"So…" Jack cleared his throat. "Anyone want to tell me what this is?" He held up Exhibit A, which let out an annoyed mew, making the kids look up from their homework. Sam and Daniel had the grace to look guilty, while Teal'c did a fair impression of appearing impassive.
"I believe it is an undeveloped feline Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c said.
Jack blinked. Had that smart-ass comment really come from Teal'c? Looking at the boy, Jack realized Teal'c had not meant anything other than a literal answer to his poorly phrased question. He coughed. "Uh, yeah, I know it's a kitten. Anyone care to tell me what it was doing in a closet? Sam?" he prompted the little girl who was staring at her lap and refusing to meet his gaze.
Sam squirmed, biting her lip. Surprisingly, it was Daniel that answered. "It was outside, all alone and no one wanted it. We had to help it," Daniel stated, almost defiantly.
"We were gonna tell you, honest Colonel Jack," Sam said, meekly. Teal'c watched him silently.
Jack looked at the three before him and sighed. He didn't know anything about cats, and he couldn't just tell the kids that any animal they dragged into the house they could keep. At least not without letting them stew over their actions a bit. "And I suppose you want me to tell you it's ok to keep him?"
This time it was Sam who answered, staring at the table. "Yes sir." Her voice was barely above a whisper. Daniel nodded in agreement and Teal'c lifted his chin to meet his hard gaze.
"Well I can't do that right now. A kitten, any pet, is a big responsibility. You have to feed it, play with it, clean up after it," he told them. "Who's going to do all that?"
The kids clamored all over themselves, swearing up and down that they would do all those things, but Jack silenced them all with a look. "And what about the vet? Vets cost money. And so do food, toys, other things. All those things cost money, who's going to pay for it all?"
"I… I have fifty cents," Sam offered.
"And I have two dollars," Daniel chimed in, chin raised with pride. He'd worked hard raking leaves for the next-door neighbor to get those two dollars.
"I believe I can obtain money by clearing sidewalks of snow. My classmate Brian Cadderly often boasts of the money he earns by partaking in such an activity," added Teal'c solemnly.
Jack blinked. He almost changed his mind right then and there, and told them they could keep the kitten. But he knew that he had to make it clear to the kids that it wasn't that easy. He worried if he didn't, they'd be bringing home the next thing they found sure as the sun rises. And of course, adding a kitten to the household would be just one more thing he had to keep track of and care for. So instead of telling them he'd been nearly swayed to let them have it, he shook his head, ignoring the crestfallen looks. "You'll need a lot more money than that. I need to think about this. This is a very important decision, do you understand?" They nodded slowly.
With one more stern look, Jack deposited the kitten into Sam's arms. "We'll talk about what to do with it after dinner. For now, why don't you take the little furball upstairs while Teal'c and Danny and I get a few things for it?"
"His name is Bill. Bill Nye," Sam said, cuddling the kitten close.
Jack closed his eyes a second. Great, they'd given the thing a name. And a name from that stupid science show the kids were obsessed with. At least they hadn't blown up the house mimicking the experiments. Yet. Although they'd come close to flooding out the bathroom that one time. "Fine, take Bill upstairs, will you?"
"Yes sir," Sam replied softly, before heading toward the stairs. Pausing before leaving the room, she looked up at him. "Colonel Jack? Please let us keep him. Please?"
Realizing all three kids were watching him, waiting for his answer, Jack hesitated. It was on the tip of his tongue, but he really didn't want to become the local zookeeper for every stray and unwanted animal the kids could find. He really needed some time alone to think about it. "We'll discuss it later I said," he told her gruffly instead.
Slightly worried looking, but realizing she was already on thin ice and wisely choosing to avoid pushing the issue at the moment, Sam nodded and clutched the kitten a little tighter before leaving the room. Feeling the silent gazes of Daniel and Teal'c on him, Jack ignored them for a moment and headed to the kitchen.
Wondering what kittens ate, he decided lunchmeats were likely safe enough, and chopped some turkey and ham into little bits, dropping it onto a dish and handing it to Daniel. Next, he stopped by the garage, and filled a shallow pan he'd found under the sink with some of the kitty litter he kept for snow traction and oil spills. This he handed to Teal'c. "There, now take that up to Sam. I'll call you when dinner is ready," he dismissed them.
The boys didn't say anything but he could sense their gazes before they turned and did as told. Jack closed his eyes again with a deep breath and hoped he was handling this correctly.
Upstairs, Teal'c and Daniel knocked on Sam's door, entering at her call. They found her on her bed, tantalizing Bill with a shoelace. The little kitten leapt and jumped for the dangling string, and Sam was smiling. At the boys' entrance, Sam's smile faded slightly and she stood up. "Do you think he'll let us keep him?" she asked worriedly.
"I do not know, Samantha," Teal'c answered honestly, setting the makeshift litter pan on the floor, deciding on a clear spot near Sam's desk. Daniel set the plate of lunchmeat down on the bed. The kitten didn't take long to notice it, and even less time to devour the food.
"Guess he didn't like cookies much," commented Daniel, watching the kitten lick the plate clean.
Sam didn't reply, looking down at the furry little thing in concern. "What if Colonel Jack doesn't let us keep him?" Sam asked, her brow creased with worry.
"Then we'll just have to make sure he lets us," Daniel replied with conviction.
Sam was silent watching Bill play. But even distracted as she was over the kitten's fate, she couldn't help but giggle over the kitten's antics. Finished with its meal, Bill now stalked Teal'c, who was unaware he'd become kitten prey. That is at least until the little thing pounced. Gently reaching down, Teal'c carefully lifted it, giving it a mock stern glance before setting it on the bed and letting it chase his fingers under the covers. Over the next hour the kids happily played with the kitten. Eventually, the kitten wound down and ended up curled in Daniel's lap. The boy gazed down at the small sleeping mound of fur and smiled fondly.
Sam stood up from where she'd sprawled on her bed. "I'm going to talk to Colonel Jack," she announced decisively. It wasn't long before dinner would likely be ready. "He has to let us keep Bill. He just has to."
The two boys exchanged a look, and nod silently in agreement. They'd already discovered that Colonel Jack had a hard time saying no to Sam. He had a hard time saying no to any of them really, but Sam seemed to possess the ability the strongest. Maybe it was because she was the youngest, or maybe because she was oblivious to the effect she had on adults. In either case, it seemed she had the best chance of convincing Colonel Jack. And so Sam summoned her courage and determination, left the kitten in the care of her brothers, and headed downstairs.
Stepping lightly with trepidation over what Colonel Jack might say, she heads towards the kitchen where she can hear Colonel Jack moving around with dinner preparations. As she nears the kitchen, Sam can hear him talking and realizes he is on the phone so she stops just outside the door.
Hovering, Sam wonders if she should interrupt since she'd always been told it wasn't polite to interrupt someone that was on the phone, when she hears something she never wanted to hear.
A/N: Bet you thought I'd name the kitten Dragon, huh? So, should Jack let them keep it? I've already decided, what do you think lol.