A/N: Okay, a few ppl were a little concerned w/ Jack and Sam being in the bed w/ Jake, but i had thought i'd already said they had a huge bed and both being military or former in Sam's case, they could be light sleepers when they needed it, and Jake being the night owl baby, they wouldn't be getting much sleep anyway,
so here's the next chap, unbeta'd hope you like it!
Jacob made his way up the stairs early the next morning. The room he was staying in was directly under Jack and Sam's and when his namesake had awoken that morning, he'd heard not only the cries but the parents walking around the room as well. Jack's house was extremely well insulated, but it still hadn't helped him stay asleep.
As long as they were already awake he figured he'd see about letting Selmak do his thing.
He knocked on the door and waited as Jack made his way over. Jack quickly pulled him into the room and shut the door, not wanting the sound to drift across the hall and wake up the other two. The screaming Jake was squirming in this father's arms, definitely not happy.
Jacob looked around the room, noticing the absence of one daughter, thought their bed was rumpled and the drawers to her dresser were open.
"Where's Sam?"
"Shower," Jack answered just as they heard the water turn on. "Jake is a very crappy hamper this morning. We changed him and rocked him. Sam's a little upset. He refused to nurse."
Jack laid him back in his arms rubbing circles on his stomach. It was the only thing he could think of that would be bothering his young son.
"Lay him down. We'll try the healing device on him and maybe see if there's some way to calm him down at the same time." Jacob smiled at his grandson as Jack laid him on the bed, the baby still screaming and wriggling.
"Shhh, buddy. It'll be okay," he whispered as he lay next to his baby.
A soft glow emanated from the healing device over the baby's chest and he stopped crying, sending a confused look up at his grandfather.
Selmak raised his head and smiled at the nervous father. "Young Jacob will be fine, though I don't know how this may affect him as he grows older. It would be wise for your doctors to keep an eye on him."
Jack was elated. Jake had fallen asleep as soon as Jacob had turned off the healing device and Jack ran his hand along the downy soft head of his little boy. This was the most wonderful news he could have asked for. They'd spent so much time with the doctors for the first five years of Charlie's life, and Selmak had now "fixed" Jake.
"Thank you, Selmak, Jacob." Jack kept his hands running along his son, reassuring himself Jake was okay.
"He had an upset stomach, a gas bubble. That's why he wouldn't nurse," Jacob said in response.
Jack nodded. He'd suspected as much, but everything they'd tried wasn't working. "Can you keep an eye on him for a moment?" he asked.
At Jacob's nod he got up off the bed and walked into the adjoining bathroom. He waved through the steam and pulled the shower curtain open just enough to poke his head in at his wife. Her eyes were closed as she rinsed the shampoo out of her hair.
As she lowered her head, her eyes opened and connected with Jack's. She shrieked and jumped, just barely catching herself on the washcloth bar in the shower. Jack laughed and reached stepped into the shower to hold onto her, his t-shirt and boxers still on.
"Jack? What are you doing?" Sam giggled along with him. "Where's Jake?"
Jack kissed her and pulled her out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her dripping body.
"Hey! I wasn't finished."
Jack kissed her again. "You always wash your hair last and I watched you rinse out the shampoo. You were pretty much done."
"What's going on?" Sam pulled the towel tight around her and then placed her hands on her hips. Jack half expected her to start tapping her foot.
"Jake's okay. Selmak checked him out. He's gonna be fine." Jack hugged her tight to his chest.
Sam didn't respond right away. She wasn't quite sure she'd heard him right. Did that mean that he'd finally gotten their baby to settle down, or that he was really okay?
"Is he asleep?"
Jack shook his head. Okay, well maybe he was asleep by now. "Dad and Selmak looked him over. They were able to heal him."
She broke away from his grasp and, holding the towel tight to her body, ran out of the bathroom.
"JAAAAAAAAACK!" She rushed back in, slamming the door after her, and leaned against it, sending a glare at her husband. "You didn't tell me my father was out there," she hissed.
Jack cracked a grin. "Oops?" he shrugged. He peeled off his sopping wet clothes and wrapped a towel around his waist.
