I sat watching a really bad film that I could already tell the ending to: Girl falls for boy, boy proposes to girl and they live happily ever after. If that were only true in real life. Eating some of my favourite ice cream that I keep hidden from Anna, my daughter, I lounged on the couch waiting for her to come home. I watched the happily in love couple kiss one more time till it sickened me and then changed channels, flicking to the Discovery Channel to see they were repeating Jonas and Daniel’s tour of the old SGC. I smiled putting the remote down and settled down to watch my two friends argue about some minor detail that matter nothing to the audience. The front door flew open behind me and slammed against the wall whilst my young daughter waltzed into the house, kicking the door close behind her. She dumped her bag in the entryway, ready to trip up whoever came through the door or when I was on my way towards the kitchen to get her dinner for her. Nosily she threw some things around inthe hallway closet in an attempt to hang her coat up and then slammed the door shut, probably with her coat lying crumpled up on the floor. “Mom, I hate school!” Anna stated like she did everyday before she collapsed into her favourite armchair near the phone. “Yes, of course you do, Anna.” I scooped another spoonful of ice cream from the tub in my hand. “But you can’t get anywhere without schooling.” “Dad did.” She said, repeating her favourite argument. I sighed loudly, letting the ice cream melt away in my mouth before I said anything more. “You’re dad’s a clever man when he’s not being an idiot. But I think you’ll find, your father will be the first to admit that schooling is very important.” Anna glanced at the TV, as Daniel and Jonas were entering my old lab. “What’ re uncle Daniel and Jonas doing? Is it that tour thing again?” “Yep.” I replied, scooping out some more ice cream. Anna moved from her armchair, kicking off her trainers toleave in the middle of the floor, and lifted my feet up to sit down at the other end of the couch, placing my feet into her lap. I offered her the rest of the tub of ice cream but she declined, playing with a loose thread on my sock. “Mom.” She said in that tone when she wanted something. “Anna.” I chided, putting another spoonful of ice cream into my mouth. “Can I go away with dad this weekend?” She asked turning on the puppy eyes and the pouting lips. “Pretty please?” I stabbed the spoon to stand up in the ice cream and placed it on the coffee table. “When did you see your dad?” Anna avoided my gaze, rubbing the top of my foot. “He picked me up from school and we went to the mall for bit. He helped me revise for my science test tomorrow. I never thought of remembering gases as farts, compounds as make up and liquids as different types of beverages.” “Did you now? Wasn’t that nice of him?” I said getting up off the couch, climbing over the legs to getpassed her. “Got another woman hooked on his arm yet?” “Mom! Stop it! You know darn well, his date to that charity function was one of uncle Daniel’s friends.” She shouted, as I stepped over her bag heading to the kitchen. “Whatever. Fine, you can go with your dad, if you pass that science test tomorrow.” I shouted from the kitchen pulling open the freezer door. “What’d you want for dinner?” “I’m not hungry, Dad brought me dinner.” She called from the hallway, picking up her bag, and then stormed up the stairs to her bedroom. “And I’ll pass that test with flying colours, you watch.” I slammed the freezer door close and stood staring up at the ceiling, knowing that above my head my eleven year old daughter would be settling herself in for a night of ‘Avoiding Mom’. She knew I hated it when she went out with her dad and had something to eat without ringing to see if I was doing something for dinner. I hated it when they hung out and didn’t tell me, doig it all behind my back like some little secret. God that man made me so angry sometimes!
