Daniel's waist.
"They're so beautiful, Danny. Just like you, Angel."
"I can't believe it, Jack. They're ours," Daniel leaned his head to rest on Jack's left shoulder as he placed his hands atop Jack's.
"Aislinn Elizabeth Claire."
"What, Angel?"
"Aislinn, our dream, Jack, and our inspiration, just like your mom, and mine. Our little Aislinn! Aislinn Elizabeth Claire."
"I like that. I like that a lot. Aislinn. It's even Irish."
Jack smiled, proud of his ancestry, and that his husband had suggested such a loving name.
"Look at our first born, Jack. He's so squirmy."
"He's a big one!"
"I'll say. Poor Kayla!" Daniel chuckled. "She was carrying triplets all that time and didn't know it."
"He needs a name."
"Jonathan Charles ... little Jonny, after you," Daniel stated firmly.
"Danny ..."
"No, Jack. He's our first, and I really want him to be named after you. Please?"
Jack gazed into the depths of Daniel's cerulean blue eyes and crumbled, seeing all the love and admiration those eyes held for him.
"I can never deny you anything," Jack spoke softly, and then after a beat, he joked, "Besides, he's big enough and definitely loud enough to be mistaken for me."
"So, he's named after you and ... our first son. Do you think he'd mind?"
Jack swallowed hard, so proud of Daniel for remembering Charlie at this moment.
"No, I think he'd be honored."
"Is ... is it okay with you, or would it make you feel funny? Be honest, Jack."
Jack smiled as he spoke.
"I'm touched, Angel, and I think it's perfect. Thank you for remembering Charlie with our little miracles. Love you so much."
"It just ... feels right, Jack. He'll help us watch them. I know Charlie will."
"Yes, he will." Jack nodded in agreement as he stopped a tear from flowing down his cheek. "And this one, this one is Daniel Michael, after you."
"Jaaaack ..."
"I want our son named after you. I didn't argue over little Jonny, did I? Well, not much anyway."
Daniel sighed lightly and after a few seconds asked, "Where'd the Michael come from?"
"The same place Aislinn comes from ... our hearts."
"Like your grandmother said -- sometimes things just happen. All those names we talked about, but looking at them, these names ... they are our children's."
"Grandmothers are always so wise. So ... Daniel Michael."
"We're not calling him Mikey."
"Mike."
"Michael."
"You drive a hard bargain, My Love."
Daniel laughed at their exchange, and then marveled at all the hours they had spent researching names for their children. Yet, in the end, it came down to one minute and a magic that just happened, like Jack's grandmother had said.
"Wow, Jack. We have three children, three little babies. Gawd, they're ours. Our miracles."
"Jonny, Little Danny, and Aislinn, our blessings," Jack said proudly.
"It's Michael," Daniel said firmly, and then softening his voice greatly, added, "Jack, we have a family."
"You can say that again. Geez, Danny, you'd think just once things would go according to plan."
In an instant, Daniel stiffened in Jack's hold. Panic began to build as he made a sudden realization.
"Jack, the nursery. We're not ready!"
"We will be. I have a hunch the babies are going to be here for a little while ... because of their size, except for the little giant there." Daniel started to laugh. "What's so funny?"
"Look at Michael."
"Yeah?"
"He's reaching for Jonny. He misses him already."
Jack and Daniel exchanged a look.
"I'll bet Jonny took care of all of them in the womb."
Daniel sensed something about the oldest of the triplets. He felt a protectiveness present in their first born. He smiled, knowing without having any logic or proof to support it, that as life progressed Jonny would always be the protector, with Michael and Aislinn looking up to him for guidance and support.
"Well, if he's my kid, he'd better take care of his brother and sister," Jack bellowed.
Daniel laughed again, teasing, "He did cry a lot when he was born."
"He was cranky. Wanted to stay where it was warm, not come out into this cold world."
"He's going to be a grizzly bear like you."
"And Little Danny there will make him a marshmallow."
"MICHAEL!"
"Okay, okay. Sorry. Little ... Michael," Jack said, a large grin on his face. But not for long, Angel. That's our Danny. He knows it, and I know it, and soon enough, so will you.
"Don't even think about it, Jack."
Jack chuckled.
"Hey, we need to go see our friends. They're out there worrying, I'm sure."
"Oh, forgot. I just ... I'm not sure I can leave here."
"I'll go."
Jack kissed Daniel's nape.
"No, we'll both go." Daniel reached out and touched the closest incubator. "I love you all so much," he whispered, and with the whisper, Jack couldn't stop the tears. Daniel turned, and the two held each other for a couple of minutes, knowing they were now more than their nation of two. "We're a family, Jack."
"We always were, Angel, but now, we're a brood."
"You're incorrigible, and I adore you."
"The feeling's mutual."
Jack kissed his lover as they held hands and headed for the waiting room.
====
"What is taking so long?" Lou asked.
Janet laughed. Lou had children; he should know they came on their own time, not that of the parents.
"Some births take hours, Colonel."
"Hours and hours," Mrs. Valissi teased, "and we've only been here for a little over three hours."
Just then Jack and Daniel walked out, and everyone gathered around.
