Stargate SG-1
'Home is . . .'
By Trulyamused
Rated T
A shit-eating grin. That's what his grandfather had called it.
Jack O'Neill grinned again at the memory of the first time he had felt this way, when Charlie was born. Awed, joyful and humbled all at the same, Pop O'Neill had told him before it had happened, that he would feel this way. Jack couldn't imagine it. But Pop had been right as always.
Now, he had a second happenstance of those feelings, but stronger this time, maybe because he had lost Charlie. That wasn't going to happen again, this was a glorious thing, and he wasn't about to screw it up.
"Hey Jack, you gonna introduce us to that little guy?" Daniel Jackson asked as he and T'ealc stepped into the room.
"Sure-" Jack said, as he shifted the bundle in his arms. The blanket fell back to reveal a small face, scrunched up in a pout, and topped with blond fuzz.
"Danny, T, meet the newest member of SG-1; T. Jackson Carter-O'Neill."
"Wow, that's quite the handle for such a little guy."
"Indeed. Though, I have no fear that he will grow into it."
"My thoughts exactly, T."
"But not too fast, he has to be little a while longer. That's so his sister can catch up."
The men abruptly focused their attention on the woman on the bed. Samantha Carter-O'Neill smiled and nodded at Jack, who rose and exchanged bundles with her.
"And this is," Jack began as he revealed a tiny heart shaped face capped with a reddish blonde down. "Catherine Janet Carter-O'Neill, five minutes younger than her brother."
"She's as beautiful as her mother.
"Sooo, tell us about their names." Daniel goaded with a grin.
"Well, obviously we named TJ for his two godfathers, T'ealc and Daniel." O'Neill began as he watched the smiles on the two men's faces grow wider and fill with pride. "And Catie, is for Catherine Langford, without who our association with the Stargate and everyone we love wouldn't have been possible. Janet, of course, is for the best damn friend Sam ever had, hell that any of us ever had. It seemed right."
"T'ealc and I are very honored, as Catherine is I'll bet and I'm also sure wherever she is, Janet is too." Daniel said solemnly, as they all reflected on the person Janet Frasier had been to them. And how much her loss still affected them after 3 years.
"DanielJackson is correct. I am honored and would be willing to teach TJ about being a great Jaffa Warrior." T'ealc told the new parents with conviction.
Jack and Sam exchanged horrified looks as Daniel began to protest.
"Ah, T'ealc, I don't think—"
Then they all suddenly realized that the Jaffa was making a joke.
"Good one, T," Jack responded as passed Catie to Daniel and took TJ back from Sam, who was looking like she was asleep. "Sam honey, we'll take the kids back to the nursery. You rest for a bit, I'll be back."
"Okay, night babies," Sam murmured as sleep over came her. Jack lingered for a moment, and then placed a kiss on her forehead.
Once, they were out in the corridor, Daniel asked, "Jack is Sam okay?"
"She just had twins Daniel, how do you think she feels."
"I know, but--" It was then he saw the look on Jack's face. "Jack?"
Jack nodded as he reached out for his daughter, cradling one baby in each arm he sat heavily in a chair in the corridor. He gazed into the faces of his children for a moment, and then looked into the anxious faces of his friends.
"I almost lost her this time."
"What happened?" Daniel prompted.
"I dunno, one minute everything's okay, the next all these alarms are goin' off. It happened a couple minutes after Catie was born. Some kinda reaction to the birth trauma and the nacquada in her blood, she went into shock and cardiac arrest. If we hadn't been here at the base hospital, where they had her records and Janet's notes. I don't know if they could have saved her." Jack told them his face haunted as he gently jiggled the two waking infants in his arms.
"But they did and she's gonna be okay, right."
"Yeah, she'll have to take it real easy but yeah, everything looks okay. Cassie's gonna stay with us for a few weeks to help out."
"Good, now what can we do for you?"
"Just having you guys here is enough." Jack said as he stiffly rose, "I should get these two to the nursery and go back and be with Sam."
"Perhaps later this evening, you could have dinner with DanielJackson and myself." T'ealc offered after Jack left the newborns with the nursery and they were walking back to Sam's room.
"That'd be great. Hammond and Jacob will be in town. We'll make it a boy's night, the last for a long while I'm afraid. This way Sam'll get some sleep if she knows I'm not hovering."
"Okay, we'll get out of here then. Congratulations Jack. You and Sam did a great job." Daniel said shaking Jack's hand and giving him a quick manly hug.
"Indeed," T'ealc countered with a low bow. Jack smiled and nodded. He watched them stride down the corridor for minute before he took a deep breath and entered Sam's room. Seeing his wife curled on her side in the queen size birthing bed, he kicked off his shoes and slipped in behind her. Inhaling deeply of the sweet fragrance of her hair, it wasn't long before he was fast asleep. For once all was right in their world.
END