When Jack’s letter hit the night-time news that evening, the entire letter was read on air. Instead of being smacked, Jack was kissed by his surprised partners. Davy gave him a shy hug, self-conscious about being mentioned on air.
“Permission to hug, sir?” Jerrie asked, her voice slightly husky.
“Granted,” Jack said and gave her a hug, too.
Five minutes after the airing, there was a knock at the door. Katie opened it.
“Nana, it’s past your bedtime,” she said, opening the door.
“This couldn’t wait,” Maggie said. She found her son and kissed him. “You do have a heart,” she said. “I always knew you did.”
Jack wasn’t sure what was worse: the attention from his family or the fact that they were surprised he could write something from the heart.
“Guys, I’m not a complete bas… idiot,” he declared, minding the small ears that were still awake. “I just…..” He threw his arms in the air and headed to his bedroom.
He stripped and went into the shower. He didn’t know what had come over him, writing that note and sending it to the press, but it was too late to recall it. If the night-time news was taking it so seriously, he didn’t want to think about the morning newspapers. When he got out of the shower, he found his partners waiting for him in the bed.
“I don’t wanna hear it,” he said. He got into bed and turned his back to them.
“Jack, you must have known this would get you attention,” Daniel said. “You did a beautiful thing and it was completely out of left field. Come on, turn over.”
Jack turned and pulled the covers over with him.
“Oh, that’s mature,” Sam said and tugged at the sheet. “Jack, we don’t need to talk about it, if you don’t want to, we just want you to know that we love you and we admire what you did.”
“No more discussion about it,” Jack warned. Sam climbed over Daniel and pushed Jack into the middle. Jack quickly crumbled under her kisses. She hovered over him, touching his face with gentle fingers.
“We love you,” she told him. “It isn’t too often you get mushy but when you do, it’s a beautiful thing and it’s okay to let us in to see it. So, do you wanna do the nasty with us or not?”
Jack reluctantly smiled at her. “Is it Jack-in-the-middle night?” he asked, drawing circles on her back with a fingertip.
“It’s a whatever-Jack-wants night,” Daniel told him.
Jack got whatever he wanted as he was loved up one side and down the other. When they first figured out the three-way technique, the men were afraid that both of them on top of Sam would be too much weight for her, but she assured them that if they both made use of knees and hands and elbows, she wouldn’t suffocate.
Knowing that they never had serious orgasms when all three were connected, it usually turned into a feel-good session, Jack allowed part of his mind to tune out. He reached out to Daniel, opening up and encouraging Daniel to enter his heart. They had managed it a couple of times since Jack came back from the Baal war. Daniel nuzzled Jack’s back as their hearts mingled. Jack led Daniel toward Sam and she was abruptly with them. Startled at the sudden sensation of not being alone in her experience, she choked and held on. This time, Jack held her face and forced eye-contact. Both he and Daniel mingled their spirits with hers, showing her how much they loved her, knowing that the heart cannot lie as it speaks more without words than it can with words.
Daniel slid off to the side and curled up to them, sharing kisses as they calmed.
“Oh, my God,” Sam whispered, wiping her face on the sheet. “Is that….? What was that?”
Jack kissed her face and down her neck as he stroked her soft hair. “I knew you could do it,” he said.
“But it…. scientifically…..”
The men chuckled and Jack rolled off. “Just because we don’t know the science behind it doesn’t mean there isn’t a theory for it,” Daniel told her. “Sam, forget science for once and just accept.”
She hugged both to her chest. “Is that what happens when you two…. do it?”
“Yes, it is,” they nodded. “Honey, I don’t know why you weren’t automatically brought in before,” Jack said. “Ninurta thinks it has something to do with my Ancient stuff and Daniel’s Ascended stuff. It just took you a little longer, that’s all.”
She wiped another tear from her cheek and sniffled. “I felt…. loved,” she whispered. “More than I ever thought possible. I mean, I felt something close to it through Jolinar for Martouf, but this was love for me.”
Jack took a fistful of blond hair and gently shook it. “Will you stop analyzing something for two minutes, please?”
Sam sniffled and nodded before getting up and heading to the shower.
“I’ll go,” Daniel said, after five minutes of holding each other. Jack nodded and Daniel slipped from the bed.
Sam was leaning against the tile as the water cascaded over her shoulders and back. Daniel got in, took the puff, and gently washed her back.
“If it’s too much, we won’t bring you in like that again,” he said quietly. She sniffed and shook her head.
“I was so jealous of that,” she said. “You and Jack being like that, sensing each other. I couldn’t understand why I was left out. You love me. Different, but as strong as you love Jack, you love me.”
Daniel turned her around and held her face. “Sam, all three of us are connected. We belong together. Sure, I love Jack differently than I love you; you’re two different people. It’s just as strong, though, and you’ll get used to opening up so fully that we can become One when we are together. Sometimes, I can even sense Jack when he’s far away. Especially if he’s very upset about something. You and I can do that, too.”
