CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Jack was busy trimming his hedges when his cell phone rang.
"Hey, Jack."
"Daniel. How's it going?"
"Good. Um, I hate to bother you, but would you be able to come over and watch Danny for about an hour?"
"Sure, no problem. Do you need me now?"
"Well, as soon as you can get here."
"Okay, just let me wash up, and I'll be right over."
"Thanks."
Jack pulled up in front of Daniel's house around ten minutes later. To his surprise, he saw Sam's car. Thinking that she might have just happened to drop by, Jack knocked on the door. Daniel answered.
"Hey, Jack. Come on in."
Jack entered the house. Sam was sitting on the couch, Danny beside her.
"Hello, sir," she greeted.
"Take a seat, Jack," Daniel instructed, settling on the couch on the other side of Danny.
"Okay, what's going on?" Jack asked as he sat down.
"First off, Sam and I are aware that you know about that dinner Danny tricked us into going on."
Jack smiled slightly. "Yes. I thought it was pretty funny."
"Uh huh. Would you care to learn what the result of that dinner was?"
Jack hesitated before saying yes.
"Sam and I went on our first date last night," Daniel told him.
Jack looked back and forth between his teammates. "And?"
"And we're hoping that what Danny told us means that you don't have a problem with us being in a relationship, sir," Sam replied.
A pleased little smile quirked up the corners of Jack's mouth. "If you can keep your relationship and your jobs separate, I have no problem with it at all. Frankly, it's about time that you two got a love life." Jack's smile grew. "I wonder how many other people can say that they have an eight-year-old to thank for getting them together." He was grinning gleefully now. "Some people are going to love hearing this story."
The little smile that came to Daniel's lips instantly warned Jack that something was coming.
"Yes, Jack, just as they're going to love hearing that you volunteered to play matchmaker," the archeologist responded. "I think the news that the tough Colonel Jack O'Neill is a romantic matchmaker at heart will give everyone on base a whole new perspective on you." He turned to Sam. "Don't you think so?"
"Oh, yes, I agree. I think everyone would like to know that the colonel has that soft side to his personality."
Daniel nodded. "Just what I thought."
"You wouldn't dare," Jack said.
Daniel gave him a look that spoke volumes. "Oh, wouldn't I."
Jack glared at him. "It's your word against mine. I'll deny everything."
Daniel's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Aren't you forgetting someone?" He looked down at Danny.
Jack gazed at the boy. "You wouldn't do that to me, would you? We're buddies, pals."
"Daniel said that it would only be fair that, if you told everyone about the dinner, we should tell everyone about you promising to help me get him and Sam together," Danny replied.
"Traitor," Jack muttered under his breath. He subjected Daniel to another glare. "Okay, what do you want?"
"Only one thing, Jack: your silence. You are not to breathe a word of that dinner to anyone, not a single person, ever, and that includes teasing us about it. In exchange, no one will ever be told that you volunteered to help get us together, and we will never mention it again."
Jack frowned. "That is so not fair, Daniel. I was looking forward to all the great jabs I was going to get in on you two. Heck, I already thought up a few."
Daniel shrugged. "It's up to you. I've already composed the notice that will be posted on the SGC bulletin board about Matchmaker Jack O'Neill." He smiled. "Would you like to read it?"
Jack made a little growling sound. "This is blackmail."
"Yep."
Jack stared at Carter. "You know, if I wasn't such a nice guy, I could have you court – martialed for disrespecting a superior officer."
Sam smiled sweetly. "Only if I actually was a part of it, sir. We've already agreed that everything will come from Daniel, with Danny as the corroborating witness. I'll have no part in any of it."
"I am seeing a whole new side of you two, a cruel, evil side."
"Any more cruel and evil than you causing embarrassment for us by spreading the word around base about that dinner?" Daniel asked pointedly.
Jack knew that Daniel had a good point. He just didn't want to admit it. "Fine! I'll keep my mouth shut."
The archeologist smiled. "That's all we want."
Now, Jack was pouting slightly. "You sure do know how to take the wind out of somebody's sails."
"I'm sure you'll recover."
The colonel sat back in his chair. "So, you two are dating, huh. Well, I have to admit that I can't think of two people who are more suited to each other. I guess congratulations are in order."
"Thank you, sir," Sam said. She looked at her watch. "I really need to get going, Daniel. I've got a lot to get done."
"Okay, I'll walk you out to the car."
