Authors notes: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. And a huge thank you to everyone who offered condolences, very much appreciated! Thank you for understanding that we're all going through a tough time right now, and I promise to update as regularly as I can. (I have been working on some this morning.)

Forgot to mention this in the last chapter. If anyone would like to see my inspiration for three year old Grace, I have some links in my profile. (I'm the mega blonde in the first video.)

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Jack sat on the infirmary bed with Grace on his lap. She was playing with the collar of his BDU jacket while singing softly to herself. Jack couldn't help but watch her in amazement with a smile on his face.

"Daddy?" she asked as she continued to play with his clothes, her eyes never leaving her working hands.

"Yeah Princess?" he asked all too easily. He mentally kicked himself for getting so attached so quickly.

"Can I's wear my dress when we gets home?" she asked as she smiled and looked at him with hopeful eyes.

"How about we buy you a new one?" he asked in return, returning her smile, but worrying about how they were going to convince the little girl that she was in her own reality.

"A Princess one?" she squealed with excitement.

"Of course!" he smiled.

"Thank you Daddy!" she said before throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

Jack wrapped his arms around Grace and kissed her cheek as Sam and Jacob walked into the infirmary. Jacob smiled softly at the scene before him, while Sam looked on with worry etched across her features.

"What is it?" Jacob asked her.

"What happens if she comes back for her daughter?" she motioned towards her CO hugging the small girl.

"I guess we cross that bridge when we come to it," Jacob said, finally realising that it could be a possibility.

"Mommy?" Sam heard a little voice say. She looked towards the infirmary bed when Jacob nudged her with his elbow. "Daddy says I's can gets a new dress! A Princess one!" she said excitedly.

"Did he now?" Sam said as she tried to play along.

"Uh huh," Grace nodded, before turning to face Jack again. "A pink one Daddy!"

"A pink one?" he asked, surprised.

"Uh huh," she nodded again. "A Seeping Booty one!" she said. Jack laughed softly at her pronunciation of Sleeping Beauty.

"Is she your favourite Princess?" Jack asked, genuinely curious.

"You so silly Daddy!" she giggled again. "Can we watch mermaid later?"

"Sure," he smiled as Janet walked over to them.

"Well, I have the results back," she said as Jacob and Sam joined them. Grace turned to face Sam and held out her arms. Sam swallowed and reached out for the girl, setting her on her hip. "Her DNA shows that she is definitely the child of Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill. Congratulations, you're parents!" She smiled at Sam.

Sam glared at her friend as Grace lay her head on her shoulder.

Janet smiled at the little girl in her friends arms. "You've been very well behaved Grace, would you like a candy?" Grace nodded enthusiastically.

"I never get a candy!" Jack complained.

"You never behave Colonel," Janet smiled as she pulled a small chocolate bar from her pocket and handed it to a smiling Grace, who was laughing at Janet's remark.

"Thank you Auntie Janet!" she breathed.

Janet smiled and quickly schooled her features. "You're free to go."

"Shopping!" Grace cheered as she clapped her hands.

"Shopping!" Jack joined in as he jumped off of the bed and walked over to his 'daughter'.

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After acquiring a car seat from another officer, with the promise to return it within a few hours, Jack was strapping the small girl into his truck. Sam stood at the door and watched, worried at how attached her CO had gotten to the child already.

"All strapped in," Jack announced with a smile spreading over his face as he stood up straight and took the offered candy bar from the girl. He opened it and gave it back. She smiled her thanks.

"Mommy?" she asked, looking back to Sam as best she could in the confines of the car seat. "Is you coming too?"

"I…uh…" Sam stammered.

"Please?" Grace pleaded.

"Come on Carter, come shopping," Jack smiled at her. "You're already in your civvies."

"Please Mommy?" Grace asked again.

"Okay," Sam sighed and walked around to the passenger seat.

"Yes!" Grace said as Sam got into the seat beside her dad.

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Jack pulled up outside the mall half an hour later and jumped out. He opened the door and saw that Grace had fallen asleep, her hands and face covered in chocolate. He smiled and beckoned to Sam to take a look.

Sam walked around the truck and looked to where Grace sat. She couldn't help but smile at the beautiful little girl sleeping in the car seat. Sam felt herself fall in love with the three year old.

"Hey Gracie," she said as she gently rubbed the girls arm.