He finished washing her and made love to her under the shower. He wasn’t as good at it as Jack was becoming, but he managed to send a sonar ping which seemed to reassure her that their previous experience really did happen.
When Jack got to work in the morning, everyone seemed to be looking at him, which really wasn’t a surprise since his stupid note made the front pages of what seemed like every newspaper in the world. “Good mornings” echoed around him as he made his way to his office, and voices seemed warmer than usual. Even Cassie put a sweet kiss on his cheek when he went in.
“You’re getting soft in your old age, General,” she informed him.
“Thank you; I’ll take it under advisement,” he told her.
Not five minutes after sitting down, Davis knocked and went in. He stood before Jack’s desk, looking at him.
“Not you, too,” Jack groaned.
“Nope, not me,” Paul said. “I always knew you had it in you. I just wanted to update you on the Chinese.”
“Thank God,” Jack said fervently to the ceiling. “Update me. Please tell me I can go out and hurt someone.”
“Not this time,” Paul said. “Sorry to disappoint you. Your bigger stick impressed them. Feudal society, remember, sir?” Jack tilted his head back to its correct position and looked at his assistant. “Not that big stick, sir. I talked most of the night with Ambassador Fleury and President Tien, and got them to agree that maybe part of the problem is in communications and cultural differences. With your permission, I’d like to invite Lord Atis in on the peace talks. Daniel has agreed to sit in as mediator.”
“Won’t the Chinese think he’s on my side?” Jack asked pointedly.
“No, sir,” Paul shook his head. “They are fully aware that he doesn’t hesitate to disagree with you, when he needs to. They have read not only the chief’s book, but also quite a few of the SGC files. Sir, the files were opened to them when they were briefed a few years ago.”
It took Jack a moment. “Oh, right. Kinsey, Thor, Hammond. Right. Yes, you can ask Atis to join in the fun and games.”
“Thank you, sir. And I organized your emails,” Paul said, glancing at the computer. “Your inbox was overflowing. I prioritized the messages.”
“Of course you did, Colonel,” Jack nodded. “And I appreciate those little sweet-nothings. I haven’t heard from Hayes yet this morning.”
“He sent flowers, sir.”
“He what?”
Davis jerked a finger in the direction of the outer office. “Those flowers on Cassie’s desk are yours, not hers. She confiscated them.”
Jack went out and plucked the card from the basket, glaring at Cassie as she grinned at him.
“Impudence,” he declared and went back into his office.
“Jack, stop being selfish and share those meds. H.H.”
“Very funny, Henry,” Jack said, tossing the card on the desk.
“Something else, sir.” Jack waved for him to continue. “Something odd coming out of Africa. Rwanda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sudan, most of the countries that top the human rights' watch lists -new rumors. Apparently some kind of ghost or spirit has come out of the earth and is warning the people about false gods. And the 'spirit' isn't Christian or Muslim. A couple of rebel armies have even woken up to find all their weapons gone.”
Jack slowly turned his chair to face Davis. “Anyone coming forward on that?”
“No, sir. Compound videos are blank, no one has claimed to have seen anything out of the ordinary. Other than this ghost walking through the bush and nighttime savannahs wearing a gray cloak and hood.”
“Huh.” Jack scratched an ear. “Strange. Alright, keep a watch on that one.”
After Paul left, Jack turned his computer on.
“Good morning, Jaaaack,” it said in a Nicholson voice.
“Davis!”
By noon, Jack had responded to most of his emails and took a few phone calls. The latest informed him that the Heaven’s Bow had rung the doorbell. Jack gave permission for them to enter. At least they didn’t automatically beam themselves in. Whoever it was more than likely knew the way to his office, so he continued to answer the emails while refusing calls from the press. He was somewhat surprised when Ninurta walked into his office.
“Wass-up?” Jack asked, hitting the send button. The warrior sat in a chair in front of his desk and made himself comfortable.
“I think that’s my line,” Ninurta said. “Anything you’d like to discuss?”
Jack glanced at him. After a moment of silent pushing and pulling, he leaned back, stretching his arms and neck.
“How did you find out?”
“Someone tossed this morning’s paper through the Gate,” Ninurta confessed with quiet amusement. “Jonathan was highly entertained.”
“I have no idea what came over me,” Jack finally said. “The house was quiet, just me and Katie, and I just did it.”
Ninurta nodded. “Aba said you scanned the planet.”
Jack told him what had happened and Ninurta listened closely, nodding once in a while.
“Yes, that’s what Aba said,” he commented. “That was a major step, Jack. Aba said you are now fully open. There really isn’t anything you can’t do. You could even bring up the Ancient memories, if you wanted to. Have you remembered any of them?”
“No.” Jack picked up a pencil and fiddled with it.
“Then it’s your own stubbornness that is keeping it from rising,” Ninurta told him.
Jack swung his chair as he slouched in it. “I had no idea so many people were afraid,” he confessed. “Not little fears, but afraid of life itself. They take each day as a challenge, instead of living it. I guess I just wanted to hug everyone and tell them that they’ll be fine. Is that what you guys get? How do you deal with it?”
