Title: Christmas with Jack's Family
Summary: Well, it's about Jack, his family, and Sam...
Pairings: S/J, Daniel/Other
Season: 8
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 does not belong to me. I make no profit from this.
Note: I am well aware Jack has no family (or believed not to, according to Fragile Balance) so this story is rather AU.
My AWESOME beta WarmTea did this! Cheers!
Jack threw open his door and sighed. He was home. Grabbing the rather thick stack of mail, he quickly went through it. Junk, Junk, Junk... He paused as he came across a letter written with a feminine hand. After a moment's deliberation, he opened it.
Dear Jack, it began.
I know you've been 'out of sync' with us ever since Charlie died. It's been ten years, Jack, and Dan and I think it's time we all get together. So, Christmas at your house this year. Don't even try to get out of it. I'll be calling you with details.
Love,
Anna
Jack dropped the letter and hurried over to his answering machine.
"This is Jack O'Neill's residence- I am doing something WAY cooler then talking to you. Leave a message!"
The automated machine took over. "You have 22 messages."
The General's eyes widened; surely he had been home sometime within the past two weeks!
"Hey, Jack, it's me, Anna. Wow, uh… friendly greeting. Um, well, I'll call you back."
He skipped through the next few.
"Jack! This is the 9th message I've left. Hope you are okay, call me."
"JACK! WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON? THIS IS MY FIFTEENTH CALL!"
He was about to erase the rest of the messages when he heard a different voice speaking.
"Jack, this is Melanie. I know you are probably still mad at me but please call Anna- she's freaking out AND she's pregnant. Come on, for her."
The next one he listened to with a small frown.
"Jack, this is Danny. Man, my wife is going nuts... it's been nearly two weeks. Just leave her message to let her know you are still alive..."
Jack deleted them. He was staring at the phone morosely when it rang. He automatically answered.
"O'Neill."
"Jack!" a relieved voice cried, "Finally! Do you know what I've been through?"
"Anna?"
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?"
Jack smiled involuntarily. His sweet, calm sister only used language when agitated. "Watch the language," he said mildly, "you've got kids around."
She sighed; he could hear a child's voice call his name. "I've been worried."
"Sorry. I was... out of the country."
"Okay..." she didn't sound very convinced but continued, "you got my letter?"
"Yes and there is no way this is going to work."
"Why not?"
It was Jack's turn to sigh, "It's just not going to, okay?"
The line was silent.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked finally.
"No!" Jack said instantly, "no, I don't. I don't think I'm up to this." He heard a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, Anna."
"Jack, the kids miss you, I miss you, we all miss you. Please?"
"Annnnnnnaaa..." he moaned. "Next year…"
"Jaacckkk... please," there was a pleading note in her voice that he couldn't resist.
"Okay."
There was a long pause. "Okay? Really?"
"Okay. When ya going to get here?"
"December 22th."
Jack looked at the calendar. "That's in... three days!"
Anna cleared her throat. "I called you a few time," she reminded him.
He rubbed his forehead. "Just your family and Melanie?"
"Um... the WHOLE family, Jack, the whole family."
Jack was quiet for a moment.
"WHAT?"
Å
Carter grabbed the ringing phone, carefully avoiding the mountain of work all over her table. "Carter." She sipped her coffee and hoped that this would be a quick call.
"Carter? It's me."
She paused, setting down her coffee and then turned her full attention to the conversation. "Sir?"
"Yep."
"What can I do for you, sir?"
"I need your help."
"With what?" she asked curiously. Her CO had rarely asked for her help.
"Shopping."
That made her stop for a second. "Shopping?"
"Shopping," he confirmed.
"For whom?"
"My family."
She stared at the phone. Now she was sure she was mishearing… "Family, sir?"
"Yeah." There was a small paused. "Guess I've never mentioned them."
"Sara's family, sir?" she tried slowly.
"No! My family."
She paused again. "I didn't know you had any, sir."
"Well, I do."
"How many?"
He took a deep breath. "Siblings? Six."
There was a long period of silence. "Six?"
"Five are married and all five have at least one child, most of them have two or more."
"Low twenties, sir?"
He counted on his fingers. "I think the total is twenty-nine."
"Oh."
"I just need help with the girls," he assured her. "I-"
"How many are there?"
Jack sighed and mentally counted. "Um… Ellie has one daughter, Emma. Jennifer only has boys. Maya has three: Italia, Tabitha, and Wylie. Anna has two: Gabrielle and Shareese. Melanie has a girl, Nicole. Those are just-"
"Uh, sir?" she interrupted.
"Yeah?"
"How come you can remember all that and not Daniel's birthday?"
That was the last thing he had expected her to say but so Carter-ish. "I uh…"
"It was a joke, sir."
"Oh. Right."
She laughed, "I'll be right over, sir."
He hung up, a small face flitting around his mouth.
Å
Knock Knock
Jack raised an eyebrow. Carter had been fast. He pulled the door open expecting to see his second-in-command but encountering a young looking women, dressed in jeans and a denim jacket, with a bundle in her arm... "Melanie?"
The woman shifted. "Hi, Jack. Long time, no see."
Jack's gaze was drawn to the object in her arms. "Where'd you get that?" he demanded.
She glared at him and brought the infant closer to her. "That happens to be my baby," she said in an icy tone.
He blinked rapidly. "I didn't know you were pregnant," he said in an injured tone. "And Anna never called me."
"For good reason. The family here yet?"
Jack looked at his watch. "I got off the phone… twenty minutes ago. I just agreed to this… thing."
A look of confusion flashed across her face. "Anna called me four days ago and said it was a go so I flew in."
"I just got off-"
"You said," she interrupted. "Can I come in?"
He reluctantly stepped inside. She pushed past him and dropped her bags in the living room. "Do you have a place that I could put him?" she asked, gesturing to the sleeping baby.
"What's his name?" Jack inquired quietly.
"Nicholas," she replied reluctantly.
"Nicholas," he echoed thoughtfully. "Nick O'Neill?"
"Nick Shanahan." Melanie snapped.
Jack vaguely recognized the last name. "You didn't tell me you were married, Mel."
She stiffed. "I'm MelANIE and I'm not."
Jack looked at her, astonishment written over his face. "You're… not…?"
"We divorced four months ago," Melanie said quietly.
"Does Anna know?" he demanded.
She shook out her long, brown hair. "No."
"Jennifer?"
She sighed.
"Zack?"
"No one knows except you."
"You concealed the fact you were pregnant, married and had a child for over a year?"
"Jack, give me a place to put him 'fore I drop him," Melanie pleaded, lowering the sleeping child onto couch. "I'm tired. I want to nap."
Jack shook his head. "We need to tal-"
There was a knock on the door.
"Oh for cryin' out loud," he muttered, standing up. "That's Carter."
"Carter?" Melanie questioned with interest, looking at her brother. "Who's... she? He?"
"She is my 2IC," Jack replied, "Put the kid in my room while I get the-"
The door opened. "Hello? Sir?"
It gets funnier!
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