A/N: I hope you enjoy the following story. Please note that before we can get into the story itself I wanted to give you some background. This story takes place after season 8 and assumes that Jack O'Neill is still the General in charge of the SGC and Janet is still alive. That being said you can consider this story A/U. There are a lot of J/S moments; however they happen a little later on. Please have patience as there is a fare amount of building to get to that point. I would love to hear your feedback.

General Jack O'Neill sits at his desk, staring at the piles of paperwork that has yet to be finished. He grimaces as he grabs a folder from the top of a nearby stack and starts to open it when there is a knock on his door.

"Please, come in," he says, tossing the folder aside as Sam comes into his office.

"Ah, Colonel Carter. And how are we this fine morning?" he asks, pushing aside one of the many piles on his desk and gesturing for her to sit.

"Well Sir, to be honest, I've been better."

"Do tell," he says, leaning forward.

Sam sits, "I don't want to get into it."

"So it's that bad, huh?"

"I didn't think it was. I mean…I thought it was going great. And this morning I wake up to find a note saying things are moving too fast and he needs time and space to think and figure some things out."

"Ouch."

"Yeah…"

"So, not that it is any of my business," Jack pauses. "Was there anything different about last night? Anything that might explain the sudden change?"

"Nothing that I can think of."

"Run me thru the night."

Before Sam can say anything Jack waves his hand and adds, "And skip the details."

Sam smiles a little, "Well after work I went home and got ready. Jared picked me up around 7:30 and we went out to dinner. Then we went back to my house and had a few drinks. One thing lead to another and, well, typical night."

"The only thing I can think is that he is seeing someone else."

"I'm sorry Sir, was that meant to be encouraging?"

Jack blows some air between his lips, "Well look on the bright side…"

Sam sits quietly for several moments waiting for him to finish. When he doesn't she asks, "And the bright side would be what?"

"Hell if I know. But I've been told that every grey cloud has a silver lining."

Sam laughs "Thanks."

Jack turns and looks into the briefing room where Daniel and Teal'c are just sitting down. He turns back to Sam.

"Shall we?" he stands and gestures toward the door.

"After you, Sir."

"Ladies first, I insist Colonel."

Sam smiles again as she walks over and takes her seat next to Daniel.

Jack sits and looks at the team, "Alright, impress me."

Daniel clears his throat, "What?"

Jack tilts his head slightly, "What?"

Daniel sits forward and adjusts his glasses, "we were supposed to go over our up-coming mission."

"Ah, right. To P3X-1…something," he pauses and starts flipping thru the file in front of him. After a moment of silence he stops and looks up. "Oh please, don't not brief on my account."

"Jack, did you even read that?" Daniel asks.

"How could I? It wasn't on my desk," Jack says as he turns and points to his desk. Seeing all the unread files he frowns and turns back to the table. "Just give me the highlights."

Sam clears her throat, "Well Sir, SG-11 returned from P3X-193 with some interesting and promising samples. Lt. Menard needs a few more samples to test but because of an insect bite that Dr. Frasier wants to keep an eye on for now SG-11 is unable to return to get what they need."

"And we are sure that there is no danger of you all getting bitten while you are there?" Jack asks.

"Of the three teams now sent to P3X-193 Lt. Menard is the only one who has been bitten, O'Neill," Teal'c says.

"Alright, so how long do you think you will need to collect the samples?" Jack asks.

"Well according to SG-11's report, the mine isn't far from the stargate. It shouldn't take more than a few hours," Sam replies.

"Okay, so four hours? Five tops. How many samples do they need?"

"Five hours sounds reasonable. Menard gave me a list of what he wants us to collect as well as the descriptions, in case we get confused," Daniel says.

"Good. So I will see you all in the gate room in, let's say 30 minutes. And make sure to pack some bug repellant, I don't like bugs. They're nothing but problems," Jack stands and smiles. "Now if you will excuse me, I have some reports to read."

Sam watches Jack walk back into his office and can't help but smile.

"So, how is Jared?" Daniel asks as they stand up from the table.

"I am sure he is fine," Sam replies.

"Does this mean Jared will no longer join us for poker night?" Teal'c asks.

"No, he won't be joining us for any night," Sam says.

"I am indeed sorry to hear that Colonel Carter."

"So am I," Daniel adds.

"Thanks guys. I think it's just the universes way of telling me I'm meant to be single."

"Or perhaps that you have failed to find the right male for your life."

"Trust me T, I have been thru enough guys to know that there isn't one out there for me."

"Well maybe Teal'c is right. What if you have already met the right guy for you and just didn't know it?"

"Meaning what?"

"Well…"

"Daniel, if you are thinking what I think you are, you know that is not an option. Besides we are really good friends and I would never want to ruin that and neither would he."

"If you say so," Daniel says.

~#~

Five hours after their departure, General O'Neill is standing next to Walter.

"They are late. Are they late?" he asks, showing his watch to Walter.

"According to your watch, Sir, they have ten minutes before they are late," Walter responds.

Jack frowns and looks at his watch and then back at Walter, then back to his watch. He shakes his wrist and begins tapping his finger on the watch face when a siren goes off.

