5
"You're kidding!" he gasped "I had no idea dad even knew the president!"
"He didn't it's because…" she closed her eyes
"Classified?" he supplied and she nodded
"So, you all have keys to each others homes? Isn't that a little unusual?" he asked
"We… sometimes we… are away, longer than expected, if some of the team comes back earlier we help each other out, clean out the fridge, pick up the mail, that sort of thing" she said
"You could just pick the locks" he pointed out, knowing from their youth how good she was as it
"It has been known" she grinned "that's partially why they gave me keys to start with."
"Lets get everyone together, Daniel will be here in 15 minutes, if you want to all wait in the car, he and Murrey are coming to dinner too, hope you don't mind" he didn't, they did not have a hell of a lot in common, and reminiscing about the good-ole'-days at home was out, as there were none to remember, at least more people would help fill the pauses between them. He was just trying to fasten Alisons belt, not easy with Julie and John already in the back seat of the small car, when he heard the sound of the huge engine from earlier. He stood up to see Jack walking up to them.
"Hey! Sorry never gave it a thought" he apologised, handing Mark a bunch of keys, "that's the spare set, it has the garage keys on and the freezer key, just in case you get a bit short of meat, its in the cellar, under the kitchen, behind the garages."
"Thanks… I don't know how to say it enough, everything you are doing for us"
The man coughed slightly, maybe embarrassed? "Anything I can do to help" he said
"You knew my father well?" he asked
"Erm, not very well, but dad and I got on fine this last couple of years" he said. Mark was puzzled, DAD? How come he was calling dad DAD? Mark had been under the impression that with them both being Generals, and Jack looking to be closer to his fathers age than his own, that they were the stronger bond, but when Jack called him dad he had a flash of insight, Jack was doing this for Sam, he had met dad through Sam, not the other way around, and again the suspicion that this was part of the break-up with Pete surfaced.
"Anyway" the older man said "O'Malleys? You kids want to ride in the truck?" he bent down to ask the occupants of the back seat "Save your mom being squashed up like that" the kids scrambled out of the car again, as Sam came around the side of the house "Carter you want to borrow my truck for the rest of the week? More room in it"
"And you will drive my Volvo? I don't think so Sir," she said with a grin on her face.
"Naww I'll get the Hog out and go up on that" he said "I'll be in a limo tomorrow, behind you lot, the President insists I travel with him" he rolled his eyes, "and we have the other guests to transport, I won't be short of a ride" he threw another bunch of keys at her… and drew yet a third set from his pocket, he went to the garage and opened it up to show a newish Harley, all chrome and leather, parked dead centre of the space.
A horn sounded on the road side and Daniel hung out of a window… "Jack, I'll give you a lift to base tonight" he shouted, Jack looked at the bike, then back at his friend and closed the garage back up.
"Ok, I'll drive us to O'Malleys, Carter, up front with me and … John, and Mark, Julie and Alison can sit in the back"
They all followed his orders, Mark only realising they had been orders after doing as he was told, he grimaced, so easy to fall back into the habits of childhood, and Jack pulled out after the other vehicle had cleared the way, and both cars made their way to O'Malleys for dinner.
Jack lead the way into the restaurant and they were given a huge booth that sat them comfortably, the man on the door placing people (maitre D would have been too posh a title for him) had given the party a strange look, and then glanced at the kids and shown them to their seats.
"Think they are ever going to forget?" Jack asked the others
"I doubt it O'Neill" Murrey said "You caused over $1000 of damage"
"That wasn't entirely our fault T" he protested "Anyway Daniel started it"
"Did not"
"Did too"
"Did not"
"Did too"
"Not"
"Too"
"Sir! Daniel!" Murrey and Sam rolled their eyes at each other, this was a common thing then, between the two men.
The cough came again from the older man and he looked downright… smug… as if he had won a point in some game, but Mark didn't understand how or why.
They ordered steaks and the 'team' laughed when the waitress asked if it was just for Jack or if the order was for the whole table. Mark was just starting to feel like a total outsider when Daniel asked him about his job, and for a while everything went along fine.
About half way through the meal Sam stood up and waved across to the door, and a young woman made her way over, Daniel and Jack moved aside and she squeezed past them to Sam and gave her a huge hug. "So sorry to hear about Grandpa Jacob," she said "you should have called"
"I thought you had enough on your plate Cass, I didn't want to…"
"It's OK" the younger woman said "I'm here now" she turned to Jack "I sent my bags up to the base, that OK Uncle Jack?" she asked, he nodded and she sat down
"You want to order a steak?" He asked her
"Naww, I ate on the plane, I think the airman was trying to get me to agree to a date" she said and Mark saw Jacks face turn thunderous as the girl pinched a few potato wedges from his plate, totally ignoring him. The other two men at the table were surprising to watch too, the huge Murrey looked as if he had been turned to stone, his mouth turned down, and all Mark could think of was that he WAS scary! Daniel on the other hand winked at Sam and she smiled back.
"His name?" grated the older man and Mark was sorry for whoever it was when Jack got hold of him
"Jaaack" she said, taking another slice of potato.
"Caaass" he replied spearing her with a look that would have intimidated Mark if it had been directed at him.
"She's winding you up Jack" Daniel said "to distract you from the fact that she has eaten all your potatoes" The young woman smiled and Sam laughed as Jack looked down at his plate in surprise, he glared at her again
"You will pay for that young lady" he said, as she reached across and stole a wedge from Daniels plate
"ummhumm" she agreed, her mouth full and everyone laughed again.
The adults were eating dessert, and were talking about the arrangements for the next day when Cassie started yawning, "sorry, folks" she said "been a busy day. I'll grab a taxi to the base, am I in my usual room or is it full of Tok…"
"Cass!" Jack said sharply and whatever she was going to say Mark was not going to find out, she blushed to her roots
"Sorry Uncle Jack, wasn't thinking" she said, he nodded,
"Just sit back down, Daniel is giving us a lift back to the mountain after dessert, the Carters have had an even longer day than you," he nodded and it was only then that Mark realised both his kids were asleep, John laying his head on Sam and Alison on her mother.
As soon as they finished Jack got up "need a pee" he said and headed to the back of the room, Sam grimaced at his earthy language and turned to her sister to complain about men in general, while Cassie giggled, so it was only Mark who noticed he grabbed the waitress and handed over a card as he went to the toilets, Mark watched for him returning, and sure enough, he signed a slip and took his card back before making his way back to the group.
Mark made sure he knew he had been seen, by keeping eye contact as the man approached, and watched as he coughed again.
"Jack?" Daniel said
"Daniel?" he answered
"Hairball?" the younger man asked, so it was a well known mannerism, that cough, the older man glared at the archaeologist, who looked totally undisturbed by it.
"We heading back to the mountain?" he said, not sitting back down
"Sure" Daniel said, getting up, Murrey and Cassie followed him out of the booth
"You escaping before she finds out you paid for the meal?" Mark asked in a low voice as Jack stood further back to let everyone out.
"Me? Afraid of Carter? You bet" he grinned and the party heading to the base left with a few quick goodbyes.
Sam waited a good five minutes before she tried to attract the attention of the waitress, and when Mark told her not to bother and what Jack had done, she smiled slightly rather than look annoyed, Mark was impressed, his sister as he had always known her would have argued down to the last penny to make sure she paid her own share, or even more than her share, something, or someone, was having a positive influence on her… 'about time' he thought.