Disclaimers in part 1
*********
"Jon!" Jack called, "I want to talk to you!"
"Leave me alone," Jon wheezed. I don't want to talk to you!" Just then he stopped, doubled over, trying to catch his breath. Jack placed his hand on his back, but Jon shrank from his touch. "Don't touch me!"
Jack could tell he was crying, but doing his best to hide it. Jon sat down on the grass, still breathing hard as Jack sat a few feet away from him.
"Go away, Jack! I don't want to talk to you!" Jon managed between gasps.
Jack was silent for a moment, trying to decide how he was going to explain things to Jon without putting him on the defensive. Of course he'd feel the need to protect his mother, and his father as well. But deep down, he knew Jon cared about him too, and the boy was being torn in several different directions.
"Remember when I first met you at the hospital and you asked if your mom and I were friends?" Jack asked. Jon was looking away from him, rubbing his eyes.
Taking his silence as a confirmation, Jack continued. "You remember saying that I must have loved your mom to make a baby with her? Well, you're right I did. I was mad at her for leaving, for not telling me about you, but when I calmed down, I realized I did love your mom, all those years ago."
"You're not supposed to like her like that," Jon said, still looking away from Jack. "Only my dad can like her like that!"
"Jon, if I'd had the courage to face what I felt about your mom back then, I'd be your dad."
"But you're not!" he cried, facing Jack for the first time. You're my biological father, but you're not my dad!"
It seemed strange to hear such a large term coming from him. Jon said he understood what it meant, but Jack wondered if Jon really understood that he'd had sex with his mother and he was the result. But Jon did have a point--in all ways that were important, Jeff was Jon's father, and Jack found himself fighting his own jealousy.
"You're right, I'm not. I wasn't here for all the big events in your life, and you don't know how much I wish I had been. That's why I was so mad at your mom when I first got here. Because I wasn't able to see you grow up, to take your first steps, hear your first words."
"You don't seem too mad at her now," Jon said, turning away once more.
"You're right. I'm not. Jon, you know what a great person your mom is. I can't stay mad at her. I tried," Jack smiled.
Jon turned back to Jack, "you wanted to stay mad at my mom?"
"Yeah, but she makes it hard, ya know?"
"Yeah, I know," Jon answered, nodding his head in agreement.
"Just like you want to be mad at her now, but you can't because you love her." Jack watched as Jon took another swipe at his eyes.
"That's kinda how it was with me." There was a silence, then Jack continued. "Look, I know you're upset because I was doing something with your mom that I shouldn't, but don't be mad at her. I'm the one you should be mad at."
"But I don't want to be mad at you either, Jack!"
"You're scared," Jack guessed.
"Yeah."
"How come?"
"'Cause my friend, Steve, his parents got divorced, and it started when he saw his new dad kissing his mom." Jon's voice was barely above a whisper. "Then his parents were fighting all the time. I don't want that to happen to my mom and dad!" he wailed, looking up at Jack.
Jack scooted closer to Jon, wrapping his arm around his shoulders in a hug. "I know, Sport."
"If I hadn't gotten sick. . ."
"Ah! Don't say it!" Jack said, holding up a warning finger. "Anything that happens with your mom or dad or me has nothing to do with you or getting sick, do you understand me?" Jack hadn't meant for his tone to be so harsh, but he couldn't let Jon think he was responsible in any way.
"If you say so," Jon said, sitting up from Jack, but not pushing him away.
"Look, I know getting sick has been the worst thing that's ever happened to you, and I wouldn't wish it on anybody. But there is a good side to it."
"There is?"
"Yeah, if you hadn't needed that bone marrow, I might never have met you, and that would have been worse than you getting sick. I know you don't think of me as your dad, and that's fine, I understand that, but I want you to know, I think of you as my son." Jack's voice caught on his last words.
"Really?"
"Yeah, really," Jack said, reaching over and ruffling Jon's hair.
"I had another son, once," Jack admitted quietly.
"You did?" Jon's voice was incredulous. "I had a brother?"
"Yeah," Jack said, looking down, toying with the blades of grass between his knees. "His name was Charlie, and he'd be, oh, about twenty-four now, I guess."
"Wow. That's old."
Jack couldn't help but smile. "Ya, real old."
"What happened to him, Jack?"
Even after all these years, the memory was still painful. "He, ah, he had an accident with my gun. He was playing with it and shot himself."
"Mom won't let a gun be in the house, and I don't think my dad likes them either. I heard them fighting about them once. Something about how guns always cause accidents no matter where they are."
Jack raised his eyebrows and shrugged. While he'd never have a gun in his home again, he did feel they were necessary in certain situations. However, he wasn't going to get into a gun control debate with a ten year-old.
Suddenly switching topics once more, Jon asked, "are you going to take my mom away from my dad?"
Jack blew out a breath, unsure how to answer. "Let me ask you a question. You want your mom to be happy, right?"
"Yeah, 'course I do."
"And if she had to choose between your dad and me, you'd want her to pick the guy she'd be the happiest with, wouldn't you?"
Jon thought about it a minute, then said, "I guess."
"Well, your mom might have to make that choice, Jon. I told you I love her. And I do, but your dad loves her too. I guess she has to decide who she loves the most."
Tears started welling up in Jon's eyes. "What if she goes with you? Will I ever see my dad again?"
"Of course you would! Your dad will always be your dad. You'd just have me too."
"But if my mom chooses my dad, will I see you?"
Jack started playing with the grass again. "Probably not as much. I'd probably go back to Colorado if that happens."
"I don't want you to go, Jack!" Jon cried, launching himself into Jack's arms, hugging him tight.
Jack hugged him back, feeling his own emotions surfacing in his eyes. "I don't want to go," he said. "But I don't want to cause trouble for your mom and if I stayed here, I would." Jack released him, brushing the hair from his forehead, a gesture he'd seen Sam do on several occasions.
"Whaddya say we go find your mom and Kelsey? They're probably gettin' worried."
"Okay. Jack?"
"Yeah, Buddy?"
"I'm sorry I stompted on the hat you gave me."
Jack placed his arm around Jon's shoulders again. "That's okay. I'm sure we can straighten it out." He only hoped the rest of their problems could be straightened so easily.
