Ch 12
It took a long time to get most of the kids' stuff loaded back into the truck and get to Jack's house. Once inside, Sam and Daniel ran around excitedly, checking out their temporary home with the typical eagerness of any little kid exploring a new environment. Jack left them to it, checking on them frequently as he made trip after trip to bring their stuff inside.
As he brought in the last of it - their clothes, which he dumped on the chair in his guest room for the time being - he went out to check on them again. They were both in the living room. Sam already had the television on but wasn't watching it - she was wedged halfway behind it, marveling at its thin dimensions and clearly more interested in the technology than what was on the screen. Jack had to remind himself that it was all very different from the stuff she was used to. He had deflected questions about it fairly well in the toy store, he thought, but reminded himself to be diligent.
He had to echo that sentiment as he spotted Daniel. The little boy was scrutinizing the collection of photos Jack had on one wall. There was one of Charlie and one of himself with Charlie, but there were three pictures there of SG-1 as well, and while Jack was PRETTY sure Daniel wouldn't recognize the similarities between himself and Sam and their older selves, he didn't want to take any chances. He snatched the similar picture off the refrigerator quickly and made a mental note to grab the framed ones and put them out of sight as soon as he got the chance.
"So," he clapped his hands together loudly to get both their attention. "What do you want to do first? I'm thinking we should order some pizza."
As if four year olds would ever decline pizza!
Jack quickly ordered the pizza and took the kids outside to supervise while they played and waited for it to arrive.
They drove the Jeep around for a while before Daniel vacated it in favor of his bike. Sam alternated between her bike and the Jeep, hopping in and out and on and off of both so often Jack finally demanded she stop taking off the helmet and pads when she got in the vehicle, just to save time and effort.
He had a relatively flat driveway so they had enough room to ride around, and were happy to stay in one place when he promised them that on other times they could take walks and such, they just needed to stay at the house until the pizza arrived.
Once it did they all went inside to eat. Jack paused after inhaling his own first slice, watching thoughtfully as the kids ate - Daniel's head tilted completely sideways as he tried to catch drizzling cheese off the slice he was holding mid-air. Passing Daniel a napkin, Jack asked, "Exactly how did you guys get to Hammond anyway?"
"We drove," Sam shrugged.
"No, I mean, how did you know where to go with the elevators?" he asked.
They exchanged worried looks.
"You're not going to get into any more trouble," he promised.
"A guy helped us," Sam said.
"He pushed the button 28 when we said where we wanted to go," Daniel added.
"What guy?" Jack asked.
"Lieutenant something," Sam said.
"Simmons," Daniel said. "I readed his label," he said proudly, touching his chest where the name was displayed on BDUs."
"Read," Jack corrected automatically.
"Well I read his rank!" Sam pointed out. "That's harder."
"Hey, it's not a contest," Jack said mildly, grabbing another slice for himself. "Okay, so that explains how you got on that elevator. How did you get on the one on our floor?"
They looked even guiltier when they exchanged looks this time.
Daniel started to answer but Sam kicked him under the table.
"I wasn't…" he started.
"Daniel? Sam?"
"We, um, got… help," Sam answered finally.
"From whom?" Jack asked slowly.
"Uh, a man and a woman," Sam said.
"We don't know their names," Daniel added.
Jack looked at them, sure they were leaving something out. He didn't think they would flat out lie to him, but he knew he wasn't getting the whole story here.
They now had their heads down and were eating quickly, obviously hoping not to be asked any more questions.
Jack decided maybe he'd be happier not knowing at this point. The incident was over and they weren't on the base anymore… it probably wouldn't come up again or end up mattering in the long run. He decided to drop it and said, "Well, all right then, what do we want to do after we finish eating?"
Daniel immediately launched into an explanation of how he wanted to rebuild the Lego city he'd had to disassemble from the VIP room, going into lengthy detail on improvements and changes he intended to make now that he had more room.
"What about your naps?" Jack asked.
"We're way too excited to take a nap," Sam insisted.
Daniel nodded.
Jack supposed the novelty of being off the base had them a little wired. He shrugged. They could always go to bed early - it didn't matter to him too much if they skipped a nap here and there. "All right, no nap today."
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAY!" they chorused.
"Can we ride our bikes some more?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah, can we go to the playground like you said?"
"Sure," Jack said. "After we finish eating."
That effectively ended the rest of the conversation, as both kids finished eating as quickly as possible, eager to get to the playground. The only thing either of them said in ten minutes was Daniel popping up from his slice of pizza long enough to ask if there was a sandbox there.
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The playground on a sunny, beautiful afternoon was a dangerous place, Jack decided after an hour there.
