The Anunnaki

by MicheleB

Set just after Season 8, ignoring 99 percent of Seasons 9 and 10. Jack thinks he's going to retire again; the universe has other plans.

24. Chapter 24

Darkness Before the Dawn
Anunnaki Part 24
By Michele
Rating: R
Summary: Jack gets the phone call he never wanted to hear, the house is packed with children, and Enki has a heart to heart with our stubborn General.

The mountain lodge turned out to be a cabin on government property and not much else. Jack was happy with it. After much romping and hikes through the forests of Kelona, they had to admit it was time to go home. Daniel had introduced Sam to the joys of out-door sex. He knew the forbidden quality of it would get her off, if their time in the hammock was any indication, and it did. None of the local animals seemed to mind the screaming. Even Jack had enjoyed getting bent over a large rock. The stream had been a really good excuse for them to get naked; they hoped they didn't scare the fish too badly.

They figured out the threesome togetherness and all three took turns in the middle. Jack had never felt anything as incredible as being in Sam while Daniel took him from behind. They laughed at themselves when one would fall out of another, and learned to coordinate their movements. They couldn't go fast, and the orgasms weren't scream-worthy, but they were enjoyable and they were with each other when the orgasm occurred.

As Sam slept next to them, Daniel held Jack between his legs as Jack caught his breath and relaxed. He touched Jack's face, licked at his lips, tasting Sam on them.

"I can't believe you sang to me," he whispered. Jack flushed and banged his face into Daniel's shoulder. "No, Jack, you were good; you don't give yourself enough credit. You have a pleasant voice and that was a beautiful song."

"I croaked," Jack informed him.

"No, your voice is a little raspy, but good. Some people can pull off that smoky sound, and you do. And I officially have a family of my own; God, Jack…."

Jack stroked the brown hair. "I'm a little stunned, myself," he said. "It's been less than a year and yet it's been years. A few years ago, Kevin Reynolds told me we argue like an old married couple. I feel like an old married couple. I'm glad we did this, Danny; the three of us have made a family with each other, and this is how it should be."

He slid off Daniel and curled up next to him, wrapping an around across Daniel's stomach.

"Jack, Stacy has been wondering about what to call you and Sam now that we are married. I know, the word doesn't quite work for what the three of us are doing but… Anyway. She referred to us as the Dads last week. Momma Bear and the Dads. Jack, I'd like to hear her call you Dad, if you want it."

Jack leaned up on an elbow. "Danny, she's your daughter. For her to call me Dad would take away from you."

"I don't think so," Daniel said with a shrug. "I love hearing it; it's the most beautiful word I have ever heard. Jack, as you wouldn't share your wife with anyone else, I wouldn't share my daughter with anyone else. We are a family and she's your daughter, too. Pick something else, if not Dad, but she wants to recognize you as part of us. You're not Uncle; she wants to call Sam Mom, and to call you Uncle would be slightly exclusionary."

Jack sighed and put his head down, thinking. "Let me think on this," he said. "I do love her, and I would like to hear it from her, but I need to work it out."

Sam turned weepy when she woke up and learned that she was a Mommy.

"Her own mother was a drug addict, Sam," Daniel told her. "It's only been a few months, and I do find that incredible, but you've been a constant in her life and she's needed that. She was starving for a mother. I know you're afraid of it, that you'll be a bad mother, but you helped to raise Cassie, and now Stacy already loves you. You're a wonderful mother, Sam, and I can't think of anyone in the world I'd entrust my daughter to other than you."

Sam gave a shaky nod and wiped her face. "It didn't even occur to me," she said. "I know you've been referring to us as step-parents, but this is real. We ARE parents. I'll mess it up."

"I've made a discovery," Daniel told her. "I've discovered that the words I'm Sorry I Messed Up work very well. I think the parents who mess up are the ones who can't say the words and mean them. Stacy and I talk, honey, I'm open with her just as I'm open with you. I'm no expert, but I think it's working. You don't need to change anything; you've been doing a great job."

It had been quite a while since they could all be together without the crisis of the day happening, so they took advantage of the time, had a Naked Truth session for a check-in with each other, and promised to make more time for each other. It was especially difficult since Sam was out of town so much, but they would work on it even if they had to take turns going up to Nevada for a few days to spend time with her there. Sam stayed on base there, but they would get a small apartment through base housing. There was no reason Jack couldn't do some of his work there, and no reason Daniel couldn't write and do research while Sam was at work. Jack would have Paul call the CO of Area 51 and see about setting up a small office for Homeworld Security.

"Jack, I think Michael's crisis of faith is worse," Daniel commented as they cleaned up and waited for Jonas to come and take them to the gate.

"He was a little spooked," Jack said.

"He was talking a sabbatical leave," Daniel said. "And monks."

Jack paused. "Yes, that sounds worse. I don't know what to do about it, Danny; he has always run away from whatever he couldn't deal with. I thought he was dealing with this alright."

"You ran away, too, honey," Sam said to Jack. She put a hand on his leg. "You tried to run away when Charlie died. The ultimate escape." Jack leaned back and shut his eyes for a moment. "I don't mean for this to hurt you," she said. "Yes, Michael ran away when his wife died but his sanctuary has been violated again by a force he has no control over. The force of facts. He's what? Sixty-two? You've been doing this for eleven years; he needs time to sort out his heart."

Jack reluctantly acknowledged her as Jonas came up to the cabin.

Stacy was happy to see them back home. She had stayed with the Boscos; she thought it was an extended sleep-over with Jessica, but for her parents, it was security measures. Nick had yet to spot Nate's shadow and he was becoming cranky about it.