"Wow! That was fast!"
Sam smiled as she stood and approached her friends.
"It's a boy!" Daniel exclaimed with pride.
"And it's a boy," Jack boasted.
"And it's a girl," Daniel said, unable to contain the biggest grin anyone had ever seen on him.
"Boy ... boy ... gi...girl?" Sam squeaked out in question.
"Triplets!" Jack and Daniel exclaimed in proud unison.
Sam almost fell backwards, but Teal'c caught her.
"Thanks T...Murray! Triplets! Oh gawd!"
Cassie laughed as she asked, "Are you serious? Kayla had trips?"
"Way to go, Doc!" Lou slapped Daniel on the arm.
"Details, General," Hammond demanded with a smile.
"You start, Love," Jack schemed.
"Well, the first baby is loud, like Jack," Daniel teased, "so naturally, we're naming him after him. He's Jonathan Charles Jackson-O'Neill. He's sixteen and one-quarter inches with all his toes and fingers and other parts," Daniel laughed, "and he weighed a whopping nine pounds which Syl says is enormous for a triplet, but not unheard of. The main thing is that he's healthy as a horse and came into the world bellowing like a grizzly bear, just like his dad."
Daniel looked softly at Jack, indicating it was his turn.
"Our second baby, just a little guy, came out pretty quietly. He keeps reaching over for Jonny, which we think seems appropriate. He's fifteen and three-quarter inches, weighs a healthy six pounds, two ounces, and of course, he's beautiful with everything right where it's supposed to be."
"What's his name, Jack?" Jeff asked.
"Danny."
"Jack!"
Jack smiled and shrugged, and then answered, "He's Daniel Michael Jackson-O'Neill."
"And we're calling him MICHAEL, aren't we, Jack?"
Daniel gave his husband a warning look.
"Yes, Dear." Daniel jabbed Jack in the abdomen, causing everyone to laugh. "Sorry, couldn't help myself."
"You are so sleeping alone tonight!" Daniel tried to threaten, but even he laughed at the bluff. "Oh gawd," he looked down, shaking his head, realizing the bluff was a lost cause, but with complete assurance, he faced his family of friends and stated firmly, "We're calling him Michael."
"And what about the little girl?" Cassie asked eagerly. "I can't wait to see you two raising a little girl."
"She's our blessing, our biggest surprise, and our deepest inspiration to be the best we can be, so we've named her after our mothers and given her a name that speaks of doing great things. Her name is Aislinn Elizabeth Claire Jackson-O'Neill. She's so beautiful, but she's tiny," Daniel frowned, "just five pounds, but she's all there, sixteen inches, and Sylvia says she seems just fine."
"And that's our brood. Bless their hearts!" Jack drew Daniel into him as he spoke.
Everyone chatted for a while, and then they began to disperse. It was close to 4 a.m. by the time their friends started to leave.
"Sir, what about Sara? I mean, I would have thought ..."
"It wasn't an oversight. She, Mark, and Angela are on vacation at Disney World. I have their number, and we'll give them a call in a few hours."
"She'll be thrilled."
"Stay healthy, Carter. I'm not sure how thrilled Mark is going to be."
"Um, Sir, any chance I could ..." Sam nodded towards the hospital nursery where the babies were.
"Jack?"
"What are you looking at me for? Like I have control of anything here."
"Always the CO, Jack."
"Right," Jack shook his head. "Come on, Carter, sneak a peek."
"Oh, wow! They're so tiny." Sam giggled. "This is Little Dan...Michael, right?"
"How'd you know, Sam?"
"He's reaching out for Jonny."
"Did I say they could have visitors?" Sylvia asked as she walked in.
"Um, well, it's just ..."
"Give me strength! Hello, Sam."
"Hi, Sylvia."
"Syl?"
"Everything checks out. They are remarkably healthy. Reflexes are perfect for all three; no complications at all. Jonny should be out of the incubator tomorrow. He's really the strongest, but they are all doing great."
"You didn't know she was having triplets, did you, Sylvia?" Daniel inquired.
"No, Daniel. We knew about the twins. Little Aislinn was a complete surprise."
Sylvia left Jack and Daniel alone with their children where they stayed for several hours before agreeing to go home and start making arrangements for their unexpected arrivals.
When they finally went to bed, Jack held Daniel as he always did and quickly went to sleep, but after a few minutes, Daniel gently moved out of Jack's embrace. He reached into the nightstand and pulled out his journal.
Turning on a small light, one just large enough to light the journal and not disturb his husband, Daniel began to write:
"It's September 24, 2006, and the most amazing thing happened. Today, I became a father ..."
====
"Look, we're married, and even if that isn't okay in your book, our names have been legally changed. Now, I want these birth certificates to have both of our names on them."
"It's impossible."
"Why? Look, I read about it in the paper a while back. There was a ..." Jack hesitated.
He wasn't used to using labels in describing his relationship with Daniel. He felt frustrated, furious, and sick to his stomach at the injustice of it all. Jack looked at Daniel for a moment, shaking his head, trying to will himself to remain calm.
"Ma'am, there have been couples like Daniel and I before, in this state, that have had both their names on the birth certificate."