*********
Sam watched Jack and Jon walking toward the swing set Kelsey was playing on. Giving her daughter one last push, she waited for them to join her. Jack had his arm around Jon as they made their way over to the table they'd had lunch at, picking up Jon's discarded hat. Jack reshaped it, placing it on his head with a heavy hand, prompting Jon to remove it and settle it on his head himself. They both were smiling, so Sam assumed everything had gone well. Giving an audible sigh of relief, Sam helped Kelsey off the swing and headed in Jack and Jon's direction.
"Hi," she said tentatively, looking from Jack to Jon. "Everything okay?"
"I think so," Jack smiled, putting his hand on Jon's back. "Jon, don't you have something you'd like to say to your mother?"
Jon dug his shoe into the grass, scuffing it back and forth. "Yeah," he said, watching his foot rather than look at his mother. "I'm sorry, mom." He looked up then and said, "I'm sorry I said I hated you. I didn't mean it."
Sam crouched down, enveloping him in a hug. "It's okay, Honey. I didn't think you meant it."
"Why were you mad, Jon?" Kelsey asked. "That wasn't nice to tell momma you hated her!"
"I know, Kelsey. I'm sorry. Lets go play on the swings, okay?"
"Okay!" Kelsey called. "Race ya!"
"Kelsey? What did I tell you about racing Jon?" Sam called.
The girl's face fell. "Oh, yeah," she said dejectedly.
"I can still beat you walking!" Jon challenged.
"Can not!"
"Can too!"
Sam shook her head as she watched her children make their way across the park. " I swear, those two sound just like you and Daniel!"
"Do not!" Jack chimed in, causing Sam to laugh out loud.
"Do too!" she added, just for good measure. "Seriously, that brings me to what I was going to tell you before all hell broke loose."
"That Daniel and I fought like little kids?"
"No," she said, slapping his arm. "I'm going to take the kids to see Daniel and Janet before Kelsey starts school. I want you to come too."
"Okay," Jack said, looking surprised. "Does this mean you're trying to get us all back together for some kinda reunion?"
"No," she said, taking his hand in hers. Sam took a deep breath. "It means I've thought about it. A lot, actually. I've decided I'm going to leave Jeff. I wanted to take the kids away. Maybe telling them someplace else will make it easier for them to hear. I don't know. I guess I thought if they weren't in the home they've grown up in, it might be easier for them to take. What do you think?"
"About where to tell them? I don't know that the location makes any difference, Sam. This is gonna be hard on them wherever you do it. You probably guessed that's what Jon and I talked about," he said.
"I figured."
"He's scared, Sam. He doesn't want to lose his dad, his family."
Sam stood up from the picnic table where they'd taken a seat, pacing before him. "I know, I know. That's why this is so hard! Damn it Jack! If this was just about you and me I wouldn't be having such a hard time! Sure, I'd feel awful about leaving my husband, but not as bad as I do now! I feel so selfish!"
Jack stood, taking her in his arms, but Sam noticed he didn't do more than give her a hug. She was actually grateful he didn't hold her closer. The last thing she needed was her kids getting upset again.
"Sam, you're not being selfish! You don't think your happiness has an effect on your kids, too? Okay, maybe I'm a little biased in this situation, but sometimes what's best for you is what's best for them, too. If I thought you'd be happy, or could maybe be happy with Jeff, I'd leave. It wouldn't be easy, but if it was the right thing, I'd do it. I don't think Jeff is the right thing for you. If you were meant to be together, my showing up here wouldn't have made any difference. But it did. I'm not saying I wouldn't have fallen in love with you all over again, but you would have told me there was no chance we could be together. You never said that. I could tell the moment I met you guys at the airport you weren't happy."
"Well, those were hardly ideal circumstances to meet us under!"
"Okay, I'll give you that, but if you had such a good marriage, Jeff wouldn't have been threatening me even before I met Jon. You both knew, even then, that you were just going through the motions."
Sam walked away from him, wrapping her arms around her waist. "You're right. I told you I'd thought about leaving him before you showed up. I guess I'm just feeling more guilty now. I mean what kind of mother divorces her kid's father when one of them is sick?"
"Sam," Jack said, coming up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders, "I know this is going to be one of the hardest things you've ever done, but I really think you're doing the right thing. Like I said, if I thought Jeff truly loved you and wasn't just holding onto you for whatever reason, I wouldn't be pushing for you to do this. It *is* what's best for all of you."
Sam sighed, nodding her head. "I know. It's just going to be so hard to tell him, and them."
"I'll be with you, you know that."
"I'd appreciate you helping me tell the kids, but you have to promise me you'll let me tell Jeff on my own. If you're there, it'll just make things worse."
Jack ran a hand through his hair, but agreed. "Okay, Sam. You know what's best. When are you going to tell him?"
"The kids have a birthday party at their cousin's tomorrow. Cheryl's oldest boy. Anyway, I'm going to pack our stuff, and tell Jeff then. I've already asked him if he could come home early tomorrow. I figured I could tell him, then give him the week to think about things. Cool off, actually."
"That sounds like a good idea. You know, regardless, it's going to be good to see Daniel and Janet again. I've never even seen their kids!"
"Oh, they're great, and they all get along so well with Kelsey and Jon. I just wish they lived closer. I called Janet yesterday, and she says she can't wait to see us."
"You tell her about what's goin' on?"
"A little. When I mentioned your name, she pretty much had it all figured out."
"Never could get much passed her," Jack agreed.
Sam took a deep breath. "You know, now that I've decided I'm going to do this, I feel better? Oh, I'm sure I'll be nervous as hell tomorrow, but I feel good about this. You're right. It is the right thing to do. Thank you." She smiled up at him, truly happy.
"For what?"
"For being you." Sam slipped her hand in his, leading him in the direction she'd seen Jon and Kelsey go.
Jack stopped and pulled on her hand slightly, stopping her from moving forward. Sam turned around, giving him a quizzical look.
"What?"
"I just wanted to tell you how much I love you, Sam."
"Oh, Jack," she said, winding her arms around him, not caring if Jon and Kelsey were nearby or not. "I love you, too. I couldn't get through this without you."
"You better be marrying me when this is all through," he said.
Sam pulled back, looking him in the eye. "That's it? That's your proposal?"
"Well, I can't exactly get down on one knee when they're as bad as they are," he grinned.
