Disclaimer - MGM/Gekko/Double Secret own them.
Next in the 'Remedied' series, following several months after the events of AWOL. Spoilers for 'Cold Lazarus' and 'The Tok'ra, Part 2'. Feedback would be appreciated.
*
In retrospect, he probably should have expected it.
Actually, he *did* expect it - just not the way it happened.
At 11:42 a.m., just after Jack finished getting dressed following his shower, the doorbell rang.
Checking that his flies were zipped, he stepped out of the bedroom in his sock-clad feet, and into the hallway. A few minutes later he swung the front door open, and saw who was on the other side.
Ah.
Neither of them said anything. Jack simply pulled the door open further, and stepped out of the way. His visitor walked into the house and, barely pausing, headed straight for the kitchen.
He didn't even take his jacket off.
Peering outside the front of his house as he closed the door, Jack saw a driver sitting in a car.
The sound of cupboards opening and closing indicated that they were searching for something, and soon *those* sounds were joined by the noise of metal clanging against ceramic, and a familiar scent.
Ah. Coffee.
Gingerly approaching the kitchen, Jack stopped just short of walking up the step that would take him in. Okay, what was called for here was forthrightness. He had no reason to be nervous anymore. None at all. "Does Sam know you're here?"
A spoon clanged against the counter. A head lowered, shoulders bunching together beneath clothes that didn't belong to the body wearing them. "You got my daughter pregnant."
Instinct happened; he grinned. "Yeah. I did." He really was just *asking* Jacob to rip his head off, wasn't he? Might as well go the whole hog... "But that's not what we're talking about right now."
The spoon moved again, until it was clanging inside the mug. "No. She doesn't. I mean yeah - she knows I'm on Earth. But she thinks I'm in some three hour debriefing with George."
Finding it amusing, Jack took another risk and stepped up into the kitchen. "You dragging Hammond into this too?"
"Only through necessity. Besides," Jacob turned, resting against the counter, holding the mug in his right hand. "There are some advantages that come with being a three star General."
"And the guy's best friend."
"That too," He conceded, though not with a smile. Sighing, he stared down at the coffee he hadn't taken a sip from yet.
Jack didn't step forward, didn't move at all. "What're you doing here, Jake? You knew we were seeing each other, how we...feel..." Yup, that was about as far as he was going.
"I know. I know that."
"You're already a Grandfather, so it's not like that's new either."
"But it is," He argued immediately. "It wasn't Sam before. Look," He drew a breath, as if not sure where to start. "I know this doesn't sound right, or particularly PC, but...it *is* different when it's your daughter. Maybe you'll understand if you have your own...but it's different. Especially for Sam."
He wasn't sure why, but Jack wasn't particularly surprised by Jacob's opinion. Still... "Why?"
"You know the work she does. Even when she was a kid, it was the same thing: Sam against the Universe."
Huh. The Universe didn't stand a chance. "And...what? You're worried that just because she's not gonna be going through the gate for a few months that's not gonna happen anymore? Let me tell you something, Jacob." Now he *did* walk towards him, *did* step closer. "She is Sam *Carter*. She's gonna kick ass with or without me, and with or without a kid. So she doesn't go through the gate for a while as a safety precaution - big deal. Hell, she'd probably do more good for the Universe from her lab anyway."
Her dad was still fascinated with his coffee. "You really think that?"
Geez, did he need to be whacked over the head with it? "Of *course* I think..." Jack's words died off as he realised two things:
1) He'd never really seen Jacob act this unsure about much of *anything*, and
2) Though his head was lowered towards his mug, there was no disguising the expression now on his face - he was grinning.
Ohhhh, that *evil*, *twisted*... "Jacob," Jack lifted his right hand, pointing it towards him. "Did you just do what I think you did?"
The head rose, the grin still firmly in place. "Hell, what did you expect, Jack? She is my daughter after all. Had to check *you* were okay with it."
Oy...Jack's hand moved from pointing to slap against his own face, dragging down over his skin. "Will you stop *doing* stuff like that?"
