Thanks for all of your nice reviews and helpful comments - there was some confusion in Chapter 3 that mislead some. I think I fixed the offending line. No Jack did not know of the children until Sam told him in the office.
Posted separately under the title When it's Quiet - the Decision is story of when Sam found out she was pregnant and how she made her decision to leave and not tell Jack. You do not have to read it to follow this story, but it's a good companion piece.
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Chapter 4: Clarity
Jack didn't remember the drive home, or even when exactly he had pulled the beer he had in his hand from the refrigerator, or when he walked outside onto his deck. If someone asked him what he was thinking about since he had been standing here he was certain he could not answer them.
He took another drink, but was surprised to find the bottle was empty. Too many thoughts ran through his head producing an overwhelming feelings of frustration, hurt, betrayal, impatience, anticipation, anger, curiosity and confusion. He threw the bottle across the yard at the shed and it shattered loudly in the quiet of the night.
"You know you're going to have to clean that up, you can't have kids running around the yard with that broken glass." George chided him.
"Not a good idea, you being here right now Sir. I may say something I can't take back" Jack warned him.
"I'll take my chances, son." George responded without fear.
"What do you want?"
"I know you are angry at all of us Jack. You left before I got a chance to talk to you and there are some things that we need to discuss."
"And, I supposed it has to be now?" Jack responded sarcastically.
"Son, can we go inside?" George said calmly and stretched his arm towards the door. He felt the need for the privacy of the indoors for the discussion they were about to have.
Reluctantly Jack walked inside. George walked to the dining room, turned on the light and sat at the table. Jack went into the kitchen and brought out two bottles of beer.
George raised the bottle. "Thanks. If I remember correctly Jack, the price was continued patience and latitude." Thinking back to what Jack had asked in exchange for his help with Kinsey. "Boy do you know how to push the envelope. Not an hour after that conversation Sam comes into my office and informs me that she's resigning. Then reluctantly informs me why. Jack, you married and impregnated someone in your direct chain of command under my watch."
When Jack had pulled that gun on Kinsey he thought the only people he could hurt were himself and Maybourne. At the time it seemed the only way to help George. "Sorry about that Sir." George Hammond had been watching his back for eight years, he never wanted to put the man in a difficult position. Of course George did keep the existence of his children from him so maybe they were even; or maybe not.
"You damn well should be. It was down right irresponsible and wrong."
"I beg your pardon, Sir. It was the most right thing I've ever done and nothing you can say or do to me will ever change that." Despite tonight's turn of events Jack was even more certain of that now than ever.
"Well it put us in a mighty difficult position Jack. It would be one thing if circumstances, being what they were, Sam had gotten pregnant on that mission where you had no recollection of the rules and regulations governing your behavior. But, you were married with full understanding of what you were doing." He reprimanded.
"Sorry, I am thankful you didn't have me court-martialed."
"Well Sam solved that problem. It's not an option, if the situation doesn't officially exist. That's why I'm here." Jack raised his eyebrows silently inviting him to continue. "Sam rushed things to get back here."
"Rushed? It's been four and half years, I don't see any rushing."
"We've been working that entire time to get her back here. When we finally succeeded she was in such a hurry that there was no time to prepare. Those Asgard ships are pretty fast."
"Prepare for what? I mean I probably need to get a couple of cars seats, don't I? What is there for you to prepare for?"
"Your wife and children have been living with advanced races. Advanced races that have technology that was not completely shared with us."
"So…"
"Jack you're not naïve. Kinsey wasn't the only obstacle for Sam to return. In order for her to return on her terms-"
"Her terms?" Jack said surprised.
"That there would be no repercussions for the two of you being married." George explained.
"Ah…her terms."
"We had to resolve the fraternization issue first." George continued.
"We?"
"Former President Gordon and myself. When Kinsey died and the trust was exposed and shut down, we decided that it was time to get to work on the final step to bring them home. So we started talks with the joint chiefs."
"The joint chiefs?"
"Yes Jack, we started our talks off with a more broad approach, no names. We weren't getting anywhere. Gordon and I decided that since we weren't making any progress we would need to be more specific. For six months the Joint Chiefs debated the issue in all likelihood hoping to continue putting it off so as to not deal with it all. They were perfectly satisfied with having an Asgard Science Liaison and not having to deal with this issue."
"But you brought them around?" Jack asked curious of where George was going.
"No."
"No?"
"I'm not sure what brought them around, but suddenly it was over."
"You see you say suddenly and I-"
"I'm telling you Jack. I had been talking until I was blue in the face for a year. We hadn't been back to discuss the issue in a month and I get a call out of the blue that it's resolved. Let's say I'm being paranoid here and there's nothing to worry about; alls well and good. But, what if..."
With impending danger, Jack brain was cleared of the haze of the emotional wreck he had been on his way to, and went into auto-pilot for what he was trained to do: protect. Now it was all about intel. "Did they give her R & D?"
"No I did." George reassured him.
"Okay….Any chatter on the subject."
"Three weeks ago there was an intelligence report that crossed my desk that normally would have been good for a chuckle; officially I dismissed it. Basically - scientist with considerable knowledge of an advanced earth ally. It was vague enough, but the source of the chatter was a valid concern." George paused. "Before we opened the case to the joint chiefs there were three people on earth with that information. Myself, former President Gordon and current President Hayes."
"Where is Hayes on all of this?" Jack was methodically peeling the label from his beer bottle.
"He has remained seemingly neutral."
"So what are we talking about a leak with the Joint Chiefs?"
"That's the present thought. I want you to meet with Malcolm Barrett with the NID and see what we can find out."
"The NID? I'm not working with them on this."
