Thanks, Dad

by BettyHall223

Realzing he doesn't have long to live, Jacob tries to talk some sense into Jack and Sam

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: This was first posted on Gateworld but I've tweaked it a little since then.

It had been a very tiring week and Sam just wanted to go home and sleep. Sam and the rest of SG-1 had just returned from a long mission to rescue SG-4. Thankfully, everyone had made it home alive with just a few minor cuts and bruises. There had been debriefings with General Hammond and physicals with Dr. Frasier.

After taking a quick shower, Sam had just gotten dressed when she heard "off-world activation." A few moments later she heard her name being paged to report to the Gate room.

"Oh, what now" Sam muttered to herself. She came to the blast doors and used her card to get inside. She and General Hammond entered at the same time to see Jacob standing at the end of the ramp. He shook hands with General Hammond then turned to Sam.

"Dad" she said with a smile.

"Hi, Sammie" Jacob said with a grin as he hugged his daughter tightly.

"Are you okay? You look a little pale."

"That's why I'm here. I need to see Dr. Frasier."

"Go" said General Hammond. "We'll talk later."

Sam tried to wait patiently as Jacob talked with Dr. Frasier and she ran some tests. Finally, Janet came to get Sam.

"Janet, how's my Dad?"

She looked at Sam with a sad expression. "He's resting comfortably. He wants to see you."

Sam entered with a feeling of dread. She found a chair and pulled it up next to Jacob's bed and sat down.

"Dad, what's going on?" she asked as she put her hand on Jacob's.

Jacob squeezed her hand and began to tell her why he had returned to Earth.

Walter had told Daniel that Jacob was in the infirmary so he was on his way to see what was going on. Daniel came around the corner and almost ran into someone. He realized it was Sam and started to apologize when he noticed she was crying.

"Sam, what's wrong?" Daniel asked.

"I can't talk now, Daniel. I'm sorry. I just need to get out of here" she said as she ran to the elevator. She went to her locker, grabbed her purse and left the Mountain.

Daniel started to go to Jack's office but saw him come around the corner.

"Jack, do you know what's wrong with Sam?"

"What do you mean?"

"I just ran into her outside the infirmary and she was crying. Said she didn't want to talk and left in a hurry, said she needed to get out of here. Jacob is in the infirmary."

"I'll go see what I can find out."

Jack came into the infirmary and saw Janet quietly checking Jacob's IV. Jacob had his eyes closed. Janet saw Jack and came over to him.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Jacob isn't well, Colonel."

"Daniel ran into Sam in the hall and said she was crying."

"She was quite upset, sir. Maybe she needs someone to talk to. Why don't you go find her and she can tell you what's going on."

"I think I'll do that" Jack said as he hurriedly left.

Janet was well aware that Jack and Sam loved each other, although they never discussed it. She knew that Sam needed Jack right now and did not need to be alone.

As Jack drove as fast as he could to Sam's house, he kept thinking about Jacob and how sick he had been before his blending with Selmac. Jack also knew how close Sam and Jacob had become in the last few years since he had become a Tok'ra. Hoping she had not gone somewhere else, he turned on to her street and saw her car parked in front of her house. He parked his truck and ran up the steps and rang the doorbell. He could see a light on inside. He rang again and Sam answered the door.

"Sam, are you okay?"

"Not really, sir" Sam said as she held the door open for him to come in. Jack entered the house and closed the door. She sat down on the sofa.

"Daniel said you were upset and Janet thought you might could use some company."

"Did Janet tell you what's wrong, sir?"

"No, she didn't" Jack said as he sat down across from her. "What's going on?"

Sam leaned back on the sofa and stared into space, then took a deep breath. "The cancer is back. Selmac is trying to heal him but he is getting very old and very weak and can't help much. Janet said he is stable for now but he will have to start chemo sessions."

"I'm sorry, Sam" Jack said. "Is there anything I can do?"

"You're doing it, sir, just by being here." Sam smiled at Jack and they stared at each other for a few seconds.

'Don't go there, don't go there, don't even think it' Sam was thinking to herself. 'Jack is off limits.'

'Her father is sick and all I can think about is how beautiful she is' Jack was saying to himself.

Jack broke his gaze from Sam. "How about I order us a pizza?"

"Sounds good, sir, I am kinda hungry."

The pizza was delivered and Jack and Sam sat at the table and ate. They talked about Jacob and other things going on at the base.

After they had finished, Jack stood up and carried the few dishes to the kitchen. Sam went back to the sofa and sat down.

Jack was rinsing the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher when he heard a sound. He turned around and saw Sam crying. Jack quickly dried his hands on a towel and sat down by Sam. He put his arm around her, pulled her to him and just let her cry.

"I thought he was doing so well" Sam said as she wiped her eyes.

"I did too, Sam. I'm sorry."

They talked for awhile longer and Jack told her she should get some rest. She stood and followed him to the door.

Jack turned to face her and she suddenly put her arms around his neck and hugged him. He returned the hug. "Thanks for coming by, sir. Guess I needed some company after all."

"You're welcome, Sam. I'm always here if you need me. I'll see you tomorrow" he said as he released her.

"Good night, sir" Sam said as he walked out. She watched him get into his truck and waved to him and closed the door.

§§§§§§§§§§§

The next morning when she arrived at the base, Sam went straight to the infirmary. Jacob was sitting up in bed eating breakfast.

"Hi Dad. How are you feeling?"

"Much better" Jacob said as Sam leaned over and kissed him on the forehead.

They talked for awhile. Jacob asked "do you think you could get away for a few days?"

"I'm sure I could arrange it with General Hammond and the Colonel. When do you think you'll be released?"

"He can go any time he feels up to it" Janet said as she came and stood beside Jacob. "I can start you on some medicine and you can have your treatments here once a week. There really is no reason to keep you here as long as you feel up to leaving."

"Great" Jacob said.

"I'll go talk to General Hammond and Colonel O'Neill" Sam said. Jacob and Janet watched Sam walk out the door.

"Dr. Frasier, do you think Sam and Jack will ever realize that they love each other and should be together?"

"I don't know, sir" she said with a sigh. "They're both so stubborn and so dedicated to their jobs, I don't know what it would take to get them to change. I wish they would though, they're perfect for each other."

"I know. Maybe I should be an interfering parent and help them along a little" Jacob said with a grin.

"That might be a good idea, sir" Janet said and nodded her head.

About that time, Jack entered the infirmary, came over and stood by Jacob.

"How are you, Jacob?" Jack said as the two men shook hands.

"Much better than when I got here yesterday, Jack. Janet is taking very good care of me. Thanks" he said as he smiled at Janet.

"You're welcome. Just call if you need anything" Janet said as she walked away.

"Sam told me what's going on, Jacob. I'm sorry the cancer is back."

"Me too, Jack, but I'm going to fight this with everything I've got."

"Glad to hear it. We'd like to have you around for a long time."

"Sam went to talk to George. You might want to get in on their conversation."

"Okay" Jack said as he left the infirmary and wondered what was going on in the General's office.

Jack knocked on General Hammond's door.

"Come."

Jack saw Sam sitting in Hammond's office.

"Come in, Jack, have a seat."

Jack sat down in the chair next to Sam.

"Major Carter has asked for some vacation time, Jack, and I've given her permission. She and Jacob are taking a week together."

"That's great. Glad to hear you're finally taking some time off."

"Thank you, sir" Sam said as she smiled at him.

"I've also called a friend of mine that has a vacation home in Aspen. He's kind enough to let Sam and Jacob stay there for a week starting today" General Hammond said as he rose from his chair and came to stand at the edge of his desk.

Jack and Sam stood up. "Thank you so much, sir" Sam said as she gave him a hug.

"You're welcome, Major" the General said with a smile. "I hope this time with your Dad will help him feel better."

"Me too, sir."

"Colonel, since Major Carter is going to be gone for a week, SG-1 is on stand down until she returns, so pass along the word to Dr. Jackson and Teal'c."

"Certainly, sir."

"Sam, call me if there is anything else I can do for you or Jacob" Hammond said.

"Thank you, sir. You've already done more than enough."

"Dismissed" the General said and Jack and Sam left to go back to the infirmary. They got on the elevator and Jack pressed the button.

"Sam, please call me while you're away if there is anything you need."

"Thank you, sir" Sam said as she leaned back against the elevator. 'I need you, Jack, and I wish you were coming with us' Sam was thinking to herself.

The sudden stop of the elevator brought Sam out of her train of thought and she and Jack came into the infirmary together. Janet handed Jacob two bottles of medicine to take with him.

Sam and Jack stood beside Jacob's bed. "Ready to go, Dad?" Sam asked.

"I am, honey, just as soon as someone gets me some clothes."

"I'll get you some, Jacob" Jack said as he walked out of the room. In a few minutes he was back and handed Jacob the BDU's. Jack drew the curtain around the bed to give Jacob some privacy while he changed clothes.

Jack joined Jacob and Sam on the elevator and walked out with them to Sam's car.

"Have any plans for your down time, Colonel?" Sam asked.

"I really haven't thought about it. I may stick around here or I may go to my cabin for a few days. Don't know yet."

"Well, whatever you do, sir, hope you enjoy it."

"I'm sure I will."

Sam and Jacob got into Sam's car and they both waved at Jack as Sam drove away. Jack stood there for a minute, watching the car disappear out of sight. "I miss you already, Sam" Jack muttered to himself. He turned around and walked back into the base.

Jack went to Janet's office and knocked on the door.

"What can I do for you, Colonel?" Janet asked as he sat down.

"I know about doctor/patient confidentiality but I was hoping you could shed some light on just how much time you think Jacob has."

"It's hard to say, Colonel. Could be a few weeks or several months. Patients with lymphoma react differently to different treatments. One thing Jacob has going for him is, he's a fighter and he won't give up easily. I also think this time with Sam will help. He has been working non-stop for the Tok'ra since he was blended with Selmac. Now he is going to have to slow down and take it easy and the chemo will make him more tired than ever."

"I see. Do you think he will stay on Earth?"

"Probably. I didn't discuss it with him but Sam will probably encourage him to stay. Besides, he will have to be here for his weekly chemo sessions" Janet answered.

"Okay. I'm glad Sam is taking some time off, even if it isn't the best of circumstances to take a vacation" Jack said.

"Did you talk with her last night, sir?"

"Yes. This is rough on her but, as you know, Sam's a tough woman.

"Yes she is, sir."

