Chapter One
"General O'Neill, there's a phone call for you."
"Thanks, I'll take it in my office. Hello, General O'Neill speaking."
"We have your children."
"What? Who is this?"
The only response was the bussing of the phone. Dropping back into the chair General Samantha O'Neill sat and stared at the phone.
"SILER! Get in here NOW."
"Yes General?"
"Send a team over to my place now. Get them to check on Jack and the kids.
At that moment Daniel wandered into her office. On hearing he last comment and seeing her face he asked,
"Sam, what's wrong?"
"Siler, GO!"
With a salute, Siler left the office to organize a team to check the General's house. He knew something was seriously wrong but didn't know what.
"Sam, what's wrong?" Daniel asked again.
Sam just sat there looking stunned. Daniel was starting to get real worried.
"SAM!"
"Wh-what. Oh Daniel!"
With that Sam started to cry. Ok, Daniel knew something was going on. Sam never cried at least not in front of him. Not really, not like this. Walking around her desk, Daniel knelt in front of her and placed his hand on her knee. He gently asked her again what was wrong.
"Daniel, someone has taken the kids."
"WHAT! What do you mean 'taken' and are you sure?"
Taking a deep breath to calm her, Sam looked at Daniel and told him about the phone call she had just received.
"Sam, what about Jack? Wasn't he with the kids? No-one would get the kids while he was with them."
'Oh God Daniel, Jack would die before letting anyone take the kids. I have to get home. I have to find out what's happened."
"I'll drive. Come on, let's go."
Just as they reached the elevator, Teal'c came around the corner.
"General O'Neill, Daniel Jackson. Is everything alright?"
"No Teal'c it isn't. Come on and we'll tell you in the car."
As they drove to Sam and Jacks' house Daniel filled Teal'c in on the few details that they had. As he listened his eyebrow raised up.
"What of O'Neill"
"We don't know Teal'c. We just don't know."
The rest of the trip was traveled in silence. Each of the car's occupants, were deep in their own thoughts.
As they pulled up to the house they saw an ambulance sitting in the driveway. Sam was out of the car before Daniel had even stopped. She ran across the yard towards the ambulance yelling out Jack's name. Seeing Major Wilson she asked,
"Where's Jack? Where are Janet and Jacob?"
Wilson looked back at her, the look on his face made Sam stumble.
"OH GOD NO!"
"General he's alive! He's in the ambulance. They're going to take him to the hospital. He's been badly beaten."
Sam raced to the ambulance. Jack was inside, lying on the stretcher. He looked bad. Hopping in, Sam sat next to him and took his hand not noticing that Daniel and Teal'c had arrived and were standing at the back of the ambulance.
"Jack honey, I'm here. I'm here Jack."
Jack's eyelids fluttered and he squeezed her hand. He tried to speak but Sam couldn't make out what he was saying. She asked him to repeat it and leant closer to him.
"Sam I tried. I really tried baby. There were too many of them. They took Janet and Jacob. Oh God Sam, they took the kids!"
"Shh, it's OK Jack. Well find them. I promise you that we'll find them."
"I'm sorry Sam, I'm so sorry."
With that Jack slipped into unconsciousness.
"Ma'am we have to get going. Are you going to come with us to the hospital?"
Torn, Sam didn't know what to do. Should she go with Jack or stay at the house to look for clues about where her children had gone.
"Sam, go with Jack. Teal'c and I will stay here and check everything out. I've rung Siler and he's sending out more men. Go."
Two hours later, Daniel and Teal'c walked into Jack's hospital room. They saw Sam sitting in the chair next to his bed. She was holding his hand, her head resting on the bed. When Daniel cleared his throat she lifted her head. Quickly she looked at Jack and then back at Daniel.
"How is he?"
"He's go a couple of broken ribs and some bruising. He's got a concussion and a broken left arm. He was lucky."
Sam's eyes filled with tears. Silently they rolled down her cheeks. Wiping them away, Sam smiled.
"He did wake up for a while. He wanted to check himself out so he could look for the kids. Luckily his body had other ideas and he went back to sleep."
"He will recover Samantha. He is strong."
"Yeah I know Teal'c. What did you find at the house?
Daniel and Teal'c looked at one another. Sam noticed.
"Daniel, what did you find?"
"We found a note Sam."
"What did it say?"
Daniel handed the note to Sam. She read it and then re-read it.
'For your crimes against the people of Earth, you must pay. We will contact you in 24 hours with our demands.'
"That's it? There was nothing else?
"I'm sorry Sam. That's all that was there. We're heading back to the house now to set up surveillance. Do you need anything before we go?"
Sam just shook her head.
A soft knock on the door startled Sam. Looking up she saw George Hammond entering the room. Standing up, she walked over to him and was enveloped in a hug.
