Dogs, Cats and Telescopes Part 1
Dogs, Cats and Telescopes Part 1
by Kirsty841
Summary: Set immediately after Singularity. Set in the same universe as my "Fresh Starts" series. not essential to read those, but it might help!
Category: Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene/Epilogue, Romance, Series
Episode Related: 114 Singularity
Season: Season 1
Pairing: Jack/Janet
Rating: G
Warnings: minor language
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 01/23/04
Dogs, Cats and Telescopes. Part One.
"Teal'c? Know anything about dogs?"
"Nothing." Daniel, Jack and Teal'c walked across the park and left Sam and Cassandra on the bench.
"Think Sam's gonna be OK when Cassandra goes to live with Dr. Frasier?" asked Daniel as he looked back to where the small girl was perched on Sam's lap. "She seems to have gotten pretty attached to her." Jack was knelt on the floor fussing with Cassandra's new dog. He looked over in the same direction as Daniel and sighed.
"I guess she'll have to be. It's not like she won't see her again though."
"Yeah I suppose," Daniel looked down at Jack who'd turned his attention back to the dog, "so does he have a name?"
"Nah. Thought I'd leave that to Cassie." Jack had taken the dog's lead off and was looking around for a stick to play fetch with.
"O'Neill, why are the children of this world required to possess such a creature?"
"Don't the kids on Chulak have pets?" O'Neill asked back. Teal'c merely raised his eyebrow at O'Neill, clearly not understanding, "Pets! You know, animals for the kids to play with, be friends with." Teal'c still looked rather puzzled.
"You are able to communicate with these animals?" he asked.
"Well no, not exactly."
"Then how is it you are friends with them?" Daniel was trying very hard not to laugh which earned him a glare from Jack.
"Ok, so "friends" isn't exactly the right word. Daniel you could help me out here!"
"Oh no Jack, I think you're doing fine by yourself." Daniel was still trying to stifle his laughter and still being glared at by Jack. Eventually he gave in. "Ok, Ok! Teal'c, I think what Jack's trying to say is that pets provide a sort of companion for children. It's very common for the people of our world to seek an unconditional companionship from animals, especially if they're alone."
"Cassandra will not be alone though," Teal'c stated.
"No she won't, but she'll probably feel lonely for a while until she settles in. Hopefully the dog will help." Daniel's eyes drifted towards the swing where Sam and Cassandra now were. Daniel's expression made Jack realise with a jolt that Daniel understood exactly how Cassie felt, having lost his own parent's so young.
"Did you both have pets as children?" Teal'c asked Jack and Daniel. Daniel answered first.
"Um, no...me and my parents moved around so much..." Daniel's voice trailed off and he shifted uneasily. An overwhelming wave of sympathy washed over Jack. "And of course pets aren't good for my allergies." Daniel finished.
"Then you appear to have broken the rule."
"Rule?" Daniel asked.
"The rule that states all Earth children are to own a dog."
"Teal'c," Jack interjected, "it's not really a rule. I just told Cassie it was."
"I see," said Teal'c, even though he clearly didn't.
"Come on, I think we're Ok to go back over now." Jack snapped the dog's lead back on as Teal'c began to make his way back over to the swings. Daniel hadn't moved.
"Hey, you ok?" Jack asked him. He seemed to slowly pull himself out of his trance-like state as he turned towards Jack.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." They began to walk slowly back across the park. "So did you have a dog?"
"Yeah, two actually, one of them died when I was twelve. I came home from school one afternoon the week after and there was a puppy sat at the bottom of the stairs that my dad had gone out and got." Jack stopped talking; feeling awkward talking about his father while Daniel had been so forcefully reminded of his parents today.
"I thought you would have gotten a puppy for Cassandra actually. How old's this dog?"
"He's about two years old I think, so he's just out of the puppy stage."
"So how come you didn't get a puppy?"
"Are you kidding?! Doc would've killed me!" Jack laughed.
"Doesn't Dr. Frasier have allergies like mine?" Daniel asked, remembering the conversation they'd had when the base was infected with the Broca virus.
"Yeah, she does, but she's had dog's before so I don't think they affect her. Either that or her antihistamines are really good."
"How do you know that?"
"That her antihistamines are good?" Jack asked.
"No, that she's had dog's before?"