"Some excuse," she said, pulling away from him. She tried to hide her smile, but wasn't very successful.
"Well, I suppose I could have done the whole flowers/candlelight/romantic dinner thing, but that's just so cliché," he smiled.
Sam punched him in the arm. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Marry me?" Jack's expression was so serious, Sam felt her eyes welling up. It wasn't quite the romantic proposal she'd fantasized about for years, but it *was* one hundred percent Jack O'Neill.
"You have to ask?"
*********
Sam took one more look at the duffel bags sitting on her couch. She'd packed clothes for the kids and herself, plus a fourth bag filled with toys and games. The trouble with flying was the length of time they had to sit still. Jon wasn't a problem, especially lately, but Kelsey was hard pressed to sit in a seat more than five minutes. Still, this would be her first flight, so perhaps the novelty of the plane ride would help keep her entertained.
Sam turned around, about to retrieve one more toy when she saw Jeff standing in the living room, watching her.
"God, Jeff! You scared me half to death! How long have you been there?"
"Long enough to figure out you're going somewhere. Taking the kids and running away with Jack?"
Sam felt nervous tension knot in her stomach. It wasn't far from the truth. "No, I'm not. Do you think I'd ask you to come home if I was planning to 'run away,' as you put it?"
Jeff just glared at her. "So, where are the kids, anyway?"
"They're at Cheryl's. I told you about the birthday party this morning."
"Right," he said, distracted. "What's going on, Sam?"
Taking a deep breath, smoothing down her T-shirt, Sam looked up at him. "I'm taking the kids and going to see Daniel and Janet. After the way the summer's been, I thought we could all use a break before Kelsey starts kindergarten."
"And you didn't think about asking me to go?"
"Jeff, you've been telling me all summer how busy you are. I thought it would just be better if it was me and the kids."
"And O'Neill? Is he going too?"
Sam looked down at her hands that were twisting near her waist. This wasn't how she'd planned on telling him Jack was coming with her. "Yeah, he is. He's friends with Daniel and Janet too."
"And I suppose I'm not? Well I guess not like you all are. All that top secret military stuff made you guys 'bond,' right?"
"Yeah, that had a lot to do with it," Sam agreed.
"I'm so God-damned sick of all this military shit! So I just get pushed by the wayside, while O'Neill just steps in and takes my place?" Sam stared at him. How was it he made even her going on vacation about the military?
Sam had no idea it was going to be this hard. She'd been so incensed over his behavior lately, she thought it would be easy to look him in the eye and tell him she was leaving, and not coming back.
"Jeff," Sam said, taking a step closer, "Jack's not going to take your place. You're always going to be Kelsey and Jon's father. Nothing is going to change that."
"You don't even have the decency to deny it?" Jeff screamed at her. "I'm surprised you didn't just leave a note on top of the divorce papers!"
"Jeff, this doesn't have to be this way! We can still be friends! Why are you making things so hard on yourself?"
"Oh, *I'm* making this hard on myself?! I should just let you go? Hold the door for you on the way out? Maybe you'd like me to drive you to the airport?"
"Stop it, Jeff! You know what I mean!" Sam turned away, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. Screaming at each other wasn't going to accomplish anything. Turning back to face him, she lowered her voice.
"You know things haven't been right between us for a long time. Jon's getting sick just forestalled the inevitable."
"You're wrong! If O'Neill hadn't shown up, I know we could have made things work!"
It was his same argument--blaming Jack for the inadequacies of their marriage. "Jeff, we've been over this. I was feeling this way before Jack showed up, you know that," she sighed. "Besides, do you think I would have had such a hard time calling him if that's what I had planned? The most I was hoping for was for him to be civil so Jon could get his transplant!"
"Well, he certainly was a lot more than civil, wasn't he? How long did it take before you two were laughing over old times? A day? Two? There couldn't have been too much animosity between you! And you certainly weren't just being 'civil' in these," he said, going to his jacket, retrieving a packet of photos. Tossing them on the coffee table, they spread out in fan, a visual chronological record of her meetings with Jack. There were pictures of them having coffee at the hospital; her helping Jack move; telephoto shots of the two of them in Jack's bedroom; even pictures of them in the park yesterday.
Sam looked up from the pictures, her mouth falling open. "You *did* have me followed?"
"I don't know why it comes as such a surprise. I told Jack to be wary for cameras. I thought for sure he would have told you," he said almost indifferently. "Maybe you're not as close as you'd like to think."
Sam remembered Jack mentioning the conversation, and the threats Jeff had made to her, but she never thought he was truly serious!
"I like this one the best," he said, picking up a hazy shot that had been enlarged several times to show a man and woman locked in a passionate embrace. Even with the distortion, it was obvious she was the woman and Jack was the man. "Of course this one would look better in your family album. Not any less passionate, but the resolution is better."
Sam looked at the picture in Jeff's hand. It was from the park. It must have been when Jack first kissed her. When they'd sent the kids for ice cream, for neither one of them seemed aware of the world beyond the other. Sam found herself blushing before her outrage kicked in.
"You BASTARD! How could you do this to me?!" Sam screamed, slapping him across the face as hard as she could.
Jeff's hand came up, touching the red mark her hand had left on his cheek. "How can *I* do this to *you*? You little whore! You're fucking your ex-boss and you have the nerve to call *me* a bastard? I had every right to have you followed! I have my family and my reputation to think about!"
"Oh, yeah, stooping to having your wife followed speaks of your 'sterling' reputation! If I'm such an embarrassment to you and your family, why don't you just 'cut your losses' and let me go? You know I won't make trouble for you. I don't want anything of yours."
"Except for my kids! Fine, Sam. Go. Leave. Run to your lover, but the kids stay here. You leave them and I'll drive you over to O'Neill's personally.
Sam knew he'd use this argument against her. It was one of the reasons she made sure the kids where out of the house when she broke the news to Jeff. She had to calm down. Jeff was using her anger against her, trying to get her to say or do something rash. For all she knew he had the house bugged as well!
"Jeff, I'm just taking them on vacation. You'll see them when I come back," she said evenly.
"And what about you? Are you going to come back as well?"
"Jeff, you know this is pointless. If I have to spell it out for you, I will. I want a divorce. I'm in love with Jack and I want to be with him. Do you understand now?"
