Title: I'm Not a Child
Author: Jessie (a.k.a. Mackyah)
Email:
jmackyah@hotmail.com
Status: Complete
Category: Drama
Spoilers: NONE
Season/Sequel info: Sequel to
An Unexpected Family Reunion
in the Jordyn Series. Story #2. Takes place in Season 3, shortly after
Story #1.
Rating: PG-13
Content Warnings: Adult Language, Adult Content, Discussions about Sex
Summary: Jack finds a surprise when he picks up Jordyn's jacket.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of
Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions,
and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no
money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original
characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may
not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.
Feedback is appreciated, flames discouraged. Thanks and enjoy!
Jack sat on the couch waiting for his daughter to return home from her date. He was getting impatient waiting, and to make matters worse there wasn't anything good on TV to distract him. By eleven o'clock Jack was pacing the floor telling himself that he should have never let her go out with Lt. John Michaels, whom she had met on the base. He seemed like an admirable young soldier, but Jack didn't trust anyone with his daughter.
Jordyn and John went out to dinner, and then went to catch a movie. Afterwards, they found a deserted spot and parked for a while. They made out, but it didn't go any farther than that, at Jordyn's request. John respected her wishes and brought her home.
It was after one o'clock by the time Jordyn walked through the door, "Hey, Dad. You didn't have to wait up for me."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, really."
"Then why don't you come home at a descent hour instead in the middle of the night?" asked Jack, standing in the middle of the living room with his arms crossed.
"It's only one o'clock. I could've stayed out all night if I wanted to, you know," responded Jordyn as she approached her father.
"Now, why would you do that?"
"I don't know. Hey, don't worry about it, I came home," said Jordyn. "So loosen up, don't be so uptight about it."
Jack huffed at her comment, and made a face that stated he wasn't, "I wasn’t worried that you wouldn't come home. I just thought you'd be back before midnight, at least."
Jordyn controlled her urge to laugh. "Okay, whatever. I'm going to bed," she replied as she gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Good night."
"Good night," Jack said as he watched Jordyn throw her jacket on the recliner and head to her room. He would ask her more about her date in the morning.
Jordyn had promised Sam she would call and fill her in on her date with John. She picked up the phone immediately after shutting the door.
Sam was curled up on the couch in her living room reading a science magazine when the phone rang. She laid her magazine on her lap and picked up her cordless that sat on the end table, "Hello?"
"Hey you. What's up?
"Not much. How about you? What happened on your date?" questioned Sam, "Tell me everything."
"Well, we went to dinner at that French restaurant over on Third, then went and saw 'Deep End of the Ocean.' It was really good," Jordyn told Sam, "When the movie was over, we drove up to Willow's Cliff and parked for a while."
"Sounds like you had a nice time. How far did you go with John though?" Sam asked a little concerned for her friend.
"We only made out. I didn't want to go any farther,” Jordyn replied, "Although, I did bring protection just in case we did. But I decided I didn't want to, so he brought me home."
"Was Jack angry that you got home so late?" asked Sam.
"No, he was just worried that I might not have come home at all," Jordyn said as she giggled.
"Did he give you the third degree yet?"
"No, but I'm sure I'll get it in the morning."
"Knowing him, it wouldn't surprise me," commented Sam, "He really needs to loosen up and let you live your life though. He is too overprotective of you."
"That's what I told him."
"What did he say?"
She remembered the look on Jack's face in response to the comment, "He just made one of those 'I am not uptight faces' and said that he knew I would come home eventually."
Sam giggled as she pictured the scene between her CO and his daughter, "I wish I could have been there."
"It was hilarious. I had to stop myself from bursting into laughter. Sam, can you picture what he'd do if he actually found out I'm not a virgin?"
"He'll go ballistic."
"No kidding," Jordyn said as the two of them laughed, imagining Jack's reaction to finding out his daughter isn't the innocent little girl he thinks she is.
"If he does find out, I strongly suggest you that do not tell him who the guy was. Jack will kill him, and I mean literally kill him."
"Actually, I think that my father would more likely shoot the guy between the legs for messing with me?"
"I can definitely picture the Colonel doing that," stated Sam, laughing even harder than she was before.
"Hey, what are you doing tomorrow? Want to go out and do something?"
Sam searched her memory for any plans she may have made, "Sure, I would love to. We can go shopping and maybe see a movie."
"That sounds like a good idea. Want to go see 'Deep End of the Ocean,' because I'm willing to go see it again. I really liked it."
"Yeah, sure, I've been wanting to see that. Janet wants to see it too, maybe we can invite her and Cassandra along."
Jordyn thought that it would be great to spend some time with just the girls after all those missions with her father, Daniel, and Teal'c, "Just us girls on the town would be great."
"Okay, I'll call Janet tonight and see what they're doing tomorrow."
"No problem. I'll call you before I pick you up tomorrow. We can take my Explorer," replied Jordyn, yawning, "I'm going to bed. I'm really tired."
