AN- Thanks to everyone who has read so far. Hope you enjoy the next part
Chapter 3
Sam eyed her reflection with a mixture of disgust and fascination. After 4 days in the infirmary, Janet was finally releasing her to her own quarters and with this piece of news she had brought her some new clothes. The clothes or more specifically the pants were different from anything Sam had ever worn before and if it wasn't for the fact she had been wearing an infirmary gown for the past 4 days she was sure she would have balked at them. Ignoring her now bizarre reflection Sam tried to look specifically at the clothes, a plain black round neck t-shirt, slightly lower cut then usual but not that dissimilar from what she usually wore on base, except for the flared hem that skimmed her new belly rather than fitted tightly around it. The pants, a pair of indigo jeans, which, if she squinted, almost looked like her blue BDU's, at least until she got to the waistband which instead of a usual fly and button had a large panel of elastic to keep them up. She sighed, these new clothes were just part of her new tipped up world, something that she was just have to get used to until they could figure it all out. She looked round at the door at the sound of the faint knock and quickly brushed her fingers through her hair, trying to make herself look presentable. "Come in."
Teal'c entered the room, a placid smile on his face and he dipped his head in reverence to her. "How are you today Major Carter?" he asked pleasantly.
Sam wiggled her hand to indicate she was so-so. "Are you here to free me?" she asked. Teal'c inclined his head and held out a blue BDU shirt which she hadn't noticed. Sam took it, immediately shaking it out, her eyebrows rising at the size.
"It is one of my own," Teal'c explained seeing her startled look. "Doctor Frasier has placed an order for new uniform for you, but in the interim I thought you would be more comfortable if you borrowed my spare."
"Thank you Teal'c," Sam slipped her arms into the much too long sleeves and pulled the shirt into position, if hid most of the obvious problem and she smiled in relief. "I appreciate it," Teal'c inclined his head once more before moving to collect the small bag of belongings that Jack and Janet had brought her during her stay. "I can carry it," Sam walked forward as she rolled up the sleeves of the oversized shirt.
"I would like to," Teal'c told her softly, "besides, you will need your hands free at the end of our journey," he told her cryptically with a smile. "Are you ready?"
Sam nodded and slowly followed Teal'c out of the room, she was surprised that Janet wasn't there to see her off but in a way was relieved. People had been buzzing in and out of her room as they checked on her, either from sanity perspective or a medical one. She was pleased it was Teal'c who had collected her, his presence prevented the worst of the gawping from various base personnel as she walked past them and he was happy with an easy silence. Daniel on his odd visit when he wasn't trying to translate the text from the temple had talked a mile a minute filling up space that didn't need to be filled, General Hammond had just looked at her like she would break, and Jack, well Jack was something else entirely. He had been a near constant presence for the first two days of her stay in the infirmary before on the third day drifting away for most of the day and then returning with a tired look on his face in time for dinner. She hadn't been able to see what he was thinking and it bothered her. She knew she was being stupid; the rest of the team all had jobs to do while she was incapacitated and Jack had probably been doing paperwork or something for General Hammond but she just wished she knew. She felt so out of the loop after only four days, it was just frustrating, especially when she was sure most of the meetings that were going on were about her.
As they moved into the elevator she obviously exhaled heavily as she got an enquiring look from Teal'c. "I'm fine," Sam mumbled. "This," she gestured downwards. "Just takes a bit of getting used to." Teal'c did not speak for a few moments but Sam could tell there were words coming so waited patiently.
"I was away serving Apophis for the majority of Drey'auc's confinement. I had a similar experience when returning for a short visit," Teal'c turned slightly to look at her, "before I had left there was no evidence that she was with child, when I returned she did not look dissimilar to you Major Carter. It was perplexing," he smiled awkwardly. "But I soon found it enjoyable to see her that way," his smile softened. "Much like Drey'auc, your current condition is most becoming on you," he turned back to look at the door as the elevator continued on its journey.
Sam blushed and tugged awkwardly at the flared hem of her t-shirt. "Thank you Teal'c," she whispered conscious that she could feel her cheeks burning red. She was saved by the door opening on their floor and she scurried as best she could out into the hallway. Her quarters were near the elevator so it only took a moment to reach them. Without thinking she reached to open the door before freezing at the sound of voices in her room. She looked nervously at Teal'c who stood smiling placidly at her, not offering her any insight as to what was going on inside. Cautiously she opened the door. Instead of the grey slightly cluttered box that was normally her room, the room was awash with colour.
"Sam!" Cassandra rushed at her, throwing her arms around Sam and giving her a huge hug, for the moment a little girl before the teenager took over. "You're a bit early, we're not quite done. But Mom said they couldn't keep you any longer. So what do you think?" Cassandra released her and threw her arms out to show Sam the room. Sam blinked in surprise, slowly taking in the changes to her basic quarters. The bed had been changed with small queen size, the mattress probably twice the thickness of the standard issue. Her desk was currently straining under boxes of books and games that had not yet made it onto a new bookcase. There was an armchair under carrier bags of clothes that Janet was hanging into a small wardrobe, but the biggest difference was the walls. The concrete was painted with a sunset on the facing wall, constellations on the wall by her bed and the seaside on her left. As she stepped in she saw trees on the back wall. "So?" Cassandra pressed, "What do you think?"