Jeff paced around the living room, pulling his hair, mumbling that this wasn't happening, that she really wasn't going to leave him. It was all some weird, demented dream.
"Jeff?" Sam asked, wondering if he had indeed gone over the edge.
Jeff picked up a wedding photo, hurling at Sam, missing her by inches, the glass shattering as it hit the far wall. It was followed by a vase--a wedding gift. Then another picture frame with a family portrait crashed into the wall along with the other objects.
"Lies! It's all lies!" he ranted.
***
Jack paced his apartment, checking his watch, then every clock he had access to, from the one on the VCR to the one on the microwave. They all told him the same thing: Sam was late. She hadn't given him a specific time she'd arrive, but he knew when she was taking Jon and Kelsey to Cheryl's and approximately how long it would take to pack. She was a good hour over-due.
Why hadn't she called if she was going to be late? She never left him hanging like this. If Sam was anything, she was punctual. She couldn't have spent all those years in the Air Force and not be. Something had to be wrong, Jack surmised. This was just too weird. He thought about calling her, but if she were in the middle of telling Jeff she wanted a divorce, she wouldn't appreciate him interrupting her. She'd made him promise he wouldn't interfere, that she would meet him at his apartment with the kids and they'd go to the airport together.
Maybe she'd gotten hung up at Cheryl's. He wondered if he should try calling there. All he had was some lame excuse about looking for Jon to fall back on, but he was really starting to get worried.
Deciding it was worth the risk, Jack got Mike and Cheryl's number from information.
Cheryl answered with a rather short-tempered, "hello?" P> "Cheryl? It's Jack O'Neill. I was wondering if Sam had come for the kids yet."
"Uh, no," she said, sounding surprised and confused. "Were you looking for her?"
*Think fast, O'Neill, why do you need to talk to her?* "Yeah, uh, I knew she was taking the kids to see some friends, and Jon left his Gameboy in my car the other day. I wanted to get it back to him before they left."
Jack winced as he told Cheryl the half-truth. Well, it had it's basis in fact, he reasoned. Jon *had* left the game in the car, but it really wasn't necessary for Jack to get it back to him.
"What's his Gameboy doing in your car?" Cheryl asked, sounding suspicious.
"Oh, we took the kids to Minnehaha Falls yesterday. Kinda for a 'been-home-a-week' celebration." Jack figured it was better to be honest with her, especially since Jon or Kelsey might have mentioned the trip.
"Just, you, Sam and the kids?" she asked.
"I promised Jon we'd do something when he was feeling better," he said, trying to belittle the fact they'd gone on a typical family outing. "Well, thanks anyway, Cheryl, sorry I bothered you."
"No trouble. I hope you guys connect."
"Yeah, thanks." *Well, that wasn't too bad,* Jack thought as he hung up the phone. Okay, now he was officially worried. It probably wasn't the smartest move calling Sam's sister-in-law, but he had to know what was going on.
With each passing minute he felt the tension rising within him, feeling almost sick to his stomach. Jack made one more lap around the apartment before grabbing his car keys.
Driving along the expressway, he ran a hand through his hair, wondering again if he was doing the right thing. Sam had told him in no uncertain terms not to come over, but he just couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. What if she was trying to call him? What if he'd just been too impatient and he showed up in the middle of her trying to tell Jeff things were over?
The closer he got to Edina the more anxious he felt. He may not have Sam's brains, but he'd always had a good sense of impending danger. He'd made it out of impossible situations more times than he could count based on his gut reactions. This time his gut was telling him Sam was in trouble.
Pulling onto the Greenfield's street, Jack noticed Jeff's truck in the driveway. Perhaps telling him she wanted a divorce wasn't the only thing he was fighting her on. It could be Jeff was arguing against her going to Canada as well. Maybe he was trying to talk her out of it, and she just hadn't been able to get away.
Jack almost turned around when he heard a resounding crash, followed by a second, then a third. Then there were shouts, Jeff's shouts, but he couldn't make out the words. That was enough to galvanize Jack. He was out of the car, banging on their door almost before the engine of the car turned off.
"Sam! Are you all right?" he called.
"Jack!" she cried. From his position on the porch he couldn't tell if was a yell for help, or for him to leave. Well, he damn sure wasn't about to leave when he'd heard the sound of breaking glass, even out in the street!
Jack could feel the eyes of the neighbors on him as he tried the door handle. Naturally it was locked. Throwing his shoulder into the solid door, he briefly wondered how they made it look so easy on TV.
Abandoning the idea of getting through the front door, Jack ran around to the side of the house with the deck. Picking up a metal chair, he hurled it through the patio door. Damn, he was going to feel foolish if she really wasn't in trouble!
Jack's possible embarrassment ended the moment he spotted Sam crouched in a corner, glass shards spread around her. Running toward her, he didn't notice Jeff coming up behind him.
Squatting next to Sam, Jack ran a hand through her hair and down her back. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"No," she whispered. "He just started throwing things! We were yelling, but then he just went crazy."
Jack heard the sound of a gun being cocked, and looked up to find a pistol aimed in his face.
"Get away from her," Jeff said calmly. "This is between me and my wife."
Jack rose slowly, hands in the air. "Hey, Jeff! There's no need for this. We can talk about it, okay? Just put the gun down."
"I don't think so."
"Look, I can see your upset, but your quarrel is with me, not Sam. Let her go."
"And have her call the cops? I don't think so." Jeff still had the gun trained on him, but his aim was off. It was obvious he wasn't used to holding a handgun.
"Jeff, how long have you had a gun?" Sam asked quietly. She seemed to have regained some of her composure as her voice was no longer shaking.
"Oh, ever since you started getting so friendly with our good friend, Jack here."
"And you've had a loaded gun in the house with the kids here?" she gasped. Jack looked over at Sam and watched the blood drain from her face. They both had to be thinking the same thing--Jon could have ended up just like Charlie.
"It was in a safe place."
"There is no safe place for a gun in this house!" she screamed.
"Oh, I see you're starting to take my view on weapons," Jeff commented, waving the pistol in Jack's face once more. "They always seem to cause accidents, don't they?"
"Jeff, we can talk about this," Jack said again.