After Daniel and Sam had left the house, Jack and Danny sat looking at each other for all of four seconds, then, with a little grin from Jack, they dashed to the window and peeked out. They watched Daniel accompany Sam to her car and talk with her for a moment. Then what they'd been waiting for happened. Daniel placed a hand on Sam's face and pulled her to him in a gentle kiss. For Jack, the sight of that kiss really drove home the fact that things would be changing on the team. Even if Sam and Daniel kept their relationship separate from work, the team dynamic would be different, especially during off-duty hours.
Jack looked down at Danny, who was grinning happily. "So, you really wanted to see this happen, didn't you."
"Daniel was very sad when he thought they had to stay just friends."
"And you want him to be happy."
Danny nodded.
Jack ruffled his hair, smiling.
Seeing that Sam was pulling away from the curb, Jack and Danny hurried back to their seats. The archeologist came into the house. He looked at Danny, and then Jack, and the expression on his face told the colonel they were busted even before the archeologist spoke.
"So, Jack, both a matchmaker and a Peeping Tom. You just keep unfolding like a flower."
Knowing that there was no point in denying that they had deliberately spied on Daniel and Sam, Jack responded, "Hey, it was just a kiss. That doesn't make us Peeping Toms."
"Yes, you're right," Daniel agreed. "It just makes you big snoops."
"What's a Peeping Tom?" Danny asked.
The two men exchanged a glance.
"Um . . . that's something I'll have to tell you when you're a bit older, Danny," Daniel replied.
Jack looked at the boy. "Hey, Danny? Could you go out back and play for a while? I have something private that I need to talk with Daniel about."
"Okay." The boy went off into the backyard.
Daniel headed to the kitchen. "You want something to drink?"
"Danny said that you're in love with Carter."
Daniel froze in the act of bending down to fetch something from the fridge. He straightened up and shut the door, then just stood there, staring at it.
"Is that true?" Jack asked softly.
Daniel sighed quietly. "Yes."
"For how long?"
"The truth? I really don't know. For a very long time, I think. I just didn't see it."
"Because of Sha're."
"Yeah." Daniel went over to the counter and leaned back against it, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze on the floor. "You want to know what's really funny? The first time I actually consciously felt it was when I didn't even know who I was." Daniel lifted his head and stared off at nothing. "That day on Vis Uban, I looked at Sam, and I think that, way down deep inside, I just . . ." his eyes went to Jack's, "I just knew."
"You mean that you've been dealing with this since then?"
"No. Once I started remembering about Sha're and everything else, I forgot all about those feelings I had when Sam talked to me in my tent. This stuff that's been going on between us didn't get started until a few weeks ago. And it hit me like a blow to the stomach. I did fight it, Jack. I tried to deny what I was feeling. It did absolutely no good."
"How well I know that," Jack murmured.
Daniel hesitated only a moment before saying, "Jack, I know that you and Sam had feelings for each other."
The gray-haired man grimaced. "I was hoping you didn't. Falling for Sam was not one of the brightest things I've done."
"You loved her." It was spoken as a statement, not a question.
"Yeah. Not in the way I loved Sara, the way a part of me will always love Sara, but the feelings were there."
Daniel looked deeply into his eyes. "Were?"
"I put aside those feelings a long time ago, Daniel. It would never have worked out between us anyway. If the regs hadn't been in the way and we'd tried to make a go of it, we'd probably have lasted all of six months, if that. We'd have started fighting way sooner than that. We just wouldn't have had what it takes to make a successful relationship. John Lennon may have sung that all you need is love, but, in the real world of relationships, it doesn't work that way." He looked at Daniel. "You and Sam, on the other hand, already have everything you need for a great relationship." He grinned wickedly. "Well, I don't know about the sex part."
Daniel turned beet-red and gave a little cough, quickly focusing his attention elsewhere. Jack smirked at the reaction.
"So, when's your next date?"
"Whenever we can go on one. This week and the weekend are going to be pretty busy, especially when I start moving into the new house."
Jack smiled. "I'm thinking that you getting a house with three bedrooms is a very good thing. There might come a day when that third bedroom will really be needed."
Daniel knew what Jack was hinting at and chose not to respond. The idea of having children with Sam was something he really liked, but. . . . Oh.
"What's wrong?" Jack asked, seeing a look of sadness pass over Daniel's face.
The archeologist went back to the refrigerator and began rummaging around inside. "Nothing."
"Didn't look like nothing to me."
Daniel got some juice from the fridge and poured himself a glass. "Want some?"
"Daniel, you should know that, whatever it is, you can tell me."
Daniel stared down into the contents of his glass. "I don't think I can father children," he murmured in a very low voice.
The statement took Jack completely by surprise. "Why do you say that?"
"Because, in spite of a year of trying, I couldn't give Sha're a baby, yet Apophis could."