Davis had taken over negotiations with Poland for a Yard, and had ten pilot candidates for Jack for final interviews. The president wanted to talk with Jack.

"Jack, I have about half the Senate and Congress jumping at my throat for this latest stunt of yours," the president told him.

"What stunt?"

"This marriage thing."

"Oh, that stunt. We taped it, I'll send you a copy," Jack offered. "Fast forward through me singing, though. And it wasn't a wedding, it was a handfasting. Nothing has changed, Henry, so I don't know what their problem is. We aren't filing any papers with you, we made a contract with each other, exchanged rings, our families are happy, and our stunt was blessed by a spiritual leader. Four, actually. The Senate and Congress can get over themselves."

The President sighed. "Jack, we really need to get this settled," he said. "I have a US Air Force General sleeping with not only his wife but also another man, and they are open about it. Now the three of them have gone and gotten married together. My general is not only bisexual but he's polygamous…."

"I'm not bisexual and I'm not polygamous," Jack interrupted. "We handfasted, we didn't marry, therefore no polygamous marriage has occurred. And bisexuality implies that I am attracted to both sexes, which I am not. Only one man."

"Jack, they're calling for your head again," Hayes told him.

"Let them," Jack declared in frustration, tossing his arm in the air. "I've had offers from Chulak, the Anunnaki, the Tok'ra, and Langara be in on their armed forces and all I need to do to leave this planet is press a button for a beam out. My wife and my partner have already agreed to leave with me, if it comes down to that. Col. Samantha Carter and Dr. Daniel Jackson, in case you've forgotten who they are. If the Senate and Congress want to continue to play nice with aliens, they're going to have to get used to the fact that your Bible is not running the show. I'll tell them myself, sign me up for a hearing. And while you're at it, remind them exactly who is responsible for the 40 percent increase in armed forces recruits."

Jack told Davis to call Larry and Barbara and set them up for interviews. He had been refusing all interviews, but it was time to get in faces. At the pleading look on Teal'c's face when he was asked to make himself available, they also called Oprah.

Sam almost burst into tears the first time Stacy called her Mom. The girls went out for a girl's day, shopping, ice cream, and a movie. Daniel met with his students and caught up on their work. His students enjoyed his class; the schedule was so open, they got more work done outside the classroom than in, and checked in with Daniel when he called them. He brought them out to the house and they sequestered themselves in his den for the afternoon. They informed him that he was suppose to give them mid-term tests, so he made one up on the spot. Daniel had a request for a second semester transfer. The student was unable to get into any special permission classes, and really wanted to be in his class. Daniel looked at the transcripts and didn't understand why she wasn't able to get into classes; her GPA was at 3.8 and she had all the necessary background classes. When she came in for an interview, he understood the problem. She was transsexual. Daniel didn't particularly care; she understood the difference between modern Egyptian and ancient Egyptian, and spoke well in both, so he welcomed her to the class. The old fogies in his field could be so conservative. She became slightly teary when Daniel told her she was welcome.

Jack was rousted from his office by a phone call.

"Jacky, you need to come home," Michael told him in a subdued, husky voice.

"What's wrong?" he asked, immediately suspicious.

"It's bad, just come home right away."

Jack called Inanna and asked her to beam him to Michael. His older brother was startled to see him. Jack found himself in a hospital waiting room. Several other people waiting bit off a screech at his 'entrance.' Only his uniform saved him from being rushed by the security guards. They did consider asking him for the sidearm attached to his thigh, but decided against it.

"Well?" Jack demanded.

"I forget that 'right away' has taken on a whole new meaning for you," Michael said. He took Jack by the arm and steered him into a private consult room.

"There's been an accident," Michael told him. His eyes were red, his face pale. "Dad was taking Megan to the doctor for a last minute check-up. They were hit by a drunk driver."

Jack sat down.

"Olivia is fine, she's here. Megan and Dad…. They didn't make it, Jack. Mom collapsed, she's in ICU."

Jack tried to catch his breath.

"I want to see them," he whispered. Michael nodded.

"I knew you would."

Jack wasn't paying attention to where Michael led him; he only knew when he saw Megan lying on a bed. He stepped up to her and took her hand. It was cold. He stroked her hair, pushing it from her face.

"Where are the kids?" he asked.

"With Joey and Rita."

"Where's Dad?"

Michael shook his head. "Driver's side was hit, Jacky. He was gone in an instant. Megan died from hemorrhage."

Jack hit his comm. "I need Enki."

Moments later, the old man took his hand from Megan's chest and head and sadly shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Jack," he said. "She is beyond my reach."

"No!" Jack yelled hoarsely. "You can bring an entire planet to life, bring me Megan."

"Give me your hand." Enki held his out. He took Jack's hand and placed it on Megan's still chest. "Reach for her, Jack; tell me what you sense."

"This isn't the time..!" Jack yelled, swiping at his eyes and jerking his hand back.

"This is exactly the time," Enki said calmly. "That's why you called me here, now DO IT!" he roared.

Angry at the old man, Jack reached out from the inside. He found only silent, empty darkness. He fell forward, his face against her as he cried. A baby girl crawled on the kitchen floor, banging on pots and pans, resting against his chest in a warm bath during a difficult night, toddling toward him, arms outstretched, Da! a face covered in strawberries as she generously offered to share, dancing a happy dance around the potty chair in the middle of the living room, crawling into bed with him, watching her marry, feeling a baby playing inside of her, holding her first born, minutes old.

"I hate you," Jack said from Megan's chest.

