Chapter 17
Jack watched Felger run away from him and shaking his head he turned towards Walter who was doing a poor job of keeping the smile out of his face.
"Only at the SGC, right?" He commented to the Sargent who nodded at him. "Page SG1 to the briefing room, I'll bet they will take care of him better than we could."
"Yes, sir," Walter added with a knowing smile.
As SG1 was being called to the Briefing room, Jack walked to his office, and the Carter's reached Sam's lab. And while SG1 was being briefed on what had happened and what their new mission was; Jacob was shocked with the history Sam was telling him.
"Wow, Sam… is this true?" Sam grinned and frowned as the base alarms started to sound. "Come," she said hurrying them to level twenty-seven. They reached the control room the moment the alarms started to sound, and the inner ring started turning.
"Is that?" he asked in awe, and she nodded. "What's going on?"
"Just watch," Jack answered with a smirk stopping beside them. The wormhole established, and the iris was closed a millisecond after.
"Incredible."
"Who is it, Lieutenant?" Jack asked
"We received the SG1 code, sir."
"Open the iris," Jack ordered, and the metal thing contracted back to its place. The lieutenant sent the ok signal and seconds later, Felger came through running down the ramp and out of the gate room.
"What the..." Jack frowned, walking down to the gate room with the Carters behind him. As they entered it, the forms of laughing Daniel and Ferretti, followed by an amused Teal'c formed at the base of the ramp. Jack cleared his throat.
"Care to tell me why Felger came running and continued running out of here?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Sir, yes, sir," Ferretti said trying to contain his laughter. "We kind of spiked his water with laxatives, sir." He said seriously before starting to laugh again.
"I guess he will never mess with SG1 again, Jack," Daniel added. Jack shook his head.
"Did you get the plant?"
"Indeed," Teal'c removed his backpack and pulled out three bags of a strange looking plant. Sam grinned, and they all smiled to a job well done.
"Thanks, Teal'c," Sam added taking the bags. It was then when they noticed, the third person standing with them.
"Ah, Jack…" Daniel said. "What do you say if you do some introductions?" Jack remembered Jacob then and nodded.
"Captain Lou Ferretti, Doctor Daniel Jackson, Teal'c this is Major General Jacob Carter, a.k.A Sam's dad. Dad this is SG1."
"Sir," Ferretti said standing in attention.
"At ease, Captain," Jacob said saluting him back.
"General Carter," Daniel said extending his hand.
"Doctor Jackson," Jacob greeted him shaking his hand. Then Teal'c took a step forward and offered Jacob the Jaffa hand shake.
"It is an honor, General Carter."
"Thank you Teal'c."
"Now, campers, you know the drill. Go!"
SG1 walked out of the gate room leaving Jack, Jacob, and Sam alone. Jack pointed them to the briefing room and once they were in his office, and out of prying ears, Jack turned to Carters.
"Well, I've received word from the Tok'ra, and they are looking forth to seeing us in an hour time." He left out at once.
"An hour?" Sam asked surprised it was such short notice.
"Yep, just the three of us. So, Major. What do you say if you find some BDUs for dad and get ready?"
"Sure, sir." She smiled. He sighed.
"As usual I have paperwork to finish." He grimaced, "I'll see you both downstairs in an hour." He finished. Sam winked at him, and the Carters left his office an hour later, they were all standing in front of the safe zone of the ramp.
"Ok, dad. Just remember what I've said," Sam told him before they walked up and through the gate.
"Hey, I feel cheated. This look exactly like Earth," Jacob said as the wormhole disengaged behind them.
"We know, dad. I especially dislike the ones with trees… they all look the same," Jack added as they crossed the field towards the dunes. Jack and Sam stopped walking and pulled Jacob closer to them which made the General frown.
"We don't want you to lose a part, dad." Sam grinned as the rings were activated. In a blink of the eye, Jacob was looking to a man who was standing in the middle of a cavern that was nothing like he had seen before.
"Martouf!" Sam grinned.
"Samantha, General O'Neill"
"Marty." Jack nodded.
"Martouf, this is my father, Jacob Carter."
