Cheyenne Mountain State Park - 1997
The afternoon was beautifully sunny. Teal'c, Daniel, Sam, and Cassie were strolling through the park; Daniel and Sam were playfully swinging the little girl into the air, each holding one of her hands. The atmosphere was relaxed, and a bright smile lit up Sam's face.
"You're getting a little heavy for this," Daniel teased as he lifted Cassie once more.
At the same moment, Jack appeared on the other side. "Cassandra!" he called out, seeming to carry a large bundle in his arms.
"Hey," greeted Sam. "There he is."
They hadn't spoken in several days. SG-1 had been busy with General Carter's presence and the urgent need to find a solution for Cassandra. Neither Daniel nor Teal'c wanted to get between the two officers after what had happened in the bunker. If Sam had managed to avoid serious repercussions for disobeying a direct order, it was simply because she had played the right card by suggesting that Jack get to know the little girl.
The trio sat down on a bench while Cassandra ran towards the Colonel. Sam watched the scene with a slight pang in her chest.
Cassie stopped in front of Jack and frowned as she eyed the dog he was holding. "What's that?"
"We have a rule here on Earth," he replied as if it were the most obvious thing. "Every kid has got to have a dog." Jack smiled as he noticed the little girl's surprised expression. "This is a dog. And he's yours." He gently placed the dog in her arms and felt his heart swell as he saw Cassandra's reaction.
Watching from the bench, Sam resisted the urge to roll her eyes but was interrupted by Daniel. "So, how sure were you, really?" he asked.
Sam shrugged. "I can't explain it, Daniel. I just knew."
Teal'c tilted his head slightly and raised an eyebrow. "A mother's instinct, perhaps."
The young woman smiled genuinely. "As an old friend would say: Parvati." They all remained silent for a moment, appreciating the beauty of the moment. "My father agreed to co-sign the adoption papers with me."
Daniel nodded. "And the fact that he has the right security clearance probably helped speed up the process."
"Exactly," Sam confirmed, turning her attention back to Cassie and Jack, watching their interaction. "As long as Cassandra's happy…" she murmured.
"She appears to be," Teal'c observed, looking at the dog with keen interest.
Sam let out a long sigh. "I wasn't completely at ease until I knew that the object was shrinking and being reabsorbed into her system." Cassie and Jack arrived at that moment, and Sam quickly changed the subject. "Hey!" she greeted them.
"Hey, Samantha," smiled Cassie as she approached her. "See my new dog?"
"Wow!" Sam furrowed her brow slightly. "Your new dog?"
Cassie nodded as Jack placed a hand on her shoulder and stood behind her. "It's an Earth rule," she repeated proudly. "Every kid has to have one, but I don't mind."
Sam immediately looked up at Jack, who gave her an innocent smile. They exchanged a long look, and the Colonel seemed to shrink slightly under the piercing blue gaze of the young woman. "Why don't I take the dog for a little walk?" he suggested finally, taking the dog from Cassie's arms.
Turning to the team, he chose to ensure his survival. "Teal'c, know anything about dogs?" he asked, hoping that the Jaffa's presence would save him from a fiery demise.
"Nothing," Teal'c replied, following him.
Daniel didn't waste a second and trailed behind the men without a word. "Did you really adopt a dog without asking her opinion first?" he asked Jack.
Jack gently placed the dog on the ground and watched it run around. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"Oh, you're so screwed," replied the archaeologist, patting him on the shoulder.
On the bench, Cassie settled on Sam's lap and snuggled against her. "Is Jacob going to live with us now?" she asked in a small voice.
"For the time being, yes," the astrophysicist replied, wrapping her arms around the little girl.
"So, I'll stay with him when you're not here," Cassie concluded.
Sam remained silent for a moment, wondering if the decision was selfish on her part. She had found a solution that would allow her to keep her place on SG-1 while not having to abandon Cassie either. The little girl placed a gentle hand on hers and gave her a smile.
"I don't want any other solutions," she whispered, as if reading Sam's thoughts. "I'll enjoy the time I get with you when you're on Earth."
"Right," Sam agreed. "Now, about that, Cassandra…"
"I know," the little girl interrupted. "Stargate is a secret, and I was born in a place called Toronto?"
"Right!" Sam smiled, happy to see that Cassie understood the importance of keeping the program a secret.
Looking around, Cassandra's gaze fell on something in the park. "What are those?" she suddenly asked.
Sam turned her head and smiled again. "Ahh. Those are swings."
Cassie made a surprised face. "We never had any of those in Toronto."
They shared a small, knowing laugh. "Come on, they're fun," Sam said, helping her up to go experience the joy of a swing for the first time.
A few hours later, the little girl was finally asleep in her new room, which she had decorated herself, with the more or less helpful assistance of Sam and Jacob. The two adults were now sitting at the dining room table, finishing their meal with a glass of wine.
"I'll have to register her for school," Sam thought aloud.
Jacob nodded, setting his cutlery down at the corner of his plate. "There will be several steps to take, but luckily, the Air Force is handling the entire cover story to make it as plausible as possible."
Sam remained silent for a moment. "Thank you, Dad," she finally murmured, almost embarrassed to say those words out loud. "Without you, I don't know what I would've done."
"Maybe a certain Colonel O'Neill would have been quick to help?" Jacob asked with a raised, amused eyebrow.
Years of military training didn't stop the blush from creeping up Sam's cheeks. She opened her mouth to justify herself, but Jacob cut her off before she could say anything.
"Save your breath," he said, grabbing his glass of wine. "I've seen the way you two look at each other."
The young woman resisted the urge to roll her eyes, recalling how Liz and Janet had given her the same argument about Jack. She took a sip of wine and gently set her glass down before looking at her father. "My career is more important than anything else, Dad," she explained, as if that justified everything.
Jacob remained silent for a moment, studying her closely. "You don't go to bed at night with your career, Sammy," he finally said.
"And yet, you of all people…" Sam retorted immediately.
"I, of all people, had the chance to meet your mother and know what love is." Jacob's voice was soft, as if the memory of Debbie still resonated painfully within him. They remained silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was barely a whisper. "This Colonel O'Neill," he finally said, indicating that the discussion about his late wife was over. "I've never seen you so alive as when he's in the same room as you."
And without waiting for a response, he cleared the table and headed toward the kitchen. Sam sat there, stunned and speechless. Had he really just approved of Jack O'Neill so easily, or had she imagined it?
Wanting to get some fresh air to clear her mind, Sam put on a jacket and opened the door to step out onto the porch, suddenly coming face to face with the subject of their conversation.
"Sir?!" she asked, surprised, quickly closing the door behind her.