"There's a photograph in her living room of her and her brother and her dog." Jack answered. Daniel got the distinct impression that there was something more to Jack and Dr. Frasier's friendship than they let on. In fact, it was a feeling he'd had since Dr. Frasier had arrived at the SGC. They seemed to know each other when Daniel had first met the doctor in the infirmary before the mission to P3X 797. Plus the fact that she'd turned up at Jack's house afterwards, and Jack had insisted that they were just friends, but Daniel still had a sneaking suspicion they were more. Lately, they hadn't seemed to be talking much, other than when it was absolutely necessary at work. Then he'd come back from Nem's planet and they'd changed yet again. They were talking as friends definitely, much more than just a professional working relationship, and of course they could both flirt like crazy and when they flirted with each other they were practically indecent! Daniel made a mental note to corner Jack alone at some point and get it out of him somehow, as impossible as that may seem.
"Blood from a stone, Daniel," he muttered under his breath.
"Huh? You say something?" Jack asked him.
"No."
"Oh, ok. Hey Carter!" Jack walked over to the other half of SG1 and took over from pushing Cassandra on the swings, leaving Daniel to devise a way of getting information out of Jack.
SG1 and Cassandra returned to the base later on that afternoon to collect Cassandra's things from her room and for Janet to take her home at the end of her shift. The men had left Sam in the infirmary to say goodbye to Cassandra alone and had gone their separate ways in the mountain. It was now late evening and the corridors were fairly empty. Jack had stayed late to finish his report from P8X 987 so that he could have his whole weekend free. He was walking along the corridor of Sub-Level 19 to see if Daniel was still around and invite him out for a drink. He had a feeling he might need cheering up after his revelation in the park that afternoon. As he walked along the corridor he spotted a light on in one of the rooms, but it wasn't Daniel's office, it was Carter's lab. He stood in the doorway and watched her as she worked on her computer, completely engrossed in whatever she was working on. Her report was neatly stacked at the corner of her desk. She hadn't even noticed he was there.
"Hey," he said quietly, trying not to startle her. She looked up quickly, her eyes were red and swollen, she'd obviously been crying, "You ok?"
"Yes sir, I'm fine." She answered, too quickly.
"How come you're still working? It's getting kinda late."
"Yeah I know. I just wanted to get started on the analysis of the data you and Teal'c managed to collect before Nirrti showed up."
"And I don't suppose it can wait till Monday?" he came right into the room and sat on the stool on the opposite side of Sam's lab bench.
"I guess it could," she said quietly.
"Sam, you've had a rough day, you need some rest."
"I don't think I can sleep yet. My head's still too active."
"Then you need to wind down. I was just about to ask Daniel if he wanted to come for a drink or something. Join us?" She seemed to hesitate for a moment. Jack was well aware that the female quarter of his team hardly ever spent any time with the rest of them socially and was suddenly determined to change that. Just as he was about to threaten to make it an order, she answered.
"Thank you, sir. I'd like that. I think Daniel's already left."
"That's ok. I'll call him from the car and have him meet us somewhere."
"I'll need to get changed first."
"Alright, I'll wait here for you. Mind if I use your phone to call Daniel while I wait?"
"No of course not. I'll be right back." Sam turned her computer off and disappeared from the lab leaving Jack on his own. He walked around to where Sam had been sitting and dialled Daniel's number.
"Hello?"
"Hey Daniel, it's me, whatcha doin'?"
"Absolutely nothing actually."
"Wanna grab a beer somewhere with me and Carter?" Daniel yawned into the phone and was about to tell Jack he was too tired when he remembered his plan from the afternoon. Jack tended to get a little more talkative than usual after a few drinks, so this could be the chance he was looking for to get a few answers to his questions about the Colonel and the CMO.
"Yeah sure. Where and when?" They arranged the time and place to meet and Jack was just hanging up when Sam walked back into her lab wearing her civvies. She'd obviously washed her face and re-applied her make up so it was impossible to tell she'd been crying.
"All set," she announced as she walked back in. Jack got up from his stool and they began the walk to the surface. It wasn't until they were in the elevator that Jack spoke again.
"So...how you doin'?" he asked tentatively. Sam lowered her head to avoid his eyes as she answered.
"Fine sir." She said.