Sam rolled her eyes and grabbed one of Jack's oversized t-shirts hanging on the back of the door, pulling it over her head, but she kept her towel on. The couple exited the bathroom smiling at Jacob as he laid on the bed next to Jake.
Sam hugged her father as best she could in their positions. "Thank you," she whispered. She grabbed fresh clothes from the dresser and headed back into the bathroom to get changed.
"Are you okay with him for a minute, Jacob?" Jack asked, still gripping the towel around his waist. He wasn't really concerned for his state of undress. They'd been in locker rooms before, it was the norm for the military after all. And the only other person in the house that didn't live there was Mark. "I should check on the other boys."
"I haven't heard anything over the monitor. Either they're still asleep or Nate's already taken care of them," Jacob replied.
Jack knew the latter was entirely possible. Nate was fully capable of taking care of the boys. He left the room and walked across the hall to the boys' room.
He could hear soft babbles coming from under the door and wondered briefly why they hadn't heard it over the monitors, but it didn't really matter anyway. After listening for a moment, he opened the door to see what Neal found so interesting.
As he stepped through the doorway, Neal gasped in surprise, his eyes wide and turned to face the doorway with a big grin on his face. He started shaking the rungs of the crib, eager to get up for the day.
"Da-ee!" Neal reached his arms up in the air wanting to be picked up.
Jack rushed over and pulled him into his arms. "Shhh, Little Buddy. People are still sleeping."
Neal turned in Jack's arms to face the other crib and pointed at Liam, babbling incoherently. He shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head to the side before resting his head on Jack's chest.
Jack followed his son's pudgy little finger and noticed Liam was already awake and staring at the mobile. "Okay, Neal. How 'bout we put you down so I can get Liam taken care of?"
He sat Neal back in his crib, and turned to Liam, lifting the tiny baby into his arms. Neal let out an unhappy squeal and pulled himself up to the bars of the crib, reaching out to Jack in hopes he'd be released.
Jack shifted Liam securely into the crook of his arm and bent down so he was eye level with Neal. "Neal," he warned as sternly as he could muster. Neal's crying was cut off immediately as his eyes widened with shock at the reprimand. Jack hated to do it, but discipline was something he was never lax on and just because Neal wasn't his biological son didn't mean he was about to start now.
"Good," Jack praised him. "Now, I'll be right back and then we'll see about getting you up for the day and making some breakfast."
Neal nodded his little head as if he had just understood everything his adopted father had just told him, but snuffled softly, not quite able to stop the tears completely.
Jack ruffled his hair through the bars and stood up, keeping his grip on Liam. Just as he reached the door, the baby decided to let his father know he was uncomfortable and ready to be up for a little while.
He peeked into their bedroom quickly to make sure Jake wasn't asleep and entered when he saw their son was finally hungry. Liam was still crying as Jack laid him on the changing table, with no signs of letting up. Thankfully Jake was already close to being done eating because both parents were sure Liam's screams would have disturbed him.
Jake somehow fell asleep through the racket his brother was making and Sam laid him down on the bed, putting two pillows on either side of him to keep him secure, even though they both knew he wasn't exactly going anywhere at the moment.
She brushed a soft kiss across his forehead and walked over to the changing table where Jack was just finishing up with Liam. She could tell by his continuous cries he was ready for breakfast and took him out of Jack's arms. The poor boy would have to wait a minute, so she rocked from side to side, attempting to placate him until Jack could come back with the crib.
Neal's whimpers reached their ears as Jack opened their bedroom door – Sam had turned off the monitor when he'd gone into the room for the boys – and he walked into the room, purposefully ignoring Neal. If he paid attention to the boy, he'd want to be picked up and he needed to take care of something else first. Besides, he'd done the same thing to teach Charlie to cry only when he needed something or was seriously hurt.
He threw the transmitter to the baby monitors into the other crib and quickly wheeled it into the bedroom for Sam, dismissing the strong smell as Neal just needing to be changed. He set the monitor on the dresser next to the crib and readjusted the foam triangles on the tiny mattress. As soon as he picked up Jake off the bed, Sam propped her pillows up against the headrest and settled in to give Liam his breakfast. Jack set his son in the crib so his back was leaning against the bigger triangle and his chest against the smaller.