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Leaning against the side of my car, I waited patiently for the bell to ring and all the kids to come shooting out of the doors. I glanced under the cover of my sunglasses to the huge duffle bag on the backseat, packed to the hilt with clothes and stuff that weren’t going to be used. I never understood why she packed so much stuff for two days in the middle of nowhere. It wasn’t that great there anywhere. I’d rather be at home with a tub of Benny’s and the TV. That was all my life was those days, watching TV and eating ice cream. Sometimes I would do some work on the book I’d been writing for the passed five months on the workings of the ‘gate. Distantly I heard the bell ring in the hallways, signalling the end of school. It wasn’t long before a few of the kids were running to their bus or bike, beating the rampage out of the school. A second or two went by and then all the front doors slammed opened with kids pouring out of the school, running or jogging to wherever they had to go I looked intently at each face, trying to spot Anna in the big rush out of the doors. “Mom!” Came a voice from the direction of a hand waving a piece of paper about. “I got an A!” I rolled my eyes at her from behind my sunglasses, while she came out of the crowd, groaning I shook my head down at the floor. Looking up, she presented me with a piece of paper with a bold red ‘A’ printed at the top of the page. I snatched the piece of paper away from her and scanned through her answers, as I walked around the front of the car. Anna threw her school bag into the back, shutting one door to open another, and got into the car to sit in the passenger seat. I nodded impressed at some of her answers, as I opened my door folding up the piece of paper and got in. She was doing up her belt when she said. “So, I’m definitely going with dad, right?” “Yes, you’re going away with your dad for the weekend.” I said turning the key in the ignition while I was putting on my belt. ood, good. Uncle T and Rya’c are going too. So it’s going to be fun.” She said excitedly, waving to a group of girls who called her name. “Great! I’m ecstatic for you!” I sneered pulling away from the curb, heading towards Anna’s dads house. “Send me a postcard! Bring me back a bumper sticker!” “Mom, please. You can be worst than dad sometimes.” Anna turned on the radio, drowning out my grumbling. It wasn’t long before I pulled up outside his house. There he was, still handsome and gorgeous like the first day I met him. Though no Air Force uniform this time around. He was wearing his sunglasses, his favourite pair, and was in his baggy jeans and a white vest showing off his gold tanned body. I could tell, from where I was sitting, he’d been working out lately again, toning those upper arm and stomach muscles. God, sometimes I wished I could just jump him… But that will never be, we’ve grown apart and don’t think those things anymore. The car shook with th force used to slam Anna’s door shut, I watched her run up to her father as he stood up off the wall to catching her when she jumped at him and twirled her round in a circle. I never got tired of seeing them together, just tired of his childish behaviour that I had once thought was cute. But having it twenty-four seven proved to be too much for me. I turned off the engine before getting out of my car, hearing him instruct Ann to get into his truck with Rya’c, who was sat in the back. Opening the back door of my car, I pulled out Anna’s duffle bag and slung it over my shoulder by the hand straps, closing the door when he came to stand beside me. I had to pause and take a deep breath, secretly quivering at the smell of his cologne. I hoped to god I would never get used to that smell… even though I hated his guts. “Sam.” He greeted with his hand offering to take the bag from me. “How’re you?” “I’m fine, Jack. Why wouldn’t I be?” I spat at him, adding a bit of spit tomy tone. I waltzed passed him towards his truck, as Teal’c came down the pathway from Jack’s house. He bowed his head at me and I smiled politely at him, tossing Ann’s bag into the back of Jack’s stupid truck. Teal’c put a large cooler onto the back of the truck and handed some keys over to Jack. “Samantha, it is a pleasure to see you.” Teal’c said before engulfing me into a hug, I noticed that Jack’s face twisted at the sight of me hugging Teal’ c. Jealous of something he couldn’t have anymore. I patted Teal’c on the back and he released me, taking a couple of steps back to clasped his hands behind his back. “It’s good to see you too, Teal’c. You ought to pop by sometime and we can play catch up. How long you on Earth for?” His head cocked to one side, sharing a quick glance with Jack. “Not long. But I will make sure to visit you when I return from O’Neill’s cabin and before I leave for Chulak with Rya’c.” “Yes. Must get back to his empire o Jedi.” Jack tried to joke but I held back my smile and turned my head to glare at him. “How is your school doing, Teal’c?” I asked returning my gaze back to Teal’ c while Jack grumbled to himself. “It is well.” Teal’c glanced at his watch. “O’Neill, did you not want to leave at four pm?” Jack nodded his head looking at his watch. “Yeah.” I stepped forward and embraced Teal’c again, holding on just a little longer to make Jack that more jealous, and then stepped back. “Hope you have a good time. Keep an eye on Ann for me. Someone has to.” “I will keep both my eyes on her, Samantha.” Teal’c smiled as much as he did and then ambled off towards the passenger side door. “I wish you well, Samantha.” “See ya later, Teal’c.” I said brushing passed Jack to head back to my car. “Hey, Sam. Wait a minute.” He called from behind me. I stopped and played with my keys, slowly pivoting round to come face to face with him. It was sad that thing hadn’t worked out between us. We’d been so in love that we thought nothing would come between us when we finally got together and the Goa’uld had been defeated. But around the time Anna turned five, we were at each other throats literally and ended up ruining our little girl’s birthday because we were arguing over who took the credit for cake. It was stupid but at the time seemed like the end of the world, if one of us didn’ t win the fight. He’d left that night, saying he didn’t want his daughter growing up in an unhappy home and that we were better when we were apart. And sometimes that was true: when it came to Ann it was true. But other times, when I really needed him there and he wasn’t then I hate him even more because I knew he was only on the other side of town. Licking at my lips, I pushed my sunglasses further up my nose saying. “What, Jack?” “No need to be like that.” Jack said ruffling up some of his hair. “All I was going to ask was why you didn’t wnt to come.” “Why I didn’t want to come?” I asked confused, putting my hands onto my hips. “Yeah. I invited both you and Ann to come with me, T and Rya’c.” He told me leaning up the side of my car. “Did you?” I questioned, raising an eyebrow at him. He nodded his head pushing himself off my car. “Yeah, I did. Didn’t Ann ask you?” “No, she didn’t.” I said staring at the back window of his truck where I could see Anna talking to Rya’c. “Well… erm.” He mumbled scratching the back of his head with a cute expression on his face (that I shouldn’t have found cute.). “D’ya wanna come with?”
