In-between 1 -o- Retirement Party & Promotion

August 24, 2003

"I just can't believe that he won't be going through with us anymore" Daniel said as he and Janet got ready for the farewell gala for Jack. They were having it at the SGC on Hammond's insistence. Jack had wanted to have it at O'Malley's but they still didn't like them to all be there at once. Daniel was very happy for Jack but at the same time saddened by the thought of not having him on the team anymore. He hoped he got along with whoever they got to take over as leader of SG-1. Janet walked out of the bathroom with a smile and a towel wrapped around her.

"I know" She said shaking her head. "It will be so quite at the SGC without Jack there" She said drying her hair and pulling out her Blues. Daniel nodded his head and put his tie on.

"Is Kiara going to be there?" Daniel asked turning to look at Janet.

"Yeah" She said nodding her head. "Hammond had some small Blues made just for her" She said smiling a little. "I think he's quite taken with her"

"I know" Daniel said smiling. "Every one at that base just loves her"

"Well she is pretty lovable" Janet said nodding her head. "Do I look alright?" Daniel turned and smiled at her.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love that on you?" He asked walking over and pulling her to him.

"No" She said smirking at him. He put his hand on her cheek pulled her face towards his and was about to kiss her when...

"Mom!" Cassie yelled from the hallway.

Janet smiled at him and shook her head. She went to the door and opened it. "What honey?" She called back.

"What dress should I wear?" She asked poking her head out her door.

"The one I put on your bed" Janet said smiling at her. Cassie's head disappeared for a second then reappeared with a shy smile on her face. "Oh, thanks" She said disappearing again. Janet shook her head and turned to smile at Daniel.

"So, you were saying?"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"You look so handsome" Kiara said smiling up at Jack. He had on his Blues and was sitting on his bed with Kiara.

"Thanks kid, you look pretty good your self" he said ruffling her hair. She smiled down at the mini Blues she was wearing. He looked down at her and she smiled up at him. She had his eyes, the same eyes Charlie had had, big and bright and brown. He was having a hard time getting ready to give it all up. He knew in his heart that Kiara and Sam were way worth it but it was still hard. He didn't know if he could make it as the stay at home dad. Especially while the women he loved was out there fighting every day. He knew the team would be fine, they had a strong system of trust and they all cared for each other. So he wasn't really worried about that.

Kiara could see her father was thinking about something. She wasn't sure what it was but she thought it might have something to do with something he called retirement, whatever that meant. She hoped he wasn't made at her. She crawled over and climbed into his lab. He looked down and smiled at her. 'Nope not mad then' she thought smiling up at him.

"Daddy" She said putting on her best puppy dog face as Danny called it. "Tell me something about here" She said giving him what Sam called her angel eyes.

"Like what?" he asked tickling her a little.

"Um..." She trailed off a little and put her hand to her chin like she had seen Danny do. "Tell me about Sam" She said nodding her head. "How did you meet her?" She asked now full of questions on this topic. "Did you love her right away?" Jack looked down at Kiara and smiled a huge grin at her.

"Yeah I think I may have" he said lifting her up as he stood. "I'll tell you more about her tonight at bed time. Right now we have to go get Sam"

"For the party?" She asked smiling.

"For the party" He said nodding his head.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Do they do this for everyone that retires?" Daniel whispered to Sam as they stood there and listened to someone from the Pentagon drone on about bravery and heroes.

"Yeah" She said nodding her head. She had her hands on Kiara's shoulders she, unlike the two adults standing with her, was handing on his every word. "Hasn't anyone ever retied here before?" Sam asked looking curious.

"Not that I've seen" he said smiling. "But then I was dead for a year so..." he trailed off giving Sam a playful smile. Sam rolled her eyes and turned to the podium as Hammond stepped forward.

"It is always said to lose such a valuable member of our team" he said smiling at Jack who was standing strait and tall, looking for the entire world like the hero he was. "But before we say our finally goodbyes I have one last task for him" He said looking down at Sam with a big smile on his face. "Please come to attention" Every one in the gate room came to attention. "Major Samantha Carter please step forward" he said smiling. Jack had just as big a smile on his face as well. Sam pulled away from Kiara who looked up at her as she walked by and went up to the top of the ramp so she was in-between Hammond and Jack.

"The United States Air force has recognized that you have fulfilled tasks and duties well beyond the responsibility of Major. It is with great pleasure that I bestow upon you the responsibilities, the respect and the rank of Colonel." He said. As Jack and he placed the new pines on her shirt the whole room burst into applause. Sam looked over at Jack who winked at her.

"Well done Colonel" Jack said shaking her hand. He looked over at Hammond who smiled at him. Then with out any warning he swept Sam back and kissed her right there in front of every one in the gate room. When he pulled her back up she stammered a thank you to Hammond and walked back down the ramp.

"Quite a show" Daniel whispered to her smiling.

"Indeed" Teal'c said with a little smirk from the other side of her.

"I knew it!" Kiara said making the three of them laugh. Sam smiled as Hammond took his place in front of the podium again.

"As a fully retired man now I think Jack would like to say a few words" Hammond said looking over at Jack who nodded his head and traded places with Hammond.

"As we all know I'm a man of very few words..." He trailed off and looked around. "Ok just checking" Sam, Daniel and Teal'c all smiled remembering the last time Sam had been promoted. "It saddens me to say goodbye to this place, the people and the action. I don't think I'll be bored though." He smiled down at Kiara who waved at him. "I'm happy to say that I will be leaving SG-1 in the hands of a very capable person though. I'm sure she'll do a wonderful job' Jack said looking at Sam. Daniel and Teal'c both looked at Sam with a look of surprise. She smiled at them and raised her eyebrows. "So in conclusion good luck to you all, and don't have too much fun without me" He said smiling and walking down the steps towards his team. Kiara smiled at him and came running up to meet him.

"That was really cool daddy" She said smiling at him.

"You think so?" He asked ruffling her hair.

"Oh yeah" She said nodding her head so fast Jack was afraid it might fly off. Her stomach rumbled and she looked at Sam. "Is there any cake?" She asked looking around at the adults. "Because if there's not this isn't a very good party" She said looking at Jack.

"I second that" Jack said nodding his head.

"Yeah" Sam said rolling her eyes. "Like we'd have a party for you and have no cake" She said as a few airmen rolled in a huge cake that said 'Third times a charm' on it.

"Cool" Jack said smiling at Sam.

"Yeah" Kiara said nodding her head. "Very cool"

A/N Hope you all like the 'In-between' series. It's just something I thought I'd do when I'm having trouble writing on my other story(s). Most of them wont be very long, but they will catch you up on what has been going on in the O'Neill family (And the rest of SG-1) Let me know what you think. This all happens in-between 'Little Miss Brown eyes' and 'Brown Eyes Times Two'. I'm just going to write them as they come to me so they will most likely be out of order, but I will put the year at the beginning of each one. Enjoy!