Daniel and Janet's wedding - I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! JJ's antics come from personal experience...aren't weddings with kids fun?
Chapter 3 – The Ring Bears
"Janet, are you entirely sure about this?" Sam questioned, her voice giving away her uncertainty about her friend's plan. "I really don't know if he's ready for something this momentous."
"I want him to be a part of this, Sam. And I don't want to wait until he's ready...it's taken us long enough to get where we are. I don't want to wait another day," the small woman declared adamantly. "Besides, with you behind him and Jack in front of him, he'll do just fine," she assured her friend, giving her a pat on the hand. "Come on, it's time for you to help get me into my dress." Janet stood up from the chair she had been occupying and pulled Sam to her feet.
They were currently residing in what was known as "The Bride's Room" of the small church located on the outskirts of Colorado Springs. It was the perfect setting in which to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of Dr. Janet Frasier and Dr. Daniel Jackson; a union that, like their friends before them, had been years in the making.
It was mid-December…maybe not the most popular time for a wedding, but the best time for two busy doctors who worked in a secret facility deep underground Cheyenne Mountain. There were not many missions scheduled for this time of year; the base commander, General Landry, didn't care to take any unnecessary risks so close to the holidays. A few exploratory missions were all that had been approved until the New Year, which suited the doctors just fine. Hopefully, their presence would not be needed – Janet had arranged for an experienced Air Force medical officer to take over for her for the next few weeks and Daniel, well, no one could take his place. But the man had several years of leave saved up, so no one was about to argue if he took a measly two weeks off to celebrate his new marriage.
The small ceremony had been planned for several months. A gathering of close family and friends, numbering no more than fifty, would gather at the small chapel this Saturday afternoon to witness the exchange of vows between two people who held the deep respect and affection of hundreds, both human and alien, in the palm of their hands.
Janet looked at Sam, her eyes warm with affection. "You look beautiful, you know. I hope you're not planning on outshining the bride today," she stated jestingly. Sam wore a deep blue silk dress that reached mid-calf. The three-quarter length sleeves hugged her arms, as did the bodice of the dress, accentuating her slim waist and soft curves. Her hair was done up in soft curls, a few tendrils escaping the clasps that held her hair off her face.
"That's never going to happen, Janet," Sam assured her friend. "You are going to be the most beautiful bride ever. I just hope to God you're not going to regret you decision in having him walk down the aisle."
"You do realize that, as the bride, I am the one who is supposed to be nervous, right? Not you?" Janet cocked her head to the side and looked at Sam expectantly.
Sam chuckled a bit sheepishly, "Yeah, I know. But I have absolutely no idea what he's going to do once he starts down the aisle. You just might not be having the sedate, dignified wedding of your dreams, you know." Sam pulled a face at the thought of Janet's wedding being ruined.
Janet laughed outright at that comment. "As I am marrying a former member of SG-1, and having the rest of its members in my wedding party, I have absolutely no expectation or illusions of this being a dignified affair, Sam. Something's bound to happen – just so long as my groom doesn't go turning all glowy on me, I'll be happy."
The two women laughed at this comment and shared a hug; both actions helping alleviate Sam's concerns about the upcoming celebration. As the women released each other, a tentative knock sounded at the door. Sam looked to Janet, who shrugged her shoulders; she didn't have a clue who it might be, but held no suspicions should it be Daniel. She wasn't the least bit worried should he see her before the wedding; they had been through enough together that the old superstition of the groom seeing the bride before the wedding held no sway with her.
Sam turned away and walked over to the door, opening it slightly and peering out. The sight that greeted her brought a smile of delight to her lips. Turning to glance back at Janet, she said, "Well, speak of the devil!" Then Sam opened the door wider to allow the two visitors entrance into the inner sanctuary.