"Good, at least you can feel," Enki said softly. He put a light hand on Jack's head, gave a short bow to Michael, and beamed out.

Jack had a headache by the time he was cried out. He hit his comm. "Would you please bring me my family?" he quietly asked. Sam, Daniel, and Nate were with him moments later. They looked startled, and then looked at the bed.

"Oh, my God," Daniel breathed. Nate went up to the bed, hesitant, his eyes streaming over. Jack pulled him into his arms.

"Dad's gone, too," he whispered into Nate's ear. Nate held on.

Sam and Daniel went to Michael as Jack and Nate clung to each other. When the men were ready, Jack put his arms around Sam and Daniel. They needed to go and see Mom. The nurse at the front desk attempted to tell them two visitors only, but one look at Jack's face and the guns on their thighs kept her quiet. Jack ordered her to find his mother's doctor; he wanted an update. They found Maggie attached to an IV and monitors, resting. Jack sat on the bed and took her hand, thankful to find it warm.

"Jonathan?" she whispered.

"I'm here, Momma." He bent and kissed her. He put his face against her chest for a moment and then sat up, taking his cell phone out.

"This is O'Neill," he said when the line was answered. "I want two security details at St. Vincent's Hospital, Minneapolis. The first to ICU, room 308, Margaret O'Neill, my mother. The second is to go to the neonatal unit, Olivia Carmichael, my niece."

"Reporters," Jack said, seeing the question on Michael's face. "Danny, would you please call Davis and let him know what's going on? I left without telling him I was leaving." Daniel stepped out just as the doctor came in.

"I'm sorry for your loss, General O'Neill," the doctor said. He looked at the guns strapped to both Jack and Sam but didn't say anything.

"Will my mother be alright?" Jack asked. The doctor started with the big words. "Tell her," Jack stopped him, pointing to Sam. They spoke doctor-speak for a few minutes.

"She collapsed from the shock," Sam finally told him. "The IV is for her blood pressure and fluids; she's a little shaky. She's weak. That's about it. Her willpower to continue will be up to her." Daniel came back in, quietly standing in the back.

Jack nodded, swallowing hard. He looked around. "Close this room off," he told the doctor. "I don't want anyone in that second bed, make it a private room. Two Special Forces are on their way, they will stay here in shifts until my mother is ready to leave. No unauthorized personnel is to enter this room, and if I find one word of information has been leaked to the press, I will track that person down myself even if I have to track them across the galaxy. Are we clear?"

The doctor acknowledged him and left to make the arrangements. Sam took Maggie's chart and looked through it.

"I thought it was the first born that was supposed to have control issues?" his mother said faintly.

"Well, I guess you'll have to stick around for a while longer and try to rehabilitate me," Jack told her. "Mom, don't you dare die on me, I need you. We need you."

She lifted her hand and touched his cheek. "I'm tired, Jonathan," she told him. "I love you so much, I'm so proud of you."

Jack held out his hand and Nate came forward. He went to the other side of the bed and sat, taking Maggie's other hand.

"I'm going to tell you the truth, Mom," Jack told her, unable to continue without her hearing it. "Sam, would you watch the door? Michael, if you feel you won't be able to keep this to yourself, you need to step outside. This is the most top-secret information in the world. Literally. If you stay, I'm holding you to confessional rules." Michael nodded and stayed. "Momma…. Nate is my clone. He's me, Mom, memories, feelings, everything. One of the Asgard did it a few years ago. You have three sons, Mom, and as selfish as this is, we all need you here."

She looked from one to the other.

"I need you," Nate said in her son's voice. "I know you as my mother, I have all Jack's memories of you as our mother. I need to remain your grandson, for all intensive purposes, but you are my mother and I love you. Please stay with me for a little while longer."

She raised a hand and hesitantly touched him, pushing the long hair away from his face.

"A miracle," she whispered, gazing at him.

"No, just a renegade scientist," Jack said. "Momma, I miss Dad. I love him. Megan gone has left a hole in me. We have babies to raise, though, and you should stick around to see them married off."

Maggie gave him a shaky nod and pulled herself together. Nate leaned down and kissed her cheek as Michael took the final blow to his heart.

After dinner that evening, Jack walked slowly down the hall with a baby in his arms. He cooed softly to her. The kids were sitting with their grandmother, all of them white and teary. Jack put Olivia into Katie's arms.

"She looks exactly like your mother when she was born," Jack told the kids. They had run to him when Joey and Rita brought them to the hospital earlier in the evening. Jack held all three kids, crying with them. When they were calm enough to see their grandmother, Sam and Daniel stayed with them while Michael took Jack outside and handed him an envelope.

"Jack, Megan wrote this last month," he said. "She wanted you to have it in case…. something happened. I hesitate to use the word premonition. I know what it says, she discussed it with me, and I have agreed to it."

Jack opened the envelope and read the letter. He sat down and read it again. He nodded, sniffling and wiping his eyes.

"Ok," he said. "Would you please send Sam and Daniel out here?"

Michael went back in. When his partners came out, Jack handed them the letter.

"Do the children know?" Sam asked, handing the letter back.

"I don't know," Jack said. "I need to do this."

"Of course, you do," Daniel said as Sam put her arms around Jack. "We'll do this together."

They went back into the room. Davy was carefully holding the baby with Michael and Nate both watching over him.

"Can I hold her?" Sam asked the boy, giving his hair a stroke. Davy nodded and Sam took Olivia from him, cradling the baby against her heart. Jack sat next to the kids and Katie took over his lap, huddling against him, sniffling. He held her close as Davy went to Daniel's lap. The thumb went into the mouth.