"What good is there in talking, Jack? You want my wife and I don't want to let you have her. Simple as that." Jeff transferred the gun to his left hand, wiping his right on his pant leg before returning the gun to his dominant hand. "Slippery little things, aren't they?" he smiled. "I guess I can see how so many accidents happen in the military when you've got nervous, young recruits.
Jack shook his head slightly. Where the hell had *that* come from? Why did Jeff think every unfortunate thing in his life was the result of the military? It was no wonder Sam was tired of fighting with him about it.
"You know," Jeff said, focusing Jack's attention once more, "There has never been a divorce in the Greenfield family, and after all my parents have been through, I'm not about to be the first."
Jack didn't have an answer for him, but if he kept talking to Jeff, maybe he wouldn't notice he was moving into a more defensible position. He chanced a glance at Sam who seemed to realize what his movements meant. God, he hoped she remembered their training and how they'd gotten out of situations like this in the past.
"Jeff, what has been so horrendous that your parents have lived through?" Sam asked, distracting Jeff long enough for Jack to slide his legs into position.
"Something I'd never tell *you* about," he sneered. "Something you'd never understand, given you act like the Air Force is a religion, and you're its chief disciple."
Jack placed his left hand by his side, hoping Sam noticed the movement, and Jeff hadn't. His hand was balled into a loose fist, then he extended one, two, then three fingers. When he reached three, they both sprang, knocking Jeff off-balance.
Jeff landed with a thud on the floor and there was a mad scramble for the gun that was knocked from his hand.
"Sam! Get the gun!" Jack called as he leapt forward once more, tackling Jeff as they both tried to reach the pistol that was inches from their fingers.
Sam stood, frozen, too shocked to move.
"Move it, Carter!" Jack yelled, his command voice jarring Sam out of her stupor. Just as Sam reached for the gun, Jeff's fingers closed around it, and Jack found himself staring down the barrel as Jeff held the gun inches from his face.
Sam started sobbing, pulling on Jeff's sleeve, "Please, Jeff, don't hurt him. I'll do whatever you say. I promise I won't leave you, just please don't hurt him!"
"How touching," Jeff drawled, getting to his feet, dragging Jack up by the shirt. "The two lovers willing to sacrifice themselves for each other. I wonder, Sam, if the situation was reversed, would you be pleading for my life?" Jeff was breathing hard, hair falling into his eyes which he tossed back with a shake of his head. He'd lowered the gun slightly so it was now pointed at Jack's chest.
Jack couldn't say he'd been thrilled by the turn of events, but he wasn't down for the count yet. He wasn't about to let Sam stay with this maniac one minute longer. All he had to do was get the gun away from him, then they could all calm down without anyone getting hurt. As much as he wanted to beat the crap out of Jeff, he wasn't looking to kill him. Only hurt him a little for the grief he'd caused Sam.
Sam was still crying, hands wrapped in the cloth of Jeff's shirt sleeve. "Please, Jeff. Just let him go!"
Jeff shook her off. "Get away from me you whore! I'll deal with you later!"
The distraction was all Jack needed to grab for the gun in Jeff's hand. Their bodies were pressed together, each struggling for the weapon. Suddenly a shot rang out, and blood ran between the two men, soaking both their shirts.
"OH, MY, GOD!" Sam cried, shaking, watching the blood stain bloom across both men's shirts. "Jack?" she called. "Oh, shit! Jack!"
Jack lowered the other man to the floor, dazed at the sight of the blood on his hands. He'd seen men die in countless battles, even been the cause of them, but he never got used to that moment of shock when he realized he'd just taken someone's life.
Snapping out of his shock, Jack realized Jeff hadn't been killed by the bullet entering his chest. Immediately he checked for a pulse, then started CPR.
"Call 911!" he shouted to Sam who stood horrified at the sight of her husband lying bleeding on the floor. "Sam!" Jack called again as he began blowing air into the prone man's mouth.
He watched her run for the phone as he began chest compressions. He'd never heard Sam's voice sound so uncertain in a crisis. She'd always been the voice of reason. The one who held them together in an emergency. He wasn't used to hearing her sound so unstable.
As soon as she was through on the phone, Sam was by Jack's side. "How is he?" she asked, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Not good," Jack answered honestly. "Hopefully we can keep him going until the paramedics get here." He was breathing hard, growing tired from his efforts at resuscitation.
"Sam, I need you to take over for a few minutes," he breathed. "Just until I catch my breath."
Sam was about to relieve him when Jeff coughed, spitting up blood. "He's got a pulse," she said, pressing on his neck "It's weak, but it's there."
Jack took her in his arms, heedless of the blood he was spreading to her clothes. "It's gonna be okay," he soothed, holding her tight. "They'll get him to the hospital and he'll be fine."
Sam looked up into his eyes. "You're a terrible liar, you know that?" Just then Jeff's breathing stopped, and Sam moved over him, starting the CPR once more.
"Where the hell is that ambulance?" she cried, bending to give Jeff mouth-to-mouth.
"Sam, I've got this. You better call the police as well. I don't know if the 911 guys do that or not. This was an accident, but the longer we wait to call, the more it's going to look like it wasn't."
"You're right," Sam said, standing as Jack took over her ministrations.
Jack continued to work on Jeff, despite his fatigue. He knew his actions were probably hopeless as he should have gotten some results by now. At least the shallow breathing he was doing before. Sam was right--where the hell was that ambulance?
"Come on, Jeff, you're not gonna take the easy way out on this one. You'd like that, wouldn't you? Pin your death on me? It's not gonna happen," Jack spoke to Jeff's inert body as he pressed down on his chest. Looking up, he saw Sam finishing her conversation with the police or dispatcher, whomever she'd gotten when she called. At least her voice was more stable.
Sam hung up the phone, quickly rejoining him. "They're on their way. He still isn't breathing?" she asked, worry creeping into her voice once more. "Jack, it's been years since I've needed to do this, but even I know it's been too long!"
Jack merely nodded. "He'll be okay," he assured her, sounding out of breath. "Why don't you go out and watch for the paramedics?"
"No! I don't want to leave!"
"Sam, it'll help them find us faster! I promise I'll do everything I can!"
Sam ran her hand along his cheek. "I know. You're right." She couldn't have been gone more than a minute before Jack heard sirens approaching.
"Thank God!" Jack mumbled, as he watched the door, waiting for the medical calvary. A man and a woman burst through the door, running to where Jeff lay.
