Stargate SG-1 fic: Down the Aisle
Wrote this last night since my tropical story is still giving me a headache. From the prompt: parents. The first thing that popped into my head was Cassie and her relationship with Jack.
Without giving it away:
Down the Aisle
by jennickels (aka Jen Connelly)
Stargate SG-1
Sam/Jack, Jack/Cassie friendship
1422 words
rating: K+
A church, his dress uniform, a woman in a white gown... what's there to be nervous about?
don't own... wish I did, but I don't. No infringement intended.
Jack tugged at his collar pulling the tie loose then sighing and straightening it back up. That was how he had spent the last five minutes. Loosen, straighten. It all came down to comfort or protocol. After what he figured was at least the thousandth time, he fixed his tie and tightened it just right. Stepping back, he checked the mirror and slid his hands over the well worn fabric of the jacket. Every crease was crisp, every medal straight and shiny.
Ugh, he hated it. The only good thing his dress uniform had ever been was for picking up chicks when he was young. He snorted. God, that was a long time ago, he thought. Almost unconsciously, his hand went back to his tie.
It was swatted away. Jack glanced over at Daniel standing next to him. He narrowed his eyes at the archaeologist but was ignored. Daniel slid his hand over his own tie, brown with a tiny diamond pattern, and stood back with a pleased look. Jack's hand flinched ever so slightly back towards his neck.
"Jack," Daniel warned, "if you mess with that tie one more time I'll strangle you with it myself."
Jack snorted. "I'd like to see you try."
Daniel shook his head before dropping into one of the cushy, horribly clashing chairs in the room. "What is with you?"
"I don't know what you mean," Jack said as he ran his hand over his tie just one more time, tucking it under his jacket and making sure the buttons were secured even though he already knew they were. His hand then instinctively went to his hair. So much thinner and grayer now. When did he get old? He glanced over at Daniel sitting so casually in the chair. Oh, yeah, when he started traipsing all over the galaxy trying to keep Daniel out of trouble.
Daniel seemed oblivious to Jack's ire. "Why are you so nervous?"
Jack stopped fussing with his hair and glared at his friend. He was about to make some sure to be rude comment when there was a light knock on the door. Cassie poked her head in.
"It's time, guys," she said with a bright smile.
Daniel clapped his hands together and jumped up. He took one last look at Jack and patted him on the shoulder. "You'll do fine. I don't know what you're worrying about." With a peck to Cassie's cheek he was gone.
Jack took a deep breath, centering himself.
"You okay?" Cassie asked, worry lacing her words.
"I think so. No, I am... pretty sure. I guess. I..."
Cassie laughed, her eyes twinkling. Jack couldn't help but smile back, finally relaxing just a bit.
"Yeah, I'm ready," he said with a deep sigh. "I really never thought this day would come."
Cassie giggled, taking his arm as they exited the room. "I always knew it would."
Jack glanced down at her. "You did?"
She bit her lower lip and nodded, her eyes now starting to tear up. "Of course."
They approached a set of large, ornately carved oak doors and stopped. The sound of a hundred hushed voices could be heard from the other side. They were almost drowned out by a rather flamboyant wedding director as he commanded the Bride's Maids to take their places.
"Remember: pacing!" he called with a loud clap. The girls, dressed in black satin dresses stopped talking abruptly to glare at the man as he wove through them. He signaled for the musician to play and gave the first girl a shove. She stumbled a bit but gracefully recovered.
"Ready?" Cassie asked.
Jack swallowed hard. "Aren't I supposed to be asking you that?"
The last girl disappeared through the doors and the music swelled. The director was shuffling Jack forward, Cassie still on his arm.
"Ready as I'll ever be," he mumbled as they stood in the door staring out at the sea of expectant faces filling the small chapel.
Cassie gave him a little tug and his legs finally started working. She giggled and squeezed his arm. "Geeze, Jack, I don't remember you even being this nervous at your own wedding."
Jack chewed his lips for a second then looked down at her. "I wasn't giving away my little girl then."
She didn't say anything to that but her smile and still unshed tears spoke volumes more than words ever could. Before he knew it they were standing in front of the preacher, the black dressed girls down one side and the tuxed out groomsmen down the other. Jack watched as the first guy in line stepped down and crossed over to them. He looked Jack straight in the eye and gave a little nod. Jack returned it and reluctantly let Cassie's arm go.
It took all his effort to make his feet move but eventually he found his way to the first seat and slid into it without making a complete fool of himself. With him out of the way the ceremony began. Jack didn't hear much of what the preacher said. Images of a little girl with wild hair and bright eyes swirled in his head: Cassie at eleven when they almost had to leave her to die in an abandoned bunker; Cassie at twelve with that danged dog nipping at her heels as Jack taught her to play baseball; Cassie at fourteen and Jack intimidating her first date; Cassie's first car, first prom, first call after a wild college party she snuck out to... They all twisted and blurred together.
