Jack frowned. “What about protecting the ships?”
“It’s a temporary stop measure just for this mission,” she admitted. “Maybe two ships zap the group and two other ships protect. Once we have this problem under control, we’ll have more time to make a proper adjustment.”
“Alright,” Jack said. Even the fish in his head had been silenced into thoughtful contemplation. It certainly wasn’t what the Ancients had planned for their little toy. “Take Daedalus to experiment on. Hermiod should be able to help get it set up. And don’t forget we’re going to Cassie’s tonight.”
There was a knock at the door and Jerrie stuck her head in.
“Sir? Lord Atis standing in the living room.”
“Tell him I’ll be right there,” Jack told Jerrie. “Don’t know why. I’ll see you later,” he told Sam.
Any Mulakma could come in and say they were so-and-so, it was a little tricky telling one adult male Mulakma from another, but this one had a more superior glint in his eyes than most of the others. Not that the newly clad Olivia was at all cowed as she attempted to tug on one titanium claw that was about as long as her arm.
“Atis, how’s the family?” Jack greeted him. Jerrie squeezed by and placed a glass bowl on the floor in front of the winged alien. He thanked her and dipped his large, powerful beak into the iced tea.
“The little ones are a handful. Their fledgling feathers are being replaced with their colors.” Atis wiggled a bright blue chin feather at Olivia. She grinned and made a snatch at it. “It makes them cranky.”
“I hear ya, bro,” Jack said with a sigh. “Olivia’s still cutting teeth. She steals the dog’s bone, the dog steals her binky…. it isn’t a pretty picture.”
Atis considered Jack’s words and decided that it would take too much time to translate. “I apologize for coming so unannounced,” he said instead. “May we speak?”
“Sure,” Jack said and waved Atis into his office. He turned back to the living room and picked up Atis’ tea. Talons were not conducive to picking up human made bowls or cups.
While Atis arranged himself in a sunny spot under the window, Jack relaxed in his chair, leaning back and setting his feet on the desk.
“From the suddenness of the visit, I’m thinking something’s come up,” he commented.
“It has,” Atis said. “I tried discussing it with the council, and they brushed me off. To be honest, I’m not sure who I can trust. I believe there is something very wrong on Taklede, but others doubt my word due, mainly I think, from our long history of aggression.”
“You think something’s going on with Karoly?” Jack asked, watching the multifaceted emerald eyes.
“I do,” Atis said with a nod. Blue and green breast feathers ruffled in irritation. “He has been most…. agreeable.”
Jack’s eyebrows went up. “You’re suspicious because he’s been agreeable? Atis, what am I supposed to do with that?”
“You don’t understand,” Atis told him. He stood and paced, taking up a great deal of what little space there was. “Karoly has never agreed with anything a Mulakma has said. If I said our star was red, which it is, he’d disagree with me just to argue which hue. And since our planets have different atmospheres which alters the hue depending on which planet you are viewing the star from, well, you can see how pointless the argument is.”
Jack stared at him. “Okay, you’re going to have to give me something else to go on,” he said. “Atis, I argue with Daniel all the time over dumb crap. What else have you got for me?”
“He has been asking us for DNA specimens and information on our genetics and population.”
Karoly of Taklede was a pissy little man with no interest in anything other than propriety and a decent wine. Jack took his comm out of his drawer to give it a tap. “Hey, who’s online?”
A moment later, he heard, “This is Gibil.”
“I need Inanna. Could you phone home and ask her to check in?” Much to Jack’s annoyance, the fish in his head began to tell him how to build an interstellar communications unit. Jack put it on pause.
“Jack, she’s with the Tok’ra in the Aschen sector,” he heard Ninurta say. “Can I help you?”
“Are you nearby?”
“There are a few answers to that question; I’m in Cairo giving a lecture, so I am on Earth. I can be available in about an hour and beam over to you then, if that will work.”
“It works. See you then.” He tossed the comm back into his desk drawer. “Let me check into it,” he told Atis. “There is something going on out there, but I’ll be surprised if it’s gotten this far.”
Atis arched back to the SGC and gated home while Jack waited for Ninurta.