"Oh Sir, why has this happened?"
"I don't know why Sam. I'm here to help any way I can. Have you called Cassie?"
"No I haven't, but Daniel did."
"Can I get you something to eat?"
"No. I'm not really hungry."
Just then her stomach growled. Smiling Hammond asked her when she had last eaten. Sam had to think about it before answering that it must have been breakfast before she left home for the base. Nodding, Hammond went off to get her a sandwich and a drink.
When he left Sam sat back down next to Jack. She was so worried about him. Oh not physically but emotionally. He was injured worse when they had been trapped in Antarctica. She knew he would recover from the wounds but what would happen to him if something happened to the kids. He'd already lost one son for which he blamed himself. Charlie's death had nearly killed him. If it wasn't for Daniel and Skaara and that first mission to Abydos, he'd already be dead. They couldn't lose Jacob and Janet. Sam remembered the day she found out that she was pregnant and Jack's response.
Jack had just come back from the market. He was putting the groceries in the kitchen. Smiling, he grabbed a beer from the fridge and went out to join here. Kissing her on the neck in the spot that sent her crazy, he sat down next to her and lifted her into his lap.
"How was your day honey?"
He loved asking her that. She would tell him everything that had gone on that day at the base. He missed the SGC but he decided that these benefits were worth giving it up. He continued to nuzzle Sam's neck.
"It was great. The new teams are working out real well." Sam made a face and pulled away from Jack. Not sure how to bring up the next subject, she took a deep breath.
"Honey, what's wrong?"
"Oh Jack nothing is wrong. At least I hope not. I went to see Dr Jasper today for my annual check up and well….."
"Sam, you're scaring me. What's going on?"
Cupping his face, Sam smiled and gave him a quick kiss.
"Jack, I'm pregnant! About 8 weeks along according to Dr Jasper."
Looking up at Jack, she saw a grin spread across his handsome face.
"We're going to have a baby? Oh Sam, that's wonderful!"
With that Jack stood up and carried Sam into their bedroom where he showed her exactly how much he loved her. This woman who had saved his heart and who now had given him the chance to be a father again.
A gentle touch on her shoulder made her jump. George had returned and Cassie was with him. Smiling, she took the sandwich and coffee from George and placed them on the bedside table.
"Sam, are you ok? You were miles away when we came in the room. Is Jack worse?"
"No, he's the same. I was actually remembering when I told Jack that I was pregnant."
George chuckled, "I've never seen him so happy. He was over the moon. The thought of being a father again was unbelievable to him."
"I remember when he told me. He said 'Cass, you're going to be an aunt.' I was so excited. So was he."
"I remember the day the twins were born. You'd swear that you were the first woman to ever give birth."
"Yeah I remember."
"Sam, honey, are you sure you're ok?"
"Yes Jack, I'm fiiiine."
Screaming though another contraction, Sam nearly broke Jack's fingers when she squeezed his hand. That one was strong. She knew it wouldn't be much longer. Her contractions were getting closer and closer. Suddenly another one hit. Jack hated seeing Sam in so much pain. He'd do anything, if he could just ease the pain a little but Sam wanted to have a natural birth. Looking up Jack noticed the doctor and nurse talking outside the labor room. The doctor nodded and entered the room.
"The nurse says that you're fully dilated. On the next contraction you can push."
When the next contraction hit Sam pushed for all she was worth. When the pain subsided she took some deep breaths. She pushed again and again until she heard the cry of their baby.
"Congratulations, you have a girl. Would Dad like to cut the cord?"
Looking at Sam, Jack smiled.
"Yasureyabetcha."
When the next lot of contractions hit, Sam and Jack went through the same procedure. They soon heard the cry of their other baby. The doctor announced that they had a son and Jack cut his cord as well. The nurses took them away to be checked and cleaned. Once they were given a clean bill of health, they were handed back to their proud parents. Jack was sitting on the bed next to Sam. He held their daughter while Sam held their son.
"Hello Jacob, hello Janet" they whispered and looking at one another they smiled.
"Thank you Sam, I love you so much."
"Oh Jack, we're a family now. Do you think we should let the others know?"
"Not just yet. I want you guys to myself for a while. I'll go out and tell them soon."
Sam realized that the 24 hour deadline was almost up.
"Cassie, will you stay with Jack? Don't let him leave, he'll want to but try to stop him if you can. Sir, will you drive me home so I'm there when the next contact is made."
"Of course I will Sam. Cassie I'll let the doctor know to keep Jack here for as long as possible."
Cassie gave Sam a hug and then she went to sit next to Jack. Sam and George left the room. As they passed the nurses station, the nurse sitting there called out to them. She handed them a note………..