“Inanna does it mostly,” Ninurta said. “It was hard on her, at first. Not a day went by when she didn’t go to bed and spend some time crying. When I do it, which isn’t too often, I try to not take anything personally. Don’t hold the emotions of others; stand back and observe them. Just say Yes, accept their reality, and let it go.”
“Easier said than done,” Jack told him.
“Well, I’m here to inform you that my queen is officially turning over Earth to you for monitoring,” Ninurta told him, brushing at his vest. “You need to follow the rules, Jack; no ‘helping.’ They still need to do it on their own. Remember: if you keep holding the baby’s hands, it’ll never learn to walk on its own.”
“Why me?” Jack whined.
Ninurta gave him a look. “Because you have surpassed the Tau’ri. Don’t whine. You don’t count as a Fifth Race member, your DNA is coded for Ancient.”
“That isn’t what the Asgard said,” Jack countered.
“The Asgard didn’t know about the Ancient gene in you when they discovered you,” Ninurta said. “This was an unforeseen event. And may all the gods help us if we have to accept Sheppard as one of you.”
Jack chuckled as he nodded. “If Col. Caldwell can’t whip him into shape, I just might be sending Sheppard to you. Oh, hey; all his touching the toys brought up something interesting.” Jack and Ninurta walked down to Sam’s playroom. Ninurta pecked a friendly, brotherly kiss to her cheek.
“Where’s that disk thing?” Jack asked. He took it from the table and slid it into the slot in the chair before sitting. Ninurta watched the presentation with an intent curiosity, nodding from time to time.
“Yes, we wondered if something like this would be discovered,” he said when Jack shut it off. “It makes sense that persons in a privileged position would key their notes to specific individuals. They used a lot of non-Ancients for workers, so of course they would need to make sure certain things remained private.”
“They locked the filing cabinet so the staff wouldn’t get into it?” Jack asked.
“Pretty much,” Ninurta nodded. He frowned in thought. “Jack, Sheppard doesn’t have your Ancient memories, obviously, so I’m curious as to exactly which way he’ll develop. When he reaches his potential, I believe he should be able to read people much like you do, and he does have a talent for strategy. He needs to quit fooling around, though, and push himself to work up to his own best effort. He slides because he would quickly surpass everyone else on Atlantis. He wants to run while the others are crawling. He’s rarely challenged. As a strategist, I mean.
“Jack, if something happens again, in the future, where you need a war council, you may want to consider putting Sheppard on it. But enough of this, I’m hungry; it’s lunch time here, right?”
Jack called the commissary and ordered lunch. Halfway through lunch and a discussion on current baby trends, Cassie called in and said Matthew was there. Jack looked at the clock, surprised, and told her to send him in. He had a friend in tow; Tommy, if Jack remembered the boy’s name correctly. Matthew greeted Ninurta and turned to Jack.
“Dad, this was important,” Matty said, explaining his school absence. “Go on, Tommy, tell him.” He nudged his friend who was staring at the warrior. “Ninurta’s cool; just tell my dad what you told me.”
“Come here, son,” Jack said gently, waving the boy to his side of the conference table where they were eating. Matthew browsed the table and came up with half of a roast beef sandwich and stole the pickle spear off Jack’s plate. “What’s going on?”
Tommy shifted his feet, unsure. “Sir, I…. I don’t like my mom’s boyfriend,” he spouted. “He hurts her and I don’t know how to help. I’m not very strong.” He looked down at the floor, rubbing absently at his thin arms.
“Does he hurt you, too?” Jack asked, he and the warrior paying more attention.
Tommy shrugged. “He yells a lot,” he said. “Calls me names and stuff. But I don’t care about me, I want him to stop hitting my mom. He calls her names, too. He wouldn’t let her work here, and he uses her money to buy beer and stuff. One of our neighbors moved last month and gave my mom some nice furniture because ours was all torn and everything, and he took the good stuff to his place. I don’t know how to help my mom.”
Jack had wondered why Tommy’s mother didn’t apply when he offered; she had seemed interested.
“What’s this guy’s name, son?” Jack asked.
“Conrad Neville,” Tommy told him. “But, sir, if he finds out I told on him, he’ll hurt me and Mom.”
“No one will be hurting anyone,” Jack promised.
“Come here, little brother.” Tommy was startled that the alien warrior would be speaking to him. “You are brave to come forward,” Ninurta told him, setting his large, weathered hands on the boy’s thin shoulders. “When you are a man, then you can take care of your mother properly; it is no shame to ask for help. Jack, I will deal with this. It’s been a while since I had any fun. A week or so. Your cousin was slightly fun.”
“Just don’t kill him,” Jack told him. The boy jerked his head, wide-eyed. “Tommy, can you reach your mom now? Ask her if you can stay the night at my place. Tell her you and Matthew are studying and I said you could stay the night. Matthew needs help with his math; you can help him. And don’t worry.”
Jack sent them back to school with an SF escort.
