Chapter 11 – Conversations
Sam slowly began to awaken, her mind making that lazy transformation to consciousness. She rarely took naps during the day so wasn't used to the mild confusion that took over. She remembered lying on the bed with JJ tucked against her. Slowly, she reached her hand forward, feeling for the warm little body. When she didn't feel anything but soft bed beneath her hands, Sam came fully awake. Her eyes flew open and she shot up, a cry of "JJ!" torn from her throat.
"Easy, Carter," came a familiar voice next to the bed. "He's right here," Jack continued softly.
Sam's eyes swung to the man sitting in her chair. Resting in his arms was the object of her concern. JJ lay reclined in Jack's lap, his eyelids gently fluttering as he dreamed. He stirred slightly, then clutched his beloved Bart doll in his arms and slept on. Sam let herself relax upon finding the little boy safe in her quarters. She couldn't quite get her mind around why the Colonel was in here, though, sitting in that chair and acting for all the world as if he belonged there.
As if he could read her mind, Jack spoke up, keeping his voice quiet. "I came in to talk to you, but you were both asleep. I thought I'd wait around for a while and keep an eye on JJ; he seemed restless. When he started to squirm around more, I noticed he didn't have Bart so I went to get him. Once he had old Bart, here, he settled right back down."
Sam quirked an eyebrow at him. "And JJ just happened to land in your arms?"
Jack shrugged, "Well, I didn't want him squawking when he saw me so I just picked him up. He seems comfortable enough."
Sam smiled as she scooted across the bed to sit at its edge. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and tried to get her hair back into some semblance of order. "I haven't taken a nap in years, unless I was in the infirmary. I feel kind of guilty; I should be working," she admitted shyly.
"Don't feel guilty," Jack assured her. "Naps are good for the soul. In fact, I think we should make it standard procedure around here that everyone has to take an afternoon nap at least twice a week. Think the General would go for that?"
"I doubt it Sir," Sam said, trying to hide a grin. She straightened unconsciously as she remembered the earlier reason for his visit, "You said you wanted to talk to me Sir?"
Jack looked at her for a moment, thinking about how he should begin. Deciding first to inform her about Teal'c's concerns, he asked, "Did you notice anything unusual when you and JJ were outside alone?"
Sam frowned as she thought back. "Technically, we weren't alone, Sir." At his answering frown, she continued, "No, I didn't notice anything Sir, why?"
"Teal'c said he felt like we were being watched. And you know he's usually right about those things. We did a sweep of the area and didn't find anything, but I thought I should see if you noticed anything."
Sam cocked her head slightly to the side, remembering something. Jack knew that look. "What is it Carter?"
"Probably nothing Sir, but I do remember having a feeling that something wasn't quite right. I felt something fly by my head when I put JJ down, then had a strange feeling for a while. I did a quick surveillance but didn't notice anything, so went back to watching JJ. I'm sure it was nothing though," she assured him.
"Maybe, maybe not. If both you and Teal'c felt something was wrong, it very well might have been. I'm meeting with General Hammond soon. I'm going to suggest that he beef up security around the entrance to the complex."
Sam nodded her head, even though she wasn't completely convinced it was necessary. Jack stood up and transferred the sleeping baby to the bed, surrounding him with pillows to keep him from rolling out. Then he indicated with his head that he wanted her to follow him across the room. Puzzled, Sam stood up and crossed over to the door where Jack stood.
"Look Carter, I know you were upset with me earlier, but I wanted to make sure we were OK. I didn't mean to insinuate that you weren't capable of watching JJ on your own; far from it in fact. This is new ground for both of us here," he indicated the baby on the bed. "Hammond doesn't want anything to go wrong, neither do I."
"And you don't think I feel the same? Geez, Jack," she said, forgetting herself for a moment, "I'd do anything to protect that little boy," she stated adamantly. She lowered her eyes and continued softly, "For right now, he's mine and nothing is going to happen to him."
"I feel the same way, Sam," he replied quietly, placing a calming hand on her arm. "We'll protect him together, all four of us. I just don't want you putting yourself in any dangerous situations unnecessarily."
"What kind of danger could there be 50 yards from the entrance?"
"You know better than anyone how desperate certain factions might be to get their hands on someone different," he reminded her.