"I understand that, General O'Neill ..."
"JACKSON-O'Neill," Jack barked in frustration.
"I understand that, General, but we have laws in this county."
"You know what you can do with those laws?"
"Jack. Stop. Let's go."
Daniel walked off in resignation, arms folded.
"Daniel ..."
"It's our fault, Jack. We didn't check on this and prepare for it. Gawd. How could we forget this?"
"Too much else going on," Jack moaned. "We'd better get back."
====
"General Hammond, do you have a moment?"
"Come in, Colonel Carter. Is there a problem with the ..."
"No, Sir. Sir, there's a problem with the babies. Um, no, they're fine. It's more like a ... red tape, problem. Daniel mentioned it to me last night when I went to visit the babies. Sir, they wouldn't ask, and I don't know if there are ... strings that can be pulled, but I thought, considering all they've done ..."
"Spit it out, Colonel."
"The birth certificates. Legally, they're only allowed the name of one man ... and the hospital insists Kayla's name has to go on it. The General and Daniel have tried to reason with them, even to work out a compromise that would include all three names, but they say that legally they can't. They're heartbroken, Sir. This is one thing they just hadn't thought about."
Just then the klaxons began to blare, interrupting the conversation.
"Thank you, Colonel. No one's scheduled to return, so right now, we'd better focus on matters here."
"Yes, Sir."
====
"There we go," Jack said, scooting the crib back into place. You sure about this, Danny?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. I did a lot of research last night, and I was pretty amazed, but most of the parents used one crib for the first few months. This crib that they made for us is larger than normal so it's perfect. We can keep the crib they gave us at the shower downstairs. We'll just buy a third if we need to later."
"I still can't believe that Sylvia said we can bring Jonny home tomorrow."
"And Michael in a couple of days." Jack saw Daniel's frown. "What is it?"
"Aislinn will be alone. I don't like that. She's spent a good eight months with her brothers, someplace safe, and now she's in a loud, noisy world, and we're going to take them away from her? I don't like it, Jack. I just don't like it, that's all." Daniel drew a loud breath. "Jack, when you talked with Sylvia, did she say for sure how long she'd keep Aislinn at the hospital?"
"She wanted her to gain another pound, I think, so however long that takes."
"Jack, I want them to come home together. Is that unreasonable?"
"I don't know."
"Jack?"
"Okay, we'll talk to Syl, and see what she says. After all, why should we conform to the norm at this stage in our lives?" Jack chuckled. They knew so little about having triplets and what did or didn't make sense, so they'd do what they always did and follow their hearts. Somehow, he knew life would never quite be traditional for them. Would be boring if it was.
====
"They are beautiful, aren't they?" Kayla asked, staring at the three babies she had given birth to a couple of days earlier.
"They definitely are, " Jack said, a bounce in his step as he stood, smiling at his children, pride evident in his entire demeanor and tone.
"It was the most incredible experience of my life. I will never forget it," Kayla said, patting her now-flat stomach. She looked down, and added, "Oops, definitely going have to work out."
"We'll never forget it, either," Daniel said, grateful as always for Kayla's gift of life. "And for the record, we think you're beautiful just the way you are.
Kayla smiled brightly at the compliment, knowing Daniel meant every word.
I still need to work out, but thank you for making me feel such a part of this. "Sylvia told me that for triplets, it was a pretty calm delivery. I mean, when you think about it, it was over fairly quickly, and you know what else, guys?"
"What?" both Jack and Daniel asked.
"The pain. At the time, it hurt like heck, but now, it just ... seems dull. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, and in fact, I can't wait for the next pregnancy."
"Kayla ..."
"Jack, do you still want another child, or are the triplets ..."
Kayla paused, unsure what word to use. Were three children too many? Was it overwhelming? Would they want to change their plans now?
Daniel answered, "No, we have lots of love to give. We'd still like to have another child, if ... I mean ..."
"Oh, Daniel. You booked me for two pregnancies, and I wouldn't dream of backing out."
"It wouldn't be backing out," Jack responded. "After all, Kayla, I think you've done far more than asked. Carrying triplets -- wow!"
"Listen, guys. I'm serious. I love those babies. I'm so glad I was able to do this for you, and I want to finish what we started. So, if you still want to go ahead, then as soon as Sylvia says it's okay, or whenever you two are ready, then you let me know. I'll be here."
"Thank you," Daniel said softly. "Thank you so much."
====
Jack had spent the morning running household errands. This would be one of the last chances he had to take care of business and restock non-baby related items before the triplets came home. Though they were spending most of their time with the children, they had agreed to spend the bulk of this day at home or doing things that had been neglected since the birth of the Jackson-O'Neill children.
Carrying bags of supplies with him, Jack walked into the living room and tripped over something. He cursed loudly, barely stopping himself from falling, though the supplies didn't have the same luck, falling from Jack's arms onto the floor.
"What the ... DANIEL!"
Jack picked up the things he'd dropped, and then took a good look around the living room. There were stacks of books, some open, some closed.
"DANIEL?" Jack called out again.