“That boy is… delicate, shall we say?” Ninurta commented.
“I know,” Jack nodded. “I sensed his crush on Matty a while back. Matty never returned anything except friendship, so the crush is gone. Matty hasn’t said anything, so I think Tommy is keeping things to himself.”
“Jack, there’s gay and then there is delicate,” Ninurta said, giving Jack a knowing eye. “He’s pretty which means he’ll need protection, if he doesn’t learn to take care of himself.”
Jack tossed his arms up. “I can’t send every kid to a self-defense class,” he declared. “I can ask Matty to keep an eye on him.”
The warrior changed into Tau’ri clothes and took Kearney with him to find Tommy’s mother’s oppressor. Jack sent Kearney along to drive and to make sure Ninurta left the man alive. High-jacking the Chinese would be nothing, if word got out that one of Jack’s alien buddies went hunting in town.
Hayes called to rib Jack a little more about his letter. When Jack mentioned that an Anunnaki warrior was in town, Hayes immediately pressed for a meeting. The list of Anunnaki that would be visiting Jack was short.
“I tell you what, Henry,” Jack said. “How about I have you and the Missus beamed up and over to my place in a few hours? No one needs to know you’re gone, and my neighborhood is surrounded by top SF. How long has it been since you guys have had a decent, home-cooked meal? Tell your chief of security to chill and let me handle your security for a couple of hours.”
When he called Daniel and told him who was coming for dinner, Daniel swore and hung up. Sam immediately began to panic after Jack went down and told her.
“The house is a mess,” she insisted.
“No, it isn’t,” Jack said, shaking his head. “It’s a house with four kids, a baby, and a new puppy. It’s fine; Jerrie keeps it clean. How’s the arch coming?”
Sam’s attention was diverted and she lit up. “Calculations add up by computer, we just need to try it in real time,” she said. Jack looked at the white boards that dotted the room. He didn’t understand why Sam’s people needed them, when they had computers on every desk. They seemed to enjoy the act of writing things out the long way, he guessed. He looked at the drawing on a board. Without thinking about it, he picked up a marker and changed a line.
“Why’d you do that?” Sam asked.
“I don’t know,” Jack shrugged. “Sorry if I messed it up.” He felt a wave of faintness and leaned against the table. Sam quickly took him by the arms, looking carefully into his face. “I’m okay,” he said. “I just…. Ninurta said Enki said I’m completely open.” He looked around and spoke softly, but no one was close enough to overhear. Sam understood.
“So there will be a few things coming to the surface,” she concluded. “Jack, you’re doing all this and you’re still speaking English. I think you’ll be alright. We will tell you the moment you do something weird, like speaking Ancient.”
“He also said Inanna’s turning the job over to me,” he continued, his head spinning as it all hit him. “She wants me to monitor Earth. Sam, this might be too much. I don’t want to be responsible for a planet. Playing guard dog is one thing, but this….”
Disregarding protocol, she put her arms around him for a moment.
“It won’t be too much,” she told him. “The mikku will monitor the sky, you just spend a day or two each month doing a quick scan. If you need more down time, we can pick up any slack. Give Paul more responsibilities; I think he just might make general someday, so start training him for it. And remember that Cassie will have a hand in all this at some point in the future, so keep her involved.” She put her hands on his face. “You can do this.”
Sam did have a point, Jack told himself. Davis had surprisingly risen to the challenge of assisting him. During the years Jack had known him through the SGC, Davis had the thankless job of telling Hammond what couldn’t be done which forced Hammond to think outside the box. Davis did the same with Jack, when he needed to, and he handled all the day to day necessities of running HomeWorld Security.
Jack went back to his office and started the paperwork for making his ‘light’ colonel a full colonel. He then went home a little early to help Jerrie prepare dinner for their guests. Daniel was already home and the kitchen was organized chaos.
“Did you really need to do this tonight?” Daniel asked, irritated, as he wielded a sharp knife on a helpless chicken corpse.
“Henry wants to meet Ninurta,” Jack said. “So yes, it needed to be tonight. Sorry for the short notice. What are we having?”
“Food.”
Jack considered escaping. Instead, he went up to Daniel and lowered his forehead to Daniel’s back. Daniel paused, took a deep breath, and forced himself to relax.
“I could have called for take-out or taken Ninurta to Washington,” Jack said after a moment. “I can cancel this and take Ninurta to Henry.”
“No,” Daniel said, putting the knife down and turning. “I need the break from work. I need to be in three different places and I can’t.”
“Where do you need to be?” Jack asked, sliding arms around Daniel’s waist.
“China, Chile, and Florida,” Daniel told him.
“Well, I think China takes priority,” Jack said. “How about sending Ronnie to Florida, see if SG-1 is available to go with her, and send Nyan to Chile with SG-3? Bosco is home taking care of Connie, so the rest of his team are just sitting around. Would that work?”