Sam agreed. She was getting tired too, "All right, I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
Sam hung up her phone and returned to the fascinating article in her magazine. She decided to finish reading it before climbing into bed.
After Jordyn hung up she changed and crawled into bed.
Jack was up and dressed by nine the next morning. SG-1 had been given a week's worth of downtime after their last mission, so both Jack and Jordyn had been sleeping in. Jack sat down and had some coffee while he read the newspaper. Jordyn got up at 9:30 and joined her father in the kitchen. She poured herself a bowl of Frosted Flakes and sat down at the table.
"So, how was your date last night?" asked her father.
"Fine. We just went to dinner and a movie," Jordyn replied looking up from her bowl of cereal. She knew she was going to get the third degree this morning since he hadn't given it to her the night before. She had decided what lies she was going to tell him before she went to sleep.
"How long was the movie? It couldn't have lasted till one in the morning."
"You're right, it didn't, but we went and had some something to drink afterwards," Jordyn lied. There was no way she was going to let Jack find out where they really went.
"Where?"
"The Coffee Shop," answered Jordyn, confident that Jack wasn't going to catch her lying to him.
"Really? That's all you did last night?" he asked, thinking that if they did do anything else, he was going to strangle Michaels for screwing around with his daughter.
Jordyn finished her cereal and got up to put the bowl in the sink, "Yes, it is," Jordyn paused for a second, "I've made plans for today. Sam, Janet, Cassie, and I are going to go the mall and do a few other things with each other. You know, just us girls spending the day together, shopping, going to the movies, stuff like that." Jordyn had purposely changed the subject to avoid any more of her father's questions. She left the kitchen to go get ready.
"I don't see any problem with that. You gonna be out all day?" her father yelled down the hall as she headed for the bathroom to take a shower, "Because if you are, I'll call Daniel and Teal'c and see if they want to do something." Jack had wanted to go fishing or something with Teal'c and Daniel while they were all on vacation. He wanted to just spend the day with the guys. This gave him the perfect opportunity to do so.
"Go ahead and call them because we'll be gone all day," Jordyn replied as she took a towel out of the linen closet. She went into the bathroom and shut the door to avoid any more questions he might have.
"Good," he whispered to himself. Jack smiled and rendered to reading his paper.
After he finished his coffee Jack got up and walked over to the living room. He picked up the phone to call Daniel and see what he was going to doing that afternoon.
The phone rang at Daniel's apartment and he picked up the phone, "Hello?"
"Hey, Danny boy, whatchya doing today?" inquired Jack.
Daniel thought for a second, "Nothing, I guess. Why?"
"Wanna go do something? We can pick up Teal'c from the base, rent a boat, and go fishing."
"Sure. Where do you want to go though?" asked Daniel.
"Cherry Creek Lake. I have a friend there that owns a marina and rents out boats."
"Sounds great! Why don't I pick up Teal'c and meet you at your place?" suggested Daniel.
"That would be great. I'll call up to the marina and rent a boat then."
"Why don't we invite Jordyn and Sam to go with us?"
Jack replied, "Nah. Besides, they're going out somewhere else."
"Okay then. I'll go pick up Teal'c and we'll be there in about an hour," Daniel informed Jack and said good-bye.
Jack told his friend he'd see him later and hung up the phone. He stood in the middle of the living room and looked around. He noticed that Jordyn's jacket was still laying on the recliner and decided to put in the closet. As he picked it up something fell out of the pocket on to the floor. The object looked like a condom, but he wasn't quite sure. Jack bent down to grab the little item and looked at it more closely. It was a condom. His face turned beet red. "What the hell is she doing with this?" he asked himself. He put the condom in his pocket and decided to ask her about it later, then hung her jacket in the closet. He was glad it was going to take his friends awhile to arrive, that way he'd have time to talk with Jordyn. While he waited for his daughter, he decided to call his friend, Andy, at the marina.
It took Jordyn a half hour to take a shower and get dressed. When she was ready she called Sam to tell her she would be there in about twenty minutes. Sam informed her that their friends, Dr. Janet Fraiser, and Cassandra wanted to go and that they needed to pick them up from the U.S.A.F. Academy Hospital because Janet was on duty till 11:00. Jordyn said that was fine and hung up the phone. After grabbing a few things from her dresser, she walked into the kitchen wearing a pair of khaki pants, and a sweater vest over a white T-shirt. She carried her jean jacket and placed it on the counter until she was ready to leave. Jack was sitting at the table waiting for her.
"Hey, Dad. What's up?" inquired Jordyn as she walked over to the fridge and took out a bottle of water.
"Why don't you tell me?” he commanded rather than questioned, as he threw the condom on the table, “This fell out of your jacket pocket when I picked it up to put it in the closet. Care to explain?"
Jordyn turned around to look at her father. She took a deep breath, as if she was about to face the firing squad, "What's to explain? It's a condom," she answered him sarcastically, "Haven't you seen one before? Knowing you, I thought you would have."
