Author's note: All disclaimers apply, SG-1 and the SGC are not mine but everyone is so please don't use them.
Chapter Four: Trouble at Work
Jack sent Daniel off to work with a kiss but also in his truck as Jack needed to drive the kids to the base and get them last minute vaccinations before they signed up at a nearby elementary and the Jeep had more comfortable seating for the booster seats necessary for such an adventure. The truck Jack found did seat all the kids if necessary but not comfortably. Besides the vaccinations Jack planned to surprise Daniel at lunchtime, since his lovely spouse didn't really understand that they were going to be at the base. It would be the first time Jack had been on base since he retired. He got through all the markers and walked to Janet's domain where she and her team of nurses went immediately gaga for the kids much like they did for Daniel any time he was in here and these were completely different nurses than four years ago when Daniel made visiting the medical unit a weekly tradition.
All the kids were tumbled into their own bed with their own gaggle of nurses to help them and Jack waved to them in parting. Johnny was in Janet's good hands. Since the beginning, Janet had been the only one to really be trusted with Johnny's care, the other children understood that they would do what they needed to for themselves and each other but Johnny was always special. Jack was glad that they had Janet otherwise they might not have someone else with a calming influence on their youngest son. Thankfully Johnny was speaking with his hands slowly, to Janet with Greer to help with interpreting and he seemed calm despite the vision from the night before but then he'd always had Daniel's amazing ability to bounce back especially when he was with his siblings and Greer.
So Jack turned and walked back out, it was about the time he was usually calling one of the archeology/linguists or Sam or Teal'c or Hammond to take Daniel to lunch and he was thrilled to have the right to it today. He lifted his cell phone from his pocket, a recent addition to all their lives, including one in each of Zale and Zada's hands as well. He dialed Daniel's office and he answered with his little grin, Jack could hear it in Daniel's voice, "Jackson."
Jack knew he was getting close enough to fool around with Daniel, "Hey is your lunch date there yet?"
Daniel paused, Jack imagined that Daniel was looking up and around his office in response to the question, "Actually, no." Jack could just imagine the little frown in the center of Daniel's forehead, slightly obscured by his glasses.
"Well that's because I have someone special assigned the task of feeding you today," Jack grinned.
Daniel sighed, "Jack we've had this conversation so many times. I am not a child and I don't need you to keep me fed."
"Yeah your very recent history would argue with that sentiment but if you don't want to have lunch," he walked into Daniel's office before he continued speaking, "With me, I'll just go and hang out with the kids."
Daniel laughed; dropping the phone as Jack hung up the cell and shoved it into his pocket and waited while his partner walked around his desk and hugged Jack. "I didn't know that I wanted desperately to see you until right this second. How is Johnny doing?" Daniel asked after he kissed Jack quickly and then proceeded to drag Jack out of his office.
"I'm pretty sure you've never just walked out of your office for Carter or anyone else," Jack responded, walking next to Daniel towards the cafeteria.
"Well of course Jack, you're my husband. Johnny?" he asked again.
"He is in the loving hands of Janet and her fawning nurses, they are all fine. Can we eat please?"
Daniel nodded, "I want to eat quickly so I can go hug my kids before I have to go back to working. Vala and the bracelets are pushing my translations back since they somehow got the darn things off but it didn't help, they still can't be too far from each other without getting weak and fainting after about an hour."
Jack could hear Daniel's frustration, he looked around and noticed the nearby door so he tugged Daniel inside what appeared to be a closet and there were tons of those around the mountain. Jack pressed Daniel up against the wall and took his husband's lips in a deep searching kiss. Daniel moaned into Jack's lips and he felt as Daniel's hand climbed Jack's chest to grip the back of Jack's neck. Daniel allowed the contact to continue for several minutes before he pulled back and looked into Jack's eyes. "Thanks for that, best stress reliever ever. Can we eat now?"
Jack chuckled at the one-track mind that only he could truly appreciate from his pie eating on base days, "I can't tell you how often I thought about doing this."
"Making out on base, I'm sure that you've done it before," Daniel said with a raised brow.
Jack leaned in close, "Not with the one I loved and not as often as you might think. I wanted to tug you into nearby store room sometimes, desperately wanted to press you against the nearest wall and run my fingers through your hair to leave it mussed so others would know you are well loved."
Daniel flushed at Jack's words, leaning the rest of the way to Jack's lips once more. With that Daniel turned and tugged Jack back out to continue to the cafeteria where they picked up some food and found a table to sit down and eat together. They enjoyed their time together until the klaxons went off; lights in the corner flashing and Jack quickly tossed out their garbage and without a word headed for the infirmary. The kids even after almost six months hated those kinds of loud noises and Johnny didn't know how to handle it sometimes.
Then as they were walking, the blast doors started sliding down, Daniel looked at Jack quickly before they started running but couldn't make it, getting stuck in one of the corridors as the lights went out, leaving them in darkness for a frightening moment before the one emergency light came right above their heads.
"Jack! We need to get to the children!"
Jack nodded though a useless gesture since it was still dark despite light and Daniel's eyes were looking around to find a way out, "I know Daniel." He took his scientist's hand and pulled him close for a moment, wishing he knew what to do anymore. It had been too long since he'd been in this kind of situation and only once had it ever included any of his kids.
"Okay the only reason they would lockdown the mountain is if this was a Foothold situation," Jack said and realized a little too late that it wasn't going to help Daniel not freak out which he did. He pulled away from Jack and slammed his fists against the blast door, shouting at the top of his lungs until Jack grabbed his hand and pulled him from the wall.