"Thanks, Janet" Jack said as he stood to leave.

'She is going to need you, Jack,' Janet was thinking as she watched him go.

§§§§§§§§

Sam and Jacob went to Sam's house and packed some things they would need to bring with them. Jacob had clothes at Sam's house to wear whenever he was on Earth.

Before long they hit the road and headed for Aspen. Sam took her time driving and they enjoyed the trip. They stopped to get some groceries and Sam ran in to get a few things and left Jacob in the car.

Jacob read the directions as Sam drove and they found the house easily. It was just off a main road with a spectacular view. Sam found the hidden key and they entered the house. Each found a bedroom and carried in their luggage. Sam brought in the food and put it in the refrigerator. Then she joined Jacob on the outside deck.

"It's beautiful here" Sam said as she stood on the edge of the deck and looked out over the mountains.

"Yes, it is" Jacob said as he sat down in one of the deck chairs.

"How about something to drink?"

"That would be good."

Sam disappeared into the house and came back in a few minutes carrying two glasses of lemonade.

Sam sat down beside Jacob and they talked about Mark and what was going on with the Tok'ra.

A little later, they sat watching television and Sam noticed Jacob dozing off.

"Dad, go to bed" Sam said as she shook his shoulder.

"I think I will. Night, honey" he said as he kissed her on the cheek.

"Night, Dad" Sam said. Sam sat staring at the TV but not really paying attention. She felt tears come to her eyes as she thought about her Dad and about how little time they might have together.

The next morning after breakfast Sam and Jacob drove into town. Sam parked the car and they walked along the streets. They went into some of the shops and Sam bought some new clothes. She also found a gift to take back to General Hammond to thank him for his kindness in arranging for them to stay at his friend's house. They later found an ice cream place and sat at one of the tables next to a window and watched the people go by as they chatted.

After eating at one of the restaurants in town that evening, they headed home. It had been an enjoyable day.

On the way, Sam noticed that Jacob was very quiet.

"Dad, you okay?"

"Yes, honey. This medicine is very strong that Janet gave me, plus I'm getting a little tired."

They arrived back at the house and Jacob went to bed early.

Sam was feeling a little depressed. She knew talking to Jack would make her feel better but she wasn't sure if she should call him. 'But then he did say to call if I needed anything' Sam thought to herself so she picked up her cell phone and hit #1 on the speed dial. In a moment Jack answered the phone.

"Hi Sam" Jack said. "Everything okay?"

"Yes sir." Sam told him about their busy day.

"How's he doing?"

"He's in good spirits but he tires easily.

"I'm sorry, Sam. This must be really hard for you."

"Yes, but I'm trying to stay upbeat for Dad. I'm really glad we're getting to spend this time together. So, anything interesting going on at the base?"

"Not really. Felger hasn't blown up the base yet, Siler hasn't injured himself or gotten electrocuted and Daniel hasn't bored me to death with his rocks so I guess all is well."

"Glad to hear it" Sam laughed.

"Since we're on stand down until you get back, Teal'c has gone to visit Rya'c" Jack said.

"Oh, that's good. He always comes back from those visits so happy. He really enjoys the time with his son."

"Yeah, I'm sure he does" Jack said softly.

"Oh sir, I'm sorry. That was thoughtless of me. I'm sure you thought of Charlie when I said that. I'm really sorry, sir."

"Sam, it's okay" Jack said trying to make her feel better. "Don't ever think you have to tiptoe around me where Charlie is concerned. I'm glad Teal'c and Rya'c have such a close relationship."

"I know sir, but . . ."

"Sam, it's okay, really."

"Yes sir" she said softly.

"Sam, any time we're off base or we're talking on the phone, you can call me Jack."

"Okay, Jack."

Jack contemplated whether he should tell Sam he missed her but he decided against it.

"I won't keep you any longer. I just needed to hear a friendly voice."

"I'm glad you called. Oh, I wanted to tell you, I may go up to my cabin for a few days so if you need me, that's where I'll be. Feel free to call if you need someone to talk to, okay?"

"Thanks, I'll do that."

§§§§§§§§

The next morning Sam got up, took a quick shower and got dressed. Jacob was sitting on the deck. Sam poured herself a glass of orange juice and went to join him.

"Morning Dad."

"Hey kiddo" Jacob said as he looked up at her.

"Want some breakfast?"

"I had a piece of toast and some orange juice. Not very hungry."

"Okay."

She sat down across from Jacob and they chatted about different things. They became quiet and Sam was looking at the beautiful scenery. She turned her head slightly and realized that Jacob was staring at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Just thinking. So, tell me honey, how long have you been in love with Jack?"

Sam's eyes grew wide and she opened her mouth to protest, then suddenly looked down at her glass. She didn't say anything for a few moments, then she looked back up at Jacob. He was staring at her, waiting for an answer. She knew she couldn't deny it.

"For a long time" she whispered as she looked back down at her hands.

"I thought so."

"How long have you suspected?" she asked, not looking at him.

"I thought there was an attraction between you the first time I met Jack at the awards ceremony in D.C., the same day I told you I had cancer. Just the way you looked at each other."

"How could you think that, Dad? I was hardly aware of it then" she said as she looked up at Jacob.

"I think that was about the time you were beginning to see him as more than just your CO. When you looked at Jack, it was with a look in your eyes that I had never seen. Just the way you smiled at him. And, I also saw that look in Jack's eyes when he looked at you. I'm a pretty observant person, honey, so I decided to watch and see what happened between you. Over the years, I've watched you and Jack when you're together. You take care of each other, sometimes without even realizing it. Little things that you do, things you say to each other, the smiles you give to each other that you don't give to anyone else and an occasional touch. I also know you have great respect for each other and I know that you would never do anything to jeopardize your careers."

"I didn't know it was that obvious to you."

"Well, it is, Sam. But, I also think maybe it's time you acted on those feelings" Jacob said with a grin.

"Dad, what do you mean, you want us to break the regs?"

"No, but I think you should at least talk about your feelings with each other." Jacob leaned up from his chair and placed his hand on Sam's. "Honey, don't miss this chance at happiness. If you really love him, and I know you do, don't let him get away. Jack's a good man. He's honest, smart and funny and I know that he respects you for who you are and for what you do, more than anyone I know. I've always liked Jack. We have our differences but I can't think of another man that is better suited to you or anyone else that I would rather have for a son-in-law. And, I'm sure you probably think he is rather easy on the eyes" Jacob said with a grin.

"Yes, I certainly can't deny that. I've always thought Jack was the most handsome man I've ever met."

Sam sat lost in thought for a few moments then looked up at Jacob with tears in her eyes. "How do I do this, Dad? How do I let him know that I love him? If I told him how I feel and he doesn't feel the same way, it could make for a very awkward working relationship, not to mention, the regs."

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Do you ever read any of our mission reports?"

"Occasionally, when I have time. Why?"

"Well, a few years ago Jack and I had to go through a zatarc test. It was the same day that Martouf died."

"What happened?"

Sam told Jacob about her and Jack's admissions that they care about each other, but those admissions did not get into any of the reports. She also told him that Janet and Teal'c had been witnesses to what was said.

"I thought I was doing the right thing when I told Jack that it didn't need to leave the room. I was trying to protect both of our careers, especially his, since he's the senior officer. I've wished so many times we had talked about it" Sam said as tears came to her eyes and she brushed them away. "Neither one of us has mentioned it since."

"Then why don't you talk to him about it now? Maybe he is waiting for you to bring it up."

"I can't Dad."

"Why not?"

"What if he doesn't care about me that way any more?"

"I think Jack feels just as strongly about you now, probably even more so, than he did when that first happened. Maybe he hasn't said anything about it because you're the one that didn't want to talk about it. Sam, you have to talk to him. I've seen how Jack looks at you. He doesn't have to say a word. What he feels for you is clearly written on his face and it's there in his eyes. I also have a feeling that Jack would like to be a father again and I think he would be delighted to have children with you."

"I would love to have a child with Jack, Dad, but I wouldn't even know where to begin to talk to him about all this."

"Then you have to find a way."

§§§§§§§§

Jack arrived at his cabin and brought in his overnight bag and the food he had picked up at the store. Everything seemed to be okay inside and he went back outside to have a look around. Nothing out of the ordinary there either, so he grabbed a lawn chair and his fishing rod and went down to the dock and sat down. As he sat there reeling in his line, his mind wandered to Sam and Jacob.

So many times he had invited Sam to his cabin and she always refused to come. The more he thought about her, the lonelier he felt. For once, he wasn't enjoying himself at his cabin. He reeled in the line and picked up his chair and headed back to the house. He made himself a sandwich but only ate half of it, not feeling very hungry. He contemplated phoning Sam but thought he might be interrupting Sam and Jacob's time together. Darkness finally came and he went to bed early.

Jack lay there tossing and turning. His mind went back to when he had gotten into town several hours earlier and had stopped for groceries.

Jack was putting some fruit in a bag when he felt something tugging on the side of his pants. He looked down and there stood a little girl about three or four years of age. Her blonde hair was in pig tails and she had blue eyes and dimples and was wearing a white t-shirt under pink overalls. She looked up at Jack with a big smile.

"Hi, my name's Abby. What's your name?"

Jack knelt down so that he could look the little girl in the eyes.

"My name's Jack. It's nice to meet you, Abby."

Then Jack heard a woman calling Abby's name. Jack stood up and could see the top of a woman's head.

"She's over here."

The lady came around the corner.

"Oh thank goodness. Honey, you scared me, you can't go running off like that. You have to stay with me. I don't want anything to happen to you" she said as she bent down and hugged her daughter.

"Mommy, this man's name is Jack."

Jack stuck out his hand and shook the woman's hand as he introduced himself.

"I'm so sorry. Abby doesn't have a shy bone in her body and is always talking to people. I hope she didn't disturb you."

"Not at all. I love kids. You have a really cute daughter."

"You're tall" Abby said as she leaned way back to look up at Jack.

"Abby, honey, we need to go. It was nice to meet you, Jack."

"Likewise. Bye Abby."

"Bye Jack" Abby said as she took her mother's hand. She took a few steps, turned around and waved at Jack with a big smile that creased her dimples. He couldn't help but stare at her, she was so cute.

