Chpt 2
Ok here's the second chapter! Have fun!
Jack drove slowly out of the base and down the mountain. He was trying not to upset his Captain anymore than necessary. He didn't dwell on the fact that he was referring to her as HIS captain either. He turned to look at Sam. She had leaned back in the seat and appeared to be lightly sleeping. She's really beautiful. He thought. I can't believe I'm gonna be a dad again! The kid ought to be really smart with Sam as his mother. Whoa! It might not be a boy, it could be a girl! Jack started picturing little blond haired and blue eyed girls and boys running around. He was smiling to himself and lost in his thoughts. He startled a bit when he heard Sam speak, "What are you smiling about, sir?"
"It's Jack, at least off the base, Sam."
"Sorry." She replied.
"As to what I was smiling about, I was thinking about the baby. I was wondering what he or she will look like."
"Can I ask you a question?"
"You can ask me anything you want to ask me."
"What did you mean when you said you were going to be a dad again and that you were being given a second chance?"
"Oh that." He answered getting quiet. He took a deep breath and decided better to get it out in the open now. "Well, I was married. Our divorce was finalized just a month before our first mission to Abydos. We had a son, Charlie. He died two years ago in a shooting accident in our home. Charlie was fascinated with my service weapon. I usually had it locked up, however that day I'd left the drawer unlocked. Charlie came in later and pulled it out of the drawer. Sara and I were outside when we heard the shot. By the time we got there it was too late. Charlie was gone. It was my fault. If I had locked the drawer that day like I had every day before that, Charlie would still be here." He paused for a moment trying to gather his thoughts.
After a few moments he continued, "Sara and I grieved very differently. She wanted to cling to me and I dove into my work. I took more black ops missions, hoping to get myself killed. They offered me the first Abydos mission because they knew I was suicidal at that point and that if it required me to kill myself to get the mission done then I would do that. They didn't count on Daniel convincing me I had something to live for."
"I'm sorry. I had no idea."
"Nothing for you to be sorry for, Sam. Nothing can change it. But I've got a second chance here and I am NOT going to blow it this time." The grief that was still evident in his voice moved Sam deeply.
"Jack, I'm sure you were a great father and I know you will be again. I'm just sorry that you had to go through it is all."
"I do appreciate that. But hey let's talk about happier things like our impending parenthood. Do you have a preference on whether it's a boy or girl?"
"Well I'm not really sure. Like I said earlier I never really gave much thought to when or if I would have children because of my career. I don't suppose now would be a good time to tell you that twins run in my family?"
"Twins, huh? Could be fun."
"Jack, you're not worried about having to take care of two babies at once or anything?"
"Nah. We'll deal with whatever comes. Here we are." He said parking in Sam's driveway. He got out and went around to Sam's side to help her out his truck.
"I'm not an invalid, Jack." Sam said as he helped her slide out of the truck.
"I know that Sam, but you know I wasn't there for Sara when she was pregnant with Charlie. I was always gone on missions. I want to do it right this time and help you. If I really start smothering you, you can tell me to back off a bit and I'll do my best to respect your wishes. Deal?"
"Deal." She replied as they walked up to her door. She dug her keys out of her purse and unlocked the door. The sight they were greeted with inside Sam's house was not what they expected. The place had been trashed. There was a crash in the back and Jack immediately pulled Sam back out of the house and back to the truck pulling out his cell phone and calling 911 in the process.
"911. What's your emergency?"
"This is Col. Jack O'Neill. I am at 1215 Ridgewood Dr. We interrupted a burglary in progress."
"Colonel, is anyone hurt?"
"Not yet. I am armed and am prepared to defend myself and my companion."
"Sir, please do not re-enter the residence. I have officers en route to your location."
"I have no intention of entering the home." Jack replied. He was still watching the front door and the windows for any signs of movement. They heard someone head out the back of the home. They did not come around front so Jack assumed that they fled through the adjoining backyards.
"Sir, are you still there?" the 911 operator asked.
"Yes. Where are those officers?"
"You should be able to hear their sirens in just a moment." At that moment Jack heard the wail of sirens getting closer. Another minute later the two police cars were pulling to a stop in front of Sam's home.
"There here. Thanks." Jack said hanging up his cell.
The two officers got out of their cars and approached Sam and Jack, both officers looking suspiciously at them and the house.
"I'm Officer Hayes. This is Officer James. What's the problem here?"
"Col Jack O'Neill. Major Samantha Carter. This is Major Carter's home. We arrived here to find the inside of her home trashed and apparently still occupied by persons unknown. We retreated back out the front door and I called you guys. We heard what sounded like the perps leaving from the back of the home."
