Introductions, The Final Chapter

by

Angelise


+++++++


“If you do not cease your movements,” Teal'c warned, “I will have no choice but to call for Gibbs.”

Jack grimaced slightly when his hand was caught in a vice and forcibly returned to his side. The pain didn’t deter him for one second. He reached up again and promptly wished he hadn’t. Going to the hospital to have broken fingers set was definitely not on his list of things to do.

“Lighten up, will ya?” he groused.

Teal'c did no such thing. In fact, he tightened his grip on Jack’s hand even more. “Do I need to remind you of the Earth customs associated with this day? One in particular refers to the bestowing of bad luck. I do not wish to confer such hardship upon you, but I will if you do not remain motionless.”

Jack continued to nervously fidget even after being cautioned by a menacing growl.

“O'Neill!”

Teal'c’s tone of voice indicated a high level of frustration, but Jack ignored it. His mind was busy with other matters, such as getting through the day without looking like some jealous old coot.

“O'Neill. You are behaving as if you have never done this before, and I know that is not the case.” Moving to the door that led to the hallway, Teal’c calmly stated, “I will offer you my assistance one last time. If you refuse, I will not be held responsible for any misfortune that may befall you and your mate.”

“For Christ’s sake, Teal'c. Get your ass back over here and help me with this fucking noose.” Closing his eyes, Jack mentally commanded himself to calm down. Teal'c was right. It’s not like he hadn’t done the wedding thing before. Of course, his one and only walk down the aisle had been with a woman and not with three men. There was a slight if not *considerable* difference, and that, along with his existing ‘Jethro’ issues was more than enough to keep his nerves on edge.

He looked across the room at his current roommate. It had been Tony’s brilliant or not so brilliant idea to pair off as couples before the wedding. And no, they couldn’t pair off with their chosen mate. Where would the fun be in that? To make things even worse, Tony’d insisted they spend the night and the following day with their wedding cohort. Naturally, *he* volunteered to go with Jethro, leaving one somewhat disgruntled Jaffa and one arthritic retiree sulking on the couch.

Jack snorted.

Like he wasn’t as grumpy if not grumpier than Teal'c. It had hurt like hell when Jethro eagerly followed after Tony upon their arrival at Hammond’s home last evening. Jack had planned to take his future husband on a romantic moonlit stroll after supper but had ended up playing poker with Hammond and Teal'c for the majority of the night. Thoughts of what Tony and Jethro could be and, no doubt, were doing not only put him in a rotten mood but distracted him in such a way that had him thankful they’d been playing for toothpicks instead of money. With his focus firmly fixated on the duo upstairs, he would have ended up owing Hammond the shirt off his back, not to mention, his slacks, underwear, socks and shoes.

Speaking of shirts---

Jack pulled at his shirt’s starched collar with one hand while using the other to tug on the constricting cummerbund circling his waist. Why he’d chosen to wear a monkey suit was still up for debate, but he was pretty sure it was all Jethro’s fault. If his man hadn’t drooled so much over the photos of him playing best man for one of his friends, he’d be wearing his dress blues and feeling much more relaxed.

Jack grimaced. Well, as relaxed as relaxed could be considering he was about to tie the knot three times over.

He glanced at his comfortably attired companion and again swore he’d choke to death first before confessing how much he hated his tux. His dark-skinned, soon-to-be husband would never in a million years let him live down the fact that he’d refused to wear one of the ultra soft, super comfy robes brought through the gate by Bra’tac.

Another grimace made an appearance on his face. To be honest, the damn thing made him look like Obi Wan Kenobi from Star Wars -- the old guy, not the young one. And since he was already competing with Tony for Jethro’s affection, wearing something that drew attention to his advanced age was not the way to go.

Jack took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This day was getting worse by the minute.

Turning his attention to Teal'c, he begrudgingly mumbled his request. “Would you please help me with this tie?”

“I shall assist you as requested,” Teal'c answered. Turning around, he stared at Jack and . . . smirked.

Jack flipped him the bird before again wrestling with the uncooperative ends of the tie hanging from his neck. “Tell me again why we’re doing this.”

Large hands circled his throat then shifted so that they could grasp his shoulders. Jack dropped his arms and leaned against the solid wall of muscles behind him. He’d go to his grave before confessing how much he enjoyed having a lover who was larger than himself.

Realizing his companion had spoken to him during his moment of distraction, he asked, “Huh? What did you say?”

Teal'c eased him around and repeated, “We are doing this because you proposed an official union between the four of us.”

Jack closed his eyes when Teal'c tilted his head back and kissed him lightly on the lips.