"It's…" Sam managed to stammer before biting her lip to prevent herself from crying. She looked across at Jack for help, a little boy grin on his face as he held a selection of books in his arms.
"The walls were Cass's idea, seeing as you're stuck here," He gave her a sheepish look. "I got some of your books and girly knickknacks from your house so you can make it homier."
"It's lovely," Sam mumbled glad that she was holding on to Cassie so she had something to do with her arms.
"Whoa!" Cassie exclaimed excitedly spinning in Sam's arms to stare at Sam's burgeoning stomach. "I felt it kick!"
"Oh," Sam looked down, the baby within her moving with her rush of emotions. She jumped slightly as Cassie placed her hand on her bump.
"That is so cool!" Cassie grinned up at her, seemingly unfazed by the fact that less than a week ago Sam had not been pregnant at all.
"Don't get any ideas," Janet admonished good naturedly, matching her daughter's eye roll.
Sam found Jack's eyes again and she silently thanked him, his slight head dip told her that he understood what the changes to her room meant to her, even if she couldn't articulate it well enough.
Daniel looked up so quickly that he cricked his neck, wincing he squinted at his doorway, taking in Sam as she stood nervously in the doorway. Rubbing his neck he stood up slowly still reeling from the horrible pain. "Sam," he beckoned her in and offered his stool. Sam waved his offer away and walked slowly to the board where he had pinned up all the photographs. "I'm getting there," he offered her lamely as she stared at the photographs. "It's all just a little bit off from what I'm used to." He released his grip on her neck and studied her as she continued to stare at the photographs, particularly the one that showed the statue that had caused all this. He realised that she looked relaxed and almost happy which was different from the last time he had seen her. Dressed in normal clothes she almost looked like the same old Sam again, just in a shirt that was too big. Guessing that her freedom had brought about the discovery of her new and improved room he could imagine why her mood was improved. "Did you see the room?"
Sam nodded and turned away from the photographs to face him, in doing so revealing the true state of her being, Daniel couldn't help but look down. She wasn't really that big but considering that her stomach had been basically flat 4 days before it was a massive difference. He looked up catching the embarrassed look on her face.
"Sor…" Daniel started the same time as Sam said his name. "Go ahead."
"I don't want you to keep apologising," Sam smiled at him, "You've already said it eleven times since it happened." She smiled weakly, "I also don't want you to get your hopes up. Some of what you said yesterday…" she petered off and exhaled heavily, a faint sheen of embarrassment on her cheeks.
"What I said yesterday?" Daniel moved closer to her, "about…" Sam opened her mouth to say something and then closed it before attempting to say something a second time and failing. "The baby," Daniel guessed as he watched her eyes cast downwards, "about what I said if it was mine but you think that the baby's father is Ja…"
"Colonel O'Neill's," Sam interrupted him, looking up at him with startled eyes. "She didn't move until he took my hand." Her eyes widened as she used the feminine pronoun and she blushed, immediately looking down again.
Daniel took his glasses off for a moment, suddenly very interested in his lenses as he chose his next words with utmost care. "Sam," his soft use of her name made her look up. "I never thought that I was her father," he watched Sam's eyes widen. "I just… there is the tiniest possibility and I wanted you to know I will be there for both of you if I am. But I won't be. The baby has to be Jack's. Jack's baby not Colonel O'Neill, Jack." He reached for her hand taking it gently in his larger ones and holding it with firm tenderness. "Have you spoken properly with him?"
"No," she shook her head and tried to turn back to look at the photographs
"Why not?"
"I was going to wait until the results come back," Sam whispered, "but…" she just stopped herself.
"You know," Daniel finished for her. "Do you know what you want to do?" Daniel answered carefully.
Sam nodded and gave a soft sigh. "All I've done for the last few days is think. Col…Jack said that the Statue said gift." She sighed, her shoulders sagged and she moved her hand over her stomach, cradling it. "I think I want to keep her. If they let me." She stiffened as she said her last statement. Glancing to her left she saw Daniel's look of horror. "Thank you Daniel, when you finish I'll be interested to see what all this means."
She turned and left before Daniel had time to process what she had said, it had not occurred to him that Sam would not be able to keep the baby, the only thing he had thought about was Sam not wanting to keep the baby because of how she was made. Not once in the four days he had been studying the temple's text had he considered that someone higher up might not let Sam keep her daughter. With renewed vigour he turned to study the text once more determined more than anything to prove that the baby Sam was carrying was just a normal baby and that the only thing strange about her was the manner of her creation.
