Fifteen minutes later the final officer had left after taking detailed statements from Sam, Jack, Teal'c, and Reynolds. Once Jack was done with the police officer General Hammond sought him out and asked to speak with him in private. General Hammond led Jack to Sam's study.
When Jack walked in he noticed that Jacob was there and that he didn't look too happy. 'Uh oh, this can't be good…'
"Colonel, it has come to my attention that Mr. Shanahan accused you of having an affair with Major Carter. Is it true?"
Jack looked between both men, "No sir."
"Isn't that why you're retiring?" Jacob asked him.
"Well kind of… but I swear to you sir that Carter and I have never overstepped our boundaries as commanding officer and subordinate. We never violated any of the regulations."
Jacob questioned him again, "Then what do you mean by 'kind of'?"
"Uh, because we both know that we want to give us a try, but we were never going to let it impact our careers and duties. I swear to you that Carter and I have never acted on our feelings for each other!" Jack adamantly told them.
They both stared at him long and hard as they judged the veracity of his statements. They both shared a look with each other then and shrugged their shoulders. Jacob spoke again, "Okay. What are you going to do now that you're retiring?"
Jack carefully considered his answer to the father of the woman he cared deeply for. It then dawned on him that he knew of his retirement, "How do you know I'm retiring?"
The two generals shared a smile, George answered him. "When you told me you were retiring I figured it had something to do with what you wanted to do with Major Carter when you would be free of the regulations prohibiting you both from pursuing a relationship with each other. I couldn't let Jacob not be here for this, I had to make sure he watched as he lost."
Jack was now thoroughly confused, not only was his CO acknowledging that he knew there were feelings between he and Sam, but that he wanted Jacob there. "What?"
George triumphantly continued, "You see Jacob and I made a bet a few years ago. I bet him that you would retire to be with her, he bet me that you two would never end up together."
Jack was touched by the hope his CO expressed, but also concerned that Sam's father thought they would never be together. "When did you guys make this bet?"
"Shortly after I blended with Selmac… So Jack, what are you going to do now?" he asked him threateningly.
Jack paused and finally swallowed the lump that had formed in the back of his throat. "Actually, sir, I was hoping you would be here. There was something I wanted to ask you…"
"There is?" Jacob challenged him, knowing full well what was coming next.
But Jack threw him a curveball, "Yes, I want to ask your permission to see your daughter."
"What?" a shocked Jacob asked. He hadn't expected that question.
"I want to go out with Sam and I wanted your permission… So do I have it?"
Jacob stared at him wide-eyed. He didn't know how to answer, he was both relieved and shocked. Jack interrupted him, "Jacob?"
"What? God, I thought you were going to ask me for her hand in marriage…"
Now it was Jack's turn to be stunned, "What? We haven't even gone out yet!"
"Yes, well… Yes you have my permission… But if you ever plan on marrying her you better ask me first," his eyes became dark, "because I swear to you that if you ever hurt her, even in the least and I hear of it, there will be no place in this galaxy that will protect you from me!"
Jack cringed and was left speechless. Jacob stared at him a little longer to make sure he had gotten his point across before his facial features visibly softened. "Go make my daughter happy now."
He stammered out an answer, "I will sir. I promise!"
"Good," Jacob happily nodded as he turned and looked at George and winked. It felt good to put the fear of God in someone every once in a while.
"Uh, Jacob, if you bet against me and Sam why are you letting me date her?"
"Because I made that bet before I got to know you Jack. You're a fine officer and gentleman. I know you won't willingly do anything to hurt her… You'll take good care of her," he honestly told him. Jacob was pleased with her daughter's choice, he would be proud to someday call Jack O'Neill his son.
"I will sir, I promise."
"Other than seeing Major Carter, what are you planning on doing with all your spare time?" General Hammond asked him.
"Honestly sir, I hadn't thought of it," he sheepishly revealed.
"Well I have a proposition for you Colonel, if you're interested."
"What's that sir?" Jack asked intrigued by the General's remark.
"Well after you left my office, and I ensured that Jacob was going to be here tonight," he added with a smile before continuing, "I made a few calls to the Pentagon and to the President. Seems they all agree that you are a valuable asset to the SGC, an opinion that I highly agree with. But they all understood your reasons for leaving, both the physical and personal reasons. The Pentagon has come up with a new position, I believe the official title is: Interplanetary Tactical and Diplomatic Consultant. We'd like to offer you the job."
"Sir, I'm honored for everything you tried to do for me, but I'm still going to resign my commission."
George's face lit up, "Ahh, see, there in lies the beauty of this position. It's a civilian's position. One where the occupier of this position still gets to sit in on briefings and travel through the Stargate to continue contact and further develop communication and trade with other races. They'll work for me, but they won't be in my chain of my command or be subject to the rules and regulations of the United States Air Force… So what do you say Jack? You interested?"
As he listened to the General's explanation his eyes went wide and he jumped for joy, he was getting his dream wish, the one where he got the girl and the job! "Yes, sir! I'll take it. When do I start?"
"How's Monday morning sound to you?"
"Just fine, sir," he told him with a wide grin as he held out his hand to thank him. "I really do appreciate everything you've done for me and Carter, we really appreciate it."
"You act as if you know she's going to say yes," Jacob asked him as he raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I do," he told them confidently.
Hammond looked down at his watch, "It's almost midnight Colonel, don't you have an announcement to make soon?"