“We are doing this,” the Jaffa warrior continued, “because you love your mate and wish to reassure him of his place in Tony’s life. You are a generous man, Jack O'Neill. Not many would be willing to make such a sacrifice.”

Jack moved into the embrace offered to him. “Are we making a mistake?” Resting his head on Teal'c’s broad shoulders, he posed another question, “Is Jethro marrying Tony gonna come back and bite us in the butt like that Maybourne thing?”

Pulling away abruptly, he walked over to the nearest window in the master bedroom and glanced outside. He could see Hammond, along with Bra’tac and Jacob Carter, gathered around the limo that would take the four of them to the hotel they’d chosen to spend their first night at as a married foursome. Great, all the fathers were present and accounted for. Now, if only Daniel were here, it would be---

Jack shook his head. Why was he thinking of Daniel? It certainly wasn’t the place nor the time for painful memories such as that.

Looking past the three men, he caught sight of the group from Jethro’s neck of the woods. Ducky was leading the way with that Goth chick holding tight to his arm.

Jack frowned. He still hadn’t figured out the connection between Abby and his lover. Had Abby taken the place of the daughter Jethro had lost, or was it something else? Not that it mattered. The girl simply adored Jethro, not to mention Tony. So much so that she hadn’t minced words when expressing her opinion why the two NCIS agents should be in an exclusive relationship with each other instead of with him and Teal'c. Her uncalled-for declaration had only added fuel to his own growing insecurity.

Glancing over his shoulder, he briefly made eye contact with Teal'c.

“As you know, in the beginning,” he admitted, “it was all about sex, all about fucking with me and Jethro. Add to that the challenge of forcing him to admit he was gay, and . . . .” He allowed a small grin to slip free. “Jethro’s one stubborn bastard. It took a lot of convincing, if you get my drift.”

“I concur,” Teal'c agreed. “Gibbs is a tenacious man.”

“Yeah, well,” Jack continued, “then there was you and Tony. I finally get Jethro in my bed and you two show up. Not that it was a bad thing,” he rushed out, hoping to halt the formidable frown forming on Teal'c’s face. “Hell, no. Not only did it mean more asses for me to fuck, but it also meant I got to watch Jethro being nailed to the mattress by someone other than myself. A show worth the price of admission, believe you me.”

He looked down at the floor and again admitted, “Yep, in the beginning it was all about sex and sex and more sex.”

“What changed?”

“Everything.” Keeping his eyes glued to the carpet, Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “All of a sudden our weekends together weren’t just about feeding the beast. Suddenly, and I know this sounds Hallmark card corny, but suddenly, it was about feeding the heart, my heart specifically. Jethro was more than just a great fuck; he was a possibility. Ya know, someone to share my life with? I started thinking beyond what our plans were for the ‘next’ weekend. I started thinking about . . . hell, I started thinking about forever.”

He finally risked a glance at his friend. “Now I’m pretty certain Jethro wants the same thing. I’m just not sure he wants it with only me, myself and I. Tony’s become a major part of the equation. You know it, and I know it. And Jethro’s recent behavior proves it. He loves the boy.”

Jack braced his hands against the window frame and glanced back outside. There was no one to be seen now. Everyone had moved inside and were, no doubt, waiting for them to come downstairs. It was now or never. He straightened his shoulders.

“So, Big Guy, I’m asking again. Are we making a mistake? Are we risking our hearts by allowing these two to marry each other?”

One look at Teal'c’s face and Jack could tell his friend was carefully considering his reply. He waited as patiently as he could.

“Yes,” Teal'c began a moment later, “Gibbs is in love with my mate. I agree with your assessment of the situation. There is a very strong bond between those two men. But as strong as that bond may be, it is secondary to the bond you share with Gibbs and to the one I share with Tony. Tony is my mate. He has sworn his heart to me. Gibbs has done the same with you, O'Neill. You must trust him.”

“But what if you’re wrong,” Jack argued. “What if *their* bond is stronger? I don’t know about you but losing Jethro would hurt as bad if not worse than when I lost my son.” Hanging his head, he clenched his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. “Don’t know if I could handle going through that kind of pain again.”

“You will not have to do so, my future mate,” was whispered in his ear.

Jack watched in amazement as Teal'c knelt on one knee before him. The Jaffa then claimed one of his hands and held it to his chest.

“I will not abandon you,” Teal'c promised. “Furthermore, I do not believe Jethro will abandon you. He is an honorable man. He has repeatedly demonstrated his affection for you, and today will publicly declare his commitment.” Teal’c solemnly nodded his head. “Tony and I will also declare our commitment to you this day.” Rising to his feet, he again pulled Jack into a tight embrace. “You are loved, Jack O'Neill. Do not fear the future. You will face it with all three of us at your side.”

