It's Not My Fault!

“It’s not fair, I shouldn’t be spanked, it’s not my fault,” Joshua all but whined.
David looked at him, the disbelieve easy to read on his face. “Not your fault? How is your coming home drunk from the Christmas party last night not your fault?”
“I only bought two beers. I was just being social with the Al and Ken.”
“If you only had two beers how come you’re still hung over.?”
“I was overserved!”
“Overserved?”
“Yes, I only ordered two, the other drinks were not my fault; I was overserved last night , so it‘s not my fault,” Joshua said hurriedly.
“Enough! We aren’t going to argue semantics. You know the consequences of getting drunk, don‘t you?”
“Yeah,” Joshua said sadly.
David tapped his lap, “Come on, let’s get this over with. Is there anything else I need to know?”
“No. But at least I didn’t drive home, I took a taxi.”
“I know, and I’m thankful for that.” Without saying anything more David pulled down Joshua’s sweats and shorts, then guided him over his lap and began to spank him. “I won’t let you get away with getting drunk. It’s bad for your health and a bad habit to start,” he said as he turned Joshua’s butt red. “I won’t let you start it. Are we clear on this?”
“Yes,” Joshua yelped, trying unsuccessfully to hold back his tears, as another swat stung him.
David landed another two swats then gathered Joshua into his arms. “I love you, brat, and I’m not going to let you indulge in harmful behavior. You mean too much too me.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.”
“Ok, it’s over. Now, what about you taking a shower while I make breakfast?”
“Sounds good to me. And I love you, even if you spank me.”
“I know, sweetheart. Now go take that shower!”
 



Letter to David

As he opened the envelope, David subconsciously knew what he'd see.

"If you're reading this David, you know I've left you.

I "legally" became an adult three weeks ago, on August 23rd, and in charge of my own life. We've been married three years, five months and 16 days, and during that time you've never cared what my opinion was or asked me what I wanted to do. Did you think that all my opinions were the same as yours because I said 'Yes, David, Of course David, or What do you think David?'

I learned the hard way that the only answers you were interested in were those that agreed with yours. You told me to never say no to you or I would be spanked. It only took two spanking to make me learn that lesson. I'm not a slow learner.

I never got a birthday present from you, not even a card, even though we celebrate the birthday of everyone else in the family, as well as your own. Do you even know when my birthday is?

For my Christmas present last year you gave me a green sweater. I hate green on me, I look awful in it. I've never worn it, and didn't take it with me; it's still in the closet where I hung it that day.

At first I thought the lack of presents was due to your not knowing what to get me, or that money was tighter than I thought, so I mentioned a book I'd like to have or something inexpensive,
but you didn't pay attention.

I won't ask that you support me. I did however take $5,000.00 from the bank account in cash. Don't blame the bank. Poor Mr. Johnson, I could see he wanted to know why I needed that much money, but he could tell I wasn't going to explain. He probably thought we'd had an emergency and needed cash right away.

Don't try and follow me, or get me back. I won't divorce you; I won't bring shame on the rest of the family in that way, but if you try to get me back I'd have no problem in proving that my husband neglected me and my well being."


Chris

Holiday Spirits

David wasn't sure what was going on, but Josh had been acting strange since he'd walked in the door. It wasn't anything that David could put his finger on, but definitely not normal. When David asked if anything was wrong all he got was a grin and "holiday spirits."

As they got ready for bed Josh asked, "Will you help me with this sweater, I think it's caught."

David turned and reached over, freeing it from the belt loop it had been caught on. As Josh pulled the sweater over his head, David gasped, then started laughing. "Wow, I know you like Christmas, but isn't painting Santa's head, three reindeer and a sleigh on your chest a bit much?"

"Do you like it?" Josh asked with a grin, glad the reaction was so positive. "I had Becky do it for me as soon as I got off work."

"Yes I like it, and your sister is more artistic than I thought. Good thing there is only four days until Christmas, I'm sure it will itch until it finally fades. Hopefully it will be gone by then."

"Um..."

"Um? Um what?"

"Well, this isn't the normal body paint that fades in a couple of days." With a smirk Josh quickly added, "This is edible body paint. Santa's hat is peppermint. And the reindeer are chocolate. Want to find out what the rest is?" He barely got the last word out as he was tackled and pushed onto the bed.

"I'm going to find out what everything is. And, you're going to love every second of it, if I have my way."

　

The Problem, part 1

Thanks to Sara for beta'ing for me. Thanks to Jodie and Mike for giving me the courage to post this.

I am only playing with the characters from Stargate SG-1, and am making no money by writing this, just having fun.

Author note: I read a story some time back about Daniel being changed into a child in order for him to save the Earth when he grew up. This was done by a race of people called The Furlings. The stories were, for the most part "Happy Daniel" stories, which made me wonder……What if Daniel was not happy?


Chapter 1

"O'Neill here," Jack said as he answered the phone.

"Jack, I'd like to have a word with you," General Hammond said.