Jack stepped around the opened door, peering hesitantly into the room. "You decent, Doc?" he asked before his eyes met those of the amused doctor. Straightening, he said, "Uh, sorry about this, Doc. Didn't mean to intrude, but your little ring bearer is turning into… well a real bear." He glanced down at his son, his face unknowingly forming a frown which matched the one currently on JJ's face. Sam shot Janet a look which said, "See, didn't I warn you?" but Janet just smiled back at her and took in the sight of the two O'Neill men.
Both of them were dressed in similar attire: black tuxedos with tails and bow ties, crisp white shirts, and shiny black shoes. JJ's tails were very small, of course. Standing only 32 inches tall didn't leave much room for long tails. He looked adorable just the same. His hair had been neatly brushed to the side hours ago, but now stood up in spots, mirroring that of his father.
Sam quietly closed the door and stepped around Jack to squat down in front of her almost 2 ½ year old son. "What's wrong, sweetie? Why are you wearing such a grumpy face?"
JJ's lower lip stuck out and his frown turned more into a pitiful pout now that he had his mother's attention. "Don't like dis," he stated adamantly, tugging on the tie around his neck. "Wanna to stay wif mommy, not daddy."
Sam looked up questioningly at Jack even as she pulled JJ close for a hug. Jack shrugged his shoulders and replied, "He seems to be having a bit of trouble with the outfit, not that I blame him," he added, tugging on his tie as well and making a face. "He's also a bit miffed at not seeing mommy since morning. He was putting up such a fuss in the foyer that I thought I'd better bring him to see you for a few minutes." Jack put his hand under Sam's elbow and helped her stand, JJ still held in her arms.
"Daddy no let me pway in the snow!" JJ added for good measure, throwing Jack a glare that forced Sam to bite her lip in order to hide a smile. Neither one of them accepted defiance or disrespect from JJ, but sometimes Sam had a hard time hiding her amusement at his attempts at asserting his independence.
Jack didn't think it one bit amusing, so he folded his arms and sternly said, "JJ." The single word was all it took for the little boy to erase the scowl and tuck his head into Sam's shoulder in shame. He hated to anger his father and so began to sniffle, then looked at his mother with sad, teary eyes. "Me want Teddy," he cried plaintively as one fat tear rolled down his cheek.
Stepping up to the family, Janet wiped the errant tear from her Godson's cheek and rubbed her hand reassuringly on his back. "Why don't you let him stay here for a bit, until the ceremony starts? Cassie will be back in a few minutes – she can watch JJ while Sam finishes helping me get ready." When she saw the doubtful look Jack shot at Sam, she went on, "He'll be fine, Jack. Really. And if he doesn't want to wear the tie…"
"He's going to wear the tie," Jack stated, looking down at JJ firmly. "Aren't you little man? Just like daddy, Uncle Danny, and Uncle Teal'c. He can take it off after the ceremony." His tone brokered no argument. JJ looked at Jack and nodded in agreement, not willing to anger his father once again. The small nod won him a smile from his daddy, which went a long way toward restoring JJ's good spirits; that and being held by his mommy right now. But he still wanted his teddy.
"I think his bear is with Jacob, along with Grace and everything she needs. For crying out loud, we need a moving van just to bring those two anywhere," Jack grumbled good-naturedly, the light in his eyes contradicting his gruff tone.
"How is dad doing with Grace?" Sam asked, a worried frown now coming to her face.
"She's fine," Jack hastily reassured her. "Absolutely basking in all the attention she's getting. I think Jacob is as well!" he added with a grin. "He hasn't let anyone else hold her! I'll go check on them and get JJ's bear and send it in with Cassie,"
Jack looked at his watch, then meaningfully over at Janet. "You are going to change, aren't you Doc? Danny cleaned up pretty nicely…I'd hate to see all that trouble go to waste," he added with a smirk.
"Yes, Ambassador," she emphasized the impressive title sarcastically. "Just as soon as you leave." Her smile faded slightly as she added, "How is Daniel doing?" a hint of hesitation in her voice.
Jack smiled warmly at her. "Not about to run off, if that's what you're hinting at. The man has been waiting to marry you for a long time. Just don't keep him waiting much longer, okay doc?"