"It a pleasure to meet you," Martouf welcomed Jacob
"Hi, I guess is a pleasure to meet you too," Jacob added awkwardly.
"If you follow me," Martouf said as they walked down the corridors and into a room where an elderly woman was lying on the bed.
"General Carter, this is Saroosh. She hosts Selmak." The woman opened her eyes slowly and turned her head towards them.
"I am Selmak," Jacob turned to Sam with a frown.
"Selmak?" He said, and then he took a step forward. "Hello Selmak, I'm Jacob Carter. I'm Samantha's father; I was asked to give you this." He said getting closer to her and taking a folded paper out of his pocket; he gave it to her. With trembling hands, she unfolded the letter and read it, she smiled.
"I'm looking forward to the blending, Jacob." She smiled tiredly.
"I hope so! I've just found out about the Stargate, the Tok'ra, the Goa'uld, and things I've never thought would exist."
"There's time to learn more, Jacob. We will have many years together."
"Many?"
"Saroosh and I have been together for over two hundred years."
"That's a long time."
"Yes, it is."
Jack and Sam watched as Jacob talked to both Saroosh and Selmak for twenty minutes before it was time for the blending. Nervously, Jacob lay down on the bed next to Saroosh. Then, the woman turned to him, and they were facing each other.
"Now what?" Jacob asked.
"Kiss me," Saroosh told him turning towards him.
"Kiss you?" He asked turning towards her.
"It's the easiest way," Saroosh said with a tired smile.
"Ok," simultaneously both opened their mouth allowing Selmak to move through. Then, by the force of the passing, they both were laying on their backs. And Jacob turned his head to watch Saroosh last breath. "Good bye, my friend." Selmak said as Martouf closed Saroosh eyes.
In a quick but ceremoniously way, another Tok'ra placed a sheet over Saroosh body and soon, her body was moved away. As this happened on one side, Sam moved closer to her father holding his hands and looking at him for any sign. Jack moved closer to her; his arm found a way around her shoulder.
"How are you?" Jack whispered in her ear.
"I'm okay."
"So now we wait," Jack said
"Yeah." She grimaced, and Jack knew that if there was one thing that Sam hated was waiting.
"Hey, Marty. Will Dad be able to return to Earth with us for few days?" Jack asked once he got the Tok'ra attention.
"Yes. The healing process will take some time; someone will be here soon to help them with the healing device." Jack looked down at Jacob as he pulled Sam closer to him. An hour passed before Jacob's eyes fluttered open.
"Dad," Sam smiled as Jacob sat up and looked around.
"Martouf," he said.
"Selmak," Martouf answered with a smile. Then Jacob turned to Sam.
"Your father is very proud of you, Major Carter. Even if he is too stubborn to tell you."
"Thanks, Selmak. Hum, can we talk to him, please?" Selmak bowed Jacob's head and then he was looking at Sam.
"Dad?"
"Yeah...Woah," Jacob said grabbing his head with his hands, "Talk about a hangover, there's way too much information." He finished blinking.
"How are you feeling dad?"
"Well informed," he chuckled. "I'm feeling pretty good," he grinned jumping out of bed he did a sit up and flexed his hands. "No more arthritis!"
"That's good, right?" Jack commented.
"Yeah!"
"What's it like to have a thing in your head?" Jack said and received an elbow to the ribs from Sam for saying it.
"You mean a two-thousand-year-old symbiont...Well, it's something I'll have to get used to. It might smooth a lot of my rough edges," he winked at Sam.
"You do need some smoothing out, dad," Sam added with a grin
"Very funny, Sam. Ah, Selmak wants to see the council for a few minutes, I'll meet you on the surface."
"Sure!" Jack said as they walked out of the room and went separate ways.
"Sam where would you like to go for dinner tonight?" Jack asked once they reached the gate and sat to wait for Jacob.
"I don't know," she whispered placing her head on his shoulders. "How about asking dad?"
"Sure, we can ask him," Jack said placing a kiss on her hair.
"Jack," she called.
"Yeah?"
"Whatever you do or say stop with the snake jokes in front of dad." She warned him disentangling herself of him to look at his eyes.