"Yes, Sir. Right now?"

"Now would be good."

"Yes, Sir, be right there." Hanging up the phone, he hurried to General Hammond's office wondering what was up. He hoped that it wasn't another mission. He knew he needed to spend more time with Daniel, as he had been very busy lately with missions and
meetings, and another mission at this time would seriously hurt his relationship with Daniel.

He was about to knock at General Hammond's office when Hammond looked up and motioned for him to come in. Hammond picked up the phone and said, "Carol, hold all my calls till I'm done with Colonel O'Neill." Turning back to Jack he said, "Sit down Jack, we need to talk. Jack, I need to know, how are things going with you and Dr. Jackson?"

Surprised at the question Jack said "Normal, Sir. There are good days and bad days, but overall things are fine. Is there a problem, Sir?," he added quickly.

"Jack, I just got an email from Dr. Jackson. He is asking that you be removed as his guardian."

"What? I am totally shocked, Sir. I know we don't always agree, but I had no idea he was unhappy."

"Jack, sit down. It is more than just not being happy. He has a list of things that he felt have pushed him to ask for this."

Jack took a breath and asked, "What did I do? I really had no idea, Sir."

Hammond nodded and said, "I had a feeling this would come as a surprise. What it boils down to is that Dr. Jackson wants more control over his life."

"But Sir, he is only nine," Jack sputtered.

"His body is nine, Jack. He's thirty-nine, and that, I think, is the main problem."

"Can I see what he says the problems are, Sir?"

"Of course." He slid the request to Jack, who read aloud, "While Colonel O'Neill has been my guardian these last six months he has publicly humiliated me on more than one occasion. Colonel O'Neill has also struck me on many occasions. One time when I did not do what he wanted, he threatened to handcuff me. When I try to voice my opinions he tells me I am a child. I have no control over how or where my money is spent, the clothes I wear, or the food I eat. I have been able to even buy books, as I am told I don't need them. My artifacts have been put in storage; apparently he feels I will break them. I no longer have access to pictures of my wife or parents. I no longer am allowed to have tropical fish. I am told who I can and can't associate with, based upon who Colonel O'Neill likes and dislikes. Major Paul Davis was a good friend of mine, but I am no longer allowed to associate with him.

These are just a few of the things that have occurred. If you feel you need a more detailed list, I will provide it.

General Hammond, while I know I look like a child, I am not a child. I am sure that Colonel O'Neill's intentions are good; however, things have deteriorated to the point where I feel I can no longer tolerate the situation of him being my guardian. If necessary, I will ask for quarters on base to alleviate the security concerns of the SGC."

Jack paused a second, then shook his head. "Sir, I swear," his voice trailed off.

Hammond said, "Jack, I'm sure you have tried your best, but while Dr. Jackson may have blown some of these things out of proportion, you can see he feels he has no control of his life."

"I can see that is what he may be feeling, but Sir, I am not the monster that this makes me out to be. I would do anything for Daniel! I hate what the Furlings did to him. I have seen him cry over it more than once, and there's nothing I can do to help him! I feel as helpless as he does."

"Jack, he expects a response, and to tell you the truth, I don't know what to say to him. What if we go over the list, item by item, and you give me your version of what has happened? That way I can get your side of each problem and better make
my decision."

"No problem, Sir."

"Publicly humiliated him?"

"I probably have, without knowing it. I know it can sometimes be hard for me to think of him as an adult when he looks nine years old."

"Struck him?"

"Sir, I have never done more than swat his rear when he was out of control."

"Handcuff him?"

"Yes, Sir, I did threaten him with that; it was the time he bit me."

"Don't let him voice his opinions?"

"Sir, you know Daniel, he'll always voice his opinions. When he tells me I'm being cruel to him, or I won't let him do whatever he wishes, he says I don't care what he wants and that his opinion doesn't count."

"How his money is spent?"

"I have not touched a dime of his money, other than what I spend on his share of the food, his clothes, and giving him a weekly allowance. His check is automatically deposited in my account, and I draw on it only for those things. At the end of the month I transfer the rest to a trust account for when he officially turns 18. I had no idea he was concerned as to what was happening with his money."

"He probably isn't really concerned. He just knows he can't spend it as he wishes, like he used to."

"Yes, Sir."

"Choice of clothes?"

"Sir, he would have a closet full of nothing but plaid shirts and blue jeans!! His body is nine, and he needs warm clothes, shoes, and coats. I let him choose some things, but not everything. I've even let him have some plaid shirts."

"Food?"

"He can't live on chocolate and coffee, as much as he would love to! I actually let him have more coffee than Dr. Fraiser wants him to have, since I know how much he loves it. But, I make him eat real food, meat, vegetables, and fruits too. We go to one of his favorite restaurants every other week, unless I am away."

"I see," Hammond said with a smile. "Unable to buy books?"

"Yes, Sir, I admit I have told him he doesn't need them. There are so many books as it is, and they're stacked all over the house. I just did not realize he felt he needed more."