Jack sat up in bed, wondering if that's what Sam looked like when she was that age. Jack suddenly realized something. He wanted to be a father again. He thought that he would never feel that way again after Charlie, but now he realized that the ache to have a child of his own was still there. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he wanted to have a child with Sam. He could picture them bringing their child to the cabin. Teaching him or her to fish, swim, hike and enjoy the outdoors, watching that child grow up, leave home and start a family of its own. He could see Sam growing more beautiful the older she got and could picture the two of them growing old together.

Jack got out of bed. He could see by the light of the moon as he went into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and picked up a carton of milk. He got a glass from the cabinet and poured the milk into the glass. He put the milk back in the refrigerator and went to sit on the sofa. He took a sip of the milk and realized just how alone he was. Sure, he had his team, General Hammond and others at the base that were his friends. But it didn't take away the ache to hold someone in his arms, have someone to talk with, laugh with, make love with and share with someone the every day little things of life.

"I miss you so much, Sam" Jack said to the empty room and he realized how alone he felt. He finished the milk, went to the kitchen and put the glass in the sink and went back to bed. He lay there for a long time thinking about how he and Sam could be together. But first, he had to find out if Sam felt the same way he felt about her. Even if she did feel the same way, how were they going to deal with the regs? Some changes would have to be made.

§§§§§§§§

While Jacob and Sam were in Aspen, Jacob decided that he would go back to be with the Tok'ra but would come back to the SGC every week for the chemo sessions. When it got to the point that he was too sick to be off-world any longer, he would live with Sam. At first, Jacob had protested but Sam insisted he stay with her. She didn't want him to be alone and this way she wouldn't worry about him.

The days flew by and Sam and Jacob enjoyed their time together but before long they were locking up the house and going home.

Jacob was feeling nauseous when they left Aspen so Sam drove straight to the SGC.

Jacob talked with Janet. She thought that the dosage for one of the medicines was probably too strong, so she lowered the dosage. Sam then drove Jacob back to her house.

Jacob decided to take a few days to go visit Mark in San Diego. He looked forward to seeing Mark and his family but dreaded telling Mark he was sick again. Sam had volunteered to go with him but Jacob wanted to handle this alone.

Jack only stayed three days at his cabin before heading back to Colorado.

§§§§§§§§

Jack and Sam reported back to work. They had really missed each other.

General Hammond immediately put SG-1 back on rotation and assigned them to check out planet R1D-235.

A MALP had been sent through before the team. They came through the event horizon and immediately felt a drop in temperature.

Sam needed to check something on the MALP so Jack stayed with her and he sent Daniel and Teal'c ahead to see if they could find anything interesting. He told them he and Sam would catch up with them.

There were lots of large trees on the planet so each member of the team was on high alert, aware that anyone or anything could be hiding behind them.

As Daniel and Teal'c checked out the planet, they talked about what they had done while Sam had been gone with Jacob. Teal'c told Daniel about his visit with Rya'c and how proud he was of him, that he was becoming quite a mature and responsible young man.

Daniel had gone to visit an old friend, now a history professor at USC.

As they walked, Teal'c asked Daniel "do you think O'Neill missed Major Carter?"

"Oh yeah" Daniel replied as he grinned at Teal'c. "Jack came back the same day I did and I found him in Sam's lab just sitting there, staring into space, looking very sad. I asked him what he was doing. He mumbled something incoherently and left. Maybe Jacob talked to Sam about Jack while they were in Aspen. I think he's very much aware of how they feel about each other."

"One can only hope" Teal'c said.

Jack and Sam walked in silence. Jack glanced at Sam and thought maybe now would be a good time to tell her how he felt about her since they were alone. He was unaware that Sam was thinking the same thing.

Sam suddenly stopped. "Did you hear something, sir?"

Before Jack could answer, a large man carrying what looked like to be a rifle, emerged from the trees and started speaking loudly in an unknown language.

Sam tried to convey that they meant no harm. Suddenly a second man came from behind and as Sam turned to face him, she was hit in the back of the head with the rifle. Sam felt dizzy but was still conscious as she fell to the ground.

Jack suddenly turned and pointed his weapon at the man who had hit Sam, but the first man fired and shot Jack in the upper arm, knocking him to his knees.

The first man took Jack and Sam's weapons and tossed them on the ground. The two men started to argue and Sam saw a chance to take action. She rolled toward her P-90. Just when she picked it up, one of the men raised his weapon and fired, hitting Sam on her side.

Suddenly Daniel and Teal'c appeared and started shooting at the men. Teal'c aimed his staff weapon and fired at one of them, killing him instantly. Daniel fired at the other man and hit him in the arm, as the man stumbled into the trees and ran away.

Jack crawled over to Sam. She was losing a lot of blood and was very pale.

"Jack, are you alright?" Daniel said.

"I'm okay" Jack said. He pulled Sam up into his arms and cradled her. "Please, God, don't let her die" Jack whispered.

"Jack, you're not okay. You've been shot!" Daniel said as he saw Jack's bloody arm.

Daniel and Teal'c quickly took off their gear and each pulled out large cotton pads and a small role of tape. Teal'c told Jack to lay Sam down and take off his jacket. Teal'c pressed the pad against Jack's arm and taped it in place and Jack put his jacket back on.

Daniel took two pads and pressed them against Sam's side and taped them as tightly as he could, then said "her vest didn't protect her, if it had been her chest there would have been more protection."

"We can't worry about that now, we have to get her back to the SGC" Jack said.

"I will carry her, O'Neill" Teal'c said as he handed his staff weapon to Daniel and lifted Sam into his arms as the men started walking.

Jack kept glancing at Sam. Blood was soaking through the pads.

Jack soon began to slow down from the pain in his arm. Jack grasped his arm and could feel blood soaking through his jacket and he started to feel faint. They could see the Gate and Daniel ran ahead and dialed Earth. Teal'c hurried through the event horizon. Daniel put his arm around Jack's waist to help him stand when he realized that Jack was about to pass out.

General Hammond ran downstairs to meet them. Teal'c came through the Gate carrying Sam and went directly to the infirmary without saying a word to Hammond. Jack and Daniel followed and General Hammond saw that Jack was injured also. He motioned for him to follow Teal'c and the General followed Jack and Daniel into the infirmary.

Teal'c laid Sam down on one of the beds as Janet and her team went to work.

Daniel helped Jack to lie down on a bed next to Sam and another doctor and nurse began to check Jack's wounded arm.

"What happened?" General Hammond asked Daniel.

Daniel told General Hammond that he and Teal'c had been just ahead of Jack and Sam when they heard the shots and ran back to see what was going on. He wasn't sure exactly how it all started, but that he was just glad that he and Teal'c got to them when they did or they might not be alive.

Janet came over to General Hammond and said "we're going to have to operate, sir. Sam has lost a lot of blood and I can't tell to what extent the damages are until I check and see. She also has a concussion. I don't usually like to put a patient to sleep under these circumstances, but I have to do something before she loses any more blood."

"Just do what you have to, doctor" Hammond said with a concerned look on his face.

The other doctor attended to Jack's wound and put his arm in a sling. The doctor told Jack to stay in bed and rest but he refused. Jack got up and got dressed and put his arm back in the sling.

General Hammond came to check on Jack.

"How you doin', son?

"I'm okay, sir. Just worried about Sam" he said as he sat back down on the side of the bed.

"Yes, we all are. I need to get in touch with Jacob and let him know what's happened."

"He has gone to San Diego, sir. He went to visit Mark is what Sam told me earlier today."

"I'll call him there then" Hammond said as he left the room.

Jack, Teal'c and Daniel waited outside the infirmary. General Hammond soon joined them again.

"I talked with Jacob. He is leaving San Diego to return as soon as he can."

"What's he going to tell Mark?" Daniel asked.

"He's going to tell him that Sam has been injured but because of the secrecy of her work for the Air Force, he cannot come here with Jacob. He will let him know something when we hear from Dr. Frasier."

A few hours passed as they waited to hear from Janet. Daniel had tried to get Jack to go to the commissary and get something to eat but Jack refused to leave. Teal'c went and brought back two cups of coffee for Jack and Daniel.

Jack was getting scared. The longer the surgery went on, the more he paced.

Daniel and Teal'c kept glancing at each other and then at Jack. They were worried about him, knowing how he felt about Sam.

A door opened and Jacob walked in. He asked how Sam was doing. Just as Daniel was about to say something, the doors opened and Janet came walking out in her green scrubs. She looked tired.

"How is she?" Hammond asked.

"She lost a lot of blood, sir. A small part of her liver was lacerated so we had to repair that and we had to remove her spleen. One of her kidneys is bruised but I think it will heal in time and we had to repair a small part of her intestine. She runs the risk of infection so we'll monitor her for that. As for the concussion, we'll just have to wait and see. We'll try to bring her out of it as much as we can but she will pretty much just have to wake up on her own and it could affect her memory. She could be asleep for a few hours, a few days or . . . I'm just not sure, sir."

"Thank you, Dr. Frasier" Hammond said.

"Can we see her?" Jack asked.

"Not yet, sir. She's still in recovery. We'll bring her out a little later and you can come sit with her if you like."

Janet went back to be with Sam. Hammond told Sam's teammates to get some rest. He and Jacob left the infirmary together.

Teal'c and Daniel slowly left the infirmary, concern about their friend showing on their faces.

Jack wandered the halls and ended up in the briefing room. He entered and shut the door. The lights were off but the light from the Gate room gave enough light in the room to see. Jack stuck his hand in his pocket and looked out the window at the Gate below. As he stood there thinking about Sam, he heard someone open the door. He turned around as Jacob closed the door behind him and he came walking over to Jack. They stood there for a few minutes just staring down at the Stargate without saying anything. Finally, Jacob spoke. "Let's sit down, Jack."

Jacob turned on the light and they sat down at the large table.

"How are you feeling, Jacob?" Jack asked.

"I have good days and bad days. I was feeling pretty good today until George called to tell me about Sam."

"What did you tell Mark?" Jack asked.

"Just that Sam had been injured and I had to get back. I just called him from George's office to give him an update. When Sam can leave the infirmary, he'll come visit. He had to hear two bad things while I was there, that the cancer has returned and that Sam has been injured."

"I'm sorry, Jacob" Jack said.

Jacob looked at Jack and could see the worry lines on his face. "How are you holding up, Jack, how's the arm?"

"I'm okay, I'll heal, I've had worse. I'm just worried about Sam" Jack said as he looked at the floor.

"I know you are." Jacob hesitated for a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Jack, can we talk off the record?"

"What about?"

"Sam."

"What about her?"

