It was one of those days at the end of winter that teased you, an early taste of spring, which was in reality a good six weeks away. The sky was a clear blue and the temperature was trying to reach 60 f. A light breeze carried the scent that you usually associated with things growing. None of the people gathered together were able to appreciate the beauty of the day. In their hearts, the sky was gray, and even the warm sunshine could do little to chase away the chill that had settled over the group as they lay to rest the body of Janet Leanne Fraiser.
There had been a memorial service at the SGC two days before, attended by a large contingent of Earth dignitaries and off-world allies. Today however, her family was burying her in a plot of ground beneath a Rocky Mountain Birch tree. Sam personally though that her friend would probably have preferred to be cremated, but it was Jack who pointed out that Cassandra might need a quiet spot where she could come to talk to her adopted mother, especially since there was no way that she could visit the resting place of her real family on Hanka.
And so they were gathered under a perfect blue sky to pay their final respects to a woman who had been their daughter, mother, sister, aunt, friend and healer. A few chairs had been set up graveside, and Sam, now seven months pregnant, gratefully sat in one, with Cassie sitting to her left, and Janet's parents seated next to their adopted granddaughter. The rest of the attendees chose to stand, Janet's brother and his family behind his parents, and forming a solid wall of support behind Cassie and Sam stood six men who were each also grieving in their own ways.
Jonas had rushed back from Kalowna as soon as he had heard the news. He had only known the Doctor for a year, but in that time he had come to respect and admire her. She had been a friendly ear, patiently answering his questions about Earth long before any of the members of SG1 had begun to unbend enough to spend time with him. He'd always suspected that it had been Janet's hand at work when Teal'c and Sam gradually began to accept him, which had in turn eventually won over the Colonel. No to mention the fact that he probably owed the Doctor his life in quickly diagnosing and getting the best possible surgeon in to operate on his brain tumor.
Jacob Carter had also arrived on Earth a day after word was sent, too late to offer anything other than moral support. Both he and Selmac were quietly grieving for the woman who had been a friend not only to Sam, but to both of them as well. Daniel showed his grief openly as expected. Janet had nursed him through everything from sarcophagus withdrawal to appendicitis, and they had bonded over many a late night chat in the infirmary. It was the other three men behind them whose reactions had been unexpected.
General Hammond had been devastated, which had probably surprised the rest of the group more than Sam. Since she had been grounded from gate travel for the last seven months, she'd had an opportunity to witness the General and her best friend anxiously waiting together for word of an overdue team. She had even joined their vigil several times, twice when SG1 had been the team in question. She'd seen how the two had formed a mutual support system. Janet trusted the General to do everything in his power to get the errant team home, at which point Hammond would turn them over to his CMO with complete confidence that she would use every means at her disposal to patch them up. In Janet Fraiser he had found a friend, confidant, and someone he trusted with the lives of those under his command.
That Teal'c had lost his stoic posture and was obviously grieving had startled everyone. No one had ever guessed until he had confessed the evening before, that the mighty Jaffa had a bit of a crush on the petite Doctor. Jack had also astounded everyone but Sam by allowing his grief over the death of their good friend to show openly. What had not surprised anyone was how he had become the rock that they all relied on. It was Jack who made all of the funeral arrangements, coordinating with Janet's family, Cassie and Sam, and the Air Force. And although Cassie has already turned eighteen and technically no longer needed a legal guardian, it was Jack who, after conferring with the two women involved, had started to plow through the red tape so that he and Sam could legally claim Cassie as a dependant. He wanted to make sure that she was still covered by the USAF for things like her medical insurance at least until she was out of school. It would also allow him to set up a trust fund for her to make sure that her college costs were taken care of.
The funeral passed in a blur for Sam, who concentrated on the feel of Jack's hand on her shoulder to keep herself grounded. She had cried herself out over the past three days. Today her grief was more controlled, and she was focused on making sure Cassie was doing ok. After the graveside service, the fifteen of them returned to Sam and Jack's house for lunch, which Jack and organized and had catered so Sam didn't try to overdue things. After a couple of hours Sam slipped into the kitchen to catch her breath and make herself a cup of tea. As she waited for the kettle to boil she felt two strong arms reach around her and come to rest on her swollen belly. As if sensing that Daddy was there, the baby gave a couple of kicks in greeting. She felt Jack chuckle as she leaned back into his embrace.