Ninurta showed up soon after Jack went through reports while Olivia played quietly on the rug in his office. The warrior had shed his leathers and was dressed in Arab robes. Olivia grinned at him and held out an alphabet block to share.
“What’s going on?” he asked, picking the baby up for a cuddle. She pulled on his beard, pleased with herself.
“Atis told the council about certain concerns and no one paid attention?” Jack questioned.
“Yes,” Ninurta nodded. “And we didn’t not pay attention, we simply felt that he was….”
“He had a valid issue,” Jack informed him. “Linea somehow got rid of the naquadah zing while she was messing with cells. We got Goa’uld running around and the Tok'ra can’t sense them. When would Karoly ever want to know about DNA and population numbers?”
To give him credit, Ninurta did pale, rocked by the information. He put Olivia on the rug before he dropped her.
“Jack, we….”
“I want someone to take a scanner and see if Karoly is holding a passenger. If he is, put him in seclusion until he can be questioned. I want every single member of the council tested. The only snakes I want to see are in the Tok’ra and our own Jaffa. And put Taklede under quarantine. Yesterday, garradum.” Startled at the Ancient ‘warrior', Ninurta acknowledged and beamed to his own ship.
Before he left for Cassie’s house, he had the ships locked down and begin a scan of all bodies on board. He called HomeSec with the orders to scan everyone, just in case. Paul called soon after and requested permission to arch to the house. After agreeing, Jack found himself looking at Paul standing in front of him and SF holding a zat on him.
“What’s going on?” Jack asked, carefully watching the SF.
“I’m sorry, sir, but you’ve been in contact with off-worlders,” Paul said, daring to stop him. “I’d just like to scan you.”
Jack gave a nod. “I understand, Colonel. Perfectly reasonable.”
Once assured that Jack was snake-free, as well as Jerrie and Olivia, Paul dismissed the SF.
“No need, Colonel,” Jack said, holding up a hand to stop another apology. “You were right to do that.”
“Thank you, sir. If you don’t mind, I’ll go with you and scan the others myself. Oh, and Cassie called. She said if you stall her wedding because of an invasion, she will personally levitate you to the top of the Himalayas. Daniel’s threats were of a more personal nature.”
Jack smirked. “Well, so far she hasn’t been able to lift anything heavier than she could by hand which leaves me out, and as for Daniel –if he thinks he can carry out his threats, I’ll let him.”
Just before they walked out the door, the arch lit up to announce incoming traffic. Sam walked through a moment later.
“Hi, honey,” she said and pecked his mouth. “Paul…. what are you doing?” Paul was looking at her through the scanner and came closer.
“Uh, sir?” Jack went to him and looked over his shoulder. He squinted, frowned, and took the scanner from Paul, kneeling in front of Sam and her stomach.
“What?” she asked, suddenly worried. She put her hands to her belly.
“I think I need a chair,” Jack said hoarsely, pale and about to hyperventilate. Paul put a chair under him and handed the scanner to Sam.
“
Maybe you’d like to find a mirror and take a look,” he suggested. She took the scanner and went quickly into the bathroom. A moment later there was a squeak and she came rushing out, throwing her arms around Jack’s neck.
“Two!” she yelled. “We have two!”
Paul put the scanner on her again.
“That’s pretty cool,” he had to admit, looking at the two incredibly tiny skeletons nestled together in her lower abdomen.
“Let’s go find Daniel,” she begged Jack. He agreed as he reached into his pocket for a pill.
Jack drove extra carefully all the way to Cassie’s house, much to Sam’s annoyance, and Paul followed with a couple of SF. Maggie greeted them when they got out in front of the house. She was tossing a ball with David.
“Hi, Mom,” Jack pecked her cheek. “Where’s Daniel?”
“Inside keeping Cassandra calm,” she told him. “How are we?”
“We’re fine,” he assured her. He took her hand and called to the kids as they went inside. Daniel was doing something with grilled cheese sandwiches. Adding tomatoes and ham, it looked like. Cassie’s comfort food.
“Since you’re here, things must be better,” Daniel said, seeing them enter. He leaned over the grill and accepted the peck to his mouth.