"Jordyn, this is not a joke," Jack told her sternly as he got up from his chair, "I want to know what are you doing with a condom?"
"I don't know. Having sex," she replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
Jack started to get angry with his daughter, "And with whom are you having sex with? It better not be Michaels. If you are, I'll kill him," Jack stood there with his fists on the table, his face turning red from the anger.
"I'm not having it with him, and even if I was, you couldn't stop me. You wouldn't go after him either!" Jordyn contended rather loudly.
"Wanna bet?" he said pointing his finger at her.
"You can't run my life, Dad. I'm not a child," Jordyn yelled as she became even more furious with her father, "I can make my own decisions concerning my life, and that includes sex!"
"Okay then," Jack responded more calmly, "If you can make your own decisions, you can be responsible enough not to lie to me when I ask where you really were last night."
"We went and parked for awhile. And all we did was kiss, nothing else. He didn't even get to second base with me. Happy?" she retorted as she put her water on the table.
Jack looked at Jordyn, not sure whether or not to believe her, "That better be the truth. If I hear anything different, I'll have him transferred out of Cheyenne," he told her as he raised his hand and pointed in the direction of Cheyenne Mountain, "Then you can say bye-bye to Johnny boy."
That really infuriated Jordyn, "I can not believe what I'm hearing. You are such a pompous jerk. Why can't you just believe me and leave me alone?"
"Because I'm your father, that's why," Jack said arrogantly. Jordyn was silent as he walked over to the counter and leaned against it. Jack then proceeded to look at his daughter with questioning eyes.
"What now?" asked Jordyn as she stood with her arms crossed, looking at him in disgust, "Wait, let me guess. You want to know if I'm still a virgin, don't you?"
Jack tilted his head to one side, looking at her with his eyebrows raised, as if to say 'of course.'
"No, I am not. Not that it's any of your business."
"I got news for you," spoke up Jack after a minute of silence to take in his daughter's affirmation to his growing fear, "If you're going to live here, it is my business."
Jordyn became even more enraged, "You only wish. I don't have to tell you anything. This conversation is over."
"This conversation is over when I say it's over, young lady!" Jack hollered at her.
"Yes, it is over! Look, I'll do whatever the hell I want. And right now that includes going to go pick up Sam, so I'll see you later," she yelled as she grabbed her bottle of water off the table and stormed out of the house.
"Jordyn Riley, get your ass back here, right now!"
Jordyn ignored her father's command and kept on walking. After a couple of minutes Jack realized his daughter wasn't going to come back and slumped into a chair at the table.
Daniel and Teal'c were outside the door when Jordyn came out. They could hear their friends yelling at each other from outside on the walk. Daniel grabbed Jordyn's arm to stop her, "What's going on?"
"Why don't you ask the arrogant asshole inside? I'm sure he'd be delighted to tell you," she told her friend, "I gotta go, I'm already late picking up Sam."
Teal'c raised his eyes at the name Jordyn had called Jack. Daniel looked at Jordyn in shock, not sure what to say in response to her immature comment about her father, "As a matter of fact, I will," he said, a little irritated with Jordyn's behavior. He released her arm so she could leave. "Have a nice time," Daniel added sarcastically as Jordyn ran down the walk to her Ford Explorer. He was still having a hard time believing what he had heard come out of Jordyn's mouth.
Jordyn got into her Explorer, cranked the music and squealed out of the driveway.
Teal'c watched her in fascination, "I believe Jordyn is angry with O'Neill."
"You're right, she is, Teal'c. Let's go find out why," said Daniel as they walked through the still open front door.
Jack was sitting at the kitchen table with his face in his hands. He looked up at the sound of his friends' footsteps, "Hey guys," he said in a troubled tone.
"What was that all about, Jack?" asked Daniel, "Jordyn seemed really angry, she even called you an arrogant asshole."
"She what?" Jack stopped and thought about it a minute, "Actually, to tell you the truth, right now that doesn't surprise me," he finally responded.
"That bad, huh?"
"Yeah. Oh, and here, this is what the fight was all about," Jack threw the condom on the table for his friend to see.
"Oh, boy," muttered Daniel as he picked up the condom.
Teal'c looked at the package Daniel held in his hand, "What is that, O'Neill?"
"It's a condom, Teal'c," Jack told his Jaffa friend as he got up from the table, "It's used during sex to protect you from disease and unplanned pregnancy."
"I see." Teal'c said as he raised an eyebrow.
Daniel spoke up, "Why does Jordyn have this? She's not...you know, is she? I'm mean, did she need it for her date with Lt. Michaels last night?"
"No. At least not last night, is what she told me," Jack said getting a bottle of beer out of the refrigerator, "Want a beer, Daniel? Teal'c?"
"No, thank you, O'Neill."
Daniel nodded and took the bottle from Jack, "Are you telling me she's not a...a..."