Or was that just the tears pressing against his eyes. He blinked to clear them. Next to him Carter bumped his shoulder. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
"I didn't take you for the 'cry at weddings' kind of guy, General," she murmured.
"Only since I met you, Carter," he said with a snort. "And I swear to god if you call me general one more time today..."
She smirked at him. "It's the uniform."
Jack shook his head slightly and pulled her hand into his lap, entwining their fingers. His eyes fell on the gold band on his hand. She saw him staring and gave his hand a squeeze. He was constantly needing reassurance that it was all real. When he looked back up she still had a devilish grin on her face. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "did I ever tell you how hot you look in that uniform."
Jack's eyebrows shot up. "Can't say that you have, Colonel."
"Been meaning to tell you that."
"Oh, yeah?" he said, leaning closer to her so that their heads were touching. "Since when?"
"Since they day I met you."
Jack felt his cheeks flush. When he looked back over at her Daniel was leaning forward in his seat next to her with a frown on his face.
Jack shifted his attention back to the preacher as he rambled on about the virtues of marriage. Carter gave a little chuckle and shifted her weight so she was leaning more on him.
"Really?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.
"Oh, yeah. That offer to arm wrestle probably wouldn't have gotten far with you in that uniform."
She rubbed her hand seductively along his leg. Jack groaned. "You're mean, you know that," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth.
"But our wedding night... oh, god, I could barely contain myself. Remember?"
Jack's mind wandered to the night just three short years ago. Carter had looked beyond stunning in her dress but he couldn't wait to get her back to the hotel to get it off. She had been equally eager, half of his uniform going missing in the car... He suddenly sat bolt upright as the woman in the memory morphed into a shorter, less blond version.
"Ack, Carter, stop that."
She giggled and smirked at him, burying her face against his shoulder. Around them a dozen or more people shushed them rather loudly catching the attention of the bride. She just shook her head and gave them a smile, her eyes rolling dramatically.
Jack sighed and tried to push the image out of his mind. Cassie would always be his little girl and no one, not Carter, not this new guy in the fancy tux, was going to take that away from him. He winked at her and she mouthed back, "I love you, too," before turning back to her new husband to get her first married kiss.
Without giving it away:
Down the Aisle
by jennickels (aka Jen Connelly)
Stargate SG-1
Sam/Jack, Jack/Cassie friendship
1422 words
rating: K+
A church, his dress uniform, a woman in a white gown... what's there to be nervous about?
don't own... wish I did, but I don't. No infringement intended.
Jack tugged at his collar pulling the tie loose then sighing and straightening it back up. That was how he had spent the last five minutes. Loosen, straighten. It all came down to comfort or protocol. After what he figured was at least the thousandth time, he fixed his tie and tightened it just right. Stepping back, he checked the mirror and slid his hands over the well worn fabric of the jacket. Every crease was crisp, every medal straight and shiny.
Ugh, he hated it. The only good thing his dress uniform had ever been was for picking up chicks when he was young. He snorted. God, that was a long time ago, he thought. Almost unconsciously, his hand went back to his tie.
It was swatted away. Jack glanced over at Daniel standing next to him. He narrowed his eyes at the archaeologist but was ignored. Daniel slid his hand over his own tie, brown with a tiny diamond pattern, and stood back with a pleased look. Jack's hand flinched ever so slightly back towards his neck.
"Jack," Daniel warned, "if you mess with that tie one more time I'll strangle you with it myself."
Jack snorted. "I'd like to see you try."
Daniel shook his head before dropping into one of the cushy, horribly clashing chairs in the room. "What is with you?"
"I don't know what you mean," Jack said as he ran his hand over his tie just one more time, tucking it under his jacket and making sure the buttons were secured even though he already knew they were. His hand then instinctively went to his hair. So much thinner and grayer now. When did he get old? He glanced over at Daniel sitting so casually in the chair. Oh, yeah, when he started traipsing all over the galaxy trying to keep Daniel out of trouble.
Daniel seemed oblivious to Jack's ire. "Why are you so nervous?"
Jack stopped fussing with his hair and glared at his friend. He was about to make some sure to be rude comment when there was a light knock on the door. Cassie poked her head in.
"It's time, guys," she said with a bright smile.
Daniel clapped his hands together and jumped up. He took one last look at Jack and patted him on the shoulder. "You'll do fine. I don't know what you're worrying about." With a peck to Cassie's cheek he was gone.
