Landed by Ted Sadler

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Story Notes: Archive: SJ yes

Copyright (c) 2002 Ted Sadler

Spoilers: Window of Opportunity

Season: 7?

"Daddy?" asked Kathrin O'Neill.

"Yes, sweetheart?" replied Jack, his arm around his six-year old daughter as she snuggled beside him on the sofa. Although her younger brother Bart had been asleep for half an hour, she was still full of beans. The log fire was burning bright in front of them and there was no way he would be able to drift off to sleep this evening, with her in such an inquisitive mood. He moved his feet carefully to avoid waking Homer, their four-year old Earth mongrel- cross-alien quadruped from Betelgeuse.

"Has mom always been a teacher? It's so dull learning how to use numbers. The other kids at school say that Mrs. O'Neill's lessons are very hard. Doesn't she ever do anything else?"

"Well, if you watch carefully, you might see her spin round very fast and turn into Major Carter, secret agent and mistress of the universe."

Sam, listening as she sat at the kitchen table in the adjoining room, smiled in spite of herself. Jack was officially in the dog house, as he had quite rudely complained about her bringing home her computer again from the workshop. She could only use it for two hours anyway until the batteries ran down, as the log cabin houses had no electricity.

The way he phrased it had irritated her and so she had pointedly started work to spite him. It was all for him anyway, to meet the latest request for help from the Asgard that he had agreed to. In the last seven years they had travelled off-world three times to assist, and there seemed to be no end to their need for salvation. For such a technically smart people, Jack could run rings round them in strategy and the ability to rapidly re-think a situation when plans went wrong. And he kept insisting that he was the dumb one.

"What was that funny talk you and mom were making yesterday up in the hill? You know, when the little grey men appeared on the picture screen."

"Oh, that. It's called `English', and it's what we used to speak all the time before your mom and I came to this world. And the place in the hill? That's where we lived at first. The little grey men made it for us."

"Why don't we live there any more?"

"Well, the little grey men knew all about making houses for themselves, but not so much about humans. Even though it kept us safe for a while, it wasn't really very easy living there."

"Why not?"

"Well, the little grey men – they're called `The Asgard', by the way – made us useful rooms and a nice bed and cooker, but they didn't quite understand how we do things. Mom had that really useful workshop that she uses all the time, but the first things she had to make were a machine to wash our clothes and a cleaner that sucks up dirt off the floor. She said it wasn't why she learned astrophysics… Sorry, I mean how the stars and sky work."

"Is that why you left?"

"No, we left because we knew you were going to arrive in the world, and we wanted you to be here in the village so that you could play with the other children as you grew up."

"If that funny talk was `English'," continued their daughter, "what do you call the words we're using now?"

"Latin." said Jack. "And it's what everyone here speaks and writes. It was around when the Ancients built the Stargates."

"Is that when you learned it, then?"

Jack distinctly heard a giggle from the kitchen. "No, Uncle Teal'c and I learned it a time loop, so we could save everyone from living the same day over and over. Hey! I also learned how to make pottery and how to kiss your mom."

"Is that how you learned to make pots and plates for everyone in the village now?

"Sure is! They had to bring them in from a long way away before I had my workshop."

"Why haven't you kissed mom this week?"

Jack was not ready for the sudden change in the direction of the questions. "For crying out loud!" he blustered, which sounded more poetic in Latin. "She's upset with me for complaining about bringing her computer home again. But I know I'm wrong. I just forgot that helping the Asgard is something she wants to do, even though I think we should say `no' this time. We've done too much for them already."

For someone who supposedly wasn't listening, Sam's attention was anywhere but on the keyboard and screen. The realisation dawned on her that they both thought it was what the other wanted. She was about to get up and join her family by the fire, when the next question took her completely by surprise, and she sat frozen to the spot.

"Are you really too old and boring for mom?"

"What? Is that what she said?"

"No, it was Loran."

"What, Loran the art and history teacher at school? He said that to you?"

"Well, he said it in the rest-time to another teacher and I heard him."

"Was mom there at the time?"

"No, she was taking her numbers class. I don't think he said it to her. But he did say that he would be a better person for her. Daddy, I don't like him very much. You won't let him come and live here with mom, will you?"

Jack's heart stood still for a moment and he was at a loss for words. Finally he said in a low voice, "Your mom's a very lovely and clever woman, Kathrin, and you'll be just as nice when you grow up. Lots of men will like you, and you'll be able to choose the ones you want to be with. It won't matter what the other ones want."

Before Kathrin could continue, her mother swept in, lifted her up and announced bed-time, leaving Jack staring thoughtfully into the fire. She returned a few minutes later to find that he hadn't moved. She sat down next to him and leaned against his shoulder.

"Jack, you're an idiot!" she said in English, staring into the fire as well. "Why didn't you just tell her that you won't let anyone come and take your place?"

"I… You… Sam, if you're really…. I mean, I am older than you…"

"You're an idiot, Jack." she repeated. "A magnificent, wonderful, sarcastic, caring idiot. You've saved countless people on different worlds, and if the Earth nations ever stop fighting long enough to agree how to re-open their Stargate, we'll be welcomed back there as well. Not that I particularly want to go back to mass consumerism and pollution. And if the Goa'uld came tomorrow, I'd die knowing that my life has never been better than it is right now."

"Love you, Sam." whispered Jack, raising his arm to put round her shoulders.

"Why don't you go and shave right now? There's enough hot water." said Sam.

"At this time of night? Why?"

"So I can show just how turned on I get by boring older men. And I don't want Major Carter to have any chafing tomorrow when she puts on her uniform on a mission to splatter a history teacher over the playground."

End Notes: ted.sadler@ntlworld.com

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