Okay as its a new year, here's the first two, to start with.. Due to RL it'll go back to one a week maybe 1 a fortnight at the moment even :/ .. Hope you all had an awesome new year :)


No sooner had Xantheia come home from school, did she throw her bag by the now closed front door and run into the house.

"MUM!" She called as she ran through to the lounge room. Seeing her sitting there looking at a magazine, she frowned. Creeping up behind her Xantheia was about to grab her around her shoulders when Jack's stern voice rang through the air.

"Xantheia!" Jumping she spun around as did Sam.

"Xan!" She grinned. Turning Xan climbed over the back of the lounge and cuddled up to her mother. Looking up at her Xan grinned.

"Missed you SO much!" She stated. Smiling Sam nodded.

"Missed you more!" She countered.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Not possible!"

"Is too!"

"Nah-ah!"

"Yeah-eh!"

"Liar!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Alright you two!" Jack stated coming around to sit opposite them. Smiling Xan shrugged.

"What's wrong Jack? You don't like the way mum and I communicate?"

"No, you just remind me of someone,"

"Cool who?" She grinned.

"Just a friend of mine,"

"Who means the persons name Jack!" She laughed, as Sam smirked.

"Very funny little miss smarty!"

"Why thank you!" She grinned. Turning back to her mother her eyes widened when she saw the ring she was wearing. Following her gaze Sam smiled slightly.

"Found it in your room,"

"How did it get there?" Xan asked innocently. Smiling Sam shrugged and hugged her daughter tightly.

"Hey Jack look at mum's ring! Its beautiful isn't it? I bet dad gave it to you huh?" She questioned staring at Sam, who narrowed her eyes. As Jack moved closer to see the ring he'd been eyeing off all afternoon, his breath caught in the back of his throat.

As the two stared at each other Xan frowned. She tried to voice her questions but nothing came out. She wanted to know why these two were like this! What was with this ring? It was beautiful yes, but why was Jack so, what was the word? Surprised! To see it on her finger? On her ring finger of her left hand at that!

"Jack?" Xan questioned gently. "Do you like mum's ring?"

"It's perfect Xan, just like it's owner," he whispered not taking his gaze from Sam's.

"What does that mean? Do you like mum? Are you going to be around us more now?" She questioned with total hope.

"We'll see," he muttered, before taking Sam's left hand and staring at the ring. She'd kept it clean and in good condition he thought. It looked just as good as it did nearly eleven years ago when he gave it to her! It was his grand mothers engagement ring. He loved it and made it known her entire life. So when she had sadfully passed on it was written in her will that one young Jonathon got her ring. And when he met Sam, he couldn't think of giving it to anyone else!

Not once did he think about it when he met Sara. Not once had he wished he could have given it to her! It was Sam's and it always had been! Call it fate, call it superstition, call it whatever but grandma, Samantha, had wanted her grandson Jonathon to have it. And now it was given to another Samantha! His Samantha! Only now he wasn't too sure.

The ring was handmade in a dome platinum setting. It had what was now an old European-Cut center one carat diamond, in a light blue shade. Which was surrounded by near colourless half the size, smaller diamonds. It was 0.27 carat total in weight. And it clung to her finger like it was meant to always be there. She had to admit there was no re-sizing ever done on it. Which she thought was either Chloe stealing one of her older rings, to get the size or it was meant for her regardless. Dropping her hand Jack took a steady breath. Before standing.

"I better go get some stuff, so I'll be back soon alright? You two going to be ok?"

"Yes Jack!" Xan huffed. She hated him going all 'daddie protective' on her. Ok he was scared for her but she was old enough to take care of her self AND now her mum was back it wasn't like he had to stick around anymore!

"Ok, I'll get some food too! Carter your kitchen is as bare as old mother Hubbard's!" He smirked and headed for the door. Jogging after him, Xan smiled.

"So how long you gonna be? You trust me and mum to be alone?" she smirked.

"It's not that Xan. Things happened recently, and I'd rather be here incase something else happened."

"What happened? Why haven't you told me?"

"Because everything worked out ok, and your mum wasn't in any trouble or danger. Just make sure she doesn't do anything ok!" Smiling slightly she nodded.


As the time seemed to pass by quickly after Emily attacked Sam, in her house. Moving herself and Xantheia into Jack's house by his request, Sam was medically made redundant from the Air Force, and with her massive medical pay out, and her insurance she knew she and Xantheia could live by them selves for as long as they wanted. But after selling her house and moving in with Jack, Sam started worrying.