"Virgin?"
Daniel gave a little nod.
"Yes, that's what I'm saying, Danny," Jack took a large swig of his beer.
"For how long?"
Jack looked at him, "She didn't say. She left before I could ask."
Daniel stared curiously at Jack, "You didn't say anything stupid, like you were going to go after the guy, did you?"
Jack shrugged his shoulders.
"Jack! I can't believe you did that! No wonder why she's ticked off at you," Daniel exclaimed, opening his beer and taking a drink.
Jack just shrugged his shoulders again and took another drink, "So what. It's my prerogative to say that, I'm her father. Look, I don't want to talk about this anymore. Just thinking about it is going to give me an ulcer. Let's get going. I told Andy we would be there by one o'clock," Jack said as he grabbed a baseball cap with a Chicago Cubs logo on it and threw it to Teal'c, "Here, wear this instead of that stupid straw hat."
Teal'c did not say anything to Jack, he just took off the hat he was wearing and placed the Cubs cap on his head, covering the gold serpent symbol on his forehead. Jack gathered all the fishing equipment out of the front closet, handed the fishing poles to Daniel and the life vests to Teal'c, and took the tackle box himself. They went outside and put everything in Jack's jeep, then got in themselves, and took off for Cherry Creek Lake.
Jordyn pulled into Sam's driveway, put the vehicle into park, and turned the engine off. She got out and walked up to the house. Sam opened the door just before Jordyn knocked.
"Hey there. Hold on a minute, I have to grab something," said Sam as she walked into the kitchen. Jordyn stood inside the doorframe and waited for Sam.
After a minute Sam entered the hallway. As she approached Jordyn, she noticed a disturbed look on her friend's face, "What happened? You look like you're about to kill someone. I hope it's not me because I'm running a little late."
"I am, but it's not you I'm going to strangle. It's my over-bearing, arrogant father," answered Jordyn stuffing her hands in the pockets of her pants.
"What the hell happened?" asked Sam as they walked out Sam's front door. Sam turned to make sure the door was locked then they walked to the Explorer.
"He found a condom I had in my jacket pocket. Evidently, it fell out when he picked up my jacket to put it in the closet. Or so he says."
"And you two had a HUGE fight about it?"
Jordyn sighed and nodded. They climbed into the vehicle, shut the doors, and buckled their seat belts.
Sam looked at Jordyn with burning curiosity, “Did he ask you?”
"Yes," she answered as she started the engine.
"What did you say?"
"I told him the truth, although, I also said it wasn't any of his business whether I was or not," Jordyn backed out of the driveway and drove down the street.
"What happened then?"
"He lost his temper, as usual. He told me that if I'm living in his house, it is his business. Can you believe that?"
Sam listened to her friend without interrupting. Jordyn continued, "Anyway, I proceeded to tell him that I’d do whatever I want to do, and that he can't do anything about it. Then I left the house."
"Did he ask you who it was that you had it with?"
"I left before he could. He did ask if it was John though. I told him it wasn't, but I don't think he believed me," Jordyn came to an intersection and braked for the red light.
Sam looked at Jordyn suspiciously, "You told me you didn't. That is the truth isn't it? You weren't lying to me were you?"
"No, Sam, I wasn't lying to you,” she assured Sam, looking her in the eye, "We didn't do anything except kiss. But my father is not going to believe that. You know that as well as I do."
"I know. I was just making sure. I should have known you wouldn't lie to me, I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
"What did he say when you left?"
"He demanded that I 'get my ass back here,'" Jordyn quoted her father. The light turned green and she stepped on the gas. The hospital was just three blocks away.
"And you just walked out the door, ignoring him, right?"
"Yep," confirmed Jordyn, "But not before getting stopped by Daniel who was just outside the door with Teal'c. I guess he had heard most of the fight because he looked really annoyed with me. Especially when I told him my father's an arrogant asshole."
"YOU WHAT?” exclaimed Sam, turning to look at Jordyn.
"I was mad, Sam. It just slipped out," Jordyn tried to defend her actions, but could tell by the look on Sam's face that she would have to do better than that. She continued, hoping Sam would still see it her way. "Well, Daniel asked what happened, and I told him to ask my dad. He said he would and let me leave. I've never seen Daniel so perturbed before."
Sam was still staring at Jordyn in disbelief. After a minute she sat back, "I still can't believe you said that."
Jordyn shrugged her shoulders, "To tell you the truth, neither do I."
Sam spoke up after a minute of silence, "Why were Daniel and Teal'c there?"
"They're going to do something with my dad today I guess, since we're out."
"What are they going to do?"
"Don't know, didn't ask," answered Jordyn as she pulled into the hospital parking lot, “But I think that they'll probably be gone all day."
Cassandra and Janet were waiting for them outside the entrance of the hospital. Jordyn pulled up to the curb and stopped. She put the Explorer into park and Janet opened the door for Cassandra, who climbed in the back on the passenger side. Janet walked around and got in on the driver's side of the vehicle.