"We've got it," the man said, taking over Jack's position. The woman began checking his vitals, calling out numbers as Jack stood back, wrapping his arms around Sam as they watched the team start an I.V. Jack winced as the female paramedic inserted a long needle into Jeff's chest. In less than a minute she announced they had a heartbeat. It was faint, but there.
Quickly, they moved him to a collapsed gurney, then extended it to wheel him from the house.
Sam broke out of Jack's embrace. "Where are you taking him?"
"Fairview Southdale," the man answered her as they were hefting the gurney over the small set of stairs on the porch.
"I want to go with him!"
"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but the police are going to want to talk to you. You called them, too?"
"Yes," Sam answered. "Right after I called 911."
"They should be here any minute then," the woman smiled at her. "We'll do the best we can to get him to the hospital in time."
Sam nodded. "Of course."
Jack joined her on the porch, pulling her close as they watched the team load Jeff into the back of the ambulance. Sam buried her face on Jack's shoulder, wrapping her arms around him.
"God, Jack! How did this day turn into such a nightmare?"
"I feel like this is all my fault," he said, drawing her closer.
"* Your* fault? How can this be your fault? I'm the one who set him off by telling him I was leaving!"
"He never would have pulled that gun out if I hadn't been here," Jack said quietly.
"Maybe, but before you got here, he just kept rambling, muttering things that made no sense. Somehow even the Air Force made it's way into his rantings again."
"Yeah, caught that when he was fighting with me, too. I just don't get that, ya know? And what he said about he'd never tell you? Something must have happened to him to make him hate the military that much. He ever mention that he'd served? Maybe got shafted or something?"
"No, not even when we'd be fighting about it. You'd think if anything would have slipped out it would have been then. Of course it would go a long way to explain his attitude, and why he's so adamant about Jon not joining."
"There's still something missing," Jack said. "Gotta be some reason the whole family is in on it."
"Well, you've seen how Jeff is Ellen's pride and joy. If she felt he was wronged, she'd never give up the fight."
"Maybe."
"Oh, God! I have to call them!" Sam said, pulling away from Jack. "And the kids! Oh, shit, what am I going to tell them?"
Jack took her hand, not letting her escape him. "Yes, you should call the Greenfields. I'm sure Cheryl won't mind looking after Jon and Kelsey a little while longer, especially under the circumstances."
Sam was shaking, the adrenaline must be wearing off, Jack surmised. He wasn't feeling too steady himself.
"Come on, we'll go back inside and make some calls. I'm sure the police will be here soon, then we can go to the hospital. I don't suppose we should change clothes until we've talked to them, but I don't think it'll hurt anything if we wash our hands."
Sam looked down at the sticky red fluid on her hands, suddenly bursting into tears. "Oh, God, Jack, that could have been you! I was so scared! It's bad enough Jeff got hurt, but if it had been you. . . ."
Jack embraced her once more. "Shhh. It's okay, Sam. I know what you mean. If you'd have gotten hurt, I don't know what I would have done." He mumbled reassuring words into Sam's ear until he felt her relax. "You should make those calls."
Sam nodded again, moving out of Jack's arms. "I'll call Ellen. Would you use the cell phone and call Cheryl? I don't know how much time we're going to have before the police get here and I'm already overdue for picking the kids up."
"I know."
"You do?"
"Yeah, that's why I started to worry something was wrong. I called Cheryl to see if you'd gotten the kids, and when she said you hadn't, I started thinking something might have happened."
"It probably wasn't too smart to call her," Sam gently chided. "But if you hadn't, you might not have come over, and who knows what would have happened."
"I told her I had Jon's Gameboy and wanted to get it to you before you left. I don't know if she figured it out I was going with you. They probably would have, eventually."
"Well, they'll all know for sure, now. I guess it had to come out sooner or later," she sighed. It's just too bad it has to now, with. . .with everything else."
"I'll call Daniel and Janet too. They'll start to wonder when we don't show up."
"You're right. I forgot about them in all of this." Jack watched as Sam's eyes started tearing up again. "This is just so hard," she said, staring at the phone's handset cradled loosely in her hand.
"I know," he said. "Call, Sam. Get it over with."
*********
Sam took a deep breath, punching in the Greenfield's number. It rang three times, and on the fourth, the answering machine picked up. Damn! What a time for Ellen to be off doing her volunteer work!
Sam started to leave a message when she heard a rather breathless male voice on the other end.
"Hello?"
"Darrell? It's Sam."
"Oh, hi. I guess I didn't have to run, huh?"
Sam was a bit perturbed he didn't see her call important enough to make an effort to get to the phone. "Darrell, I'm sorry, but there's been an accident. It's Jeff," she blurted.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Sam hesitated, not wanting to go over the details. "He, ah, he was shot. But he's still alive. He's on the way to the hospital now," she added.
"Shot! What the hell happened?"
Sam swallowed. "We were having an argument, and he was really upset, throwing things, screaming at me. Jack happened to be coming by, heard the fight and when he tried to stop it, Jeff pulled a gun on him."
"My son would *never* have a gun," Darrell stated with absolute certainty.
"I never thought he would either," Sam said. "I don't know where it came from or how long he's had it, but when Jack tried to get the gun from him, it went off, and Jeff was shot."
"This is insane," Sam heard Darrell mutter. "I've got to find Ellen. What hospital is he in?"
"Fairview Southdale. I'm going to be heading there as soon as we're through with the police."
"What about the kids? Where are they? Do they know?"
"They're still at Cheryl's for the birthday party. Jack's calling her. I'm sure she won't say anything just yet. There's no use upsetting them when we don't know how Jeff's doing."
"What the hell is Jack doing calling Cheryl? Shouldn't you be doing that?"
"I thought you needed to know," Sam stated. "I'm not sure when the police will be here and I wanted her to know why I hadn't picked the kids up."
"Still, this news should have come from the family. Not some outsider."
Sam gritted her teeth. She knew how the Greenfields all disapproved of Jack and his continued presence, but she wasn't about to let their attitude dictate her relationship with him. As Jon's father, he had every right to stay in the vicinity.
"I've got to go, Darrell. The police are here. I'll tell you more when I see you at the hospital. Bye." She quickly hung up the phone, granting herself a reprieve from further comments. At least until she reached the hospital.