Jacob looked Jack in the eyes. "I'm not going to beat around the bush, Jack. I'm pretty certain you're in love with my daughter. Am I correct?"

Jack wasn't sure what to say. He didn't want to deny it but he wasn't sure he wanted to admit it either, especially to Sam's father.

"Jack, I'm not going to report you to George, if that's what you're afraid of. This is a private conversation between the two of us and no one else. What you say here doesn't leave this room. I'm just concerned about my daughter's happiness."

"Okay, Jacob, I won't deny it. Yes, I am in love with Sam, I have been for a very long time" Jack said sadly.

"Then why don't you do something about it?"

"I'm not even sure if Sam even remotely feels anything for me, except as a friend maybe. I know she did a few years ago when we both had to admit that we had feelings for each other during the zatarc test, but I don't know how she feels now. And even if she does care about me, we're stuck with those stupid rules and regulations" Jack said as he leaned over and rested his elbow on his knee and ran his hand through his hair.

"Why do you love her, Jack?"

Jack raised back up and looked at him. "Why wouldn't I love her? She's the most beautiful woman I've ever met. She's also the smartest person I've ever known. She can be this lean, mean, fighting machine one minute and this very feminine woman the next. Plus, she's sweet and kind and gentle and funny and sexy and she cares about people, she's good with kids and kids adore her. You've seen how good she is with Cassie. She's fun to be with and she's . . . well, do you have all day, because I could go on and on."

"I think I get the picture" Jacob said with a grin. "Do you love her enough to retire?"

"I'd retire in a heartbeat if I knew for certain Sam loved me and wanted to be with me. I haven't retired because this is the only way I can be around her. This way, I get to see her every day. I know it sounds chauvinistic but I like being here to protect Sam. I know, she's a big girl, a trained soldier, but I like being out there in the field with her, making sure she gets home. And now look what happened. I wasn't protecting her this time, was I" Jack said as began to rub his forehead.

"So you think it's your fault that Sam was injured?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, I do. For cryin' out loud, Jacob, I'm her commanding officer, it's my job to make sure my people get home safely."

"Jack, you know as well as I do that things like this happen. You cannot protect all of your team all of the time. They have to take care of themselves, that's what they're trained to do. I'm certainly not blaming you for what happened to Sam. Would you be feeling as guilty if it were Daniel or Teal'c that was injured?"

"I don't know, I guess it would affect me differently. But this is the woman I love. She is my reason for getting up in the morning, she is the reason I could be risking my life every time we go on a mission, when I know I could be at my cabin enjoying retirement. She's my whole world, Jacob, and she doesn't even know it and now I may never get the chance to tell her" Jack said as tears came to his eyes but he quickly wiped them away.

"She is going to get better, Jack, you have to believe that" Jacob said as he put his hand on Jack's shoulder "and I think it's time you let her know how you feel. Let me tell you something. While Sam and I were in Aspen, we talked about a lot of things, especially you."

"Why were you talking about me?"

Jacob stood and smiled at Jack. "Let's just say your feelings are mutual. Now get down to the infirmary and let Sam know how you feel about her when she wakes up."

"But, Jacob, tell me what you talked about."

"I'm not going to say anything else, but let's just say you won't be disappointed if you play your cards right." Jacob started to leave, turned around and looked back at Jack.

"By the way, Jack . . ."

"Yes?"

"I would be proud to have you as a son-in-law."

"You would . . . really?" Jack asked, hardly believing what he had just heard.

Jacob just grinned at him and walked out.

Jack went back to the infirmary. Sam had been moved to one side, away from everyone else. Jack walked up beside her and looked at her. She was so pale and looked so fragile. Jack found a chair and pulled it up beside the bed and sat down. Jack reached over and squeezed Sam's hand.

"Come on, Sam" Jack whispered. "You have to wake up. I miss you."

Daniel came in, found a chair and sat down beside Jack. They sat there in silence for a few minutes. "She will get better, Jack."

"She just has to, Daniel. I need to tell her . . ."

"That you love her?"

"Yeah" Jack said as he glanced over at Daniel.

"About time" Daniel said with a grin.

Soon Teal'c entered the infirmary and sat down on the floor at the foot of Sam's bed and closed his eyes as if in a state of kel'no'reem.

Janet came by and checked Sam's vital signs and left the men alone.

Jacob and George entered the infirmary and stopped when they noticed that all of SG-1 was there.

"Knew we would find them all here" Hammond whispered to Jacob.

"I think I'll stay awhile, George."

"Okay. I'll come back later."

One of the nurses found an extra chair and took it to Jacob. He sat down on the opposite side of the bed from Jack and Daniel. As the men talked quietly, they glanced at Sam occasionally to see if there was any movement.

An hour passed. Daniel and Teal'c decided to go get something to eat, but Jack refused to leave.

"I want to be here when she wakes up" Jack told them.

Jacob came and sat down in Daniel's chair.

"Jack, you need some rest. Please go lie down. I promise someone will come get you if there's any change. Please?"

"Okay, but if there's just the smallest change, I want to know about it" Jack said.

"I'll see to it" Jacob said.

§§§§§§§§

The next morning Jack went to the commissary for a quick breakfast then went to the infirmary. Janet informed him that there had been little change with Sam during the night.

"Sir, try talking to her. It's been proven that patients with head injuries can sometimes hear us when we talk to them. It might help her to come out of this" Janet said as she drew the curtain around the bed and walked away.

Jack sat down in a chair beside Sam and held her hand. "Sam, we need you to wake up. We all want you to come back to us. I need you to come back to me. I miss you. I miss seeing your smile every day, I miss teasing you and just being with you."

Jack wasn't aware that Jacob was standing outside the curtain and was listening to him.

"I love you, Sam. We have a future together, or at least I hope we do. Your Dad seems to think so and I hope he's right. I promise, if you'll wake up I'll do everything I can to make you happy. Please Sam, I need you."

Jack stopped talking but held on to Sam's hand. Suddenly he thought he felt Sam squeeze his hand so he squeezed back. Once again, he felt it.

"Doc!" Jack yelled as he pushed back the curtain and almost ran into Jacob.

Janet came around the corner.

"What is it, Colonel?" Janet said.

"She squeezed my hand!"

"Let me see" Janet said as she ran over to Sam and took hold of Sam's hand.

"Sam, can you hear me? If so, squeeze my hand." Janet waited and felt movement. "She squeezed my fingers!" Janet said with a grin.

Teal'c and Daniel came running in. They had heard Jack yell for Janet.

Janet got out her pen light and opened Sam's eyes.

Sam moaned and was suddenly surrounded by Jacob, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c.

"Sam, wake up!" Janet said.

Sam slowly opened her eyes. "I knew you were in there somewhere," Janet said as she smiled at her.

"What happened?" Sam said as she tried to focus.

Suddenly, everyone was talking at once.

"Okay everybody! Honey, you were shot and you have a concussion. You've also been through surgery but I think now that you're awake you'll be getting better" Janet said.

Jacob came from behind Janet, leaned over and kissed Sam on the forehead. "Hi honey, you had me worried for awhile there."

"Hi Dad" Sam said weakly. "Water?"

Daniel picked up the glass of water on the nightstand and held the plastic straw to her lips.

"Thanks" she said.

"You're welcome. Nice to have you back in the land of the living" Daniel said as he squeezed her arm and grinned at her.

"I'm glad to see that you are awake, Major Carter" Teal'c said.

"I guess I'm awake. I feel awfully groggy."

"That's because of the medicine and the bump on your head" Janet said. "You'll feel better, just give it time."

Jack stood there not knowing what to say or do. He thought about falling to his knees and thanking God that she was okay. Another part of him felt like crying with relief. He came around from the foot of the bed. As if on cue, everyone stepped back and he placed his hand on Sam's.

"Welcome back, Carter" he said with a smile.

"Thank you, sir. What happened to you?" she asked as she frowned.

"Had a little run-in with some bad guys. Nothing serious, I'll be fine" Jack said as he smiled at her.

"Just rest, Sam. I'll be back later to check on you" Janet said as she went to check on another patient.

"I think I'll go get some lunch. Want to join me, Teal'c?" Daniel asked, hoping he would take the hint.

"Indeed."

"I'll go tell George you're awake. He'll be glad to hear the good news" Jacob said as he kissed Sam again on the forehead.

"I'll stay here and keep her company" Jack said as he smiled at Jacob.

"Yes, you do that" Jacob said and grinned back at him.

Jack sat down in a chair beside Sam and held her hand and started rubbing it with his thumb.

Sam stared at Jack for a few moments, then said softly "did you mean what you said?"

"When?"

"You were talking to me. Do you really . . . love me?" Sam said a little hesitantly.

"You heard me?"

"Yes, I did" Sam said as she continued to stare at Jack.

"I meant every word I said, Sam. Yes, I love you. I've loved you a long time."

"I love you too, Jack."

Jack smiled. "You need to rest. We'll talk when you feel better."

"Stay with me?"

"Undomesticated equines couldn't drive me away" Jack said as he smiled at her and held tightly to her hand.

"You so funny, Jack" Sam mumbled as she closed her eyes.

§§§§§§§§

Several days later . . .

SG-1 was on stand down until Sam was well.

Teal'c was going back to Chulak to visit Rya'c but would be back in a few days. General Kerrigan had asked him to help with training the new recruits at the Academy.

Daniel was going back to USC. The last time he had been there to visit his friend, he had asked Daniel to come back and do a few lectures. Now was the perfect time.

"I'm leaving now, honey" Jacob said as he give Sam a hug. "I'll see you in a few days."

"Okay, Dad. I'll miss you" Sam said as she sat on the side of the bed.

Sam wanted to leave the infirmary. Janet told her she could leave as long as someone was with her at all times, as she was too weak to be by herself. Jack immediately offered to let Sam stay at his house.

"Jack, you take good care of my baby girl and remember what we talked about" Jacob said.

"I will, Jacob. I won't forget" Jack said as he shook Jacob's hand.

Jacob and George walked out of the infirmary, talking quietly.

"I'll carry that for you, Major Carter" Teal said as he picked up her laptop and he helped her off the bed.

"Thanks, Teal'c" Sam said.

Sam sat down carefully in the wheelchair and Janet handed her the medicine she would need to take when she got home. Janet leaned over and gave her friend a hug.

Jack pushed the wheelchair slowly to the elevator. Daniel came around the corner and Jack stopped.

"Here's the book you wanted to read, Sam" Daniel said as he handed it to her.