Gazing up at him, I took the moment to really look at his face, seeing more lines of age on his face and a new scar going down his left temple. I moved my head to take a closer look at the new addition, committing it to memory with all the other scars I knew that were all over his body. He looked at me as if I’d gone weird but stayed still letting me look a whatever I was looking at. “I better not. I know how things can get cramped up there.” I lowered my head out of sight, hiding my eyes from him. He could read me like a book when he got a look into my eyes and if he did, he would insist that I come with them. But I couldn’t do that. I knew, even though we hadn’t argued yet, which was amazing, we’d end up arguing at his cabin and we would upset Anna like we always did when we argued. Jack nodded his head a few times and then touched my shoulder. “I’ll drop Anna off at your place at about five on Sunday.” “Okay.” I said backing off towards my car door and away from his hand. “Oh!” He grunted walking sideways towards his truck. “Sorry about yesterday, I know how you feel when she’s had something to eat without telling you. But she was complaining and saying she was staving, so I took her for a pizza.” Surprised by his apology, I stumbled to get the door handle as I said. “That’ s… okay, Jack.” “Ayway, if you change your mind, you know where we’ll be and you’re more than welcome to come along. See ya Sunday.” Jack said and then got into his truck. Something seemed to be going on but I wasn’t quite sure what it was as I got into my car and they pulled away, roaring off for the interstate. That had to be a first for him. He apologised without being forced too. I had to go home and write it down in my diary or something, log down this special occasion.
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I was sat on the floor of my living room between the couch and the coffee table, ice cream pots scattered about the coffee table that had been consumed as I watched girlie flick after girlie flick, catching up on the films that had come out recently. Anna was drew home any time with Jack and even though I was hardly wearing anything, except for my academy t-shirt and baggy shorts, I couldn’t careless what he’d thought if he came in. I was in my house, so I could do whatever I pleased. Sucking off another scoop of ice cream off my spoon, I brought out the photo albums from under the couch and began to flick through them. They were mostly pictures of Jack and I before Anna was born and some after she was born. From looking at the pictures, you could tell we were very much in love. Always touching, always kissing, always hugging. I remembered at one point, Daniel had threatened to surgically remove us from one another so he could have a serious conversation with us for once instead of us kissng halfway through his explanation on something. I chuckled to myself digging out another scoop of ice cream, while I turned the page and burst out laughing when I saw a photo taken on our first trip away from it all. We’d decided that summer, when Anna turned two we’d take her to his cabin and clear everything out. ‘Late spring cleaning’ he’d called it to make me laugh. But at the time, Anna was walking about and was curious about everything, especially the lake at the back of his cabin. When the two of us weren’t looking, Ann had wandered off away from us, while we were indulging in a very nice kiss, and decided she was going to nose dive into the lake. In total shock we had both ran down onto the jetty and he, of course, dived in to save her. Only Jack forgot he’d left his small boat, which could be hidden from sight when it was in front of the jetty, at the end of the jetty. Anna had fallen into the boat and was happily playing with the life jackets in it, while her father ent yelling over the top of her and splashed into the water. A few steps behind him, I saw the little devil in the boat chuckling when Jack came up with a load of slime over his head, matting down his hair. I had quickly found the camera and snapped the shot before he could remove the slime, and I still cherish the look on his face still to this day. It was sad that things couldn’t have stayed that happy, that good. Turning the page, I almost burst into the tears at the sight of us dancing at some charity function. Everyone else was off dancing while we slowly moved to our own beat, almost seemed not to be unmoving. I put the photo album onto the coffee table, collecting together some of the empty pots as I got to my feet and took them into the kitchen to dump into the trash. Wiping a lonesome tear from my cheek, I yanked opened the fridge door and selected the already opened bottle of wine. I knocked the door close with my hip and pulled the cork out of the bottle, taking a glass from a shelf before I went back to the living room and the photo album. Maybe it were just me being melodramatic or the shock of his apology had really knocked me off balance, but since they drove away on Friday to his cabin I