While it was definitely easier - especially on his aching knee - to sit on a bench and watch the kids play, it definitely wasn't easier on his heart. He was certain he was going to have to call Fraiser to tell her he was finally having that heart attack she was always threatening him with when she spotted him eating in the commissary… and that this time it would be entirely Sam Carter's fault. Well, maybe a little bit Daniel's fault, but mostly Sam's. because at four, she was fearless. Not that she wasn't fearless as an adult, but she also used her brain most of the time as an adult too.
As adults, Daniel was far more likely to get hurt. As children, Sam was the one scaring him to death climbing on playground equipment meant for much older children, leaping off swings, and darting in and out of other playing children without watching out for things like flying baseballs or waving plastic swords.
Daniel was on her heels most of the time, having fun too, but in a slightly more cautious way, watching what she did first and then copying her in a slightly safer way. He suspected it was a lesson his parents had drilled into him to keep him safe on digs, and wondered when in the boy's development the trait had been lost.
Not to mention all the potential dangers from other kids! The playground was filled with youngsters Jack was just sure were up to no good, and he watched Daniel introduce himself to nearly everyone he met, making fast friends right and left. Sam seemed just as friendly upon introduction but then seemed to quickly grow bored with their new acquaintances in favor of the playground equipment, abandoning Daniel with a new kid to go flying down the slide headfirst or try, once again, to do the monkey bars before getting stuck on the third one and screeching for Jack to come help her down.
When Daniel settled himself in the sandbox with a shovel, six plastic dinosaurs, and a plastic cup and Sam quickly grew bored, Jack quickly intercepted her on her way back to the monkey bars.
"Hey, give it a rest for a minute, will ya?" he objected, plucking her off the ladder.
"But I can do it!" she insisted, squirming.
"Yeah, yeah. You're killing me here, Carter. Don't you want to play in the sandbox with Danny? Maybe be still for two seconds so my heart rate can drop below one-eighty?"
She gave him such a perplexed look that he burst out laughing - he had never seen Sam Carter look that confused before.
"You're making me tired," he tried to clarify.
"But you're just sitting on that old bench over there, like all the parents," she grumped.
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah. I mean, yes, sir."
"Hmmph. Well, in that case, young lady, I have a challenge for you."
"What?" she asked suspiciously.
He set her down next to her bike - they'd ridden them to the playground and then abandoned them by the bench Jack had been sitting on. "Let's see if you can do this without the training wheels."
He had noticed her watching the older kids zipping around on their two-wheelers. She'd looked jealous, impressed… and also suspiciously like she was trying to figure out the physics of how they were managing it. He wouldn't have recognized that last expression if he didn't know her so well as an adult.
Using his multi-tool on his keychain, he quickly popped off the training wheels on her bike while she put her pads and helmet back on. He helped her finish up and held the bike steady while she climbed on it.
After checking on Daniel again - he was clearly in the middle of a very complicated plastic-dinosaur excavation and had enlisted four other children to help him - Jack pushed the bike, Sam balanced nervously on it, over to the sidewalk.
"Just pretend the training wheels are still there, and pedal like normal."
Grinning and clearly completely unafraid, she nodded and took off.
Jack had forgotten how awkward and uncomfortable it was to run hunched over beside a tiny bicycle, hanging onto the back of the seat. Or perhaps he'd just had a much younger body last time he'd done it. But, oddly, it did beat sitting on that bench waiting for someone to get hurt. At least this way if she fell down he'd be able to grab her fast enough to avoid any serious injuries.
"Okay, let go!" Sam ordered.
Reluctantly, he let go of the back of her seat. She wobbled a bit but stayed upright and was soon pedaling smoothly all by herself, Jack running next to the bike.
"This is awesome!" she called, passing the sandbox. "Daniel! Look at me!"
Daniel waved, looking impressed, and Jack wasn't surprised when he came over ten minutes later wanting to learn too.
He didn't pick it up as quickly as Sam had. She was zipping around them in circles while Jack tried again and again to help the little boy. Several times the bike crashed to the ground while Jack quickly grabbed Daniel by the armpits to keep him from falling with it. But the kid was as stubborn and determined as a grown-up Daniel Jackson wanting an extra hour with some fascinating ancient ruins. And, eventually, Daniel made a couple of wobbly circuits around the jungle gym all on his own.
Sam clapped loudly for him. Jack joined in, as did several parents who'd been watching the whole episode from their shaded seats while they supervised their own children.
"I did it!"
