Chapter 10
Jack decided to gather his kids for lunch upon returning from the mission. He still couldn't believe he just found a genetically engineered raccoon that could talk along with an alien species that was essentially a talking tree. The Avenger's reality seemed very unusual to Jack and he had seen plenty of unusual things off world.
He got no information from Peter Quill or any Asgard on what Odin said to the young man. He wondered what was said but Thor persuaded Jack to not push the issue for Odin valued privacy. He found the Asgard under Odin's leadership less than desirable but at the same time valued having Thor in the SGC and working with him on a regular bases.
He found his feeling for the new reality mixed. He couldn't despise the reality for it gave him back his dead son and a daughter that he never had. He had a family again. That alone made blending the realities worth it in Jack's eyes. It never really struck him that his adult children were actually from a realty with a such strange creatures as Rocket and Groot. To Jack, his kids should be in his reality and not the other. He soon found Charlie and Jackie in Tony Stark's lab. He entered and looked upon the scene.
Jackie and Charlie both stood in the Iron Man style suits and Tony Stark in his own. Tony was attempting to give the pair a crash course on operating the suit. The rich inventor stood with a displeased look upon his face as Jackie and Charlie didn't seem to take his lessons seriously.
Jackie mentioned, "How come in those comic books all the girl superheroes always have an armor plate that is shaped around their boobs?" She looked down at the flat armor plate that looked like the same plate for the suit's the men wore.
Tony reported, "I have no idea. It's not tactically sound to mold a chest rig to look like breast. You need to suit to protect your torso, not highlight your features."
Charlie smirked, "Maybe it's because you lack any features, Jackie?" He made reference to her breast size.
She sneered, "Funny! It was an honest question. I never really understood why Wonder Woman had a plate that was molded around her boobs, okay!"
Tony snapped, "Because it's Hollywood! It's a costume. This is a 20 million dollar suit. Don't destroy it."
"Okay," she winced feeling like she was yelled at by a parent.
Jack asked, "How's it going?" He walked up the trio and looked upon his kids and then Stark.
Tony replied, "You're offspring don't fall far from the tree." He referred to the pair being a pain to work with, much like Jack could be.
He nodded amused, "It's genetic." He looked at his kids, "So…how's training?"
"We learned vertical take off and landing, Dad." Charlie reported.
"Good." he smiled happy.
Jackie added, "The suits are articulated to you so you can really move in it. Watch!" She then broke out in a little tap dance before him. "Ta-da," she grinned at the end of the little dance.
Jack cocked his head, "You know how to tap dance?"
She turned on one foot, "And ballet…" she bragged. "You don't remember me taking ballet lessons?"
"No," he shook his head for his memories of the alternate reality were scattered and mixed in with his own reality. He looked to Charlie, "You took dance lessons as a kid?"
"I was willing to do basic tap dancing but no way I was doing ballet." he sounded firmly.
"Why?" Jack wondered.
"I'm not wearing tights." he declared. "Ballet is for sissies."
Jackie shook her head, "The thing is you are real good dancer but you won't do it because you think it's for girls."
"It is!" he huffed. He looked for some support, "Right Dad."
"Um…" he found himself in the middle of a feud of his children. "It's nothing I got into but it's something some guys like and your mother loves ballet. She would get tickets to the Nutcracker every year." he fondly recalled. "I should warn ya. Off world today we found a guy with a wrecked ship. He said half his crew disappeared but what was left…well…you won't believe this."
Tony asked, "What was left?"
"A raccoon that can talk and had a gun and a little tree that's an alien species. It can move around and talk too." he informed. "Weirdest thing I ever saw."
Tony had to agree, "That would be weird! Even for my reality."
"They are all yours, Stark." Jack assured. He looked at his adult children, "You two up for lunch?"
"Sure!" Jackie cheered ready to get out of the suit. She could work the equipment as well as Tony and but she wasn't comfortable in it.
Charlie was having a tougher time getting the hang of the suit for much like his father, him and computers really didn't get along very well. He admitted, "I really need more practice in the suit."
Tony stated, "Take a break, kid. You got some basics down. That's enough for today."
"Thank you, Mr. Stark." he replied happy.
"Tony." he insisted. "I got a lunch date myself."
Curious Jack wondered, "With who?"
"Sam," he smiled.
Jack gave a nod and tried to not look uneasy, "I see."
Charlie was oblivious that his father had feelings for Sam Carter. He cheered for Tony, "Better move fast, Tony. A number of guys here have a thing for her. Felger, McKay just to name a few."
"We're just friends, Charlie." he told the young man.
Jackie reminded him, "I seem to recall reading in a paper that your were engaged to Pepper Potts."
He shook his head, "We're not engaged." He then winced, "Pepper is a lot like Sam but all we seem to do is fight. Sam can follow what I say. Pepper, has an general idea of it but not on the same level. And Sam and I don't fight. We get along great. She's a good friend."
Jack suggested, "Wouldn't McKay be able to talk to you on that level too?"
"The guy is a slob and spends all day stuffing his face bragging how brilliant he is. Yeah, I'll give him credit…He's got the brains but man…total lack of awareness." he told him. "And he always hitting on Sam and that annoys me. The guy needs a best friend. He has no friends and that his problem. He needs his own club." Tony stated.
Charlie stood baffled, "Club?" He glanced to his father and Jackie.
She explained, "There are a lot of little clubs in any organization. The Avengers are actually a little club. Kind of like in school, you how students would hang out together."
Charlie asked, "Like the SG teams here."
Jack disagreed, "The SG teams are not clubs. Each team has a man assigned for a certain reason. We're not little clubs like in high school."
Tony added, "And neither are the Avengers."
Jackie disagreed, "Oh no…you guys are clubs. SG-1 hangs out together for team night. Avengers hangs out too. You guys are clubs by the all the definitions."
"We are not!" Jack and Tony sounded off at once. They stared at one another as they spoke at the same time with the same words.
Jackie added, "And you two are the leaders of the clubs. You two are so much alike it's if you were separated at birth or something. You have the same personality traits, same smarts, both have the same taste in women. If you two join forces there isn't a Goa'uld or alien invasion you cannot stop."
Tony stated, "Colonel O'Neill and I are not that much alike. Maybe we have some over lapping interest but we're not that much alike. I like fast cars. Your dad drives a gas guzzling Ford. I like fine wine and scotch. He likes beer. I like sports. He likes fishing. We're not alike!"
She informed, "You do not have to have the same taste in something to be alike. Your personality traits are equal."
Intrigued by the assertion Tony asked Jack, "What would you do if you were in my shoes and had my business. If you were me?"
He stated, "I would put Carter in charge of research and development, let Daniel run the business and I would buy myself a private island and go fishing all day and have a big bond fire at night. I would have a nice place on the island so my kids can come and stay with me anytime they want." He countered, "What is you were in my shoes, Stark?"
"You mean me, a Colonel in the Air Force and heading SG-1?" he asked amused.
He nodded, "Yeah!"
He pondered for a second, "I would kick every Goa'uld's ass! Drive Hammond nuts and on purpose. Dumb myself down a bit so Sam would pay more attention to me…" he tailed off in thought. "You follow what she says…don't you?"
Jack confessed, "I'm not stupid."
Tony suddenly realized that he and Jack did indeed have a lot in common. He also figured that Jack would like Sam far more than he let on. He teased him, "I like that private island idea. Me, Sam….on that island…".
Jack gave an annoyed look.
Charlie added, "Throw in Pepper and you can have a threesome."
Jack gasped at his son, "Charlie!"
He shrugged, "Just stating the obvious."