"Artifacts?"

"They're stored away. I was afraid he would break them. His hand eye coordination is still that of a child, plus we really don't have the space for them."

Hammond tapped his pen on the desk thoughtfully. "Do you need a bigger home?"

"Perhaps; especially if he buys more books and takes the artifacts out of storage."

"Pictures of Shauri and his parents?"

"I put those away as I didn't want more sad memories for him. I thought they would make things worse. I'll give them to him tonight."

"Fish?"

O'Neill shrugged. "They kept dying. I have no idea why. I didn't see the point in continually buying more."

"That you control who he can associate with?"

"Sir, the security clearance for him is so limited. As for friends that `look' the same age, there are very few military children around, and I would be afraid to let him go off with just any kid. I'm trying to protect him."

"Major Davis?"

"He is right, Sir. I have stopped his friendship with Major Davis, without good cause."

"You will take care of that?"

"Yes, Sir. First chance I get."

"The fact that although he looks like a child, but is an adult and wants to be treated like one?"

"Sir, I don't know to really explain that. He is not nine or thirty-nine; he swings between the two. Since his body is nine, there are times it seems to drive him to act nine, like when he doesn't eat or when he tires out and won't admit it. There was one time.... Jack's voice trailed off, his face turning red.

"Yes?" Hammond prompted.

"He was being a little hellion in the car. He was acting like a child having a fit of temper. I stopped the car and gave him one swat. He turned to me and said he wished I was publicly humiliated whenever I acted up or was out of line."

"Ouch."

"Very. I can see where he thinks I think of him only as a kid. But Sir, I do try to think of him and treat him as an adult."

"Okay, now comes the hard part. What do I tell Dr. Jackson? He says he is ready to live on base rather than continue living with you."

"Sir, let me go talk with him, and try to straighten things out. We know, and I think he knows, that he really can't live on base. Please?"

"Very well. I will give you 24 hours."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Dismissed."

As Jack walked to Daniel's office he was dreading what he knew would be a trying conversation for the both of them. He knocked at Daniel's door and said, "Daniel, do you have a few free minutes? We need to talk."

Daniel looked up from the report he was working on, nodded, and said "Just a minute, let me save this report. Okay, what do you want to discuss?"

Jack took a breath and said, "General Hammond called me in about the request he got from you. You don't want me to be your guardian anymore?"

"I don't want anyone to be my guardian!" Daniel said angrily.

"Daniel, I know you are an adult, but since you look like you are nine you can't be on your own. And," he said, before Daniel could interrupt, "Your actions swing between that of someone 39 and someone nine. Like when you had the measles; being that sick made you react like a child. When everything is going fine and you are well, eating and sleeping on a regular basis you act like you are 39. But right now we don't know from day to day how you will be."

"It's not my fault that my actions change; but Jack, I'm tired of being treated like I'm a child day in and day out."

"Look Daniel, I can see where some of the things I've done have caused you to be upset, and I'll change what I can. You can have your pictures and artifacts back. I only had them put in storage to help you; I didn't want them to bring back sad memories. And, as for who you can associate with, that will be up to you, as long as they have security clearance, such as Major Davis. You can see him as often as you want."

"What about the other things I brought up, such as living on base?"

"Truly? I don't see General Hammond letting you do that. He didn't ask my opinion on that, but he made it clear he felt there were things I should change. I really didn't mean to make you feel as though you had no say in your life, I was just trying to help you."

"Well," Daniel said in a softer tone, "I appreciate that. But I don't want any guardian Jack, not you, not anybody."

"I don't know what will happen about that. General Hammond didn't give me any clue what he was thinking about that request. Until then, why don't we try and work with the
changes I can make."

"Fine, but I'm not happy."

"I understand that."


TBC

Learning Curve, epilogue

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Sci Fi Channel, and Gekko Productions--I have just borrowed them. No infringement intended.

This is my revised ending for the episode "Learnng Curve" in Season Three of Stargate SG-1, and takes place immediately after Jack gave Merrin the crayons, and she and Sam left for the gate.

Part 1
General Hammond turned to Jack and said, "You've given me more than enough cause for a court martial. I will see you in my office in one hour."

"Yes, sir," Jack replied as General Hammond turned and began to walk off. He muttered to himself "Wonderful...I'm dead meat." He quickly glanced at his watch, and saw it was 4:48

An hour later Jack stood outside of the general's office. He straightened his shoulders, took a deep breath then knocked on the door. He knew he'd be in for a rough half hour.

"Come!" General Hammond said as he looked up at the knock.

As Jack walked in he saw a closed folder on the desk with his name on it. He quickly looked at General Hammond, but couldn't read anything from his expression. He stood at attention, saluted and said "Colonel O'Neill reporting as ordered, sir."

General Hammond nodded, but didn't get up from behind his desk. "Please close the door, Colonel," he said.

"It's going to be worse than I thought; he called me Colonel," Jack thought, as he closed the door.

