Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you liked the first chapter. Now the boys will have to show what they can... Please review!


Three men and a baby

Chapter 2

The baby was sitting on the wooden floor, dragging on the little sock their hosts had provided for her. The remaining members of SG-1 were sitting silently, following her efforts with defeated faces. Aku was talking to Uru, their host, and his wife Nilina had disappeared in the kitchen to prepare dinner for their unexpected guests.

"Daniel, do you really think this is Carter?" Jack asked for the third time.

"You don't believe it is? Jack, there is no other explanation" Daniel tried to reason him.

"What if she has been abducted and they put the baby at the fountain there so we would think it was her?"

"I do not believe this would be possible without an extremely good spy in our ranks, O'Neill. The abductor would have needed to know where and when we were going, which we did not know ourselves before yesterday. They would also need to be extremely efficient in finding a baby girl matching Major Carter's features some other place in the galaxy, as I do not believe one would find such a child on this planet"

"OK Teal'c. You've got a point. This must be Carter..." Jack sighted. "Do you think they'll find a way to... return her?"

"I will go and help Kitu looking through the books of the temple's library tomorrow. But there's no way to know how long this will take" Daniel said. At that moment, Nilina came to them with a deep plate of gruel and a little cup of water, which she gave to Jack, pointing at the baby. As he was looking back at her with a questioning look, Daniel explained:

"It's food for Sam. I think she wants you to feed her"

"What? Why me?" Jack protested. "She could do it!" But Nilina was already back in the kitchen. Jack looked at the baby, then at the plate in his hands. He turned to Daniel, who backed away. Teal'c kept his gaze stoically on the wall in front of him, clearly showing that this didn't concern him.

"Chickens!" Jack growled. He sat the plate and cup on the table, picked the baby up and sat on a chair with her on his knee, one of her hands secured in his.

"OK Baby. You'll get some food, but remember, this could quickly turn into a mess if you put your hands in it, and we don't have a washing machine here so be good!" he said, presenting her with a spoon of gruel. He skilfully reached her mouth before she had grabbed the spoon, and she swallowed, opening her mouth again for a new spoonful.

"Good girl!" Jack encouraged. She smiled at him with her eyes as she chewed the gruel with her tongue. He mirrored her smile, finding comfortably back to the technique he had developed to feed Charlie when he was that age. Charlie had wanted to feed himself from a very young age, so he always tried to catch the spoon from his parents' hands, usually splashing porridge all over the kitchen in the process. The girl was amazingly calm and easy in comparison, which made her first meal an enjoyable one, and soon Jack was absorbed in his task, bounding with the little girl. They didn't have a bottle so he helped her drink from the cup, which they managed without her clothes getting too wet, and soon she had eaten her dinner up. Jack wiped her face clean and made her stand on his lap. She pushed with her feet to jump, and they played for a moment, Jack beaming at her laughter. Teal'c was surprised that a warrior would play in that manner with such a small child. It was not the Jaffa way, but somehow, he regretted he had not shared such moments with Rya'c as it appeared to be most enjoyable. Daniel was simply mesmerized to discover yet a new side of his friend. He saw a glimpse of what a wonderful father Jack must have been, and how much he must have enjoyed to be one. A sharp pain pierced his heart when he realized what his friend had lost when he had lost Charlie.

As dinner was served, Jack sat the baby girl on the floor, but after a while she came crawling to him and asked to be lifted up. He humored her and settled her back on his lap, allowing her to taste the stew on his finger and playing gently with her while he ate. Soon, she was asleep against his chest, but he didn't know where to put her so he kept her there until they were shown to their rooms under the eaves. The rooms were small but clean, and Jack was surprised to find changes for the girl on the dresser. However, there was no cot and he had no choice but to keep her with him. The bed being large, he was confident she would not fall on the floor during the night. It was summer on this planet, and the night was warm so he stripped down to his boxers and slipped under the sheets, laying on his side to look at the sleeping baby.

"What are we going to do with you, baby? And what am I going to call you?" he thought. He could not make himself to call her Carter. Carter was a tough soldier, his 2IC and an outstanding scientist. Not a cute little baby sucking her tongue in her sleep. He could not call her Sam either. Sam was his friend, and much more in his dreams. Sam was a beautiful, hot and fully developed woman. The name could simply not apply to a baby, it would be too awkward to cuddle up with her or simply change her, if he were to call her Sam...

The girl turned in her sleep, rolling toward him as the mattress curved under his weight. She wedged her back against his chest and he lowered an arm around her. He closed his eyes, filling himself with the delightful sensation of the tiny human against his skin, nuzzling the rare blond hair on the top of her head, where babies smelled like freshly baked bread. God he had missed it! The bonding, the blind trust, the tactile sensation... He realized how much he had yearned for it in the past years. After Charlie's death of course, but even before... Jack had always wanted to have many kids, but Sara had had a difficult pregnancy, and with him gone on dangerous missions most of the time, she had refused to have more. He had never thought he would live to experience this once again. Now he had the chance for a few days.


