Chapter 18
Jack was still laughing when Sam walked into the kitchen. She looked at the two men with a confused look on her face, until Jack explained what they were laughing about.
"Oh" she said, then smiled,
"Heck, I remember bumping into them once on the Las Vegas strip. It was the night we got Lucy and Patch married" she said smiling at the memory.
Jacob groaned "don't remind me, Henry and Michaela still hold a grudge for that" he said.
"Ok, change of subject, the food's ready" Jacob said, putting the food on the table.
Jack went to get Cleo while Sam got the drinks out of the fridge. They ate breakfast talking and laughing at some of the story's Jacob was telling. Soon enough there was a knock at the door and Jack went to get it.
Janet and Cass were standing on the other side smiling.
"Hey Uncle Jack" Cass said.
"Hello Colonel" Janet said.
He frowned at her "Janet, we're off duty why do you insist on calling me colonel?" he asked.
"Because I know it drives you insane" she said smiling sweetly and walked past him into the house.
Sam was just walking out of the kitchen with Cleo in her arms.
"Sorry, we lost track of the time, I just need to get dressed,"
"So we can see" Cassie said looking at her attire; she was wearing one of Jack's hockey jerseys and his sweat pants, Sam looked down and looked up blushing.
"That's not what I meant" she began, but Janet jumped in,
"Off course not Sam, that would be against the regs" she said sincerely.
Sam looked away and said nothing but walked off down the hall; Janet looked to Jack who just shrugged and tried to look innocent.
Janet saw the look in Jack's eye and walked pass him into the hall.
"I was kidding the other day you know, I never meant for you to ruin her career. If the general or Jacob finds out the two of you broke the regs they'll kill you," she said, yelling so Sam could hear down the hallway.
Jacob heard Janet and was now standing in the door way to the kitchen and cleared his throat and looked at Jack.
"I assume she doesn't know then?" Jack shook his head no.
"You and the General are the only ones that know, although I guess by now the Joint Chiefs and the President know as well" Jack said.
Janet looked from one man to the other confused; Sam walked back down the hall once she and Cleo were dressed. She stopped when she saw the confusion on Janet's face.
Janet looked at her, "what's going on Sam?" Cassie asked before her mother had a chance to.
Sam looked at Jack, who just nodded, so Sam turned back to Cass,
"I asked to be taken off SG1 and reassigned a few days ago. We were going tell you and the boys at the same time but…" she trailed off.
Janet stood there in shock, Cass was beaming.
"So that means the two of you are together," she said, happily Sam nodded.
After a few more minutes of talking the ladies decided they should head out. Sam told Jack they would be back in time for dinner and suggested a barbeque for SG1, Cassie, Janet and her dad.
Before Sam left she gave Jack a hug and discreetly asked him "are you sure it's a good idea to be alone with my dad?" Jack smiled.
"I'll be fine, and so will he" he reassured her "I promise" then he gave her a quick kiss before she and Cleo left with Janet and Cassie.
When the girls had left, Jack and Jacob walked back into the house. Jacob led the way into the kitchen and sat down at the table.
Jack moved over to the coffee pot and poured two mugs and then walked back to the dinning room and sat down opposite Jacob, sliding one of the mugs over to him.
They sat in a tense silence before Jacob finally spoke,
"What are you going to do?"
Jack knew what he was referring to and pulled out the ring box that he had put into his pocket that morning and placed it on the table. Jacob looked at the box, then up to Jack then back to it again. Then he picked it up and opened it.
"It was my grandmother's engagement ring; she left it to me in her will because I was the oldest out of all the grandchildren and I always loved it" Jack explained.
"You never gave it to Sara?" Jacob asked
Jack shook his head "no she wanted a new one in yellow gold, and somehow it just didn't feel right giving it to her" Jacob nodded. Jack looked up at Jacob and said,
"I want to ask your-" Jacob cut him off
"As long as it's what she wants and makes her happy you have my permission and approval" Jacob said.
Jack smiled "thank you" and they sat in silence for a while before Jack spoke up again.
"What did you want to talk to me about?"
Jacob looked at Jack "Is she ok really?" he asked carefully.
Jack sat for a moment contemplating how to answer the question.
"She has her good moments and bad ones," he said. "She is having some nightmares, but I can usually get her to talk to me about them and that seems to be helping; most nights she is able to go back to sleep."
Jacob nodded, and they talked for a few more minutes before Jacob said that he was going to go for a walk. Jack nodded, he knew the older man needed to think and 'talk' to Selmac. When Jacob left Jack cleaned up the kitchen and did a few other odds and ends that needed to be done around the house.
It was about lunchtime when Jacob came back; Jack had made lunch for both of them and they sat talking, sharing funny stories about anything and everything that had happened to them over they years (that wasn't classified off course). It was late in the afternoon when Sam and Cleo arrived home from shopping with a few bags in their hands.
Cleo came running up to Jack; "Unkie 'J', Sam got a really pretty dress" she squealed as Jack picked her up and put her on his knee.
"She did, did she" he said tickling his little niece, and then looked up at Sam smiling.
"Have a good day?"
She nodded "Yeah, not too bad; Janet and Cass will be back in an hour or so for dinner" she said as she moved out of the room and down to Jack's bed room.
TBC…