"Kids, we need to talk about something," Jack said. "You're mom gave me custody of you. Do you understand what that means?"

"That she wants us to live with you," Katie said.

"Right. If you have objections, I want to hear them. I would like to take you home with me, with us, but only if you want it, too. It'll be a little crowded, you'll need to share rooms. I know you want your mom, I know you miss her and Papa and you're scared of being with out them. It's ok to feel those things. It's ok to cry and feel angry and sad. We all feel these things in different ways, so life may be rough for a while, but I promise it'll get better. You will always miss her but you won't stop loving her, and you will feel better after a while. You are going to feel alone but I promise you're not alone. You have me and your grandfather, Sam, Daniel, Nanna, and everyone else, and now you have a new baby sister. You are not alone."

The funeral would be in five days. At Daniel's suggestion, Jack and Michael took the kids to help pick out coffins. Daniel told Jack that it was important to make the kids part of the death process, as well as the life process. They picked out clothes for their mom and grandpa, and went to the cemetery to see where their mom would be buried. A World War II vet, Tom would be taken to Arlington after Megan was buried.

Davy was in the worst of the shock, so the men left the boy with Sam and Daniel. Nate took Maggie home and helped her to begin getting affairs settled. She began going through Tom's clothes and screamed, burying her face in a shirt.

Jack needed to call Paul and have him come up to deal with the press once wind reached them of the tragedy hitting General O'Neill's family.

"Fucking vultures," Jack muttered.

Paul brought Jack's new personal guard with him, six ex-Special Ops men and SGC SF ok'd by Nick, Jack's new head of security.

Olivia slept through most of the events, waking up long enough for a bottle and to be changed and cuddled before sleeping again. Thankfully, she was completely healthy. Although two weeks premature, her lungs were fully developed and she was spared any injury from the crash. The hospital reluctantly allowed her to go home, once Jack had the custody issue resolved. It was a temporary resolution; despite the letter from Megan and her will, the courts needed to track down Andrew and get paternal permission. Jack was frustrated on that end, arguing that Andrew had court orders to stay away from the children. Nick listened to the bitching, snapped his gum, and disappeared.

Sam and Daniel kept Davy occupied with his baby sister, teaching him how to care for her. They had a lot of help from Nate and great-grandma, since neither Sam nor Daniel had much experience with newborns. Daniel may have helped to bring a couple of babies into the world, but he didn't have to take care of them. They fell into their off-world routine of shifts, and shared feeding duty through the night. Davy climbed into bed with Daniel and curled up at his side. Daniel got him to talk and tell him stories about mommy. Davy finally cried. Jack found them and was relieved to hear that Davy was verbalizing.

After discussing it with his partners, Jack called Sara and told her she'd be welcome, if she wanted to attend the funerals. She was thankful and he could hear it in her voice. Sara had loved his father and Megan, adored the children, and missed everyone. She was looking forward to holding Olivia. Jack made sure Sam understood that she was primary in the lives of the children, now, not Sara. Sam admitted to being a little unsure of her place.

"Your place is at my side," Jack told her. "Sara may or may not stay in touch with the kids, I don't know and I won't argue with the kids if they want to visit with her. David probably won't, he doesn't really remember her, but Katie and Matthew may want to."

Stacy came up with Paul but wasn't sure of what to do. Daniel told her to just be sensitive to everyone and don't get upset if someone seems angry or starts crying; it was normal and it was ok. He caught her drawing one afternoon after Olivia had her bottle. Daniel was walking around with a sling across his chest, Olivia snug next to his heart.

"What's that?" Daniel asked Stacy, looking over her shoulder at the boxes on the paper.

"Our bedrooms," she said. "You guys have one bedroom and use the second for your dressing room, I have one bedroom, and Jack uses a bedroom for his office. That leaves one bedroom left. Matthew and Davy can have that bedroom and Katie can share with me."

Daniel was feeling guilty, having promised her a bedroom of her own. There was no way they could all have their clothes and dressers in their bedroom, and Jack really did need an office at home.

"Are you sure, honey?" he asked. "I know I said you didn't have to share…."

"Daddy, it's ok," she assured him. "I've never had my own room before, I always share. It's weird being alone."

Daniel wasn't sure which god he pleased but someone sent him a true gift when he received Stacy.

After dinner, they sat the kids down and went over plans. Girls and boys would each share a room. The older kids weren't happy about it, but there wasn't much the adults could do. Jack was giving them a choice, though; how did they want to divide the bedrooms? A wall panel down the middle, bookcases, no divider at all? Stacy and Katie decided on bookcases. Matthew wanted a bookcase, but Davy begged him not to, he wanted to be able to see his brother.

Daniel found a sketch of their house that Jack had been absently doodling into an engineering format. He and Sam looked it over and added their own two-cents.

Jack sat on the porch having fed Olivia and rocked her back to sleep. He put her back into her crib and sat outside with the baby monitor, listening to the nighttime. He could almost smell the tobacco his father used. He had suggested taking the kids home where they would have their own rooms, but they didn't want to go there without their mother. Davy came out, scrubbing the sleep from his eyes, and climbed up onto Jack's lap. He snuggled into Jack's chest, the thumb going in.

"How are you, buddy?" Jack asked him, pressing his mouth to the top of the boy's head. He got a shrug. "Davy, do you understand what's going on?"

"Mommy and Papa died," David said. "Are they in Heaven, Uncle Jack?"

"Yes, they are," he told the boy. "They're safe and they love you very much."

"Does it hurt to die? When people die in movies, they look like it hurts."

