Chapter 15,
AN: Thanks to the Wolf for doin' is thang.
It is a funny thing when a child is born, the parents so eager to show off their new bundle of joy but so reluctant to let anyone nurse their child. Jack was happy for admirers to stroke the baby's head and go gooey over how the beautiful the child was, but pass Charlie to his Grandfather or babysitter on occasion and at times he would have to restrain himself from literally snatching the baby back, when that powerful sense of ownership overtook him.
When Charlie became more independent, the feeling was still there but it was more controllable and Jack would even let his son walk unassisted through shopping malls, standing patiently as his son introduced himself to unsuspecting shoppers and store clerks. The drooling toddler running ahead while Jack would turn and smile comfortingly to his wife, a reassurance that Jack knew at all times where Charlie was, and sure enough he was always there at the right moment to prevent excursions down escalators and strange objects being pushed into the mouth.
Finally with Charlie starting school Jack was able to truly relax with his son out of sight, trapped in the crayon colored walls of Colorado Springs Elementary School Jack could see his son off in the morning and greet him in the afternoon, comfortable with the knowledge that his son was safe without him.
Funny how after twenty years those original urges to keep a hold on Alex and not let anyone else cradle him has come roaring back.
Both men are staring at the direction of the front door, Xander's hand is lightly resting on the gun handle at the back of his pants but the gun remains hidden. Jack' hand is hovering near a kitchen drawer.
" You expecting anyone?" Xander whispers and Jack shakes his head as he slides the drawer open and collects a nine millimetre Glock pistol from it.
" Stay here." Jack instructs turning to Xander who rolls his eyes, " I'm serious, don't move."
" Fine…" Xander concedes and Jack starts down the hallway hugging the right wall.
" I will absolutely not stay right here." Xander finishes and heads towards the rear of the house.
It's now dark outside, but through the window on the front door Jack can see that two men in black suits are standing waiting patiently for him to answer and he tucks the gun into the back of his pants before opening the door. If these men expected trouble, they wouldn't have rung the doorbell.
Pulling the door open slightly Jack stands in the open doorway so that the majority of his body is shielded by the door.
" Jack O'Neill?"
" It's General O'Neill actually."
" We're looking for Alexander Harris, we were told we could find him here."
Jack looks between the two men for a moment, both are about six foot, both had light brown hair and pale skin, but as yet only the one closest to the door had spoken.
" Yeah and who are you two?" Jack demands and two I.D badges are flashed at him.
" Special Agent Dime and Ratchet, NSA." Dime states flatly.
" Well Dime and Ratchet of the NSA your intel must suck, cause I don't know an Alexander Harris." Jack replies resisting the urge to turn and make sure that the two men couldn't see any part of Alex in the kitchen.
" You've never seen this man?" The second man asks speaking for the first time and he pulls from his breast pocket an 8 by 10 photo of Xander.
Jack takes the photo off the man and examines it for a moment thoughtfully.
" Nope, never seen him, why you looking for him anyway?" Jack asks not really wanting to, but if he didn't it would be a big indicator that he was lying to these two guys.
" Alexander Harris is wanted for the bombing of a high school in California, he killed twenty two people and is considered a priority threat to National Security. " Dime states as he hands over another photo.
Jack looks down at the second photo of a burnt out building and raises his eyebrows in surprise.
" Shit! And you think that this guy is here?" Dime and Ratchet nod in synch with each other, " Well sorry but I've never seen him." Jack says as he hands the photos back to the Agent closest to him.
" Mind if we come in, take a look around?" Dime asks and Jack nods.
" Sure do, " Jack grips the door firmly unsure if the NSA would simply barge inside the house, and if Xander would hide if they did so.
" You don't let us in now, we're just going to have to go get a warrant and I don't think you want us to do that." Dime's tone of voice changes to something low and threatening.
" Off you go." Jack says back his tone matching Dime's as he shuts the door and for a moment Dime goes to stick his foot in the way so the door won't shut, but he pulls back at the last second and is left growling at the shut door.
Jack watches from the window in the door as the two men turn away from the house and head towards a black town car parked in the dark driveway. He doesn't leave his spot until the headlights of the town car have left his sight.
