I apologize for the delay in updating. There were problems with the computer. However that has been fixed, and now I can get back to it!
Chapter 5
Honey I'm Home
Daniel accompanied the rest of SG:1 to the home of one infamous Colonel. At least he used to be. When he got there the house was in a state of disarray. Jack was trying to pick up things from the floor, as if he was looking for something. He didn't acknowledge the presence of SG:1.
"Sam, I can't find my sash." he called into the next room.
"Under the second chair in the lounge."
He rummaged and found what he was looking for. He thought for a second before yelling out "Sam, where are..."
"Kitchen next to the wheet bins." She cut him off.
"Thanks!" he retreated then returned with his shoes. He turned to the team that had been standing awkwardly around the front door. "Daniel, T." they both waved. "Nice to see you again." They pretended not to notice his ignorance of the other two present.
Reynolds tried to hide a smirk at what Jack was wearing. He was dressed in a plain brown robe, sandals and a white sash. His hair was brushed but he hadn't shaved. Jack raised an eyebrow at the Colonel, shutting him up. He was about to open his mouth to speak when Caitlyn started crying.
"Jack..."
"I got it!" He turned around and head out to find his daughter. A few minutes later the crying stopped and he returned with Caitlyn in his arms. At this stage SG:1 was getting impatient. Even Teal'c was tapping his foot. "O'Neill, I believe we should be leaving."
"I told you before, don't call me O'Neill. It's Carter now." The smirk on Reynolds face grew and Siler hid a grin with his hand. "Sam, hurry up, they wanna leave."
"I'm coming." She walked into the room. Her robe was the same as Jack's, only blue, but she too wore a white sash and sandals. A gold sickle hung on a chain around her neck. "Can I have Caity?" she asked. Jack handed her over.
"Good. Let's go." He said, pulling the hood of his robe over his head. Sam followed suit. They walked through the village solemnly. They came to the Stargate and waited for Daniel to let them through. "I'll go first."
Jack walked up to the pool of shimmering blue like any Brother of the Goddess would. Niniane would be pleased. He thought. He stepped into the mirror and was face to face with Hammond and as many of the SGC as could fit in the 'gate room. He made his way down the ramp slowly for effect. At the bottom he looked up and pulled of his hood. Staring straight into the General's eyes he said with a grin,
"Honey, I'm home!"
The tension was immediately broken. From the corner of his eye Jack could see Sam and SG:1 enter the room. General Hammond gave him a smile, almost looking relieved. "It's good to have you back Colonel O'Neill."
"George!" he said happily. "Don't call me that."
He was a little taken aback at that. "Then what do you want me to call you?" He didn't know if he was being serious or not.
"Let me reintroduce myself. Sam?" She came and stood with him, holding Caitlyn. "I am Brother Jack Carter. This is my wife, Lady Samantha Carter, and my daughter, Caitlyn Janet Carter. Nice to meet you all."
"Jack, that's not how it's done and you know it! Niniane would be ashamed." Sam hit Jack playfully. Turning to the General she said, "I am Lady Samantha. This is My Chosen," she glared at Jack, "Brother Jack and daughter Caitlyn." She looked at Jack again. "Can't you follow ceremony properly just once?"
"Oh come on! Niniane's always on my back, can't you let me have a little power just once?
"Not when it interferes with ceremony." She leaned closer and whispered "You get plenty of power at home!"
The entire room fell silent. It was so quiet that when a pin fell off the table in the control room, the SGC jumped. They were staring at the two. "Tough crowd." Jack said, breaking the silence. He looked around and noticed the plaque for him and Sam. "You couldn't use Jack could you? Just had to be Jonathon."
If the silence could have increased it would have. Sam rolled her eyes and addressed the General. "Protocol aside, have you contacted Dad yet?"
"Jacob is on his way, he said he couldn't make it until tomorrow."
"Good. Janet, can you take a look at Caity? I don't know how going through the mirror would have affected her."
"Mirror?" The General asked.
"Sorry, Stargate. It's called a mirror back home."
Jack was walking around the sea of airmen studying each. He pulled the hat off one who looked scared to death, came close to his ear and yelled "BOO!" Hammond was shocked, but regained his composure.