"Hi Mommy," she yawned as she woke up.

"We're here," Sam told her as she unbuckled Grace from her seat.

Within minutes they had cleaned Grace's hands and face and were inside the mall, with Grace dragging Sam in the direction of a children's clothes store. Once in the store Grace quickly found the dress she wanted.

"This one Mommy!" she announced as she held the pink material in her hands.

"It's pink," Sam stated as she knelt down beside Grace and started checking the size of the clothes she was wearing.

"I likes pink Mommy," Grace told her.

"Carter?" Jack nodded his head asking her to stand up. Sam stood. "I'm gonna grab some DVD's and toys. Can't have a three year old with nothing to play with. And I don't have a mermaid DVD at home."

"Okay, I'll get clothes, shoes, underwear and duvet covers," she said in reply.

"How about we give your room a makeover Gracie?" Jack asked the little blonde headed girl who had already stolen his heart.

"Yay!" she said, jumping up and down on the spot.

"Okay," he smiled before looking at Sam again. "I'll meet you outside," he pointed to the stores exit door. "In an hour. Sound good?"

"Sounds good," Sam nodded.

"I'm gonna get some stuff to put in your room, you behave for Mommy," he said to Grace while bending down to her level, ignoring his protesting knees.

"Thank you Daddy," she said as she threw herself into his arms. "Love you."

"Love you too Princess."

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"We're home!" Grace sang as Jack pulled up outside of his house.

Jack let out a sigh of relief. Neither adult knew where Grace would call home and had decided to go to his house and hope for the best.

Sam got Grace out of her car seat while Jack threaded his arms through a large number of carrier bags. Sam reached in to help, grabbing as many bags as she could.

Together they walked up the path and Jack let them in to the house. Grace ran into the living room and put on the TV. She picked up the remote control and clambered up onto the sofa.

"Well that makes setting up her room easier," Jack shrugged then led Sam to the spare bedroom. Setting down all the bags they quickly got to work in taking out all of Jack's belonging and putting them into his own room.

It took Grace an hour to go and find them. By that point Sam had put away all of the clothes that they had bought and made the bed. Jack had taken all of her new toys out of the packaging and placed it around the room, and put all of the DVD's he had found in the small bookcase.

"Daddy?" she asked as she walked into the room and picked up a doll.

"Yeah Princess?"

"I'm hungry," she said as she hugged the doll to her chest. Jack smiled when he noticed which doll she was holding. Sleeping Beauty.

"What would you like to eat?"

"Sausages, with sketti," she said after a few moments.

"Spaghetti?"

"Uh huh," she nodded.

"I'll need to go to the store, I don't think there's any in the cupboards," Jack said, knowing there wasn't any.

"I come too?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure," he said, holding out his hand which Grace instantly took.

After deciding that Sam would stay and finish off the room, Grace and Jack walked out of the room. Grace ran back inside and almost knocked Sam to the floor with the force of her hug.

"Bye Mommy, see you soon!"

"Bye baby," Sam said and kissed her head.

"Daddy?" she heard Grace ask as they walked down the hall.

"Yeah?"

"Can we paint? I don't's like white walls," she said. Sam couldn't help but laugh.

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Once Jack had finally managed to get Grace to brush her teeth, he struggled to get her into bed. Tiredness finally overtook her and she finally started to fall asleep in his arm on the couch.

"Daddy?" she yawned.

"Yeah?"

"Can I's stay with you and Mommy tonight? Please?"

Jack looked over in panic towards Sam. He noticed that she looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He knew that his expression matched hers.

"Not tonight honey," he said while stroking her hair.

"Please?" she asked as she finally gave over to sleep and relaxed in his arms.

Jack carefully lay her down in bed and covered her tiny form with the duvet. Silently he walked out of the room and closed the door. He had just made it back to the living room when they both heard a loud scream. Jack went pale. Sam jumped to her feet and followed him down the Grace's room.

"DADDY!" she screamed as she thrashed around in her bed.

Jack carefully scooped up the screaming girl and cradled her head to his chest.

"Shh," he soothed into her ear. "It's okay baby."

"Don't leave me Daddy," she cried into his chest as woke up and fisted his t-shirt in her hands. "Don't leave me!"

"I'm not leaving you Princess, I'm right here, shh, baby, shh," he said gently as he rocked her. Sam sat down beside them on the bed and rubbed her back in small circles.

