"So, does this mean that we can actually live off the base, now? You guys know that the nanites are inactive, and if we promise not to use our special 'abilities' and bring undue attention to ourselves, can we?" Thora asked her father during their break for lunch in a day of shopping, a few weeks before their birthday. Sam was on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy, so she was at the base, lying in the infirmary until the baby chose to grace everyone with their presence.

Jack grinned, his daughter was like him in so many ways it was almost scary. The one thing that worried him about his two children was that they had both developed the ability to hide their feelings behind a façade of composure. All of the built of anger the two held toward Ba'al went nowhere, not even into a punching bag.

After the loss of Thora's baby, life for the O'Neill household fell into a comfortable routine. Johnny became near obsessed with learning about Earth's culture, while Thora dove into her relationship with Sean and her work. While they had yet to consummate their relationship, they were almost as close as Daniel and his girlfriend, Sara Gardener. Sam and Jack gave their attention to the unborn child, their two nearly seventeen-year-old children and the SGC.

In the mornings, the small family would eat breakfast together in the commissary, discussing everything they had planned for the day. Then they would head off in their separate directions, usually Sam and Johnny to Sam's lab and Jack and Thora to Jack's office and the debriefing room. For lunch, usually Jack and Thora just ate while working in his office or in the commissary, while Sam and Johnny had it delivered by a SF assigned to the duty. During the afternoons, Sam and Jack either had an appointment for the baby, or just spent the afternoon doing other things together. Johnny spent his afternoon on the Internet looking for school stuff, or with Daniel helping him translate or learning about the cultures of Earth. Thora helped Daniel, got ahead on her work for her father or spent time with Sean if he was on world and not too busy.

"Dad?" Johnny asked concerned. It wasn't often that their father went quiet like that when he was asked a question. That was more their mother's style.

"What? Huh? Oh, well, I guess it does. If you guys want to live at the house then fine, we can move back in as soon as the baby is born. It makes no difference to me where we live after the baby is born, but right now it's safer for all of us at the base with your mother."

Thora got a mischievous grin on her face and in her best impression of Mr. Burns (almost as good as her father's) said, "Excellent."

Johnny quickly finished his meal and threw all the trash away, "Come on, I want to go back to that store. There was something in there that I need to get."

Jack slowly got up, stretching his arms as he did so, "All right, then. Let's go."

When they got to the store in question, Hot Topic, Thora went immediately to the back section where the notebooks were held. One of the workers, a young man, came up and started flirting with her. Johnny and Jack shared a grin at the man's stupidity. Both knew from experience and being witness to this kind of thing before that Thora could be less than subtle in her attempts to get rid of unwanted attention.

"So, Johnny, why did you want to come back here?" his father asked him.

Johnny's grin broadened. "There is the perfect shirt for Thora in here." He showed it to his father and when Jack saw what was written, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Come on then, let's get it for her as a birthday gift."

"That's exactly what I was thinking, Dad."

"Dad!"

Jack looked up from the shirt and spotted his daughter waving franticly at him from where she was at the other end of the store. "Just a second, Johnny. Here, go pay for this."

"Dad, this is way too much," Johnny exclaimed at the one hundred and fifty dollars his father handed him.

Now was Jack's turn to grin, "I know. The rest is for you to buy stuff with for your room and school."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it, that's what Dad's are for."

When Jack got to where his daughter was waiting, he found her holding something close to her chest and glaring at the man who had been previously flirting with her.

"What's up, Thora?" Jack asked, curiously.

"I found a birthday present for Johnny, and this kind young man won't leave me alone." The adjectives she used for describing the worker were said with a very thick layer of sarcasm in her voice.

Jack eyed the young man who had artificial black hair and places on his face pierced that should have been left alone.

"Hello there, Gary," Jack said after checking the boy's nametag. "I'm General Jack O'Neill, US Air force, and this is my daughter, Thora."

Gary gulped when he heard Jack say that he was a general.

"Are you through bugging my daughter, Gary?"

"Umm, no sir, I mean yes sir. I'll be over there if you need me, sir."

The boy fled hastily in fear of the man looming before him. Jack smirked briefly before turning to his daughter, "Now, what was this about a present for Johnny."

Thora showed him the notebook she had clutched to her chest and once again, Jack's laughter filled the air. "I thought he would get a kick out of it, and I know for a fact that he loves to write."

"It's perfect. Here, you go get it and I'll meet you and Johnny right outside, okay?" Jack said, handing her the same amount as he had Johnny.

Thora, very confused responded, "Dad, the notebook is no more than fifteen dollars, I don't need $150."

"I know, but the rest is spending money for you to buy stuff with for your room."

Thora smiled at her father's thoughtfulness. Despite what most of the airmen on base had told her, her father was a very nice and loving man. "Thanks, Dad."

A/N: Well, I hope you liked it. It was a pleasure to write, and I think I can wrap up the entire story within two chapters. Then I can focus on 'Jack's Family' and 'Sam's Secret'. If you have any requests for where this story should go, please review or email me. I really appreciate all the reviews I've been getting and would just like to say THANKS!

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