In the end, Ninurta volunteered his ship and crew for the Chile assignment, which meant that Nyan could help Ronnie in Florida. Sheppard made the mistake of calling and telling Jack that he wasn’t having any fun with his family, so Jack sent him to Chile, also. Not that Sheppard had much of a family; his father and a few distant cousins.
Atis had already notified Davis that he would be available in a couple of days, and agreed that negotiating with a feudal lord could be tricky.
Keir Ravenscroft called and asked Jack if he could borrow the mikku.
“What for?” Jack asked.
“My home government would like to put the argument of Loch Ness to rest once and for all,” Keir told him. “I just want to take a look around the lake.”
“Oh. Sure, I guess so,” Jack said. “You’re gonna lose a tourist industry, though. Have whoever’s driving take a look at Lake Champlain, too.” Jack called HomeSec. “Sam, what are the mikku riders doing when they’re not looking at the sky?”
“Helping out with everything else, why?”
“We have a few mysteries here on this planet, so how about assigning someone to help out with that?” he asked, shooing the puppy away from his sneaker laces.
“Sure, we can do that,” she said.
“Oh, and Ravenscroft has a request. I okay’d it.”
“Can I borrow it, too?” Daniel asked when Jack mentioned what Keir wanted.
“Hunting for lost temples?” Jack guessed. Daniel bit into a celery stick after making a mark in the air. “You’ll make enemies out of all the Indiana Jones wanna-bes.”
“They’re already pissed at me,” Daniel said. “May as well make it worth the energy.”
Sam had already settled one issue with the mikku –the area in and around Roswell, New Mexico held traces of naquadah in the amounts that a small, crashed ship would have left. They already knew that the Asgard did lose a small scout ship there, but this was concrete proof that something had happened. When Jack tried to get the Air Force records of the incident, he received shamed faces of people who didn’t know anything about records and people who knew that the official records no longer existed. They had been blacked out so badly that no one could make sense of them. An attempt to ‘de-blacken’ one sheet of paper succeeded in destroying the paper. Someone, several someones, had made bad decisions along the way, and the information was no longer available.
A knock was on the door, and David raced to answer it while Jack showed Stacy how to begin training Fang.
“Daddy, it’s Mr. Giorgetti,” Davy called out. Jack sent Stacy and Fang outside.
“Mandy, come in,” Jack said, holding his hand out.
“Hi, Jack, hope this isn’t a bad time,” the neighbor said, ruffling Davy’s hair with the other hand.
“Not at all, come in,” Jack said, ushering him in. They sat in the living room and Jerrie brought in glasses of tea. A few of Jack’s old neighbors had moved away, a silent statement of their disapproval of his new lifestyle, but some like Armando and Maria Giorgetti, and Carl and Rhonda Weber, had stayed close by.
“I have a favor to ask, Jack,” Mandy said, slightly subdued in Italian honor. “It’s really big and I’ll understand if you say no. I have a little sister, Lydia; she’s twenty-three. She’s real sick. Liver cancer. We haven’t been able to find a matched donor. She’s always been a big believer in all this ET stuff and I’d like for her to see your Stargate before she dies. Maybe she can touch it. She doesn’t have much longer, Jack. Is there any possibility of doing this for her?”
Jack leaned forward and put a hand on Mandy’s arm. “Yeah, we can do it, Mandy,” he promised. “I’m sorry to hear about this. Is she here in town?”
“She lives just outside of Ft. Collins,” Mandy said, relief evident on his face. “Are you sure this won’t be a problem?”
“No problem at all,” Jack said. “I’d be honored to do this for you.” Daniel picked up the phone and went into the kitchen.
The moment the children got home from school, Sam herded them into showers and fresh clothes while Daniel completed dinner. By the time Ninurta was brought back by Kearney, Hayes and his wife had been sitting on the couch for about a half hour talking with Cassie and Harper.
Jack refused to go all-out for his guests; Henry needed a reality check with a real family. Jerrie wanted to clean and polish everything, and Jack had to order her to put the dusting supplies down and leave the kid toys where they were. Jack liked his home looking lived-in and alive with children and love. Henry was seated on a couch with scattered coloring books, and handled a baby and bottle.
“Everyone pitches in around here,” Jack said. Hayes chuckled and turned on the grandpa charm. Mrs. Hayes (Judy, please!), insisted once more on hugging Jack for saving her. She was still in talks with Dr. Edmond, and was horrified by the memories of carrying a symbiote. She had begun a strong campaign to win the support of the conservatives that were still quietly grumbling about Jack and the entire alien business. To say nothing of the sex business. She blinked when Daniel kissed Jack and patted his butt, and bravely accepted it. Henry rolled his eyes and jiggled the baby, making nonsensical noises.
“If we have to put up with it, so do our guests, sir,” Katie told Hayes, also rolling her eyes. She offered a tray of vegetables and dip. “If they tell us to talk a long walk, I recommend doing it.”
“None-a that,” Jack said, tapping her on the head as he walked by. “Don’t worry, Henry, we’ll wait until you’re gone.”
