"…And then the number of sleepers will be three trillion, thirty-three million, three thousand and three," Jack trailed off at the end, the book finished and Belle finally asleep. It was seven-thirty and the young girl's bedtime; she had not let Jack leave since he drove Sam and Belle home at four o'clock that day.
Jack carefully stood from sitting on Belle's bed, adjusted the blankets around the little girl and made his way out into the living room. Sam smiled at him, closing the book she had in her hands, "Hey. Have fun?"
Jack winced, "You could have warned me that I'd have to read her three different books before she got to sleep."
Her smile turned into a full-blown grin, "And miss the opportunity to catch up on my reading? I think not."
Before their revelry could continue, the front door opened and they could hear someone coming in the house from their seats in the kitchen.
"Sammie?" a voice whispered as the owner walked through the house, knowing his granddaughter would be asleep then. "Where are you?"
"Kitchen, Dad," Sam responded, a little louder than her father had been.
"Whose car is that in the driveway, Sam…?" Jacob trailed off as he walked into the kitchen and saw the strange young man sitting at the table with his daughter. "Who are you? And what are you doing in my house – with my daughter?"
Jack shot straight up, standing at attention as Sam tried to calm her father's nerves. "Dad, this is Jack O'Neill – General O'Neill's son. He goes to school with me and today I asked him for a ride home because Donna is sick."
Jacob nodded, "Okay then. As you were." The three of them sat down at the table again, this time in uncomfortable silence. Jacob finally asked what was still puzzling him, "If you dropped her off with Belle after school got out…why are you still here?"
Jack looked down, a little embarrassed to say he hadn't wanted to leave. Sam saved him by saying, "Belle wouldn't let him leave, Dad."
Jacob shot a glare at his daughter, but when he realized the truth in that statement (he knew first hand how stubborn his granddaughter was) he sighed and nodded to Jack. "Thanks for staying, son. You're family's probably wondering where you are."
Jack, knowing he was being dismissed, nodded, "Good bye, Colonel. Sam."
"Bye, Jack. See you tomorrow at school."
Sam closed the door behind Jack then turned to glare at her father. "You could have been a little nicer to him, Dad!"
Jacob scoffed, "When he's been here alone with you and Belle for how long? I don't think so."
"He's your CO's son, Dad."
"So?"
Sam glared at him, "I'm a big girl, Dad. I can take care of myself, you know."
Jacob sighed, "Yeah, I know. I just don't want you getting involved with someone like him, okay?"
The last part made Sam livid, "Someone like him? What's that supposed to mean!"
"Just that a guy like that isn't good for you, sweetheart."
Sam was too enraged to speak, "I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."
Jacob sighed after Sam had gone into her room and slammed the door softly. When did things get so distant and screwed up with him and his Sammie? Was it when her mother died? Or was it when Mark left?
A week later at school, Jack naturally gravitated to where Sam was waiting next to her locker. He grinned and tried to stroke her cheek with his hand, but she turned her head away, not wanting him to touch her.
"Hey," he whispered, "What's wrong?"
Tears filled Sam's eyes but she refused to let them fall, "Dad's getting reassigned."
"What?" confusion showed on Jack's face, "But you guys just moved here less than two months ago. They don't normally move people around that fast."
Sam looked down, "They don't normally keep us in one place for this long."
Jack looked at her with concern lacing his features, "Sam? What are you saying?"
Her grief stricken eyes found his, "For the past five years…You're the first real friend I've had since my mom died."
His heart broke for her as he gathered her up into his arms. "I'll always be your friend, Sam. Always."
That day, after school, Jack took Sam back home, stopping first to pick up Belle at the day care center. It had become a routine for Jack to give Sam a ride home now that he knew where she lived. And it was easier on Donna (who left to pick up her own children about the time Sam got home) for Jack to pick Belle up, as well. The second Belle saw Sam's face, she knew what was going on and didn't want to go. She made that clear to everyone within hearing distance.
"Belle!" Sam shouted finally to get the little girl to stop crying, "I don't want to go either, but if Grandpa needs to go, then we have to go with him."
Belle had tears in her eyes, "But I don't want to go away again. Russia was cold."
Jack raised his eyebrows, "Russia? And, when are you leaving?"
"In two weeks."
Jack smirked slightly, "Good. Just enough time for you to accompany me to the Halloween Dance next week."
Sam looked at him in mock curiosity before saying, in a very good Southern accent, "Why, Mr. O'Neill, are you asking me out on a date?"
"Maybe."
"Okay."
A/N: Ooohhh! I just LOVE my twists! What do you guys think?