Jack jumped from where he was standing as he looked down at his own watch and noticed that it was almost ten to midnight. "If you'll excuse me," he told them as he raced/hobbled out of the study as fast as his bad leg and cane would take him.
TBC
When Jack walked in he noticed that Jacob was there and that he didn't look too happy. 'Uh oh, this can't be good…'
"Colonel, it has come to my attention that Mr. Shanahan accused you of having an affair with Major Carter. Is it true?"
Jack looked between both men, "No sir."
"Isn't that why you're retiring?" Jacob asked him.
"Well kind of… but I swear to you sir that Carter and I have never overstepped our boundaries as commanding officer and subordinate. We never violated any of the regulations."
Jacob questioned him again, "Then what do you mean by 'kind of'?"
"Uh, because we both know that we want to give us a try, but we were never going to let it impact our careers and duties. I swear to you that Carter and I have never acted on our feelings for each other!" Jack adamantly told them.
They both stared at him long and hard as they judged the veracity of his statements. They both shared a look with each other then and shrugged their shoulders. Jacob spoke again, "Okay. What are you going to do now that you're retiring?"
Jack carefully considered his answer to the father of the woman he cared deeply for. It then dawned on him that he knew of his retirement, "How do you know I'm retiring?"
The two generals shared a smile, George answered him. "When you told me you were retiring I figured it had something to do with what you wanted to do with Major Carter when you would be free of the regulations prohibiting you both from pursuing a relationship with each other. I couldn't let Jacob not be here for this, I had to make sure he watched as he lost."
Jack was now thoroughly confused, not only was his CO acknowledging that he knew there were feelings between he and Sam, but that he wanted Jacob there. "What?"
George triumphantly continued, "You see Jacob and I made a bet a few years ago. I bet him that you would retire to be with her, he bet me that you two would never end up together."
Jack was touched by the hope his CO expressed, but also concerned that Sam's father thought they would never be together. "When did you guys make this bet?"
"Shortly after I blended with Selmac… So Jack, what are you going to do now?" he asked him threateningly.
Jack paused and finally swallowed the lump that had formed in the back of his throat. "Actually, sir, I was hoping you would be here. There was something I wanted to ask you…"
"There is?" Jacob challenged him, knowing full well what was coming next.
But Jack threw him a curveball, "Yes, I want to ask your permission to see your daughter."
"What?" a shocked Jacob asked. He hadn't expected that question.
"I want to go out with Sam and I wanted your permission… So do I have it?"
Jacob stared at him wide-eyed. He didn't know how to answer, he was both relieved and shocked. Jack interrupted him, "Jacob?"
"What? God, I thought you were going to ask me for her hand in marriage…"
Now it was Jack's turn to be stunned, "What? We haven't even gone out yet!"
"Yes, well… Yes you have my permission… But if you ever plan on marrying her you better ask me first," his eyes became dark, "because I swear to you that if you ever hurt her, even in the least and I hear of it, there will be no place in this galaxy that will protect you from me!"
Jack cringed and was left speechless. Jacob stared at him a little longer to make sure he had gotten his point across before his facial features visibly softened. "Go make my daughter happy now."
He stammered out an answer, "I will sir. I promise!"
"Good," Jacob happily nodded as he turned and looked at George and winked. It felt good to put the fear of God in someone every once in a while.
"Uh, Jacob, if you bet against me and Sam why are you letting me date her?"
"Because I made that bet before I got to know you Jack. You're a fine officer and gentleman. I know you won't willingly do anything to hurt her… You'll take good care of her," he honestly told him. Jacob was pleased with her daughter's choice, he would be proud to someday call Jack O'Neill his son.
"I will sir, I promise."
"Other than seeing Major Carter, what are you planning on doing with all your spare time?" General Hammond asked him.
"Honestly sir, I hadn't thought of it," he sheepishly revealed.
"Well I have a proposition for you Colonel, if you're interested."
"What's that sir?" Jack asked intrigued by the General's remark.
"Well after you left my office, and I ensured that Jacob was going to be here tonight," he added with a smile before continuing, "I made a few calls to the Pentagon and to the President. Seems they all agree that you are a valuable asset to the SGC, an opinion that I highly agree with. But they all understood your reasons for leaving, both the physical and personal reasons. The Pentagon has come up with a new position, I believe the official title is: Interplanetary Tactical and Diplomatic Consultant. We'd like to offer you the job."
"Sir, I'm honored for everything you tried to do for me, but I'm still going to resign my commission."
George's face lit up, "Ahh, see, there in lies the beauty of this position. It's a civilian's position. One where the occupier of this position still gets to sit in on briefings and travel through the Stargate to continue contact and further develop communication and trade with other races. They'll work for me, but they won't be in my chain of my command or be subject to the rules and regulations of the United States Air Force… So what do you say Jack? You interested?"
As he listened to the General's explanation his eyes went wide and he jumped for joy, he was getting his dream wish, the one where he got the girl and the job! "Yes, sir! I'll take it. When do I start?"
"How's Monday morning sound to you?"
"Just fine, sir," he told him with a wide grin as he held out his hand to thank him. "I really do appreciate everything you've done for me and Carter, we really appreciate it."
"You act as if you know she's going to say yes," Jacob asked him as he raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I do," he told them confidently.
Hammond looked down at his watch, "It's almost midnight Colonel, don't you have an announcement to make soon?"
Jack jumped from where he was standing as he looked down at his own watch and noticed that it was almost ten to midnight. "If you'll excuse me," he told them as he raced/hobbled out of the study as fast as his bad leg and cane would take him.
TBC