"No," Jack told him. "Those are just movies, they aren't real. If someone gets shot, it hurts, I know it does because I've been shot, but your mom and your grandpa didn't hurt."

"How come they had to die? I want Mommy."

Jack held him close. "Mommy will always be with you," he said. "She'll be in your heart. You can talk to her and she'll always listen. She loves you very much and she was very proud of you. Everyone dies, baby, it's part of life, but we don't have to be afraid of it. There is another life after this one, I know it for a fact, so you don't need to be afraid."

"Heaven is after this life?" Davy asked, looking up at his uncle.

"Some people call it Heaven," Jack said. "Other people call it the afterlife, others call it by other names. You call it whatever you want to call it."

Between custody and burial issues, Jack had more than he could handle on his plate, so Davis called in a lawyer to deal with the paperwork. With his general in capable hands, Davis went home and dealt with the daily happenings at HomeSec. Daniel and Sam went with Michael to help with Megan's house; Michael said he had a couple of families in his parish who were in extreme need so he would have the families come over after the funeral and take what they needed. They packed up photos, jewelry, personal mementos, and the children's rooms. Michael sat abruptly in the middle of the livingroom floor, a family picture in his hands. Daniel sat next to him.

"Full circle, Daniel," Michael said, dusting the photo with a finger. He sniffed. "Her mother died in a car accident, too, bringing Megan prematurely. Makes me wonder if Megan was truly meant to be here at all."

"Of course, she was," Daniel said, touching Michael's shoulder. "If she gave anyone one moment of joy, she was meant to be here."

"I don't think I can verbalize just how much it destroyed me when Olivia died. My wife. I loved her so much. I was so blinded by my grief that I couldn't look at my daughter. I know my parents and Jack didn't understand and I had no way of making them understand. By the time the clouds parted, Megan was already looking to Jack as her father. I was jealous but he earned the rights, not me. Jack walked her down the isle when she was married, he held Katie when she was born, and the boys went to him before me. I was jealous. I made a few bitter comments about divorce, brought up some old doctrine. I was speaking as an angry brother and father but my family heard the priest and Jack paid the price. I have made so many mistakes, Daniel; my pride will be my fall. When Megan talked with me about custody of the children, I didn't argue with her; Jack has earned the right to them. I can only hope that their presence won't be too much of a burden to you and Sam."

Daniel shook his head. "We will stand by his side and love Megan's children. A little remodeling on the house is in order, I think, but we'll manage."

Michael held the picture to his chest, silent for a moment. "Daniel, this ascension thing…."

Daniel shook his head again. "It has more to do with the frame of mind and the person's will, than anything else," he said. "I was assisted by one of the Ascended, I was given a choice; ascending or crossing over. I chose ascension. That Being actually broke the laws of the Ascended to help me, for reasons of her own. I returned through the making of another choice. If Megan ascended, we won't know about it unless we ascend ourselves. My own memory of it is sketchy at best, and a lot of what I know I was told by others. Mostly Jack. It seems I visited him a few times."

"Do you think….Jesus was one of these Ascended?" Michael asked, looking at the picture.

"Don't see why not," Daniel said with a shrug. "I'll be honest, Michael, I'm not sure I believe he even existed, but if he did, everything he did can be attributed to things we've already seen in ourselves and in other races. I don't mean to try and test your faith; I think, though, I'd prefer to believe in his message, rather than trying to believe in his miracles."

Michael nodded slowly. "For the first time since I put this collar on, I'm considering taking it off," he admitted. "Something happened recently that sent me a more powerful message than any thing else that has happened. Do you know what that was?" Daniel shook his head. "That little one –T'Keet. A soulless creature doesn't understand love, Daniel. T'Keet loves. There is an entire universe filled with beings who understand the concept of love and yet know nothing of God. I feel like a hypocrite with an entire life wasted."

"Don't, Michael," Daniel said, putting a hand on the man's arm. "Alter your beliefs, if you need to, but don't give them up. The message Jesus gives is a beautiful one; it's the Apostles that started the crap, and pardon me for saying so, but the Church didn't do anyone much good when it came down to forcing people to believe their way or die. It's the individual who makes it happen, Michael. The New Testament is almost 2000 years old, it was written for a completely different culture and time; it needs to be reinterpreted for modern times, not kept in the past. If the Church is unable to change, you need to make a choice: do you want to stagnate with it, or step forward and listen for God's voice within yourself? I recommend the writings of Matthew Fox."

A couple more boxes were packed.

"When Jack came in to see Megan, he called Enki," Michael said. "Enki forced Jack to "reach" for Megan. What was that about?"

"Did he put his hand on Megan and concentrate?" Daniel asked. Michael nodded. "You'll need to ask Jack, I'm sorry; it's one of those top-secret things and I don't have permission to discuss it."

"Can I ask one more thing?" Michael asked, feeling devoid of anything. Everything seemed to be top-secret lately.

"Sure."

"I'd like to christen my new granddaughter. Do you think Jack will argue about it?"

"Jack has a very large heart," Daniel said. "I don't think it'll be a problem."

Michael put the photo into a box. "Jack isn't the only one with a large heart, Daniel."

That Sunday, the entire family stood in church for Olivia's christening. The service for her mother and great-grandfather would take place in the afternoon with the memorial in the evening. They would be buried on Monday. Jack wasn't sure how to help Nate who was also in deep mourning, so he handed Olivia to him and sent him and Cassandra to the front of the chapel. Michael said the prayers and blessings and poured water on the baby's head. Olivia wasn't happy about the shock of the cold water and made her feelings known. After services, Nate put his arms around Jack and hugged him hard, whispering a thank you in his ear.

