"Samantha, you're too involved for your own good," Jacob lectured. "You need to take a step back from the situation and try to solve the problem at hand, not get caught up in it. You owe that to Jack anyways. He needs answers, and you're the most likely person to find them."
"Dad, I don't think I can figure this one out," Sam said resignedly.
"Sweetheart, I have faith in you," Jacob reached across the table and took his daughter's hand, giving her a gentle squeeze. She responded with a slight smile. Their moment was broken by Teal'c and Daniel sitting down at the table next to the two Carters.
"Are we interrupting anything?" Daniel softly asked.
"Just a little pep-talk," Sam squeezed her father's hand and let go.
"We are worried about the O'Neill's," Teal'c informed Jacob and Sam.
"I'm actually going to meet with General Hammond right now, I'll see you at the briefing in a half an hour," Jacob stood up and patted Sam on the shoulder as he exited the room.
"Janet informed me of their argument earlier," Daniel spoke softly, with a deep sadness in his eyes. "I heard that Haley got pretty agitated."
"That's putting it lightly," Sam sadly responded. Regardless of who this child was, they had all become close to her, and cared what happened. "Colonel O'Neill seems to be in pretty bad shape, too."
"We must be his pebble."
"Uh, I think that's rock Teal'c, but I agree with the sentiment," Daniel chuckled. "Have you tried talking to him?"
"Yes, but he shot me down pretty fast."
"Perhaps I will try talking to him after our briefing," Teal'c offered.
xxxxx
SG-1, minus O'Neill, sat around the briefing room table with General Hammond and Jacob. As Hammond started to open his mouth to speak the door opened and O'Neill walked in, taking his usual seat next to Carter.
"Sir," Sam was surprised at his arrival. His face was stone cold and his eyes looked frozen. He had drained all emotion out of his features.
"Are you up to being here Colonel?" Hammond asked.
"I'm fine, Sir," he replied monotonously.
"Well, now that we're all situated, let's get started," Hammond folded his hands and searched for the right words. "First of all, I have decided not to report on this incident until any important information comes to light, to keep the NID out of this mess. As far as anybody else is concerned she was here due to a high fever. Jack, I want you to continue your normal routine with your daughter, but we will keep searching for answers."
"Excuse me General? You want me to just keep pretending that this isn't some ALIEN I'm living with?" Teal'c raised his eyebrow and tipped his head slightly. "No offense T. Seriously General, why can't we just keep her here?"
"And what Jack? Run tests on her, maybe dissect her?" Daniel cried out, furious that he was being so selfish.
"She's NOT MINE DANIEL!" Jack yelled, slamming his hand on the table.
"Colonel O'Neill, please calm down," Hammond ordered.
"It's still your DNA that is flowing through her, regardless of how you are related now," Jacob stated.
"I would like you to bring Haley home as soon as her fever starts to go down, and return her to school immediately. You need to help her get back into the swing of things as soon as possible. No one outside of this room needs to know what is going on," the General commanded.
"Yes Sir," Jack sullenly bowed his head down.
"Good. Major Carter, Jacob tells me that you still haven't had any luck finding evidence of Haley's existence?"
"Other than the few things we've found dating AFTER this past August, Sir."
"So it's safe to say that if she was brought here it was around then," Daniel noted.
"We've also checked through Colonel O'Neill's bank records from the past few years, and there is no evidence beyond the past few months that he has been supporting a child. No private school tuition, clothing or toy purchases…" Sam trailed off. "There is no way that Haley was living with him if we are to believe our memories of her childhood."
Jack ran his fingers through his hair, and shifted slightly in his seat. He was obviously agitated.
"Son, are you alright?" Hammond asked, placing his hand on Jack's shoulder.
"She seems so convinced of who she is. I just don't understand how she could be as brainwashed as we are," he arose from his seat. "This makes no friggin' sense!" he waved a clenched fist in front of him.
Daniel and Sam caught each other's eyes, both sad to see their friend so distressed. They silently promised each other that they would stick together on this, and not let Jack fall into the deep depression he was quickly spiraling towards. Teal'c took note of their unspoken understanding and nodded.