Xantheia loved Jack, and he loved her. Sam's mind was reeling from memories that invaded her mind. She didn't want these things to come back! She couldn't hear that well but as her mind was running through everything that had happened leading up to that moment she closed her eyes and sniffled. She hated the fact that it was her daughters joint party out side with Jack, and she was sitting on his bed, her bed, their bed thinking about what she had to do.

She hated lying to him, but the fact of the matter was he never really asked her out right whether or not Xantheia was his. She knew if he'd asked she wouldn't be able to lie to him and deceive him yet again. But when she thought back she simply wished she'd stayed with Chloe, Lou, and Charlie. Maybe then when he came back he would have seen Xantheia her whole life, and wouldn't have gone through that marriage he went through.

According to Charlie he only married Sara because she was pregnant, but if that was the case, then he would have wanted to marry Sam more then ever when he found out about Xantheia. He would have been there for her daughter birth, and first birthday and everything! But now as she looked towards the door and saw her daughter there she knew she had to tell her! Reaching her arm out in a silent invitation, she watched as Xan moved over and into her mother's grip.

"What's wrong?"

"I have to talk to someone before you can tell anyone ok?"

"I promise mum," she stated staring at her mother in utter fear.

"It's about your dad," she said gently. Grinning Xantheia bounced on the balls of her feet for a few seconds.

"It's Jack isn't it? I knew it! He was always saying he wasn't but I knew it!" She grinned. But froze suddenly. "That means he doesn't know," she whispered. Nodding Sam bowed her head.

"We knew each other for a while eleven years ago. He was sent away with the air force and I found out I was having you. I had no way to tell him. When I got word he had died in that mission I stopped all contact with his friends. I moved around with granddad before I also joined the air force. I didn't know he was alive until he became my commanding officer for the mission we went on, where I was injured."

"So you... You said you had to talk to someone before I could say anything. Are you going to tell him?"

"I'm going to try Xan, but I'm scared that he'll get really angry and try to take you away from me, now that I have trouble hearing." Gasping at that thought, she flung her self at her mother.

"Please don't tell him! I'll keep calling him by his first name! Please I don't want to be taken away from you!" She sobbed into Sam's shoulder. As Jack walked through the house he stopped outside his open door to hear Xanthie's comment and then frowned. Coming into the room Sam looked up and swallowed.

"All ok? Xanthie said she'd come get you, that was about ten minutes ago," he smiled gently.

"Yeah, we were just talking sorry. Be out in a minute," Sam smiled at him and he nodded smiling at her and winking, with a slight undertone of what was install later. No sooner had he left did Sam push Xan away from her.

"Please don't say anything!" She sobbed.

"He has a right to know Xan," she whispered.

"I'll fight him! I won't do anything he says, and I wont let anyone take me away from you!" She sniffled.

"Hey, shh! Lets go out there and have some fun ok? You leave Jack and everything to me ok?" Sniffling she nodded and wiped the tears away, before they walked out to the party.


That night when she was sitting on the bed, she had her knees pulled to her chest, when he came out of the en suite. Frowning he moved over and sat in front of her on the covers.

"What is it?" He asked softly, watching her. Sniffling she looked up at him.

"I have to tell you something. Something you may or may not be aware of at the moment, and something that effects everyone living in this house." She stated staring at him. Frowning he shifted closer to her.

"Sam, what ever it is we'll work it out,"

"It's about Xantheia," she stated ignoring his comment.

"What about her?" He frowned, now totally concerned about the little girl sleeping just down the hall.

"I want her to know her father. As her father. Not as just some guy,"

"Sam?" He frowned.

"He has a right to know, and until two weeks before that mission we went on I thought he was dead! I had no idea he was still alive!"

"He's in the military then?" Sniffling she nodded.

"Air Force," she whispered watching him. Nodding he took a deep breath. "I'm scared he's going to take her from me!"

"What?"

"I have a hearing defect Jack! I was made medically unfit for duty! I was dismissed from the Air Force because of it! If he's angry with me I know he'll try to take her!"

"That's what you were talking about to Xanthie today?" Nodding she looked away.

"I told her he might try to take her, and she said she'd fight him, and never do what he said so he'd have to leave her with me."

"If anyone tried to take her Sam..."