"I'll try, Sam." He said, but she gave him the 'you better not or the couch' look, so he kissed her. "The only thing I can do is try, Sam. You know what I'm like."
"Yes, I do. And thankfully so does dad and now Selmak."
"Doh!" He answered as she giggled.
They fell silent again, and her head found its way back to his shoulder, and not that much later, they saw Jacob approaching them.
"Everything alright, dad?" Sam asked
"Yes, kiddo. The council granted me a week to sort things out back at home. And, to give Selmak and I some time to get used to each other."
"That's good, dad. Shall we then?" Jack said standing with Sam's help.
"So, dad. Any ideas on where to go out for dinner?"
"Mexican. Selmak wants to try it. I did warn her what's it like," Jacob grinned.
"Did you warn her about chili beans, dad?" Sam asked with a knowing grin. "Dad?"
"Sorry, I forgot about that. Now, Selmak's laughing because I showed her the last time I had some," Jacob blushed.
"Yeah, you stunk the kitchen out the next day," Sam said making them all laugh.
"Well, apparently, there are three things Selmak doesn't like."
"What that's dad," Jack asked
"Coffee, snakes and eels."
"Eels and Snakes, I understand but coffee?" Sam said
"Selmak doesn't like it," he shrugged.
"So, did you give a thought to what you are going to do about your apartment in DC and your things?"
"Sell the apartment and place the stuff in a storage room I guess, why?"
"Well, you could move your thing into our place." Jack shrugged. "You'll see, Dad, Sam and I have been talking about building a small guest house in the yard. That thing is huge."
"And you could use it when you come visit."
"Are you sure is a wise idea? I really don't want to impose."
"Yes, dad. I have a couple of designs, and you can decide on them."
"And we can have it built when you are away." Jack finished as they waited for the ok signal from the SGC.
"That's… Thanks." He said emotionally.
"You are welcomed, dad." They said at once.
"Ok, we can go," Sam said showing them the GDO message.
After the medical checkup and sorting some more things, they left for the day. Early on the next morning, Jacob left to DC. Once things were settled, Jacob returned to Colorado where an official SGC ID was waiting for him to avoid him trouble coming and going.
On his first day, back in Colorado, Jacob paid a visit to George who was surprised to know the new situation of his old friend. He spoke to Selmak and told her stories of their younger times. The next day, he took time to sit with Sam and go through the different design she had in mind. He picked the one he liked the most which included two bedrooms and one bathroom, and an ample kitchen/lounge/dining room.
With the week, over and all the things settled, Sam and Jack joined Jacob in the gate room. Each of them had something in their hands.
"Dad, Daniel asked to give this to you for the Tok'ra. He said you'd know what it is?" Jack said giving him a box.
"Yes, I do, Jack. Thanks"
"And this is for you only, dad," Sam said giving him a mini GDO, it was of the size of a small pen drive and had two buttons on it.
"What are the buttons for?" He frowned.
"Your code, dad: Press the green twice and then one red."
"Ok, thanks. What happens if I get it wrong?" He asked curiously.
"Well, dad. In such case, you will be a bug on a windshield," Jack said dramatically, and Sam rolled her eyes at him.
"Jack!" She warned. "Well, see if this light turns green, then you know it's safe to come through. If it's red, then you either placed the wrong code, or we are locked down. Either way, just send the code again."
"Thanks, Sam." He placed the GDO in his pocket and shook Jack's hand. "Take good care of Sam and kids, will you?"
"I will dad, come and drop by at any time."
"Thanks, I will." Then he turned to Sam and hugged her. "Take care, kiddo."
"I always do, dad. It's you that I'm worried about." She chuckled with teary eyes.
"Don't worry, we will take good care of me," he winked before walking away. Sam sighed as she watched him go and soon the wormhole disengaged. Jack looked at Sam who was still looking at the now empty gate.
"He will be fine, Sam." He whispered to her.
"I know," she said with a small smile.
"So, how about some cake and Jell-O to combat the good bye goes?" he said smiling which made Sam laugh
"Yeah, why not?"
"Did he like any design?"
"Yeah, he picked one."
"Then I'll guess I need to make some calls."