" Alex?" He calls out as he heads back towards the kitchen and Jack sighs in relief as he sees his Son leaning against the fridge in the same spot he left him.
Jack had talked to the NSA at the front door and Xander had snuck around the side of the house and observed the two men and his spidey sense had gone off immediately. He'd had to head back to the kitchen before he could figure out what was off about the two men and was eager to know who they were.
" Who were they?"
" NSA, looking for you." Jack replies his mind flashing back to the shell of a burnt out high school.
" The NSA?" Xander asks in surprise and Jack nods, " What the hell do the NSA want with me?"
" I dunno, they had some bullshit story about you blowing up a high school." Jack explains and Xander stares at him in shock for a second before being able to say something back.
" Oh." Xander stammered in shock.
" Oh? The NSA accuse you of blowing up a high school and killing twenty people and you say Oh?"
" Um," Xander stammers stuck for what to tell Jack, if the NSA returned they could probably easily frame or even prove that Xander was the one to assemble the giant fertiliser bomb planted in the library that destroyed Sunnydale High.
" Oh my god. You did it." Jack takes a step back and leans against the kitchen counter for support appalled.
" It's not how it seems." Xander says quickly.
" You didn't blow up a school?" Jack asks hopefully.
" It was meant to be a prank! Spray the school with manure, but there was a gas leak and ah well the explosion got out of hand."
" Oh, you killed twenty people, but it was an accident so that's OK." Jack deadpans and Xander shakes his head,
" I didn't say it was OK! I just said it was an accident and it was years ago and it was sorted! Why the hell is the NSA tracking me down now, conveniently at the same time I find you and Sara and how did they even know I'd be here. Alexander Harris has absolutely no connection to Jack O'Neill?" Xander stops himself because he knows he's starting to sound a little panicky, unable to explain what really happened for obvious reasons.
Jack doesn't respond to the hurried statement and he spends a moment looking at the young man in front of him and trying to process the fact that his son killed a lot of people. The fact he claimed it was an accident not changing the horrible feeling in his gut.
" Jack?" Xander asks eventually, as Jack doesn't say anything.
" You make a phone call, use a credit card, check your email or hire a library book since you been here?" Jack asks finally his voice flat and emotionless,
" Yeah, so?" Xander demands, the atmosphere in the kitchen tense.
" The NSA could have tracked you down using any one of those, and that would have lead them to Colorado Springs. "
" What would have lead them to you then?"
Jack shrugs as he rubs wearily at his brow,
" You look up the address of this place at all?"
" No, Sara gave me directions…" Xander trails off and his eyes open wide in worry, " Sara!" he exclaims and Jack's head snaps up as well and both men head for the door.
" My car!" Jack barks as he sees Xander heading towards his beat up truck and changes directions pulls open the car door and throws himself into the front seat of Jack's SUV.
The gun digs into the small of Xander's back and a knot of worry settles in his stomach as Jack slams the key into the ignition and throws the car into reverse.
The drive to Sara's seems to take forever even with Jack driving like a maniac, swerving in and out of traffic and flying through every red light and stop sign they came to. Finally Jack eases on the brakes and the car slides into a quiet stop outside Sara's house.
" Stay here!" Jack orders as he pulls open his door and takes off for the house, but Xander ignores him immediately this time and is right on Jack's heels as they cross the lawn and head towards the house.
From ten feet away they can both see that the front door is open and Jack draws his weapon instinctively. He turns to wave Xander away back to the safety of the car and is shocked to see that his Son has a weapon drawn as well and is holding it out in front of him in the same technique Jack has his drawn.
" You take point." Xander states climbing the porch stairs and taking up position by the front door, hugging the wall gun pointed at the dark interior of the house. His mind is focused and the soldier goes through the layout of the house noting the points where an intruder could be hiding.
Jack is standing on the other side of the door and an inner conflict is raging in his mind between protecting his son and finding out what has happened to Sara, he glances across at Xander once more and leads the way inside.
AN: R&R let me know if you like where I'm heading, if you caught the hint.