Title: New Life and Friendships Author: Kazza Email: kazzak999@hotmail.com Story Status: Complete Sequel/Series Info: None Season: Any Spoilers: None Categories: Angst, Hurt/Comfort Pairing: None Rating: PG Content Warning: None Summary: A stormy night and a woman in need of help. Archive Permissions: Jackfic, Incoming Wormhole Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions; all the powers that be, not me; This story is for entertainment purposes only File Size: 48KB Authors Notes: I wasn’t sure if I was going to post this but as always Karen did a great beta’ring job, suggested a title and nagged me to post it. Thank you.
New Life and Friendships by Kazza
At first I thought it was the storm that had woken me. But after a moment I wasn’t too sure. Rolling over in bed isn’t an easy manoeuvre when you’re thirty six weeks pregnant but, after a concerted effort, I managed the almost impossible so I could get a look at the alarm clock. Except the digital display was blank. In the darkness, I pulled myself up into a sitting position and reached out blindly to turn on the bedside lamp. It wasn’t working. Dammit, the storm must have taken down the power. It was then that my belly contracted painfully.
*
By the time I’d pulled myself into a pair of oversized sweats, which were about the only clothes that fitted me now, and carefully made it down the stairs in darkness, I had cursed my absent husband a hundred times over. It was his company who had transferred him to Colorado Springs a mere four weeks ago and who then insisted he had to attend an important meeting in New York, whilst his heavily pregnant wife stayed at home. We’ve paid your relocation costs, given you a significant pay rise, and obviously look on you favourably with future promotion in mind. So, we’re sorry about the inconvenience, but we need you in New York. And she’s not due to give birth just yet is she? It’s only a few days. Nothing can possibly happen. So, thank you, ‘she’ stayed at home all alone in a place with no family close by and where she had yet to make any friends. And, of course, ‘nothing can’ became ‘something is’. Doesn’t it always? Shaking off the depressive thoughts, my hands search around the coffee table in the lounge for the phone. Finally locating it, I punched in 911. The line was dead. Great! Not only was there no power. There was no telephone. Now what the hell was I going to do? A flash of lightning temporarily lit up the room and I made my way over to the window. The view outside wasn’t pleasant. The wind was howling and torrential rain pounded the ground, illuminated eerily by the flashes of lightning. It was then that I saw the light coming from the house across the road. Another contraction hit me, and I could do nothing but grit my teeth and ride it out. When it had passed, my decision had been made and I grabbed my coat.
*
Well, I’d definitely underestimated the severity of the storm as I crossed the road to my neighbour’s house. Reaching the covered porch, I was soaked to the skin and chilled to the bone. I rang the doorbell. No one answered. I rang it again. Again, no one answered. I hammered on the door, only stopping when another contraction took hold. As I clutched my sides in pain and doubled up, the door finally swung open. When I finally got the strength back to lift my head, I found myself looking up into the face a tall, dark skinned man. “I’m sorry to disturb you.” I wiped the rain from my face. “But…..” He didn’t give me chance to finish. He opened the door wider and stepped to one side. ”You may enter.” I don’t think I had ever felt so relieved to hear those three words in my entire life.
*
As I stepped into the house, another contraction made itself known and I doubled over once more in pain. This wasn’t right. They were getting closer together. This was my first baby, everything was supposed to take its time. A pair of hands supported me as I battled through the latest wave of pain, pulled my soaking coat off my back and then gently guided me down some stairs in a lounge. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I managed to gather enough of my wits to realise that another person had now joined the big guy, and he was talking to me. “How are you doing?” He looked at me kindly. I grimaced slightly. “I’m so sorry to disturb you, but there’s no power, the phone lines are out, my husband’s away, I haven’t got a car, I’m having contractions, and I saw the light ….” I trailed off, with a somewhat apologetic, somewhat relieved, “Sorry.” Which also included a healthy dose of embarrassment as I realised I was burbling. The man shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.” He steered me towards the couch. “Take a seat.” I thankfully sank down into the comfort of the couch, puzzling slightly over the blankets and pillows already occupying the area. The man looked across at the big guy, who’d opened the door. “Murray, can you grab my cell phone from the kitchen?” As the big guy left, he turned his attention back to me and it was then that I noticed his movements were slow and deliberate. It was also hard to miss the bruising across his face. I shook my head. “I’m really really sorry to turn up on your doorstep like this. I’m new to the neighbourhood. I don’t know anyone, and I was beginning to panic.” He flashed me a smile. “And I told you not to worry about it. I’m Jack.” The big guy appeared again and handed the phone to him. “And this is Murray.” He flipped the phone open. “Let’s get you an ambulance, shall we?” Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to be that easy. Listening on the phone to the emergency dispatchers, it became clear that Colorado Springs was taking a battering from the storm and help wasn’t going to magic itself up quickly. Disconnecting the call, Jack eased himself down carefully on to the coffee table in front of me. “Okay, it’s gonna take a while for the paramedics to get here.” He must have seen the flash of panic in my eyes seconds before the contraction hit, because he picked the phone up again. Vaguely I was aware of him talking to someone but my mind was on the pain. By the time it had subsided, he had finished with the call and was now talking to Murray. “Janet’s gonna be ready. Take my truck and take it easy. The storm will have brought some trees down and there’ll be debris flying around.” Without another word, Murray left. Leaving me with Jack. I felt the urge to apologise again. “I’m sor….” He waggled a finger. And smiled a comforting genuine smile. “Don’t apologise. It’s not your fault your baby decided to pick one of the worst nights of the year to make their appearance.” He gingerly got to his feet. “I need to get you a towel so you can dry off.” I watched him limp away and then took the opportunity to take in my surroundings. Wondering who my neighbour was. There was something about both Murray and Jack that engendered trust. I did not feel threatened by either of them. Felt, in fact, incredibly safe, despite Murray’s considerable looming size, and Jack’s battered appearance. They both oozed calmness and dependability. Candles were providing the light in a room which was most definitely a bachelor’s home. There were no touches which indicated a female presence. My eyes were drawn to a picture on the mantelpiece above the blazing fire, a picture of a handsome, young, fair-haired boy in a baseball cap. It was the only picture. Another contraction hit me and it was a biggie. When it was over, Jack was back and he was looking at me with concern. “They never told me it would be like this.” I managed a watery grin. “And to think I was stupid enough to think I didn’t want drugs.” He gave a small smile and handed me a warm towel. “Murray has gone to fetch a friend, a doctor. She’ll make sure you get through this okay.” I took the towel gratefully and then realised I hadn’t introduced myself. “You must think me so rude, a complete stranger turning up on your doorstep … I’m Donna, Donna Jamieson. I live right across the road from you. My husband and I moved in a month ago.” I stopped when I realised I was burbling once again. He didn’t need to know my life story. “Do you want to call your husband?” He held the cell phone out to me but before I could take it, the pain was back. This time, he moved to sit next to me on the couch and took hold of my hands. “Breathe through it, Donna. Nice and easy.” His voice soothed me as the contraction passed through me. Unconsciously, I gripped his hands tightly until I got my breath back. “Thank you.” I looked at him closely. “You’ve done this before, haven’t you?” He shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “Not in a long time.” His eyes drifted to the picture on the mantelpiece and I could see an infinite sadness that flickered across his face. Then it was gone. Sensing that there was a tragic story behind the picture of the child, I knew not to push it. Instead I took the opportunity to dry myself down with the towel. By the time I’d finished, Jack was back with me. “Are you comfortable, or can I get you something?” I shook my head. “I’m fine, honestly. Just knowing that someone is here makes me feel a hundred per cent better, thanks.”
*
We sat and made idle chit chat in between my moments of excruciating pain. He had a good line in amusing stories about baseball, and ice hockey. I also learned he loved fishing. And watching the stars. He was doing his best to keep my mind off my predicament but I knew my labour was progressing quickly. Typical, really. I’m usually late for everything but obviously my child wasn’t going to take after its mother. During one spectacular contraction, in the course of which I decided to divorce my husband and never let another man near me, Jack began to rub the small of my back using small circular motions and kept his eyes locked on mine, willing me the strength to cope with the pain. The contractions were now closer than ever, almost on top of each other. At this moment in time, all I wanted was to curl up and die. But each time I found myself drawn back to his eyes, his voice keeping me calm and anchored, as he told me how much I had to look forward to when my child arrived. The endless pleasure I would have from just one night of pain. Hell, it probably would have sounded corny if he’d been telling me this before I went into labour. But now it sounded beautiful. I continued to curse my husband.
*
When the sound of the front door was heard, it was absolute music to my ears and one glance at the expression Jack wore made me realise just how worried he had been. A petite brunette swept into the room closely followed by Murray and a teenage girl. “Colonel.” I looked at Jack in surprise, I hadn’t realised he was military. But I realised it made sense, the calm way he had dealt with my arrival, and adapted to the ensuing crisis. “Doc.” He moved off the sofa, grimacing as he moved. This action made the woman frown but she didn’t comment. “This is Donna and as you can see, her baby is on the way. The contractions are real close….less than a minute.” “Less than a minute?” The doctor turned her attention to me. “Sounds like your baby has decided not to wait.” “Tell me about it.” The pain was back and this time came the urge to push. The doctor obviously read it on my face. “Okay, Donna. I’m Janet. Let’s see what we can do to deliver your baby.”
