AN: After Evolution Part 2.

Lunch had been a good idea. Jack was trying to make more time for these not so work-related things with Carter. He knew her, so he knew they would talk shop, but it was nice to catch up with her after being on separate missions the last few days. He had recovered Daniel from Honduras while she was visiting Anubis's home world. This particular lunch happened to just be the two of them, and Jack was pleased with himself and the success of the maneuver.

"Dad, have lunch with us?" Carter called down the hall to Jacob as they turned the corner. D'oh! Foiled again. So much for lunch with just the two of them. Oh well, Jack could handle a parental chaperone. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Yeah, sure. I've got a few minutes." The trio entered the commissary and Jacob staked out a table. Jack ordered up whatever looked palatable today and joined Jacob at their table while Carter waited for her special order salad.

"You know, Jack, when Sam told me that you weren't coming with us, I was surprised. But then I thought, it must have been because I was there. I could take the reins and handle the mission." Jack raised an eyebrow. "Imagine my surprise when she didn't need me."

"Tell me about it," Jack agreed, as he took his first bite.

"You too, huh?" Jacob asked with a smug tilt at the corner of his mouth. Jacob remembered, not so fondly, how it had felt to watch her ship off to basic. He knew she would come home a different person, and she had. Letting go was tough.

"Yeah well, I probably should have pushed her harder about taking her own team when she was thinking about it."

"She's gained a lot of confidence in the last couple of years though. I think it was the right call," Jacob affirmed.

"The timing was lousy too. Daniel was... it was difficult. For all of us," Jack finished, looking down at his plate.

"She's strong. Independent. But she's always had people telling her what to do, starting with me. Then it seemed like that would continue when she joined up."

"Listening is, surprisingly, more optional than you might think," Jack quipped. Jacob gave a scoff of amusement and wondered why Jack insisted on being seen this way when he had never really known him to be all that insubordinate. George certainly didn't have many complaints about him. Okay, maybe there were a couple of complaints.

"It's hard sometimes for someone like her. Being in a military environment could have crushed her."

"You're very insightful," Jack observed. Jacob could tell he was getting annoyed, but that was just too bad.

"Well, I've had a lot of years to analyze what I did wrong. She hasn't been crushed though. She's thriving. I'm really proud of her, Jack."

"Jacob, it's not that I mind hearing this, but have you mentioned it to... I don't know... her?" Jack asked gesturing toward the counter where Sam stood.

"Yes, actually."

"But you thought I needed to know because... ?"

"You figured it out before I did. You let her become who she is." Jack opened his mouth to argue, but Jacob held up a shushing hand. "She questions herself a lot. Not an ideal trait for someone in command." Jack wobbled his head in concession. "And I'm not saying you taught her how to get past that, but at a minimum, you gave her the safety net she needed to figure it out."

"I'm not so sure she needs it anymore," Jack mused.

"I can see now what she can be. She's really something, isn't she?"

"Yes, that's what I always say. Carter is... something." Having gotten over his initial squeamishness about the two of them, Jacob would be willing to bet that's not exactly what Jack said about Sam, but who he could say it to was a different problem altogether.

"So, I guess all I'm saying is... thanks. And I know you just want me to shut up, but believe it or not this isn't any easier for me to say than it is for you to hear. I know we don't always see eye to eye, but that doesn't mean that I don't respect the hell out of you for what you've done for my girl."

"Aww shucks, dad," Jack answered sarcastically.

"All right, now I'll shut up."

"Thank you!" Jack replied in obvious relief, landing a palm on the table top. "And can we please never do this again?"

"Do what?" Sam asked as she took the seat next to her dad and gave him a water she had gotten for him.

"What?" Jack asked.

"You said let's never do this again," Sam reminded him.

"No, I didn't."

"Anywaaay... Sir, on the upcoming mission for Prometheus, they're headed near a gas cloud. I was hoping I'd be able to study it, observe. We've never seen anything like it up close before. What do you think?" Jacob smiled at the excitement in his daughter's voice. She was something.

"What would the rest of us do?" Jack asked. "You know I hate that tin can in the sky when I've got nobody shooting at me."

"Oh. Well, I was thinking I could go by myself," Sam suggested.

"Alone?"

"Yes. Me and the entire crew of the Prometheus. So. Completely. Alone." It wasn't lost on Jacob that Sam was picking up some of O'Neill's sarcasm.

"You just want to go have fun and leave me here to do... boring things," Jack assumed with disdain.

"I talked to General Hammond before we left. He said you owe him some reports and I should remind you." Jacob smirked as he cracked open his bottle, and Jack narrowed his eyes at the older man. They both knew she was going to win. "It would be just over a week. You could even take a vacation if you wanted to."

"Carter, I just don't like the idea of you going alone."

"Colonel Ronson will be there. Why do I feel like I'm asking if I can go to a party on a school night?"

"For the record, she never did that," Jacob added with a point of his finger toward Sam.

"Yeah, I figured," Jack replied. "All right fine. Go play in a cloud of gas. But you should have said something sooner. If I had known that gas clouds were so fascinating to you, I could have provided that a long time ago."

"And on that note..." Jacob added as he stood, "I need talk to George before the debrief." Jacob dropped a kiss on Sam's cheek and smiled proudly. "I'll come to your lab when I'm done."

"Thanks dad," Sam answered, returning his fond smile.

Jack remembered in a flash when he had first met Jacob and how different the man had been back then. He remembered how impossible it would have been to witness what he had just seen between the two of them, and he was relieved. Jack was relieved that he hadn't talked Carter out of letting Jacob in on the Tok'ra secret. Even back then she had some great ideas.

Jack didn't particularly like to dwell, but something about watching this simple father-daughter moment reminded him of how much she deserved. It also reminded him of how little he had to offer her. Not that she was looking for anything from him, but given that any offer he could make her would be riddled with complications that was probably for the best.

"So, it went well?" Jack asked her, treading solidly on neutral ground.

"Except for the arm. I should just be out a few days though which means, I'll be ready in time to board the Prometheus."

"Good. That's good," he answered, averting his eyes. Even though she had won her prize, Sam sensed that the Colonel still wasn't comfortable with her going on this mission. Maybe he still had a few doubts about her abilities.

"What were you really talking about when I came over?" Sam pressed him.

"He was just telling me how proud he is of you."

"You don't have to lie to me. Just tell me it's classified."

"No really, that's what he was telling me. He said he told you. Did he not tell you?"

"No, he did. Kind of weird that he would tell you though," Sam observed.

"He seems to be under the delusion that I deserved some of the credit for your... general awesomeness," he explained while he drew a circle in the air around her person.

"I hear delusion runs in the family," she teased with a slight grin. Sam knew it was a little mean to intentionally make him uncomfortable, but the man could not take a compliment. Sam did a mental countdown in her head, preparing herself for his deflection.

"You should really get that checked out."