“Oh, you have no idea,” Jack said. He handed a scanner to Daniel. “Take a look,” he said, gesturing toward Sam. Daniel wiped his hands and then took the scanner, wondering what Jack was up to. He swept the scanner over Sam. He paused, looked up at them, and then back to the scanner. Maggie was looking over his shoulder and drew a sudden, sharp breath. Daniel tossed the scanner and swept Sam up into his arms with a loud yip. He almost dropped her in his anxiety.
“Did I hurt you? Are you alright? Sit! Do you need anything? Should we call the doctor?!”
“Daniel!” Sam took his face and kissed him, laughing at him. “I’m fine. Relax.”
Jack caught the scanner and held it for the kids. Katie and Stacey quickly rushed in to peck Sam on the cheek while Jack carefully explained to Davy what they were looking at.
“There’s two babies inside Aunt Sam?” Davy asked, looking from the scanner to Sam’s stomach.
“Yup,” Jack said with a nod. “Two babies are called twins.”
“Oh. Are they girls or boys?” Davy asked.
“We don’t know yet,” Jack said. The trout began to show him diagrams again. “This can only show us their bones. Maybe in a couple more weeks the doctor can tell us if they’re girls or boys. Maybe one of each.”
“That would be nice,” Davy considered out loud. He went to Sam and put his face next to her stomach, giving the Bump a pat. “I love you, babies!” he said loudly into her belly button. He put two airy kisses on the Bump.
Maggie was weepy and hugged Sam. Cassie came down from upstairs and took the scanner that was held out to her. She screeched and also hugged Sam. She then turned and glared at Jack, hands on her hips and jaw thrust out.
“My fiancé is at the SGC,” she informed him. “I cannot get married without him and forget that old telephone marriage like in old war movies.” She held out a hand and her cell phone flew into it from across the room. She held it out to Jack.
He slowly took the phone from her, keeping his distance. “Alright, alright, Witchy-poo, just chill.” He dialed the SGC. “This is O’Neill, give me Gen. Landry. Hank, please send Maj. Harper home before this woman of his turns me into a toad.” He hung up and put the phone carefully on the table. “Are we happy now?”
“Yes, we are,” she said, turning with a flounce and heading back to her room to continue working on her plans.
Jack groaned and rubbed his face. “God, please let her get married only once,” he begged.
“We have three more girls to get rid of, possibly two on the way,” Daniel reminded him. “Let’s hope at least one of them elopes.”
Stacey thought about it and counted on her fingers. “But, Daddy, isn’t it five already? What about Matty and Davy?”
“They’re boys, honey,” Jack told her. “Shove them into tuxes, give ‘em a bachelor party, and they’ll never remember the wedding.” The women gave him a look. Jack backed away and grabbed Daniel.
“Come with me,” he whispered. “We’re surrounded.”
Family concerns took over and Jack forced himself to push politics and aliens to a back-burner. Harper came home and calmed Cassie while he sent Jack a silent look of appreciation. Jack had to admit that Harper was an okay person; a little cocky, but he was good for Cassie. Harper was certainly trust-worthy so Jack grumbled and told himself to quit being a pill and give the man a break. They got the kids together and headed out for home. Nanna passed out kisses and gave Jack a worried look; she knew something new was going on with him and he couldn’t tell her.
It was his kids that soothed his mind and heart when they got home, playing on the floor with the younger ones, crawling playfully across the floor to Sam and worshipping the Bump, and giving horsy rides to Olivia. Once she was tired out, Jerrie took her and got her ready for bed. Jack sat on the floor, leaning back against the couch while he caught his breath. Fingers combed through his hair, caressing his scalp.
“We have birthdays coming up,” Daniel commented. Stacey snuggled into his side and he kissed her brow. “Twelve and fifty-six. Are we doing a party at home or dinner out?”
“Can I have a party and invite friends from school?” Stacey asked, tilting her head up to look at him.
“Yes, you may,” Daniel said, feeling a slight nod under his hand and seeing the acceptance in Sam’s eyes across from him. “How about ten?”
“Okay,” Stacey readily agreed. “I didn’t have friends before; I hope people will come.”
Daniel hugged her. “They will,” he promised.