"She's eleven Jack!" Sam stated cutting him off. She had to tell him, but she was so damned scared.

"I know that! We had her party today!"

"Don't you think she looks a little bit like Debbie?" She asked staring at the floor, beside the bed.

"I thought so a few times. But kids look like anyone you want them to."

"I'm scared Jack, she knows who he is, but she doesn't want me to say anything! She was begging me never to tell him!"

"What?" He frowned.

"She's scared he'll take her too! She knows him and he knows her, now. She calls him by his first name, and she said she'll always do it, just so he wont know and take her away. I've tried telling him since I found out he was still alive. And now it's harder then ever!"

"Sammie," he whispered leaning forward to grab her chin. As he forced her to look at him, he saw the pain she was in. She was ripping her self up in side.

"I'm so sorry Jack!" She stated watching him. "If I hadn't broken contact with everyone I would have known!" She cried pulling away from him, and burring her head into her knees.

"What?" He stated.

"She's your daughter!" She exclaimed staring at him through blurred vision. "She looks like Debbie, because she's yours! You get on so well because she's yours!"

"WHAT?" He yelled jumping off the bed and staring at her.

"I'm so sorry!" She cried.

"It's taken you eleven years to tell me I have a daughter?!" He gasped.

"I thought you were dead!" She exclaimed.

"Charlie could have told you!"

"I stopped talking to him three months after I heard what happened! I left with my dad, and he's had me and Xantheia on a very low radar the whole time. No one knew where I was! My dad made sure of it, because I asked him to keep it that way!"

"You've stopped me from knowing my own kid!" He yelled.

"And I said I'm sorry! I didn't do it on purpose!"

"You told me you wouldn't... You said..."

"I lied Jack! I knew something was going to happen! I found out I was three months the morning Charlie told me you were dead!" She yelled back.

"So you used me?" He questioned staring at her in utter disbelief.

"NO! I loved you then and I knew something was going to happen! And I love you now! But I love my daughter more! I meant what I said Jack! I'm scared! You know everything about me, you know more about my hearing impairment then anyone! I can't let you take her!" She stated staring at him.

"If it means keeping her safe..." He got out in a snarl before glaring at her. She knew this was going to happen, but what she didn't expect was the venom in his words.

"Jack please!"

"She needs someone who can hear her Sam! Someone who'll hear a truck coming and stop her from crossing a road!"

"I'm not useless! I can hear things!"

"Not like you used to! Not like someone else!" He shot back.

"You can't take her!"

"I'll fight you on this Carter!" He hissed.

"Jack please!" She stated just as Xantheia ran in. Jumping on the bed she grabbed hold of Sam.

"You're not taking me anywhere! I'm staying with my mum!" She yelled at him.

"Xanthie,"

"No Jack! She's my mum! I'm staying with her! If you fight her, I'll be on her side!"

"Xan!" He exclaimed trying to get a word in.

"No! Before all this, you told me you love her! That you love me! If that was true then you'd be happy she told you! And if it was a lie we're leaving! I knew you'd be angry and I told her never to tell you! Yes ME Jack, I was the one who said not to tell you!"

"You only found out today!"

"I had my suspicions! And so did you! And when I found out I was happy! I had a dad! And my dad had me! He was alone before and now he has me and mum, and now I wish you weren't my dad because you're mean and I hate you! I'm never going to be with you! It's always going to be me and MY mum! And we're leaving! We're going to stay with granddad and you'll never see us again!" She yelled at him, while still gripping Sam tightly.

"Xantheia," he said softly, taking a step forward, and watched as the little girl clung to her mother for dear life at his small step to get closer to her. "All that is true! I do love you both! But it's the shock!" Pulling away from Sam, before moving to him and pushing him out of the room before he had a chance to grab her the door was closed and locked. Turning to her Xanthie smiled sadly.

"I love you Xan," she stated hugging her daughter to her.

"I love you more!" She smiled up at her, as a car was heard approaching the house. "Come on that's grandad!" Nodding Sam finished her packing and then opened the door to see no sign of Jack. Getting to the car, she turned to see him standing at the open front door staring at them.

Watching them Jack sighed. He was losing them both because he was so stupid. He watched them as she turned to him. He straightened slightly. He wanted her back. He knew his life had no meaning with out her in it. She was giving him a second chance just in that moment. But no sooner had he taken a step forward, did she turn to the people in the car, and nod, before glancing at him once more, and getting in leaving him once again alone.