"Colonel, do you understand what effect your actions could have had on our exchange of information with the Orbanian people?" General Hammond asked, obiviously trying to be patient.

Jack, feeling it best to say as little as possible, only said, "Yes, sir."

"Do you think that you have some special exemption from observing standard courtesy towards visiting dignitaries? Friendly dignitaries at that?"

"No, sir."

"Is insulting a man a good way to get a him to change his mind?"

"No, sir."

"I understand your concern for Merrin, and I share it, but it is not SG-1's or your place to interfere with how the Orbanians deal with their children--right or wrong. AND" he said before Jack can do more than open his mouth, "you are lucky that Kalan accepted my apology for your behavior."

"Yes, sir."

General Hammond got up, and in a sarcastic tone asked "Is there a memo I don't know about that says you do not have to wait to be dismissed before leaving a conference?"

Jack knew that tone of voice and hated hearing it. It told him, as much as the words, how upset with him General Hammond was. He winced slightly and simply said, "No, sir."

"Is there a special rule, just for you, that gives you leave to ignore military rules of conduct?"

"No, sir."

General Hammond emphatically asked, "Did you or did you not leave the base without permission while on duty?"

"Yes, sir. I did."

"And leave with a minor child who was not yours?"

"Yes, sir."

General Hammond began pacing the length of his office. After a moment he stated, "As I said earlier, you have given me more than cause for a court martial. Leaving the base without permission while on duty, ignoring basic rules of military conduct, jeopardizing our exchange of information with the people of Orbana and all but kidnapping Merrin." After pausing for a few seconds he added "I am not insensitive to your concerns but you were way out of line. You need to think of the example you set. How would you react if one of your men acted as you did? You're fortunate that only Dr. Jackson observed your behavior with Kalan; he won't speak of it to anyone else without my leave. I've made sure of that."

Jack nodded, but said nothing.

"Is there anything you wish to say?"

Jack, knowing that saying he was only trying to help Merrin, wouldn't be accepted as valid, said, "No, sir."

"Consider this a verbal reprimand," General Hammond said very sternly.

"Yes, sir," Jack replied as he turned red and stood up even straighter.

"You are confined to your on-base quarters for a week, except for meals and meetings. I will not assign a guard; you are on your honor."

"Thank you, sir."

"If a mission comes up for your team, you will lead it. The confinement would resume once the mission was over."

Jack looked relieved, but only said, "Yes, sir."

General Hammond nodded toward his desk and added "Unless something further comes up, no record of this will be sent to Washington. A note about this" he paused for a moment "interview will remain in your file for six months. If there have been no further problems at the end of that time, the note will be shredded."

"Thank you, sir."

"You are dismissed."

"Yes, sir." Jack saluted and left. Once he was out of sight of the office as well as any passing personnel, Jack leaned against a wall and let out a huge sigh. Part 2
Once in his room Jack dropped onto the couch and angrily muttered to himself "Wonderful!! Just Great!! Jack, you idiot, you couldn't have screwed up more if you tried. At least there's no guard. Thank God for that!" He stared blankly at the room, then put his head in hands and groaned.

A short time later there was a knock at the door. "Enter," Jack called out.

Daniel walked in with a concerned look on his face. After a quick glance at Jack`s face, he just said "Jack."

"Daniel."

Daniel gave him a slight smile, then said, "I see you're still alive."

"Barely," Jack grimaced.

"Lookit, I don't know all that happened between you and Hammond, but I can guess it wasn't pleasant."

"Ya think?" Jack paused a few seconds and when Daniel didn't say anything added, "Being chewed out by him is worse than facing unfriendlies! All I could do was stand there and say `Yes sir' and `No sir`. And, to make matters worse, I knew he was right, of course."

"Look, you know I won't say anything about what happened today and not just because Hammond said not to. You are too good an officer to have to deal with gossip from people who don't know what happened or need to know."

Jack gave a bark of laughter and said dryly, "Oh there will be gossip, believe me. With me not around as much as normal and being seen only at meetings and an occasional meal, rumors will fly. It won't take anyone long to figure out what happened."

"You not around?"

"Daniel, I'm confined to quarters for a week other than for meetings and meals, unless a mission comes up. Not an unheard of course of action, by the way."

"I don't suppose we can think up a rare illness....no, Doc Frasier would have to be in on that."

"I appreciate your concern Daniel. Really! But I'll survive. And to be honest, I'm getting off easier than I deserve. I was sure the repercussions would be alot worse; maybe even a court martial. Who knows, we could get a mission tomorrow and that would take care of the worst of my problems."

"Jack, that won't be the end of it. You and I will have a few things to discuss once you're allowed to go home."

Jack groaned at that, and shut his eyes tightly. That was something he really didn't want to think about.

Before Daniel could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. Jack sighed, looked at Daniel and asked, "Am I having a party I don`t know about?" Then, louder, he called out, "Enter!"

