Finding Life After

Chapter Two

Based on Stargate: SG-1

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Ten weeks later

Sam hadn't sleep last night. It had started getting cold at night, but that wasn't what was bothering her. She was late, very late. At first, honestly, she didn't notice. The days had somewhat run together and she had lost track of time. When Sam realized how much time had gone by, she just thought it was stress. Then she was lying to herself, telling herself it was just stress. But, it had been almost ten weeks since Jack left to find Daniel and Teal'c, since she and Jack had been together. It was too long to be stress. Resting her hand over her abdomen, she took a deep breath and entered the Infirmary tent.

"Good morning, Sam," Janet said with a smile.

"Morning."

"Are you alright?" Janet asked, immediately noticing her friend's demeanor.

"I need to you run a test for me."

Janet eyed her carefully.

"A pregnancy test."

Janet's mouth dropped open, but she closed it quickly. "Sam," she said, trying to think of words to follow. "Is it someone's here? Lost on Earth? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, and neither. I'll give you three guesses, but you're only going to need one."

Janet's eyes widened again as she realized. The three guesses were the other three humans not lost on Earth and not here: the members of SG-1, and the only guess she needed was Jack O'Neill. "When?"

"The first night we were here, before he left."

"Just the once?" she asked, realizing how stupid that sounded as soon as the question left her mouth.

"I guess they weren't lying when they said that's all it takes."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?"

Janet was a little surprised by Sam's answer. "I'm not really sure what I mean."

"It looks like I'm having a baby. I'm not going to try to keep it a secret, and there's no reason to lie about Jack being the father. I can't tell him because I have no idea where he is and have no idea where to start looking. When he gets back with Daniel and Teal'c, I'll tell him."

"Until then?"

"Until then, I have you, right?"

Janet rewarded her a small laugh and gave her a hug. "So, are we going to start telling everyone?"

"Doesn't matter if we tell them now or later. I'm going to be at the center of the rumor mill for months."

- . - 7 months Post-Earth

Sam was exhausted. One hundred percent exhausted. Her feet ached. Her back hurt. She felt a headache coming on. She just wanted to sleep. Her cot was sounding less and less attractive as her pregnancy progressed. She was seriously considering just laying on the floor, hoping it would help.

She walked into her tent to find four men, Colonel Dixon among them, assembling a bed. A real live, wooden-framed double bed. With mattresses and everything.

"What's this?" she asked.

Dixon turned around. "It's a bed."

"Yes, I can see that. I thought we were going to finish the barracks before we started giving anyone real beds."

He nodded. "Yes, we did decide that. But I overrid that decision temporarily. Your back hurts and your feet are swollen."

She tried to argue the point, even though he was dead on.

"I remember my mother's pregnancy with my two youngest siblings and my wife was pregnant five times. Don't try to lie to me."

She didn't.

"Besides, Jack would have my head if I let you suffer in silence."

She smiled at the thought. That was certainly true. "You're right."

The others finished fitting the bed together and started with the sheets. In no time it was ready for her to sleep in. She thanked them on their way out. They said "you're welcome" and gave her simple smiles.

"If you need anything else, let me know," Dixon said.

"Thanks, Dave."

He smiled before he left. "You're welcome, Sam."

As soon as Dixon left, she sat down on the bed and then kicked up her feet, laying down.

Oh.

My.

God.

She had forgotten how good a real mattress could feel. Okay, so it wasn't what she was used to and she couldn't begin to guess what was actually in the mattress, but it was heavenly. She didn't even want to sit back up to take off her boots. Sam settled for lying for a few minutes before changing into something a little more comfortable and having the best night of sleep she had had since Jack was with her.

- . - 13 months Post-Earth

Sam was on a scavenger hunt around base. She had started with Janet, who sent her to Sergeant Siler, who sent her to Lieutenant Johnson, who sent her to Corporal Whalen, who sent her to Doctor Stevens, who sent her to Doctor Lee.

Well, she couldn't find Doctor Lee. So, now she was wandering around the science department looking for him.

Why was she looking for him? Supposedly, he had her child.

This wasn't the first time this had happened. She left John with someone while she went to get some work done and they traded him off to someone else, who traded him to someone else, etc etc etc.

Ha! There he was. She saw him sitting in a chair in the shade, holding John. It looked like Bill was asleep, and John was touching Bill's beard. Sam smiled. John always seemed entranced by the men with facial hair. It was too cute.

"Bill," she said softly, trying not to wake him too violently.

He jumped, tightening his grip on John before he realized what was happening. "Oh, Sam. Hi."

"I think you have something that belongs to me."

"What?" He looked around for a second. "Oh!" He stood up, handing John to her.

She kissed his little nose and settled him on her hip. He immediately grabbed onto her shirt. "Thanks, Bill."

Bill smiled sadly. "Anytime."

Sam walked away, kissing her son's forehead, and combed back some of his whispy blonde hair. Everyone had left family members behind and many of them children. That was one reason they liked John so much, he was a reminder of what they had lost.

- . - 22 months Post-Earth

Sam sat with John in her lap on her bed in their little tent with a book in her hand. It was children's book, the first published Post-Earth. One of the airmen, it turned out, was quite the artist, and one of the biologists wrote the story. They gave it to her when John was born. It was quickly followed by many others.

This particular book was about a family of turtles and their vacation to the beach. Like most children's books, she found it whimsical. John loved it. He loved it when she read to him and loved grabbing at all the pictures.

She paused when he took a particular interest in a drawing of the family; two big turtles - both anthropomorphic enough to be easily identified as male and female - and a little turtle. John continued to point at the male turtle and look at her in confusion. She realized he was old enough to realize what was going on. The turtle in the story had a father, but he did not.

She lifted him off her lap and made her way to her desk, waking up her computer. He toddled after her.

Sam pulled John into her lap and pressed the play button on the program she opened. He reached for the screen as the figures upon it moved. It was one of the old mission tapes Daniel had taken. It had been a nice, bright, sunny world. Overall, a pleasant mission, she remembered.

"Who?" John asked, looking at the unfamiliar people on the screen.

Sam paused on a reasonably good shot of Jack. "That's Daddy." She knew she was going to have to get at least one picture of him and put it in the tent they called home.

"Daddy?" he repeated, glancing up at her.

She kissed the top of his head. "Yes, sweetheart, that's your Daddy."

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