Not getting a response, Jack went in search of his husband, starting with the study where he found Daniel muttering to himself. Daniel was seated on the sofa, deeply involved in his reading. Jack watched as Daniel made a few notes, talking to himself as if figuring out a puzzle. Jack smiled and went to sit by his lover.
"Danny, whatcha' doin?"
"... babies are born with more than one-hundred billion brain cells ..."
"Huh?"
"... babies develop in somewhat different ways and at somewhat different rates ..."
"Angel, we've read all these things. Danny?"
"Hi, Jack. I'm reading." Daniel got up and began to pace the room as he continued, "Newborns may look quiet, but they are alert and ready to learn ..."
"Danny, how about putting that book down for a minute?" Jack asked, still seated on the sofa.
Daniel walked to the desk, read another passage, mumbling it aloud, "Spend lots of time engaging your baby in eye contact" and then wrote down some notes.
"But we need a refresher, Jack. Triplets. Gawd, we have triplets!"
Still reading his book, Daniel turned and headed out of the room, only to crash gently into the wall.
"Daniel!"
Jack leaped up and ran over to the doorway where Daniel stood.
"Oh, sorry, Babe. Didn't mean to bump into you," Daniel spoke quickly, moving into the hallway, totally unaware he had just tangoed with a wall and not his husband.
Jack shook his head as he hurriedly went after his distracted lover.
"Danny, watch out!"
Jack quickly shoved a pile of four books out of Daniel's path, preventing the younger man from tripping over them. Daniel went to the coffee table, urgently looking for another book, pulling out one that looked more like a pamphlet in Jack's opinion.
"Danny?"
"... Wipe away any poop with the diaper, taking care to cover the ..."
"DANIEL!"
"Busy, Jack."
Daniel went towards the dining area, and Jack began to panic.
"Oh, crap."
Jack ran towards the table, moving the chair into position, just in time to prevent Daniel from "sitting" right smack down on the floor.
Jack chuckled at his lover's single-focused mind and ran his hands down Daniel's chest from behind, "I love you, Danny," and then Jack realized the humor had changed to deep desire, "I want you," Jack leaned over as he kissed Daniel's nape.
"Crap? What's crap, Jack?" Daniel asked as he focused on his book, quietly reading the current passage, "... Once you determine which nipple he likes best, you can select the bottles and bottle accessories you need ..."
"Oh geez." Jack laughed at the craziness of the situation they were in. "Want you, Angel. Come to bed."
Jack slid his hand around to unbutton Daniel's green polyester shirt.
"Love you, too."
Daniel was very compliant, in spite of his words, and suddenly, Jack quieted, standing and moving away.
"Geez, Danny, this is just like the time a few years ago when we made love, and I'm still not convinced you were there."
Jack's memory took him back and in an instant, he found himself woefully lost in that day. Their lovemaking had been sensational, but it had been just a few months into their relationship, and when Jack had arrived at Daniel's apartment, the young man had been deeply involved in his research. His responses had been delayed, like they were now. In essence, Jack had handled his lover as if he had been a puppet.
Afterwards, Jack had felt guilty. Later, Daniel had tried to convince him that he had been aware of what they had been doing, even if he had been behind in the conversation.
Now, it was like Jack had been transported back to those feelings of doubt and insecurities. He had worried that day about taking advantage of the man he loved, and that was something Jack never wanted to do.
Jack solemnly walked to the fireplace, consumed with guilt. His thoughts were spoken aloud, to the air, not to Daniel whom he knew was still operating on a response delay.
"You weren't there, were you, Danny, just like you aren't here now? You just ... wanted me to feel better."
Jack stared down at the cold fireplace and silently thought how cold he felt now. He'd never forgotten that day in Daniel's apartment, though his lover had told him over and over again that he had done nothing to feel guilty about.
"I was there, Love," Daniel said suddenly at the same time he wrapped his arms around his husband. "I was there. No one touches me like that, Jack, unless I want them to, and you are the only one, the only one, that I've ever wanted to touch me in that way. Jack, I told you, I know I get ... involved sometimes, but it's because I trust you so much. I know you'll always keep me safe."
Jack turned, still in Daniel's hold.
"I love you, Danny. I just ... I know it was a long time ago, but ..."
"No buts, Jack," Daniel said as he kissed his love. "You're my soulmate. We're one heart," Daniel's lips brushed Jack's, "one, Jack, in every way." Daniel nibbled on Jack's upper lip. "Want you."
Jack's arms went fully around his husband as their passion ignited, the two falling to the ground and joining their bodies together in a powerful unison that left both satiated and completely blissful. As their sweat-soaked bodies held on to each other afterwards, each was thankful for their blessings in life.
"We're parents, Jack. Do you believe it?"
"I think I'm still in shock. Geez, Danny, it's been just us for years, and now, now we'll have three beautiful little babies."
"Triplets. It's like a dream."
"Jonny, Michael and Aislinn ... our miracles."
"You're my miracle, too, Jack. Thank you for loving me and bringing our children into our home."
"I love you," Jack said, arching up to kiss his husband again. "You know, we might not have much time for this once we bring the kids home."
"We'd better take advantage of the moment then."
"Take advantage of me, Danny."
... and Daniel did, pleasing both men tremendously.
