Chapter 3: Frequency
Before During and After "Point of No Return"
Mention of "Brief Candle" "Beneath the Surface" "Emancipation" and several others
Sam's POV
After all the work bargaining with Jack on how long I'd sleep, it figures I go and sleep nine hours. Pregnancy is seriously exhausting. I took a quick shower and threw on some BDU's before heading into my lab.
I see Jack in my desk chair before I'm even around the corner. He is not fidgeting; this can't be a good sign. Then I see my dad behind the microscope. No defiantly not a good thing. Then again, neither appeared to be injured.
"Sam," my dad says warmly.
Jack is actually grinning, whatever I'm in for he's looking forward to it.
"Dad, when did you get here?" I ask trying to sound normal.
"Last night, I was going to wake you, but Jack figured we'd better let you sleep."
"Yes, well after all the work he did getting me into bed," Holy Hannah, that was so not what I meant to say. "I mean my bed, alone, because he wanted me to sleep, alone, in my bed." I sounded so stupid, and they were both enjoying it! I, however, was not.
"Yes, well the baby does need sleep, Sammy," Dad replied.
"Jack, told you about the baby?" I said, pretty surprised. I sort of assumed he'd avoid the subject with my Dad. After all, Jack did have survival training.
"Oh, I figured it out from the nanite situation. Jack just confirmed my suspicions."
"Did you work all night?" I was stalling the rest of that conversation for when Jack was out of the room. No point making my baby fatherless.
"No but I was a little gate lagged, so Jack sat up with me until I got tired. We just got back to work a half hour ago."
"Guess what Carter? Selmak likes hockey."
"Jack, did you introduce a highly advanced alien to a violent earth sport?"
He nodded emphatically.
"Did it occur to you this might be bad public relations?" I asked.
"Relax Sam, Selmak has access to my memories. She knows about hockey, and boxing, and the way my daughter used to wrestle rookie airmen when she was half their age," Dad said.
Thank you dad, ever so much for sharing that detail. I thought as I watched Jack picture the scene in his head. These two should be kept apart at all costs.
"Sammy, I never asked Jack; how far along are you?"
"Well, I've only been pregnant for a little over a month, but the baby is two months along."
My Dad placed his fingers on my stomach. A very different gester than Jack and I had done.
I had been terrified my father was going to ask who the baby's father was. Now, I was offended that he didn't.
"Dad, there is something you should know."
"I already know about you and Jack making like bunnies in the mine shaft Sam," he responded. Jack was laughing, I would have hit him, but he was wisely out of reach. What did I tell you about those survival skills?
"You're fine with this, Dad?" I asked in shock.
He nodded.
But Jack broke in, "Come on Jacob, Selmak had to protect me when you first found out." That was more the Air Force General I had grown up the daughter of.
"Sammy, I wasn't going to hurt him. I might have yelled a little, but I wasn't going to hurt him."
"Oh Jacob, you had already yelled quite a bit before Selmak took over. Do you know what he said to me? It's actually quite funny…"
My dad cut him off, "But we've got it all settled now."
Settled, they got it all settled huh? You'd think they'd want to include me in a conversation that settled it all. "So how many goats am I worth Jack?" His teasing smile evaporated.
"Sam, it wasn't like that. That's not what I meant."
"Sammy, I told him he should stop you from quitting the Air Force, and he said you made your own choices. That's what I meant by settling."
Oh, Jack!
Just then I hear Teal'C's voice, "MajorCarter, you will accompany me to the mess. Your unborn child requires sustenance."
"How do you know I didn't already eat?" I challenged.
"I inquired at the mess," he replied unphased.
"Ok, So Sam doesn't get to make all her own decisions," Jack said with a laugh.
I knew I'd lost the battle being triple teamed as I were. But I still put up a protest. "I bet you guys haven't eaten either."
"No, but you have to be pregnant to require a Jaffa escort to meals right Teal'C?" Jack replied.
"Indeed," he replied.
"Bring me a muffin back," Dads said burring himself behind the microscope. It had not occurred to me that this would hurt Dad in the same way it was hurting me. A fierce longing for an answer we couldn't find. The frantic search for a hidden solution. All the while knowing the stakes if we failed.
Jack and Teal'c spent most of breakfast trying to outdo each other in who could get me to eat more. As it wound to a close it occurred to me that I ought to have a chat with Teal'c. After all he was the only member of SG-1 that didn't know who the father of my baby was. But the Colonel was way smarter than most people give him credit for.
"T, we should have a chat in your quarters," he looked at me for confirmation. I nodded. "But then I've gotta go off base. I'll send Daniel around to fetch you for lunch. T you got her for dinner?"
"Indeed," he said with stoic face. Man I loved this Jaffa!
"I'll be back to tuck you in," he said with a tease. I ignored Teal'c raised eyebrow, and found myself sort of hoping Jack wasn't teasing.
"Call me if you have any problems," Jack said to Teal'c.
"I do not need a babysitter Jack!"
"Of course you don't. You need a Carter sitter, it's completely different."