"Jack, Zale and Zada are going to do something. You know when they don't have a way out sometimes they use their powers to make a way and Johnny is going to freak about this. The girls are tough but if any of them start using powers, we're all done for here!"
Jack pressed his hands into Daniel's cheeks, "Calm down Danny, they can handle this and so can you."
Daniel nodded resolutely and took a deep breath and Jack pulled the cell phone back out of his pocket. He dialed Zale's cell phone and his son answered on the second ring, "Papa, what is happening?" Jack was pleased when he didn't hear any fear in Zale's voice though he couldn't be sure about the confidence he did hear bleeding out. Zale knew he could keep his siblings safe but growing up with magic meant he was incapable of truly determining what he should and should not do in the best of times.
"I don't know Z-Man, I need you and your sister to promise me to stay close to your siblings and don't use your powers."
Zale sighed, "I know Papa, is Daddy okay? Johnny is worried about him."
"Why?" Jack asked, looking at Daniel who was frowning at him like he was about to steal the phone from Jack's hand.
"I think he saw something about red lights and Daddy," Zale responded and Jack was almost positive he could hear a shrug in the words.
"Well Daddy is with me and I will keep him safe okay?" Jack promised both Daniel and Zale then Daniel did steal the phone and he spoke quickly into the mouthpiece.
"Zale, you guys okay? Good, Papa and I are going to get to you I promise."
With that, Jack took the phone back and dialed the General's office. He answered, "Hammond."
"George, what's going on?" Jack asked.
"Jack, are you on base?"
"Yes, Daniel and I are stuck between blast doors. The kids are with Janet in the infirmary. We need to get to them, what's the sit-rep?"
"As far as I can tell, something happened with the electrical and it tripped the lockdown procedure. Carter is working on it but as far as we can tell the most troublesome alien we have on the base is Vala."
Jack smiled and hung up without another word, "Carter is on it. We just have to wait it out."
"I don't like them being alone in this Jack."
He placed a comforting hand on Daniel's shoulder, "I know Daniel."
"Zale tends to react without thinking especially if Johnny is agitated at all. He's gonna get caught using magic and we're going to have to run!"
"Oh My gawd, Daniel you are such a drama queen."
Daniel glared at him in the darkness, pointing an offended finger at Jack. He held his hands up in defense. "They are my babies Jack, I need them to be safe with us."
Jack nodded and squeezed Daniel's shoulder to maintain contact and calm is distraught husband. It wasn't like he didn't understand the risks they were dealing with right now but they were not going to always be with the children and they would need to learn how to conduct themselves and Daniel's mother hen act was just as bad as Jack's some days.
So they were left to wait it out much to Daniel's displeasure.
Zale watched as Johnny paced around the room they were all sitting in, Janet was trying to catch him and make him sit down but it just made him grunt and cry out. Zale wanted to tell their aunt to let him pace because when Johnny was worried and coming down from a premonition panic, he didn't want to be touched by anyone but Daddy Daniel but he also refused to talk about Johnny like he wasn't there. Aunt Janet seemed to get the message anyway.
So he watched Johnny while Zada hugged JC and Claire close, they didn't like the funny lights and the shadows they were causing. Greer was standing close to where Johnny was pacing and Zale was surprised when the other boy reached out and took Johnny's hand and pulled him gently to a stop. Zale frowned when Johnny allowed it; Greer pulled Zale's little brother into a hug.
"Something is going to happen to Daddy, not aliens just an accident and we can stop it!" Johnny said to Zale even as he kept hugging Greer.
"Johnny, did you see something?" Zale asked in a low whisper as he walked close to the two other boys.
"I feel it Zale! We just got Daddy back, we need to do something, please!"
"Papa and Daddy are together and they are safe, give it a little time JJ!" he whispered urgently. Papa had a point in specifically reminding Zale and Zada not to use their powers, Zale and Johnny were the ones who made a big scene at the wedding, Zale was the one who used his telekinesis and then used his teleporting abilities to get to Daddy in the hospital. Papa knew exactly who was incapable of following his parents' magical rules when he knew there was something he could do to save or protect his loved ones. Zale didn't like knowing he'd done nothing when Johnny was giving him the knowledge he needed to keep Daddy Daniel safe.
Johnny shook his head, his hands pulling at his hair as he sat down on the floor and started rocking. Aunt Janet walked over and pressed a gentle hand to Johnny's back but the small boy struggled away from her comforting touch.
Zale took pity on her shocked and hurt expression, "He only wants Daddy when he's like this," he told her.
"Daddy is?" Janet asked.
"Daniel," Zale responded, feeling strange about calling Daddy by his name.
"Right, gotta keep that straight," Janet said and stepped away from Johnny before she made him worse. Greer sat down next to Johnny and took his brother's hand, hoping the contact would calm him instead of what it normally would do. He looked over gratefully at Greer who sat down next to Johnny on the other side and grasped his other hand gently. For now Zale would do what he had to not to break Papa and Daddy's rules even if it fought against the need to protect those he loves.
The man watched from his position in the infirmary, sure that this lockdown and the little accident he had planned would do what it had to to push the children. He knew they were more than just the children of Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson, for more than one reason such as the time variance between the time the team was gone and the age of their children. Plus the weird happenings around Daniel after he was assaulted and then had a speedy barely concealed recovery. Now if he wanted to see his action put into play he needed proof before his people could catch them and start studying what they could do. He picked up his cell phone and put into effect the second part of his plan especially since the children had gotten a reminder from their father to stay on their best behavior.
The next step would force the issue; otherwise their precious Daddy could die!