had spent the whole weekend thinking about him. Going over the good times and grumbling about the bad times, knowing they were just as much my fault as they were his but were easier to blame on him. I settled down onto the floor, between the couch and coffee table again, and poured myself a glass of wine while I studied the photos on displayed in the photo album. The bottle chinked against the glass surface of the coffee table, as the front door flew open and slammed hard against the wall of the hallway. Feet stomped into the house. Things were thrown down onto the floor while someone was mumbling to themselves, their footsteps undecided as to where they were supposed to be going. I glanced round the corner of the couch, as Ann shouted at someone outside. “ You’re just a bad as she is! You never let me do anything!” She stomped off up the stairs throwing comments over her shoulder at whomever she was shouting at. I heard the front door close as his voice boomed up the stairs. “Don’t shout at me! My voice can be a lot louder than yours, Anna!” He yelled standing with his hands on his hips at the bottom of the stairs. “You’re not always going to get what you want! Believe me, I know!” “I hate you!” She shouted before her bedroom door was slammed shut. I looked at him questioningly as he turned towards the living room, noticing my head sticking round the corner of the couch. “What was that about?” “Don’t ask!” Jack said in a more tamed voice shoving his hands into his pockets, ambling his way into the living room. “I just did.” I said turning back to the photo album and took a sip from my glass. “Oh, you know. The usual stuff.” He muttered kneeling down onto the floor before shuffling himself over to sit beside a the coffee table. I glanced at him. “The usual would be?” “Well, lets say it has something to do with me saying: You will not be going to some party at your age, with just some boy.” Jack rubbed at his forehead, trying to remove the lines of stress from his face. “Ah!” I grunted. “I’m not surprised. I said the same thing to her the other week when she asked me. I was told I was a selfish and arrogant shol’va.” “I think she’s been hanging round Teal’c and Rya’c too much.” He mumbled pinning the photo album with his finger, dragging it across the table to pull it into his lap. I gulped down some of my wine, finishing it off, and then poured myself another one and offered him the bottle, which he took. He seemed a little preoccupied with the photo album, holding the bottle of wine by its neck while he traced our faces with his other hand’s index finger. “Whatever happened to us, Sam?” I pouted my lips in thought, swilling the white wine around in y glass. “I don’t know. Maybe we got fed up with one another.” He turned his head to look at me. “I could never get fed up with you, Sam. No matter what happened, or what was said, I could never get fed up with you. I just got tired of the arguments.” “Me too.” I said staring down into the cool white liquid in my glass. Closing the photo album, he put it back onto the table as he shifted nearer to me, his arm brushing up against mine. I looked up at him finding that nervous smile of his on his face, which made him extremely vulnerable and cute looking. Jack took a long swig out of the bottle of wine, needing some confidence or buying himself some time. “Sam,” He began, his eyes staring into mine (it always seemed as though he could see into my soul with those piercing brown eyes.). “D’ya wanna…?” “Dad.” Came a call from the stairs. His head dropped down and then cocked to the left with his shoulders slumping down. “Yep?” “I’m sorry. I shouldn’ have shouted at you.” Anna apologised coming to stand at the back of the couch. “No, you shouldn’t of.” Jack mumbled peeling off the label of the bottle of wine. Ann climbed over the back of the couch, wrapping her arms around Jack’s neck from behind, parting her legs either side of him. “I’m sorry.” “Yeah.” He said patting a hand over her crossed arms. “I better… get going.” “Do you have to? I’m sure mom wouldn’t mind you staying for a while. Would you mom?” She asked, pinning me with a look that was definitely inherited from her dad. “I’m not going to stop him.” I said and then sipped at my glass, seeking a glance at his behind as he was getting up from the floor. “No, I better go. I’ve got to be in Washington by ten tomorrow. Got to catch a flight at eight in the morning.” He informed us on his way to the door. Anna followed him to the door, their voices becoming quieter the further they got away. I sighed loudly putting my glass dwn onto the table and then covered my face with my hands. Sometimes I was so glad we had Anna, she was the only thing keeping the two of us together.
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The End (Feedback Welcome)
Story Notes: Season: Future
Spoilers: None
Website: http://www.geocities.com/stargatelover69/
Spoilers: None
Website: http://www.geocities.com/stargatelover69/
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 ]