Sam looked at him closely and saw only concern in his eyes. She sighed, "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. So, does that mean we are truly stuck inside this mountain for the duration? JJ had such a good time out there; the fresh air was wonderful for him."
"No, I don't think we'll have to keep him indoors, but we do have to be very careful. I don't want you outside with him even one minute on your own, got that?" Even before she could either agree or offer a protest, Jack continued, "That goes for me, Daniel and Teal'c as well. None of us take him out without at least one other person for back up. OK?"
Sam nodded her agreement, no reservations this time. "Yes, Sir."
"So we're OK then?" Jack pressed.
He was rewarded with a smile from Sam, "We're OK. Now go have your meeting with the General. I, for one, would like to return to my nap. I hear they might become mandatory soon and I need to brush up on that particular skill," she replied cheekily.
Jack returned her grin, squeezed her arm briefly, and left, feeling much better than he had 45 minute ago.
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After their briefing with the General, who did agree to add extra security both inside and outside the base, Teal'c and Jack stopped at Sam's lab to fill her in on their meeting. Sam leaned against her table, listening to them talk while keeping one eye on JJ.
The little boy was sitting on a blanket in the corner, playing with one of the toys the SF's had brought back with them. He was trying to place the correct blocks in the matching shaped holes on a covered bucket. His little brow furrowed in concentration as he tried unsuccessfully to put the round block in the square hole. All three of the adults watched with amusement as his little tongue peeked out of the corner of his mouth, then his eyes seemed to light up as he figured something out. JJ reached across the bucket and rather forcefully shoved the round block into the correct hole. He looked up with glee at the people watching him.
Jack laughed, "Man, Carter, is that look ever you or what! That tongue sticking out in concentration and the look of pure delight when he figured it out! Maybe I should take him out of here before he gets the idea to figure out more dangerous items."
"He does appear to have Major Carter's intelligence and tenacity, O'Neill," Teal'c said dryly from beside him, his slight emphasis on Major Carter raising Jack's eyebrows. Sam covered her laugh with a cough and looked innocently at Jack when he glared at her. "I do believe it is my turn, however, to watch young Jonathon Jacob," intoned Teal'c. He went over to the blanket, and hunched down in front of JJ. "Would you like to come with me, JJ? I will regale you with stories of your parents' victorious battles."
"EEE!" JJ gurgled back and held his arms up to the large man. Teal'c effortlessly picked the baby up and shifted him to one arm. JJ grinned at his parents from his high perch near Teal'c's shoulder.
Teal'c turned to Jack and Sam. "We will be in my quarters should you need us. I will take good care of little Carter-O'Neill," Teal'c stated seriously before he bowed slightly and left.
Carter-O'Neill. The words actually spoken out loud to both of them froze them in their tracks. It made it that much more real and possible to them. They looked at each other, both lost in thought. Then, Jack cleared his throat. "Um, I guess I'd better…"
"Yeah, me too," Sam added. "Lots of things to do."
"Yeah. So, see you in a bit I guess," Jack said as he walked toward the door.
"Yes, sir," Sam mumbled as sheturned back to her experiment.
Jack paused in the doorway and looked back at her. Carter-O'Neill. Yeah, he could live with that, Jack grinned as he left the lab.
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Two hours later, Jack ran into Teal'c coming down the corridor. The Jaffa had been on his way to find Jack.
"Hey T, everything OK with the little guy here?"
"Indeed, O'Neill. JJ and I spent an enjoyable time together. He did appear to listen as I told him of the many battles we have fought. He also seemed fond of the Jaffa toy I had in my quarters."
"A toy? You? I'm surprised Teal'c. What is it?" Jack asked with true curiosity.
"It is merely a spherical object that young Jaffa children toss at a target. However, the very young must be satisfied to roll it instead of toss it, as it is rather heavy," Teal'c explained.
"Ah, sounds like a ball to me," Jack said with a smile. He inclined his head to JJ, who was busily chewing on a strap of clothing on Teal'c's shoulder. "So, was there something you needed?"
"Indeed, O'Neill. Your progeny has a most unpleasant odor to him. I believe he is in need of a change."
Jack laughed at the look of distaste that crossed Teal'c's face as he led him back to his quarters. Both he and Sam had a large supply of diapers in their quarters for such occasions. As Jack changed the little boy, Teal's stood back a safe distance.
