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More fluff coming up for your enjoyment!
Junior
By Lingren
Previously:-
They went for a celebratory meal at an Italian restaurant nearby and took a stroll through the park despite the chilly wind. Winter was coming and it was cold enough for snow.
Chapter 21
Jack opened the door and braced himself against the enthusiastic welcome he knew he would get from Junior. He was right to do so when Jon flew out of the kitchen, where he had been helping Melissa bake some cookies, and threw himself onto his father.
"Daddy!"
"Hey, Tiger! How ya doing?"
Jack picked him up, but complained when Junior wrapped floury fingers round his neck and down inside his collar and into his hair. He tipped the giggling boy upside down and carried him back to his chair where he found his Mom laughing at the two of them.
Sam followed behind carrying a cake box and a heavy bag. She dumped them on a free countertop and explained to her future mother-in-law what they had bought.
"It's another birthday cake for Jon. Jack missed out on the first one, and none of us really felt like celebrating back then, so we thought we'd have a real party now. Jon has yet to open Jack's presents too."
"More cake?" Junior crowed with delight, and was about to leap into Jack's arms again, when he was stopped abruptly.
"Ack!" Jack said, wagging a finger at his son. "Hands – soap – wash!"
Jon giggled but complied with haste, and while Melissa helped him wash up, Jack dipped his finger in the raw cookie mixture and sucked it with a sigh of ecstasy.
"Jonathon O'Neill! How old are you?" Melissa scolded sternly, slapping Jack's hand away as he tried to sneak some more from the bowl. Sam giggled at her future husband's actions and Jon looked at his father in shock. He thought Melissa was serious when she'd smacked his dad's hand.
"Ow! What?" Jack queried innocently. "If he can do it so can I," he whined with a pout like a five year old, pointing to his son.
"At the rate you two are tucking into the mixture, there won't be any left to bake in the oven," his mom chided, hiding her amusement. It was so good to see her son alive and happy, she didn't really care if he did eat all the dough, though he'd probably regret it later.
Jack and Sam went off to the bedroom to change and wash up, while Melissa baked what was left of the cookie dough, sighing with relief that she'd made plenty of it.
While she was clearing up, Jack and Sam came back in looking for a cup of coffee and a fresh baked cookie.
"So what did you two get up to while you were out?" she asked.
Jack looked at Sam but instead of answering his mom's question he asked one of his own.
"Where's dad?"
"I'm here," John answered coming into the kitchen behind them. "I was having a rest but it seems that two little kids are conspiring to make that idea redundant," he sighed looking at Jack and Jon Junior with a mock scowl."
"Hey!" Jack cried indignantly, though he shot Sam a wink. "So now we're all here we have something to tell you."
He pulled Sam into his arms and waited until Melissa had dried her hands. He told his mother and his father to sit at the table, along with Jon Junior. Once they were comfortable he took a deep breath.
"We went shopping in the Mall and then went for a meal, so that we could celebrate."
Melissa didn't need to hear the rest, she gasped in surprised joy but Jack made a 'stop right there', gesture so she sat with a huge smile on her face, knowing what he was going to say.
"Sam has done me the great honour of accepting my proposal of marriage."
Sam blushed as Jack pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. When they separated, Melissa was already tugging at Sam to embrace her, and Junior was jumping up and down on the chair crowing with delight. John congratulated them too, telling Jack it was about time. Melissa was holding Sam's hand, eager to admire the ring.
"Oh Sam, it's so beautiful. When's the big day?"
"Mom, you're incorrigible. We haven't decided on anything yet," Jack snorted, laughing.
"What's that?" Jon cried, pointing out of the window. He cringed, clinging to his father's arm.
Everyone laughed indulgently as Jack explained about the big fat white flakes that were now falling heavily.
"That's snow, c'mom, lets go see it," Jack said sounding as excited as a five year old on Christmas morning, and tugging Jon along to the mud room.
