Rituals
Author: LVB
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 doesn't belong to me. Enough said.
Summary: There are some rituals that the O'Neill family will always keep alive.
Rating: PG
Status: Complete 1/1
Timeframe: Future season (14+)
Category: Vignette, angst, S/J established relationship, kidfic (per se), J/Sara (slight), Charlie
Spoilers: Just an obvious one that pops up right from the beginning – Stargate (the movie)
A/N: Just a little ficlet I found lurking around. This was written about 6 months ago so forgive me if there's any mistakes.
There were some rituals Jack O'Neill had sworn by for the majority of his life. For instance, every Christmas, no matter where he was, he would open just one present at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve. Sure, it was a small ritual, but one he celebrated nevertheless.
Over time, he had made this ritual part of the O'Neill family. Both he and Sara would wake Charlie up at the stroke of midnight and watch as proud parents as their son would shake each of the gifts to see which one he wanted to open.
But one fateful day had changed the rituals for the O'Neill family. For the first time in his life, even during Christmastime in Black Ops, Jack had nothing to celebrate. The first Christmas after Charlie died, he didn't even stay up past 22:00. He had simply sat next to the Christmas tree, nursing his grieving heart with a beer…or seven. He just didn't have the energy for it anymore. After Charlie's death, the misery had become Jack's ritual.
Fortunately for Jack, his time in the Stargate program opened his eyes. His broken, grieving heart began to mend a little. Piece by piece, he slowly became alive again. He felt his heart begin to race each time he stepped through that marvellous beauty. He began to feel again – the gate travel had become his ritual. Seeing Samantha Carter had become his ritual.
Time during the SGC had flown by quickly. He had changed into an old man. But his heart began to heal. Three months after being promoted to the head of Homeworld Security, Jack O'Neill proposed to Samantha Carter. Eight months after that, they got married in Colorado Springs.
It was after Jack let some happiness into his life that he began to feel the sorrow and the pain again. He thought that some rituals for Jack might not be suitable for the new O'Neill family. How wrong he was.
Sam and Jack O'Neill visited Charlie's grave on the tenth anniversary of his death. And on that day, for the first time, he let himself cry at his son's final resting place. On this day, a new ritual was born for the O'Neills. A year after that, Grace O'Neill joined in the family ritual. Each year, they would visit Charlie's grave- together.
That same year, Jack O'Neill was woken up at midnight on Christmas Eve. Smiling, he unwrapped his gift from his wife. That year was an important one for the rituals of the O'Neills.
Twelve years later, Jack and Sam stand proudly as they once again visit the grave of Charlie. They smile as they hear their daughter's words:
"I've been coming here for twelve years, Charlie. You were my brother, and even though I never knew you, I've always come to stand next to our dad as he sits at your grave. Dad loves you, Charlie. You're my brother. So I guess I love you too."
So as Jack hung up the mistletoe that year at Christmas, he knew that the O'Neills would be alright.