"Off-world activation, Sir."

"It's about time. Is it them?"

"I'm getting SG-1's code, Sir."

"Good," Jack says as he makes his way to the gate room.

As he enters, Sam steps thru the gate, followed by Daniel and Teal'c, who are both carrying large bags.

"Those look heavy," Jack says, and then adds, "And you are late."

Daniel looks at his watch, "We aren't even at the five hour mark yet, we still have a few minutes."

"Don't you know it's polite to be at least ten minutes early for everything? Never mind, you get everything?"

Sam nods, "Yes sir."

"Anyone bit?" Jack asks looking around at the team.

"Actually Sir, I think I may have gotten bit."

"Carter, I told you to take bug spray."

"I know, but it doesn't even hurt. If it wasn't on my hand, I wouldn't have even noticed."

"Well I would like to play it safe. Why don't you head on down to see Doc Frasier. Let me know what she thinks," he turns to Daniel and Teal'c. "You two, debriefing."

Sam smiles as she heads to the infirmary. When she gets there Janet is sitting at her desk looking at a file. Sam knocks on the open door. Janet looks up and smiles.

"Hi, how are you?"

Sam holds up her hand, "General O'Neill wanted me to get this looked at."

"Alright, just have a seat on that bed over there and I will take a look. Does it hurt at all?"

"Not a bit. Do you think it's the same thing that bit Lt. Menard?"

"Highly probable; and from what I gathered from his bite, they are not harmful. I sent him home just a couple of hours ago. Even the venom that the bugs inject into you as they bite doesn't seem to affect humans. But just to be safe I will take a sample of the affected area and run the basic tests on it. And I want to do a full physical."

"Okay," Sam says, as she gets comfortable on the bed.

A short while later Janet comes over to Sam with a folder.

"Well everything looks good, but I do have a question for you."

"Okay, shoot."

"Are you sexually active?"

Sam laughs, "I have been for a while. Why?"

"Because you are pregnant."

"I'm…I'm what?"

"Congratulations."

"I can't be pregnant."

"You are."

"Janet, I'm on the pill."

"The pill doesn't always work Sam. You should know that."

"I know that, but I can't be…"

"Why?"

"Jared left, yesterday. Said he needed space. Janet, can not go thru this alone."

"You are not alone. You may be single, but you have Daniel, Teal'c and me. And you know as well as I do that General O'Neill will not let you do this alone. Sam, we are your family and we will help you thru this. And if it's too much there are always options."

"I know."

"And I know this is the last thing you want at this moment but being that you are a month along…"

Sam sits up strait, "Wait, I'm a month pregnant?"

"Somewhere around there."

"I have only been with Jared for six weeks."

"Hmm…and when was the first time?"

"About a week and a half after our first date."

"Well that sounds about right."

Sam puts her head in her hands, "This can't be happening."

"Sam," Janet lays her hand on Sam's shoulder, "We need to talk to General O'Neill."

"Okay," Sam says as she stands.

A few minutes later she knocks on Jacks office door. After a quick "Come in" she opens the door as Jack hangs his phone up.

"Colonel, Doc, what's up?"

"General, we are here to inform you that Colonel Carter is expecting."

Jack stands, "Really? Wow, congratulations. How far along are you?"

"Janet says about a month."

"Doc, how will gate travel affect them?"

"I would say that she is probably safe to continue working for as long as she feels up to it, but I won't authorize her for gate travel until after the baby comes."

"Alright, so no gate travel. How do you feel about me working with alien tech?" Sam asks.

"I don't see a problem as long as the necessary precautions are taken to ensure your safety as an expecting woman," Janet answers.

"After all that has happened at this base, the only way I can promise not to get into some kind of trouble is if I take the next eight to nine months off and just stay at home," Sam says.

Jack sits up strait, "If that is something you want, I am sure I know someone who could make it happen."

"Sir, I can't just disappear for months."

"Of course not."

"And besides I would go crazy if I was home alone for that long not doing anything."

"Okay, well I have a proposition for you. You can observe teams working with alien tech and advise them accordingly for the next couple of months. Then when you go on maternity leave, move into my house. I am not home much and I have the extra space as well as the advantage of living closer the SGC for when that time come. And while you are staying with me Daniel, Teal'c and I can help you get your house baby ready. You know, things like painting the nursery and such."

"That is a generous offer General but there are a few problems. First I don't have a nursery. Second I am not going to invade your home. If something were to go wrong and I needed a doctor fast I live close to a hospital."

Janet looks at her, "I actually agree with the General on this. Look, you were just telling me that you are not ready to go thru this alone. If you move into his house until the baby is born then you won't be by yourself in an empty house every night. And when he is at work we can all take turns keeping you company if you want."

"I don't want everybody's lives to revolve around me because I got knocked up and can't hold onto a guy."

Everyone sits quietly for a few moments, and then Jack speaks.