They waited in chambers while the church was cleared of morning services and prepared for funeral services. Jack's SF had the neighborhood surrounded on the assumption that if Andrew was going to show up, it would be for the funeral. A few men stood politely at the back of the church during services, guns hidden inside jackets. Adults were spread out, keeping the children between them. Jack and Michael both spoke and Katie read a poem that her mom had written. The church was filled with parishioners from both Michael's and Megan's congregations. Megan's priest, Father Andrew, conducted most of the service. When it came time to go up to the coffins, none of the children were forced to go. Davy was on Jack's hip, thumb in his mouth, as they walked slowly up. Tom's coffin was closed, but Megan's was open.

"You don't need to be afraid," Jack whispered to Davy. He reached out and touched Megan's hair. "Do you want to kiss mommy and say good-bye?"

Davy shook his head and turned away. Jack patted him and handed him off to Michael before putting his mouth to Megan's forehead. He took Olivia from Sam.

"She's here, Megs," Jack said, holding the baby for her mother to see. "She's safe and healthy. You do good work, honey, she looks just like you. She will be loved, Megs, and so will Katie, Matthew, and Davy. I love you, honey." He lowered Olivia, touching the tiny bow mouth to the cold lips. Katie and Matthew were both white-faced and brave in their silent tears as they bent and kissed Megan's cheek.

As they were walking back down the isle, Davy ran back. Michael lifted him up and Davy put his mouth to his mother's cheek.

"I love you, Mommy."

A combination police and military escort led the way back to Maggie's house. The press were on the job but were kept away by chilly military SF. The children were exhausted so they were put to bed when they got home. Olivia was content in her sling across anyone's chest, but she seemed to be more relaxed on Jack's chest. He hated funerals. He hated family funerals most of all, and this was one funeral he wished he wasn't participating in. Sam was close by, keeping watch on him as she took over as lady of the house and kept things moving. Maggie certainly wasn't up to the job and was grateful to let Sam take the lead. Jack frequently took Daniel's hand. Daniel didn't say anything at the tight grips and sweaty palms; he let Jack take what he needed.

Nick snuck in and made his way to Sam. He bent and whispered. She nodded and he left.

Jack was running on fumes by the time everyone left in the evening. His mother had long since gone to bed, and Sam and Daniel were feeding the kids, so Jack and Michael cleaned up. At one point, Jack dropped the bag he was carrying and put his arms around his brother.

The burial and the next several days went by in a blur. Jack was on automatic as he took care of the details while Michael dealt with Megan's house. Nick had cornered Andrew and delivered him to cousin Joey at the station. Andrew didn't care that Megan was dead, it was her own fault; if she had obeyed him, he would have been the one driving and this wouldn't have happened. Jack's lawyers got together with Andrew's lawyers and papers were signed handing over guardianship of the older children and the adoption of Olivia to Jack. Jack was once more a father.

Jack, Michael, Nate, and Maggie flew to Arlington and buried Tom. Jack asked Sam and Daniel to stay and take care of the kids for a couple of days. It didn't seem to occur to Maggie that she was surrounded by some of the most powerful men in the world, nor that it was the Secretary General of the United States that handed her the folded flag from her husband's coffin. Jack was surprised to see Maynard and Vidrine at the funeral; he knew that the heavy-duty guard was more for his safety, than for paying honor to an old war veteran.

Once they were back in Minnesota, Daniel and Stacy drove a van filled with the kids' stuff to Colorado and Jack and Sam got school and medical records together. Jack tried to convince his mother to move to Colorado, but she wasn't ready to leave the house she and Tom had raised their sons in. Michael promised to stay with her for a while and keep an eye on her. Jack was still worried about her; she was over eighty and her husband of sixty-three years was suddenly gone. O'Neills and McCallisters tended to be long in the tooth, though, so she had a few more years in her.

By the time Jack and Sam got home with the children, Daniel, Paul, and Nate had the bedrooms fixed up. They had a door cut into the boys' room to make the bathroom a dual access. Although Davy didn't want to be cut off from Matthew in their bedroom, the guys understood the needs of a 14 year old, so they compromised; they got four -four foot bookshelves and semi-separated the room, two shelves back to back, giving the boys a sense of privacy and a place to store things, while still being able to see each other. Daniel had found a couple of magazines while boxing up Matthew's room; he didn't say anything, just boxed them up with the rest of Matthew's stuff. He did add a small box of condoms to the boy's bedside table, along with a note about proper disposal and a reminder about small children. Katie was low on her own supplies, so Daniel added those to her dresser, along with a box of condoms. He didn't think either of them was currently active, but they were teenagers and no matter what the adults said, the teens would be following their hormones.

A section of their dressing room was cleared and made into a temporary nursery. They had found a crib and baby supplies while clearing out Megan's house, and brought everything down. Paul looked at the sketches Jack had been doing on the house and began calling contractors. A house suddenly filled with four children and one baby was going to explode if they couldn't spread out.

"This is more than you bargained for," Paul said quietly.

"I love him, Paul," Daniel said. "We will adapt."

Nate went around and checked locks on doors and windows, and had Nick install better security on the gun cabinet in Jack's office. Nate puttered, doing anything to keep himself occupied. Daniel didn't try and stop him.

The children were subdued when everyone arrived. It was expected that Katie and Matthew would be angry and Davy confused. The baby was fussy over all the action and she was put into her crib right away for quiet time. The older kids were told they could re-arrange their rooms, if they wanted to. Paul left the family to get themselves together. Nate followed him out even though he knew he could stay.

When all the kids settled into their rooms, and Stacy was at school, Jack collapsed onto the couch. He was cried out, his face pale, exhausted.

