Junior
By Lingren
Previously:-
Jack walked towards the cot and sighed, marshalling his thoughts before making a decision.
Chapter 4
Several minutes later, Jack picked up the phone again.
"Carter?"
"Yes Sir?"
"Can you spare a few minutes? I have something of a favour to ask you."
"I'll be there in 5 Sir."
"Thanks!"
Jack dropped the phone back onto its cradle and waited. The boy stirred and Jack rose from his chair and stepped across to the cot, gingerly lowering himself onto it, grimacing when his knees twinged with age old familiar pain.
"Hey!" he said softly, carding his hand through Junior's soft hair when the boy opened his eyes.
At first Junior wondered where he was but as the smiling face hovering over him registered, he grinned and reached out to him.
"Daddy!"
"Hey!" Jack greeted him softly. "We need to talk young man."
Junior didn't reply but merely nodded and eyed him with curiosity. He rose and clambered over the bed to insinuate himself onto Jack's lap for a hug. How Jack had missed this. All the memories of Charlie came rushing in when those tiny arms wrapped round him and he couldn't help but gulp back a few tears at the painful loss of his past. It wasn't until a little hand wormed its way loose from his hold to wipe the moisture from his cheek did Jack realised exactly where he was and that he'd actually shed a few tears. He sniffed back the moisture and smiled down at the boy, vowing that he would never allow anything to happen to this child. Guns were to be strictly forbidden in his house from now on. He smiled at his son in response to the unbridled trust showing in Junior's face and hugged him tighter.
Jack waited until his son pulled back before he spoke.
"I've been talking to my boss and we're gonna have to change your name to a proper one okay? From now on – just so's we don't get mixed up – your proper name will be Jonathon; but we'll call you Jon."
He nodded again and hugged his father once more.
They were still like that when Sam appeared a moment later.
"Sir?"
Jack jerked his head up and grinned.
"Carter! Great."
He struggled to rise but had to get Jon to relinquish his hold first.
"Stay there kiddo. I need to talk to Colonel Carter for a minute. Okay? I'm not going anywhere."
The child nodded and curled up again to watch them chat, hugging his toy and unerringly seeking his thumb with his mouth.
"He's a cute kid Sir."
Jack looked at her, studying her azure eyes and sighed with regret.
"I'm sorry Sam. I had no idea," he sighed apologetically, still feeling guilty. "If it's any consolation, it was a once only deal. You guys arrived the next day and that put an end to it. I'd never...well, all that is irrelevant now. However...I kinda need your help."
"He needs some clothes," she stated blandly, knowing where he was going with his request.
"Yeah. That's where you come in."
"Me Sir?"
"Sam. I'm taking some time off. As from now on, it's Jack okay?"
"Yes Sir," she responded automatically then shrugged at the incongruity of the situation.
"I've been making a list but It's been a long time since..." he started to explain but couldn't finish.
"Er...I hate to remind you Jack, but I've never...um...you know." She'd bought the occasional things for her nephew and niece but she had no idea what to get really, other than clothes. Just what did kids need?
"Ah. Sorry. I just thought... I don't trust anyone else Sam."
There was a knock on the door, and both Sam and Jack looked round to see Dave Dixon there with a plastic carrier in his arms.
"Colonel?" Jack asked, wondering at the intrusion.
"Sorry Sir. I heard about the...er boy...and well, Sheila and I thought until you could go shopping, you might be able to make use of these. "
He rather self-consciously placed the bag of clothes onto the desk and made a hasty retreat but Jack stopped him in his tracks.
"Dave!" Jack called out to him.
Colonel Dixon hesitated, turning back with trepidation, wondering if he may have overstepped the bounds of their friendship.
"Sir?"
"Thanks!"
"You're welcome Sir. They're too small for my youngest one now anyway."
Jack smiled warmly and nodded a dismissal before emptying the clothes out onto the desk. Jeans, T-shirt, underwear, sweater, jacket, socks and sneakers; and to top it all, a small sized baseball cap with the 'Avalanche' motif on it. Jack grinned, happier now than he was before at the prospect of taking him out dressed in those rags. At least they could take the boy outside now without embarrassment.
"Okay. We're gonna go shopping. Sam consider yourself our escort."
"Yes Sir...em...Jack."
Between them they washed and dressed Jon in the clothes provided by Dixon. They were a little on the large size but that didn't matter. They both held a tiny hand in theirs and Jack smiled at the thought that despite their circumstances, they actually looked and felt like a normal family, going out shopping together.
There were only two more things he had in mind that would make his life complete, but that would have to wait for a while. For now he had more pressing things to worry about.
They received all manner of looks on the way to and from the elevators, ranging from downright curiosity, to some overstepping their positions with sniggers, and the occasional little wave and a smile for the kid. Jack felt sure they weren't for his benefit, and one look from him had them poker faced and business like once more.