"Carter..."he didn't continue until she'd turned her gaze back to him, "I know today must've taken a huge toll on you and you're not "fine" at all." Her watery blue eyes turned away from him again, she didn't want to break down in front of her CO. The elevator doors opened and they stepped out into the parking lot.
"So where are we meeting Daniel?" she asked, hoping to distract Jack.
"O'Malley's. Sam, please talk to me." She bit her lip and twitched her hands nervously, but didn't say anything. "Ok, if you can't talk to me then please talk to someone because you obviously need to." Jack was about to step away and get into his truck when he heard Sam finally talk.
"I just...I wish I could do more for her. I wish I could help her."
"Are you serious? You don't think you've helped her? You saved her life Sam. No one else saw her hiding in that bush on Hanka. If you hadn't we probably would've left her there. And from what Daniel tells me you haven't left her side since you brought her back through. That's got to mean a hell of a lot to her." The faintest smile ghosted Sam's lips, but it was gone in a second.
"Yeah I guess so."
"And you are gonna be able to help her in the future too. Just because she's living with Janet doesn't mean you won't get to see her." Sam seemed to flinch at that and closed her eye to stop the tears, and Jack had his second revelation of the day. "Is that why you're upset?" he asked gently, "because she's living with Janet and not you?" he placed a hand on Sam's shoulder and she looked directly at him.
"Pretty stupid huh?" she said.
"Why is it?"
"Because I know she's better off with Janet. I'd have to give up Stargate travel and I'm not ready to do that yet. I don't want to end up resenting Cassandra because of the sacrifices I'd have to make for her. I can't do this job and be a single parent to a pre-teen at the same time." Jack smiled at her and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, "I just wish I could do both."
"Yeah, I know, but she needs stability right now. The next few months are gonna be tough for her and she's gonna need you. Why don't you go over to Janet's and see her?"
Sam shook her head, "Not tonight. We thought it would be best to let her settle in first. I'll see her over the weekend."
"Ok. Come on, we better get going. Don't wanna keep Daniel waiting." They both went to their cars and drove into town to O'Malley's. They met Daniel, found a table in a corner of the bar and ordered their drinks. When they'd finished those, Jack left the table to go to the bathroom and to get more drinks, leaving Daniel and Sam alone. As soon as Jack was out of earshot, Daniel leaned over the table to talk to Sam.
"Sam I need your help," he whispered.
"My help? Why what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, I just need you to help me get something out of Jack."
"What?"
"Well, I've noticed that he's very friendly with a certain Doctor of ours and I think there's something going on between them. I guess I'm just being nosey, but I really wanna know." Sam was grinning by this time and Daniel had noticed, "You know something don't you?" he asked. Sam's grin grew even wider. "Come on, tell me." Daniel pleaded. Unable to resist Sam leaned across the table too, so she and Daniel were almost nose to nose.
"Ok, but you promise not to tell anyone?" Sam asked, her grin still fixed firmly on her face.
"Cross my heart," Daniel replied, causing them both to giggle, well aware they were acting like school children.
"Janet told me that they met before the Abydos mission. Apparently it was Janet who carried out your pre-mission medicals."
"It was?" Daniel asked, his brain trying to find the memory of that medical exam, suddenly his face cleared and he exclaimed, "Oh God, it was! I never realised!"
"Yeah, well about ten months after Colonel O'Neill got back Janet bumped into him in a bar. Then she met him a few weeks later and they started dating." Daniel's eyebrows shot up to his hairline, "They were dating for about a month or so when Janet was transferred to a hospital in Washington. They kept in contact but then Colonel O'Neill was recalled to active duty and they didn't see each other again until Janet came back to Cheyenne Mountain."
"And now?"
"Now they're just good friends."
"That's it? Just good friends? Are you sure?"
"Daniel, it would be against regulations for them to be anything more." Daniel snorted,
"Yeah, like that would stop Jack. We're gonna have to find out."
"Well that's all Janet would tell me." In fact, Sam had practically begged for all the details but Janet had refused to tell her anything more. They were interrupted by the sound of Jack clearing his throat, he was stood next to the table that Sam and Daniel were still leaning across,
"Want me to leave you two alone?" he asked, eyebrows raised at their close proximity. Both Daniel and Sam blushed at being caught whispering across the table. Jack just smiled and sat back in his seat, placing fresh drinks on the table. "So what were you two whispering about?"