"Are you able to eat something?" Daniel asked Jack. "There's chicken salad in the fridge."

Jack shook his head. "Do we need to renegotiate anything?" he asked after a moment. Daniel sat on the couch, pushing Jack's hip over.

"No, we don't," he said. "We didn't use the words, but this is for better or worse. It WILL get better. I promise." Jack pulled him down.

More than once their bed was crowded with children by the time the adults woke up in the morning. At Daniel's suggestion, Jack called Dr. Edmonds and convinced the good doctor to come over for a house-call for the whole family. Since the children knew nothing of Nate's peculiar place in all of it, he went to Edmonds' office with Jack for a private meeting. It came out that although the children were certainly upset about the deaths of the mother and great-grandfather, they were equally disturbed that their father didn't want them, which accounted for a death in and of itself, as well as a major personal rejection. What would make them feel better about that?

"I wish Uncle Jack was our daddy," Davy said around the thumb.

"But you'll be living with Uncle Jack and he'll be taking care of you," Dr. Edmonds reminded him.

"Can't he adopt me, too?" Davy asked. It took a while for Davy to understand that Uncle Jack was adopting Olivia because she was a baby and their mother asked him to, and that Uncle Jack would be her daddy.

"I don't want to be a Carmichael," Katie said, sticking her chin out. "Dad doesn't want us, he doesn't love us, I don't want his name." Matthew agreed. Edmonds looked at Jack who was nonplussed.

"All three of you want me to adopt you?" Jack asked. Katie was snuggled under his arm and nodded against his chest. The boys agreed. Jack would call his lawyer in the morning.

By dinner, Davy was calling Jack Daddy. He felt as though he should be arguing about it but couldn't come up with a good reason, and even if he did come up with a reason, Davy wouldn't understand it. Andrew ran out on the kids and had no problem with Jack taking them. He didn't want his children. Jack was afraid that not allowing the "Daddy" would give Davy the same message of rejection.

Jack sat in a warm bath with a naked baby against his chest. Sam came in to brush her teeth. She would be going back to work in the morning, much to her own irritation, but Jack agreed with Dr. Edmonds that they all needed to get settled back into their routines and give the children structure. She fully planned on enjoying Daniel before she left, also Jack if he was feeling up to it.

"She ok?" Sam asked.

Jack nodded. "Sometimes it's easier than filling the sink and trying not to get wet while the baby is getting wet. Besides, they like the skin contact; it's reassuring for them and bonding for parent and baby." He used his hand to gently wash her down with the baby soap, and massaged the tiny feet and toes. He pressed his mouth to the top of the fuzzy, bald head as she gripped his finger in a tiny fist.

"In a matter of months, you've gone from lover and husband, to the father of 4," she commented. "Five, if you count step-father. How are you dealing?"

"I feel like the Brady Bunch," he said. "It's no wonder that man was gay."

She tapped her tooth brush on his head.

"I think the more important question is, how are YOU dealing?" Jack asked, trickling water over Olivia's head and rinsing the baby soap away.

"I'm scared, to be honest," Sam said, sitting on the side of the tub and touching Olivia's head with a finger. "I'm not sure I can be a mother; I was just getting used to Stacy. And I'm not trying to put off any responsibility, but I really think we need a nanny. It's one thing to send Stacy to Nate or someone else for a few hours, it's another thing to find someone to take 4 kids and a newborn if all three of us happen to be out for a few days."

"I hadn't considered that; you're right," Jack said with a nod. "Where do we find a nanny to pass THIS security clearance?"

"England," Davis said the next day when Jack asked him. He made a few phone calls and got the name of an agency that provided nannies to the Royals. Jack considered giving Paul a raise.

The kids were settled into school along with the prerequisite IDs and emergency contact numbers. M'Net showed up and said he would be honored if they would allow him to assist in Olivia's care until they found a proper caretaker. Jack and Daniel looked at each other, shrugged, and showed M'Net how to care for a human baby. T'Keet was awed by the tiny thing and had to be instructed on claws and playtime. Much to her disappointment, human babies weren't up to running around with Sua cubs until almost two years old. A ten year old boy was, though, and Jack was glad to hear Davy running and laughing in the yard with T'Keet. A visiting, well-intentioned neighbor almost dropped the brownie pan when M'Net answered the door.

They found a contractor who seemed capable of creating an addition to the house and keeping it in the style of the rest of the house. Jack added to the plans by putting in a porch and hot-tub. Sam decided she wanted a fireplace and Daniel added a nanny's room on the other side of the house along the library wall. He didn't want anything for himself, the hot-tub and fireplace were plenty to keep him happy.

Jack put Olivia down for the night and made his intentions known to Daniel who was more than willing to oblige. He could sense the desperation in Jack as they made love and did his best to give Jack whatever he needed.

"Danny, there are little people running around calling me Daddy again," Jack said, resting on Daniel's chest. Stacy had surprised him with a "Dad" earlier in the evening.

"Jack, you were born to be a father," Daniel told him. "I don't think you realize how much you light up when you're around kids. Go kill all the Goa'uld you want, it's the kids who have taken you prisoner."

M'Net had beamed down his sleeping pillows and made a nest for himself and T'Keet next to Olivia's crib. Jack still found himself up several times in the night to check in on her. M'Net politely offered his own brand of brotherly care and Jack politely refused. He did understand that M'Net was offering a natural Sua remedy out of concern and appreciated it. Jack took his own remedy by using his mouth to wake up Daniel in the morning. He requested it hard so Daniel turned him over and took him.