====
"Mark, that's great! ... Yes, I know, but that's not what we wanted. This sounds perfect ... Sure ... Okay, I'll check the schedule with Daniel and we'll call and make an appointment ... Bye, Mark."
"How's Sara?" Daniel asked, entering the living room from the backyard, Bijou and Katie on his heels.
"Wrong Mark."
"Oh," Daniel laughed, "Too many Marks."
"Yeah, well this one was our lawyer. They've finalized all the details for the scholarship with the clinic."
"No problems?"
"No. Joel has been more than cooperative and, Mark said, even excited. He likes our idea."
"No hedging financially?"
"Nope, and I admit I never thought I'd end up seeing medical integrity outside of the few good guys I know, but according to Mark, Joel took our concept and enhanced it. He's actually grouping together with a few other friends who run clinics and may need qualified staff when the students graduate."
"That's great, Babe."
"Uh, Daniel ..." Jack coughed nervously as he walked towards his husband. "there is one thing." Jack placed his hands on Daniel's shoulders, rubbing gently. "Mark insisted and actually, he said it was Joel who felt there should be some, um ..."
"Jack? Get to the point."
"They insist on at least a small trust for the babies. The scholarship is great and no problem, but they think there should be something between the clinic and us."
Daniel sighed. He didn't want this.
"How much?"
"Danny, I told them we were against it, but Mark said there should be something."
"How much, Jack?"
"I talked them down to forty-thousand dollars which by the time the babies grow up ..."
"Oh gawd." Daniel turned and sat on the sofa. "I don't want it, Jack."
"It's not for us, Danny. It's for our kids."
"Fine."
"Give me an 'or' and we can ..."
"Jack, this thing happened to us. We don't have to do anything we don't want to do. Do you want this money? Tell me the truth."
"I already told you. No, I don't need to have it, but Mark thinks that legally there should be some retribution."
"Fine."
"Danny ..."
"Let's give it away. No trust fund. Just let them give it to us, and we can donate it."
"To who?"
"How about the children's shelter?"
"Molly's?"
"I'm sure she could use it."
"That's my genius. I love your 'or's!" Jack smiled as he sat down next to Daniel and took his hand. "We'll give it to Molly for the children at the shelter. Agreed?"
"Agreed," Daniel leaned over and laid his head on Jack's shoulder. "Do you think we're being unfair to our children? I mean, maybe they'd want the money."
"Our babies have two parents full of love and a beautiful home full of treasures. The kids at that shelter ..." Jack paused, emotion starting to get the better of him. "I love you, Danny."
"I love you, too, Jack."
"I wanted to ask you one more thing."
"Hmm?" Daniel asked as he relaxed against Jack.
"Any chance I could snatch one of those chocolate truffles?"
"No way. There's only one left."
"Oh. Only one."
Daniel turned, kissed his lover, and then suggested, "But we can share it!"
"Sharing is good."
"Sharing is fun," the young man chuckled.
"Let's share!"
"Now?"
"Definitely now," Jack said, suddenly hungering for something other than the truffles.
"I'll go get it."
Daniel started to get up.
"Forget the chocolate, Danny," Jack said as he pulled Daniel back down to the sofa and began to ravish him.
====
"She's doing fine. You know, it's the norm for triplets to not go home at the same time." Sylvia stared at Jack and Daniel. Neither flinched. "Okay, it's been five days. If everything checks out, we'll send the lot home on day seven, okay?" Jack and Daniel grinned, their mission a success. "In the meantime, as you asked me to do, I sent the DNA tests in a couple of days ago. We should have those back in a few days."
"Thanks, Sylvia. We appreciate that. You know it's only because ..."
"Yes, I know. You still want to have another child for whichever one of you isn't the biological father."
"Right," both acknowledged at the same time.
Sylvia asked, "You sure Kayla wants to give it another go?"
Jack laughed.
"She's a gutsy young lady. She's already assured us she's willing."
"And we didn't even ask her," Daniel smiled sweetly as he commented.
"Okay, we'll know in a week."
====
"Jack, I don't like it."
"I know, but since we can only have one name, it makes sense that it's yours."
"Or yours."
"I know those babies are from your genes."
"Jack, we've been through this."
"We might as well face the music and tell them. Let's just put your name on this batch, and I'll take the next."
"That's not an answer, Jack."
"Does it matter, Danny? I mean, really?"
"No, I guess not, but I wanted both of us on there. I should have checked it out," Daniel spoke, guilt written in his tone of voice.
"Neither of us thought about it. Let's get this done, and we'll never have to think about it again."
"Okay. Might as well."
====
"Just a moment. What was the name?" the administrative clerk asked.
"Jackson-O'Neill," Jack answered, twiddling his thumbs as he leaned against the window counter top.
Daniel stood next to Jack with his hands in his pants pockets.
"I don't see anything under that name."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN? THEY'RE TRIPLETS ... THREE OF 'EM!"
"Jack, calm down."
"Maybe it's spelled unusually?" the clerk asked, her voice high from her nerves.
"Jackson-O'Neill. What's so DIFFICULT? J - A - C - K - S - O - N - O - N - E - I - L - L!" Jack said, his voice loud.
"I just don't see anything like that."