Embarrassed by his lack of confidence but unwilling to abandon the security of not only Teal'c’s embrace but also his promises, Jack buried his face in the soft material covering his friend’s muscular chest. Teal'c was right. He had to trust in Jethro’s love.

“How did you get so wise?” he asked a moment later.

“You may thank Master Bra’tac for my wisdom,” Teal'c acknowledged with a slight nod.

Jack slipped his hands inside the robe’s neckline and explored every inch of skin he could reach. “I’d rather thank you.” Several minutes passed as he expressed his appreciation using his body instead of words. Teal'c graciously accepted his gratitude by marking the side of his neck with a sizeable love bite.

“Yeah, again. Harder,” Jack murmured. Moving closer, he rubbed up against Teal'c’s lower torso. “What the hell?” He immediately halted his movements and frowned when he detected the blatant absence of something. “Please tell me you’re wearing underwear,” he growled.

Teal'c grabbed him by the ass and pressed their groins together.

Jack groaned. “Geese Louise, Teal'c. Don’t I have enough to worry about without this?”

“At least I have not . . . .” Teal'c lowered his head and whispered in Jack’s ear.

Jack stared back as if the man had grown a second head. “What! No way. Tell me you’re joking.”

Teal'c raised an eyebrow, daring him to doubt his word.

“A tattoo?” he asked incredulously.

“To commemorate our union,” Teal'c clarified.

“A tattoo of us? Our faces? On his ass?” Taking a step back, Jack glared at his friend. “I swear if anybody but the three of us get a gander at that thing, I’m gonna . . . .”

Wisely ignoring the sly grin on Teal'c’s face, he deftly maneuvered his tie into the proper configuration. Once finished, he grabbed for the rings he needed to hand off to Sam and headed for the door. “Comedians. I’m marrying a bunch of fucking comedians.”

Looking over his shoulder, he sarcastically asked, “Am I a lucky bastard or what?”


+++++++


“You know why Jack proposed, right?”

Tony exited the guest bathroom and walked over to the window Jethro was standing in front of. It was the same one he’d cracked open earlier during the day, and now he was sorry he’d done so. Frigid air was pouring in, pouring in and sneaking right up under his robe.

“Close that window, will ya?” he forced past his chattering teeth.

Tony shook his arms and legs then stomped his bare feet. Freezing his dick off was not part of the plan when he’d agreed with Teal'c’s suggestion to attend their marriage wearing nothing but a robe and a smile.

Correction. A robe, a smile *and* one super-fine tattoo featuring the faces of his three lovers. Tony chuckled. Jack would have a stroke if he knew about the tattoo. Have a stroke, and then probably shoot him on sight. The guy was such an old fart, sometimes.

Noting the window was still open, he slammed it shut. “Jethro?” He glanced at his silent companion. “You know I love you, right? And that me moving here to Colorado won’t change that one iota.”

Tony turned away from the window and went to check his appearance in the mirror. “Jack seems to think you don’t know that, and that us, meaning you and me, marrying each other will prove my love to you. If you ask me, I think he’s nuts. I know I love you. I know I love him, and I *definitely* know I love Teal'c. The same is true for you guys loving me. Why Jack needs proof is beyond me.”

Brushing an errant strand of hair back in place, Tony grinned at his reflection. “Not that I’m complaining. Did you get a look at the load of presents we got? Not to mention the wedding cake?” He rubbed his stomach. “Can’t wait for Teal'c to shove a piece of that sugary delight in my mouth.”

Tony swatted at a speck of dirt on his robe and groaned when his hand brushed against the DiNozzo family jewels. “Actually, I can’t wait for Teal'c to shove something a whole lot more substantial in my . . . Jethro?”

His former boss’ swift and unexpected opening of the bedroom door created another breeze that unerringly found its way inside his robe. It was not a pleasant feeling in any way, shape or form.

“Maybe I should rethink this ‘no underwear’ thing.” He headed toward the bed where his overnight bag was stashed. “How ‘bout a thong? It is the dead of winter, you know, and the boys need to be at their best if they’re expected to perform later tonight.” With a pat to his crotch, he dug out a dark purple-colored scrap of material. “Yep, better safe than sorry is what my grand-daddy used to say.” Pulling on the miniscule underwear, he moaned in appreciation. There was nothing like silk, especially when it was wrapped around his boys.