"Thanks, Daniel."

"I'll check in with you later" he said as he waved and walked off.

"Teal'c, I think I can carry that in my lap. Just lay it on top of the book and that way you won't have to go out with us" Sam said as she picked up her purse and Teal'c laid her laptop on top of the book Daniel had just given her.

"As you wish, Major Carter."

"Thanks, Teal'c. You're welcome to visit me if you like."

"I will do so" Teal'c said as he bowed his head and started to walk away.

"Oh, Teal'c" Sam said.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for carrying me back to the Stargate when I was injured on that planet."

"You are most welcome" Teal'c said with a smile. "I am glad you are feeling much better. Please let me know if I may be of assistance while you are recuperating."

"I will" Sam said as she smiled at him.

Jack took everything that Sam was holding in her lap and placed it on the middle of the seat of his truck. He then helped Sam stand up from her wheelchair and he lifted her in his arms and sat her on the seat. He then put the wheelchair in the back.

They arrived at Jack's house and he helped Sam out of the truck. She wanted to walk a little so Jack was trying not to hover too much. By the time she had walked into Jack's house, down two steps, and sat down in the living room, she was feeling faint. Jack had followed her and sat down beside her.

"You okay?"

"I guess I'm weaker than I thought."

"Are you hungry? Janet made me promise to make you eat but it has to be soft foods for awhile. How about some soup and crackers?"

"Sounds good" Sam said as she lay down slowly on the sofa. Jack went to get a blanket and pillow.

Jack prepared the food and he helped Sam to the table. They talked about their last mission.

"Sam, I'm sorry I didn't protect you from those men on the planet."

"Sir, it wasn't your fault."

"Okay, we have to get something straight. Any time we're away from the base, you have to call me Jack."

"Okay, Jack" Sam grinned. "Back to the subject, you can't blame yourself, everything happened so fast."

"Jacob tried to tell me I can't blame myself but when I saw you lying there on the ground bleeding, I thought my heart would stop" Jack said as tears came to his eyes.

"Oh, Jack" Sam said as she put her hand on his cheek. "The main thing is we made it home and we're both okay. Let's not dwell on what might have happened."

"I'll try."

They finished eating and Sam walked slowly back to the sofa and placed the blanket over her legs. After Jack put the dishes in the dishwasher, he came and sat beside her. Sam raised up the blanket and spread it across both their legs. Jack interlaced his fingers with Sam's and she put her head on his shoulder.

"Sam, apparently you talked to Jacob about me while you were in Aspen."

"Yes, what did he tell you?"

"That we have mutual feelings for each other and that we should do something about it."

"I agree. I'm sorry I left it in the room, Jack. So many times I have wanted to talk to you about what happened that day. I think I've been scared to admit to myself just how strong my feelings for you really are."

"Why?"

"Because I've never felt this way about another man in all my life. Sure, I've had a few serious relationships but all of those ended in disaster and I guess I'm afraid to be hurt again. I was never in love with any of those men the way I am with you. We know each other so well. We both know each other's faults and quirky little habits. We've seen each other at our worst. We've seen each other wounded and sick countless times. Heck, you've seen me with dirty hair and no make-up" Sam said with a grin.

"Yes, I have and you're just as beautiful without make-up as you are with it" Jack said as he turned on the sofa and looked into Sam's eyes.

"You're really sweet" Sam said.

"It's easy to be sweet to you" Jack said as they stared at each other and Jack slowly leaned over and kissed her. It was their first real kiss, without some alternate reality, alien influence or wacky virus interfering.

"I love you, Sam, more than I can say."

"I love you too, Jack" Sam said as she lay her head back on Jack's shoulder.

"You know, I think Dad really wants us together."

"Ya think?" Jack said. "He and I had a talk about you while you were in the infirmary."

"And what did you say about me?

"Well, let's just say he's looking out for his daughter's happiness and he seems to think I'm the person to make you happy."

"I certainly have to agree with him."

"As a matter of fact, he told me he would be proud to have me as a son-in-law" Jack said with a big grin.

Sam raised her head from Jack's shoulder. "He did?" she said as she gave Jack one of her biggest smiles.

"Yes, he did."

Jack looked into Sam's eyes for a few seconds and said "I love you so much, Sam, I thought I was going to lose you on that planet. I asked God to please not let you die before I had a chance to tell you how much you mean to me and apparently he heard me. I think I would have gone off the deep end if you had not woke up after the surgery. You're my whole world, Sam, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, because you know what?"

"What?"

"I am so totally whipped when it comes to you."

Sam blushed. "I feel the same way."

Jack leaned his forehead against Sam's and kissed her again, then he put his arm gently around her.

"Too bad I can't hug you the way I'd like to" Jack said softly.

"Oh, you'll get your chance."

"We should have done this a long time ago, Jack."

"So many times I've come so close to saying something to you and then I'd lose my confidence" Jack said.

"But the main thing is, we're discussing it now."

They stayed up talking into the night.

§§§§§§§§

It had now been three weeks since Sam and Jack were injured and the time passed quickly. They enjoyed their time together, just the two of them, getting to know each other better. Both were a little sad to see this time coming to an end.

Daniel and Teal'c had been by Jack's house a few times, bringing food whenever they came. They could tell that Sam and Jack were closer and both seemed happier.

Mark had come to visit and had stayed a few days. He was glad to see that his sister was going to be okay and it gave Mark time to get to know Jack better.

General Hammond had asked Jack to come to the Mountain to discuss something with him. Jacob was there for a chemo session and had stopped to see General Hammond when Jack arrived. Jack came home that afternoon to find Mark and Sam outside on the deck. Jack came through the door and said "look who's here."

Mark and Sam looked up at the same time and Jacob walked out.

"Dad" Sam grinned as she stood up to hug her father.

"You're looking much better, Sammie, than the last time I saw you."

"Thanks."

"Hi Dad" Mark said as he gave his father a hug.

Jack saw the happy smile on Sam's face as she watched her brother and father hug.

They all sat down and started talking.

Sam could see that Jacob didn't look well but chose not to say anything about it.

§§§§§§§§

Jack had talked it over with Sam, and after much discussion, Jack decided there was only one way they could be together and that was for him to retire.

Sam was feeling much stronger, so Jack took her back to see Janet for a check-up.

"You're healing fine, Sam" Janet said with a smile "but you're still not allowed back on duty yet. Let's give it one more week. I want to be sure you're really strong enough to come back to work. I'll let General Hammond know."

Jack went to see General Hammond while Sam was with Janet and he knocked on the door.

"Come."

"Hello, sir."

"Well, Jack, how are you, how's the arm?"

"Almost well, sir."

"Have a seat. And how's Major Carter?"

"She's with Janet right now. Sir, there is something I need to give you and please don't get upset because I need to do this" Jack said as he handed Hammond a letter.

Hammond took the letter, opened it and read Jack's letter of resignation.

"Well, I'll be honest, Jack, I'm not really surprised. This has to do with Sam, doesn't it, son?"

"Yes sir, it does. I love Sam and she loves me and when we were both injured, it just made us realize how much we mean to each other and we don't want to waste any more time being apart."

Hammond grinned. "I certainly hate to lose you, Jack, but I do understand. I know Jacob will be thrilled. He has wanted you two together for a long time."

"He talked to you about us?"

"Oh, lots of times. I must agree with him, you and Sam are perfect for each other."

"Thank you sir, I'm glad you feel that way."

"Just do me one favor" Hammond said.

"Name it."

"Invite me to the wedding."

"You got it" Jack said with a big smile.

When Sam came back to work, she was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and took Jack's place as leader of SG-1.

Jack and Sam spent all their time together when Sam wasn't on duty.

Jack told Sam that he wanted to take her to a new restaurant in town and she needed to dress up. Jack came to pick her up and she opened the door. Jack just stood there. Sam was wearing a black dress that hugged her in all the right places, strappy high heels and her hair and make-up looked perfect.

Finally, he came into the house but didn't take his eyes off Sam.

"You can touch me, Jack, I won't break" Sam said with a grin.

"I'm afraid if I touch you, I won't let go" Jack said.

Sam stepped closer to him, put her arms around his neck and kissed him.

They were sitting across from each other in a quiet corner of the restaurant. Jack noticed that Sam was unusually quiet, so he asked her what was wrong.

"Jack, there is something you need to know."

"What's that?"

Sam looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Honey, what is it?" Jack said as he started to feel a little nervous.

Sam wiped a tear from her cheek. "First, would you like to be a dad again?"

"Absolutely. Why?"

"Because of the protein marker left by Jolinar, I may not be able to have children" Sam said as tears started to spill over on her cheeks and she looked down at the table.

Jack took hold of Sam's hands. "Sam, look at me. I want you to understand me" he said as he looked into her eyes. "I love you with all my heart. You mean more to me than anyone else in this world and having you with me makes my life complete. If we have children, it would make me just that much happier, but if we don't, I'm still going to feel that I'm the most fortunate man on the planet because I have you. I don't want you to feel guilty if we can't have children."

"But, Jack . . ."

"No buts, Sam. What happened to you because of Jolinar is not your fault. I will always love you, whether we have a dozen kids or no kids. What will it take for me to convince you of that?"

"Just keep telling me it doesn't matter" Sam said as she tried to smile.

They arrived back at Sam's house a little later and sat down on the sofa.

"Sam" Jack said as they faced each other and held hands "I'm not going to let you get away from me and I'm not willing to waste even one more day, so I'm going to ask you this right now."

"What?" Sam said as her eyes got big and her heart began to pound.

"I love you, Samantha, will you marry me?" Jack asked with a hopeful look on his face.

"Yes!"

Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He opened it to show her a beautiful engagement ring and slipped it on her finger. Sam sat staring at it.

§§§§§§§§

Daniel, Teal'c, Siler and Colonel Reynolds wanted to give the couple an engagement party and Mark and his family were invited. They invited anyone from the SGC who wanted to attend. Jacob was back on Earth for another chemo session so he was there also. It was held at Colonel Reynolds' house since he had a large deck on the back of his house and a big back yard.

General Hammond was sitting at a table with Jacob, Jack and Sam. He stood up and got everyone's attention.

"First of all, how about a hand for Dr. Jackson, Teal'c, Sergeant Siler and Colonel Reynolds for organizing this party."

Everyone applauded.

"Thanks Colonel Reynolds for having us here."

"You're welcome, sir" Colonel Reynolds said.