Jack dressed Jon warmly and pulled on his new boots, to make sure he was snug and warm. Jon had never felt so bundled up before, but Jack didn't want him to get chilled. It had turned quite bitter by the late afternoon, and the sky had prematurely darkened with the heavy clouds.
Jon stepped out of the door behind his dad, and held his hands out to catch the flakes. He squealed with delight as the snow melted in his palm, turning to water but it settled on his clothes. He couldn't understand why it turned to liquid as soon as he touched it.
The snow settled on his eyelashes and his clothes and very soon they both of them looked like snowmen. Jack had shown him how to make a snowball and had thrown his at Sam standing in the doorway, but she shrieked and quickly ducked back inside shutting the door against it, making it splatter harmlessly against the door frame. Jon tried it and managed to catch Jack in the face because Jack didn't attempt to move out of the way in time. They both made snow angels in the rapidly deepening snow, and inside the house, watching from the warmth, the rest of the family looked on in amusement. All in all they had great fun until Jon complained that his fingers were all tingly and numb and he was cold and wet.
Jack hoisted him up into his arms and took him indoors where Melissa had made Jon some hot chocolate to drink and Jack promised to help him make a snowman the next day if the snow was deep enough; though he had no doubts about that, because at the rate it was falling now there would be a good 12 inches or more by morning.
They ate the birthday cake after dinner and despite Jon's excitement, he fell asleep on Jack's lap watching the cartoons on the Disney channel. Jack carefully lifted him and carried him to his room, putting him to bed.
He sat there for a long time just drinking in the fact that Jon was his and that he himself was alive and well again. Being so close to death recently had brought everything home to him and he couldn't get enough of Jon or Sam. The more he saw of them, the more he wanted to be with them, until he thought his heart would burst with love. It was a side of himself that he'd kept hidden from the world, especially the military world of the SGC where he had a reputation as a hard nosed officer not to be messed with. Who would have thought that underneath all that bravado he was a big softie. None of the SGC personnel that was for sure.
Sam stood in the doorway watching him until he turned and spotted her. He stood up and gently brushed a kiss over Jon's forehead so as not to disturb the boy and turned off the main light but left the nightlight on, and the door on the jar. He took Sam into his arms and kissed her once more.
"You okay?" she asked, wondering if he was worried about something.
"I'm fine Sam. In fact, I'm better than fine," he answered with a kiss. They walked hand in hand to the living room where Melissa and John left them to it, saying it had been a busy day and they were both tired. Jack knew better of course but he appreciated their withdrawal, leaving he and Sam to themselves.
OoOoOoOoO
Over the next week life was good. There had been nothing untoward happening. There was no sign of any new threats from the Goa'uld's Ashrak to either Jack or Jon, and everyone was beginning to relax and enjoy life.
Thanksgiving was rapidly approaching and Jack had persuaded his Mom and Dad to stay for the celebrations, which Melissa swore was because Jack didn't know how to cook a turkey and he wanted her to prepare the dinner.
Just to prove a point he refused to let her in the kitchen that day while he and Sam set to and made a sumptuous repast, much to Melissa's amazement.
The next day Jack took Junior to the ice rink where he could try out his new skates. Jack was delighted when Jon progressed rapidly, and by the end of the session he was skating on his own, albeit slowly and a little shakily but it pleased Jack none the less.
Sam spent every spare moment she had with Jack and Jon, much to Daniel's amusement; he was so happy for his friends. They sat and planned the forthcoming wedding together, arguing over the pros and cons of a church wedding against a civil wedding. If it wasn't for the fact that almost all of their friends were military they might have been able to escape all the hype, but everyone wanted to attend so they decided on a formal wedding at the Academy chapel as most of the guests would be in uniform, and Sam had always dreamed of having a big wedding.
Jack gave in to her wishes easily with a fake sigh of resignation and a frown but Sam knew he was more than okay with it. It was all settled; Teal'c and Daniel would be Groomsmen and Cassie and Elizabeth – Sam's niece - as maids of honour. Jon was gonna look real cute as the page-boy. They didn't want to wait too long, so they set the date for two months time, at the end of January.
TBC