Stargate SG1 Fan Fiction ❯ The Secret Life of a Major General ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter 6

Living Room, O’Neill’s Residence, Alexandria, VA
April 10, 2005
Late Evening

Two and a half weeks had passed since the siblings had arrived on Earth and as the days had passed and they had interacted with their surroundings, Jack when he was not working, and the caretakers and other children at the Pentagon’s daycare, they had developed into normal children. Putting on weight so that it was only their height that made them look a little younger then two years and had developed into chatterboxes happy to babble away in toddler-speak.

Jack was just grateful that their rambunctious natures had been a slow development, leading to a very quiet first week for him and the children to adjust to each other as well as him adjusting to the duties of his new command.

Even though he was now in ‘bureaucrat central’ and a department director, in a way he had less paperwork than he’d had as base commander. Not in volume but in variety as he was no longer required to make decisions like what type and how many pounds of potatoes to order for the commissary. As thankful as he was to no longer make those decisions, it had been replaced by the more frustrating responsibility of deciphering the highly technological reports coming from Nevada, with a small percent from SGC, in regards to understanding and possibly backwards engineering the hundreds of pieces of alien technology the SG teams had brought back through the ’gate over the past eight years.

But as frustrated as he got daily adjusting to his new job and its demands, he found it surprisingly easy to shed those worries in Tyler and Emily’s company. Surprising, but not unfamiliar. He had experienced such a state before. With Charlie every time he came home from work and after most missions.

And now, when before at SGC he would pound out his frustrations on a punching bag in a gym to relax he had discovered it was far more relaxing to visit with, and usually cuddle, the siblings.

Speaking of cuddle, Jack shifted his weight on the couch, moving the small bodies that had begun to fall asleep on him. Turning off the TV, he hoisted Emily up, carried her to the children’s room, and laid her in her crib. He rubbed a few circles on her tummy when she roused in protest at being moved. As soon as she quieted down, he returned to the living room to gather up Tyler. Settling the little boy into his own crib, he set the child monitor and headed for bed himself.

Stripping the remainder of his clothes off, having shed most of his uniform upon arriving home, he dropped the garments into the clothes hamper. Settling into bed and before falling asleep he briefly wondered what time Kerry would be arriving but dismissed the thought of staying up for her as she had a key, knew the alarm code, and could get in on her own just fine.

Early the next morning Kerry Johnson looked with some bemusement at the scene of domestication she was viewing over the rim of her coffee mug. Wearing at the moment only his uniform pants and a white undershirt, Jack was holding court before two enthralled twins as he made airplane noises to get the first spoonfuls of breakfast into the children’s mouths. While she knew the two children could use the spoons on their own, they seemed to prefer Jack feeding them first before demanding the spoons to feed themselves.

“Me help,” Tyler demanded and Kerry observed that today it was his turn to want to feed himself first. Emily soon followed voicing the exact same words and Jack handed the spoons over to the twins and sat down to his own bowl of Fruit Loops.

Spoon full of coloured circles half raised to his mouth Jack caught the strange look Kerry was giving him and asked, “What?”

Kerry smiled and gave a slight shake of her head and voiced a half thought, “You’re very natural at this.” Lifting a hand from her mug, she waved to encompass the twins and kitchen.

Jack popped the cereal into his mouth and after swallowing dismissed with a shrug, “I’ve done this before.”

Kerry gave another little shake of her head. Knowing that while it was true, it was not the whole truth. While those knowing only of his current bachelorhood, long time military career, and current rank of major general would assume that Jack and children did not mix, those that saw him with children knew instantly if any man was made for fatherhood it was Jack O’Neill.

Even with her awareness of his past and loss of his son having read his dossier, the realisation had come to a surprise to Kerry. But as natural as the man was with fatherhood she still thought that, “Jack I really think you should hire a nanny.”

The silver haired man made a face. “I said before Kerry, I don’t want them raised by a stranger.”

This was an argument that was quickly growing old between them so she tried a different tactic. “Then would you consider a housekeeper?”

“A housekeeper?”

“They wouldn’t even have to be full time. Just someone to help around the house,” seeing that he was opening his mouth to protest that he was managing fine on his own she hurried to cut him off. “I know that you’re managing it right now, but what about when the children get a little older? Right now, as it is, you’re tired when you get home from work and still have to make supper.”

“So what would I need a housekeeper for?” Neither his tone of voice or face let her know what he thought about her recent suggestion.

“Someone to keep the house tidy and pre-make meals so that when you get home you have the choice of reheating prepared food or if you had the energy to make your own meal for yourself and the twins. At the very least it would give you more time with them. Plus what if there’s an emergency at work that keeps you at the office too long? Who would be available to care for the twins? Please Jack,” Kerry reached out and squeezed his forearm where it rested across the table, “just consider it.”

His expression sill closed Jack nodded and Kerry knew that would be the most she would get from him for now.

Smiling her thanks at him, she rose from the table and rinsed the mug out before setting it aside to be washed later. The twins would finish up their own breakfasts soon, be changed into clean clothes, their diaper bags needed to be packed and ready to go by the time the car arrived to drive the general to work and the twins to daycare. At the moment Jack still only had his truck which was not suitable for two child seats so until he purchased a vehicle with room he was using the town car to transfer between home and work.

“Kerry if you could watch Tyler for a bit?” Jack asked as he lifted Emily from her highchair. “I’ll get this little munchkin ready first.”

Nodding in acceptance, for it was a task she had performed before, Jack zoomed the little girl from the room. Listening to Emily’s laughter fade as the two moved upstairs to the children’s room Kerry found herself, as she rescued Tyler’s bowl from a meeting with the floor, wondering why she had not run as far and fast as she could upon being told by Jack that he had suddenly become guardian of his newly orphaned, two-year-old niece and nephew.

It was a thought she was also sure had crossed Jack’s mind but if asked she did not know if even now she could say why she stayed. Their relationship had just started after all and she had not signed up for an instant family but a no strings affair with a very sexual man.