Jack set down the cell phone he'd been using. "Why did you tell him that?"
"Because I didn't want to listen to him telling me how an 'outsider' shouldn't be the one to contact Cheryl. Sam rubbed her hands over her face, taking a deep breath. "How'd she take it?"
"Well, she's shocked, of course, and has a lot of questions that I pretty much fielded for now. She say's not to worry; she'll keep the kids until you can come for them."
"Thanks for calling her," she said, reaching up and taking his hand, pulling him down next to her on the sofa. Sam leaned onto his shoulder, allowing his arm to encircle her.
"I wish they'd get here so I could get out of these clothes. All this blood is really starting to get to me. At least there's not much on the floor." Sam started to cry again. How could she sit here on the couch calmly discussing Jeff's blood as if she needed to clean up muddy footprints?
There was a knock at the front door. As Jack rose to answer it, Sam dried her tears. Two police officers entered, quickly surveying the scene.
"You called about a shooting, Ma'am?"
"Uh, yes, I did," Sam said, trying to compose herself as she rose from the sofa to greet the men. "I'm Samantha Carter-Greenfield, and this is Jack O'Neill."
"I'm Officer Straub," the tall, lanky man said. "And this is my partner, Officer Augusto," the first man said, indicating a shorter, stout man. Augusto touched his fingers to his hat in a weak salute.
"You mind if I take some photographs?" Straub asked, causing Sam to look in the direction of the coffee table. Jack must have seen the pictures and hid them.
"No, help yourself," Sam said, wondering when Jack had found the time or the presence of mind to remove the photos.
Officer Augusto began to take down names, asking Jack on the spelling of his name.
"It's two "l's," he said. "And Jack is short for Jonathan." The officer nodded once and wrote the information.
"Who can tell me what happened here?" Straub asked.
Sam explained the events of the past hour, trying to remain objective. This was no different from a debriefing, she told herself, only difference was someone she knew had died.
Looking to Jack for a moment, their eyes met. Just that small gesture of reassurance gave her the strength to go on.
"After the gun went off, Jack started doing CPR, I called 911 and then you. The ambulance came and they took Jeff. That's all I know right now. I don't even know if he made it to the hospital." Fresh tears threatened to spill as Sam looked down at her hands, trying to stay focused.
"I know this is difficult, Mrs. Greenfield. We're almost through. Mr. O'Neill? Do you have anything to add?" Officer Straub asked.
"Only that I was afraid for Sam's safety. Jeff was loud enough to be heard outside, and I wasn't sure what was happening when I heard the crashes."
"And that's when you broke the patio door, right?"
"That's right."
"And you didn't see Mr. Greenfield going for the gun, or that he had one?"
"No, not at that time, I was more concerned that Sam was all right."
"Is there a reason Mr. Greenfield would feel threatened by you, enough to attempt to warn you off with a gun?"
Sam and Jack exchanged looks, then Sam said, "The argument was about my wanting a divorce."
"I see. And I take it you and Mr. O'Neill are involved?"
Sam felt her face burning. "Yes, we are," she said quietly.
"So it's reasonable to assume this was the motive for Mr. Greenfield having a gun?"
"I didn't know he even had one!" Sam cried. "I've got two children! If I'd known about it, I'd never have allowed it in the house!"
"Where are your children now?" Augusto inquired.
"At my sister-in-laws. They're at a party this afternoon. Thankfully they weren't home at the time."
"That is fortunate," Straub agreed, looking at his partner.
"Was Mr. Greenfield aware you were thinking of divorce?" Augusto asked.
"I think he suspected it. We've been having problems for some time. I think when Jack and I became reacquainted, he realized our marriage was over."
"Reacquainted?" Straub asked, looking over at Jack. "How long have you known each other?"
Sam looked at Jack, mentally calculating. "I guess it's been close to fifteen years, don't you think?"
"Sounds about right," Jack agreed. "We had a 'falling out' about eleven years ago, and have only recently reconciled."
"I take it you were involved at that time?"
Sam and Jack looked at each other once more. "Well, yes, well, no, not really, kinda, I guess," Jack stammered.
"Which is it?" Officer Straub asked.
"We had sort of an 'encounter,'" Sam said, feeling her face redden once more. She sighed, then continued. "We were in the Air Force, and a relationship between two officers isn't allowed, so soon after the 'event,' I left the military and moved here."
Sam didn't think they needed *every* detail! Hell, this was off-track enough! She supposed she understood the line of questioning. The policemen were trying to get an idea of everyone's state of mind at the time of the shooting, but this just seemed so . . .personal.
"With you leaving the Air Force, wasn't your problem basically resolved?"
"Except Jack was angry I'd left. That was the 'falling out.'" Sam said.
"And you haven't had contact in eleven years?"
"No, there just never seemed to be a way for me to call him." Sam looked at Jack, knowing he hated going over this again as much as she did. The past was behind them. Why did someone or something always keep making them dredge it up?
"But recently you could?"
"There was a situation I needed Jack's help with. I was forced to contact him."
"And what was that situation?"
Sam drew in a deep breath. She'd really tried to keep Jon out of all this, but she could see the policemen were going to make her reveal everything.
"The reason I left the Air Force is I was pregnant, with Jack's child. I'd never told him we had a son until he became ill this summer with aplastic anemia and needed a bone marrow transplant. None of us was a match, and my last option was to see if Jack, as his biological father, would be compatible. That's when I contacted Jack again."
The first officer raised his eyebrows at the revelation. "That's quite a story. I take it Mr. Greenfield was aware of all this?"
"Yes, he was. He was threatened by Jack's mere presence, even though he'd told Jeff repeatedly he wasn't out to replace him as Jon's father."
"I have nothing against him," Jack said, "other than the way he treats Sam. He does a great job raising Jon. I really didn't have a quarrel with him other than his obsession with hanging on to Sam. If his behavior lately hadn't been so erratic, I probably wouldn't have even come over here today to check on her."
"His behavior's been erratic?" Officer Augusto asked.
"He's been having mood swings, I guess you'd call them," Sam said. "Being really horrible to me one minute, and then turning on the charm as soon as he had an audience."
"Have you mentioned this to anyone else?" Straub asked.