“Do I look good or what?” Taking a moment to examine his physique in front of the mirror, Tony lifted the robe all the way to his chin. He critiqued his thin frame, his manly package and . . . twisting around, he checked out the new tattoo. “Okay, I could do with a few more pounds but who’s complaining. Not Teal'c. He loves my skinny ass. Loves nailing it and rimming it and . . . .”

Tony was still working on his list as he made his way downstairs. In his excitement to locate his ass-loving mate he completely forgot the somewhat translucent property of the robe he was wearing. He would not, however, forget the shocked expressions on the faces of his friends when he greeted them in the sun-drenched room reserved for the marriage ceremony.


+++++++


“Here,” Jack instructed, “just put them on your fingers in order of our ages. Teal'c first, then me, then Jethro and then Tony.”

He was in the process of slipping the four wedding bands on Sam’s fingers when Jethro entered the study. His man had elected to wear his dress uniform, and damn if he didn’t look good. Hell, Jethro looked better than good, and Jack could only hope that Tony would be way too fixated on Teal'c to notice. It was going to be hard enough watching Tony put a wedding band on Jethro’s finger. He didn’t know if he could handle watching the younger man put the moves on his lover. Not today. Not on their wedding day.

He smiled in Jethro’s direction. “Hey, according to the Big Guy, you shouldn’t be in here. It’s bad luck for you to see me, remember?”

Jethro nodded at Samantha Carter. “Yeah? Well, according to Tony, the only reason you proposed marriage is because you think I’m gonna go off the deep end now that he’s living here on a permanent basis. Who’s right? Tony or Teal'c?”

Jack made like a statue.

“Uh, fellas?” Sam collected the rings and slowly backed away. “I’ll meet you downstairs, okay?”

Neither Jack nor Jethro paid any attention to her hasty retreat.

“Who said anything about you going off the deep end?” Shaking loose the sudden tenseness in his shoulders, Jack reached for his chokehold of a tie then stopped when the image of an unhappy Teal'c popped into his head. “Don’t listen to Tony. That run-in with the plague still has his gray matter scrambled.”

Carefully, one step at a time, he inched away from his lover. He was almost to the door when a hand appeared out of nowhere and slammed it shut.

“Jack, do you really think I love Tony more than you?” Jethro gripped him by the arm and spun him around so that they stood face to face. “I’m listening, Fly Boy. Spill it.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Of course, I think you love Tony more than me.” Jethro’s stunned expression alerted him to the unconscious error of his words. “I mean, don’t! Of course I *don’t* think you love Tony more than me. That’s absolutely asinine. Why would you even think I would think such a thought?”

For a moment he considered what he’d just said, then shook his head. “You know what I mean.” Pulling his arm free, he walked toward the large desk that dominated the room and drummed his fingers against its hard surface “I know you love me. Just like I know you love Tony and Teal'c. This marriage thing is for all of us.”

“Look at me, Jack.”

He tried, he really tried to ignore the quietly spoken request, but it was useless. He was a sucker for men in uniform, and the best damn looking Marine in the entire universe was standing less than a foot away. Of course he turned around and looked.

Jethro took hold of his left hand, lifted it to his mouth and kissed its palm. “I’m not gonna lie to you, Jack. I love Tony and will miss him like hell. He’s in here,” his lover explained, pointing to his heart. “But, and I need you to hear this, Tony only occupies a small corner of my heart. Teal'c’s got a spot, too, but the majority . . . .”

Jethro let go of his hand and slid his arms around his waist, pulling Jack as close as possible. “The other 99.99% belongs to you. And if that’s not enough, then consider this.”

Jack shuddered when Jethro nudged the super-sensitive spot beneath his left ear. “Nobody,” his man whispered, “nobody but Jack O'Neill has complete and utter possession of my soul.”

The words went straight to his heart, healing the wound that had re-opened the day Jethro confessed to Tony how hurt he’d been by Jack’s deception. The wound had festered over time, slowly eroding his confidence in Jethro’s love. When faced with his lover’s gut-wrenching reaction to the news of Tony leaving, he’d actually speculated whether his love would be enough to fill the gap left vacant by their young lover.

Jack looked straight into Jethro’s clear blue eyes. Maybe his worrying had been for nothing. Maybe his love was enough. Maybe Jethro wouldn’t leave him like Daniel had. Maybe forever with Jethro meant exactly that, forever. Maybe---

Jethro claimed possession of his lips and kissed the very breath out of him. More kisses, more promises, more *everything* followed, leaving Jack winded and thoroughly convinced

Okay, point taken. His love was enough, more than enough for his soon-to-be husband.