He woke up from a regular pull at his dog tags. The baby had found them and was alternatively biting and studying them.

"Hi little maiden" Jack smiled at her. She answered with her entire body tensing in joy. He lifted her up and sat her on his belly, but lifted her immediately up again.

"Uurgh.. Someone needs a clean diaper here!" he said, getting out of bed. He picked one of the fabric squares Nilina had left on the dresser for them, dipped the washcloth in the water from the basin servant and changed her. There was still some hours before daylight so he went back to bed and caressed her until she fell asleep again.

A couple of hours later, he woke up from a wonderful dream implying a grown-up Sam... But something was on his nose, and he soon realized a frustrated baby was trying to eat it. As he withdrew to look at her, she became very agitated and started crying.

"Hello little maiden. Are you hungry?" he said softly. As she wailed louder, he jumped out of bed and dressed up in a hurry. They went down to the kitchen where they met Nilina who had the gruel cooked already. Jack thanked her with a smile and went to the table where he proceeded to feed the starving girl. At that moment, Daniel came in yawning and Jack took the opportunity to give him his place.

"Wohwohwoh! I don't know how to do that!" Daniel protested.

"She knows, just give her the food! I need to pee!" Jack said, sitting Sam on Daniel's lap and rising from his chair.

"I'll be back. Now you eat with Uncle Danny" he said softly to her before he left.

"Er... Hi Sam.." Daniel tried, clearly uneasy. But the baby, both hungry and troubled that Jack had left her, began to cry. Daniel felt a glimpse of panic creeping up, afraid she would fall as she was throwing herself backward in her temper. "God Jack! You really had to do that to me?! Come on Sam, be a good girl!" he said, trying to give her food. But in her temper, she knocked the spoon away and gruel splashed all around. Teal'c entered the room at that moment and raised an eyebrow at the scene.

"Ah Teal'c! Come and help me there! Jack just dropped her on my lap and she started to cry!"

"I'm sorry Daniel Jackson, I don't believe I can be of any help to you" the Jaffa answered stoically.

"Oh come on Teal'c, you have a son! You know these things, don't you?" Daniel begged.

"I do not. On Chulak, mothers take care of the infants. A warrior does not interfere in these matters"

"Yeah well, that's pretty much the same all over the galaxy, but you must have seen Drya'c do it!"

"As you have seen O'Neill do it yesterday" Teal'c answered stubbornly.

"Right. Somehow, it looked very much easier when it was him doing it" Daniel acknowledged, trying once again to feed the protesting little girl.

"Indeed" Teal'c approved when gruel flew all over once more. At that moment, Jack came in, alarmed by the cries.

"Daniel! What are you doing to the girl?" he scolded.

"Here!" Daniel said frustrated, placing Sam in Jack's arms. "YOU feed her!" he added, fetching a washcloth to clean his shirt and glasses. When he had finished, Jack took it from him and cleaned Sam. She had stopped wriggling but could not stop her sobs yet.

"There little maiden, let me clean you up. Daniel's put you in such a state! There now, calm down, that's OK, I'm here" the soothing voice said. He teased her with the washcloth and she started to laugh that cute baby laugh of hers. Jack settled her on his lap and presented her with a spoon of gruel, she opened her mouth widely and he fed her.

"See! That's not so complicated!" Jack said. Daniel was both admirative and disgusted. Why was she so cooperative with Jack but not with him?! Teal'c felt his respect for Jack crank up to the next level. O'Neill was indeed a very knowledgeable man!

Nilina had followed the whole scene from the kitchen and tried to hide how much fun she had at Daniel's costs. She approved of Jack's return though, the baby's cries had unsettled her and she had been tempted to intervene but she didn't want to take the responsibility of the baby and she knew the men would expect her to do it if she showed her interest. The stranger had protested the day before, but since he had committed to the task, she could see he was up to it. She wanted to ask him how many children he had back home, but she didn't know the words. Her own children were grown up now, and her grand children were no babies any more, but none of the fathers she knew had involved themselves that much in their infants. The stranger seemed to enjoy taking care of the baby girl and it warmed her heart that a man would be so good with small children.