"Look Sam, as your friend, I want you to know that I am here for you in whatever way you need me to be. Meaning even if Jared was still around I would do whatever I could to make this whole thing easier on you. I know the Air Force, and the SGC are your life; I know how much this all means to you. If something happened that kept me from being part of all this anymore I would feel very lost. All I want to do is keep you from feeling that way. If that means sharing my house, so be it. If it means just coming to visit you at your house every day, I'll do it. You have gone thru so much lately; I honestly just want what is best for you. You can take me up on my offer or not. It is you choice and I won't hold it against you in anyway no matter what you choose. Sam, just remember that the SGC is family and we all just want what is best for all of us." He pauses and leans forward on his desk, "I just want what is best for you, Samantha."

Jack sits back and takes a breath, "You can think it over and let me know what you decide. Oh, but the whole observe only part; you don't have a say in that. Effective immediately, Colonel Carter, you are on light duty."

~#~

Sam sits on her couch sipping her tea and looking at a picture of Jacob that sits on the coffee table.

"I wish you were here, dad. I could use someone to talk to…I can't believe you have really been gone almost six months now. So work was interesting today. I got bit by an alien bug; and found out that I am going to have a baby. I need to call Mark and tell him. I haven't spoken to him since you…since I called off the wedding."

A tear slides down Sam's cheek as she closes her eyes. She cries silently only a moment when she hears a knock on her door. She stands quickly; "Just a minute" she calls as she wipes her face and takes a deep breath. She opens the door to find Daniel standing there, with his hands in his pockets.

"I was on my way home and thought I would stop by and see how you are."

"He told you."

"Yeah, he found Teal'c and I after you left his office. How are you doing?"

Sam half heartedly chuckles. "I'm okay," she lies, thankful Daniel seems to have not noticed that she has been crying. "Do you want to come in for a minute?"

"Sure."

Daniel steps inside, "So I know it's not my place to say this, but I think you should take Jack up on his offer."

Sam closes the door and turns to face him, "Did he tell you everything?"

Daniel crosses his arms, "No, he didn't have to. I know him well enough to know what he would offer in this situation. And when you told me earlier that Jared was gone, well I put two and two together when he told me about you."

"Why does every one keep telling me to accept?"

"Because we all know how you feel about him; and how he feels about you."

Sam sits back on the couch and Daniel joins her.

"Is my life an open book?"

"Only to the people closest to you."

"Meaning what?"

"I've known you for eight years, and Jack a lot longer. It has never been a mystery with the way you two watch each other. But when you broke it off with Pete…You said it was because of the timing and most people bought it. I never did. I knew why, even if you didn't."

"But it didn't change anything between us, we are both still military. It would never be allowed."

"But you don't have to be."

"Daniel, the military is my life. It's everything that I've worked for and you want me to just walk away?"

"Sam, since I've known you there is something that I have observed. Yes, you are in the military but it's the SGC that is your life. How many times have we done things that could've ended your military career, but you did it anyway because you thought that what we were doing at the SGC is more important than any one person, including yourself?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"I work at the SGC but I am not military. Why can't you do the same? If you did, you could have everything that you want and you would only be giving up one thing foe it all."

~#~

Jack vaguely registers a ringing sound. He smacks at his alarm clock but the sound doesn't stop. He slaps it again, and then he realizes it is his phone. He feels around in the darkness for it on his night stand and finally finds it.

"Yeah?" he all but grunts into the phone.

"Oh sorry, were you sleeping?"

Sam's voice brings him fully awake, "Carter, are you Okay?"

"I'm sorry; I didn't realize you would be asleep. I can call tomorrow."

"Don't worry about it. Besides I am awake now. Is something wrong?"

"No, I was just thinking about your offer earlier today and I wanted to talk about it."

"Do you want to talk on the phone? I could come over to your house if you want."

"Well…I've been driving around for while, thinking, and I ended up at your house."

"Are you here?"

"Yeah, I thought I saw your TV on or I wouldn't have called."

"I think I left it on. Let me get up and then you can come in and we'll talk about whatever you want."

"Okay."

Jack hangs up the phone and then he gets out of bed and makes his way to his front door. When he opens it he sees Sam getting out of her car.

"Do you want something to drink? I think I may have some coke in the fridge," Jack says as Sam enters the house.

"I am okay for now, thanks."

"So you said you were thinking…"

"Well I will be honest. I wasn't even going to consider moving in here when I left your office."

"Oh? What changed?"

"Daniel. He stopped by my house on his way home and we talked for a while."

"And what did he say about this whole thing?"

"He told me that it offers a unique opportunity that I should take advantage of. And so once I was alone I started thinking and he may be right."

"Okay, let me hear it."

"The reason we agreed they we would never work is because of the military. I would never ask you to give it up for me and you have told me the same thing. But what if we use this…special occasion…as a test to see if we can even stand living under the same roof."

"Okay, let's say it goes well, then what?"

"Then I resign the Air Force and stay on at the SGC as a civilian, like Daniel does. I could use having a baby as the official excuse if that makes it sound better."

"Okay, and if it doesn't work?"

"Then I have the baby, move back to my own house and we go on like we have been for a while now."

A/N: So as you can tell there is a lot going on. I had planned to explain all of the back story in the first chapter and move on to the rest of the story in the second , but as you can tell the story has taken on a life of its own and I don't want to stop it. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I have and I will work on updating it soon.