"And you think that means you're sterile?" No wonder Daniel had been so determined to help the Cedarnans.
"I don't know. Maybe I'm not completely sterile, but my sperm count could be low enough that it'll be hard for me to father a child."
"I'm assuming that you haven't had this checked."
"No, I had no reason to. After Sha're died, whether or not I was . . . shooting blanks didn't really matter, not until now." Daniel bowed his head, leaning against the counter. "What if Sam wants a baby, and I can't give her one?"
Jack walked up to his friend. "Hey, don't you go making assumptions, Daniel. You don't know this for certain. You should have it checked."
"And if it turns out to be true?"
"Then you'll deal with it. There's more than one way to have children. Heck, that little kid outside proves that . . . though I wouldn't recommend cloning as an alternative."
Daniel took a drink of his juice. "Well, there's no sense in even talking about this now. Sam and I have only gone on one date. Having children together would be a long way off."
Jack snorted. "Daniel, with your track record, you and Carter will be married inside six months."
"I seriously doubt that, Jack. Sha're was a unique case, as you well know. Jacob is not Kasuf, and this is not Abydos." That's when Daniel thought about Sam's father. "Oh. We're going to have to tell Jacob, aren't we."
"Yes, that might be a good idea."
"How do you think he'll react?"
"You have nothing to worry about, Daniel. Jacob will love the idea that you're dating his daughter."
Daniel turned to him in surprise. "He will?"
"Of course he will."
"I'm not so sure."
Jack draped an arm over Daniel's shoulders. "Don't worry, Daniel. Jacob knows how close you and Carter are. He knows that you're a really good friend to her."
"Being her friend and being her. . . ."
"Lover?" Jack supplied.
Daniel shifted in discomfort at Jack's bluntness. "Those are two entirely different things, especially to a father."
"I'll tell you what, Daniel. If it turns out that Jacob isn't happy about your relationship with Carter, I'll have a little talk with him."
"Don't you dare!" Daniel exclaimed. "You just stay out of it. Sam would be mortified to have her C.O. talking to her father about our relationship, and I wouldn't be crazy about it either."
"Suit yourself. But, like I said, I really don't think it's going to be a problem."
Monday was a busy day for everyone, particularly for Daniel, who was trying to get as much work done as possible while he could. He'd be taking several days off to deal with moving. Packing up the house would begin tonight. Fortunately, he hadn't accumulated a lot of possessions since returning from ascension. A great deal of the stuff he'd had before ascending was gotten rid of in one way or another.
Danny helped as much as he could in packing the boxes that evening. By the time Daniel went to bed that night, there was a pretty decent stack sitting by the door.
The following evening, Daniel and Danny walked in the front door of O'Malley's. When they got to the door for the side room, they found a sign on it that read, "If your name is Daniel Jackson, knock then wait ten seconds before entering."
"Jack, what have you got up your sleeve?" Daniel muttered as he followed the instructions. Ten seconds later, he and Danny stepped in the room – and came to a dead stop. Instead of just his teammates, the room was packed with people, who all exclaimed, "Happy Birthday!"
Mouth hanging open, Daniel looked around at all the familiar, smiling faces. All of them were people from the SGC, with three exceptions, two of which stunned the archeologist.
"Catherine? Jon?"
Catherine Langford and Jack's clone both came forward. The elderly woman gave him a hug.
"Jack told me they were going to have a special party for your birthday and invited me." She smiled down at Danny. "I decided that it would be the perfect opportunity to meet this young man." Then she looked at Jon. "But I certainly wasn't expecting to meet this young man. That was quite a surprise. I had no idea you weren't the only person who was cloned."
Daniel turned his full attention to the teenager. "I sure wasn't expecting to see you here."
"Jack invited me. I guess he figured that I had as much right to celebrate this day as he did."
Daniel smiled. "I'm glad he did." He looked down at his own clone. "Danny, I'd like you to meet Catherine Langford. She is a very special friend of mine. If it hadn't been for her, I wouldn't have gotten into the Stargate Program."
Catherine bent over and met Danny's eyes. "I am very pleased to meet you, Danny. I'll have to tell you all about how I first met Daniel and got to know him."
Jack came up to them with a grin. "You should have seen the look on your face, Daniel. It was priceless. I'm sure glad Ferretti brought his camera."
Oh, wonderful. Daniel turned to the boy beside him. "Danny, remind me to steal Ferretti's camera and burn the film."
Jack grinned even more widely. "It's digital. The pictures will be circulating throughout the base by morning."
Daniel let out a groan.
The archeologist didn't have much time to think about the embarrassing photos before he was fully immersed in the party. Everyone was delighted to be celebrating the birthday of a friend who had come back to them, and the room was filled with laughter and animated conversation before and during the meal.