As Sam and Teal'c walked in, Sam cheerfully called out, "Hi, sir. Hi, Daniel." At the same time Teal'c said, "Greetings O'Neill and DanielJackson."

Jack and Daniel glanced at each other and said "Hi."

Sam looked from Jack to Daniel as though she had a question, but didn't know quite how to put it. It was oblivious she knew something was up but didn't want to ask directly. After a few seconds of silence she asked, "Anyone for steaks at O'Mallys tonight?"

"Not for me, but you kids go and have fun. I have some things to take care of," Jack replied.

After a moment, Teal'c said "Perhaps I will stay here after all."

"You should go...really." Jack stated.

Teal'c nodded and said, "As you wish, O'Neill."

"I'm in; lets go," Daniel said. As he glanced at his watch he added "I'll meet you there in thirty minutes. But Sam, I'm not playing pool against you!"

As the three of them left the room, Jack sighed with relief. Part 3
After they'd been seated at the restaurant, Sam looked at Daniel and said bluntly "Spill!"

Daniel looked at her over the top of his menu and said, "I can't; really. I've given my word."

"If your word has been given DanielJackson, then nothing further may be said," Teal'c added in a serious tone of voice.

"Sam, talk to Jack if you want to know what`s happened." Daniel told her.

Sam looked resigned, then finally picked up her menu and said, "Wonderful. Okay, what should we have?"

Back in his quarters Jack was at his desk trying to write a letter. The clock showed it was already 6:48. Scattered around the room were a few wadded-up balls of paper near the wastebasket, a silent witness to his lack of success. Finally he was satisfied with what he had written, and signed Colonel Jack O'Neill across the bottom of the page.

"Done at last," he said, then folded the page in thirds and put it in an envelope. On the front of the envelope was written General Hammond.

The next morning Jack was at the cafeteria having breakfast when Sam walked by with a cup of coffee. "Can I join you, sir?" Sam asked.

"Sure," Jack said as he looked up with a slight smile. He knew what was on her mind, and he was not going to tell her, even if she asked.

As she sat down Sam said, "General Hammond wants us for a follow up meeting about our trip to PX-13898 in 20 minutes. He called your rooms, but you'd already left."

"Thanks for letting me know. Would hate to be late for that meeting."

"Sir, look, do you…"

"No, Carter." Jack said firmly.

"Yes, sir," Sam said in a resigned tone of voice.

Fifteen minutes later Jack was outside General Hammond's office, knocking on the open door.

General Hammond looked up, nodded, and said. "Come."

"Sir, I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate…" Jack stopped, took an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to General Hammond. "Here."

General Hammond opened and read the letter which said:

Sir, 

I would like to express my deep regret for causing you problems with the representative from Obieron. I let my emotions control my actions. I apologize. If you wish, I'll apologize personally or in writing to Kalan . 

I also want to thank you for the leniency you showed in dealing with this situation. I wouldn't have been surprised to hear that I faced anything from public rebuke to a court martial. I truly appreciate the second chance you are giving me. You will not be disappointed. 

Sincerely, 

Colonel Jack O'Neill

General Hammond cleared his throat. "Thank you Colonel."

"General."

"This was not necessary, you know."

"Excuse me, sir, but yes it was."

After a moment, General Hammond said, "There is no need for you to apologize to Kalan. I have dealt with that." He glanced at his watch and added, "We have a meeting in a few minutes. I will see you then. Dismissed."

"Yes, sir." Part 4
A few minutes later, everyone was at the conference table waiting for the meeting to begin. As General Hammond walked in, Jack, Sam, and Teal'c started to stand but General Hammond said, "As you were. Let's get started." He looked at Daniel and aske, "Dr. Jackson, have you finished translating the tablets you brought back last week from PX-13898?"

"Mostly. They appear to be records about harvests. Nothing else so far." He pushed his glasses back further on his nose and added, "Perhaps different types of records were stored in other locations."

General Hammond turned to Sam and asked, "Captain Carter, have you found anything further?"

Sam shook her head. "No, sir. There's nothing so far that shows any major scientific or technological advances. The people from PX-13898 seem to have been agricultural prior to their extinction. Anything could have wiped them out. There's no indication as to when they got the Stargate or if it was ever used."

General Hammond looked at Teal`c. "Teal'c?"

"I have found no indication of a Goa'uld presence, General."

"I see. Colonel?"

"Nothing new has come to my attention about the planet, sir."

"Dr Jackson, how long until you have translated all the records you have?

Daniel frowned slightly. "Perhaps one more day, two at the most."

"I see. Colonel, keep me advised if anything new comes up."

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed."

Back in his room Jack wandered around straightening a few things unnecessarily. His room, as always, was neat. He glanced at his watch and saw it was only 9:43 am. "Wonderful," he said. "A week of this and I'll go crazy."

He walked to his desk and began to sort through some paperwork. The next time he looked at his watch it showed 11:56. "Might as well take a break for lunch," he thought.