"You did! Both of you, that was amazing," Jack praised. He looked at his watch. "But we really need to go now. We've got to stop at the grocery store on the way home. The doc will kill me if all I do is stuff you full of pizza."
"The grocery store?" Sam asked skeptically, in a tone that plainly said that it didn't sound like one bit of fun to her.
"But we're tired, Colonel Jack," Daniel pleaded, his blue eyes now looking even larger with the addition of the glasses.
Jack sighed. Truth be told, he was beat too.
"All right. We'll stop somewhere for dinner on the way home and go to the store in the morning," he agreed.
He couldn't help but notice that both kids perked up considerably after that, and didn't really seem tired at all anymore as they gathered up their things, still talking excitedly about their milestone accomplishment all the way to the truck. Jack secured the bikes in the bed and got them buckled in their seats in the back, handing them each a fresh bottle of water, and headed for a nearby kid-friendly restaurant, wondering how much ice cream it would take to bribe the kids into forgetting to tell "Dr. Janet" about pizza and fast food on their first day off-base with him.
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That evening after they got back to his house, Jack was exhausted from all the activity of the day. He couldn't believe Sam and Daniel were still running around, chasing each other around his couch in an impromptu game of tag that had started as soon as they got out of the truck in the driveway.
"Hey, sit down!" Jack finally barked, going over to his entertainment center and grabbing a DVD to put in.
He turned around and laughed out loud - they had plopped down exactly where they'd been when he'd issued the order - Daniel was behind the couch and Sam was next to the end table, knees tucked up to her chin.
"On the couch," he amended.
"Why?" Sam asked as they scrambled to comply.
"What are we doing?" Daniel asked at the same time.
"We're watching a movie. Before bed."
"Okay," Daniel agreed.
"What movie?" Sam asked suspiciously.
"Wizard of Oz. seen it?"
"Yeah! I love that movie!" Sam said eagerly.
"I don't think I saw it before," Daniel said.
"It's really good, it starts off boring but then it goes to color…" Sam started.
"Hey, don't spoil it," Jack said mildly, grabbing the remote and sitting down on the end of the couch.
Both kids immediately scrambled over to him, Sam cuddling into his side, Daniel frowning when he couldn't get closer until Jack hauled him into his lap. Daniel smirked at Sam and Jack quickly switched the movie on before they could start arguing.
Patting himself on the back at the brilliance of his plan, he relaxed into the couch as the kids gave the movie their undivided attention, and were finally still.
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"This is scary," Daniel whispered to Sam.
She nodded, squeezing his hand tightly. "I forgot this part. That lady is so mean!" she agreed.
The two kids looked up at Jack. He had fallen asleep roughly ten minutes into the movie, during the first song. Deciding not to wake him up, they quietly and stealthily eased themselves away from him and headed for the kitchen, where they could talk a little louder.
"What should we do now?" Daniel asked.
"I dunno," Sam shrugged, going over to the refrigerator. "But I'm thirsty."
"Me too," Daniel said, following her as she yanked the heavy door open and surveyed its contents.
She picked up a dark bottle - one of many - and examined it. "Do you think this is Coke?"
"It doesn't say Coke," Daniel pointed.
"I mean some other kind of soda?"
"I dunno. But I can't do bottle caps. Can you?"
"No," Sam shrugged, going to put it back. The cold bottle slipped out of her hands and rolled across the kitchen floor. She scrambled after it and put it away quickly. "I guess he does need to the grocery store," she said, clearly unimpressed with the refrigerator's contents.
"Let's have that," Daniel suggested, pointing to a carton of orange juice.
Sam tried to grab it but couldn't reach. Daniel tried, unsuccessfully as well. They pulled a chair over and Sam held it steady while Daniel passed her the orange juice. He used the chair to climb onto the cabinets as well and started opening them, looking for cups.
Ten minutes later, they'd searched everywhere and couldn't find any cups or glasses that weren't breakable. Daniel was all for using a regular glass but Sam was firmly set against it, having been taught at home not to touch glasses without lids without express permission, after breaking a few too many in her short life.
"Let's just drink it from the container," she decided, opening the carton carefully and taking a gulp. She passed it to Daniel, who took a cautious sip before grinning like he was getting away with something fun.
"Why do you think Colonel Jack's so tired?" Daniel asked.
"I think his knee hurts," Sam decided firmly. "Doctor Janet said so and he was playing with us all day. He didn't even put the rice on it like she told him to."
"The what?" Daniel asked, confused.
"The rice," Sam repeated. "Didn't you hear her in the infirmary?"
"I was building," Daniel shrugged. "I wasn't listening."
"Oh. Well he's got some pills to take I think. And she said he had to put rice on it at least once a day."