“We can do a family dinner, but I want a date with the both of you,” Jack said, raising a hand. “I don’t care where as long as it’s out of town.”
“Can I have a date, too?” Stacey asked. Jack tilted his head back. “My birthday is first and then your birthday. Can’t you and me have a date in the middle of our birthdays?”
“It’s you and I, and yes, that’s a very good idea,” Jack told her. “Alright, Miss Jackson, I would be honored to take you on a date.”
The kids were sent to get ready for bed. The adults relaxed in the nightly routine of listening to the kids stomp around and complain about their bedtime. Davy came down the stairs in his pajamas and straddled Jack’s lap, looking at him with quiet concern. Jack knew that look.
“I’m fine, buddy,” he told the boy and gave him a hug. “I have a lot of new stuff in my head and I just need time to adjust to it.”
“Okay,” Davy nodded. He passed out goodnights and went back upstairs.
“Are you alright?” Daniel asked once they went into their own room. Jack tossed his shirt onto a chair.
“I will be,” Jack told him. “It would have been better if I had time to adjust before the planet began to wig out.”
“Is there anything you could do if current laws weren’t in place?” Sam asked, wiping skin cleanser from her face.
“Honey, that damned fish in my head wants me to leave the primates alone and let them deal with their own primitive natures. I won’t do it and yet I need to stand back and let things happen as they happen.”
“You need to witness,” Daniel clarified.
Jack agreed. He stepped into the shower, quickly rinsed off, and got out again within five minutes. He dried off, got into his pajamas, and slid into bed, curling into Daniel’s back and reaching beyond to caress Sam’s belly.
“What’s being done about China?” Daniel asked quietly.
“I don’t know,” Jack said. “I haven’t heard back about my offer. There is nothing HomeSec can do. We’re about aliens and nothing else; we can’t go outside jurisdiction, if I did I’d be no better than that shit who killed Tien.”
Daniel took his hand and held it to his chest. “I know, Jack.”
&n
bsp; “The offer of Yu’s planet is a good one,” Sam told him. “He’d be crazy not to take it. Several groups have been arguing for their own planet.”
“If we can get China off world, it would relieve tensions,” Jack said. “That country is too big. They are their own world population and their own worst enemy.”
He touched Sam’s stomach again and leaned over Daniel’s hip to kiss the Bump. Sam snuffled in amusement and stroked his hair. He took the scanner from the side table and looked at their babies again.
“I cannot believe how tiny they are,” he murmured. The Bump was still barely noticeable; unless someone knew she was pregnant, they’d probably take the small curve as a couple extra pounds of feminine roundness. “When will they start moving?” he asked.
“Few more weeks,” Sam said. “This is only the ninth week, give them time to grow a little more.”
Jack put the scanner back on the table and curled into Daniel again. His stomach twinged and he reached for two pills, slipping one into Daniel’s mouth and then his own.
“I’m sorry,” Sam said, her eyes twinkling in humor.
“I’m not,” Jack said. Daniel echoed him.
While they relaxed into sleep, Jack’s mind continued to be busy. He hadn’t been sleeping as long as normal, maybe a few hours a night. Most of the time was spent with his brain talking to him and reviewing events. He could see why more advanced civilizations didn’t want them to have weapons –they were barely out of the Dark Ages and still playing with fire. He had to trust that heads open to the leaping process would prevail. The next couple hundred years or so would make or break the Tau’ri.
Most of the country was still arguing about the new customs that had begun to permeate Colorado Springs. More and more people were coming out of various closets, brains were being used to greater capacity, children were being allowed to stretch their minds, and, much to the fear of the clergy, more and more people were discovering handfastings and forgoing the traditional marriage ceremony of a man and a woman. Petitions were being sent to the state capitol, insisting that marriage laws be changed. Most didn't understand that the federal government was bound by the US Constitution, and that each state had to vote in their own laws before Washington could do anything. Local troops had, for the most part, accepted it mostly due to the example Jack was setting and the fact that locals had more contact with aliens with whom same-gender situations were more commonplace. Jack reminded himself that it took a while for pebbles in a pond to send their energy outward.
Unification: The Anunnaki Unification Book 5 Page 27
