Chapter Thirteen: Family Matters
Jack crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the crap to start flying, he knew it would since that was what his mother wanted. The only thing that Jack can think is that she thinks that if she throws enough hurtful words then Jack would decide to leave Daniel.
They were in for a sad shock.
"So why is Sarah here if you're not back together with her?" Marcus asked, genuinely curious about what he walked in on.
"Yeah Mom why is she here?" Jack snapped.
Lauren shrugged but didn't answer.
"I was a part of your family for years, I have spent so much time here with Lauren in your absence before and after your disappearance. I was always a daughter to her while you were off working and ignoring the devastation that happened when Charlie died. I was here for her, not you!"
Jack stared at Sarah before he looked at his mom again. He didn't know how to handle that; Sarah believed that she had a right to Jack first and to his family. Lauren wanted Sarah to remain in the family but with Daniel and the kids, it meant there was no reason for her to be here unless Lauren wanted her to be. Jack didn't care if the woman was still in his mom's life, what he cared about was that Sarah's presence was keeping Daniel from being welcomed into the family.
"No one is telling you to leave the family, I would not do that to you or mom but I cannot love you Sarah. The love I felt for you is a pale shadow of what I feel for Daniel and I need all of you to realize that he deserves your respect and acceptance as do I."
"I can't accept that you take it up the ass," Henry responded.
Jack sighed, "Well whether or not I take it up the ass is none of your concern. My concern is if you are going to be a part of my children's lives. If you are going to use every visit to speak of my partner badly or treat my children poorly than I have no intention of coming back here."
Lauren crossed her arms and said nothing; Sarah followed her lead. Jack didn't know what this would come to but he almost was to the point of not caring. "Daniel and I are going down to the courthouse tomorrow to renew our vows and if you want to accept us as we are and learn who Daniel is as my husband and my partner. If you are there I will let you continue to be a part of the children's lives. If not then I will assume that you want nothing to do with any of us and just so we're clear about this, I will not leave Daniel no matter what you decide to believe."
With that, Jack took the keys to his Dad's truck and headed for the front door, getting outside before someone pulled him back. Jack turned, shocked to think anyone had come after him but he looked at Henry and waited.
"What?"
"Jack, how did this happen?" Henry asked.
"It just did Henry, I don't know how to explain what it is about Daniel, just that I love him and that's the only important thing."
"You would pick him over your family?" Henry demanded.
Henry, he is my family! He has been there for me for a long time, when I went back to the Air Force; he understood and didn't push me for answers. We respect and love each other; something that I feel has left the building here at my home. And when it comes down to you and my children, yes I would pick their safety and emotional security over the emotional blackmail that happened here today."
Henry shook his head moving up close to Jack's face. Jack refused to back down or lose eye contact; he fought the urge to punch his brother but instead just waited. "This is wrong, you're both going to hell and whether that is before or after you die is completely up to you."
"How dare you!" Jack hissed at his brother.
"That guy has forced you from your family and if he really loved you he would have left you alone."
Jack pushed Henry back but his younger brother pushed himself close again, their foreheads almost touching, "Back off Henry before I'm forced to do something about it."
"You think I'm scare of my gay brother who likes to suck cock?"
"You should be," Jack whispered menacingly, "This cocksucking brother of yours still has a hell of a lot of military training under his belt."
Henry scoffed but backed away in the face of Jack's anger. He held his hands up in surrender and Jack turned away and got into his dad's truck. As he started the vehicle, Jack slammed the palms of his hands into the steering wheel and shouted in the interior. He didn't want Daniel to deal with the leftover rage if he didn't need to, tomorrow was supposed to be a good day for them both and he wasn't going to let this wreck that for Daniel.
He took the drive slowly and thought about his family, the new and the old. Daniel and he taught their children about acceptance and love so it was hard to understand that his family had responded so badly to his news. His mother and Sarah were bound to one another and that seemed to be most of the problem for them. Henry wasn't a surprise; he'd always been cruel to Jack growing up. Despite the fact that Henry was younger, he'd always been clever in his ways of hurting his siblings. Marcus seemed to be more amused by everything and of course his father who had apparently fallen deeply in love with Daniel on sight. Jack smiled at the thought and parked the truck next to the van and walked towards the door to the hotel and walked inside and headed straight for the elevator. They could have stayed at a little motel but with six children, they went for a suite in a large hotel on the SGC coin and Hammond's approval.
He stood in front of the door, hearing his dad and Daniel talking and laughing so Jack opened the door and stepped inside. Daniel stopped speaking and watched Jack walk across the room as the children rushed him and hugged his waist and legs. Jack greeted all of them individually. Jack smiled and loved on them as Daniel watched him, those blue eyes always on him. Jack couldn't help but walk over to the chair and lean down to kiss Daniel sweetly. Daniel stood very still under the caress but Jack just pulled back to rub his nose along Daniel's cheek before kissing him again, this time Daniel responded a little before Jack moved back and pushed Daniel so they could both sit on the same chair.