Matty’s friend Tommy had the unexpected treat of being on hand to meet the president and his wife. With permission, Matty ran around taking pictures with the digital camera. Tommy was too shy to ask, but Matty wasn’t. Tommy got his picture taken with all the stars of the day.
Henry stood to be formally introduced to Ninurta.
“Jack tells me you are interested in working with us after your current posting,” Ninurta said after meeting Mrs. Hayes, asking after her health, and shaking Henry’s hand.
“I would like that, yes,” Henry said. They went to the table as Daniel and Jerrie brought out dishes. “I loved being out in space on a 303 and meeting everyone. It felt right. After this job is done, what else will I do here? I’d be dead weight, basically. I want to participate in some way, I just don’t know what I can do to help.”
The front door opened and Maggie walked up to Hayes.
“The prices of my prescriptions are ridiculous,” she informed him and handed him a piece of paper before patting Ninurta’s cheek. Jack slid a hand over his eyes.
“Ah. Mother O’Neill, I presume,” Henry said.
“Hi, Mom,” Jack said patiently. Jerrie fetched another place-setting. Spaghetti and Chicken Parmesan went a long way.
The door opened again and Paul came in. “Sorry I’m late,” he said. He gestured apologetically at Maggie. “I tried to stop her, Jack, I really did.”
“He’s getting slow in his old age,” Maggie said. She pecked the top of Jack’s head and sat down. Olivia gave a happy screech and she was pecked, too.
The parents began the usual Q&A on their children’s day, allowing everyone to talk. Tommy was included and he gave shy, quiet answers. Jack knew Ninurta had something to say about the boy, but it would have to wait. Stacy let her feelings be known on the subject of bullies and unfair rules against kids, and Katie snarled about boys and their assumption of superiority. Ninurta was no help, congratulating the girls on their prowess.
“This is happening everywhere,” Daniel commented. “Kids starting to defend themselves against bullies. There is a sense of morality and ethics happening that goes beyond what our society tries to teach. Kids are starting to understand the concept of self-determination a lot sooner than they did in the past. The current rules need to take this into consideration, and the only way that is going to happen is if the National Educators understand this and send word down the pipeline.”
Hayes picked thoughtfully at his salad which Daniel served European-style at the end of the main meal, instead of the beginning. It cleared his palette, Daniel had once said.
“Daniel, I don’t think you realize the position you are all in, here in Colorado Springs,” Hayes said. “This is alien central. No offense, Ninurta. Everyone here is used to unusual things happening, and you all expect the unusual. The rest of us are not in that position.
“To get a bunch of educators in Washington to understand the needs of the changing tide, is expecting too much. You’ve had years to get used to all this; we haven’t. I grant you, my grandkids are doing things I never thought possible, and I think it’s wonderful, but most adults aren’t ready to accept the changes, and we know the public school system isn’t where it should be. This is like every other social change, I’m afraid; it will need to play out as it will.”
Jack reached out and took Daniel’s hand. “Breathe,” he said. “You tell me I can’t play God and I need to trust in my species.”
Daniel took a deep breath and nodded.
“It’s alright, ahu,” Ninurta said. “Remember; you are in the public eye, so lead by example, if nothing else works.”
“What does ahu mean?” Henry asked after Daniel began to relax under the stroking of his family.
“It means 'brother',” Ninurta said. “My aba, Enki who is my father, has claimed Daniel for a son, so he is my brother. I call Jack ahu, also, because my brother is his consort. Sam is ahutu, my sister.” She glanced up from helping Davy with his dish and gave Ninurta a small smile.
“And when he’s feeling superior, he calls us didila,” Daniel commented. “It means child.”
Ninurta raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “Well, I am a couple thousand years old, and you are what? Thirty-six?”
“Almost thirty-seven,” Daniel scowled.
“Didila.”
That got Henry off and running with age and how some of the Anunnaki could possibly be so old. Ninurta had to give him the lecture about longevity and the problems associated with it.
“So, you really were on this planet thousands of years ago?” Henry asked. “You, yourself?”
“I was born here,” Ninurta surprised him. “Aba and Ama were from…. elsewhere, but I was born here, in the city of Ur, which used to be on the shore of the Euphrates River, at the apex of the gulf when the water table was higher.”
“It’s about four hundred miles south of Babylon which was called Sumer in his time, a little north-west of what is now al Basrah,” Daniel put in for the clarification of those who didn’t know ancient cities. “It was across the river from Uruk; what the Bible calls Erech.”
Henry’s mouth opened and closed for a moment. “Okay, I have to ask,” he finally said. “What… I mean, did you ever meet any of the Judeo-Christian patriarchs? Abraham and those guys?”
Ninurta leaned back, considering carefully. “Their time was long after we left this world, which was around 3,000 BCE your time,” he finally said. “So I cannot give you an absolute answer on their existence. I can say this, though: there is very little in your sacred book which is historically accurate. Much of it is stories from earlier times, retold for what was then the current society. The story of your Noah was old by the time it was retold, the original story is Tablet 11 of the Gilgamesh cycle, and David and Jonathan were retold from the stories of Gilgamesh and Enkidu.”