"YOU'VE LOST MY CHILDREN?"
"Jack, relax. The babies are upstairs," Daniel had his hands on Jack's right arm, trying to calm him. "They're fine."
Daniel looked at the clerk and requested, "Could you look again, please?"
"I've looked five times, Sir. There's nothing even close to that name in the O's."
"I said JACKSON-O'NEILL ... WITH A J!"
"Jack, quiet. She's doing her best."
"With ... a J?" the clerk asked timidly.
"It's hyphenated," Daniel explained, "Jackson hyphen O'Neill, so it should be under the J's, not the O's."
"Oh, let me check. Yes, here they are."
Jack scowled, leaving the clerk visibly shaken.
"Don't mind him. He's just a bit surly this morning."
"Yes ... Sir, anything you say."
"Okay, so you said you need to supply the name of the birth father?"
"That's correct."
The clerk frowned as she observed the papers. Confused, she said, "But everything is ... wow."
"What wow?"
Jack stood up a bit straighter.
The clerk's eyes were wide as she explained, "Um, there's a note here that says the birth certificates are being issued by a Special Commission ... by the federal government."
"What?" Jack and Daniel both asked at the same time.
"By a ... Presidential order. Wow! ... Um, the, uh, certificates are being mailed, apparently."
"What names are on them?" Daniel asked.
"Wow!"
"What now?" Jack asked, quickly running out of patience with the clerk.
"There are notes in the file. One says that the President called the Governor who called the Mayor who called the Board of Directors, and then the presidential order was issued. Wow!"
"WILL YOU STOP WITH THE WOWS AND ANSWER THE FRIGGIN' QUESTION?"
"Jack!"
"Daniel, will you stop 'Jack'ing me here?"
"JACK! Gawd!"
"I'm sorry, but for crying out loud, get her to answer the question, will ya?"
"Miss, please, what names are on the birth certificates?"
"See for yourselves," the clerk responded, turning the file around that had the completed form so that the two men could see it.
Daniel grinned. A giant weight had just been lifted from him. Happily, he exclaimed, "Look, Jack!"
"I wonder who did this."
Jack nodded his head in approval as he leaned over the papers, indicating that the babies Jackson-O'Neill were born to Daniel Jackson-O'Neill and Jonathan Jackson-O'Neill with the loving assistance of Kayla Armentrout.
"Presidential order? I didn't call him, did you?"
"No. I didn't feel I had a right to for something like this, so ... personal."
"Wow!" the clerk said again upon overhearing the discussion.
Jack glared at the young clerk who physically took a step back.
"Jack."
"Daniel!"
"Let's go see our children," Daniel said, handing the file back to the clerk and saying, "Thank you," as they turned to walk away.
"Loving assistance ... I like that," Daniel commented, still smiling at the unexpected resolution to their problem.
"We need to find out who arranged for that so we can thank them."
"Definitely. It's a precious gift. We need to call the President, too, Jack."
Jack roared and was still laughing when he asked, "Did you see that clerk's expression when she realized we knew the Prez?"
"Jack, behave. We're teaching our children humility, even if I have to keep duct tape over your mouth!"
"Duct tape? Daniel, have you decided you'd like to try ..."
Jack suddenly found Daniel's hand over his mouth. Two nurses stared as they passed by.
"Jack, one word ... NO!"
"You sure. I remember those ties you got for that ..."
Daniel glared at Jack, his eyes delivering a message to change the topic in a hurry.
Jack gulped and tried to back peddle, saying, "It ... was just the ... ties. Never mind. Let's go see our babies."
Daniel groaned and looked up towards the ceiling, his hands spreading out from his sides as he asked, "Why me?"
He walked a few steps to catch up with Jack, but then stopped. Looking up again, Daniel smiled as he sincerely and solidly stated, "Thank you. I wouldn't want him any other way."
====
Over the past seven days, Jack and Daniel had spent most of their time at the hospital with their children. They held them frequently, and were able to feed them. They had fallen in love each and every time they saw their babies.
They also received lots of advice and tips on how to raise them from nurses and other parents. Jack laughed at the notebook full of notes Daniel had taken of the pearls of wisdom being passed on to them.
They had taken Kayla home and made sure she was taken care of. Janet and Cassie helped out quite a bit in that regard with Cassie promising to spend a lot of time at Kayla's apartment for a while to make sure she was okay.
The nursery was ready to go, and they were as prepared as they were going to get. All they needed now was the all-clear from Sylvia, and they knew that would come at any moment.
On this day, after spending hours with their babies, they headed to the clinic to see Sylvia. She had phoned earlier to let them know that the DNA tests were in.
The elevator ride was quiet, and so was the wait for Sylvia who had to delay the meeting due to an emergency. Finally, the doctor greeted them and invited them into her office.
Jack and Daniel both sat down, their chairs separated by mere inches.
"Okay, the test results are in," Sylvia opened her file, "and I think you'll find them interesting. Okay, the father of ..."
"NO!" both Jack and Daniel shouted at the same time, stunning Sylvia. The two looked at each other, surprised. Both gave small smiles.
Jack reached over and took his husband's hand, turning his body to face him at the same time.