In the cafeteria Daniel, Sam, and Teal'c were already seated and eating. Jack grabbed a sandwich and coffee and joined them, saying, "Hey, what's new?"

Sam looked at him and said, "Sir, we were talking, and we would like to return to PX-13898, to do a more detailed investigation of the planet."

Jack looked up in mid bite. "Why?"

Daniel said, "Well, we only explored a small portion of the planet. I hope that with more time, say at least three days, we can check out other regions. Perhaps I would find more records about their civilization."

"And I want to see if I can find any evidence of scientific advances in their society," Sam added.

Jack stared at them for a moment, then shook his head.

"I could use more time to check for signs of prior Goa'uld presence," Teal'c said.

"Come on, guys. There's no way this will fly," Jack said.

"Jack, this is OUR idea, not yours," Daniel replied.

"Uh huh," Jack said in a disbelieving tone.

"Sir, I plan to ask General Hammond for permission for us to do this, unless you order me not to," Sam said firmly.

"And what will you do when he asks you what I said?"

"I'll tell him the truth, sir. That Daniel, Teal'c and I discussed it and thought it was a good idea. And that when we approached you about it, you were not in favor of it."

"He won't buy that."

"Sir, yes he will. He knows I wouldn't lie to him."

Jack just looked at her, got up and started to walk off. He turned and said, "Daniel, could I see you for a few minutes? Say, in half an hour?"

"Sure."

After Jack left, Daniel turned to Sam and said, "Don't talk General Hammond until I've talked to Jack, okay?"

"Okay. There's no rush."

As soon as Daniel knocked on Jack's door he heard Jack call out, "Enter!"

As he walked in, Daniel wondered what Jack wanted him to do. "Hey Jack, what did you need?" he asked.

Jack stared at him for a few seconds, then said, almost angrily, "I thought you weren't going to say anything about what happened with Hammond and me yesterday?"

"I didn't say a word. Last night at dinner when they asked, I told them I couldn't say anything as I'd given my word. I told them if they wanted information they'd have to ask you."

"Then how?"

"Jack, they're military. Like you said, it wouldn't take a genius to figure out what happened. Even I would have caught on, for heavens sake. You're a highly visible officer, and all of a sudden you're on base but not seen? And you aren't in the infirmary!!"

"Sorry about that Daniel. I was out of line."

"Yes, you were, but I understand. I told Sam not to talk to Hammond until after I talked to you. Do you want me to tell her you said she's not to go to Hammond? "

Jack gave him a wry grin "Nope, don't do that. I would rather face him than her!"

Daniel laughed "Okay! I'll just tell her we had a few things to discuss, but that you didn't give me any messages for her."

"Fine with me. Hope General Hammond goes easy on her."Part 5
When Sam walked by General Hammond's office the next morning, she saw that he was alone, so she knocked on the open office door.He looked up and said, "Come in, Captain. How can I help you?"

"Sir, I'd like to request permission for us to return to PX-13898. We'd like to take a few days to really explore the rest of the planet."

"Why?"

"Sir, Daniel, Teal'c and I were talking after yesterday's meeting and thought it would be a good idea to return. Daniel could look for more records and I could try to find any indication of scientific progress."

"And whose idea was this, Captain?"

"Ours…Daniel, Teal'c and mine, sir."

"I see. Did you run this....idea by Colonel O'Neill?"

"Yes, sir, at lunch yesterday. He wasn't in favor of it."

General Hammond stared at her very hard for a moment, then asked "Did he give you a reason?"

"No, sir."

"Captain, sit down." As she did so he said, "I want some straight answers to what I am about to ask you. This will go no further than these four walls."

"Yes, sir."

"Why do you really want to go back to PX-13898?"

Sam looked at her hands for a few seconds, then said, "Sir, no one told us what happened between you and Colonel O'Neill, but for the last two days the only time anyone sees him is at meals or if there is a meetings. Dinner invitations are turned down. 'Confined to quarters' is not unheard of on a military base, sir. He never said a word to me; you've got to believe me, sir."

"I do. Go on."

"Well, we really do want to go back to PX-13898 and do further work. This would be as good a time as any, sir."

"Do you think that would erase his punishment?"

"No, sir. Not at all. It just would ease the talk about the Colonel--and there's a lot of talk right now."

"Captain, Colonel O'Neill will survive the talk and he'll also survive being confined to his quarters. I understand your concern, but unless he feels that there's a need to return to PX-13898 at this time, it can wait."

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, and Captain?"

"Yes, sir?"

"This conversation, other than me telling you that there is no need to return to the planet at this time, has never taken place."

"Yes, sir. Umm, sir?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"How much may I tell Daniel and Teal'c? They knew I was going to talk to you today."

"Tell them I turned down the request."

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed."

"Yes, sir."


The End

Just Trying To Help

O/C  David and Josh


"Josh, cut it out," David said.

"I'm just trying to help," Josh answered back with grin.