"Hey, Sam," said Cassandra as she leaned over the seat to give her a kiss.
"Hey you. What's up?"
"Nothing. Where are we going?" asked Cassandra curiously.
Janet spoke up, "Cassandra, why don't you sit down and put on your seat belt." She had already buckled herself in.
"Okay," replied the young girl as she sat down and reached for the seat belt, pulling it over her shoulder.
Janet smiled at Sam, "So, how are you two? You looked like you were in deep conversation when you pulled up."
Sam jumped in before Jordyn could say anything, "Yeah, we'll tell you about it later. It's not something we want to talk about right now," said Sam, motioning towards Cassandra with her head.
"Yeah, sure," Janet replied, sensing it was something somewhat serious and that Cassandra didn't need to know anything about it.
Jordyn looked in the rearview mirror, "Hey, Cassie, want to go see a movie?"
The thirteen year old nodded, "Yeah. Sounds cool," Cassandra replied with a smile. She loved the movies ever since Jack and Sam had introduced her to them.
Jordyn smiled, pulled away from the curb and drove out of the parking lot.
"Jack, are you sure you don't want to talk about what happened?" asked Daniel.
Jack cast his line out, "Yes, Daniel, I'm sure. Will you stop bothering me already? I told you in the car on the way up that I just want to forget about it for the time being."
Daniel sighed. Trying to get Jack to talk about how he felt was impossible. He told himself he should just stop trying. He didn't want to put Jack in more of an irritable mood than he already was. Daniel cast his own line out.
"He's finally given up. Good," thought Jack. He was getting tired of Daniel's pestering. Even though he wouldn't admit it, all he could think about was what Jordyn had said when he asked her if she was a virgin. "No, I am not. Not that it's any of your business." He couldn't believe what he had heard and didn't really want to believe it. He reeled his line back in and cast it out again. At least he could relax a bit while out on the lake. Jack decided he was going to try to talk his daughter later that night, when she got home, and tried to concentrate on fishing for the rest of the afternoon.
The women decided to go to McGregor's Bar and Grill after the movie. While Cassie was trying to finish her dinner so that she could go play video games, they talked about the movie.
"I'm done. Can I have some money to go play the games, please?" Cassandra pleaded with her mother.
Jordyn took out her wallet and thumbed through it for a five-dollar bill, and gave it Cassandra, "Here ya go. Knock yourself out, kiddo."
"Thanks," she exclaimed, smiling at Jordyn. She then ran off to get some quarters.
Jordyn looked at Janet and Sam, who were looking at her in surprise, "I figured that would keep her away for awhile so we can talk," she explained, "Five bucks should last at least a half hour."
"I guess you're right," replied Sam, realizing why Jordyn did it.
Janet looked at her two friends, "So, what happened earlier today? You looked upset, Jordyn."
"My father is what happened," Jordyn answered, frowning.
Sam jumped in and told Janet what had happened, so Jordyn wouldn't have to repeat it.
"Oh boy," Janet sighed.
"That's not all, Janet. Ask her what she told Daniel about Jack."
Janet looked at the young woman with inquiring eyes, "What did you say?"
Jordyn sat back in her chair and let out a deep breath, "Oh nothing. I just called him an arrogant asshole."
Janet's jaw dropped, "You didn't?"
"Yeah, I did. Daniel looked like he was about to kill me. Of course, he didn't know what had happened. Although, I'm sure he would still be mad even if he did."
Janet nodded in agreement, "And I'm sure he knows now. Your father probably told him everything."
"That's for sure," stated Sam, who was playing with the fries on her plate, “He was also probably shocked to hear that you aren't a virgin. I can imagine the look on his face when your dad told him."
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Janet said something, "So what are you going to do about it? It would be a good idea to try talking to your father again."
"Are you kidding? Forget it! It'll just be a repeat of earlier today," Jordyn almost shouted. She became irritated at the idea of bringing up the subject with him again.
"Jordyn, take it easy," Sam said in stern voice.
Jordyn sat back in her chair with her arms crossed and stared at the floor.
Sam observed her friend for a moment, "Jordyn. Jordyn, look at me," Jordyn looked up as Sam continued, "Janet's right, you have to talk to him again. It's the only way to resolve this conflict."
Janet and Sam waited for Jordyn's reply, but she just looked at them in annoyance. She couldn't believe they wanted her to talk to him again. Jordyn sat up and put her elbows on the table, laying her head in her hands. She rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands, and then looked up her friends. She ran her hand through her hair, pushing it off her forehead, "I don't know, I just don't think he'll listen to me."
"Jordyn, I think he will, now that he has had time to cool off himself," Sam looked her in the eye, "Just give him a chance."
"I doubt that he has cooled off much, Sam. He's too hotheaded and stubborn."
Sam looked at her, "And you're not?"
"It would be easier if neither of you were so bullheaded, and would see it from the other person's point of view," remarked Janet.