"Have any idea how many?" Officer James asked
"Nope." Jack responded
"Ok, you both wait here while we secure the home." Officer Hayes said pulling his gun and nodding to his partner.
"I'm going with you." Jack put in pulling his own gun out his holster on his back.
"So am I." Sam stated.
"No, you're not." Jack returned.
"Jack, it's my house."
"Yea but you're pregnant. I'd never forgive myself if you or the baby got hurt."
"Jack, I'll stay behind you but I am going in there." To make her point she pulled her own gun and headed for her front door following the two officers who had decided against entering into that particular argument. Jack knew he had lost the argument but he was going to make sure she stayed behind him.
Officers Hayes and James had just entered the house and where going room by room with Jack and Sam following them. After a few minutes it was determined the house was clear. Sam couldn't believe the amount of destruction. Whoever had been here was looking for something. Everything was in disarray. There was a hole in the wall by her fireplace and one area they had apparently even begun to pull up the carpet. Everything had been turned over, dumped out, pictures torn off walls; it was going to take weeks to get the place back in order.
"Whoever did this was looking for something." Sam said to no one in particular.
"I was just thinking the same thing." Jack said.
"Major, do you have any idea why anyone would do this?" Officer James asked looking around.
"No, I've only owned the house for around 7 months and I am not familiar with the neighborhood or the neighbors yet. My duties with the Air Force keep me out of town a lot. We are both stationed at Cheyenne Mountain." Sam answered.
"Well, we'll write up a report and take some pictures of the damage, in case we catch the person or persons responsible. We'll call in a team to search for fingerprints and other evidence." Officer Hayes said heading out to his cruiser.
"Thank you but that won't be necessary. We'll get an investigation team from the military to go over the house. Due to classified nature of our jobs your people don't have clearance to actually go through the house. Our teams will forward whatever you need for your investigation." Sam interrupted.
Officer Hayes and James rankled a bit at the insinuation that their people weren't good enough. Sam seeing this continued, "I appreciate your assistance in securing my home and protecting us. But the fact of the matter is its better for you all if you don't have to get caught up in jurisdictional headaches and classified crap. I have classified material here and it's just better for all concerned. Nothing personal against the Colorado Springs PD." Their feathers smoothed, the officers stepped outside to check back in with their dispatcher.
Sam turned around looking for Jack. She heard him talking in the kitchen and went in to talk with him.
"Yes. General, she's fine. Nobody was hurt. The place is a mess though. We need a team here to dust for fingerprints and everything else. The local PD wants in here but Carter has already nixed that." He paused for a minute as the General spoke. "Yes, sir. We'll wait for them." Another pause. "No, sir. I'll take her back to my place or over to Janet's." Another pause. "Yes, sir. Good-bye, sir."
"The General?" Sam asked.
"Yea. I called him while you were telling the locals to hold on their investigation. You don't really have classified materials here do you?"
"Not at the moment, but it was a good excuse. I don't want the local PD sniffing around in here. Much rather have our guys do it. So what else did the General say?"
"He asked if you were ok, which I said you were. We're to wait for CSI team and some SF's to get here. He said they should be here in an hour or so. He also said you were not to stay here tonight. You can stay with me or Janet, so take your pick."
"I think I'll stay with you, sir. If you don't mind. Janet's still at the base and I don't really feel like being alone right now." Sam replied as she started trying to clean up the floor of her kitchen.
"Leave it, Sam. The CSI unit needs to see it as is."
"You're right. I just hate seeing my place in such a state." At that point Sam started to cry. "God, I'm sorry, sir. I don't know why I'm crying."
Jack walked over to her and put his arms around her. "It's ok, Sam. It's part of pregnancy. Hormones and all that." They stood there a bit with Jack just holding Sam until they heard Daniel call from the front door.
"Jack? Sam? Why are the police…Whoa! What happened here?" He asked viewing the damage for the first time. Jack and Sam stood back from each other and went in to greet Daniel and Teal'c.
"Hey, Dannyboy, did you bring the pizzas?" Jack asked coming into the entryway.
"Yea, but you didn't answer my question. What happened?"
"Oh you know Daniel, I decided to redecorate." Sam quipped.
"Looks more like a break-in to me." Daniel finished.
"I concur, DanielJackson." Teal'c put in.
"It was a break in. We apparently walked in on them in the middle of it." Jack stated.
"You're both alright?" Daniel asked.
"We're fine, Daniel. We're waiting on the CSI team from the base to get here. Then we are going over Jack's. I can't stay here tonight." Sam said matter of factly.
At that moment they doors slamming and footsteps coming toward the house.
