Silhouette
by Suz suzvoy@tesco.net
Disclaimer - MGM/Gekko/Double Secret own them.
Spoilers for 'Secrets' and 'Jolinar's Memories'. I really wanted to bring Jacob into ‘Unhappy Ever After’, but it really didn’t sit right with the story. Therefore this is a sequel of sorts, but not quite the same mood. You don't really need to have read it, but you'll appreciate this more if you have.
*
There was something George wasn't telling him.
Jacob had arrived through the Earth Stargate several hours ago, intent on updating George with recent Tok'ra developments, new intel, and - most of all - to see how his daughter was doing. He'd been so consumed with his work lately that it'd been nearly four months since he'd last seen her, and the guilt had finally reached breaking point.
He well understood how important the work was, especially now as it seemed they were finally starting to gain ground after so many losses.
But when the opportunity to see Sam came up, he grabbed it with both hands. So he was somewhat disappointed when she wasn't in the gate room. When she didn't run up to him in the corridor. When she didn't barge into George's office.
He guessed it made sense. She hadn't actually known that he'd be coming, and they were used to off-world activation's happening all the time. Knowing Sam, despite the fact it was the weekend, she was probably in her lab, examining or theorising something.
Focusing on his friend, he and George got caught up. He passed on the information, and learned a few new things himself.
And something so surprising that even Selmak was stunned:
"He retired."
Huh. That made no sense whatsoever. Few people understood their work as much as Jack O'Neill did. It was frequently ball breaking, heart stopping and life taking, but it was *worth it*. "He did?" He'd been around the SGC enough to hear the talk, of course - that if Jack hadn't been working at the SGC he wouldn't have been working anywhere else, because he *got* that this was more important than anything else.
"Yes he did." George seemed to be having no particular trouble with the concept, although he *had* had several more weeks than him to become adjusted to the idea.
"Why?"
He actually glanced away, which was so *not* a George Hammond move that Jacob immediately knew something was up.
"He simply said that he'd had enough."
It didn't sound like anything especially revealing, though Selmak in particular didn't think it was a good enough reason to retire. Though part of Jacob agreed, and despite his own argument, he knew it was possible to reach a breaking point - much like the one that'd brought him here. "Who's commanding SG-1 now?"
"That," George sighed, looking back at him, "Is a matter of some debate. At the moment Major Carter is as a temporary fix, but I'm really supposed to assign someone of a higher rank. Colonel to Major is quite a big leap down."
Though Jacob didn't like it, he understood. "Maybe you'll just have to promote her," He joked.
"Maybe I will at that," George grinned.
"So where is she?" Though he'd been absent until now, no doubt she'd want to talk about her new responsibilities, and the fact that Jack was gone. They were good friends, and it was bound to be upsetting.
Again with the looking away. "Actually, I think she's probably at home, Jacob."
Sam? At home? Not in her lab? On a Saturday?
There was something George wasn't telling him.
"What's going on, George?"
*
He hadn't cracked. Jacob had given it his best shot, but a two star general knew how to handle himself, even when being interrogated by another former two star general and current member of the Tok'ra.
All he'd conceded was that there was nothing wrong, and maybe he should just ask her himself.
Following George's suggestion (he would have gone even if he *hadn't* suggested it), Jacob changed into the proffered BDU's, found someone to drive him to her house, and stepped out of the car.
Thanking the sergeant who'd driven him, he closed the car door and stepped further along the sidewalk, and into her front yard. He had a spare key that George kept on base for him, and right then he dug it out of his pocket - she'd always told him that he didn't need to bother knocking. Her house was his house.
Unlocking and pushing the door open, he peered inside. "Sam?"
Her car was parked outside, so unless she'd gone for a walk somewhere, she had to be in.
Receiving no reply he stepped further inside and closed the door. Dusk was starting to creep in but there were no lights on, no evidence that anyone was home.
Calling out again he continued progressing further into the house, frowning at the range of shopping bags dotted around her kitchen. Peeking inside one of the bags, he plucked the lid from a tub of ice cream.
Melted.
He was seriously starting to get worried. Obviously she'd done her shopping, but for some reason she either hadn't put it away, or something had happened that'd prevented her from putting it away.
Hearing a noise, he jerked his head towards the source. The bathroom. "Sam!?" Launching into a trot, he entered the hallway just as whoever had been using the bathroom opened the door and stepped out.
Wearing just their underwear.
Jack.
Wearing just his boxer shorts.
In his daughter's house.
Wearing just his boxer shorts.
Obviously tired, yawning and rubbing at his eyes.
Wearing just his boxer shorts.
Oblivious to the fact that he had an audience.
Wearing just his boxer shorts.
Selmak made the decision to speak for him, but in Jacob's voice. Jacob was too stunned. "Hey."
The hand rubbing the face froze. Then lowered. Then, as if he really didn't want to know the answer, Jack sneaked a glance towards him and immediately winced. Keeping his body in the same position, not turning around to face him, he spoke.
Or at least, tried to. "Jaayy..."
"-cob," Jacob completed, finding the ability to speak returning. "Jacob."
"Right." Clearing his throat, he opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, and sighed. "You want a coffee?"
"That'd be good," He nodded, simply watching as Jack nodded, then quickly disappeared into...ah. The bedroom.
Of course.
Turning away, shaking his head, Jacob decided he could get the coffee - and that he badly needed one. Returning to the kitchen he switched on the light, and methodically went about filling the coffee pot up, turning it on, and finished putting away the shopping that had evidently been interrupted by...by...
The truth was, he didn't really know how he felt. On one hand, she was a fully-grown responsible adult, and - compounded by the fact that he was hardly ever there - he had absolutely no right to interfere with her personal life.