Sam looked at Janet and silently agreed with her, then looked back at her other friend, "Jordyn, just try to. He probably will listen."
Jordyn sat in silence thinking about Sam's request. She wondered if trying to talk to him again would work. She didn't want the fight to go on forever. Jordyn eyed the two women sitting at the table with her, but didn't say anything. After a minute she relented, "I guess I can try."
Sam smiled, "Good. Just remember to keep your cool and he'll probably keep his."
"Yeah, right," cracked Jordyn.
"I'm serious," said Sam, "The first one to yell loses the argument."
"Okay, okay. I'll try my best."
Janet, who had been silent for the remainder of the conversation, sat back in her chair. She was glad Jordyn decided to resolve the conflict. She knew it wasn't going to be easy because both were extremely stubborn, and always thought that they were right.
Jordyn took a drink of her soda and looked at her friends, “I have to go the bathroom. I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Okay,” Sam and Janet said in unison.
Jordyn got up and made her way to the back of the restaurant. She walked down the dark corridor to the ladies’ room. With everything that was on her mind, Jordyn wasn’t really paying attention to where she was going and halfway down the corridor bumped into someone exiting the men’s room. She looked up and to her surprise saw Colonel Robert Makepeace, whom had grabbed on to her shoulders to steady them both.
“Whoa there, Captain,” he said quietly in his sexy, deep voice.
“Ummm…Sorry, Sir. I didn’t mean to,” Jordyn stammered, her face red with embarrassment.
“It’s okay, Captain. It happens to us all,” he smiled at her and let go, “It usually helps if you’re not in dreamland while walking though.”
“Uh yeah. I try not to, but sometimes my brain wanders off on its own,” Jordyn said jokingly.
Makepeace laughed, “Yeah, I know what it’s like. Just be careful, okay? Don’t want you to get hurt,” Makepeace gave her a big smile. He looked up to see his date waving to him, “I got to go, Captain. Nice to you see somewhere besides the base,” Makepeace patted her shoulder, “See you later.”
“Later,” Jordyn waved as he walked away. ‘Why can’t I have a man like that?’ she thought to herself as she turned to enter the women’s restroom.
Little did she know, Makepeace had taken one long, last glance at Jordyn, wondering why he couldn’t have her.
By the time Jordyn got back to the table, Cassie had finished playing video games and they were ready to leave.
Jordyn dropped Cassie and Janet off first, and then brought Sam home.
"Talk to him, Jordyn," Sam said as she got out of the Explorer.
"Don't worry I will. I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow," replied Sam as she closed the car door. She walked up to her house. Jordyn waited until Sam was inside, before she left.
Once inside the house, Sam picked up her phone, which she had left sitting on the table by the door. She dialed the phone number to Jack's, hoping he was home. After three rings, he answered.
"Colonel Jack O'Neill."
"Hi, Colonel. I'm glad you're home."
Jack recognized Sam's voice, "Is something wrong with Jordyn, Sam?" he asked, worry evident in his voice.
"No, nothing's wrong. I just need to talk to you that's all, Colonel."
Jack breathed a sigh of relief and then spoke, "Sam, we're off duty, call me Jack."
"Okay."
"Good. Now what did you want to talk to me about?"
Sam searched her brain for the right way to bring up the subject, "Jordyn and what happened this morning," she bit her lip while she waited for him to respond.
"Let me guess. You know everything, don't you?"
"Yeah, I do. She was really mad when she picked me up."
"Yeah, I know," Jack was silent for a moment, "Sam, did you know she wasn't a virgin?"
Sam bit her lip again. She didn't want to admit she knew, but she also didn't want to lie to him. Sam respected Jack too much to do so.
"Sam?" said Jack when she didn't answer.
"Ah...yeah. Jack, I did know."
Jack slumped into the chair, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Jack, I couldn't. I can't betray Jordyn's trust, she's my friend."
"She's too young to be having sex, Sam!" he bellowed.
"Did you ask her exactly when she lost her virginity?"
"No, why?"
Sam didn't say anything.
Jack became impatient, "Sam, when did she lose it? I know you know."
Sam didn't want to tell him because she knew he would get angry, but she knew he wasn't going to let it go. She waited a few seconds before responding, "She told me she lost it when she was 16, while attending the Air Force Academy."
"SHE LOST IT WHEN?" he yelled as he jumped out of the chair in surprise.
"Jack, take it easy. Don't have a heart attack."
Jack sat back down and steadied his breathing by taking a few deep breaths.
Sam could hear him over the phone trying to gain control of his emotions, "Are you okay?"
"No, I am not. I just found out my baby girl lost her virginity when she was 16. Would you be all right?" she could hear the anxiety rise in his voice.
Sam waited for Jack to gain control before continuing with the conversation. "Jack, she was 16, not a child. She knew how to make decisions for herself, and that just happens to be one that she made."