"No you're not. You know perfectly well only one of us can fit in this tub. All you'll accomplish by trying to squeeze in to 'help me wash my back' is you ending up with a sore butt five minutes after I get out.   And," David added with a grin of his own, "I know what you're after is entirely somethings else!"

The End

Truth and Consequences

A/N:  This is a family discipline story I wrote about 18 years ago.
Implement used: Belt


Many thanks to Jodie for taking the time to Beta this for me :)


John Dryer hurried to the door wondering who in the world would be knocking at 10:45 on a Friday night. "Officer Woods, how can I help you?" he asked when he saw who was there.


"I've got your boy Tom in back of my car, Mr. Dryer.   He and Bill Wallace were pulled off the road about two miles back. Both were out like a light."

"Are they hurt? Was there an accident?"

"Nope, no accident. Looks like they'd been drinking, and pulled over. Both of them seem okay."

"Thanks for bringing Tom home. Let me help you with getting him up these steps."

"It wasn't a problem bringing him here. Better than a call from the station."


The next morning at 9:30, John knocked at Tom's bedroom door.


"Come in," Tom called out softly.


"How are you feeling?" John asked as he looked down at his son, who was still in bed.

"Okay, I guess. My head hurts though."

"I'm not surprised. I want to see you in my office by 10:15."


Tom glanced at the bedside clock. "Yes, sir. I'll be there."

At 10:12 Tom knocked on the office door.


"Come in," John called out.

"You wanted to see me?" Tom asked as he walked in.


"Do you remember how you got home last night?" John asked.


"Not really. I vaguely remember Officer Woods helping me up the steps and you telling me to go to bed, but that's about it."

"I believe you told me that you and Carole were going to a show. Officer Woods said he found you and Bill in a car on the side of the road. What's going on?"

"I'd better tell you the whole truth."

"I should think so!"

"About a month ago Bill and Susan, and Carol and I were going to double to the show. When Bill picked me up, he told me Susan's family had unexpected company so she couldn't come. When we got to Carole's house she said she didn't feel very good. She'd been sick most of the day, so she thought she'd better stay home. We decided we'd all go out the next night. Bill and I drove around a bit and ended up at a club where Bill knows the owner. We had a couple of beers and then came home. We've been doing that for the last three Friday nights."

"I see. You've been lying to us, saying you were going out on a date."


"Yes, sir."



"Were you drunk each time?"


"No, last night was the first time we got drunk; I promise."



John sighed then said, "Go to your room and don't come down until you are called."



"Yes, sir."

About half an hour later John knocked on Tom's door.


"Come in," Tom called out. He jumped up when he saw it was his father.

"Tom, you mother and I discussed what been going on." He stopped and stared hard at his son.



"And?"

"After lunch is finished today, you will apologize to the family."

Tom turned red, nodded and said, "Yes, sir."

"You will find out then what your punishment will be. You can come down for lunch five minutes early. Until then you are to stay in your room."


"Yes, sir. Dad?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry. Really!"

"I know, but that doesn't change what you did, does it?"

"No."


At lunch John kept an eye on Tom, noting that he barely ate anything. He knew Tom was nervous about what would happen. He saw their other children, ten-year old Sam and eight-year old Christy, were done eating, just talking about a movie they wanted to see. After glancing at his wife, Janet, and getting a nod, he cleared his throat and said, "Tom has something he wants to say."

Tom looked down at his plate, took a breath, looked up and said, "I want to apologize for my actions these last few weeks. I've told you Carole and I were going out each Friday, but really Bill and I were out drinking at a club."


"Tom!" Sam gasped out.



"I'm really, really sorry. Please forgive me!"

John looked around the table as everyone nodded. "Apology accepted. You are grounded until further notice. No activities other than school. No TV. You are not to use the truck other than for school, unless Mother or I give you an errand to do."

"Yes, sir."

"Sam, Christy, you are excused."

"Yes, Dad!" they chorused. They both glanced at their older brother, but didn't say anything as they left the table.


"Tom, I want you to apologize to Office Woods this afternoon. When you get back, we will discuss the rest of your punishment."


"Yes, sir." After a moment Toms asked, "May I be excused?"


"Of course."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tom parked the truck outside the Sheriff's office and took a deep breath. It was bad enough having to apologize to his family, but having to do so to Officer Woods would be even more embarrassing. He hurried up the steps and into the office, hoping for the best. He saw Office Woods at his desk and walked over hesitantly. "Officer Woods, may I have a minute?" he asked.


"Of course, Tom." Officer Woods said as he looked up.

"I'd like to apologize for last night. I'm sorry you had to take me home. Please be assured it won't happen again."



"Apology accepted."

"Thanks."

"How are your parents dealing with this?"

"Dad is pretty upset with me. I'm grounded and I'm sure he'll have more to say when I get back. Mom hasn't said anything yet, but I can tell she's not happy with me either."


"Well, good luck."

"Thanks, I'll need it," Tom said with a small grin.



Pulling into the yard at home, Tom saw his mother coming out of the back door. He parked the truck and went to her. "Hi," he said, giving her a hug.

