Prologue
Samantha Carter sat at a table by herself. She was sipping coffee and reading the morning paper. This was her favorite time of day. It gave her a few moments of peace and time to reflect before another hectic day began. Of course, that wasn't the only reason. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was five minutes until seven and she knew that Colonel Jack O'Neill would be there soon to have breakfast. The man was like clockwork. She had a busy day ahead and she knew that she should get going. Still, she waited. She heard his voice before she actually saw him. It was a sound that she could pick out anywhere.
Her heart beat sped up the minute he entered the room and she was amazed that he could still have this effect on her. It had been nearly ten years since they had first met. It hadn't been love at first sight by any means, but that had come later. After years of denying feelings, dancing around the subject, and being kept apart by both internal and external forces, they had finally found a way to be together. For two years they dated and challenged each other in ways they never could have imagined possible. Sam smiled vaguely as she remembered the woman she had been. Traces of that personality remained, but she had changed so much since then. She was not that girl anymore. She looked over at Jack again and gave that same wistful smile. Time had changed them both.
He wasn't alone when he entered the room. There was a new girl in his life and it was easy to tell that he was completely in love with her. Currently, this new girl was looking up at him with adoring eyes and he was looking back at her, equally smitten. He stroked her hair back and sighed. As Sam watched, he finally looked up and glanced around the room. Butterflies exploded in her stomach when their eyes locked. He took a step in her direction and she was suddenly caught up in memories nearly a decade old.
She shook her head to clear it as her former CO stopped at the table in front of her. He had just opened his mouth to say something when a noise caught both of their attention. A minute later two laughing little boys came tumbling into the room. The oldest one was chasing the younger and had just caught him when they noticed Sam and Jack watching them with bemused expressions. The older boy let go of his brother and they both ran to the table and sat down.
"Time to eat!" Jack declared looking back at Sam. She stood up and leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek. Looking down, she noticed that the new girl in Jack's life had fallen asleep in his arms. Nora, the newest addition to their family, was bundled up in blankets and looked completely content in her father's arms. Jack caught her by the waist as she moved past him and pulled her back. He was once again taken away by this woman's beauty and the fact that she had, after those two years of dating, agreed to become his wife. Standing in the kitchen of their home, surrounded by his family, Jack had never felt more at peace. He pulled Sam close and kissed her.
"Ewww!!" the two little boys at the table exploded in unison. Jack laughed and released Sam. She laughed too and went over to begin dishing out breakfast. As she began her day, she looked at the table where her family sat and sighed contentedly. Yes, this was her favorite time of day.