"Danny, I don't need to know. I don't even want to know."
Daniel let out a whiff of air. It was a release he didn't even know he needed.
"I was just thinking the same thing. Gawd, Jack, they're ours. All three of them. We love them. It just doesn't matter."
Jack reached over to caress Daniel's cheek.
"No, it doesn't. They're our hearts and souls, and since we're one, then the technical stuff isn't important. Little Jonny bellows like me, and little Michael is so like you, and Aislinn is our little miracle gift. We both gave them life."
"I don't want to know, Jack."
"You know, Danny. It's just like with Charlie. You are every bit as much his father as I am because you love him like I do. That's what a child needs ... our love."
"Gawd, Jack."
Daniel felt like he was about to lose what little composure he had left. Never before, with the exception of their wedding, had Jack so openly talked about Charlie as being Daniel's son.
"He is your son. You know that, and all three of these babies belong to both of us. Sperm is just ... sperm."
"But love ... love is home and life."
Jack nodded, and then faced their doctor.
"Syl, Daniel and I don't want to know the DNA test results. Keep them in case the kids need it some day. When they get older, they may want the information for themselves, so when they're eighteen or twenty-one or something, if they want to know, they can have the results."
"They have a right to know if they want to," Daniel added. "Or maybe they'll need to know for medical reasons."
"We love our brood, ALL of them ... equally, and it's not important like we thought it was."
"Then, are you going to give up the idea of another pregnancy for Kayla?"
"We'll decide that later," Daniel said, "but it's okay, no matter what we ultimately decide. In fact, it's better than okay."
Daniel gazed into his soulmate's eyes. The two were locked onto each other, their hands practically glued together.
"Geez, I love you, Danny."
Jack leaned forward to kiss him.
"I love you, too."
"The files will be locked away, per your request. If you change your minds, you can call me at any time."
"Um, we should," Daniel said hesitantly.
"We should what?"
"Jack, if one of us should ever change our minds, we should just make sure that it's okay for Sylvia to tell. You might want to ..."
"No, Danny. I have everything I want and need. Genes are great, but they are aren't the defining factor. Love is, and I am surrounded by it."
"Me, too!"
Jack and Daniel thanked Sylvia, and then they discussed taking the babies home. Because of the lateness of the day, Sylvia asked them to wait and pick up their children at 9 a.m. the next morning. The two hugged Sylvia and headed for the door, but just as they got there, Sylvia spoke up.
"Wait. Listen, I agree with and applaud the decision the two of you have just made, but I think you both should know this much."
"Syl ..."
"Jack, on this I'm going to insist. Please. Trust my decision this time."
Jack nodded and Daniel shrugged, assuming Sylvia would have a good reason for whatever she was about to say.
"I truly believe it's more than right, that there's a magic involved here, a special magic. Jack. Daniel. Each of you is the biological father of one of those children."
"What?" both men asked in unison, amazed at what they had just been told.
"How?" Jack asked.
"How is that possible?" Daniel asked at the same time, his words overlapping Jack's.
"Truthfully, it's not all that unusual. These babies came from three eggs. One of you is the father of twins, the other one of one baby."
Jack and Daniel beamed at each other, huge grins on their faces. It was yet another miracle of their love.
"Oh, Danny," Jack took Daniel into his arms. "Geez, we've got it all!"
"We're so lucky, Jack. We should thank that nurse for messing up. I mean, who would we give back?"
"Not a one, not ever!"
After a few more minutes of conversation, the couple finally left for home, happier than ever.
Sylvia glanced again at the test results and smiled. Silently, she thought how lucky the three babies were. She had never been more proud of her friends than she was at this moment. She took a final look at the read out and the notes she had summarized ...
Baby Jackson-O'Neill, Boy, first born -- father: Jonathan Jackson-O'Neill Baby Jackson-O'Neill, Boy, second born -- father: Daniel Jackson-O'Neill Baby Jackson-O'Neill, Girl, third born -- father: Daniel Jackson-O'Neill
... and then she closed it, making a note to have the file sealed for privacy in the morning.
====
"Jack, don't forget to have the camcorder, the regular camera, and the digital camera out so we don't have to search for them."
"We won't have time to search for anything," Jack said, locking the door as they entered the living room. Then he laughed. "Danny, Love. Don't you think using all three might be ..."
"Going overboard?" Jack nodded. "Too much?"
Jack looked at his soulmate, then shook his head.
"Actually, no. Backups for the backups! I'll go get them."
====
The two had been home for a few hours. They had let the girls in, briefly petted them, and then attended to business, ending up back in the nursery doing a final check. When Bijou and Katie had walked up to join them, Daniel had shooed them out.
"Sorry, Girls, not in here. Go back downstairs."
Once the beagles had gone, Jack and Daniel had gone back to their discussion about how they would manage their babies the next day when they brought them home.
When they had gone downstairs, they headed straight for the study to look up some more information about sleeping habits of newborns on Jack's computer.
It was now almost 10:30 p.m., and they entered the living room to get a snack before going to bed.
"Jack, look at this." Daniel looked at the beanbag which was torn to pieces. "Bad girls," Daniel said, both surprised and shocked at the sight, the beanbag completely destroyed.