Henry worriedly fingered his napkin. “So, you don’t think Jesus was real?”
Ninurta tilted his head. “Again, I cannot say. I wasn’t on this world at that time. I have read his story, though, and if he did indeed live, he sounds like one of the Ascended. I can say that nothing he did was original. Resurrection was a thing that happened on a regular basis for those with a sarcophagus, and we know for a fact that there was one in the area during his supposed time period.
“Who is to say his burial cave was not a sarcophagus? If he was Ascended, it would certainly explain his comings and goings. And walking on water and feeding the multitudes is no hard feat for someone who is able to manipulate matter.” He reached out and there were suddenly several loaves of bread on the table. Henry and his wife jumped.
“It actually isn’t hard,” Ninurta said. “Mind over matter, as Aba would say.”
There was silence for a moment.
“Is this what we are going to be able to do when this leap is done?” Henry asked, slightly hoarse. He hesitantly poked at a loaf and found that it was real.
“I don’t know,” Ninurta shrugged, taking a loaf and tearing it before spreading butter on it. He handed it to Judy, with an incline of his head. “A few of you might reach that level. A small few, mind you. Think of it as high genius level. Don’t be afraid of these changes, Henry; the only thing happening is that your brains are developing a few more connections into sections of your brain that haven’t been consciously used.” The bread tasted fresh-baked, Judy told them, eyes wide.
“Like adding one or two more phone lines to the house,” Daniel put in.
Ninurta thought about it and nodded. “Correct,” he said. “Such as the children learning just a little sooner than they did before, and developing self-awareness sooner. People will understand a little more than they did before.”
“Wait.” Daniel held up a finger and Ninurta paused. “If you left around 3,000, how do you know about Gilgamesh? He was after your time here.”
“I’m an avid reader,” the warrior said behind hooded eyes.
Jack tossed his napkin down. “You know, I’m tired of these little mysteries,” he complained.
“I will discuss it in private, Jack,” Ninurta said in Goa’uld. The few at the table who understood it gave unconscious nods.
“Your pardon,” Ninurta said to the others.
Henry and his wife needed to leave soon after dinner; his SS were getting antsy. Ninurta promised to drop by for more discussions. Henry took Jack’s hand before joining the circle of Secret Service for beaming up and back to DC.
“You were right, Jack, we needed this,” Henry told him. Mrs. Hayes agreed and gave them all hugs.
“I know the President of the Educators Association,” she told Jack. “I’ll talk with her and see if there is anything that can be done to change a few rules.”
After the house was emptied of guests, Jack made the rounds. The baby was already asleep after her busy evening of entertaining, and the rest of the kids were relaxing with TVs or books or computers before going to bed. Jack passed out kisses and went down to Daniel’s den. He fell onto the couch and was handed a glass of something amber.
“Okay, talk,” Jack told Ninurta who was contemplating his own glass.
“While we were waiting for our ship to be repaired after the battle with Enlil, I spent time catching up on Earth history,” he said. “Not really a big deal.”
“Are you lying?” Jack asked, suspicious. Ninurta smiled and sipped his whiskey.
“Only a little,” he admitted. “The stories of Gilgamesh and Enkidu are mythical. Sure, there was a king named Gilgamesh. Or Bilgamesh, actually, but the stories about him and Enkidu were old stories. They were about me and Shara.
“There was a lot of plagiarism going on during those years, and anything that sounded good was rewritten for the king or in later years in honor of him. I was not a nice person, in the early years. I took what I wanted when I wanted. Including the virginity of new brides. And a few grooms.
“When Shara came along, I fell so in love that I could think of nothing else but him. I even hurt Inanna by refusing her. Obviously we worked it all out. After Shara and Inanna colluded and beat the crap out of me. Or beat sense into me. As you will.”
Daniel began to laugh and Ninurta had the grace to smile and nod. “I was a shit,” he said. “Aba was ready to turn me into a toad.”
“Can I ask a personal question?” Sam asked, refilling his glass. Ninurta raised a brow.
“Even more personal? Yes, ningal, you may.”
“Do you…. Have you ever…. oh, boy, I can’t say it. Never mind.”
“Sam,” Daniel shook his head. “Jack and I have been able to join our spirits a couple of times when we have sex. Last night, we brought Sam into it for the first time. We tried before, but we were never able to reach her. I think she wants to know if you’ve had that experience with your partners.”
“I have,” Ninurta willingly answered. “All the time, actually. It gets easier the more you do it.”
“Why haven’t I been able to do it before?” Sam asked, worried and reassured at the same time..
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “It may have something to do with them being Ancient and you not. Their minds have already begun to adapt to the changes; it was easier for them because of their history.”
“What do you mean, “them being Ancient”?” Jack asked, intent as he leaned forward. “Daniel doesn’t have the gene.”
“He’s been Ascended, Jack,” Ninurta pointed out. “Not once, but twice. He’s an honorary Ancient. The gene only allows you to play with the technology and have a better understanding of it. His mind was opened just like yours was, only in a different manner. He qualifies as an Ancient.”