+++++++


Shaking his head in disgust, George Hammond surveyed the disaster that had once been his living room. Why in God’s name had he volunteered his home for the wedding? Had he lost his mind? Not only would he be left with an unbelievable mess to clean up, but if the powers to be ever got wind of the ceremony --- George halted that thought dead in its tracks and reached for the nearest clutter of beer bottles. It was water under the bridge, anyway. Damage done.

“Shoot! Damn it, shoot!”

Leaving the bottles for later, he turned and closely examined the four men clustered around the large screen TV cheering on the town’s local hockey team.

The ceremony had basically gone off without a hitch. Of course there was the moment at the altar when DiNozzo had acted somewhat the fool, whispering in O'Neill’s ear while suggestively rubbing his own behind. A slap to the head by none other than Teal'c had put a halt to that silliness. There was also the constant, not to mention, irritating as hell, sniffling from that kid dressed in black. It was quite obvious the girl did not like O'Neill and that in itself did not endear her to George. He’d shown no remorse when, after turning around in his seat, he’d pinned her with his most intimidating glare. It had done the trick, allowing the remainder of the ceremony to proceed without further commotion.

The same could not be said for the rest of the day. DiNozzo must have been high on something, whether it be alcohol or simple joy. The man was constantly in motion, moving from one husband to the next, hugging and kissing and chattering at the speed of light. Gibbs and Teal'c had simply tolerated DiNozzo’s enthusiasm, returning all kisses and hugs with indulgent smiles. O'Neill, on the other hand, had taken the boy to task for his extreme exuberance. The two had disappeared inside the study for nearly a half hour, and upon rejoining the festivities, George had noted two things about the pair -- O'Neill’s tell-tale swagger and DiNozzo’s besotted grin and calmer demeanor.

He again focused his attention on the happily married foursome. He might not understand the dynamics of their relationship, but he did understand the underlying reason. Love, pure and simple love. O'Neill loved Gibbs and vice versa. The same could be said for DiNozzo and Teal'c.

Now, the love between Jack and Teal'c and Gibbs and DiNozzo might not be as profound or as enduring, but the fact remained, the men did seriously care for each other. And in his book, that was as good a starting place as any to build a relationship upon.

Collecting an unopened bottle of beer, George toasted the couples. “May the God of this universe grant you a lifetime of happiness, gentlemen.”

“General Hammond, sir, do you think they would consider adding a fifth person to the mix?”

George turned and stared open-mouthed at Jonas Quinn. A fifth? Fifth as in a fivesome? He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. Too much information. Way too much information.

He patted the young Kelownan on the shoulder. “Excuse me, Jonas. It’s way past time to see the happy couples off.”

An hour later, George was handing Bra’tac his very first alcoholic drink. “Yes, beer is an acceptable beverage for warriors to drink. Just ask O'Neill. It’s been his beverage of choice for years.” The security phone in his study rang, interrupting the senior Jaffa’s reply. “Try the buffalo wings,” he suggested. “They’re suicidal. Definitely a food worthy of a warrior.”

Not waiting to see his guest’s reaction to the extra spicy snack, George walked into the study and closed the door behind him. “Hammond,” he stated once he heard the click informing him the line was secure.

“General Hammond, sir? It’s Walter. Colonel Mitchell just returned from Vis Uban, and you’re not going to believe who he stumbled upon.”

George fingered the two flattened boutonnières he found lying on his desk. Both DiNozzo and O'Neill had been missing theirs when they’d exited the study earlier that evening. “Damn it, O'Neill. Did you have to use my desk?” he grumpily mumbled. A second later a small stain on the desk’s blotter caught his attention, and the image his brain supplied had him stepping quickly away and tossing the damaged flowers into the garbage as if they were on fire.

“What is it, Walter? There’s very little that would surprise me, nowadays.” George glanced again at his desk and made a mental note to get a cleaning crew in ASAP. “Walter? Damn it, man. Spit it out. I’ve got guests to attend to.”

“It’s him, General,” Walter hurriedly exclaimed. “Colonel Mitchell found Doctor Jackson.”


The End



A/N: Yeah, yeah, I’m leaving you hanging in a major way. I had always planned to bring Daniel Jackson into the mix, but unfortunately the muse never got around to it. And yes, even though I’m writing ‘the end’ to this series, that doesn’t mean I won’t continue to crank out stand-alone stories in this universe I’ve created. Daniel will get his chance to meddle with the guys; you have my word on that.



Disclaimer: This work is not intended as an infringement upon the rights of those that own these characters and is meant solely for non-profit entertainment purposes only.