Daddy's Little Girl by splash_the

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Story Notes: Season: Future

A/N: Many thanks to Michelle and Karen

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Corso: "Sam. It's pretty."
Sam: "Not really. It's short for Samantha."
Corso: "Even prettier. What does it mean? Samantha?"
Sam: "My father wanted a boy."
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"Daddy's Little Girl"

"So, Jack. Sam tells me you're pretty serious about retiring."

Groaning, Jack forced his eyes open. He'd almost fallen asleep for the first time in about 32 hours. That soft muzzy feeling still lingered in his head like little woolly counting sheep luring him over the fence to greener pastures.

"Jack?"

And then it was gone, replaced with the much less pleasant feeling of a pounding headache. "Yeah, Jacob. The thought's crossed my mind once or a hundred times the last few months."

"Why now?"

Jack let his head fall back against the wall and loll to the side so he could see Jacob sitting a few feet away. "Oh, you know, this and that. Getting old, getting out of shape, getting kinda tired of bruised ribs and blows to the head and sitting on cold metal floors, chained to a wall." He shook his hands for emphasis, rattling the chain that held his and Jacob's arms stretched uncomfortably above their heads.

Jacob snorted. "Oh come on, Jack, where's your sense of adventure?"

Jack was sure that someday, maybe ten, twenty years from now, he'd find this all funny too, but right at the moment? Not so much. "I'm just gonna try and take a little nap before they come and kill us, or whatever. Wake me up before they kick me in the ribs again, would you? I'd hate to miss that."

"Actually, since we're stuck here for bit, I thought we'd have a little talk."

Jack blinked. "What, about the decor? The substandard service? The overwhelming sense of impending doom?"

"Sam said you're thinking about retiring."

Jack stared at Jacob, who looked far too relaxed for a man chained to a wall in a cell of a Goa'uld mothership. "I thought we covered that. You sure that guy with the club didn't hit you in the head, too?"

Ignoring him, Jacob continued, all-too-conversationally, with, "And you've been... spending a lot of time together."

Oh. Crap.

"Carter said that?" Jack's voice squeaked and he coughed a few times. "Uh, oh? Really?"

And now Jacob was watching him, wearing an expression that on anyone else would have been a friendly smile, but on Jacob looked sort of predatory and made Jack's hands all clammy. "She said she went fishing with you."

"Withtheteam!" Coughing again, wondering how it was possible for his mouth to get any drier, Jack said slowly, deliberately, "We *all* went. Team thing. Team bonding. Fish. Cards. Nachos. Beer." Jacob's eyebrows went up and Jack rushed to add, "But only a little. Very little. Lite beer, even."

"She mentioned dinner, too. A few times." Jack caught the unspoken "too many times" in there.

"Also with the team!" Oh, he was so going to have some words with her if he didn't die first. Lots of words. Unhappy words. Harsh words. What-in-the-hell-were-you-thinking-talking-to-your-*dad* words.

"That's a lot of bonding, Jack." Jacob was smiling that smile again, and Jack tried not to twitch. "You'd think you guys see enough of each other at work."

"Well, uh, I guess, but you know, all work and no..." Okay, not the best choice of phrase in this situation. "Well, you know."

"Jack."

Damn. Jack knew hardcore Marine drill instructors who couldn't inject that much of a threat into a single word. "Jacob?"

"Don't lie to me."

Oh, this was wrong. This was twisted. This was going to go nowhere good. "About?" He drew the word out with feigned cheerfulness.

"About Sam. You *like* her, don't you?"

Oy.

Taking a deep breath, Jack said, "Of course I like her. I mean, she's a damn fine officer, she saves my ass on a weekly basis..."

"I hope saving is the only thing she does to it, Jack."

Maybe he had fallen asleep, and this was all some sort of horrible nightmare from eating that second helping of "Tok'ra Surprise" back at their base. Or maybe he really did have a concussion from that club and this was some sort of brain-damage-induced hallucination.

Or... or maybe they'd actually died when the teltac crashed, and this, this was a special kind of hell to punish him for all the less- than-professional thoughts he'd had about Carter over the years.

"Jacob, I don't know what you're trying to imply here, but-"

"I'm not implying anything, Jack," Jacob interrupted. "Just... making conversation."

"Then let's change the subject."

"Why? Guilty conscience?"

Oh for crying out loud... Jack's head thudded against the wall. "No! Jeez, Jacob. I have a hell of a lot of respect for your daughter. I wouldn't... I'd... she'd... we..." He gave up in disgust. "You should know that."

"*That's *the problem."

"Huh?"

There was long moment of silence, and then Jacob muttered, "She's my little girl, Jack."

Jack blinked. 'Little' was not a word he had ever associated with Carter. Hell, he'd seen her in the gym. Her biceps were in better shape than his. "Look, I understand the whole protective parental vibe, really. But, you know, Carter's kind of grown up and perfectly capable of kicking my ass. Or yours," Jack added with a touch of spite.

"I know *that* much!"

"Then what the hell is your problem?!"

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to watch you two together?" Jacob's face started to turn a lovely shade of red. "I'm her father, Jack. Her *father*. And beyond some surface details, I can't tell you the first thing about her or her life for the last five years. But *you*, she just looks at you and you know exactly what's going on in her head! You know how she's feeling, why she's feeling it. And it pisses me off!"

Jacob slumped down as far as he could, his chin buried against his chest, and Jack heard his teeth grinding. "It's not fair, damn it."

Huh. That was so not what Jack had expected.

Jacob Carter. Jealous.

Of *him*.

Squashing a sudden swell of gleeful pride, Jack leaned over as far as the chain would let him. "Jake, look. It's not-"

"I don't want to hear it, Jack."

"But..."

"No."

"Just listen-"

"Jack!"

Someone 'ahemed' outside in the corridor, and both men turned to see a familiar crown of blond hair as something *thunked* and the door slid open.

"What are you doing here?" Jacob snapped as Sam eased into the cell, slinging her P-90.

"I can come back later if I'm interrupting something..." She rocked back on her heels, earning herself a glare from Jacob and a grin from Jack.

"How'd you find us?" Jack asked, but before Sam could reply, Daniel's head appeared in the doorway of the cell. "Actually, we heard you yelling. Teal'c says we're clear for the moment," he told Sam as she finished unshackling her father and knelt next to Jack.

"*Are* you okay, sir? You look a little..."

"Beaten to a pulp?" He sighed as she undid the restraints around his wrists with her usual methodical efficiency. "Just fine, Carter." Jack paused. Looked at her. Looked at Jacob.

And smiled. "Had a lovely little chat with your dad, though..."

He let Sam haul him to his feet while Daniel helped Jacob, who was still that nice shade of red. Which got substantially brighter when Sam hooked Jack's arm over her shoulder and slung her arm around his waist.

Oh yes. This had *potential*.

Clearing his throat, Jack asked, "You okay there, Jacob?"

"Fine, Jack."

"Dad? You sure?" Sam inched them closer to Daniel and Jacob, peering at her father. "You look a little flushed." She reached out with her free hand to feel his forehead and he batted it away, glaring at Jack.

"Just *fine*, kiddo."

"Major Carter," Teal'c's voice echoed from the corridor. "We will soon have company."

Sam and Daniel gave over their zats. "Give us thirty seconds to secure the exit, then follow," Sam said, letting go of Jack before following Daniel out the door.

And then Jack was alone with Jacob. Who was unchained. And armed.

"Jack?"

"Jacob?"

"Don't enjoy this too much."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

END

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