"She was too young and still is too young to be having sex."
"Okay then, can I ask you a question?"
Jack knew what was coming, "How old I was when I lost my virginity has nothing to do with her," he told Sam before she could ask the question.
"I think I just got my answer," she replied, smiling to herself, "You were younger then her."
Jack sighed; he wasn't going to argue with Sam. He knew that if he denied it, she would just see right through him, "Yes, I was. Let's just leave it at that, okay?"
"Sure, whatever you want, Jack."
"Thank you," he said relieved that she dropped that particular subject, "Now what else did you want to talk to me about?"
Sam thought for a minute before responding, "I want you to do me a favor."
"What?"
"When Jordyn gets home, I want you to sit down and talk to her. Listen to what she has to say before saying anything yourself."
Jack sat there for minute, thinking, "I guess I can try to."
"Good. I want you to stay calm, don't lose your temper this time," Sam told him, “If you do, so will Jordyn. If you start yelling, she isn't going to tell you anything." Sam waited for Jack to say something, but he was silent, "Jack?"
"I'm here, Sam. I was just thinking about what you were saying."
"Will you do that for her, and for you?"
"Yeah, I will."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
"You won't regret it, Jack."
Jack was quiet again. He looked out the window and saw headlights pulling into the driveway, "Ah, Sam, she's home, so I'm going to let you go."
"Sure. I'll see you tomorrow. You can call me later if you want to talk, though."
"Okay," he replied, then paused for a moment, "Thanks, Sam."
"No problem. Bye," said Sam as she hung up the phone.
"Bye," he said, even though she had already hung up.
Jack sat in his recliner while he waited for Jordyn to come in.
He laid his chin in his hand, "Hi," he said calmly when she walked in the door.
"Hi," she responded as she took off her jacket.
"Jordyn, we need to talk," he said as he got out of the chair.
Jordyn glared at him, "You mean talk like we did earlier," she countered sarcastically.
"No, not like earlier."
She gawked at him, "Yeah, sure. Whatever."
"Jordyn," Jack said sternly without raising his voice, which was hard for him to do, "We are going to talk about this whether you like it or not."
"Why?" Jordyn asked, "So you can just yell at me again?" she tried to keep control of her own temper.
"I am not going to yell at you."
"You promise?" Jordyn asked, "Because if you do yell at me, I'll walk out that door and I won't come back," she warned him.
"I promise," he stared right into her eyes.
Once Jordyn looked into her father's eyes, she knew he was sincere.
"Jordyn, I don't want something like this to tear us apart again, all right?" he said as he walked up to her and laid his hands on her shoulders.
She nodded, "Yeah, I understand. I don't want that either."
Jack gave her a loving smile as he brought his right hand up to her cheek and caressed it.
Jordyn stood there a moment before saying anything, "Just let me go change into something a little more comfortable and we can talk, okay?"
"Okay," he agreed. He kissed her on the forehead before she pulled away.
Ten minutes later Jordyn entered the kitchen in a pair of sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt. She walked over to where her father was standing against the counter.
Jack handed her a cup of hot chocolate, "Here ya go. I thought you might like some while we talk, just like we use to before…” Jack paused, “Well, you know." \
Jordyn gave her father a comforting smile and took the cup, "Thanks, Dad."
She walked over to the table and sat down. After a few seconds Jack joined her, sitting himself in the chair beside her.
“Jordyn, about earlier today,” he paused, “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
“Yeah, me too,” she took a sip of her hot chocolate.
Jack took a sip of his coffee and continued, “It’s just that when I found the condom, it surprised me. I didn’t think you were having sex.”
Jordyn sighed, “No, that’s not it, Dad. You just didn’t want to believe that I was.”
“True, I didn’t want to believe it,” he stared into his cup, “But you can’t blame me, Jordyn. To me, you’re still my baby girl.”
Jordyn took a deep breath, “Dad, why do you want to talk about this? It obviously makes you uncomfortable.”
Jack was quiet.
“Look, we can talk all you want, but it isn’t going to change the fact that I’m not a virgin, that I’m not the innocent little girl you thought I was,” she sat back in the chair.
He looked up at his daughter, “I know that, but I thought if I knew all the facts it make it easier for me to accept that you have had sex,” he took another sip of coffee, “Jordyn, no matter what, you will always be my baby girl. Nothing in the world, or rather the universe will change that, understand?”
She nodded, “Yeah I do. And you will still be my father. But you are going to have to accept that there are things you don’t have control of, Dad.”
“And this is one of those things,” he added before she could.
“Yes, it is.”
Jack ran his hand over his face, “These talks were a lot easier when you were younger.”
“Things change, Dad.”
“Yeah, don’t remind me.”
Jordyn gave a little laugh. She then looked into her father’s deep brown eyes, “Are you sure you still want to know the facts?”
The question surprised Jack. He sat there for moment, “Yes, I do, if you want to tell me.”
“Okay, what do you want to know?”