Several times, Daniel caught Sam's eyes and knew what she was thinking. They were both wishing that they could be out in the open about their relationship and not have to pretend that they were just friends around these people.
Shortly after the meal was over, Daniel left to go to the restroom. He heard a familiar voice call his name and turned to see Cassie. He waited for her to join him.
"Okay, so why isn't she here with you?" the teenager asked.
"Who? Oh, you mean the woman I'm dating?"
"Of course that's who I mean. I'd have thought she would want to be here."
"Cassie, she and I are not ready for our relationship to be made public knowledge."
"Why? Is she married or something?"
"No! Of course not."
"Then I think you should have invited her, let your friends meet her. I bet everyone would be happy to know that you have a girlfriend. I know Mom would. She's mentioned that she doesn't think you should stay alone."
Daniel stared at her. "She has?" He didn't think he liked the idea that Janet and Cassie had been talking about him like that. He pushed that thought aside. "Cassie, when the time is right, everyone will be told about the relationship."
Not waiting for the teen's response, Daniel continued to the bathroom, thinking about Cassie's statements. They were still in his mind when he returned to the party. He headed over to Sam and led her over to a corner, as far away from everyone else as they could get.
"Sam, I've been thinking."
"So have I," Sam responded.
"About the same thing?"
"I don't know. I've been thinking that, sooner or later, we're going to have to tell everyone about us. . . ."
"And this wouldn't be a bad time to do it," Daniel finished.
"Yeah."
"What about General Hammond, though? Shouldn't he be told ahead of time?"
"Normally, yes," Sam replied, "but I think he'd forgive us for not doing so. He's here at the party, so it's not like everybody else would find out before him."
Daniel nodded. "So, what do you say?"
Sam smiled. "I say let's go for it."
Daniel began to grin. "Okay, and I have the perfect way to do it."
A few minutes later, Daniel was led to the birthday cake so that he could blow out the candles.
"Speech!" Ferretti yelled, which was echoed by a few others.
Daniel looked around at all the people there. "A year ago, I wasn't here with all of you. I didn't have my friends," he looked at his teammates, who were standing beside him, "or my family. I know that some of you missed me a great deal during that year. Though the circumstances of me leaving were beyond my control, I know in my heart that coming back to all of you was not, and it is something that I will never regret doing."
Everyone in the room applauded, more than one person a bit teary-eyed.
Daniel smiled. "All of you really surprised me with this party, and, now, it's my turn to surprise you."
Sam, who had been standing next to Daniel, moved a little closer to him. The archeologist searched the crowd until he found Cassie.
"Hey, Cassie? A few days ago, you asked me a question that I wouldn't answer. Well, I'm giving you the answer now."
With those words, Daniel turned to Sam, pulled her into his arms and took her mouth in a deep kiss. With a portion of their minds, they heard a few things hitting the floor and more than one gasp, but they paid no attention to it.
When the couple finally separated and looked at the crowd, they almost burst into laughter. With the exception of Jack, Danny and Teal'c, every person in the room was gaping at them in utter shock, jaws nearly on the floor. Even Jack looked surprised, clearly not having expected them to announce their relationship in such a manner. Too bad Ferretti was too stunned to be taking pictures right now.
Grinning ear-to-ear, Daniel said, "Now, let's see about blowing out these candles." He looked down at the cake. Closing his eyes, he made a wish with all his heart that he and Sam would spend the rest of their lives together, with Danny always a part of those lives, then he took a deep breath and blew out the candles.
Several people had recovered enough to clap. Jack stepped up to the couple, fighting to keep the grin off his face.
"Well, I've gotta hand it to you. I was so not expecting that. I thought for sure that you guys would try to keep your relationship under the radar for as long as possible."
"It was a sudden decision," Daniel told him. "We figured that there really was no point in keeping it a secret."
"You do realize that, by tomorrow afternoon, everyone at the SGC will know."
"Yes, sir, we already figured that," Sam replied.
"Okay, go on and answer the million questions everyone here is dying to ask. I'll take care of cutting and serving the cake."
The first ones to descend on Daniel and Sam were Janet and Cassie.
"You-you-you sneak!" the teenager exclaimed at Daniel. "Sam?! Sam is the woman you're dating?"
Daniel grinned, putting an arm around Sam's waist. It actually felt good to do that in front of everyone. "Yes, she is."
"Cassie just told me that she knew you were dating somebody," Janet said. "So, how come I didn't know about this?"
"Did she tell you that our first date was on Saturday?"
"No. Then you two haven't been involved for long."
