Jenny and Michael were headed to upstate New York and while the anonymity of the
Adirondack area was enticing, the distance to D.C. and the Stargate was daunting. After
torturing himself with the possibility of one of the biggest mistakes of his life, O'Neill
decided to stay in the Chesapeake Bay area. It was close to D.C. and hopefully they
would find enough work to keep body and soul together until their next appointment with
fate. The bus left them outside a diner in a small town on the west coast of the bay with
nothing much beside a change of clothes, a few bucks and Jenny and Michael's best
wishes.
They went inside for coffee, it was about all they could afford, some information about finding work even if it was pearl diving at the diner and where could they bed down for the night. The booth next to theirs provided all the answers to their prayers. The school superintendent, town mayor and principal of the middle- high school were having a meeting. The topic of the day was finding teachers to fill in the vacancies created by the late return of two men who were wounded in Nam. The gods must have been smiling on them because the positions that were vacant were teaching the romance languages and Physical Science. Ads had been placed in the papers but due to the low pay and this backwater of a small town they had nary a bite. O'Neill overheard the chatter and signaled the group to pay attention. Daniel without thinking things through bolted to his feet and introduced himself to his prospective new employers.
"Hi, I'm Daniel Jackson."
Jack mouthed at the table 'We come in peace'."I speak French, Spanish and Italian fluently and wonder if you would consider me for the position at your school. Oh and this is my, mmm, sister, Sam, ah, Jackson, ah, O'Neill and she is in science." Daniel grabbed Sam's arm and dragged her over to face the other booth.
The men's faces were stony. They looked them up and down and looked over at O'Neill and Teal'c and stared back at Daniel. Daniel was thinking as fast as he could on his feet and the tale he was spinning was getting more elaborate.
"Oh, that's my sister's husband and his buddy just returned from Nam." He slid into the booth with the town and school officials and added "They're really OK just having a hard time readjusting, no drug problems just, you know, trouble sleeping and keeping a job, oh and some swallowing problems as well." He could hear O'Neill choking on the mouthful of coffee, half of which he inhaled, the other half he sprayed on the table, when he found out he was married to Carter in Daniel's scenario. "Well look, you might be the answer to our problems but the positions will only last until the men, who previously held them, are fit. They're both back in the states but well Mike Darcy is learning how to negotiate with only one leg and Bob Reilly has just some physical therapy to content with. We have been told by the families that we can expect our guys back by spring term. Do you think you would mind just the four months work?"
"I think that would work out for my, ah, extended family"
Carter just nodded her head and smiled.
"Is there any short term housing available?"
"Actually there are some cottages that are usually just summer rentals, might be cheap if not a little drafty, not exactly cozy in the colder months if you get my drift."
And so began their life in Herring Bay.
The cottage they rented was on the edge of town but not more than a five minute walk from the school or in the opposite direction the docks. O'Neill and Teal'c, aka Murray, sought employment on the docks, joining other day laborers unloading the fish from ship holes or restocking them with ice. The work was dirty, back breaking and paid poorly but it kept a roof over their heads and food on the table until the school term started after Labor Day.
The cottage was cheap and adequate for their needs but its major drawback was that the landlady live right next door. She was a nice old lady with a vegetable garden that kept them supplied with tomatoes and zucchinis for the mere effort of some weeding. And lord knows the old woman could use the extra income accrued from renting the cottage out of season but she could be a tad nosey. She was filled in with the same story that Daniel had told the School officials and so offered the room downstairs with the double bed to Carter and O'Neill, and the dormitory styled rooms to Daniel and Teal'c.
The cottage was vintage, which was a polite way of saying that the next direct hit by a hurricane would reduce it to kindling. Downstairs was a large room with a stair case to the left and a beautiful stone fireplace on the right. It was possible that the entire house depended on it soundness for the structures stability. The large room served as a great room with couches, easy chairs and bookcases overflowing with typical summer reading and assorted board games and jigsaw puzzles. There was a large dining room table with a hodge podge of chairs. This part of the room opened unto the kitchen and a hall way which led to the bathroom, the downstairs bedroom and the back porch. Upstairs there were two attic bedrooms and a large closet that held towel, sheets and other assorted household goods including item forgotten by guests long past. The front porch had rockers and a splendid view of the bay and the back porch was screened in and came equipped with a table and chairs for dining and a hammock for napping.