Stacy's birthday was a week after Jack's. It would be a bitter-sweet 55 for him, not having his father or Megan present. He wanted a quiet day, not big party; he didn't think he could handle a party. They had a small dinner with just the household and Nate and Cassie. Nate had changed his official birthday to the day Loki sent him to take Jack's place. A few days before Stacy's birthday, Jack took her out for a date, just the two of them. Daniel took her out for her birthday, their first together, and returned home for cake and ice cream and presents. A few of the neighborhood children were surprised by the presence of alien children, but the SGC kids were not. Katie and Matthew were a little moody, but the adults over-looked it and told them that they could go to a movie or something, if they didn't want to participate.

They had the nanny's room built first, needing to get a nanny in place before too much longer; neither Jack nor Daniel could remember the last full night's sleep, and this time it wasn't caused by one of them trying to jump the other. To Jack's surprise, there were a lot of people who seemed to have extra lumber and bricks lying around and brought it all over in an offering. There were also quite a few SGC personnel who didn't have anything better to do on their days off than to stop by, claiming boredom, and offer to lend a hand by picking up a hammer or whatever else needed to be done. The big, bad, military men also took turns on bottle and diaper duty for a tiny baby girl who only had to blink and the men would melt. Anunnaki showed up, telling Jack that if they could build an entire civilization, they could certainly build an extension onto a house. The contractor Jack hired wasn't sure how to handle alien workers, and the union was up in arms, but Jack declared the building onto his house to be a military issue, so keep their unions to themselves. The contractor was impressed at how hard the alien and military crew actually worked and listened to direction.

Jack was feeling guilty.

"I told him I hated him, Danny," he confessed, lying across the bed, listening to industry downstairs.

"Jack, he knows you were lashing out in grief," Daniel told him. "Just go talk with him."

Enki wouldn't hear about apologies, having dismissed Jack's lashing out.

"I've lost children, Jack, I understand," Enki told him.

"What I don't understand is what you're trying to do with this sensing thing," Jack said.

Enki sat on the couch holding Olivia with a long-time ease. She seemed to find him interesting and stared up at him.

"Jack, you have had the knowledge of the Ancients downloaded into your brain twice. The Asgard did what they could by shutting off all those new connections, but the human brain is a tricky thing. I should know, I'm the one who set your neural net. The brain has many back-up systems; even someone with amnesia doesn't truly forget anything, the information is simply shut off. You wouldn't be sitting here talking, if the Asgard removed the entire physical repository in your brain. With an amnesiac or someone with certain kinds of brain damage, access can be had by building a new path around the pot-hole. The Asgard gave you amnesia. All that information from the Ancients is still in there, the door is only closed for safety. Like your gun cabinet. With the correct key, it can be unlocked. This particular gun cabinet is bursting at the seams, though, and you need to expand it."

"But I thought the Asgard zapped it out," Jack said, trying to understand.

Enki shook his head. "Remember the back-up systems. Your computer was abruptly unplugged but the information was saved onto a back-up drive. You didn't need to be worrying about information you weren't ready for, so it was temporarily turned off. As you become ready for it, more and more will be made available to you."

"I'm turning into an Ancient?" Jack asked in disbelief.

"You have the genetic code of the Ancients," Enki said. "Many people do, they just don't realize it. You were the only one who was available to download the information. Anyone with the gene could have done it, you happened to be there."

"So my ancestors were Ancients?"

"Yes," Enki nodded. "When they left Atlantis and returned here for the remainder of their lives, they mated with the locals. Their genes were spread into your pool."

"Can we identify those with the gene?" Jack asked.

"Sure, but do you want to?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, why is Nate a secret?"

Jack leaned back in the chair, looking at him. "Because he'd be taken apart by scientists and the technology duplicated."

"Do you really think this planet can sustain any more of a population if clones, or even an extended life, became the norm?" Enki asked.

"No," Jack shook his head.

"And what would happen if everyone with the gene had access to the information contained in your brain?"

"We'd destroy ourselves."

Enki slowly nodded. "Children with guns, Jack." Jack winced at the memory.

"And you've been trying to force me to grow up."

"Yes. You must, Jack, you are the key to the next evolutionary leap. The few times you have attempted to make a unilateral decision, it backfired, didn't it? But when you made decisions based on council from those close to you, you have gained ground. The two most important people in your life are already with you. With their help, you will learn to use that information in a positive, judicious manner. Sometimes the decisions you will need to make won't be pleasant ones, they may even feel as though they are destroying you, they may make you feel as though you are the cruelest person on the face of the earth, but you need to make them."

"Enki, I just turned 55," Jack reminded him. "What kind of decisions will I be making when I have maybe 35 years left? I'd like to retire for good in about 10 years."

"Jack, what was the lifespan of an Ancient?" Enki asked.

Jack shrugged. "I don't know, that's a Daniel question. A couple hundred years?"

"Close enough. Have you ever wondered why some families live longer than others? Along with this gene, you have information. Your brain has more neuron connections than anyone else on this planet. You are actually the smartest person alive, you just don't have access to the information. Yet. Nor would you understand the information, you'd only be able to follow the instructions. One of those people with you DOES have the brains to understand the information, and the other person is your wise council to help you to learn HOW to use the information. I've been trying to get you to learn how to access that information at your own will and your own speed, but you are fighting me on it. You have a few more than 35 years left, Jack; if you want to make them count, stop fighting. Everything you have been asking me to do, you can do."

"Like you curing David of his allergies?" Jack asked. "Don't think we haven't noticed him starting to eat everything in sight, and not one skin rash."

"Not my doing, didila."