"You know," Jack said, standing up. "When Charlie was a baby, we didn't have these things. We propped him on his side with his stuffed animals. They told us not to lay him on his back because if he urped, he'd drown. Then SIDS became the big thing and we couldn't lay him face down."
Jack leaned on the bed and kissed Sam lovingly on the lips, caressing her cheek as he looked down at his other son. He hadn't felt this happy in years. He had his beautiful wife, two, three – well technically four – sons, and they'd defeated the System Lords. The Goa'uld weren't completely eradicated, but they were no longer a threat to the planet.
Sam kissed him again and nudged him off the bed. They did have another son to take care of since Nate wouldn't hear it if Neal started crying, now that they'd put the monitor into the bedroom.
Jack opened the door and the smell socked him in the stomach, his eyes tearing up immediately.
"Holy shit."
Jack ran his hands through his hair and stared at the sight before him. Neal sat in the middle of his crib, grinning and he'd obviously been busy. He couldn't believe what he saw. He closed his eyes, hoping it would all go away. Nope, still there. He closed the door and sighed.
"Nate!" He stood at the top of the stairs and shouted down to the teen. "Get your ass out of bed right now!"
Nate came running up the stairs in just his boxers, his hair sticking up in all directions. "What's wrong?" His eyes weren't fully open yet at that time of the morning – he was on vacation, after all – and hadn't really expected to be getting up quite so early. Early, yes, but not the ass crack of dawn.
Jack opened the door, Neal still sitting in his crib, smiling at his brother and new father.
"Holy shit."
"Yeah, that's what I said." The two men stood in silence for a moment, both still in shock. Neal's crib and anything outside of it he could reach were a mess. He'd gotten bored waiting for them and decided to… what? Dabble in the art of – finger painting?
"You want the kid or the room?"
Nate looked at Jack as if to say Do you think I'm stupid?
"I'll take Neal." He pulled the kid out of the crib, holding him at arm's length and headed out of the room to give his brother a bath.
Jack just shook his head at the mess, thankful the boy had gotten bored with his stuffed animals and blankets long before he'd turned his attention on his diaper and Neal had thrown out all extra toys. It was definitely less for him to clean.
He heard the dual "Whoa"s at the same time and turned to face Mark and Jacob, both standing in the doorway.
"Is it possible to pass that down through adoption?" Mark asked, a slight smile starting to form on his lips.
"I don't know, but I don't think it goes across sexes," Jacob answered back, laughing. "Boy does that bring back memories."
Jack sent a mock glare at his in-laws. "You two can shut up and help me get this cleaned before Sam sees it."
"Serves her right," Jacob said as he picked out some new clothes for Neal and took them to Nate in the guest bathroom.
"Sam did the same thing when she was little, only once, unlike my munchkin."
Jack and Mark worked side by side to strip the crib and wash the woodwork and walls. They were so fortunate they didn't have spackled walls. In no time they were finished and Sam came out of their bedroom with the monitor receiver in her hand. The three headed into the kitchen and a moment later were joined by Jacob, Nate and Neal.
Nate got Neal set up in his high chair and poured some Cheerios on his tray, along with a broken up banana. He put some Juicy Juice in his sippy cup with water and sat down next to him to make sure he didn't choke.
Jack stood back and watched, proud of the young man, and pulled his wife into his arms, her back against his chest. Jacob and Mark set to cooking breakfast for the group so Jack and Sam could relax. They leaned against the counter in their embrace, happy to be surrounded by their family.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
"That was great guys," Jack said, standing up and clearing his and Sam's plates to the sink.
Mark and Jacob grinned at the praise and as Jack filled the sink with dishwater, two beepers went off.
Jacob and Jack both dropped their heads and Jack went to the phone to call into the base.
Nate was washing off his brother and set him on his lap at the kitchen table waiting to hear the news of what was going on at the mountain. They were supposed to be on vacation, but he also realized that in the military, when you got called in, you went.
Jack returned, not looking too happy about going in, but he knew his wife would understand.
"We have to go in. Sarah's showing signs of waking and they want us there to debrief her when she's ready." He sat down next to Sam and pulled her into a hug, kissing her softly. Hopefully he wouldn't be gone too long.
