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George picked up the ringing phone. It was his wife. ‘What!’ he cried. He quickly hung up and made the arrangements for him to leave the base and rushed home. His two little grandchildren where sitting eating dinner, laughing, none the wiser of what had nearly happened to them.
His heart was still thundering in his chest. It had been too close. Too personal. Not his family, anything but his family, he couldn’t keep an eye on them twenty four hours a day. His wife was staring at him, ‘George, about what happened, I got a phone call, they say you have a choice, retire or else, George, I’m scared’ he sighed and rubbed his forehead.
He had always feared a day like this would occur. It finally had. He had prepared for this, the NID were not going to get his family. He would have to retire, he knew Jack would try and talk him out of it, but he couldn’t be talked out of this. It was something he had to do. He looked at his wife, ‘I have no choice, I’m going to retire’ he looked over at his grandchildren, ‘for their sakes’
The next few days were hard, saying goodbye to all he knew and loved. His goodbye speech to SG-1 had hurt. ‘I wanted you all to be the first to know. Effective immediately I'm stepping down as commander of the SGC. Frankly I'm getting tired of sending good people out there never knowing if they're going to come back. I've had enough.’
He knew the team wouldn’t accept his reasons, especially Jack, so he wasn’t surprised when he turned up at his office to try and talk him out of it, ‘weren’t you there for my goodbye speech?’
‘Yes, I was. Of course. You know that. And it was lovely, General, but do you really think I believe you're quitting because we ran into a little trouble out there?’ Replied Jack, ‘Hell, we've been presumed dead before.’
‘I don't have to explain myself to you, Colonel.’ Hammond sighed; he turned and began to fix the items on his desk. He began to explain how his assignment to the SGC had been supposed to be a quick and easy assignment on his way to retirement.
Jack however was having none of it, ‘General, need I remind you I was retired. Some things are worth changing your plans for.’
In his heart, George knew Jack was right, and in a way George was doing just what Jack had said, he was changing his plans for his grandchildren.