CHAPTER TWO: REAL HEROES

"A condom did not just fall out of my daughter's pocket," Jack said, willing his denial to be true. "Sam, come on," he entreated, lightly holding her by the arms and fixing her with a steady gaze. "Tell me we're in some kind of alternate reality. We are, right?"

"Jack, I'm afraid not," Sam said. "But look on the bright side. If you talk with Jake about the pot, I'll talk with Grace about this."

"Oh, I'm talking with Grace, Sam. I think she needs to hear a thing or two from her dad about what she's got goin' on here."

"Jack, we don't know what she's got going on, if anything," Sam reasoned. "You're acting like this little item is some evil alien contraption you've never seen before."

"Sam, why couldn't she talk with us about this boy, whoever he is? What, all of a sudden, I'm the last one to know what's going on around here?" he asked, clearly becoming more agitated by the minute.

"Jack, honey, listen to yourself," Sam entreated. "I'll bet she didn't tell you because she was afraid you'd dismember the poor guy. And didn't tell me because she knew I'd tell you."

"It's still not right, Sam. She's seventeen for cryin' out loud, our little girl!" Jack protested.

Sam smiled gently at her husband realizing the biggest reason she sounded so calm was in order to keep him in check. "Honey, I want to keep her safe too, probably as much as you do. But you and I can't have everything we want. And we don't want to keep her so safe she never lives. Right?"

"I suppose."

"Let me talk with her first, see what she has to say, before we get all worked up. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay. I'll go blow snow with the boys," he said, trying to make the best of things, but not at all convinced. It was so much easier blowing up Goa'uld motherships!

"By the way, what are you going to tell Jake about the pot?" Sam called after him.

"What am I going to tell him?" Jack answered rhetorically. "I'm going to tell him no son of mine is gonna smoke that crap, even if it is legal now!"

"Oh yeah, that'll work," she smiled.

"Fine, I'll listen to him," he relented. "Are you happy, Mom?"

"You'll do fine."

"And if I don't, you'll fix it, right?" Jack asked, really hoping for reassurance.

"I'll back you up, General," she said with a smile, "always."

"Like I said."

OoOoOo

Now it wasn't that the O'Neills had never talked with their children about sex, alcohol, drugs and the other myriad problems teenagers and their parents confronted on a daily basis. In fact they'd prided themselves on having fairly open lines of communication, leading all of their children to seek them out for advice on a variety of issues over the years. Among their children's friends Jack and Sam were well liked and respected. Parties, albeit without alcohol or other drugs, were held at their home on a regular basis and well attended by classmates of the twins and the younger children in turn. That said, finding that in spite of it all, there were clearly areas where they didn't know what was going on in their children's lives was disturbing.

So while Jack took the boys and their little sister outside to tackle the snow, Sam was left to talk with Grace. The brilliant astrophysicist and fairly savvy mother was certainly more comfortable talking about sex with her daughter than her husband would ever be. Still, it was a daunting task. After all, it was hard not to see Grace as the innocent little girl they'd all doted over for years. And as the lovely late adolescent with shining blue eyes walked in to answer her mother's call, Sam prepared herself to see her daughter as the young woman she was fast becoming.

"Yeah, Mom, what's up? Dad said you needed to see me," Grace said as she came into the kitchen.

"He's right," Sam said simply. "I'm making hot cocoa. Come on, let's take it into the study and talk there," she added with a smile, handing her daughter the steaming cup, topped off with whipped cream and the chocolate sprinkles she still loved.

Grace took the proffered treat from her mother happily. Hey, she was getting out of the next round of shoveling! Still she knew something was on her parents' minds. The look on her father's face had said it all.

"Thanks, Mom. But I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

"What? Do I look like a firing squad?" Sam quipped, leading the way to the study and choosing a comfy chair by the window.

Against her better judgment, Grace, today looking the spitting image of her mother as a teen, sat across from the older woman, wondering what was going on. From where they were seated they both had a great view of the rest of the family busily working at their snow removal tasks. Clearly that was going to take awhile.

"Mom, shouldn't we be out there helping, instead of sipping cocoa in here," she asked, always responsible to do her part.

"It's okay, your dad and the kids have it covered for now, Princess," she said, reverting to their pet name for Grace. That would have to stop, she thought wryly.

"Grace, you know the down parka I bought you last month?" Sam paused till she saw Grace nod with dawning recognition. "I went to put it on this morning and found this in the pocket," Sam said, holding the still wrapped condom out towards here daughter.

Grace blanched and winced as she saw the tell-tale item in her mother's hand.

"Guess it wouldn't be good to say I didn't know how it got there?" Grace offered sheepishly.

"No. And thanks for respecting my intelligence," her mother quickly replied.

"Please don't tell Dad."

"Grace, your Dad already knows. We haven't stayed together all this time by keeping secrets."

"That explains the look I got on his way out," she said. "Mom, I'm not doing anything…really."

"So …?"

"Paul, he's really a good guy. I like him a lot. You know we've been going out almost six months now. I think I love him."

"And ..."

"Well Marcia says I need to be ready, in case, you know … so she gave me some things."

"Some things?"

"Mom…"

"Grace, what things?"

"Condoms, other stuff, you know."

"What do you think about all of it…getting ready that is?" Sam asked, restraining her natural impulse to order her daughter to cease and desist.

"I really like him, Mom. You've met Paul, he's a good guy; even Dad liked him."

"You're right, we both like Paul. And we both love you, Grace."

"Okay, so you're not mad?"

"This isn't about us being mad, Grace."

"Then what is this little inquisition about, Mom? I'm a big girl; if I sleep with Paul, isn't that my business?"

"Maybe Grace, but it doesn't mean I'm not concerned about you."

"We love each other, Mom," she said earnestly. "What," she asked, seeing the quizzical look on her mother's face, "you don't think I can be in love, because I'm seventeen? I can't believe this!"

"You're wrong about that, Grace. I know you can love very deeply, always could," Sam said. "I just don't want you to be hurt. Having sex with a man is a big step. No matter how you look at it, it's a commitment. Do you think you're ready for that?"

"We're not getting married, Mom! Its just sex! If we don't like it, we go our separate ways."

"It's not always that easy, sweetheart."

"Then I guess I'll have to learn to handle it. Mom, I don't want to disappoint you and dad, but I am going to live my life."

"Grace, you could never disappoint either one of us."

"Oh yeah? Dad will be disappointed if I'm not a virgin at forty!"

Sam nearly choked on the cocoa she was sipping. "You're right," she admitted, once she'd caught her breath. "So I guess he'll probably have to be a little disappointed, won't he?"

Finally, it was Grace's turn to giggle and the tension was broken.

"So you won't be upset if I talk with you about it?" Grace asked after a few moments of silence. "You know, when I'm trying to figure out what to do."

"Grace, I'll only be upset if you don't. I remember being your age. I wish my mom had been there for me. Dads aren't quite the same when it comes to girl stuff."

"You can say that again," Grace said softly. "It's so hard, Mom. Sometimes I don't know what to do."

"Then it's okay to wait until you do, Grace. You don't have to hurry."

TBC


A/N: Again this was a story I needed to write because of last week's series of adolescent interviews at work. I know you may or may not agree with the words I put in Sam's mouth as she spoke with Grace, but I believe given Sam's temperament and willingness to listen, it might have gone something like that. I'm of the belief that a little listening can go a long way to preventing some of the painful situations my clients end up in.

And of course, this would be only one of many conversations!

Reviews appreciated and thanks for reading.