"I'll leave you four to talk," General Hammond announced. "We still have a base to run, and I have other matters to attend to. Jacob, I could use yours and Selmac's expertise on this Tokra treaty we're working on." As he was out the door Hammond added that the team was grounded for one week to sort out their situation.
"Unbelievable," Jack scowled. "How can Hammond do this?"
"You have a duty to protect this girl O'Neill, whoever she may be," Teal'c was not taking no for an answer.
"She is still part YOU, which makes her family in some way or another," Daniel insisted.
"May I ask you something Sir?" Carter questioned.
"Sure, shoot," Jack replied, his elbows propped up on the table, head in hands.
"Did you have any… rendezvous… with an alien sixteen years ago?"
Jack managed to smile, which warmed Carter up inside. There was hope after all that he was not completely inconsolable.
xxxxx
Two days later Dr. Frasier deemed Haley well enough to go home. The past few days Jack had gone to see her for short periods of time, but not much was said between the two. He wasn't quite sure how to handle her homecoming.
"Err, Daniel, can I talk to you?" Jack stood in the doorway of the archeologist's office.
"Sure, come in." Jack walked in and took a seat, picking up one of Daniel's artifacts and studying it from every angle.
"Oh, uh, be careful with that it's-"
"Very old and fragile?"
"I was going to say from a temple in-" he looked at Jack's blank face and decided it wasn't worth going on. "Oh, never mind. So what brings you down here?"
"Well," Jack studied his hands, and shifted back and forth in his seat. "As you know I'm taking Haley home today, and things… things are kind of strange at the moment."
"And you want me there to breakup the tension?" he wondered.
"Yes," Jack pointed at him. "That would be great Daniel!"
"I don't know, maybe you two should have some alone time together-"
"I'm not ready for that, and I don't think she is either. You can stay in the guestroom, and there will even be fresh coffee waiting in the morning."
Daniel did want to help out his friend, and sympathized with both him and his daughter. Awkward wouldn't even begin to describe how the two were right now. Plus, the promise of coffee was a nice perk- Jack always made good coffee. "Okay, I'll stay tonight, but I'm not making any promises after that. I think you two need to be open with each other, and talk about how you feel."
"Daniel, you sound like a shrink." Daniel rolled his eyes, and dismissed Jack's comment. "We're leaving in about half an hour," Jack said, standing up and heading towards the door.
"I'll meet you at your house at about six, then?"
"Sounds good," Jack took a step out of the room and turned around. "Oh and Daniel?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
xxxxx
Two days later Dr. Frasier deemed Haley well enough to go home. The past few days Jack had gone to see her for short periods of time, but not much was said between the two. He wasn't quite sure how to handle her homecoming.
"Err, Daniel, can I talk to you?" Jack stood in the doorway of the archeologist's office.
"Sure, come in." Jack walked in and took a seat, picking up one of Daniel's artifacts and studying it from every angle.
"Oh, uh, be careful with that it's-"
"Very old and fragile?"
"I was going to say from a temple in-" he looked at Jack's blank face and decided it wasn't worth going on. "Oh, never mind. So what brings you down here?"
"Well," Jack studied his hands, and shifted back and forth in his seat. "As you know I'm taking Haley home today, and things… things are kind of strange at the moment."
"And you want me there to breakup the tension?" he wondered.
"Yes," Jack pointed at him. "That would be great Daniel!"
"I don't know, maybe you two should have some alone time together-"
"I'm not ready for that, and I don't think she is either. You can stay in the guestroom, and there will even be fresh coffee waiting in the morning."
Daniel did want to help out his friend, and sympathized with both him and his daughter. Awkward wouldn't even begin to describe how the two were right now. Plus, the promise of coffee was a nice perk- Jack always made good coffee. "Okay, I'll stay tonight, but I'm not making any promises after that. I think you two need to be open with each other, and talk about how you feel."
"Daniel, you sound like a shrink." Daniel rolled his eyes, and dismissed Jack's comment. "We're leaving in about half an hour," Jack said, standing up and heading towards the door.
"I'll meet you at your house at about six, then?"
"Sounds good," Jack took a step out of the room and turned around. "Oh and Daniel?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."