He knew the fact that he had 'inherited' a son would be all over the base in no time at all, and really when it came down to it, he was inordinately proud of that fact; he just wished he'd known about it before. Despite the fact that teams had visited Edora on a regular basis, Laira had hidden the truth about the child from them. He couldn't fathom out why she'd not said anything, unless it was to stop him feeling any pangs of guilt and responsibility for her condition. He would never have left her if he'd known. He would have stayed if she'd told him. He glanced down at the boy who looked up at him and grinned, tightening his hold on Jack's hand just a little bit more.
Jack's eyes skipped across to meet with Sam's and he knew her thoughts were in a turmoil. His dropped his gaze guiltily, feeling he'd let her down, now she knew what he'd done back then. He did love Laira in his own way, she'd gone out of her way to help him over his depression at being stranded, he just wasn't 'in' love with her. She'd asked for a child and he'd believed that if he was going to be staying there, like it appeared he would have been, then he had nothing to lose, only something precious to gain. But fate had other ideas in mind, and he had returned to his real home in ignorance of her condition.
He did believe that Sam would feel strange doing this because it was Laira's child and maybe she would rather back off from their relationship now that he had his son to look after. He wouldn't even consider any other solution to the boy's future. The boy had every right to be with his actual father now that his mother was dead, even if that meant retiring from the Air Force earlier than planned. He would do it without a second glance. He began to feel uncomfortable making Sam go with him, but she was better suited to pick out things like clothes than he would be. He'd always left that side of things to Sara.
"Sam. Look, I...it's not an order. You don't have to come. I just thought, well...I thought you'd..." he floundered, not finding the right words he wanted to say.
"It's okay Jack. I'm happy to help you out," she replied, knowing what he really meant. She was a little uncomfortable with the idea of this being his child with Laira, but she knew he was aware of her discomfort which made all the difference. If he had been so totally unaware of her feelings then she wouldn't hesitate or feel so bad about calling a halt to their undisclosed connection. All those whirling emotions that his absence had caused at that time only to find he'd been with Laira, had stirred up, had been swept aside in their passion for each other, and now it seemed like it had come back to bite her in the ass. She was wondering if this would be the one thing that drove them apart.
Jack strapped Jon into the back seat of the truck and Sam sat next to him while Jack drove very carefully. One of the first things he was going to buy would be a special car seat for the boy to keep him safe. Jon's face was full of open curiosity, and Jack could see his eyes wide with wonder at the everyday things they took for granted, and Jack realised he would have his hands full explaining how they lived here on Earth, to his son who had only known carts and horses as the only means of transportation. He didn't know about the TV, Videos, CD's, Computers or Game-boys; Cars, Trucks, Motor-bikes, Planes, Trains, Skates, or Cycles; Houses, Stores, or even running water. By Earth's standards, Edora was stuck in the 17th or 18th Century. So shopping was bound to be an eye opener for the boy, let alone doing something as simple as eating lunch in the restaurant. He was beginning to wonder if Jonathon Junior would be able to cope with it all, or whether it would literally blow his young mind. Maybe he should just take him home and let Sam do the shopping.
"All set little man?" Jack asked him via the rear-view mirror with a worried frown.
Bright eyes alight with interest beamed back at him and Jack knew then that the boy would be able to cope with everything. Kids were very accepting of new ways, certainly they were more resilient and adept at coping with change than adults were.
Half way there though, a keening wail from the back seat had Jack almost careening off the road in shock. The boy had been so quiet up until now.
"Hey, what's the matter?" Sam soothed, when Jon released another sob.
Jon hiccupped and looked so forlorn that Jack pulled over and stopped. He turned in his seat and reached out to take the boy's hand in a calming gesture.
"I lef' my Berra!" he wailed again.
Jack looked blankly at Sam who shrugged, then her eyes widened as she connected the dots.
"His 'Teddy Bear' Sir. Or rather the equivalent. His toy!"
Jack sighed. He'd forgotten all about the damn toy and Jon was obviously very attached to it, and who could blame him; it was all he had of his former home to keep.
"Hey. We'll get you some more toys at the store. And where we're going, 'Berra' might get lost. He's a whole lot safer where he is believe me. I promise we'll go get him later. Okay?" Jack said, trying to placate his son.
There was a sniff and a hitch in the boy's breath, and then a solemn nod that said he would be okay with that, though he would miss his precious Berra dreadfully until he got back.
Sam picked up on the theme of new toys and once Jack was assured that they wouldn't have to turn round and drive back to the mountain to collect the toy, he started up the truck again. As they drove he could hear Sam telling him all about the toy store where he could pick out any other toys he wanted. He smiled to himself and she caught sight of it's reflection in the rear-view mirror.
Their eyes locked onto each other for a few seconds but a wealth of understanding passed between them. She was good with the boy, just as he'd known that underneath that tough military shell she would make a good mother, despite her protestations to the contrary in the past.
TBC
Thanks to everyone of you who sent in a review. I'm happy to know you're all still enjoying this.