Jack took a deep breath, centering himself.
"You okay?" Cassie asked, worry lacing her words.
"I think so. No, I am... pretty sure. I guess. I..."
Cassie laughed, her eyes twinkling. Jack couldn't help but smile back, finally relaxing just a bit.
"Yeah, I'm ready," he said with a deep sigh. "I really never thought this day would come."
Cassie giggled, taking his arm as they exited the room. "I always knew it would."
Jack glanced down at her. "You did?"
She bit her lower lip and nodded, her eyes now starting to tear up. "Of course."
They approached a set of large, ornately carved oak doors and stopped. The sound of a hundred hushed voices could be heard from the other side. They were almost drowned out by a rather flamboyant wedding director as he commanded the Bride's Maids to take their places.
"Remember: pacing!" he called with a loud clap. The girls, dressed in black satin dresses stopped talking abruptly to glare at the man as he wove through them. He signaled for the musician to play and gave the first girl a shove. She stumbled a bit but gracefully recovered.
"Ready?" Cassie asked.
Jack swallowed hard. "Aren't I supposed to be asking you that?"
The last girl disappeared through the doors and the music swelled. The director was shuffling Jack forward, Cassie still on his arm.
"Ready as I'll ever be," he mumbled as they stood in the door staring out at the sea of expectant faces filling the small chapel.
Cassie gave him a little tug and his legs finally started working. She giggled and squeezed his arm. "Geeze, Jack, I don't remember you even being this nervous at your own wedding."
Jack chewed his lips for a second then looked down at her. "I wasn't giving away my little girl then."
She didn't say anything to that but her smile and still unshed tears spoke volumes more than words ever could. Before he knew it they were standing in front of the preacher, the black dressed girls down one side and the tuxed out groomsmen down the other. Jack watched as the first guy in line stepped down and crossed over to them. He looked Jack straight in the eye and gave a little nod. Jack returned it and reluctantly let Cassie's arm go.
It took all his effort to make his feet move but eventually he found his way to the first seat and slid into it without making a complete fool of himself. With him out of the way the ceremony began. Jack didn't hear much of what the preacher said. Images of a little girl with wild hair and bright eyes swirled in his head: Cassie at eleven when they almost had to leave her to die in an abandoned bunker; Cassie at twelve with that danged dog nipping at her heels as Jack taught her to play baseball; Cassie at fourteen and Jack intimidating her first date; Cassie's first car, first prom, first call after a wild college party she snuck out to... They all twisted and blurred together.
Or was that just the tears pressing against his eyes. He blinked to clear them. Next to him Carter bumped his shoulder. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
"I didn't take you for the 'cry at weddings' kind of guy, General," she murmured.
"Only since I met you, Carter," he said with a snort. "And I swear to god if you call me general one more time today..."
She smirked at him. "It's the uniform."
Jack shook his head slightly and pulled her hand into his lap, entwining their fingers. His eyes fell on the gold band on his hand. She saw him staring and gave his hand a squeeze. He was constantly needing reassurance that it was all real. When he looked back up she still had a devilish grin on her face. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "did I ever tell you how hot you look in that uniform."
Jack's eyebrows shot up. "Can't say that you have, Colonel."
"Been meaning to tell you that."
"Oh, yeah?" he said, leaning closer to her so that their heads were touching. "Since when?"
"Since they day I met you."
Jack felt his cheeks flush. When he looked back over at her Daniel was leaning forward in his seat next to her with a frown on his face.
Jack shifted his attention back to the preacher as he rambled on about the virtues of marriage. Carter gave a little chuckle and shifted her weight so she was leaning more on him.
"Really?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.
"Oh, yeah. That offer to arm wrestle probably wouldn't have gotten far with you in that uniform."
She rubbed her hand seductively along his leg. Jack groaned. "You're mean, you know that," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth.
"But our wedding night... oh, god, I could barely contain myself. Remember?"
Jack's mind wandered to the night just three short years ago. Carter had looked beyond stunning in her dress but he couldn't wait to get her back to the hotel to get it off. She had been equally eager, half of his uniform going missing in the car... He suddenly sat bolt upright as the woman in the memory morphed into a shorter, less blond version.
"Ack, Carter, stop that."
She giggled and smirked at him, burying her face against his shoulder. Around them a dozen or more people shushed them rather loudly catching the attention of the bride. She just shook her head and gave them a smile, her eyes rolling dramatically.
Jack sighed and tried to push the image out of his mind. Cassie would always be his little girl and no one, not Carter, not this new guy in the fancy tux, was going to take that away from him. He winked at her and she mouthed back, "I love you, too," before turning back to her new husband to get her first married kiss.