Janet's laughter was relieved as she turned and headed into the dressing room, throwing over her shoulder, "Don't you worry, Jack. Untamed equines…"
Jack rolled his eyes and smiled after her, then turned his attention back to his wife and son. "You sure about leaving him here, Sam? To say our little guy is getting grumpy would be an understatement." He quirked an eyebrow at the still present frown on JJ's face.
"He'll be fine. Sometime a boy just needs his mommy, don't you honey?" Sam asked gently as she nuzzled her face in her son's hair. JJ responded by winding his arms tightly around her neck and burying his face in her shoulder once again.
"OK, then. He's all yours." Bending forward, Jack placed a kiss on JJ's head, then turned to give Sam one as well. "You look beautiful, by the way, dear. I kind of wish I could be where JJ is right now," he added with a waggle of his eyebrows.
"Never mind about that, Ambassador O'Neill. Just go and get your son's teddy bear," Sam replied with a smile. She gently shoved her husband toward the door, giving him one more parting kiss before she closed the door after him. Looking down at JJ she said, "Well, little man, looks like it's just you, me and Auntie Janet until Cassie comes back. You will be good for mommy, right?"
JJ nodded solemnly. "Me be good, mommy. Pwomise."
Sam chuckled again, set JJ on the floor, then took his hand in hers before turning and heading into the dressing room to help her best friend get dressed for her wedding.
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Jack stood at the front of the church next to Daniel, his hands clasped loosely in front of him as he waited for the music to begin. Teal'c stood on his other side, stoic as ever but looking quite resplendent in his tuxedo. In fact, all three of them made quite a picture standing before those who were gathered for the ceremony. The few single women present had a hard time deciding which of the three men currently standing up front was the best looking. That none of them were available didn't matter in the least.
Jack looked over at the front row where Jacob sat with Grace on his lap. His little girl was happily bouncing on her Grandpa's knee. Her hands were fisted around the hem of her green dress and pulling it up so she could place its smooth satin in her mouth. Of course, in the process of pulling up the dress, she exposed her ruffled underpants to her father, two uncles, and the pastor, who was waiting patiently on the altar.
Jack cleared his throat and looked pointedly at his daughter when he caught Jacob's eye. Jacob gave a responding grin, but gently took the dress from Grace's hands and pulled it down, offering her a soft toy in its place.
Daniel chuckled beside him. "Hope she breaks that habit real soon, or else you're going to have your hands full," he stated quietly.
Jack shot him a glare. "Bite your tongue, Jackson." Daniel gave him a grin, then turned and continued his perusal of the crowd, absently pulling at his tie in the process.
Looking a little closer at Daniel, Jack grinned and leaned over. "You seem to be sweating, Space Monkey. Nervous?" he whispered.
"Not nervous, exactly. Just…anxious for all of this to be over with. I hate standing up here on display. Reminds me of standing before Hathor," he shivered at the reminder, as did Jack.
"I believe Doctor Frasier to be much better suited to your needs, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c intoned dryly from his place beside Jack. Both men turned their heads to look at the large man, surprised more by the smile on his face than his words.
"Ah, thanks Teal'c. I think," Daniel added lamely.
"You are most welcome, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c replied with a nod, the smile still lighting his features.
Their attention was diverted to the back of the room, where the doors slowly opened as the music began to play. All three men instinctively straightened up, pulling their jackets tight and smoothing out unseen wrinkles. When several stanzas of music had been played without the other half of the wedding party making an appearance, uneasy glances were exchanged; both up on the altar and in the pews before them.
Suddenly from the back of the church, they could clearly hear a childish voice yell out, "No! Don't wanna go! Wanna walk wif mommy!"
"Ah crap," Jack muttered, rubbing his hand over his face in embarrassment even as the rest of the congregation chuckled softly. He looked apologetically at Daniel. "Sorry about this, Danny. He's two…what can I say?" he shrugged helplessly as the protests continued from the back of the church
Daniel smiled back, the episode taking the tension right out of him. "It's OK Jack. Don't worry about it." He nodded to the pastor, who signaled for the music to stop until everything got sorted out.