"Hey Dad, you guys enjoy your visit?" Jack asked.
"Jack, what happened?" Daniel asked, taking Jack's hand gently.
He figured Henry's little conversation didn't need to be rehashed so Jack just kept it simple, "I told them they wouldn't be seeing me or this family if they won't stop the rude talk and hurtful intentions."
Daniel nodded, "Are we going to stay for the whole week like we planned, if we have no intention of visiting?"
"Dad can come here and we can go sight seeing a little before we go home. We still have to make some decisions about where we go from here when we get back to the Springs."
Daniel nodded, "Are you still going to retire?"
"We will discuss it later love."
Ben smiled as he watched Jack and Daniel talk to each other. Daniel looked over, "What?"
"You two are a married couple, you speak to one another in love and in tempered annoyance. It is something I have seen in my relationship to Lauren and it does my heart good to see my son with someone who clearly loves him."
Jack wrapped an arm around Daniel's shoulder and kissed his temple. "Pop, I'm sorry that I brought this drama to your home. I wish it had never come up but it did and I can't be sorry about Daniel."
Ben shook his head, "Jackie, I said it before but you said yourself that you didn't do this on purpose but sometimes love comes from interesting and unexpected places. Love has to be respected and accepted no matter what and though I don't understand how this has changed you, I have spent the time getting to know Daniel a little bit and it's easy to see why you love him so. Daniel is a treasure that you would have been a fool to deny."
Daniel looked down and Jack kissed his cheek this time.
"I totally agree Pop," Jack responded.
Ben smiled and stood, "Tomorrow then?" he asked.
Daniel frowned, "What's going on tomorrow?"
Jack didn't answer, instead he stood and hugged his father who turned out to be the only balm they would receive from Jack's family and he was thankful for the blessing. He pulled back, kissing his dad on the side of the head and Daniel was tugged close to Ben and squeezed close. Daniel faltered for a minute clearly unsure of what someone was supposed to do when they were getting a hug. Jack laughed and gripped the back of Daniel's neck in comfort even as his Archeologist wrapped his arms around Ben's back before they released each other and Ben was engulfed in hugs from the children. Jack watched in amazement for a few moments before he pulled Daniel back into his arms.
They said goodbye to Ben and settled the children in front of a rare event, watching the television. Daniel put his foot down, saying it should be some sort of documentary and Jack agreed just so he could get Daniel in the other bedroom for a conversation. The children were intrigued by the television as they had been on the few opportunities they'd had to see it in the week they'd been here. Daniel was doing everything to keep the television watching to a minimum because he'd never used it in his life and Jack agreed that they didn't need to introduce it now.
Once they were all comfortably entertained, Jack grabbed Daniel's hand and pulled him into the secondary bedroom and pushed the door closed. He turned to watch as Daniel sat down on the side of the bed and Jack leaned against one of the near walls. "Are you okay Danny?"
It was like the question freed Daniel to freak out because he was angry when he spoke, "How could they do that? Speak like that in front of children? And Sarah, what the hell was she doing there?"
Jack shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you Danny, I feel as though I don't know my own mother anymore. Sarah apparently has been close to mom for the years I was missing and she thinks she has a right to me, more so than you could ever possibly have."
Daniel shrugged in return, "Maybe she does? You are bound by devastating loss and it shouldn't be forgotten."
"I would never forget the life I lived with Sarah and the bitter sadness that came from losing Charlie but it does nothing but highlights the beauty and pure happiness I feel in your arms, in our bed and with the children we created in acts of love. They were two different lives, separated by more years than Sarah knows of, she will just have to be happy with being loved and honored by my mother because while she chooses to disrespect you and treat you badly then she will not have my courtesy and respect."
Daniel smiled sadly, reaching his hand out so Jack walked over to sit next to him. "Jack, you have been so amazing about all this recently. I didn't know what to expect when we were forced back into this world but maybe we have a chance at happiness here as well."
Jack smiled, "I would have happiness with you."
Daniel leaned forward and kissed Jack then inched back only enough for there to be a breath of space between them, "What's happening tomorrow Jack?" he husked into Jack's lips.
"Well I'm glad you are so desperate to not have a surprise because I would have this done the right way."
Daniel frowned and watched in amazement as Jack pushed off the bed and to his knee in front of Daniel. "Jack?" he questioned cautiously and Jack enjoyed watching the clarity come to him quickly.
"Daniel Jackson, I have loved you a long time and though we have had ten years together, it would never be enough for me. I would ask again for forever, I would ask again if you would honor me by marrying me?"
The archeologist smiled sweetly with tears shimmering on his eyelids, "Yes Jack of course I will."
Jack stood up and delivered a soul-searching kiss that scorched them both with passion, which would have to wait in the next days. Jack thought about the silver bands that were in the pocket of his Class A uniforms and grinned at the thought of marrying the man he loved so deeply in front of witnesses in this time would be the perfect way to say goodbye to his long standing career of death and secrets.