Stargate SG1 Fan Fiction ❯ The Secret Life of a Major General ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4

Master Bedroom, O’Neill’s Residence, Colorado Springs, CO
February 8, 2005
Morning

The ringing of the phone roused Jack from sleep after a rather intense night of debauchery. Groping blindly, first on top the bedside table, and then the floor beside the bed he finally managed to locate the cordless phone lying on the rug. Picking it up he fumbled for the on button before bringing the phone to his ear and still half asleep grunted, “What?”

Even the fact that it was Carter on the other end did not really wake him up much, or her news that Teal’c had returned to Earth reporting a ‘problem.’ Which in Jaffa speak probably translated as ‘impending doom of the universe.’

Mumbling an affirmative response he switched the phone off, ending the call and let the device drop carelessly back onto the floor beside the bed. Quietly voicing a mild expletive, he heaved himself to a sitting position on the mattress and his movement roused his bed partner.

“What was that?” the curly headed brunette occupying the other side of his bed inquired sleepily. She stretched up against him, her body inviting his touch as his hand settled tenderly on her head.

Kerry made a pretty, but strange picture, on his bed and underneath his sheets—strange in that it had been years since a woman had slept in his bed. He did not acknowledge in his own mind that it was more that—even now—his eyes expected to see short, straight blond hair with blue eyes and not long, curly brown hair with brown eyes.

“Trouble in Jaffa-land,” his simple response invoked a groan from the CIA agent. “Gotta go.”

Kerry nodded her understanding of his duty as Jack slid his hand from the top of her head to affectionately cup the side of her face.

“Sorry,” he apologised as he leaned down and his lips settled on Kerry’s own. The woman beneath his mouth responded fully even knowing that it would go no further. Gently Jack broke the kiss and rising from the bed, departed the bedroom for the bathroom.

Kerry watched his retreating backside with a wistful look.

In his office hours later Jack settled back into his chair and awaited his Commander-in-Chief’s response after reporting the news that Teal’c and Bra’tac had communicated to him, to the president. When voiced, Hayes concerns were essentially the same as his. They would both only rest easy with the destruction of the Dakara weapon.

Soon enough however Hayes turned the conversation to another more recent and far more personal matter that the two men had been discussing: the orphaning of his niece and nephew and with his assuming guardianship of the twins, his future and by extension the future of SGC.

Jack wanted to remove himself entirely from program operations and Hayes was insistent that was not possible. Jack’s reasons were twofold, retirement would allow him to devote his time to the siblings and cut himself off from parties potentially interested in the children. If the siblings had a connection to the program after all he would have wanted to keep a hand in—for medical reasons at the very least. Thor had reassured him however, that would not be a concern with the children. While they were genetically his and Carter’s the two siblings only had extremely developed Ancient genes and were otherwise entirely and indistinguishably human.

“Jack, there is another option,” Hayes stated on the other end of the phone line.

“And it is?” Jack wondered what the option could possibly be.

“I’ve just received word from George that he will have to retire shortly or be discharged on medical grounds.” Jack jerked upright in his seat but before he could demand what was wrong with Hammond the president continued. “It’s his heart and as I’m accepting George’s retirement the positing of Director of Homeland Security is opening and I’d like you take the position.”

“Me Sir?” Jack was amazed his voice did not squeak. He had been promoted to brigadier general eight months ago and Hayes wanted him to do the job that belonged to a lieutenant general? “Certainly there’s someone more qualified—”

“There isn’t Jack,” Hayes cut him off firmly. “You’ve served as the program’s flagship team’s commander for eight years and then base commander for the past eight months. You’ve been in both trenches and know better then anyone what those soldiers are facing. There is no one else.”

“Yes Sir,” Jack answered quietly.

On the other end of the phone, Hayes sighed softly. “Just think about it seriously please. And while you’re thinking about it, think about the fact that while the position is in ‘bureaucrat central,’ it is essentially a nine-to-five job that would allow you to be there for the Mayer twins as much as any other career parent would be.”

“I’ll consider it Sir.”

“You’ll find the relevant paperwork in your inbox and thank you,” Hayes responded and then drew their conversation to a close.

Placing the receiver into its cradle Jack settled even further into his chair. Long moments passed as he turned over and over in his mind what the president had told him. His first instinct was a flat out and emphatic no, but the more he considered it, the more it became a viable option. Still pondering all his choices his eyes drifted to the single picture of the old SG-1 he had on display in his office.

While assuming the position of base commander had been a decision that he had discussed with them, this was one he could not. With his promotion, the team had begun to drift and with Teal’c’s involvement in the new Free Jaffa Nation the team was being pulled further apart. He still had not decided how to tell them about his ‘adoption’ of the two siblings—twins he mentally corrected himself. While the two children were simply siblings their biological age had meant it was best to pass them off as twins.

But maybe… the thought occurred to him that if he accepted the director position most that knew of the Mayer twins would assume it was for their benefit and the distance between himself and the members of the current SG-1 would be greater than ever. It was more a flight of fancy but he did wonder how effectively he could just drop out of their lives.

It would save him the hassle of telling them about the twins after all, without really telling them anything at all.

In the Oval Office late that evening, one of the fax machines on the president’s desk beeped indicating an incoming fax. Henry Hayes raised his head from the report he was reading. Noting the AF header, he pulled the faxed papers towards him and felt an eyebrow rise to his hairline as he read the application in his hands.

It had taken nearly a week for O’Neill to accept the promotion to brigadier general and command of SGC. It had taken him only hours to accept the position of Homeworld Security Director.

He assumed the reason was because of O’Neill’s new guardianship of his orphaned niece and nephew. The man had cited the constant hazard at SGC as one of the reasons for his application of retirement as the base was under constant threat and while a base commander had not yet been lost, base personnel regularly were to foothold situations and experiences with alien technology gone wrong.

As he considered O’Neill’s signature he wondered if he should have let the man know that accepting the position essentially meant another star for his uniform… nah. He would let George deliver that happy news to his former second-in-command. Amused at the prospect and what he suspected would be O’Neill’s reaction, Hayes set the form aside and turned his attention back to the report he had been reading.