"That would be the CSI team." Jack said heading out the front door. He spoke briefly to the two police officers and after assurances from Jack that the department would receive any and all evidence pertinent to their investigation into the break in, they left. He then spoke to the officer in charge of the CSI unit. After settling with them that they would be as careful as possible with Sam's belongings and informing to report their findings to the General, he loaded Sam back up in truck and headed to his place. Daniel and Teal'c followed in Daniel's car. They arrived at Jack's rather quickly, as he didn't live really all that far from Sam.
Daniel started the movie, Independence Day. Teal'c had wanted to see it. About half way through the movie Sam excused herself to get another drink. As she walked into the kitchen she caught sight of the deck out back and went out to see it. Jack has a nice view. She thought looking around the backyard. As she turned around she spotted a ladder going up to another deck on the top of the house. Sam was curious so she climbed up to see. When she got to the top she found an observation deck and a nice telescope. A breeze kicked up and she pulled her light jacket closer around her. The view of the stars and the mountains was stunning from up here. There was a chair there so she sat down to enjoy the stars for a moment before she climbed back down.
She got so lost in her thoughts while stargazing that she didn't hear the Colonel, the first few times he called her.
"Carter? Sam?" He called.
"Up here." She called back down to him. Before she could say she would come down, he had started to climb up there to join her.
"I see you found my little secret." He said joining her on the observation deck.
"The secret that you act like you don't even like the stars and secretly spend all your time at home gazing at them?" She inquired.
"That would be the one."
"You're just full of contradictions, aren't you?"
"Just a few."
"So do you know their names?"
"I do. Do you?" He replied with a smirk.
"Of course I do. But then you probably knew that too. So why keep it a secret?"
"Honestly, it was something Charlie and I used to do when I was home."
"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude." She said starting to get up.
"Sam, it's ok. You couldn't have known and I need to tell someone about him. I want to be able to tell this little one about his/her older brother. I kept it to myself because it was a way of spending time with him still. Crazy I know. I just can't bring myself to go to the cemetery anymore. So I come up and watch the stars and I feel closer to him somehow." He stopped unable to go on.
"It's not crazy, Jack. It's very sweet." Sam sensed the need to change the subject continued; "So is this movie still going?"
Jack cleared his throat, grateful that she went on to something else.
"Uh, yea, it's got about fifteen minutes or so left. So why did you leave?"
"Well I went to get something to drink, then I looked out back and saw what a great view you have and saw this while I was looking and thought I would take a look see. Hope you don't mind?"
"Not at all." He replied just a cold shiver ran over her. "Here." He said draping his jacket over her shoulders.
"Thanks." She said arranging the jacket on her shoulders. She turned to look at him and realized just how close he was. For a fleeting moment they both gave thought to kissing the other one and might have followed through on the thought if Daniel hadn't chosen that moment to exhibit his incredible knack for bad timing.
"Jack? Sam?" Daniel called.
The moment broken they both started towards the ladder to climb back down.
"Be right down, Daniel."
"One day, Jack, you're going to have to explain to Daniel about his lack of timing." Sam quipped as Jack begun his climb down. He shot her a grin that left her tingling from head to toe. Damn! How does he do that? she thought to herself before climbing down the ladder herself.
Jack was waiting for Sam to help her off the ladder when she got back down to the bottom.
"Thanks." Was all she said as she slipped back inside the house. Daniel and Jack followed her in.
"I think Teal'c and I are going to head back to the base." Daniel stated as he gathered up his keys and headed towards the door. Teal'c was already waiting at the front door.
"You're leaving already?" Sam asked.
"Yea, well, I've got a ton of work to do in order to get ready for the expedition back to Px5-745. I'm sure I'll see you around the base at some point tomorrow."
"Well drive careful." Sam said.
"Yea, Spacemonkey, don't give the locals something to do around here."
"Ha ha ha, Jack. Goodnight, Sam. Night, Jack." Daniel said.
"Bye, Teal'c." Jack and Sam said simultaneously.
"Goodnight, O'Neill, CaptainCarter." With that Daniel and Teal'c had gone leaving Sam and Jack to fend for themselves.
"Well I think I'll call it a night." Sam said.
"Yea, I agree. I'm exhausted. The spare room is made up. You should find everything you need in there. I think some of my oversize T-shirts are in the drawer if you need something to sleep in." Jack replied.
"Thanks, Jack. Well Goodnight." She said and quickly kissed him on the cheek before dashing for the spare bedroom.
Jack for his part was a little shocked but rather happy at the same time.
"Sweet." He said and ambled off to his own room to get some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.
Not a whole lot of difference in this chapter and the original but there's a few changes! Make me happy and push that little review button over there!!! Please! Please!!! Please!!!!!!