"Nothing!" They both answered at the same time. Jack looked from one blushing scientist to the other, clearly not believing them. "Ok, you don't wanna tell me. That's fine. We're all entitled to our little secrets." Jack said as he took a long drink from his bottle.
"Little secrets like black holes and accretion disks?" Daniel asked, his face a picture of perfect innocence. Sam looked down at the table to hide her smile. Jack paused as he put his bottle back on the table.
"That was never a secret Daniel," Sam was still trying not to laugh, "and anyway Carter," Jack said, "how did you know?" Sam finally controlled herself enough to look up at her CO.
"About you spying on your neighbours?" she asked sweetly. Too sweetly, Jack thought. She had that same innocent expression that Daniel had given him a few minutes ago. "Janet told me," she said. It took a few seconds for her words to sink in and when they did Jack's face was a picture of pure shock,
"What?" he asked, "When...? How...?" Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath, when he opened them again both members of his team were grinning at him. "Ok, what exactly has she told you?" Jack finally managed to get out, careful not to reveal anything they might not already know. Daniel finally tried to ease Jack's mind,
"Relax Jack, all we know is that you and Dr. Frasier knew each other before the SGC was up and running and that you dated for a while before you were called back to active duty." Jack visibly relaxed, thankful that Janet had only told them that much, "Unless of course there's something you want to tell us?" Daniel asked with a wicked gleam in his eye, this was better than he'd imagined it to be.
"What? Daniel I've told you before that we're just friends."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!" Winding Jack up was turning out to be fun.
"Against regulations right?" Daniel asked, sneaking a glance at his partner in crime who's smile was as big as his own.
"Yes. Well, kinda, I guess."
"Kinda, you guess?" Daniel asked, slightly confused. Hadn't Sam said it was against the regs?
"Yeah. Janet reports directly to Hammond, so it wouldn't compromise the chain of command. But she's also a Major, which means she's a Junior officer, and the Air Force don't really like that, especially since we work so closely, her being my Doctor and all." Sam had finally stopped laughing, and Daniel looked thoughtful. Jack seemed to have thought the situation through very well, considering he and Janet were "just friends".
"So you can't date anyone with a lower rank?" he asked.
"No," Sam answered at the same time as Jack answered with,
"Not officially."
"See?" Daniel beamed at Sam, "I told you a little thing like regulations wouldn't stop him." Jack gave Daniel a dirty look,
"Thank you Daniel," he said, "I'm flattered that you think so highly of me."
"You're welcome," Daniel replied, choosing to ignore the sarcasm, "and you can't date anyone who's under your command?"
"No," Jack replied this time, "it's not good for the team dynamics."
"What if you did?"
"One way ticket to Leavenworth, do not pass go, do not collect $200," Jack said.
"Really?" Daniel asked, surprised, "it's that serious?"
"It could be. More likely to just be a forced resignation or something. Why the sudden interest in the frat regs?"
"I'm just curious," Daniel said, "the military way of life takes a while to get used to. This is all fairly new to me. I knew they control all aspects of your life, but your love life too? I don't think I could cope with it."
The conversation halted for a while as they sat and finished their drinks. The barman came over to their table and informed them that the bar would be closing soon. "Guess that's our cue to leave," Daniel said. The three of them made their way out into the parking lot.
"Daniel do you need a ride home?" Sam offered.
"No it's ok. I'm just a couple of blocks away. See you Monday?" he asked.
"Yeah," Sam replied, "Enjoy the rest of your weekend."
"I'll try. Bye Jack."
"See ya Daniel." Jack answered. He and Sam walked to their cars as Daniel made his way home. As they got closer Jack turned to Sam,
"So, you feel better Carter?" Sam gave him a more genuine smile this time than she had at the mountain earlier that evening.
"Yes thank you," she answered, surprised to find that she actually did feel better. She'd been slightly apprehensive about going out with just Colonel O'Neill and Daniel, but she'd eventually relaxed. She seemed to be forming very different, but equally strong friendships with each of the men.
"That's good. You going to see Cassie tomorrow?"
"I think so."
"Ok. Well I'll see you Monday, Carter."
"Yeah, bye sir."
They both got into their cars and drove home.
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Kirsty841
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