Sam nodded, taking Neal from his brother and sent the three men off, leaving her with her son and brother. She hugged Neal to her chest, suddenly feeling lonely in her large family. Mark leaned across the table and grasped Sam's hand in his own and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
They came back in, ready to go and Jack gave Sam one last hug and kissed Neal on the top of his head. "We'll be back as soon as we can."
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
You can't do this anymore! I won't stand for it!
Silence.
I know you can hear me! Let me out!
This was so unusual. There had not been silence in her head for almost a year and she's been taunted and tortured on a constant basis. Seeing her own body hurt those she loved was almost worse than the pain the snake put her through when she became too loud for her passenger.
She pinched her eyes tightly shut, though she hadn't let them even crack a sliver, and jumped when she felt a hand wrap around her fingers.
No! Stop doing this! I know you're the one creating this nightmare!
"Sarah," she heard the soft voice, so familiar to her. But she'd experienced this before. It was a regular torture method among the Goa'uld. Osiris would take great joy in bringing her hopes up and letting reality come crashing down.
She shook her head against the infirmary pillow, refusing to open her eyes, not wanting to face the truth.
"C'mon, Sarah. It's time to wake up." She could hear the amusement in the voice. Though they hadn't parted on good terms, she trusted him and slowly opened her eyes.
The fluorescent lights burned her eyes, but she refused to close them again until she was sure it wasn't a nightmare.
"There you go, open 'em up."
Daniel's face came into focus first, a strategically planned move by the members of the SGC, and she smiled. Daniel brushed some of the hair off her forehead and was prepared when the woman threw herself into his arms. He locked eyes with Janet over her shoulder and sent an apologetic look her way.
Janet pushed her way forward once Sarah had let go of Daniel and waved her infamous penlight in her eyes, checking her pupils.
"Are you experiencing any vision problems, headaches, or nausea?" she asked, holding the chart in front of her.
Sarah nodded, and the group that had gathered there, waiting for her to awaken, turned to Janet. "I think I might have a little bit of double vision."
Janet followed her gaze to the O'Neills and laughed. After checking the rest of her vitals, she patted the woman on the arm and said, "You're going to be fine."
Sarah nodded and focused her gaze on Daniel once more, seeking comfort in the familiarity of him. She caught Jacob and Nate out of the corner of her eye and pushed herself deeper into the bed, her eyes wide with fear. She recognized the two of them, but because they'd never been revealed, all she'd known was that they were hosts.
Jacob stepped forward and dipped his head, but didn't allow Selmak to take over. "Miss Gardner, I am Jacob Carter, host to Selmak of the Tok'ra. You were released from Osiris' control on the Tok'ra's current home world."
Sarah's hand clung to Daniel's, the only real comfort she could find in this strange new place. She caught Janet's eyes again. "I know you."
Janet nodded. "We've met."
"I'm sorry."
"It wasn't you. Now, I want you to rest. They can debrief you later." Janet shooed the group out, all save Daniel, who shook his head.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to stay," Daniel said, rooted to the stool he'd been sitting in.
"Daniel."
"Janet," he paused for a moment, releasing his hold on Sarah's hand and led Janet to the other side of the infirmary. "She's been through Hell. Please. I'll try to get her to rest again for a little while."
"Okay, but as soon as she's asleep, I want you to rest as well."
Daniel nodded and gave her a sheepish smile, knowing full well he was pushing his luck with her. He laid his hand gently on her upper arm and gave her a small peck on her cheek, the only sign of their affection either would allow on base.
He headed back over to Sarah's bed and picked up her hand, noticing her eyes were already drooping. He'd give her a few hours rest before he gathered everyone together for the debriefing. General Hammond was already working with the President and Joint Chiefs to get her settled back on Earth and in the U.S., possibly with a position in the SGC.
A/N: so, i dont' know when the next chap will be up, i have to go for an interview at Dick's Sporting Goods on Wednesday so if i get the job i may not have as much time to write for a little while. plus we're trying to get more stuff doen for the wedding! i totally can't wait! anyway, tell me what you think! i love reading feedback and any questions you have i will gladly answer with either a reply or in the next chap after, thanks again, y'all!
Oh, and the whole fingerpainting thing, yeah I did that as a kid, as well as one of my brothers and I just thought since it's such a kid thing to do… anyway lol