“How old were you?” Jack asked even though he knew. He didn’t want Jordyn to know that Sam had told him. He didn’t want her to lose her trust in her best friend.
“I was 16. It happened while I was at the Air Force Academy,” Jordyn rubbed her eyes. She was getting tired and hoped that her father didn’t have too many questions.
“With whom?”
“The guy I was dating while there. His name was Jeff Nichols,” she answered him honestly.
“Was he attending the academy as well?”
“Yes, he was. We made love after one of the formal balls,” she paused and watched the uneasy expression on her father’s face. “Dad, I was in love with him at the time. It wasn’t the something that I forced into doing.”
Jack relaxed a bit with the assurance that it was her choice to do so, “Did you have protection?” he asked as he placed his elbows on the table, setting his face into his hands.
“Yes, we used a condom,” she wrapped her hands around the cup of hot chocolate and took a drink, “Anything else?”
Jack thought for a minute, “Have you had sex since then, or was that the only time?” he asked curiously.
“Yes, I have since Jeff,” she replied quietly, “But I had protection each time, and it wasn’t like I was sleeping around either.”
“I know you wouldn’t do that, baby,” he took her hand in his.
Jordyn gave her father’s hand a squeeze, “Dad, I take sex very seriously. I’m not intimate with someone unless I care about him deeply in that way. I want you to know that.”
“I do know that. And I’m glad that you are careful,” he smiled, “I don’t want anything bad to ever happen to you, sweetheart.”
“And nothing will. Not as long as I have you to protect me,” she gave him a big smile.
“That’s for sure. If any guy ever hurts you, he will be extremely sorry,” Jack returned her smile.
Jordyn studied her father’s face, “Are you okay with this, now that you know the facts?”
“Yeah, I think so,” he drank the remainder of his coffee, “It may take a while for it to sink in, but it will eventually,” he brought his hand up to her face and brushed her hair back.
“There’s nothing else you want to know?”
“Nothing I can think of right now.”
“Good,” she replied, “Dad, I want you to know that I love you, and no matter what I do, that is one thing that will never change. I will always need you.”
“Thank you. I think I needed that reassurance,” he half joked, “I love you too, baby,” he kissed her on the forehead, “And that will never change either.”
They both sat there in silence afterwards.
Finally Jack said, “Well, I’m beat, I think I’ll turn in. What about you?” he stood and stretched his tired muscles.
“Uh yeah, right. I’m exhausted also,” she replied hazily, “But I think I’ll clean up in here before hitting the sack.”
“Don’t worry about it, we can take care of it in the morning,” he rubbed her back.
“That’s okay, I don’t mind doing it now. Why don’t you go to bed?”
“Are you sure, sweetheart? There really is no hurry to clean it up,” he said, “It can sit over night.”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
Jack sighed, “Okay, just don’t stay up too long okay?”
She gave her father a kiss, “I won’t. Now go to bed.”
Jack returned the kiss, “Yes ma’am,” he said, and then headed for his room.
When Jack was gone, Jordyn picked up the cups and brought them to the sink. One thing she had told her dad kept rolling around in her mind. The phrase, “And nothing will, not as long as I have you to protect me.” She wished that one thing was true, but it wasn’t, and she couldn’t change that fact no matter how much she wanted to.
The next morning Jack and Sam met in one of the restaurants in town. Jack had called the night before and asked her to join him.
Jack walked in and over to Sam who was sitting at a booth, “Hey. How are you?” he asked as he took a seat across from her.
Sam smiled, “I’m fine. I’d ask you the same, but I can see everything went well last night.”
“Yeah. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Or as torturous,” he smiled at the waitress as she poured him some coffee, “Thanks,” he took a drink.
Sam watched him for a minute. She loved watching him because to her he was so intriguing, so handsome, and so much else. Sam shook the thoughts from her head. He was her CO and it was against regulations she told herself. But even though it was against regulations, she had always thought about him when she was away from him and even more when near him. Sam tried to push the thoughts away, “I told you it wouldn’t be that bad,” she sat up in the booth so her face was right in front of his.
Jack looked into her smiling face and her blue sapphire eyes. She was so smart when it came to so many things. And she was beautiful to top it off. He shook his own thoughts from his mind, “Yeah, I guess you did. Anyway, I just wanted to thank you, Sam,” Jack said a little nervously.
“For what? What did I do?”
“A lot. You saved my relationship with my daughter for one and you were a friend,” he gave her a smile.
“Nah. You did it yourself. You just needed a push to talk it through. That’s all,” Sam moved her face closer to his without even realizing it.
“Well, then I thank you for that,” Jack slowly moved in and kissed her tenderly on the lips.
Sam didn’t push him away, but leaned into the kiss, enjoying it as much as Jack did.
When they broke apart they stared into each other’s eyes.
“The hell with regulations,” they both thought. They had finally realized that they had found the person that they were meant to be with. They kissed again, this time more passionately.
© 2001