"Rice? Why?"
Sam shrugged. "I dunno but that's what she said."
"Not ice?" Daniel guessed.
Sam shook her head firmly. "She said, 'be sure you rice that at least once this evening, Colonel.'"
Daniel's eyes widened. "But he didn't do it! What happens to him if he doesn't get the rice?"
"I dunno. Maybe his knee will get sicker," Sam worried. "Then he won't be able to play with us."
"And we'll have to stay with Doctor Janet all the time in the infirmary where all the needles are," Daniel added, growing increasingly concerned.
Sam looked around. "We better find the rice," she decided firmly.
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Jack woke up with a wince of pain. The movie was still going, so he wasn't sure what had woken him… then he realized the two warm little bodies that had been snuggling him were gone. He was a second from opening his eyes when he heard them approach, whispering.
"Shhh, don't wake him up!"
"Be careful!"
Amused, he cracked an eye open barely to see what they were up to. They were making their way over to him slowly, holding the hems of their shirts out and up in front of them like they were carrying something in their shirts, making little makeshift pouches. When they reached the coffee table, they dumped the contents there, standing between him and the table so he couldn't see what they had. Then they turned to him and started dumping tiny handfuls of something on his knee. He couldn't see what it was without opening his eyes fully, and when he did he groaned.
This wasn't their first trip, apparently. For some reason he couldn't even begin to fathom, his knee and a good portion of the leg and couch around it, were all buried in a pile of dry white rice.
"What the hell are you guys doing?" he grumbled, shaking the last remnants of sleep away.
"A dollar!" Daniel exclaimed happily.
Jack groaned, surveying the mess that was his leg. And his couch. And the coffee table, what with the pile of rice they'd brought in to transfer to his knee. There was more than a little of it on the floor between the couch and coffee table, too.
"We're helping you so you don't get in trouble," Sam said matter-of-factly, adding another handful of rice to his knee and patting it gently.
"What?" he repeated.
"With Doctor Janet," Daniel elaborated. "We don't want your knee to fall off or something."
"Or get sicker," Sam agreed, nodding earnestly.
"Wha… o…kay… but what's with the rice?" he asked, flabbergasted.
"She said you needed to put rice on it but we were with you all day and we never seed you do that," Sam said.
"Saw. And… what?"
"She told you to put rice…" Sam started again, looking uncertain and a bit worried.
Jack got it suddenly and started laughing. The more he surveyed the mess and the kids, the more he laughed, unable to stop himself.
"I'm sorry, guys. This is just too much," he finally said. "Don't worry. Nobody's going to get in trouble. Except maybe 'doctor janet.'"
"Huh?" Daniel asked.
"She did tell me to RICE it, Sam, you're absolutely right. But that's R-I-C-E, honey, not the kind of rice you eat."
"What's the difference?"
"It's an anagram - the letters stand for words. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Those are the things I was supposed to do to my knee, guys, not put a bunch of rice on it."
They looked at each other and shrugged. "Oh."
"Oops," Daniel offered.
"It's not your fault," Jack said quickly. "And I appreciate the thought. Don't worry, I'll take care of my knee when you guys go to sleep. Speaking of which, it's getting pretty late. Aren't you guys tired yet?"
They nodded. "Do we have to clean up the kitchen before bed?" Sam asked.
Jack's eyes widened. The mess in the living room would be a pain enough to clean up - what had they done in the kitchen?
He scooped as much rice as possible back into the pile on the table before getting to his feet and hurrying to the kitchen. He stopped himself from swearing again just in time. All the cabinets and drawers were open. Boxes of cereal and other groceries were out on the floor and cabinets, along with various bowls, spoons, pots, pans, etc. a bag of flour had clearly fallen from the counter and burst open on the floor, its contents sprayed halfway across the kitchen floor. A bag of potato chips had also been spilled and apparently walked through, as crushed chips were also everywhere. Orange juice was sitting opened in the middle of the floor.
"We had some trouble finding the rice," Daniel explained.
"Ya think?" Jack asked quietly, going over to the fridge for a beer. This situation needed beer. He pulled out the first one (the one Sam had accidentally dropped before) and twisted the cap off. It foamed up instantly, getting him, the inside of his fridge, and his floor wet instantly. He sighed. "Icing on the cake."
The kids looked at each other quickly. "There's cake?" Daniel asked hopefully. "We didn't see any cake!"
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A/N: The RICE incident happened here a while ago when my ankle was sprained... I woke up on the couch to find my twin brothers burying my foot in rice. I'll update again as quickly as I can but this is a very busy time of year for me. Thanks for sticking with this story!