"That's an order Jack. Gordon assures me we can trust him. He was the one who cleaned up the NID for him."
Jack sat silently thinking through what George was telling him.
"Anything else I should know?" George shook his head no and took another drink of his beer. "So you wanna tell me why you didn't include me on this operation from the get-go?
"Honestly, we decided you were too big of a risk. You weren't told because we didn't trust you to act level-headed after what you pulled with Kinsey. Everybody had to believe she was leaving solely for the science mission. If you did, everyone else would. Besides that, there's a little matter of Sam being my deceased wife's god-daughter and I swore to her I'd do everything I could to protect Sam."
"Seriously?" Jack had no idea. In all of the years, they had worked together neither of them had led onto it.
He smiled. "Seriously. We need to proceed with caution. Get her to listen to you Jack."
"Miracles are Carter's Department." George snorted; too much truth in that statement. He had already tried.
"Well time for me to go."
"You shouldn't be driving so soon sir, stick around." Jack offered.
"It's all right son, I'm getting a lift from the Prometheus back to DC. I'll be in touch soon. Take care of your family."
"Will do sir."
George Hammond was beamed out of Jack's house.
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Jack arrived bright and early at the SGC; too bright and early for a Saturday. He unlocked his office and sat down at his desk the thoughts of his conversation with Sam from the previous night running through his head mixed with his conversation with George.
Walter walked in purposefully. "Good morning, sir. I cleared your schedule of all unnecessary meetings for the next week." Jack looked at him quizzically. "There was a note on my desk from General Hammond sir. SG-4 is scheduled to come back today at 0900, de-briefing is scheduled for 1100. Other than that you schedule is clear today."
"Ahh the Russians." That would take a considerable amount of his patience and restraint today. "Thank you Walter." Jack looked down at the files left by Hammond with the paperwork he needed to get to work on.
Knock, knock.
"What Walter?" He looked up and sighed. "Jacob what can I do for you?" Not a happy camper to see his father-in-law. Father-in-law, the thought made him wince.
"What the Hell were you thinking Jack!" Jacob yelled so loud Jack thought for certain the technicians in the Gateroom could hear him. There was a time a girl's Dad could strike fear in his heart. He thought he was long past that.
Jack jumped up and asked in a voice not much above a whisper. "Jacob, for the sake of your daughter's dignity will you keep it down." He went to close the door and saw Walter running into the conference room concerned. He raised his hand and reassured him, "It's alright Walter. Misunderstanding." He closed the door.
"For the sake of my daughter's dignity? You certainly weren't thinking about that in Vegas were you?"
"Excuse me?"
"I've been waiting more than four years for this, so you had better make it good. What the hell were you thinking marrying my daughter?" Jacob asked again furiously.
Jack moved back behind the desk feeling more secure having a barrier between the two of them. "If my calculations are correct, Sam has been an adult for a good two decades now." Jack defended.
"You have a daughter now Jack, you tell me at what age will it be okay for her CO to marry her and get her pregnant and risk her losing everything she worked for?"
Jack pondered that seriously, thinking of the picture of his very young daughter, he could not imagine a time when that would be okay. He stuck his hands deep in his pockets and looked down shaking his head. Jack had thought he was the one who had the right to be the angry Dad here, maybe Jacob had a point, maybe he had to concede they both had good reason to be upset.
Jack thought back to that night at the blackjack table. "Jacob, you know that look Sam gets when she really wants something? She looks up at you with that really big smile, that look in her eyes and asks you a question." Jacob nodded, he knew it all too well. "Have you ever said no to her when she gives you that look?"
"No." As much as he wanted to be mad, he couldn't help the chuckle that escaped. "It drove her mother crazy when I gave into her." Jacob smiled recalling his wife's exasperation with him.
"We were sitting at a Blackjack table I was losing my money to her all night and there was no place else I'd rather be. The dealer dealt that last hand, and I look down and I have a king and an ace. I can't believe it. I am finally going to beat her. I looked up at her and she had that damn smile, and I said "What?" and she popped the question. After that I didn't think, I couldn't, I just reacted. We left everything on the table…….So tell me Jacob when will I get to the point that I'll be alright with this with my daughter?
"You won't. But you'll know you have no say in the matter when you see her look at a man with the same look her mother had on her face the day she married you."
"You're a bigger man than I…..Jacob no one will ever love your daughter the way I do."
Jacob huffed. "I hope you really feel that way Jack."
"I do, but we need time to work this out between the two of us."
"She's been your subordinate for 8 years Jack and although she's been your wife for nearly five, you two have absolutely no relationship as such."
"She'll be fine. Sam can hold her own."
Jacob nodded in the affirmative, but his heart held doubt and concern for his daughter. "You don't deserve them."
"Aren't you glad we don't get what we deserve Jacob." Jacob had to give the man credit he certainly could defuse a situation when he wanted to. "I take it you've met my children?" His curiosity of what his children were like was steady overtaking every other emotion he was experiencing.
"They're great Jack. They're healthy, inquisitive, well adjusted children whose father will never be able to live up to the image their mother has built of him."
"Thanks." Jack said with a mix of pride and mocked hurt, but he smiled. He didn't even know his kids knew anything about him. There were so many things he hadn't asked yet. He and Sam had a lot to talk about. He said goodbye to Jacob. Jacob had to get back to work and was leaving though the Stargate this morning. Jack got back to the paperwork at hand.
At this rate he figured former President Gordon would be here for lunch and maybe Thor would stop by for dinner. That ought to cover the conspiracy. But, the person he had the biggest problem with which to resolve was in the building. Trust was a necessary part of marriage; something their relationship didn't seem to have anymore.