After breakfast, they returned to the temple where they met Kitu, already working in the temple's library. Daniel remembered a myth from Ancient Mesopotamia where a plant would restore lost youth. He hinted that perhaps there could be an other plant to counteract the effects of the fountain? Kitu didn't know of such a plant but she gave him a book about them, instructing him to look for words related to water, youth and the god Eniki. Aku, Teal'c and Uru did the same in other books while Jack was taking care of Sam. They played for some time in the gardens, then he took her up in the sling Nilina had given him, and went for a walk until she fell asleep. Then he joined the others in the library where he could help during her morning nap. As much as he enjoyed playing father again, he was eager to get his Major back. He couldn't afford to go home with a baby version of her. And he couldn't imagine what Jacob would do to him if he did! Jacob... Jacob was her father, not him. As soon as they were back on Earth he would have to give her up anyway. God! he thought, feeling the warm little body abandoned against his back. I'll miss that...

They went back for lunch, and Teal'c followed Jack up to his room to change the baby. Jack had a feeling that the big Jaffa was interested in the baby, even if he always refused to take her. As they were alone in his room, Jack gave her to him so he could wash his hands. The Jaffa stood stiff and uneasy with the girl in his arms, but he soon gave in and softened, allowing himself to try and interact with her. She responded with curiosity and he smiled to her. Jack took his time washing his hands, keeping a knowing eye on the two, happy to see Teal'c melting. He preceded them on their way down to the living room, where Daniel's brow raised to his hair line as he saw the big Jaffa carrying the baby. Teal'c pretended not to see it, and he kept her until food was on the table. Then he felt it would be prudent to give her back to Jack, who fed her with some of his own food and helped her drink from the little cup.

"She is really cute" said Daniel, who had been observing the pair of them during the lunch. "It looks so easy when you do it"

"It is easy Daniel, you just have to learn how. But it's all very instinctive you know" Jack explained. "There. You try" he said, lifting Sam over the table to give her to Daniel.

"Er... I'm not sure that's a good idea Jack!" he protested.

"Oh come on Daniel. You've delivered I don't know how many babies to the world, you handle fragile artifacts all day long, you know an infinite number of languages, you talk bad guys into being good, don't tell me you can't take care of a little cutie like that!"

But Sam seemed to agree with Daniel. She frowned and started to cry. Daniel panicked.

"See! Take her back!" he said.

"You just have to comfort her, talk to her" Jack said, leaving him to his misery. Daniel felt very awkward with the reluctant baby on his lap. How do you soothe a baby who clearly doesn't want you to!?

"Hey Sam, calm down now, it's OK, it's just me, Daniel. I won't hurt you" he tried. But she arched backward in temper, yelling her lungs out and waving her arms at his face.

"I think it would be a good idea to remove your glasses Daniel" Jack observed. "Then talk to her again. Don't stop"

"Easy for you to say" Daniel mumbled. "Hey Sam, look here. Oochy-woochy coochy-coo! Oochy-woochy coochy-coo!..." he sang to the wailing baby. "OK. Now I definitely feel like an idiot" he said, lifting her over the table again.

"You think too much Daniel" said Jack as he took her back. "This is no science, you can't learn it in a book, you just feel it" He held her on his shoulder, shaking her softly with soothing sounds until she relaxed.

"Now I'm jealous! She obviously prefers you!" Daniel muttered.

"Don't be stupid Daniel. It's not me she likes, it's the food. Anyway, what's the plan for the afternoon?" Jack prudently diverted the subject.

"We have to go back to the library but somehow, I don't feel we'll get much out of the books there. I would like to try and translate the writings in the fountain's room though. Kitu says she doesn't understand them fully because it is so old. I may have a chance to understand them if they are closer to Ancient Mesopotamian than what their language is today"

"Good man. You do that" Jack approved, mashing a fruit in Sam's empty plate and giving her to taste. "Mmmm, that's good, isn't it?" he smiled as she sucked the spoon.

"You're good, Jack. Really" Daniel said thoughtfully. He was about to add that it was a shame he didn't have a family anymore, but he managed to keep his mouth shut. Jack seemed to hear it anyway, a sad look veiling his face for a second.

"In the meantime Daniel, could you hear with Uru and Aku if there is some elder who could know something?"

"I've tried that already. Most of them are very old, although they look young due to the water they take. But none of them would know anything, according to Kitu. She mentioned the name of the eldest in the village anyway, we could pay him a visit before we go back to the temple?"

"Good job! Sounds like a plan" Jack concluded. He washed the happy little face and hands, then he deposited Sam on Teal'c's lap.

"Now you stay with Uncle Teal'c, Darling, I have to wash this" he said, agitating the soiled washcloth. She smiled at him, then turn to inspect the Jaffa with some skepticism and turned back to look at Jack entering the kitchen at the other end of the room. As he came back, she tensed with joy. He lowered himself to her level while he walked toward her, arms extended, and she screamed in gleeful expectation. He picked her up and lifted her in the air where she shrieked with laughter.