"SG:1 report to the infirmary. Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter will accompany you."
"I told you, Jack Carter." "Don't call me Major." Jack and Sam said at the same time.
Daniel was getting fed up. He stepped forward and dragged Jack to the infirmary, with Sam following behind. Whispers broke out around the SGC as they continued out.
"Well your fine." Janet said to Sam.
"And Caity?"
"Healthy as a horse."
She sighed. "Thank-you."
"So Caitlyn Janet?"
Sam grinned. "Yeah, it's customary to name a child after her godparents. In Shalott that was my tutor Caitlyn. I figured, if we ever got back to Earth, she might have a godmother here too."
The doctor blushed slightly. "And if she was a boy?"
"Baedos, that's Caitlyn's chosen and Jack's tutor. Baedos Daniel we'd decided." There was something about the look on Janet's face when she said this. Sam couldn't quite figure out what. "So, Janet, what's happened while I was away?"
"Not much. I'm still the Chief Medical Officer here at the SGC."
"You know what I mean. Any man in the good Doctor's life?" Oh no! I've been around Jack far too long.
"Well..." The look on her face and deep scarlet blush told her everything she needed to know.
"I see. And who's the lucky guy?"
"No one. Not really anyway. He flirts like mad but hasn't made a move yet."
"Why don't you?"
"I...I..."
"Thought so." She said smirking.
Janet gave Sam somewhat between a smile and a laugh. "Stop that! Or I'll find some needles to put in that arm of yours."
"Awe, I'm hurt." She pouted. "Anyway, I'd better go see Jack and Hammond. We need to figure out quarters and so on while we're here."
"How long are you staying?"
"A few days." Tears welled up in Janet's eyes. She turned her face away. "Janet? What's wrong"
"I thought I'd lost my best friend! Now suddenly you're back after four years, you've changed so much! And Caitlyn... I don't know what to expect."
"I know. I didn't expect to be seeing any of you again either."
Jack wandered into Daniel's study. Yup, just how he remembered. Coffee cups, dust and doohickeys. The boy didn't change much. He was working on a translation and didn't hear his former team leader walk in.
"Same old eh Daniel?"
He jumped. "Oh, Jack. I didn't see you there."
"I noticed. Watcha working on?"
"Some ancient writings, talking about some sort of hidden city."
There was an uncomfortable silence. "So..." Jack tried.
"So..." He tapped his fingers on the table. "About you and Sam."
"Here we go."
"What happened? I mean, your military relationships and..."
"Daniel, it would take and idiot not to see that I cared about her, even though she was my 2IC. Besides, nothing happened for a year. Sam was too insistent on getting home."
"And?"
"When we realized that some of the pieces are missing, we gave up. Well, she did. I already had."
"Well, now you can come back and forth whenever you want. Why don't you stay?"
"Look, Daniel, decision's made. Let's just leave it for now. Besides, I didn't come in here to talk about my wife." It sounded so natural for Jack to be saying that, yet Daniel still felt weird when he did.
"Then what did you come in here for?"
"Because, Danny boy, I've heard some strange rumors about you from the grapevine."
"Jack, you've been back 2 hours, what could you have possibly heard in that time?"
"You'd be surprised how wiling people are to tell a former high ranking officer everything about his old team. Heard some interesting things regarding ol' Doc Frasier too." He watched as Daniel turned red and faced away from Jack.
"Really. What, exactly, have you... heard..."
"Things. Lots of things. So, Daniel, how many girlfriends have you had that have tried to blow us up or died since I left?"
"Well, none actually."
"That's gotta be a record."
"You know I'd rather not talk about..."
"Why?"
"I'm, I'm sorry what?"
"Why? Were you turned off after the first few times or are you waiting for someone special?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Yes you do." He smirked at Daniel's embarrassment. Yup, he still had it. "So are you gonna show me where we're staying or what? We are staying in the same room right? You don't wanna see Sam when Caity keeps her up all night."
Daniel gave him a quizzical look. "Do you really think that's such a good idea? I mean people might still think..."