On the other hand, she was still *his little girl*. She was still the woman who was useless at cooking anything complicated, but loved making cookies. She was still the woman who could face down an army of Jaffa without flinching, yet cry when he told her he had cancer.
She was still his Sammie.
And as for Jack...
He liked Jack. A lot. He really did. He just wasn't sure he wanted him sleeping with his daughter. Was that so much to ask?
As if he'd known that Jacob had been thinking about him at that particular moment, a fully dressed Jack strode into the kitchen.
Well, not so much strode; more like crept hesitantly, as if expecting the fiery demons of hell to come down upon him - which may not have been far from the truth. Jacob couldn't decide.
"Here," He said, thrusting a mug of coffee onto the counter in the middle of the kitchen.
Moving slowly, perhaps worried of spooking him, Jack pulled out a stool and sat down. "Thanks." Wrapping both hands around the mug, he pulled it towards him but didn't sip from it.
He just studied the contents.
Leaning against the sink, holding his own mug, Jacob stared at the down bent head. His reaction to this new development would depend very much on how this conversation went. "How long?"
The head moved up, though the gaze didn't meet his. "How long...what?"
"The other part," Jacob specified, trying not to even think about *this* part. "Not what happened here."
The head lowered again, followed by what would have seemed to be - if he didn't know better - a careless shrug. "A while."
"A while?"
A chuckle: almost mirthless. "A *long* while."
He hadn't known. He really hadn't. Certainly, on occasion he'd wondered - and debated with Selmak - whether their concern for each other had been more than just professional, but the same could be said for all of SG-1. They worked, in Earth terms, such amazing and dangerous jobs, that it would have been strange if they *hadn't* bonded together or been more than just colleagues.
"This..." Jack continued, "Is a new development. Kind of."
"Is this why you retired?" Selmak prodded the question out of him; he was just *too* inquisitive sometimes.
His nose was going to start dipping into the coffee soon. "Pretty much."
Typical Jack. Vague answers were his forte.
But this was big. Jack resigned perhaps partly because he was sick of fighting, but mostly because he wanted to be with Sam. "This isn't a physical thing." It wasn't a question.
Bizarrely, the statement seemed to amuse him, though he spoke seriously, for once keeping his head up. "No. It's really not."
And Jacob understood. He wasn't sure he was happy, but he understood.
A sound from the hallway drew their attention, and as they watched, Sam, wearing a dressing gown appeared - her smile vanishing the instant she saw him. "Dad!"
Hiding the instinctive grin behind his mug, he took a sip. "Hey Sam." This was quite funny, actually.
Her eyes kept moving from him to Jack and back again. He figured he'd get one of two responses: either she'd make up some 'reasonable' excuse for Jack being there (not knowing that Jacob had already seen some pretty conclusive evidence in the form of Jack wearing nothing but boxer shorts - and really, he was lucky that was all he'd seen) and then force him to leave; or she'd go for the obvious sign that they were having a relationship and, though she might be nervous, she wasn't hiding it.
She chose the latter.
Approaching Jack, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"
As was typical for them, it wasn't obvious.
Pulling away from the grip on the mug, his right hand moved up until it rested on top of hers. "Aside from the fact that I'm a little concerned your dad might thrust a stake through my heart, I'm fine." Then, as if suddenly forgetting the very man he was talking about was right there, he kept talking, his voice lowering. Not to keep it quiet, but to keep it intimate. "Sorry I wasn't there when you woke up."
"That's okay," Her smile returned, though it was nothing like the one she'd been wearing earlier. "You can make it up to me later."
Oh oh oh - he had to get out of there *right* now. He'd just learned they were sleeping together; he couldn't deal with actually seeing them kiss. Half turning, he chucked his coffee dregs into the sink. "I'm gonna go."
When he turned back, she was frowning at him. "Are you sure? I mean, I know it's a little awkward-"
"It's fine," He insisted. "Really. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. And you are." She was also a lot more than he ever wanted to imagine.
"If you're sure," The frown hadn't dissipated as she stepped away from Jack and towards the phone. "I'll get someone to come and pick you up."
"Thanks," He said. "I'd appreciate that."
It took a while, of course, before anyone turned up. Jacob spent most of that time sitting in the living room, pretending to catch up with the news channel. Though he tried not to pay attention to them (which actually meant he was doing everything he could to listen to them), the occasional murmured word floated through from the kitchen. Something about 'scary as hell', and Sam needing to make a phone call later.
Eight lifetimes later, the doorbell rang.
Sam was already there as he approached the door, telling the sergeant waiting outside that they'd need another minute. Swivelling towards him, she happily shared a hug. "You have to visit more often. I miss you."
"I know, kiddo. You know what it's like." *This* was why he came back. "And we'll have a proper visit next time," He pulled away, smiling. "I promise."
"Good," She nodded.
He hesitated, glancing towards Jack who was standing a few feet away, staring down at his feet, giving them some modicum of privacy. "Does he...?" Jacob whispered.
That smile returned. "Not that he'd ever admit it, but yeah," Deeper. "I'm pretty damn sure that he does."
He didn't need to ask about her, and suddenly it didn't seem quite so bad. It wasn't the first time he'd ever seen his daughter in a relationship, but this was the guy who used to be her commanding officer. It was just... "It's weird."
She rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it."
Stepping away, he caught Jack's attention, causing him to lift his head. "Jack, good to see you."
He held out his hand.
Jack didn't hesitate, shaking it firmly. "You too, Jake."
Letting go, Jacob kissed Sam on the cheek then left the house, jogging down the steps and not turning to look at them again until he was inside the car. Once he was there, he stared up at them: silhouetted in the doorway, standing next to each other.
He'd get over it. He just had to get used to it.
As the car pulled away, she slipped her hand into his.
~FINIS