Who: Jack and Sam (+ Ghosts) What: Jack and Sam wake up to some surprising guests When: Oct 29 Where: Their House Rating: low
Jack was looking forward to Halloween this year because he was looking forward to bringing Six out trick or treating. Was she technically old enough to do it herself or with friends? Maybe, but as long as Six was willing to do things with him and Sam, then they’d keep doing it. Jack even had his own costume for the excursion. Perhaps because of the eagerness of October 31 and the fact there had already been a pretty chaotic event this month, Jack was blinded to the idea anything else could happen.
Boy was he wrong.
He was slow to rousing from the night spent with Sam by his side - something that was so normal now he sometimes wondered how he had been able to do without for so long. He was vaguely aware of the sensation of being ‘watched’. The sensation grew, though, and he eventually opened his eyes to find Jacob Carter standing by the dresser in their room, arms crossed over his chest like he had been waiting for Jack to wake up for far too long.
“Hello, Jack.”
Jack rose to a sitting position quickly. “Jacob?”
–
The last thing Sam was expecting to hear out of her fiance’s mouth when she was waking up was her father’s name. Sure, strange things happened in Madison Valley, but even if the dome brought her father here, there was no logical reason he would be in their bedroom. She sat up and looked around, freezing when her eyes landed on a very familiar figure that was most certainly not her father.
“I could win so many bets in the SGC if I had a picture of this.” The tone in her best friend’s voice matched the bemused expression on her face and all Sam could do was stare. She hadn’t heard that voice or seen that face in too many years.
She reached for Jack’s hand. “Janet?”
*
The fact Sam didn’t say ‘dad?’ told Jack that Sam couldn’t see Jacob. This was furthered by the fact that apparently she could see Janet and he couldn’t. So neither of them were real and alive. Were they ghosts then or were he and Sam having very vivid mental crises at the same time?
“Okay…” He squeezed Sam’s hand when he felt that she had reached for his. “So you’re seeing Fraser and I’m seeing Jacob.” Jack blinked. “And we’re both still alive, right?” That was only a semi-real question. He could feel Sam’s warmth.
–
If they hadn’t seen stranger things in Madison Valley, Sam would be much more concerned at the moment. As it was, she glanced down to make sure she was adequately covered and that neither her father nor her best friend were seeing her in a compromising position. Well, nothing more compromising than being in bed with a superior officer.
“Far as I can tell,” she said, looking around the room and only seeing Janet. “Dad? I wish I could see you.”
“Oh, sure, I see how it is,” Janet teased.
Sam rolled her eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
*
Jack felt the same way about Janet as Sam did about Jacob. “Leave it to the Dome to bring some people here and dictate who can and can’t see them.” Jack grumbled to which Jacob smiled a little.
Jack paused. “...I suppose I should be a little more embarrassed to be caught in bed with your daughter.”
“You think?” Jacob looked more amused than angry though and Jack found that relieving. “Thankfully I was kind of rooting for you two even before I died.”
“He’s saying he’s extremely disappointed in the both of us and that he will forever haunt me for ruining his daughter.” Jack deadpanned which got a snort from Sam’s father.
–
Sam didn’t believe that for a moment and gave him a sidelong glance as Janet burst into laughter. “You weren’t the only one rooting for them,” she said, looking in the same direction Jack had.
“Wait. You can see my dad too?” she asked Janet, who nodded in confirmation. “Well that’s just not fair.” Seeing her best friend was amazing, but knowing that her father was there and she couldn’t communicate directly made her heart ache.
Since she was at least somewhat decent, Sam let go of Jack’s hand and slipped out of the bed. “I think I need coffee for this.”
*
"They can what now?" Jack watched Sam get out of bed. He was in his boxers which was still pretty decent. It wouldn't be anything new for Janet to see anyway and Jacob had already seen him in bed with Sam so it probably wasn't the end of the world.
He followed Sam out of bed and got dressed perfunctorily.
"I wish I could talk to Sam."
Jack looked at Jacob as he pulled his shirt down and nodded. "She does too. Leave it to this place to give a little, but not a lot." It made 'perfect sense' for this place.
"What exactly is this place?"
Jack paused. This was definitely not his forte and he looked at Sam. "What's the one minute version of explaining this place?"
–
“It’s a pocket dimension that exists outside of time and space,” Sam said, going to grab a pair of leggings out of her drawer since she was only wearing an over-sized t-shirt and panties. Her explanation made Janet laugh. “What’s so funny?”
Her best friend shook her head. “You forget that your father understands your tech babble about as well as the Colonel does,” she said.
Sam sighed. “Right. It’s… a small town in Indiana that defies all scientific logic and any magic that anyone here is familiar with. We’re stuck here.” And it wasn’t all that bad really, but that would take a lot longer to explain.
*
“And Teal’c not here.” Jack added. He liked it here and was happy, but he did wish his friend was here. “And I guess now I can complain that you - either of you - aren’t corporeal either.” Did he realize that this was probably temporary? Yes. He wasn’t sure if that was better or worse.
Jack took a glance in the mirror in their room to make sure he didn’t look like a complete disaster when Jacob made him pause with ‘so when’s the wedding?’
“Oh, uh… The wedding… is soon.” Probably? They hadn’t really picked a date.
–
Even though Sam couldn’t hear or see her father, it didn’t take a genius (which she was) to know that he’d noticed her engagement ring. “I wish you could be here for it, Dad,” she said. “We’re not in a hurry though.”
Janet moved closer so she could examine the ring. “Tell Jack I said he has good taste.”
Sam chuckled as she passed along the message. This was going to be awkward for however long they were here, though she was so glad to have both of them around that she didn’t even care.
“You guys will have to meet our daughter,” she added. “Assuming she doesn’t think we’ve completely cracked.”
*
Jack noticed Jacob’s expression and quickly added - “Adopted daughter.” Just in case Jacob thought he had missed something more. Jack supposed either way Jacob was going to miss it all, but Six wasn’t exactly young enough for Sam to have birthed her. “And she’s awesome.” Jack had a lot of feelings for the girl. “Her name is Six.”
Ready, he looked at Sam. “How about I go get coffee and breakfast ready and you see if Six is in the mood to meet two unseeable and unhearable people?”
–
There were a lot of sentences that Sam never would have expected to say or hear in her life and that was certainly one of them. “Sounds good,” she said. “Dad, go with him. I”m going to change.” Plus she wanted a chance to chat with Janet alone.
“Be down soon,” she said, leaned over to give Jack a quick kiss and waiting for him, and presumably Jacob, to leave the room.