"We've been over this. After four years, it doesn't apply anymore. If I don't get a room with my wife and daughter, you know I'm gonna be pissed."
"Go speak to Hammond, he'll get it sorted out. Is there anything else you wanted?" He was more than eager to get back to his translation.
"Beltane. I want to see you there." Daniel opened his mouth to protested. "No buts! You can at least pretend that I'm still a Colonel."
Jack waltzed out of Daniel's office and down the hall. He needed to speak with Sam. If he knew her, and oh boy he did, then she would have already started interrogating Janet. He moved towards the infirmary, hoping to catch her on the way out.
Sam pushed out of the infirmary with a fold up crib under one arm and nearly banged straight into Jack. She stopped just short of him, glad that Caitlyn hadn't been hurt.
"Careful!" She cried.
"Sorry Sam, I was just on my way to meet you." He held out his arms for Caitlyn. "Hey, Caity, did I scare you?" He turned back to his wife. "So what have you found out?"
"What makes you think I've found out anything?"
"Sure, you were in the infirmary for half an hour routine check up, which, might I add, you never stayed for anyway?"
She gave him a smile. "Definitely something, she doesn't want to make a move yet." They started heading towards Hammond's office.
"Daniel's acting the same. Won't meet my eye at all."
"We did such a good job of setting them up. What went wrong?"
"We were stranded miles away. The only reason anything happened was that we were there to make it happen."
"Makes you wonder." She knocked on the door.
"Come in." Came the General's voice from inside.
"George! Looking good, as always."
"Hello Colonel."
"How many times do I have to tell you? It's Jack... Carter..." He dragged out the last two words. "Two words, Jack Carter, but I'd prefer Brother Jack, or just plain Jack. Of course if you wanted you could call me supreme overlord of..."
"Does this visit have a purpose Co... Jack?" he corrected himself.
Sam rolled her eyes. "We were wondering when we'd find out our quarters for while we're here. Frankly I'm surprised you hadn't gotten to this sooner."
"I've already told Daniel to escort you to some quarters across the hall from each other..."
"No." Jack stated.
"No?"
"I share a room with my wife or we both go." Sam nodded in agreement.
"I am aware of your current situation, but circumstances being what they are..."
"I don't mean to sound rude, but I'd like to get Caitlyn to sleep. It's way past her nap time." Sam stated; a not-too-subtle reminder that rumors couldn't get worse, they were already married with a child.
Hammond smiled. Despite everything he knew, they did look good together, a family. "Very well. Sam, your old quarters were never filled. You can stay there while you're here."
"Thank you Sir." She turned towards the door.
"Just a moment..." He stopped them. They turned, once again, toward their former commander. "Could I just.."
"Hold Caity? Never could refuse ya George." Jack grinned, handing her over. "She seems to have a hold over many of the SGC, especially Teal'c." Both him and Sam laughed.
Hammond made 'googily' noises at the girl, who laughed and tried to pull the buttons off his uniform. Jack grinned and Sam giggled.
"Come on, enough dallying. We've got a festival to prepare!" Jack picked up Caitlyn again, bowed, and began making his way to Sam's old quarters.
"Festival?" Hammond mouthed as they were leaving.
Ok, not such an exciting chapter. Had fun writing it, hope to interrogate Janet and Daniel more. Still wondering how to continue, maybe I'll have more ideas after bringing Jacob into the mix. Anyway, thanks again for reviewing.
Jad Dragon: Very well, oh tiny little brother of mine, I shall cease my bugging. As long as you read these next chapters.
StarGazer89: The mirror was a big part of the Shalott ledgend. It was the only way Elaine of Astalot had to view the world. As for Daniel and Janet... well, not quite. Give Jack a little time...
iamari: Thank-you, I'm touched!
STKitty65 cat: Thankyou once again. I find there are better ways of keeping readers interested than cliffhangers. Ok, getting too boastful again slaps herself
Sci Fi Fan Gillian: Thanks
Ariel Carter O'Neill: Sorry it took so long. Fist FF probs, thn comp probs. Will it never end?
SG1-Fanfic: Thanx
froggy0319: Has to be an understatement. BTW, a little surprise for is coming in the next chapter....