Jack jumped to his feet and took a few steps as he waved his arms as Daniel sat back, slightly stunned. “Who are… were… the Ancients?! What was their real name?!”
“I don’t know,” Ninurta said with a shrug. “Aba said they were called Ancients by the time we came on the scene. They may not have remembered it themselves. Guys, remember that they had been gone for a while by the time I was born. I don’t have your answers.
“While the Ancient gene has been simmering in a few of your tribes, some of the others on the planet have had bursts of brilliance and their minds are as open as those with the gene. People like Daniel and Sam.
“Yes, Samantha, you, too. Do you think just anyone is capable of recreating a Furling transporter? I saw your work stations while I was in your lab today, I recognized the diagrams. I guarantee you that the only other person on this planet that could have understood them is Jack. He hears engineering the same way you hear science and Daniel hears words.”
Jack’s jaw snapped shut.
“He changed a line on one of the boards,” Sam remembered. “When I ran it through the computer, it fixed a minor flaw in the simulations.”
“Why did you change the line, Jack?”
“I don’t know,” he told the warrior.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Daniel called up the stairs. Matthew came down.
“I’m going to bed,” he told them as he stood before them. “I just wanted to say thank you for helping Tommy.”
“Get over here,” Jack said. Matthew went to him and was pulled down onto Jack’s lap. His temple was kissed. “You’re welcome. Is he alright?” He noticed that Matty was taller and a little heavier.
“I think so,” Matthew said with a shrug. “He isn’t as upset as he was this afternoon. I think meeting President Hayes and Ninurta made him feel better.”
“Good,” Jack nodded.
“Is he still awake?” Ninurta asked.
“Yes, sir. He’s spreading his sleeping bag out and changing.”
“Would you ask him to come down here for a moment?” Ninurta asked. “Alone, please.”
“Sure.” Matty passed out good-nights to the rest of his parents, and then to Ninurta when the warrior pouted at him.
“Are you and Inanna getting into the whole adoption scene?” Daniel asked.
“Yes, of course,” Ninurta said with a nod. “Aba is working on an egg and Jack’s contribution, and we will be taking that child once it is born. In the meantime, there is a little girl with light blue eyes that I am petitioning for. Her name is Chaya. She’s been very sick, and she is recovering. She’s about seven. We rescued her from a tribal war on a primitive planet. It’s been a long time since we had a child in the house; I am looking forward to being a father again. It feels good to be settling down once more.”
Another knock came to the door and Daniel once more called out. Tommy came down a moment later, bare feet and pajamas that looked like they had seen better days. He looked at the adults, a little apprehensive.
“Come here, son,” Ninurta said gently. Tommy stepped up to him. “The man won’t be back to bother you and your mother.” To the young teenager’s shame, a few tears fell. Ninurta allowed him his pride and merely touched the boy’s arm after a moment. “It’s alright,” he murmured. “We found your mother at her work and I had a talk with her. I’m going to meet with her again tomorrow, and we will get things worked out. I promise. Now. I want to say something to you personally.
“I know that everyone has things they don’t want others to know about, and that’s alright,” he told the boy. “I’m going to tell you something about me, so that you know you can trust me, alright? You know how these three are all married to each other?” The boy nodded. “Well, I have a wife and husband, too. And I have lots of lovers, mostly other men. I love men just as much as I love women. I know a lot of men who love only other men and I know women who love only other women. Love is a good thing, no matter who it is. I want you to remember that.
“I think maybe you’ve seen only the bad side of an adult’s life, and that’s too bad because life is a blessed thing that is worthy of dance and song and laughter. You can trust these people, you can talk with any of us about anything. I trust them, so you can, too. You can even trust Matty and talk with him about personal things. Matty is a good friend. Do you understand?”
Tommy gave a nod. “Yes, sir,” he said quietly.
“Good. You go to bed, get a good night’s rest, and know that everything will be fine,” Ninurta told him. The boy said a shy good night to everyone and went back upstairs.
“Thank you,” Daniel said to the warrior when the door quietly shut. “I’ve wanted to say something to him, but in our society it can be dangerous, legally, and we don’t know his mother to know if she would be cool with it.”
Ninurta frowned a little as he nodded in understanding. “Daniel…. there’s a little more to this,” he said, plucking at his short beard in an unconscious imitation of Enki. “His mother, Trisha, is what you call a submissive. Tommy doesn’t know about it. That man was her supposed Master. She’s been seriously brain-washed, as well as coming from several abusive relationships.
“There is no dishonor in being in service to others, not if that is her true heart, but she has no faith in herself. I had a hard time trying to convince her that this guy was abusing her. I finally began to get through to her by telling her exactly how much harm it was doing to her son. She is considering my offer to take her and her son to Kalam; our women will help her become strong, and the men will honor her, and teach her son to be strong.”
The idea was a good one, and they would help as best they could until mother and son were in their new home.
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