He'd planned ahead, and borrowed an SUV from base, deciding it would be better than cramming the kids all in his truck. While his truck had the jump seats in the back, he'd feel better with Sam and Daniel riding in full seats. Teal'c was old enough to ride in the front seat, and the young boy sat staring out the window, the baseball cap Jack had given him pulled low over his forehead, concealing his eyes. It was an odd sensation, having small feet occasionally kicking the back of his seat as he drove, and he kept catching glimpses of the tops of the blond and brown heads in the rearview mirror. It was rather disconcerting, to say the least, since he was generally used to two adult sized passengers back there, and a larger than adult sized one in the front.
Pulling up outside the mall, Jack made the first stop a discount children's shoe store, deciding that they had a lot of purchases to make and he might as well make the dollar stretch. They had received quite a few donations in the last few weeks as word of SG-1's predicament had gotten around the SGC. Toys, games, and clothing had filtered in. But most of it was second hand, although the shoes the kids were wearing had been bought new, having been sized off of paper cut outs. They were cheap thin-soled ones however, having been bought in a rush, so the kids would have something to wear that first day back. No one had bothered getting them anything else since. He'd noticed the night before that each child had a few red marks on their feet from where the shoes had been rubbing or pinching in the wrong places. He wanted to correct that first with properly fitting shoes before he had them trooping all over creation today.
Within a few minutes of entering the store, the three kids in tow, a sales lady approached them, smiling. "Can I help you?"
"Sneakers for all three of these." Jack motioned to his group with one hand, the other firmly attached to the back of Sam's shirt, to prevent her from running off and trying to examine a pair of light up tennis shoes. Obviously, they hadn't had those the first time she'd been a kid. Teal'c was rooted to the spot, staring in wide-eyed amazement at the displays of shoes. Obviously he'd never seen such a place. Daniel had plopped into the nearest chair, looking bored already. Steering Sam to a nearby chair, he picked up the shoe that had captivated her. "This one, in her size?" He handed Sam the shoe to distract her, then led Teal'c over to the display.
"Okay Teal'c, you see anything here that you like?" Teal'c studied the rows of shoes, and looked back at him.
"I do not understand how you can possibly choose from so many?" The boy's eyes were wide.
"Well, you can pick out a color you like, or a style. And of course, you may not like how it fits when you try it on, so pick out more than one in case it doesn't feel comfortable on your feet. You are going to have to wear them for a while, so it's very important that they feel good when you put them on." Jack reached out and picked up a white shoe with black highlights, hefting it slightly. The shoe was nicely contoured, and had an interesting tread design. "See, this one is lightweight, and feels like it has good support inside. Just pick them up, get a good look at them, and when you think you have one or two you would like to try on, let me or the saleslady know, and she can bring you a pair to try on, okay?" Teal'c nodded, accepting the shoe from Jack's hand, studying it, his eyes returning to the display rack. Jack left him to work on the last problem, noting absently that the saleswoman had finished measuring Sam's feet and had gone to get the shoe. Sam was sitting and playing, mesmerized by the light up shoe, so Jack decided she was safe for the moment.
Kneeling in front of Daniel, Jack placed a hand on his knee. "So, Danny, don't you want to pick out your new shoes?"
Daniel looked at him in confusion. "Aren't you just going to pick them out for me? That's what everyone else does." He scowled down at the ugly shoes he was wearing.
"Is that what usually happens?" Jack's eyebrows knitted together in concern at this lack of independence.
The little boy was silent a moment. "Well, no," he admitted finally. "Not all the families I was with. Some of them let me do stuff. The last place I liked a lot. Carrie and James were really nice. But they're gone now I guess, won't be going back there. But that's ok, I'm used to it now."
Jack's heart ached at that moment for the boy in front of him, who had likely been shuttled from foster home to foster home countless times in his short memory already, looking for a place to be loved. Jack wanted nothing more than to gather him into his arms for a hug, but Daniel had proved to be reluctant with physical affection and hugs, unlike Sam, who craved the contact. Instead, he contented himself with patting the boy's knee. "Well today Daniel, you get to pick out your own sneakers. Whatever you want. Within reason of course."
Danny's face brightened. "Really?" he asked hesitantly.
"Really. Why don't you go over there with Teal'c, and see if you like something." Jack grinned as the young boy jumped up and ran over to where Teal'c was still studying and comparing the shoes. Shaking his head, he watched as the two put their heads together, talking about something. Groaning he pulled himself off the floor and into the chair Daniel had just vacated, in time to witness the return of the sales clerk with two different sizes of the light up shoe for Sam, who was eagerly bouncing in her seat. Jack watched in amusement while the woman distracted Sam with stories and questions while she laced up the shoes, then somehow got the squirming child to hold still while she got the first pair on her feet. Sam jumped up, letting out a delighted squeal when the shoes twinkled, the red lights blinking as the pressure from her steps turned the lights off and on.
"Come over here Sam, let me see how they fit," ordered Jack, and Sam obeyed, with a little hop and a skip, eyes on the back of her heels to watch the lights. He shook his head, exchanging a grin with the sales clerk over Sam's shoulder as he leaned down, carefully feeling her toes. There was a bit of wiggle room, space for growing although he hoped she wouldn't need these shoes all that long to be growing in them. Still, it never hurt to plan for the worst-case scenario. "Sam, look at me." Reluctantly, the little girl tore her eyes off her new shoes. "Do they hurt or feel tight anywhere? Does it pinch you anyplace like the last ones? Any rubbing?" When Sam shook her head no to each question, Jack smiled, and ruffled her hair. "Ok, looks like you can keep them then." Sam cheered, and threw her arms around his neck, gifting him with another sloppy kiss, before bouncing off to play on the ramp set up in the store, stomping every other step to set off her little blinking lights. Jack rolled his eyes, wondering what he was getting into.
"One down," he told the clerk, and looked up to find Danny and Teal'c standing there, Daniel holding a single shoe. Teal'c was empty-handed. Jack raised an eyebrow.
"We want this one," Daniel's chin was lifted determinedly as he spoke for the two of them.
The eyebrow rose further. "Both of you?" The two boys nodded. Jack blinked. He hadn't expected that. Not that he minded, but still, it was rather unexpected given their performance the day before. "Ok." The two boys looked relieved. The clerk set about measuring their feet, and in no time, the two were decked out in identical pairs of shoes, wearing nearly identical grins, and Jack realized the two had found a brother in each other. Eyes suddenly moist, he blinked rapidly, covering his loss of composure in collecting Sam and getting their purchases rung up, their old shoes packed in the new shoe boxes, the kids wore their new shoes proudly out into the mall.
A/N: Yes, yes, I was just kidding last chapter about other stories getting more reviews every time Sam and Jack kiss! Shameless attempt to get more reviews! Lol! I just couldn't resist a little Sam and Jack though… Even if it can't go anywhere. Sorry to disappoint all the Sam and Daniel, Sam and Teal'c, Jack/Daniel etc fans… but maybe there might later be something for you Sam/Hammond fans, and you Sam/Thor fans and…. Ok, ok, just kidding! There is actually a Sam/Thor thread out at Gateworld though, and I've seen some evidence of a Sam/Thor relationship! Watch out Jack! Of course, on the other hand, Sam and Daniel and Teal'c do seem to be getting on rather well don't they lol, so maybe there's something for everyone, just like normal.