They went inside for coffee, it was about all they could afford, some information about finding work even if it was pearl diving at the diner and where could they bed down for the night. The booth next to theirs provided all the answers to their prayers. The school superintendent, town mayor and principal of the middle- high school were having a meeting. The topic of the day was finding teachers to fill in the vacancies created by the late return of two men who were wounded in Nam. The gods must have been smiling on them because the positions that were vacant were teaching the romance languages and Physical Science. Ads had been placed in the papers but due to the low pay and this backwater of a small town they had nary a bite. O'Neill overheard the chatter and signaled the group to pay attention. Daniel without thinking things through bolted to his feet and introduced himself to his prospective new employers.
"Hi, I'm Daniel Jackson."
Jack mouthed at the table 'We come in peace'."I speak French, Spanish and Italian fluently and wonder if you would consider me for the position at your school. Oh and this is my, mmm, sister, Sam, ah, Jackson, ah, O'Neill and she is in science." Daniel grabbed Sam's arm and dragged her over to face the other booth.
The men's faces were stony. They looked them up and down and looked over at O'Neill and Teal'c and stared back at Daniel. Daniel was thinking as fast as he could on his feet and the tale he was spinning was getting more elaborate.
"Oh, that's my sister's husband and his buddy just returned from Nam." He slid into the booth with the town and school officials and added "They're really OK just having a hard time readjusting, no drug problems just, you know, trouble sleeping and keeping a job, oh and some swallowing problems as well." He could hear O'Neill choking on the mouthful of coffee, half of which he inhaled, the other half he sprayed on the table, when he found out he was married to Carter in Daniel's scenario. "Well look, you might be the answer to our problems but the positions will only last until the men, who previously held them, are fit. They're both back in the states but well Mike Darcy is learning how to negotiate with only one leg and Bob Reilly has just some physical therapy to content with. We have been told by the families that we can expect our guys back by spring term. Do you think you would mind just the four months work?"
"I think that would work out for my, ah, extended family"
Carter just nodded her head and smiled.
"Is there any short term housing available?"
"Actually there are some cottages that are usually just summer rentals, might be cheap if not a little drafty, not exactly cozy in the colder months if you get my drift."
And so began their life in Herring Bay.
The cottage they rented was on the edge of town but not more than a five minute walk from the school or in the opposite direction the docks. O'Neill and Teal'c, aka Murray, sought employment on the docks, joining other day laborers unloading the fish from ship holes or restocking them with ice. The work was dirty, back breaking and paid poorly but it kept a roof over their heads and food on the table until the school term started after Labor Day.
The cottage was cheap and adequate for their needs but its major drawback was that the landlady live right next door. She was a nice old lady with a vegetable garden that kept them supplied with tomatoes and zucchinis for the mere effort of some weeding. And lord knows the old woman could use the extra income accrued from renting the cottage out of season but she could be a tad nosey. She was filled in with the same story that Daniel had told the School officials and so offered the room downstairs with the double bed to Carter and O'Neill, and the dormitory styled rooms to Daniel and Teal'c.
The cottage was vintage, which was a polite way of saying that the next direct hit by a hurricane would reduce it to kindling. Downstairs was a large room with a stair case to the left and a beautiful stone fireplace on the right. It was possible that the entire house depended on it soundness for the structures stability. The large room served as a great room with couches, easy chairs and bookcases overflowing with typical summer reading and assorted board games and jigsaw puzzles. There was a large dining room table with a hodge podge of chairs. This part of the room opened unto the kitchen and a hall way which led to the bathroom, the downstairs bedroom and the back porch. Upstairs there were two attic bedrooms and a large closet that held towel, sheets and other assorted household goods including item forgotten by guests long past. The front porch had rockers and a splendid view of the bay and the back porch was screened in and came equipped with a table and chairs for dining and a hammock for napping.