Hammond continued. "I must say, this has been a long time coming and I'm thrilled for Jack and Sam. It will certainly be different not having Jack around with his sense of humor to liven up our briefings."

"Got that right" Daniel said.

Jack smiled at Daniel and Sam grinned.

"I wish you much happiness. Jack, Sam is like a daughter to me so you better take good care of her."

"Yes sir, I will, I promise" Jack said.

"And now" Hammond said "I believe the father of the bride would like to say a few words."

Jacob stood up.

"First of all, thanks to everyone responsible for this party. It's a lot of fun. I would like to say that I'm happy that Jack and Sam are finally getting married. I won't go into detail, but I think I helped this romance along a little and got across to them how happy they could be together. Sam, you and your brother are the most important people in the world to me and I'm glad Mark and his family could be here to join us."

Sam and Mark glanced at each other and smiled.

"Now, I would like to say something to Jack."

"Look out, Jack" someone yelled.

Jack looked up at Jacob with a little hesitancy.

Everyone got really quiet, eager to hear what Jacob was about to say.

"Jack, I already love you like a son and you know that. But Sam is my little girl and if you ever hurt her, I'll rip your face off. And, when I'm not around any longer, I know that there are lots of guys here tonight who care about her and would be more than happy to take my place, so you better behave."

Everyone laughed.

"No, I'm just teasing Jack" Jacob said as he laid his hand on Jack's shoulder. "I know he loves Sam too much to ever hurt her. I wish you both my best." Jacob started to sit down, then said "oh, and one more thing . . . a few more grandchildren would be nice."

Jacob asked Sam to dance and as they were dancing she could tell that her father was tired.

"Dad, be honest. How are you really feeling?"

"I can tell I'm getting weaker, honey, but I am determined to be here for your wedding."

Sam felt tears in her eyes as she hugged her Dad.

General Hammond, Jack and Mark were watching Sam dance with her Dad.

"George, do you think Dad is really okay?"

"To be honest, Mark, I think he's putting on a brave face."

§§§§§§§§

Jack and Sam sold both of their houses and bought a larger one.

There were wedding plans to be made. When General Hammond overheard Sam telling Daniel and Teal'c they didn't have a place yet for the wedding, he offered his back yard. Jack and Sam had seen it a few times when he had invited people from the SGC to his house for different occasions. After discussing it with Jack, they thought it would be just the right size and a beautiful place to have the wedding and the reception, so they accepted.

Sam asked Janet to be her maid of honor and Jack asked Daniel to be his best man.

Sam wanted something pretty for her bride's dress but nothing elaborate. She, Janet and Cassie went shopping and found the perfect dress. It was white with wide-set straps, scoop neckline and tight bodice to the waist and a slim skirt that came just to her knees. The straps and bodice had a layer of delicate lace which made the dress very feminine. Janet chose a pink knee length dress.

Jack, Jacob and Daniel chose to wear navy blue suits.

Sam met with a florist at General Hammond's house to plan how to decorate the back yard. She also met with a caterer for the food and one of the nurses from the SGC suggested a band for the music.

The big day finally arrived and the weather was perfect.

Chairs had been set up in the back yard with an aisle down the middle of the chairs. At the front, the florist had done an excellent job with the flowers and a space for the minister, Jack and Sam to stand with Janet and Daniel to stand beside them.

Sam was in General Hammond's guest room getting ready with Janet and Cassie. Janet was putting the final touches on Sam's make-up.

"You look gorgeous" Cassie said as she put an earring in her ear.

"Thanks. I'm getting a little nervous" Sam said.

"Is it nervousness or excitement?" Janet asked with a grin.

"A little of both, I guess. I can't believe I'm finally about to become Jack's wife" Sam said as tears came to her eyes.

"Oh please don't cry, Sam" Janet said. "If you cry, I'll cry. You know how I am at weddings. I just become this big blubbering idiot and then I look like a raccoon when my mascara starts to run."

Cassie and Sam laughed and it helped ease the tension that Sam was feeling.

There was a knock on the door and Cassie went to answer it. Jacob walked in.

"Ready, ladies?"

"Yes, Dad, we are. You look so handsome" Sam said with a smile.

"And you look beautiful, Sammie." He looked at Cassie and Janet and said "could I have a word with my daughter before we go?"

"Certainly, sir" Janet said as she hurried Cassie out the door.

Jacob turned to Sam. "I just want you to know how very happy I am for you, honey. I wish your mother could be here today. She would be so very happy for you and I know she would adore Jack."

"I think so too" Sam said.

"I'm glad I'm still here to see you and Jack get married."

"I'm glad you're still here too, Dad" Sam said as she could feel herself getting misty.

"I know you two have waited a long time for this and I know you're going to be great together. He's a good guy. I just want you to know how much I love you" Jacob said as he hugged his daughter.

"I love you too, Dad" Sam whispered, trying not to cry.

Jack was at the front with Daniel beside him as they watched Janet come first. Then came the bride with her father. Jack and Sam locked eyes and both started to smile.

As Jack and Sam repeated their vows, Janet was trying hard not to cry. She watched Jack as he said his vows and could see from the look in his eyes, just how much he loved Sam. She looked over at Cassie who was sitting next to Teal'c and saw that Cassie was wiping her eyes. She stared off in the distance so she could gain her composure and choked back the tears that were threatening to fall.

Soon the minister pronounced them husband and wife as everyone applauded.

The group was enjoying themselves after the wedding.

Jack was dancing with Sam and she had her arms around his neck, staring into his eyes.

"We did it!" Jack said, then pulled her close and whispered in her ear "I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Jack" Sam said as she felt tears roll down her cheeks. Jack heard her sniff so he pulled her back and looked at her.

"Hey, you're not having regrets about marrying me are you, Mrs. O'Neill?" he teased.

"Not in the least. I'm just happy" Sam said as she wiped her face and laid her head on Jack's shoulder and slid her arms around his waist.

George, Jacob, Daniel, Teal'c and Mark were watching the couple dance.

"I was beginning to wonder if they would ever realize that they should be together" Daniel said.

"I was beginning to think I would never have a brother-in-law" Mark said. "Dad, you mentioned at the engagement party that you 'helped this romance along a little.' What exactly did you mean?"

"Yeah, what was that about?" George asked.

"That's for me, Jack and Sam to know and the rest of you to wonder" Jacob said as he grinned at them, then walked off and left the men staring at him with looks of confusion on their faces.

§§§§§§§§

Sam gave Mark and General Hammond the phone number of the place where they would be staying on their honeymoon. Sam wanted them to have it in case something happened to Jacob.

Jack and Sam left for their two week honeymoon. Jamaica was beautiful and they enjoyed their relaxing time together.

One morning Jack woke up to find Sam propped up on her elbow looking at him.

"Good morning, Mr. O'Neill."

"Good morning yourself, Mrs. O'Neill. Why are you staring at me?"

"Because I love you so much and I can't believe we're finally married" she said with a grin and leaned over to kiss him on the nose.

Jack raised up and pushed her back on the bed and kissed her.

"I love you, sweetheart" he said as he slowly made love to Sam.

On their last night there, they sat on the beach to watch the sunset. Jack put his arm around Sam's shoulder. She looked at Jack and gave him a soft kiss.

"I can't believe how happy I am" Sam said.

"Me too" Jack said as he returned the kiss and squeezed her shoulder.

"You know, it's funny" Sam said.

"What is?"

"Everyone around us knew that we loved each other but we hadn't done anything about it before now."

"I know. We wasted a lot of time. If it hadn't been for your Dad, I'm still not sure we would be together."

"Yeah, that's true. Dad thought I was already falling in love with you the first time he met you."

"In Washington?"

"Yes."

"Very perceptive man."

"Yeah. So, you were falling for me?" Sam said as she looked Jack in the eyes.

"Yes, although I tried to fight it, I guess because of the regs."

"Then came the zatarc test" Sam said with a sigh.

"When that happened, I came very close to resigning and asking you to marry me."

"I didn't know that!" Sam said as she turned sideways to face him.

"Nobody knew it."

"But apparently you changed your mind. Why?"

"You wanted to leave it in the room so after I thought about it for awhile, I thought maybe you felt your career was more important."

"I've been so foolish. We could have been together three years ago. I wish you had said something."

"I didn't because I thought you knew what was best for you and I wanted you to be happy, whether I was in your life or not."

"I'm sorry."

Jack turned to face her. "I don't want you to feel bad about this. The main thing is, we're together now and that's what matters. We can't change the past so let's just enjoy what we have now. Maybe, in a way, it was good that nothing was done about it then. In the last three years I've come to realize how much I love you and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt this is right for both of us. Maybe three years ago, it wouldn't have been."

"You're very wise" Sam said softly.

"Well, I have my moments" Jack said with a grin.

§§§§§§§§

Soon Jack and Sam were home again. There was a message on their answering machine from General Hammond for Sam to please call him when they returned.

"Hello, General, it's Sam. You called, sir?"

"Yes, how was Jamaica?"

"Beautiful and wonderful" Sam said.

"That's great. I just wanted you to know that Jacob is in the infirmary."

"Is he okay?" Sam asked feeling a little scared.

"He is for now."

"When, what happened?"

"Night before last. He came through the Gate and went immediately to see Dr. Frasier. He was feeling really weak."

"We'll be in soon, sir."

Jack and Sam hurried to the SGC to find Jacob sitting up in bed, talking with Daniel.

"Hi Dad" Sam said as she hugged her father.

"Hello honey" Jacob said.

"How was the honeymoon?" Daniel asked.

"Terrific and much too short" Jack answered.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, Sam."

"I need to get back to work" Daniel said as he turned to leave.

"We'll talk later, Daniel" Jack said.

"Okay" Daniel said with a wave.

Janet walked in and hugged Sam. "Welcome back you two" she said with a grin.

Jack asked to speak with Janet while Sam talked with Jacob.

"How is he?" Jack asked as they walked over to the corner of the room.

"Not good, Colonel. You need to talk him into staying on Earth instead of going back to be with the Tok'ra. He's getting weaker and he needs to be here to spend what time he has left with the people who love him" Janet said as she looked over at Jacob.

"Sam and I already talked" Jack said "and we want Jacob to stay with us."

"I think that would be best" Janet said.

Jack and Sam let Jacob sleep awhile and they went to check in with General Hammond.

"I'm sorry Jacob is not doing well, Sam" the General said sadly.

"Me too, sir" Sam whispered.

The three talked for awhile then Jack and Sam returned to the infirmary.