"Well, I tried to bring it up to my sister-in-law, Jeff's sister, but she just put it down to stress with Jon's illness. I think she didn't want to see the truth. Jack was the only one who believed me."
"Well, it would be better if you had some other neutral party that could back you up on this, Mrs. Greenfield, but given the other evidence we have I think we have a fairly good idea what happened here. For what it's worth, I believe you. It's not my place to comment on the situation, but I can tell you I don't feel this was pre-meditated in any way, so I'm going to report it as an accident," Straub said, writing some notes on the form Officer Augusto had been filling out. "We may have some more questions, but you're free to go. I know you want to get to the hospital and find out what's going on."
"Thank you, officers," Sam said, standing and shaking both men's hands. Jack did the same, then escorted them to the door. Once the squad car left the driveway, Sam fell into Jack's arms.
"God, I was so scared! I was sure when they found out we'd been seeing each other they'd think we could have planned this somehow."
"It's gonna be over soon," Jack soothed, rubbing her back. "I'll wait until we get back from the hospital to call Danny; I'll have a little more news then."
"Jack, maybe it would be better if I went alone. I'm sure all the Greenfields are going to be there, and they're not going to be too receptive to your showing up with me."
"Tough. Ya think I'm gonna let you walk into that mess by yourself? You're crazy."
Sam hugged him closer. "Thank you, Jack. I could really use your support." She stepped away from him, looking at his blood stained clothes. She shivered at the thought of where it came from. "I think you better change. Me too," she said, looking down at the bloody hand-prints on her clothes. "And I've got to clean-up this. . . ." Tears flooded her eyes again. She just couldn't stop crying. Every time she thought she had her emotions under control, they'd sneak back up on her again.
"Sam, I'll do it. Just show me where you keep the cleaning supplies. I put my bags in the car before I came over. I'll clean it up before I change."
She hugged him again. "What would I do without you?" she whispered. "I love you so much, but I feel guilty I'm so grateful it wasn't you."
"I know, I know," he said, holding her so tightly it was hard for her to breathe.
Sam pulled back once more, giving Jack a tentative smile. If I don't stop carrying on, we'll never get to the hospital."
Jack placed his hands on either side of her face, holding her still while he kissed her. "It's gonna be all right," he assured once again. "Maybe not right away, but it will be eventually. You just hold on to that thought, okay?"
"Okay," she said, leaving his arms. He was right. Things had to get better, they couldn't possibly get any worse.
*********
Walking into the hospital, Sam realized she'd been a bit too optimistic about things getting better. As she approached Ellen, Darrell, Mike, Cindy and Tom, she could tell Jeff's condition hadn't improved.
"It's about time you got here," Ellen spat, tears flowing down her face. "Couldn't leave your lover long enough to see if your husband was still alive?"
Sam looked from one shocked face to another. Whether their expression was due to Ellen's uncharacteristic comment or news they'd received, she couldn't tell. It wasn't hard to see where Jeff's caustic nature came from.
"We were talking with the police," Sam said quietly. "This is the first chance we've had to come. How's he doing?"
Ellen and Darrell looked at the rest of their family, then Darrell spoke, "Jeff died on the way here."
"NO!" Sam cried, burying her face in Jack's chest, barely aware his arms had wound around her. "This can't be happening," she mumbled.
"Oh, it's very real," Ellen's bitter voice penetrated the haze of Sam's thoughts. "I was playing bridge when I got the message to call home. Imagine my surprise when I found out my son had been shot! And you have the unmitigated *gall* to bring his murderer here, and turn to him for comfort!" Ellen was practically hysterical by the end of her speech, having to be dragged away from Sam by Darrell.
Sam stood away from Jack's embrace. "Jack did nothing wrong, other than prevent me from getting hurt! He's the one who kept your son alive until the paramedics came, so don't you *dare* imply it's his fault this happened or it's 'improper' for him to be here!"
"I warned my son about marrying you! I told him it would lead to nothing but trouble, and now you've killed him!" "*I* killed him? Who's the one who kept a loaded gun in my house without my knowledge? Who's the one who had me followed? Who's the one who tried to blackmail me into not divorcing him? Don't you go on about what an innocent victim your son was when he came after *me!*"
"Sam," Jack said, pulling her away from Ellen, his voice steady. "You're both upset. She's just lost her son. Don't say something you're gonna regret."
Sam looked at him, tears of anger, frustration and sorrow in her eyes. God! She felt like all she'd done for months now was cry! What happened to the strong woman who used to be Sam Carter? The one who could handle tough situations and keep cool? Perhaps she'd been left at the SGC along with everyone else.
"You're right, Jack," she said, turning and walking slightly away from the group of people, trying to regain her composure. Jack remained, speaking to Jeff's family.
"I know you all think I have no place here, in any capacity, but you're wrong. Someone has to be here for Sam, because none of you obviously are." Turning to Ellen Jack's tone softened.
"Believe it or not, I can understand your pain. My son was killed by a gun as well, only it was due to my negligence. So while you have the loss of your son to deal with, just be grateful you don't have guilt to add to your sorrow."
Ellen's voice was steely as she responded to Jack. "And I suppose that's supposed to justify your being here? If you'd never come, this would never have happened!"
"Maybe," Jack said, "but then it would have been something else. I'm wasn't the cause of Sam and Jeff's problems, and you know it. Sticking your head in the sand isn't gonna bring Jeff back."
Sam heard Jack's footsteps coming closer, turning she gave him a small smile. "Thanks. I guess I do need that knight in shining armor after all."
"I'm sorry if I spoke out of turn, but it's true--they're all so caught up in their own grief and blame they can't see this is hurting you too."
"I've never felt I belonged in their family. This only proves they felt I didn't belong either."
"Ah, excuse me, Sam, Jack, I know this probably isn't the best time for this, but we still really don't know what happened. Maybe if you told us, Ellen and Darrell might be a little more civil. You really didn't give Darrell a whole lot of information when you called," Tom said. Sam suspected as the other "outsider," he felt compelled to bring both sides together.
Sam nodded, rubbing Tom's arm. "I guess with all that happened I forgot you didn't know."
Jack wound his arm around her shoulders, giving them a squeeze. She smiled at him and said, "you don't have to do this, you know. I can tell them."
"I know," he said squeezing her shoulders once again. "We're in this together. I'm not letting go now."
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