"No, this is pretty new to us."
The doctor smiled. "Well, though you really surprised me, it wasn't a bad surprise. In fact, I'm delighted. You're both way past due to have love in your lives, and I think that you'll be great together."
"So do I," Cassie agreed. "Though I still can't believe that the mystery woman is Sam. That just blows me away."
Danny came bounding up to them. "Did you see the look on everybody's faces when you kissed? All of their mouths were open, and their eyes got really big."
The adults laughed.
"Yes, we did see that," Daniel replied, grinning. "I thought they all looked like big fish that were out of water."
Cassie punched his shoulder. "Hey. That's not nice."
"But it is true," Sam remarked, also grinning.
"Yeah, and guess what! Somebody got a picture!" Danny crowed.
Daniel's eyes lit up. "They did? Who? I know it wasn't Ferretti, because he was doing the fish act along with everyone else."
"Whoever it is, they're liable to find their lives in danger if that picture is posted anywhere on base," Janet commented.
Danny shook his head. "Uh uh. No he won't."
"Why not?"
The boy grinned. "Because it was Teal'c. Nobody would dare try hurting him."
"Teal'c?" Daniel said in surprise. "That's right. He had one of those little disposable cameras, didn't he." He chuckled. "I can't wait to see that picture. If that one of me is going to be circulated throughout the SGC, I think it's only fair that the same be done for that photo. As soon as Teal'c gets the film developed, I'll have to scan the pictures for him."
Danny nodded, agreeing. "And he got one of you and Sam kissing, too."
"I guess he recovered from the shock a lot faster than everyone else," Sam said.
"So, he didn't already know about this? Did Colonel O'Neill?" Janet asked.
"Yes, but General Hammond didn't," Sam replied, "so I expect that he'll want to have a long talk with us."
That talk didn't happen that evening, but several others did. Jack's clone had been utterly shocked by the revelation and had a few things to say to the couple.
"Jack told me that he knew about this," he said. "Man, when you guys spring a surprise, you sure don't pull your punches. This one came right out of left field."
"It certainly did," said Catherine as she came up to them. "But I couldn't be happier. I love both of you like my own children, and I am delighted that you're together." She took their hands in hers. "I know that you will be very happy."
A few minutes later, Ferretti came up to the couple. "Well, you two really outdid yourselves this time," he said. "I did not see that coming. I don't think anyone did. Jack says that he already knew, but nobody else did. How long have you been keeping this a secret?"
"Not long," Daniel replied. "We only just started dating."
"Well, I sure wish I'd known beforehand. I'd have gotten a picture."
"Cheer up, Ferretti. I understand that Teal'c did . . . along with a picture of you and everyone else gaping at us."
"Really? I'll have to get a copy. I'd still like to get one of my own, though." He looked back and forth between them. "Come on, guys. Give each other a big smooch, will ya?"
Sam and Daniel looked at each other.
"What do you say?" Daniel asked the astrophysicist.
"Oh, why not," she responded. "The other one will end up being posted at the SGC anyway."
Ferretti grinned. "Great! Okay, hold on till I get you framed right."
He stepped back a couple of paces and looked through the viewfinder at them.
Daniel whispered in Sam's ear, "I feel like some kind of celebrity who's got a tabloid photographer hounding him."
Sam giggled. "Me too."
"Okay, guys. Any time you're ready," Ferretti said.
Daniel and Sam went into each other's arms and, ignoring the fact that they were posing for a picture, exchanged a kiss, though, much to Ferretti's disappointment, no tongues were involved in this one.
"Oh, come on! You can do better than that!" he complained after taking the picture.
"Nope. Sorry, Lou," Daniel said. "Only one French kiss per performance."
Sam snorted in amusement. She should feel embarrassed by all of this, but she was having too much fun. And she certainly wasn't going to turn down an opportunity to kiss Daniel, which had very quickly made it on her list of all-time favorite things to do. If all the women at the SGC knew he could kiss like that, she'd have a fight on her hands to keep their hands off him. As it was, the news that Daniel was no longer available would result in more than one broken heart on base, quite a few of which would be among Janet's nurses. In fact, right here at the party, Sam had noticed a couple of mournful expressions on the faces of female personnel, both of whom were women on Daniel's staff. Sam wondered if Daniel had any idea that some of his staff members felt like that about him. Probably not. For an intelligent man, he was amazingly dense when it came to his attractiveness to members of the opposite sex . . . and probably to a few members of the same sex as well.
By the time the party ended, Daniel and Sam had lost count of how many people asked about their relationship. One thing was for sure. It was going to be very interesting at work tomorrow.