"Dad" Sam began. "Jack and I want you to come home with us."

"I don't want to be a burden to you."

"Dad, we talked about this in Aspen, remember, and we agreed you would live with me."

"That's before you and Jack were married and I don't want to intrude. You just got married and you need your privacy" Jacob argued.

"Jacob, we are not taking 'no' for an answer. We have more than enough room to have you stay with us" Jack protested.

"Dad, we really want you to do this" Sam said as she squeezed his hand.

"Okay, but I want you to promise to treat me like you always have and not like an invalid and not with pity."

"We promise" Jack and Sam said together.

A few days later, Jacob felt well enough to leave the infirmary and Jack took him to their house while Sam was off-world.

Jack and Jacob sat on the deck one evening talking.

"Jack, do you worry about Sam when she's off-world?"

"Constantly. If I had my way she would never go through the Gate again but I would never say that to her. She loves what she does and she's good at it. She has a bright career ahead of her."

"What if you have kids, do you think she would give it up?"

"I would hope she would give up going through the Gate but I would never ask her to give up her career. It's a big part of who she is and I would never ask her to change and I don't want her to. She has such a brilliant mind, she needs the constant challenge. Maybe if we have kids she could work just in her lab or something. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

"Do you think you would like being a stay-at-home dad?" Jacob asked.

"Sure, I'd love it. I have no problem with that whatsoever" Jack answered.

"I think you would be an exceptional father so I hope you get another chance to be a dad."

"Thanks" Jack said as he grinned at Jacob.

"Jacob, I want to thank you for what you did, talking to me and Sam and getting us to finally talk about how we feel about each other."

"You're welcome, Jack. You know, I knew you two would end up together somehow."

"You did?"

"Yes, you're perfect for each other and everyone around you saw it. It just took you two a little time to figure it out" Jacob said as he stared into the sky.

Suddenly they heard the door open to the deck and out stepped Sam.

"And how are my two favorite men this evening?" Sam asked.

"Honey, we didn't expect you home until tomorrow" Jack said as he stood up and hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.

"We finished the mission early so I wanted to get home and see how both of you are" Sam said as she sat down.

"You mean you wanted to check and see how Jack and I are getting along?" Jacob said with a laugh.

"No, Dad" Sam said as she playfully hit Jacob on the knee. "I knew you and Jack would get along fine. That never entered my mind" Sam said with a grin.

A few weeks passed and Jacob had his good days and bad days. He and Jack had a lot of time to talk and get to know each other better when Sam was away on missions, and their relationship became very close.

Mark came to visit his Dad. The three men enjoyed their time together. Mark helped Jack plant some new bushes in their backyard. Mark mowed the lawn while Jack trimmed some overgrown hedges. Jacob sat on the deck and watched.

Mark was leaving one morning to go back to San Diego and he hugged his dad and held on tight as Jack watched.

"You take care of yourself, Dad" Mark said.

"I will son, I love you."

"I love you too, Dad." Mark thought this might be the last time he would see his father alive.

Jack walked with Mark to his waiting taxi and the two men embraced.

"Take care of my father, Jack" he said as tears came to his eyes and he quickly wiped them away.

"I will, Mark. I'm glad you got to spend some time with him" Jack said, feeling his own emotions rising to the surface.

§§§§§§§§

Sam, Teal'c and Daniel were on a mission and they had just finished eating. Suddenly, Sam felt very ill and went running behind a tree and threw up her lunch.

"Sam, are you alright?" Daniel asked as he came running after her.

"Yes, must have been something I ate" Sam said feeling a little weak.

They completed their mission and were on their way back to the Stargate. Daniel and Teal'c were walking ahead of Sam, chatting as they walked along. Suddenly they heard a thump behind them and turned to see what it was. Sam was lying on the ground with her eyes closed. Teal'c handed his staff weapon to Daniel and picked up Sam as they quickly made their way to the Stargate. Teal'c took Sam to the infirmary. A few minutes later she opened her eyes.

"What happened?" she asked.

"We're not sure" Janet said. "You passed out and Teal'c carried you through the Gate." Janet asked her some questions to try to determine what might be wrong.

Daniel called Jack to tell him that Sam had passed out. He reached Jack on his cell phone while in his truck so he hurried to the SGC. Jack called Jacob and told him that something was wrong with Sam, nothing serious he thought, and he would call him when he knew what was going on. Jack arrived at the SGC and came running down the hall into the infirmary. Sam was sitting up in bed.

"Honey, are you alright?" Jack asked with a scared look on his face.

"I'm fine, Jack."

Janet came around the corner and grinned at both of them.

"What's going on, is she okay, Janet" Jack asked.

"Did you tell him?" Janet asked as she looked at Sam.

"He just got here so I haven't had a chance."

"Tell me what?"

"I'm pregnant!" Sam answered with a big smile.

"What!" Jack said.

"I can't believe it" Sam said. "I didn't think it was possible but now I'm going to be a mom" she said as she started to cry.

"Oh honey" Jack said as he hugged her tightly.

Janet gave some medicine and instructions for her to follow and Jack took her home.

When they arrived, Jacob met them at the door, looking worried.

"Sammie, you okay?"

"I'm fine, Dad. Let's sit down" Sam said as she sat down by Jacob and Jack stood watching.

Sam reached over and took Jacob's hand and said "you're going to be a grandpa again!"

Jacob's face lit up as he hugged his daughter.

"Oh Sam, I'm so happy for you, for both of you" Jacob said as he looked up at Jack who was standing there with a big smile on his face.

Sam called Mark to tell him the good news.

Jack and Sam decided to have a barbecue in celebration of the baby and asked Janet, General Hammond, Daniel and Teal'c to come.

It was a beautiful day. Everyone was sitting around eating, laughing and telling stories about the missions they had been on and funny stories of other people at the base.

Sam happened to glance over at Jacob. He had gotten very quiet and just when she was about to say something to him, he stood up and went inside the house and Sam followed him to his bedroom. They both sat down on the bed.

"Dad, you okay?"

"I guess, honey."

"Dad?"

Jacob looked at her with sad eyes. "Guess I'm realizing I won't be here to see my new grandchild."

Jacob and Sam weren't aware that Jack had followed them into the house and was listening in the hallway.

"Dad, don't say that. You don't know how long you've got and I need you now more than ever" Sam said as she started to cry and she put her head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her.

"I want you to be here to spoil our baby" Sam said as she wiped her eyes.

"I would love to be here to do that but I don't think I have the strength to fight any more."

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"Me too, honey, me too."

Jack turned around and walked softly back down the hall and went outside to join their friends.

"Everything okay, Jack?" General Hammond asked.

"Jacob and Sam just need a few minutes to themselves" was the only explanation he gave so no one asked any more questions.

When General Hammond had found out Sam was pregnant, he immediately put her in the new position as leader of the group of scientists at the SGC. Jack was relieved. That would mean less worry for him since Sam was not going through the Gate any more.

§§§§§§§§

Sam was now five months pregnant.

One morning Jack had gone to the hardware store. He left Jacob watching TV and Sam was at the base. He returned a little later and walked in the door to find Jacob lying on the kitchen floor. He tried to wake him but could not. He called General Hammond and an ambulance was sent to take Jacob to the SGC. General Hammond paged Sam to come to his office to let her know what was happening.

Jack followed in his truck behind the ambulance and Sam met him as they brought Jacob in.

Jack and Sam sat outside the infirmary and Jack was rubbing Sam's back as they waited.

"You okay, sweetie?" Jack asked quietly.

"I think so" Sam said as she tried to smile.

Daniel and Teal'c had been assigned to another team and they got back from their mission and came into the infirmary for their post-mission checks. They found Jack and Sam waiting there and Jack told them what was going on.

"Can I get you anything, Sam?" Daniel asked.

"No thanks, Daniel" Sam said as she stood to stretch her legs.

In a few minutes Janet came out of the infirmary, looking a little pensive.

"How is he?" Sam asked.

"Sit down please" Janet said to Sam.

Sam sat back down beside Jack and he put his arm around her.

"He's awake now and I've given him some drugs to help with the pain but I . . .

Janet stopped.

"Janet?" Sam said.

Janet cleared her throat. "I don't think he has much longer to live. I'm sorry, Sam, we've done everything we can."

Sam just sat there feeling numb and stared at the wall for a few moments.

"May I see him? Sam asked.

"Sure" Janet said.

"Sam, you want me to come with you?" Jack asked.

Sam reached for Jack's hand as they slowly entered the infirmary but Jack stood back to give Sam and Jacob some space.

Sam pulled up a chair and sat down beside her Dad and put her hand on top of Jacob's.

Jacob opened his eyes. "You're here."

"Yes, I'm here, Dad" Sam said as she stared into his eyes.

"I guess Janet told you I won't be around much longer to keep an eye on you" Jacob said as he tried to smile.

Sam couldn't speak.

"I want to tell you something, honey."

Sam nodded her head.

"I just want you to know how proud I am of you. First, for just being my daughter. Since the day you were born you have brought such joy to my life. You're sweet, smart and beautiful, just like your mother."

Tears started to run down Sam's cheeks and she wiped them away.

"I know we went through a rough time when your mother died and I wasn't always there for you and your brother. But I'm thankful that we've worked out our differences and I can die with no regrets. I'm proud of you and what you've accomplished in your life and career and I know you still have a great future ahead of you. I'm proud of you for marrying Jack and I know he will take very good care of you."

Sam glanced over at Jack and she could see tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I won't be around to see my new grandchild and I'm even more sorry I won't get to see you be a mother, because I think you'll be a fantastic mom. Just remember . . . I love you, honey."

"I love you too, Dad."

Sam crossed her arms and laid them on the side of Jacob's bed and she put her face down on her arms. Jacob raised his hand and began to stroke her hair.

Jack could hear Sam crying harder so he came and knelt down beside her and put his arm around her waist.

Slowly, Jacob's hand fell off of Sam's head and rested on the bed. Jack looked up to see Jacob close his eyes for the last time.

"Sam."

Sam didn't move.

"Honey" Jack whispered. "He's gone."

Suddenly, Sam raised her head and looked at Jacob.

"Oh, Dad!" Sam said and Jack pulled her into his arms and she sobbed into his shoulder.

Daniel and Teal'c came in and stood quietly at the foot of the bed. Daniel had tears in his eyes and Teal'c stood with his head bowed.

Janet moved around to the other side of the bed and slowly pulled the sheet over Jacob's face.