"Highly unlikely," Jacob replied, stepping forward and slapping Jack on the shoulder with his free hand. "Don't worry about it. You should see what I put Mark through. Come on," He continued, brushing past him and stepping down into the living room.
"Where?" Jack asked as he stumbled after him, confused as hell and not entirely sure he'd be able to accurately put one foot in front of the other.
"To talk!" He exclaimed, sitting on the sofa with so much enthusiasm that he didn't particularly seem to care if he spilt any of his coffee. "My daughter's having a baby! Do you have any idea how exciting this is?"
Really, *really* surprised, Jack blinked several times as he carefully sat in the chair opposite the sofa, glad for the coffee table between them. No way in hell could this actually be Sam's dad - he was way too happy. "Uh, no."
"Ah, you will." He explained, finally taking a hearty gulp of his drink, before placing the mug down on the table. "So," Still leaning forward, he rested his arms on his knees and clasped his hands together. "You gonna ask her to marry you?"
Straight to the point, then. Trying not to feel uncomfortable, he cleared his throat and matched Jacob's pose. "To be honest, I don't know. She's practically living here as it is, and I think we're both happy with the way things are at the moment. We're just...taking life as it comes."
Jacob nodded thoughtfully. "You realise the moment the baby arrives life is gonna grab you by the balls and drag you through the air at hyperspeed though, right?"
Hmm. Interesting imagery. "I seem to remember getting that when Charlie was born."
Jacob's expression clouded, and he glanced away. "Sam told me...well, a long time ago, actually. Guess I should have known then about the two of you. I can't *imagine*..."
"Don't," Jack warned, the back of his throat burning. "Don't even try."
The silence was long, but not oppressive. It just was.
"It's not gonna happen again, Jack."
Unbidden, an image of Charlie's blood soaked chest ripped through his mind. "I know."
"It *won't*."
No, it wouldn't.
"No."
He wouldn't allow it.
"Jack?"
A hand on his shoulder. A hand on his shoulder that hadn't been there earlier - Jacob must have moved. Lifting his head, his gaze moved along the arm until it reached the shoulder, neck, and then head. "Hmm?"
"I know you've got reason enough to be terrified, but," He bent down at the knees, a movement that caused Jack some not inconsiderable jealousy. "You're going to be a *dad*. You and Sam are going to be parents. Together."
Sam smiling as she pretended to fight for the remote control. Sam frowning in concentration as she tried to fix the VCR, while he fretted over the Simpsons tape stuck in the machine. Sam gasping, closing her eyes, arching her body, in the bedroom.
Sam reminding him in a hundred different ways, how it was going to be okay. It was always going to be okay.
She'd actually made him optimistic again.
"What do you think of Jacob?"
Frowning, Jacob let his hand slip from Jack's shoulder. "What do you mean what do I think of...?" Comprehension dawned. "You mean for a name? I thought you didn't even know the sex,"
"We don't," Jack clarified, shaking his head. "I'm just...pondering."
"Well," Jacob stood up easily, another movement that caused Jack some not inconsiderable jealousy, happily pacing around the room. "Naturally I think it's the perfect name. Strong and...commanding. Kind and considerate. Oldest and wisest."
Unable to resist some form of smile, Jack shook his head. "You are irrepressible."
"Me?" Jacob asked, pausing mid-step. "You're the one sleeping with my daughter."
Oy...there it was again. He was planning to make some comment about how he was going to tell Sam that he was bringing that up again (which frankly, was enough to scare anyone), when he thought of something much, much more evil. As earnestly as possible, he spoke. "Jacob...I gotta ask you something. Seriously."
Hesitating for a few seconds, as if weighing up how genuine he was being, Jacob eventually re-took his seat on the sofa. "Okay. What is it?"
Casting his gaze towards the carpet, he mumbled through it. "Now that Sam's having a child...*our* child...your *Grandchild*..."
"Yeah?"
"I know that, technically, we're not married, but..."
The frustration was showing in his voice. "*Yeah*?"
Grinning, Jack lifted his gaze to meet Jacob's. "Do I get to seriously get to call you 'Dad' now?"
~FINIS