Chapter 44
Community Hall, Turner, Blaine County, MT
November 11, 2010
Matthew O’Neill, disappointed to be dressed in a suit with an actual tie, sat beside his mother and siblings in Turner’s community hall that was hosting the town’s Veteran’s Day ceremonies. It had been a month since his father had taken him and Josh onboard Iðavöllr and then after the space fight, returned them to their mother, and as far as the youngest O’Neill son was concerned, his boring Earth life.
Well he was sort of glad his parents were no longer having so many secret meetings, not only was his father not here but his baby sister was getting most of his mother’s attention. Some days, if Matt had not known it would make Dad very mad when he got home and heard about his behaviour, he felt like throwing tantrums like Hope did.
Cocking his head to the side Matt actually took a look at Hope who was cradled against their mother’s shoulder, but Hope actually seemed to like the minister’s incessant talking which proved to him, that girls, even baby girls had no sense. Why could not she cry now like she did at home and maybe get them out of here?
When his mom, who had been watching the ceremonies solemnly, unexpectedly looked towards him Matt afflicted the most woefully miserable expression he could. Seeming to be more amused by his face than sympathetic, his mother leaned towards him both to speak in a low tone.
“I’ll be right back. Hope’s diaper needs to be changed.”
“Can I come?” Matt asked hopefully, not that he wanted to help with the diaper, but going with them would get him out of his seat.
“No Matt, you stay here,” Sam said with a half smile, suspecting what her son was attempting to do. He was not a son of Jack O’Neill for nothing. “Remember, you and Josh have to lay the wreath for the gallery because Dad and Sally aren’t here to do it.”
Moving quietly, Sam rose from her seat that she had deliberately selected because it was next to the isle. She picked up Hope’s diaper bag and made her way to the washrooms near the entrance of the hall.
She was unaware that a man, who was part of a group in winter fatigues that had just entered the darkened entrance of the hall, caught sight of her as she had disappeared into the bathroom and began to head towards her destination in a leisurely manner. He waved a hand at his companions in a silent order for them to continue into the hall without him, to which they obeyed.
Catching the bathroom door just as it had almost swung shut, the man slipped into the room behind Sam and Hope.
The women’s room did not have a child’s changing station but that was not a hindrance to Sam with her experience with some of the very odd places she had changed her sons in their infancy off-world as she set a changing cloth out on the floor and efficiently replaced Hope’s soiled diaper with a fresh one.
Wrapping up the soiled diaper and tucking it into the diaper bag it was only once she had zipped the bag shut and was no longer as focused on her daughter that Sam became aware of another presence in the room.
Expecting another woman had the sudden urge to use the washroom Sam began to stand and turn towards the other person with an apologetic half smile and to apologise for electing to change Hope in the middle of the washroom floor instead of off to the side of the room.
Catching sight of the man in fatigues leaning back against the door and watching them wiped the smile right off her face. For a disbelieving heartbeat, she stared at the intruder before launching herself at him with an ecstatic cry that was his name.
“Jack!”
Jack did not even grunt as his body thumped forcefully against the door he had been leaning against as he caught his wife’s body against his. Far too involved in returning her welcome home kiss to be worried about a little thing like being winded.
When the need to breathe finally broke the kiss, Jack turned his attention to kissing and nipping Sam’s neck as she eagerly offered the expanse of skin to him.
“Oh God, I missed you,” Sam murmured breathlessly, shuddering helplessly against her husband as his skilled mouth found the sensitive spot behind her ear. Collecting some of her thoughts, she managed to gather enough breath to ask, “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?”
Jack finally lifted his mouth from tasting her neck long enough to give her some answers in gravelly voice that fanned Sam’s desire. “Thought I’d surprise you. Got tired of the politics and decided they can make the decision without me there.”
Jack’s mouth had started to descend to Sam’s neck again when Hope reminded her parents of her presence by squalling suddenly for attention.
Sam jerked in surprise at the sound and hastily gathered her passion scattered wits together and scooped up Hope from the floor. Happy to have been picked up Hope gurgled up at her mother as Sam turned back to Jack.
Sam could tell from the darkness of his eyes and flush on his cheeks that her husband’s body was still very much caught up in the moment that Hope had just interrupted. She did not need to look in the bathroom mirror to know that she herself was probably still exhibiting those signs as well, well aware of the heat still in her cheeks and the desire that still throbbed in her body.
But as Jack looked at his daughter who had grown so much since his departure Jack’s expression turned to one of wonder.
“She’s gotten so big,” Jack marvelled as he reached out to accept their daughter from Sam. Hope scrunched up her face momentarily at the new face that filled her vision but otherwise was perfectly content to be cradled against her father’s chest as he ran his other hand over her.
Sam gave a soft smile at his words, content to stand to the side and let daughter and father reacquaint themselves. She would show Jack later, after they had gotten home, the photo album and video log that she had made to document Hope’s development when it became apparent that the United Worlds Assembly was going to take much longer than they had planned or expected.
As Jack finished running his hand over his daughter’s body, exploring her changed size and features, he looked up and caught the soft expression on his wife’s face as she watched them. His hand lifted from rubbing through Hope’s hair and reached out to catching Sam on the back of the neck.
Taking a step towards his wife to close the distance between them, the kiss that Jack initiated was a tender expression of utter love and devotion. The hand on the back of Sam’s neck slid down her back to her waist to cinch her to him with their daughter between. Sam’s arms came up to wrap around her husband and she leaned her head against Jack’s shoulder.
For a long, blissful and needed minute, the three of them just basked in the presence of the other. Eventually however, Hope protested against her slightly squished position and her parents let go of each other. Jack settled his daughter into a more comfortable position in his arms and she contentedly settled in.
“We should tell the boys you’re here,” Sam spoke as she reached down and picked up the diaper bag and blanket Hope had been laying on. “They’ve missed you a great deal.”
Jack shook his head after he checked his watch. “We’ll wait until after the ceremony, otherwise they’ll be too excited.”
Nodding her head in acceptance, knowing very well that Josh and Matt’s excitement would lead to the total disruption of the service, especially considering essentially everyone in town was asking after Jack, the three joined the group that Jack had walked into the hall with, in a back row for the rest of the ceremony.