"Maybe I should go back there," Jack mumbled, though from his tone of voice, both men knew he'd rather not.
"I think we should just wait for a minute, Jack," Daniel stated. "See what happens."
At the back of the church, Sam was feeling much the same as Jack, only worse. She was ready to die of embarrassment… for her sweet, usually compliant little boy was now refusing to walk up the aisle and begin the procession into the church. She bent on her knee and gently grasped JJ by the arm. "JJ, it's all right. All you have to do is walk down to daddy…see, he's right there waiting on the steps." Sam stepped into the door's entrance and pointed to where Jack was standing on the steps, smiling encouragingly at his son.
"NO!" JJ reiterated. "Wanna to walk wif mommy and Teddy!"
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Sam mumbled under her breath. Straightening up, she looked over to Janet, who was trying desperately to hide her grin of amusement. "OK, on to plan B. Do you mind a slight change in plans, Janet?" she asked hesitantly.
Janet laughed outright. "Hey, whatever gets this show on the road is fine, as far as I'm concerned."
Turning to Cassie, Sam asked "Cassie, do you mind running back for his bear? And grab that blue ribbon while you're at it."
"Sure thing, Sam," the young woman replied with a smile. She had spent the last thirty minutes trying to keep JJ busy while Sam helped her mother get dressed. Cassie knew from her previous experiences with JJ that he was extremely attached to his bear, so was more than willing to retrieve it for him.
She turned on her heel and rushed back to the bride's room, leaving her little cousin standing with his arms crossed and lower lip sticking out in a pout. Grabbing the Teddy that had been abandoned on the chair, she rummaged through her purse and pulled out a dark blue ribbon that she had originally been going to wear in her hair today. It perfectly matched her dark blue dress, but Cassie had decided to pull her hair back in clasps at the last minute. She wondered absently what idea Sam had for the ribbon, before she hastily left the room.
Rushing back, Cassie passed both the bear and ribbon over to Sam, who crouched in front of JJ once more and held out his bear. "Here's your Teddy, JJ, all safe and sound. And guess what? He wants to be in the wedding too." Sam's voice held a forced note of enthusiasm as she held up the ribbon. "How about if we make him a tie just like yours and daddy's? Then both of you can walk in front Cassie and mommy. Would you like that?" she asked gently.
"Wanna walk wif mommy," he declared plaintively.
Janet came over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "You can walk with mommy, sweetie. She'll be right next to you, OK?"
JJ's eyes went to his mother's, looking for confirmation. When she smiled gently and nodded at him, he gave a small smile and said, "'Kay." Sam quickly proceeded to tie the blue ribbon around JJ's slightly worn teddy bear, giving him a bow-tie of his own. When she had finished, she stood up and smiled down at JJ as he examined the bear.
Finally, his little face creased into a large smile as he said, "Teddy be wing beaw too!"
The three women laughed and Sam said, "Yes sweetheart, you're both 'ring bears' now. Though Mommy hopes your grouchiness is over and done with." She chucked him gently under the chin then looked thankfully over at Janet. "Thanks for being so flexible, Jan. I really am sorry about this."
Janet waved her off. "Don't worry about it, Sam. Let's just let them know we're ready before Daniel decides to take off without me."
Cassie snorted. "Like that's ever going to happen, mom." Then she stepped forward into the entrance of the door and signaled Daniel, who smiled back at her before turning to nod at the pastor. He in turn nodded to the musician who once more started up the music.
Leaning slightly toward Jack, Daniel whispered, "Looks like Sam saved the day…again."
Jack's face broke into a grin. "When doesn't she?" Then they both straightened up as the women began their slow procession down the aisle.