"Did you see Officer Woods?"


"Yeah, that's all taken care of."



"Good. You'd better go and see your father."

"Do you know where Dad is?"



"I saw him go into the office a few minutes ago. He's probably still there." She gave him a little hug. "It will be okay, you know."



"I know. Thanks, Mom. Love ya!"


Tom knocked lightly on the open office door.

John looked up from his conversation on the phone, and motioned for him to come in. "Okay, can you have that delivered to the farm by Tuesday? Fine, that will work out great. Talk to you next week, I expect." He turned, looked at Tom and said, "Shut the door, please."


Tom did so and looked down at the floor, not knowing what to say.


"Sit down. I have some questions for you and I want honest answers."

"Yes, sir."



"Whose idea was it to go to the club in the first place?"



"No ones. We were just driving around talking and ended up in that area. Really!"

"I see. And the next three times?"


"Both of our ideas. We knew what we were doing."


"Is there anything else you've been doing that your mother and I need to know about?"



"No, sir."


"Is seventeen the legal drinking age?"

"No, sir."

"Do you need a lecture on underage drinking?


"No, sir."



"Very well. What is the punishment for lying?"

Tom went pale but said, "Five swats with the belt."

John nodded. "Yes. You will get fifteen. You will also be doing extra chores."


"Yes, sir."

"Your mother and I decided you will be grounded for six weeks; two weeks for each time you went out drinking."



"Yes, sir." After a few seconds, Tom reached into his pocket and took out his truck keys. "Here are my keys," he said and laid them on the desk.

John smiled at him. "Thanks, son, but you can keep them. We know we can trust you."



Tom blushed. "Thanks," he mumbled.



"You'd best get your chores done before supper. I know the cows need water and the barn hasn't been cleaned up since yesterday morning."


"Yes, sir. Ummm, Dad?"


"Yes?"



"When will I get my whipping?"



"After supper tonight."

"Thanks. I really am sorry. It won't happen again."


"I know."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


As Tom began to straighten things up in the barn, Christy walked in. "Tom!"

"Yeah, Christy, what do you need?" he asked with a smile.



"Are you okay?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course I'm okay. Why?"


"You got in trouble today with Mom and Dad. And you're still doing chores."



"Sweetie, it's okay. I had something to take care of in town. These are my regular chores, I'm just late getting them done." 'No way,' he thought, 'am I going to tell her what else is going to happen. She's way too young.'



Christy stood right in front of Tom and frowned up at him. "Can I ask you something?"



"Sure."

"Is Dad going to spank you?"

'Great!' he thought. 'I so did not want to have to explain this to her. Oh well, better tell the truth.' "Yes."



"That's not fair! You said you were sorry and you're grounded."



Tom smiled at her and gave her a hug. "Sweetie, it is too fair. Yes, I said I was sorry, but sometimes that's not enough. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I did it anyway. It's not like I did something without thinking. When you do something you already know is wrong, you have to face the consequences. Dad is being fair. Understand?"


"Yes, I think so. But I don't want you to be hurt."


"Honey, it will be okay; trust me. He's not going to kill me."

Just then they heard John calling from outside the barn. "Christy, time to come in. Mother wants you."


"See you at supper, Sis."


"Okay," Christy said and ran out the barn.

A few minutes later, John walked into the barn and said, "You did a good job explaining." Seeing Tom's startled expression, he added with a smile, "You forget how easy voices carry."


"Oh. Thanks."

"You about done here?"



"Not really. I got the cows taken care of, but still have to finish here. Talking to Christy got me behind. I can finish after supper, if that's okay."

"Fine. Supper will be ready in about ten minutes. You better clean up."


"Okay. I'll be right in."

After supper was over Tom went back to the barn to finish straightening up. He'd finished everything except hanging up the milking machines when John walked in.


"You can leave that till tomorrow," John said. "We have some unfinished business."


"Yes, sir."

"Why are you getting this whipping?"


"I lied to you and Mom about where I was and what I was doing these last three weeks, and lying is never acceptable."

"Yes."

"I know I deserve what I'm getting."

"Okay, let's get this over with." John pulled out a wooden chair from against the wall and sat down. "Give me your belt," he said.


Tom went pale but gave him the belt, saying nothing.


"Drop your jeans and shorts and come here." As Tom lay across his lap, John began slapping him with the belt while saying, "We will not be lied to. You will not even consider going out drinking until you are twenty-one."

 "Yes, sir," Tom choked out. By the time the spanking ended, Tom had tears running down his cheeks.

John gently pulled him up in his arms and hugged him. "I love you. Your Mom loves you. We don't want anything bad to ever happen to you."


"I know. I am so sorry."



"We know." After a few minutes of holding him, John asked, "Are you alright?"


"Yes."

"Okay, then get dressed. Let Mom know I haven't killed you, then up to your room."

Tom nodded and straightened his clothes. He turned to his father, hugged him hard and walked out of the barn.






The End.