§§§§§§§§

Sam stood in their bedroom and smoothed down the long-sleeved black dress over her tummy and as she did, she felt the baby kick. Jack came in and encircled his arms around her from behind without saying a word and kissed her on the cheek. Sam held up a pearl necklace and Jack fastened it around her neck. They left the house and went outside to get into the waiting car.

The leaves seemed to dance in the wind as they softly blew over the grounds of the cemetery as the service began.

A large group was in attendance for the funeral of Jacob Carter. Sam stared at the flag draped coffin. On her left stood Mark and to her right stood Jack and beside him was General Hammond, both in their dress blues. Janet, Cassie, Daniel and Teal'c stood a few steps behind.

Jack put his arm around Sam's waist. After the minister finished speaking, all became quiet for a few moments. Suddenly, shots were fired on a nearby hill as Jacob Carter was given the 21 gun salute. Then came the folding of the flag with quiet precision. A solemn soldier stepped out of line, held out the flag to General Hammond and saluted before stepping back. The General then moved to stand in front of Sam and presented her with the flag and she hugged it to her chest. Their eyes met. Sam could see how much General Hammond was trying to hold in his emotions. He and Jacob had been life-long friends, as close as brothers, and this was almost as hard on him as it was on her and Mark. The General stepped back and took his place beside Jack. Then the lonely sound of Taps rang out through the chilly air. Mark slowly raised his arm and put it around Sam's shoulder as she hung her head and she and Mark cried together.

Soon the service was over. The crowd slowly started to disperse but Sam could not move from where she stood. Jack waited patiently. "We need to go now, honey" he whispered as he kept his arm around her.

"Could I have a moment please" Sam said as she clutched the flag and looked at Jack with sad eyes.

"Sure" Jack said as he stepped back and joined their friends. They stood talking quietly while they waited patiently for Sam.

Sam could not take her eyes off the coffin. "I realize I'm a grown woman, but right now I feel like a lost little girl who needs her Daddy" she said as tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm glad you're not sick any more and I miss you already. Thank you for the influence you had on my life. Thank you for getting Jack and me together. I'm so sorry you won't be here to see your new grandchild, but this baby will know everything there is to know about its grandfather. Rest in peace, Dad. I love you." Sam straightened her shoulders, wiped away the tears and turned to join her waiting husband and friends.

Jack and Sam had invited everyone to drop by their house after the funeral.

Jack was trying to give Sam some space and not smother her so he was busy helping out in the kitchen.

Daniel and Teal'c saw Sam sitting by herself in the back yard so they went to see how she was doing.

"Are we intruding?" Daniel asked as they slowly walked up to her.

"No, please, sit down" Sam said as she motioned to a bench across from her.

"Your father was a great warrior, Samantha. He was a good friend and his presence will be missed" Teal'c said as he tipped his head in respect and sat down.

"Thank you, Teal'c" Sam said as she tried to choke back the tears.

"I'll never forget your Dad, Sam. We had lots of interesting discussions over the years. He was a very smart and funny man" Daniel said.

"He had great respect for both of you" Sam said softly.

Jack saw the three of them talking so he came and sat down by Sam. He put his arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him.

In a few minutes, they all went back into the house to mingle with the other people. People soon started to leave and all that was left were General Hammond, Janet, Cassie, Teal'c and Daniel. Mark and his family would be spending the night with Jack and Sam and were now sitting on the deck. Sam excused herself and Jack followed her to the bedroom.

"Been a long day. Want me to stay with you for awhile?" Jack asked.

"Please" Sam answered.

Jack closed the door and Sam removed her necklace and slipped out of her dress. She lay down on the bed. Jack put a blanket over her then lay down to face her.

"Honey, this isn't something you're going to get over soon so please don't try to be brave. Cry if you want to."

"What would I do without you. I could not have gotten through this without you" Sam said. Jack kissed her on the cheek.

"I can't believe he's gone, Jack" Sam whispered.

"I know, baby. Now close your eyes."

In a few minutes, Jack could sense Sam relaxing. He kissed her on the temple and eased off the bed to let her rest.

The next morning, Sam and Jack followed Mark and his family outside to the waiting taxi to take them to the airport. Mark hugged Jack and then turned to Sam. He put his arms around her and they embraced. Sam started to cry, as did Mark, and they held on to each other for a few minutes.

"Take care of her, Jack" Mark said as he wiped his eyes and he and his family got into the taxi.

"I promise" Jack said as he put his arm around Sam and led her back inside.

§§§§§§§§

The SGC had given Sam and Jack a baby shower so they had almost everything they needed. The baby was due any time.

Sam woke up wishing the baby would come soon. She had loved being pregnant but now she wanted to hold this little one in her arms. Her back was hurting, but that was nothing unusual these days, so she went on to work. Around noon she was in her lab working with Chloe when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her side and then another in her back a few seconds later. Sam gripped the side of the table and sat down in her chair. Chloe ran to the phone to call Janet.

Janet came through the lab door with one of the nurses, pushing a wheelchair.

"Is this it, Sam?"

"I think so, Janet."

"Let's get you to the infirmary and we'll find out."

Sam reached into the pocket of her lab coat, sat down in the wheelchair and hit #1 on her cell phone to call Jack, as the nurse pushed her in the wheelchair to the elevator.

"Hi honey" Jack said.

"You need to get here now!"

"Is the baby coming?"

"Yes!"

"I'm on my way."

Jack ran to his truck and got in, praying as he drove that Sam and the baby would be okay. He got to the infirmary. Jack saw Sam sitting up in bed in a hospital gown with an IV in her hand.

"You okay, honey?" Jack asked.

"I'm okay now that you're here" Sam said as Jack leaned over and kissed the top of her head. Jack found a chair and sat down beside her.

Janet came in and saw that Jack had arrived.

Janet checked Sam once more. "You're doing fine, but this will probably take awhile. If you feel like it, you can get up and walk around a bit. It might hurry up the labor a little" Janet said as she left the couple alone.

Sam got out of bed and walked around in the infirmary for a few minutes until another contraction hit so hard she had to lie down again. Jack was massaging her back when Daniel and Teal'c walked in.

"How you doin' Sam?" Daniel asked.

"Just fine, Daniel, if you can imagine how it feels to have someone push a small car out of you" Sam said as she rolled her eyes.

"Watch out, Jack" Daniel said. "She's starting with the sarcastic remarks so you know when this happens, she's in a lot of pain."

"Yeah, I know" Jack said. "I went through this with Sara when Charlie was born. Every time she had a contraction she squeezed my hand so tight I thought my fingers would break."

"Oh you poor thing" Sam said sarcastically. "I'd like to see a man have a baby. Ohhhhh that hurts" Sam said as she grabbed the side of the bed with one hand and squeezed Jack's hand with the other.

"We'll wait outside" Daniel said as he and Teal'c quickly left the infirmary.

"Janet!" Jack yelled.

Janet came running in.

"She's in a lot of pain" Jack said as Sam relaxed the hold on his hand.

"Hang in there, honey. I'll get you something stronger. I'll be right back" Janet said as she disappeared around the corner. She was back in a minute and put some medicine into Sam's IV.

The medicine helped a little but the pains were still quite sharp. Sam was perspiring so Jack was holding Sam's hand with one hand and using his other hand to wipe her face with a cloth.

It had now been several hours since Sam had gone into labor. "I can't do this any more, Jack, I'm too tired" she said as she lay back on the pillow after another intense contraction.

"Honey, you're the strongest woman I know. You can do this, I know you can. Just hang in there."

Janet came to check Sam once again. "I think this is it, Sam. Now I need you to push really hard when I tell you to. Now push."

Sam pushed and squeezed Jack's hand so tight he thought she would cut off the circulation.

"One more time" Janet said.

Sam pushed once more and suddenly the sound of a crying baby filled the room.

"It's a boy!" Janet said as she lifted him up for Jack and Sam to see. Sam burst into tears.

"Let's get him cleaned up and I'll bring him right back to you" Janet said as she handed the baby to a nurse.

"You did it, honey" Jack said as he wiped tears from his eyes and kissed Sam.

"Oh, Jack. I don't think I've ever been so tired or so happy in all my life" Sam said as she lay back on the bed.

In a few minutes Janet was back with the baby, now wrapped in a warm blanket. She laid him in Sam's arms. Sam once again started to cry and Jack had to choke back the tears.

"He's beautiful" Sam said as she kissed the baby on the cheek.

Jack reached over and touched the soft wisp of hair on the baby's head.

The baby opened his eyes and stared at his mother for a few seconds then closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Sam could not take her eyes off her son. Knowing that she might not be able to have children because of the protein marker left by Jolinar, she felt this baby truly was a miracle from God. She held him close for a few minutes then handed the baby to Jack. Jack took him and cradled him in the crook of his arm as he leaned over and kissed Sam on the lips.

"Thank you" he said "for giving me the chance to be a father again."

Sam smiled through her tears.

In a few minutes, Daniel, Teal'c and General Hammond came in. There were lots of hugs and hand shakes. Janet came in and sat down on the end of the bed.

"What have you named him?" Daniel asked.

"His name is Jacob Jonathan. We'll call him Jake" Jack said.

Everyone became quiet for a few moments as they all remembered Jacob.

"He would be very proud" General Hammond said softly with tears in his eyes.

§§§§§§§§

ONE MONTH LATER:

Jack stepped out of the truck and went around to open the door for Sam. She unstrapped Jake from his carrier and held him close. They walked silently down the sidewalk between the rows of headstones until they came to Jacob's grave. Jack laid a large bouquet of flowers on the grave, then put his arm around Sam's waist.

"Hi Dad, it's Sam. Jack is with me. We just wanted you to know you have a grandson. We named him Jake. He looks like you and Jack and I are ecstatic to have this little one in our lives. I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life, Dad. I miss you so much" Sam said as tears ran down her cheeks and a tear fell on Jake's tiny hand. "When Jake is old enough to understand, I'll tell him all about his grandpa Jacob. I love you."

Sam stood staring at the headstone. Jake started to whimper so Jack took him from her arms. Sam knelt down and kissed the tips of her fingers and softly placed her hand on the headstone and held it there for a few moments.

They walked slowly back down the sidewalk. Sam was thinking about how much influence her Dad had been on getting her and Jack together. Just before she got into the truck, Sam turned around, looked back at the cemetery and whispered "thanks, Dad."

THE END

1369522 v01