"I'll never get tired of this," Jack admitted, letting his hands rest on the spot where he could feel the most activity.
"You would if it was your organs getting used as tom toms," Sam sighed, even as she smiled. As painful as it sometimes was, she found the baby's activity very comforting. "I've been thinking," she said turning slightly in his arms.
"I'm assuming not about some scheme to save the world," Jack teased.
Sam ignored him. "What do you think about Janet for a girl's name?" she asked tilting her head back to see his face.
"I thought you wanted to use your Mom's name," he reminded her.
"Yeah, but Janet Marie sounds nice, and that way we would be using both," Sam explained.
"Could I call her Janey?" Jack asked after a moment of thought.
"Could I stop you?" Sam inquired grinning.
"Then I like it," Jack agreed. "But there's someone else you need to ask."
"I think it's a great name," a wavering voice from the doorway gave approval.
Jack and Sam both turned and instinctively opened their arms to gather Cassie into a hug that she gratefully accepted. After a long moment the young woman broke free, wiping a tear away.
"It could be a boy, though," she reminded them, then she caught the glance the two exchanged. "Except you already know it's a girl," she accused excitedly.
"Don't tell anyone. We just found out last week," Jack confirmed.
Cassie paused for a moment. "Did Mom know?" she asked.
"Yeah, sweetie. She was there for the ultrasound," Sam told her.
Cassie nodded and relaxed a bit as if that knowledge gave her comfort. "Your secret is safe with me," she promised.
"That's settled then. Janet Marie O'Neill it is," Jack announced.
Cassie's eyes suddenly went wide and a small smile appeared warming Jack and Sam's hearts. "So, Uncle Jack. How are you going to survive a whole summer surrounded by three girls?" she teased.
Jack tolled his eyes. "Should I just hand over my credit card and total control of my life right now?" he groaned, causing the two women to chuckle and nod.
Just then Daniel stuck his head into the room cautiously. Expecting to find a grief stricken group, he was surprised to see three smiling faces turn his way.
"Uh, we could use some more ice," he informed them, holding up the ice bucket in his hands.
"I'm on it," Jack said, grabbing the bucket and opening the freezer. Once he had refilled the bucket he gave Daniel a friendly shove out of the room. "Come on Danny boy. I desperately need to find a room with more testosterone in it," he quipped. The he turned before actually leaving himself. "You two, er three, going to be ok?"
"Yes Jack. Go play host. We'll be out in a minute," Sam assured him. Then she looked at Cassie and took a deep breath. "Are we ready to go back out there and face everyone?" she asked, placing an arm around the girl's shoulders.
Cassie wrapped an arm around Sam's waist. "We are. We are very brave, remember?" Cassie replied.
"Braver than we should ever have to be," Sam agreed sadly, slipping back into her grief. She realized that once again Jack had managed to lift their spirits if only for a few minutes. Taking a page from his book Sam paused with Cassie at the threshold of the living room.
"Hey, Cass. Do you suppose he was serious about the charge card?"
The end.
Story Notes: In Demand 23: Season: Season 7
Spoilers: SPOILER ALERT! Huge honkin' spoiler for future ep 'Heroes' (At least I think it is, after all I'm just working off of other peoples spoilers!)
Sequel: Part 23 of the In Demand series Previous parts are: In Demand, Momentum, Epidemic, See Jack Run, Classified, Prelude, Discoveries,Under Surveillance, T-Ball, Homerun, Good Things, Tell Her, Bad Days, Batteries,Bliss, Where You Lead, Phone Bills, Just Another Sunday, Prodigal Son, In the Pilot's Seat, Killing Time and Care Package
Author's Notes: I really had no intention of going here. But you know Muse. She has a mind of her own.
Spoilers: SPOILER ALERT! Huge honkin' spoiler for future ep 'Heroes' (At least I think it is, after all I'm just working off of other peoples spoilers!)
Sequel: Part 23 of the In Demand series Previous parts are: In Demand, Momentum, Epidemic, See Jack Run, Classified, Prelude, Discoveries,Under Surveillance, T-Ball, Homerun, Good Things, Tell Her, Bad Days, Batteries,Bliss, Where You Lead, Phone Bills, Just Another Sunday, Prodigal Son, In the Pilot's Seat, Killing Time and Care Package
Author's Notes: I really had no intention of going here. But you know Muse. She has a mind of her own.
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]