*
When I look back on it, I guess you could have said it was an incredibly embarrassing evening. I turned up on a complete stranger’s doorstep, and barely introduced myself before giving birth on the floor in his lounge. Janet had suggested trying to move me upstairs but apparently as soon as she’d seen how dilated I’d been, that idea had been vetoed. So by the time the paramedics eventually turned up, I was sitting on the floor of Jack’s lounge, wrapped in blankets, holding my baby son swaddled in towels. And all these people I’d never met before tonight were grinning like idiots. Janet then accompanied me to the hospital and stayed with me while the doctors ran through the exams to make sure both my baby and I were okay. It was at the hospital that I realised I hadn’t called my husband and Janet sorted everything out with a calm but brisk efficiency. Twelve hours later, my husband arrived at the hospital looking like a candidate for a coronary. Two hours after that, he’d proudly escorted his wife and son home.
* At the first opportunity, I went across to Jack’s and knocked on the door. There was no answer.
*
It was two days later when I saw a car draw up on Jack’s driveway and as I stood at the window cradling my sleeping baby in my arms, I recognised Janet as she got out of the car with a pair of crutches in her hand. She walked round to the passenger side of the car, opening the door. Jack hauled himself out of the car and took the crutches from her, before limping towards the house. “Who’s that?” My husband, Michael, had appeared at my side. “That’s Jack. And the woman with him is Janet.” Michael wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Do you want to go over?”
*
It was Janet that opened the door and she gave a massive smile when she saw us standing on the doorstep. “Donna!” Her eyes went straight to the small bundle in my arms. “And the baby!” She looked back up at me. “Have you chosen a name yet?” I gave a nod, not wanting to reveal it just yet. “Janet, this is my husband Michael.” Michael stepped forward and enveloped a surprised Janet in a hug. “Thank you so much for everything you did that evening.” Janet laughed. “Believe me, it was nice to be able to deliver a baby.” She stepped aside and waved us inside. “Come on in.” “Is it okay? We saw you arrive and couldn’t help but notice that Jack was on crutches. Is he okay?” Janet grinned. “He’s fine. He injured his leg a week ago and managed to pull a few stitches the night your baby arrived. I made him stay on base after treatment to make sure he gave it chance to heal so he’s just feeling sorry for himself at the moment.” She closed the door behind us. “Come on into the lounge. He’ll be pleased to see you.” “It was my fault, I knew something was wrong.” I felt incredibly guilty. Janet laughed. “Don’t worry about it. He admitted he’d already pulled the stitches before you turned up.” We made our way down the steps in the lounge, were Jack had already been alerted by our voices. He was on his feet, a crutch in one hand to steady himself. “Donna.” He smiled warmly. I handed the baby to Michael and walked up to him. “Jack.” I took his free hand in mine. “I just want to say thank you so much for everything you did for me that night. If it hadn’t been for your help and support …..” I knew I had tears glistening in my eyes but I didn’t care. “Thank you.” He didn’t reply, but the look on his face was all I needed. I turned back to introduce Michael. “Jack, this is my husband Michael. You know? The idiot we spoke about that night.” My tone was light and Michael stepped forward to shake hands with him, the baby now safely held in Janet’s arms, being tickled under the chin and admired. Jack shrugged off Michael’s words of thanks, and I could see he was uncomfortable with the praise he was receiving. Finally we all managed to sit down and Jack was looking at the baby. “So have you decided on a name?” I nodded. “He’s going to be a Michael Junior, it’s a kind of family thing.” Michael grinned like the proud father he was, as I continued. “His full name is Michael Jack Jamieson.” I took a deep breath. “And there is something that we’d like to ask you both. My sister and her husband had already agreed, but for everything you have done for us, we would like you to be godparents to Michael, too. That is, if you want to?” I watched as Janet looked across at Jack, with a look of concern. I sensed that there was a tragic story behind the picture on the mantelpiece, a story that I was never going to ask about. But, as I had explained to Michael, there was something about Jack that made me think of honour and trust. Two great credentials when it came to find a guardian for our child. And now, as Michael sat and spoke with Jack, I could see he was feeling the same. Janet came over and gave me a small hug. “I’ll be delighted to be a godparent.” I hugged her back and then looked across at Jack, who seemed to be struggling with some internal argument. “Jack?” He finally looked across at me. “I would be honoured to be a godparent to Michael.”
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