"O'Neill, I feel you have sufficiently taught me how to grill. You may sit down now," Teal'c urged. Jack had been standing at the barbeque with Teal'c for a while now, showing him how to use it.
"Dammit Teal'c, I've got a gash on my leg, I'm not a cripple!" Jack barked. The pain had put him in a cranky mood, not to mention being poked and prodded at by Dr. Frasier, and he especially hated being babied.
"Indeed O'Neill, but I am fully capable of barbequing myself."
"You don't want to insult him Jack," Daniel broke in, walking over from across the deck. "Besides, I need to speak to you." Jack limped over to a chaise and sat down. He nodded for Daniel to talk. "Haley seemed very upset when she came home last night."
"Was it that punk kid? I'll kill him," Jack's face reddened and he clenched his fists.
"No, no. She said she had a good time. After that though, she said she felt a sense of 'doom'. I'm not quite sure what it means, but she looked kind of spooked."
"Spooked? As in saw a ghost?"
"Well, you could say that. I know that she's been on edge with the fire, and then seeing you hurt. I just wanted to give you a heads up."
"Thanks Daniel. I'll keep an eye on her. She has been pretty moody today." Jack rolled his eyes. "Hell hath no fury like teenage girl with angst."
The doorbell rang. Jack started to struggle to stand, but Daniel put a hand on his shoulder to impede him. Instead Haley left her conversation with Janet to get the door. It was Sam and Jacob, who brought a chocolate cake.
"Hales, sweetheart, can you bring me some cake?" Jack asked in the sweetest voice.
"Sorry Sir, but it's for dessert," Sam said.
"Sam, what are the rules of the house?" Haley reprimanded.
"Rules?" Jacob laughed at the bravado of this child.
"No military talk. It's just creepy!" Haley notified Jacob. "First names here. Isn't that how you would talk to your friends? I know if somebody called me O'Neill all the time I'd lose it!"
"Hey! O'Neill is a very nice name that you are lucky to have!" Jack protested.
"Sorry, but you know what I'm saying Daddy."
"The food is ready," Teal'c announced, getting everybody's attention.
Everyone sat around the table, stuffing their faces. "I haven't had food this great in a long time! Great job Teal'c." Jacob gushed.
"Hey, I helped," Jack exclaimed.
"Great teaching skills si- Jack," Carter chimed in. Jacob frowned slightly, but only Janet noticed. She saw a lot of similarities between his over protectiveness and Jack's.
A cool breeze swept over the table, caressing everybody's skin. It was the perfect fall day, one of the last few before sweaters would be needed. The trees were already rich shades of red, orange, and yellow. The perfectly clear sky (which reminded Jack of the opening for The Simpsons) completed what would be a painter's dream day. After the meal everybody was spread out while enjoying their cake. Janet and Daniel seemed to be locked in a deep conversation. Jack and Sam were debating over last week's crossword puzzle, and Teal'c was discussing inter-universal cuisine with Jacob. Teal'c had made a hobby of learning how to cook Earth dishes on his downtime, but especially loved cooking dishes from other worlds, which was hard to do when most of the ingredients from these planets could not be found at home. Jacob promised to bring him some foreign spices next time he returned. Meanwhile, Haley sat by herself, lying on her stomach on the rail of the deck, picking at her cake. She felt incredibly melancholy, but wasn't sure exactly why. This caught Sam's eye after a few minutes, and she nudged Jack. He tottered over and placed his hand on Haley's shoulder. She hadn't noticed him coming and was so startled that she fell of the deck, onto the grass. She lay on the ground for a moment, stunned, and suddenly burst into tears. Janet rushed over and looked over the girl.
"Are you alright?" Haley nodded through the tears. She wasn't hurt, just taken aback. Janet helped her up, and led her to a chair. "It's okay," Janet cooed, taking Haley in her arms, and rocking her back and forth. "Shhh." The instant maternal instinct had kicked in, and she seemed to be making progress in stopping the tears. Jack was very impressed, but felt something lurch in the pit of his stomach.
"Here sweetheart, have some cake," Jack offered with a smile. Haley ate some, and even looked like she was enjoying it. "Cake can fix anything," Jack informed everybody.
"I disagree with that statement O'Neill," Teal'c replied.
xxxxx
Sam and Daniel were in the kitchen cleaning up the dishes. "Janet was incredible out there," Daniel said with a contemplative smile.
"I wish I had those kinds of maternal skills," Sam sighed.
"Do you ever think about having kids Sam?"
"Eventually. I can figure out how to build a naquaddah generator, but I don't know how well I would be able to raise a child. I feel like my brain isn't very well equipped in that field."
"I guess you learn as you go along."
"If I met the right person…" Sam started, staring through the window onto the deck. Daniel wondered if it was at anybody in particular.
"And wasn't busy saving the world every other week?"
"That too. What about you Daniel?"
"Well," he gathered his thoughts.
"What are you two talking about?" Janet walked in, placing the serving platter in the sink.
"When's Daniel going to be a father?" Sam grinned, knowing she was probably embarrassing him a little bit. Janet's face looked pretty surprised herself.
"Sam!" Jacob's voice called from outside.
"Excuse me," Sam left Daniel and Janet, who were both avoiding the other's stare, to find her father. "Yes Dad?"
"Is it true that you told this impressionable girl stories about me scaring away boyfriends?"
"How did that come up?" Sam asked, amused.
"HE," Haley pointed to Jack, "was grilling me about last night-"
"And your father backed me up!" Jack finished her sentence.
"Dad! You were so overprotective of me when I was Haley's age. I wouldn't wish that upon anybody else!"
"It's just a sign a father cares," Jack said.