Heads turned and the smiles that had surfaced when Cassie began her walk down the aisle broke into full force when they took in the sight that followed her. Clutching his mother's hand tightly in one hand, JJ held just as tightly to the small pillow in his other hand. The pillow rested carefully against his chest. Perched watchfully on top of the pillow was one very important teddy bear. JJ's teddy sat straight and tall, his vacant brown eyes staring sightlessly in front of him. But he sported a most impressive bow-tie and his diminutive owner sported a proud smile.
As JJ and Sam came within sight of the men up front, Jack's eyes widened in surprise. He looked to Sam, cocking one eyebrow in question. She gave him a slight shrug in reply, accompanied by an equally slight smile. When JJ spied his father, his face broke into a grin. "Hi daddy! Me and teddy are wing beaws!" The comment brought soft chuckles from those closest to the front.
Jack smiled at his son, glad to see he was happy once again and had actually made it down the aisle. Sam gently pushed JJ forward so that he was standing in front of Jack, then turned to take her place beside Cassie. As he passed, Daniel patted him on the head and gave the little boy an encouraging smile. Jack took his son by the shoulders and gently turned him so that he was facing the congregation. When the little boy spotted his grandpa in the front row, he smiled brightly and called out, "Hi papa! Hi Gwacie!"
Jack bent down quickly and whispered in JJ's ear, "Shh, little man. We have to be quiet during the wedding."
"Sowwy, daddy," JJ whispered back, lowering his gaze to the ground. Jack squeezed his shoulders reassuringly and shot Sam a look of amusement before they both turned to watch Janet come down the aisle.
Though his wife had been the ideal bride as far as he was concerned, Jack had to admit that Dr. Janet Frasier looked stunning on this, her wedding day. She wore a cream colored, silk dress that reached just below her knees. The soft material flowed gently, its simple lines accentuating her trim figure. Her hair was pulled back into a loose French roll and, adorned in her hair, were small white flowers. Jack stole a look at Daniel and couldn't hide the grin at the look of besotted adoration on the younger man's face.
The remainder of the wedding passed by without incident. Daniel and Janet exchanged vows, lost in each other's eyes throughout most of the ceremony. JJ sat on the step at Jack's feet, quietly playing with his teddy. When it came time to exchange the rings, Jack bent and carefully removed them from JJ's pillow. JJ's eyes followed his father's progress, making sure that his precious Teddy was not dislodged in the process of untying the rings from the pillow.
When Daniel and Janet's marriage was finally blessed and sealed with a kiss, applause broke out in the small church, causing JJ to look up at his father and loudly declare, "All done now?"
The crowd erupted with laughter and Daniel came over and scooped up his Godson in his arms. "Yes, little buddy, it's all done now. You did a terrific job, thank you so much."
JJ grinned at his Uncle. "Now we eat cake?" he asked with an impish grin.
Janet laughed out loud as she too encircled JJ in her arms. "You are your father's son, aren't you?" She shot a look at Jack, who was grinning unashamedly. Rolling her eyes at him, she returned her attention to JJ. "Yes, we'll all go and eat some cake. But first we need to take a few pictures, OK?"
"Wif teddy, too?" he asked, a look of concern crossing his face.
"Yes, sweetheart. Teddy too." Janet replied, brushing a gentle kiss against his forehead.
JJ smiled his happiness, then hugged his teddy close. "Teddy was a good wing beaw." He stated with firm resolve, causing more laughter to erupt around him. JJ was then placed back on the ground as the photographer began to move the wedding party into place for pictures.
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Years later, when Teddy no longer held such a place of importance in JJ's life, he was consigned to a spot on the fireplace mantle, next to the picture of Daniel and Janet's wedding. Happy faces shined out from the photograph; the wedding party stood in a semi-circle on the altar, smiling into the camera. Sitting on a step in the middle of the group was young JJ, a pillow resting on his lap. He sported a wide grin as he gazed into the camera, his precious teddy perched atop the pillow, make-shift bow still in place. Everyone in attendance had agreed; they were truly the two best 'ring bears' ever.