It took a while to calm her down, by which point all three were exhausted. She begged to stay in her parents room, too scared to be on her own. Jack readily agreed. He never wanted to hear her scream like that again. It wasn't until after he had agreed that he realised it put both adults into a sticky situation.

He looked at Sam for suggestions. All she could do was shrug.

"I'll get out once she's asleep," she whispered. Jack nodded in agreement.

Grace happily got into the bed and settled down in the centre, pulling the duvet up under her chin. Jack handed Sam a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before heading to the bathroom to get changed.

When he came back he saw that Sam had also changed and was sitting on the edge of the bed talking with Grace.

"You have to go to sleep now, honey," Sam whispered.

"But I's scared," she whispered back.

"What are you scared of?" Sam asked as Jack got into his side of the bed.

"The metal men," she said as tears filled her eyes.

"They're gone, Princess, they won't hurt you," Jack said as he swept her hair off her face.

"They tried," she whispered and turned to face Jack. "You saved me Daddy."

Jack felt rage grow inside him. He tried to not let it show. "I know Princess. They won't hurt you anymore, try and get some sleep."

Sam awkwardly got into the bed and lay down. Grace turned to face her and puckered up her lips for a goodnight kiss. Sam kissed her softly. Grace turned to face Jack and puckered her lips again. Jack kissed her without hesitating, then settled in to sleep, putting the bedside lamp off.

"Daddy?" Grace whispered in the dark.

"Yeah?"

"You didn't kiss Mommy," she said sounding confused. "You always kiss Mommy."

Jack swallowed loudly in the dark. Sam was glad no one could see the colour rise in her cheeks.

"Yes I did," he tried.

"No you didn't," Grace giggled quietly. "Kiss Mommy, Daddy."

Jack reluctantly sat up in bed. "Carter?" he whispered. He heard Sam sit up. He leaned forwards and pretend to kiss Sam. He felt Grace move around and bit back a groan when she clambered over him and put the light back on.

"I wanna see," she said sweetly, with an innocent smile on her face.

Jack sighed and moved so he was closer to Sam. He kissed her on her cheek so lightly it was nothing more than a graze.

"A proper one Daddy!" Grace giggled and moved so she was in between her parents. "Like this!" she said as she grabbed Jack's face in her hands and kissed him hard on the lips, covering his lips with her spittle.

"I could just kiss you all night," Jack said as he gabbed her middle and began tickling her.

"But Daddy!" she laughed. "Surrender!" she cried. "You always kiss Mommy. Don't's you love her no more Daddy?"

"I…uh…"

"Mommy wants a kiss, don't's you Mommy?" Grace asked innocently.

"I… uh…" she mimicked and looked Jack in the eyes and watched as he shrugged ever so slightly. "Okay," she sighed, not seeing anyway out of it.

Grace settled herself back in bed and eagerly watched her parents. Sam chewed on her lower lip and looked at her hands. She could feel Jack shifting awkwardly in bed. She looked up at him and saw that he was feeling as awkward as she was.

Taking a deep breath Sam sat up straighter and moved closer to Jack. Jack gently cupped her face in both of his hands and moved their faces closer, putting the ball into Sam's court.

Swallowing, Sam closed the gap between them and lightly grazed her lips over his, her eyes fluttering closed. Jack began to pull away when a small voice stopped him.

"Properly Daddy!"

"Sorry Carter," he murmured before pressing his lips back to hers firmly. Sam gasped in surprise, opening her mouth to him. Jack quickly kissed her and pulled back, smiling at the colour rising in her cheeks.

"Yay!" Grace cheered as both adults lay back down. Jack once again switched the lamp off. Grace rolled onto her side and snuggled into Sam, her hands curling around the t-shirt she was wearing.

Jack soon heard her breathing even out. "Carter?" he whispered in the dark.

"I can't move Sir, she's attached," she whispered back.

"Looks like you'll be staying a while," he said, laughing lightly and silently getting out of bed. "I'll crash in her room tonight. Make yourself comfortable."

"You're going to sleep in a Disney Princess bed Sir?" she whispered back, failing to keep the laughter out of her voice as she wrapped her arms around the small girls body.

"We'll just keep that between us," he laughed and made his way out of the room. "Goodnight," he added as he closed the door softly behind him.