"Is it not a father's duty to watch out for his children?" Teal'c asked. "If I had a daughter, I too would worry about suitors." Haley quietly ducked out of the debate to go look at the stars. On a clear night nothing relaxed her more. She even had glow in the dark stars on her ceiling, but they hardly compared to the real thing. Haley fell asleep on a lawn chair while the sound of the adults chattering away faded into the background.
xxxxx
"Look how peaceful she looks," Daniel commented, as everyone stared affectionatelyat the sleeping girl. It was times like these that she still reminded Jack of a little girl. He smiled at the idea of Haley finally having some tranquility in that conflicted mind of hers. He spoke too soon.
Everybody had returned to their drinks and conversations with one another only to be interrupted by a blood curdling scream. Jack turned around to see Haley missing from her chair on the lawn. "Haley?" he called out. No response. "HALEY!" Still, no reply. Everybody split up, looking for her. "HALES!" Jack was starting to get very nervous.
"O'Neill! I have found her," Teal'c shouted from the front yard. He carried a still sleeping Haley into the house, placing her on the couch. "I believe she was walking in her sleep."
"No! I'm not going through the stargate," she muttered. "Well I HATE you and I hate the Asgard! You're a monster!"
Sam, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c all exchanged looks. Haley's knowledge of the stargate was one thing, but she had never been told about the Asgard. Unless Jack accidentally mentioned it.
"How much does this girl know?" Jacob asked. Jack nudged her awake, and she sat straight up, her skin pale and clammy.
"Daddy?"
"Do you remember what you were dreaming about?"
"Somebody was trying to take me away somewhere. That's all I remember." Haley rubbed her temples. "How'd I get in here?"
"You fell asleep watching the stars, nothing out of the ordinary that is until you turned zombie and T found you in the front," Jack updated her.
"She has a slight fever Jack," Janet declared after feeling her forehead.
"Do you all have to stand around me? It's kind of creepy!" Haley snapped. Everybody except Jack and Janet took two steps back.
"I recommend taking a Tylenol and going to bed. Check in on her in an hour, see if the fever's gone down," Janet ordered. Jack resignedly nodded, tired of these mini-crises on a daily basis. "I would stay and help out, but Cassie's going to be home in nearly an hour. You know where to reach me though," Janet smiled, and pushed Haley's hair off of her face. "She'll be fine."
"I will stay and assist you O'Neill. You should be staying off your feet still," Teal'c volunteered.
"Thanks buddy, but that won't be necess-"
"Teal'c, I think that's a wonderful idea," Janet chimed in. "Don't be afraid to ask for help from time to time. Us single parents need a hand every now and then," Janet winked at Jack, who distinctly noticed Daniel reflectively smile at that comment out of the corner of his eye.
Shortly after Haley retired for bed the party broke up. Everyone thanked Jack for a great meal and offered their assistance at any hour should he need it. Just because it feels like I've only been Haley's father for days at times, the truth of the matter is that I've raised her since birth, and I've made it this far. Jack felt a knot form in his stomach at these thoughts. He found himself asking more and more questions about his daughter that he just couldn't remember. Ah Jack, you're losing your memory in your old age.
xxxxx
"Haley's a sweet kid, but boy, trouble follows her around!" Jacob remarked.
"I guess it's a side effect of spending too much time at the SGC!"
"Sammy, I'm serious. There is something wrong with that girl!"
Sam felt almost personally attacked by her father, and defended Haley like she was her own. "There is nothing wrong with Haley, she's just having a really hard time coping with the fire, a new school and just getting back into the swing of things."
"New school?"
"The colonel had Haley in private school, but she hated it, so he enrolled her in public school. She's been doing a lot better since."
"Uh huh," Jacob wondered why Sam seemed so invested in somebody else's child. "Where's her mother?"
"I… don't know. I'm not even too sure who she is. Colonel O'Neill can be very private sometimes."
"Oh Sam," Jacob sighed, slapping his forehead. "I should've known."
"Known what?" Sam got a little nervous, not quite wanting to hear what ideas her father had.
"Haley reminds you of yourself at that age. Motherless, air force father, a little moody…" Jacob chuckled, remembering a fifteen year old Sam.
"That's why you think I'm close with Haley?" Sam asked, somewhat surprised. Jacob nodded. "There's just something about her I'm drawn to, she's a really sweet kid.
"She's Jack's kid."
"What are you trying to say Dad?" Sam crossed her arms and took a step back from her father.
Don't go there Jacob, Selmac urged. "Sammy, I don't have to say anything."
"I'm close to Cassie too, you know. Do you have a problem with that relationship as well?" There was a long pause, while Sam studied her father's face, and he stared up at the ceiling gathering his thoughts.
"Let me ask you something, though."
"Yes?"
"Did your friendship, maybe even maternal relationship with Cassandra bring you closer to Janet?"
"Of course- oh I get what you're trying to say Dad. I am NOT using Haley to get closer to Colonel O'Neill. She is close with the whole team!" Sam felt a slight rage starting to boil within.
"I never said that you were the one doing any using," Jacob suggested.
"Subtle Dad. Colonel O'Neill is not using his daughter EITHER. I can't believe you would even begin to suggest…" Sam was waving her hands around as she ranted. Jacob grabbed hold of her arm.
"Maybe Jack isn't using you either. Ever think that all this girl desperately wants is a mother, and she's playing on your exact weakness of once feeling the same way?" Sam's open mouth shut tight. She eyed her father curiously, waiting to hear what else he had to say. "Honey, I don't want to fight with you. I'm home to enjoy your company. I just don't want you to get into a situation that is a lot more than you ever bargained- or are even ready for." Sam crossed her arms, but still did not reply, unwilling to admit that maybe her father had a point.