"You are very adept at that skill O'Neill," Teal'c observed from his location by the door. "It has been many years since you cleaned an infant, has it not?"
"Yeah T, but it's like riding a bike." At Teal'c's look of confusion, Jack clarified, "You never forget how to do it."
"I see," came the still befuddled response. Changing the conversation, Teal'c asked, "O'Neill, do you not find it interesting that in another reality, you and Major Carter produced this child, who seems so important to many races?"
Jack turned to face Teal'c as he placed a now freshly diapered JJ on the floor to play with a toy airplane. "Interesting that another Carter and I had a kid, or interesting that so many people want to get their hands on him?" Jack asked, keeping his expression neutral.
Teal'c seemed to consider the statement before responding. "I believe any child you and Major Carter might have would be of great importance to many O'Neill. I find it curious that of several realities we have come in contact with, in all of them, you and Major Carter were together in an intimate manner. Do you not find it so as well?" Teal'c asked with a quirk of his eyebrow.
Jack stuffed his hands in his pockets, unsure of how to answer that particular question. Hell yes, he found it strange and more than a little disconcerting. Were they together in every reality but their own, the one that really mattered? Should he make a change so that it could happen here? Of course, he was dead in 2 of the 3 realities, so maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all! Maybe Carter being on his team in this reality is what had saved his butt time after time – yeah, he was damned sure of that one, at least.
"You know why we aren't together T. Do I think about it? Yeah, especially now with the little rug rat underfoot. But it's not something that can happen. Hell, I don't even know if Carter would want it to happen. But it can't, so that's that," he stated adamantly, wanting desperately to end this particular conversation.
"I apologize for making you uncomfortable O'Neill. That was not my intention. Shall we meet Major Carter and Daniel Jackson for dinner? I believe Major Carter mentioned 1800 hours as the most convenient time for a meal."
Gladly grasping the change in topic, Jack bent down to pick up JJ. "Yeah, let's go. I'm ready to eat, how about you little man? Want to go and grab some chow?"
JJ laughed as he was tossed overhead and caught securely in his daddy's arms. The three of them left Jack's quarters and went to drag Sam and Daniel away from their labs for some dinner.
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In a small park on the outskirts of the city, another conversation was taking place. The man who had spent the afternoon watching Major Carter while surrounded by the pine trees of the SGC sat on a bench, earnestly discussing the situation with a man dressed in a fancy suit.
"I missed on the one shot I got off; she ducked at the last minute. Then when I finally had another clear shot, the Jaffa came out. I couldn't risk it. O'Neill and his alien friend did a sweep of the area but I'm sure they didn't find anything. Never the less, Hammond has increased security. It will be harder than ever to do anything now."
"Well, you'd better find a way, Smith, or you won't see a penny of what was promised you. From our information, we only have 5 days left before the other Carter tries to make contact again through the mirror. There's no way in hell we can get to the mirror to intervene that way, so we've got to take the kid."
"I can't just grab him in the SGC. There are SF's all around, not to mention that Carter, O'Neill or one of SG-1 is always with the kid. And usually it's more than one of them!"
"You know where the escape hatches are in the facility. You find a way to grab the kid, then get out a hatch. Your best bet is to take him when Dr. Jackson is watching him. He's not as astute when it comes tohis surroundingsas the others. He's also not as adept with a weapon."
"I may not get the chance," Smith complained, remembering how they all seemed to stick close to one another lately.
"You'd better find a way," reiterated the man in the suit. "Keep your eyes and ears open for other possibilities. We might get lucky and they'll take him completely off base. I have another contact within the facility who has more access to Hammond than you do. I'll keep you abreast of any changes." He rose to leave, checking around to make sure they weren't being watched. "And Smith, if you fail, it won't just be the money you're missing. It might be a limb or two as well." With that final threat, he retreated to his car and drove off, leaving Smith determined to complete his objective.
A/N: I will try to post at least one more chapter before the holidays. Can't make any promises though! All the kids are home and chaos is reigning! Thanks again for the words of encouragement..I am glad so many are enjoying the story. Special thanks to Captain Mercedes for your reply. Hearing that I have inspired you to once again write is the highest form of praise I can think of! I'll be looking for your work!