"I'll get the broom," Jack said, heading for the garage.
The room was cluttered with pieces of white fluffy beanbag filling. It was everywhere. When Daniel looked, Katie was lying down by the patio door, Bijou protectively near her puppy.
"Well, I guess you two can go outside then. Why'd you do that? Gawd, we don't have time to go shopping for you two right now," Daniel sighed, as he opened the door and ordered the dogs outside.
"I brought a garbage bag, too, Danny. Geez, it's all over the carpet."
"Jack, we need to make sure everything is perfectly clean in here."
"Just what we needed to be doing tonight," Jack grumbled. "What were those girls thinking?"
"I don't know, but the sooner we get it done, the sooner we get to sleep."
====
"Morning, Angel"
"Did you sleep, Jack?"
"Not much."
"So you know ..."
"... that you didn't sleep much either?" Jack laughed. "Yes, I know."
Daniel lifted his head off of Jack's chest.
"This is it, Jack. All those years of dreaming and hoping ... it becomes reality today."
"Any regrets?"
"None. You?"
"Not a one."
"Shower?"
"Shower."
====
"This is insane!" Daniel whined.
"Daniel, it doesn't matter what you wear. Trust me; it'll just end up with drool all over it."
"That doesn't make me feel any better, Jack."
Jack laughed and tossed Daniel a tan shirt.
"Wear that. Never liked it much anyway."
"What's wrong with it?"
"Doesn't fit your shape well."
"Excuse me?"
"It just ... doesn't accentuate your positives," Jack teased.
"Jack, what the heck are you talking about?" Daniel asked, slipping on the short-sleeve tan shirt.
"That!"
Jack pointed to the shirt.
"What?"
"Look how baggy it is. You could gain forty pounds, and it would still be baggy."
"I doubt that." Daniel rolled his eyes. "I thought you liked my clothes now."
"I do ... just not that baggy thing."
Daniel was about to argue some more when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it, Angel," Jack chimed as he gave Daniel a peck on the cheek and headed downstairs.
"Baggy. It is not baggy," Daniel whined to himself ... until he looked in the mirror. "Well, maybe just a little."
====
"Kayla, come on in."
"Thanks."
"You look great!"
"Not yet, but I will soon! I saw the babies yesterday. They are so adorable, Jack!"
"They sure are."
"Kayla!"
"Daniel, hi!"
The young woman moved towards the younger man, and they embraced warmly. They were family now for sure; a bond that could never be broken now connecting Kayla with the Jackson-O'Neills.
"We were just about to leave to get the babies."
"They're coming home today? That's so exciting!"
"Um, did you want to come with us?"
Kayla smiled gently at Daniel and then to Jack.
"Fellas, I meant what I said. I'll be their friend, and I admit, I love them to pieces, but I'm not mother material, at least not right now. These are important moments, and I shouldn't be part of it. Okay?"
"Okay," Daniel said softly.
"Which doesn't mean I don't want frequent updates, dinner invitations, and babysitting privileges!"
"Deal!" Jack grinned. "So what's up? Did you need our help with something?"
"No, not right now, but I brought you something ... for the children."
Kayla went to the tote bag of items she had brought with her.
"Um, I think I know some of what you wanted, Daniel, in terms of the babies knowing their birth mother, and also, from my friend's experience, I have an idea of the kind of medical history and whatnot that might be important, so I made these."
"Videos?" Jack asked.
"Yes, partially. This is a set of four videos that I made during the pregnancy. It's a bit of a journal. Everything is there from my hormonal insanity, ridiculous cravings, and why I did this whole thing. I also made these. There are three books, one for each child."
"Oh my gosh," Daniel reacted as he looked through the albums of photographs, family trees, copies of articles Kayla had written. "This is wonderful. It'll mean so much to them. I'm ... I'm sure of it."
"It's a treasure, Kayla," Jack said sincerely as he peeked over Daniel's shoulder to see the compilation. "Thank you."
"I was hoping it would be of help whenever the time was right. Hey, I've got to go. I have a meeting with a publisher."
"How's the book coming?" Daniel inquired.
"Amazingly well. It took me a long time to get it into a reasonable draft, and I've gone through a few publishing companies, but I feel like it's headed someplace incredible. I'm so excited about it."
"Are you ever going to tell us what it's about?"
"I'll let you read it ... later," Kayla smirked pleasantly. "Give those sweethearts a kiss for me."
After Kayla left, Daniel looked again at the journal-like album.
"This is incredible, the way she personalized it and highlighted special moments for her. It's just great."
"It sure is, but we need to go get our kids."
"Oh yeah. Let's go." The two locked up the house and got into the truck. "Jack, I feel like we're forgetting something very important, but I can't put my finger on it."
"Well, it probably isn't very important then. It'll come to you later," Jack said, backing the truck out of the driveway and heading for the hospital.
Meanwhile, in the backyard of their home, Bijou let out a sad "Woof!" and walked slowly over to her puppy, who was lying quietly in the doghouse. The mama beagle lay down, a frown on her face. Katie rolled over on her side, leaning against her mother, and cried a few tears.
====On to Chapter Ten...