Lunch time came and went and still no Daniel. I could have told Jack his choice of Carter sitters was flawed. The only person on base less likely to notice it was lunch time then me, was Daniel Jackson. Well, I'd better retrieve him or Jack would kill him when he got back. Death was for Daniel a temporary state, but I'd had my fill of Daniel funerals.
He was pouring over an old book.
"What you working on Daniel?"
"Some Goa'uld texts reference nanites."
"I didn't know there was such a thing."
"Well, actually SG-7 made contact with a race not too long ago…Hey, Sam I've been meaning to ask you do you happen to have an extra naquada generator?"
"Daniel, you traded a naquada generator for a couple of papers?" Geez I sounded just like Jack.
"Yes, papers which might hold the key," he was getting all excited, but he stopped, just glancing at my still flat stomach. Man, it was good to have people love you like this. Go to an alien planet and make stupid trade propositions kind of love.
"I think I can let you hold up your end of the bargain Daniel, but first you better perform your Carter sitting duties, or you'll have one mad Colonel."
He glanced frantically at his watch, "Sorry Sam, I'm supposed to be reminding you to eat, and you are reminding me."
"It's what we do Daniel. Now does Hammond know about your little trade?"
Sheepish look.
"Please tell me I'm not supposed to pretend to lose a naquada generator."
"You "lost" a ring transporter once," he pointed out.
"The Colonel "lost" a ring transporter, much more believable, Daniel."
"Well, we'll just have Jack "lose" the naquada generator."
"I'm supposed to claim I trusted the Colonel with something that could blow up the state of Colorado? I'd be Court Marshaled."
Daniel gave me a puppy dog face.
"Of course soon I'll be a civilian."
"What?" Daniel said. So I delayed our lunch a bit more by telling him the whole story.
Teal'c is an all-star Carter sitter. He retrieved me for dinner, and presented me with a book on pre-natal care. I would have loved to see the base librarian's face when he checked that one out. News of my being pregnant still hasn't filtered through the gossip vein, so I'm sure she's wondering why a Jaffa who is almost never off base suddenly needs to know what changes a human women's body goes through during pregnancy. Again, love like that you don't find just anywhere.
Jack didn't arrive back to tuck me in. But he did call my father, and tell him to make sure I got to bed on time. He replied, "But it took you so much time to talk her into bed last time Jack." His survival skills were no where near as sharp as the Colonel's and I did get a playful slap in. Since when was my Dad so cheeky? I'd have to try to keep those men apart. Jack wasn't good for Selmak either, she wanted to watch more hockey today.
The rest of SG-1 had a briefing the next day. I made the pretense of wanting to go along, but honestly wanted to stay in my lab and find a solution. So when the boys of SG-1 tried to convince me to stay and work it was an easy sell. Dad was getting crabbier with every failed attempt. I tried to show him the ultrasound thinking that would help, but that only served to annoy him further. When Jack came back he was in an even worse mood then my father, so I took him to my quarters to have a talk.
"Sam they want me to go to Butte Montana to see if some crazy guy really knows as much as it seems like he does," he said seriously.
"How long will you be gone?" I asked.
"I'm not going Sam," he said fiddling with my fingers.
All was right in the world when I was Jack O'Neil's fidget. Focus Sam, serious conversation going on. "Why not?"
"I'd be gone for almost a week, that is over a month and a half for the baby."
"We'll get this solved," I hated this. People were doing these incredible things for me, but I couldn't do my part. I needed to solve this or the baby would die. I was failing, and I had no one to blame but myself.
"I know you will, but I don't want to miss it all Sam. I missed too much with Charlie. I was black ops, young, ambitious. I put my career first and missed a lot."
"Jack, you aren't going to miss it this time. You'll miss days yes, but then you'll be here whole days off, with the kid." And me I thought, we have leave at the same time, "You going to be a great Dad. I've seen you with Cassie, with Mariam, with that little kid who had a ritu mother."
"Charlie," he provided. Oh yeah, he'd asked to be Jack's son. I'd forgotten that.
"Point is a kid would be lucky to have you, you'll more than make up for a little time you miss. Don't put your life on hold."
"Sammy, I know, you'll fix this. But if you don't…I'm going to retire and make this kid enjoy his childhood. What little he'll have."
I was stunned. I couldn't let Jack quit SG-1. I thought about the alternate realities where one of the SG-1 wasn't involved. It usually ended in a lot of death for earth. I'd make sure he didn't quit, but first I had to make him go on this mission. "Jack, this is a safe, short mission. Everything, will be fine."
"Well, the little conspiracy theorist did ask for me first hand. But Daniel and Teal'c will be coming along so your Dad and Janet will be the only Carter sitters. Have any girlfriends I can call in for reinforcement."
"Oh oodles, Colonel, and what shall I tell them about my speed pregnancy."
He grinned and whispered in my ear, "Tell them I'm just that good."
"General Hammond," I said. I was nauseous. I couldn't tell if it was morning sickness, or the chat I was about to have with the leader of the base.
"Yes, Major what did you want to talk to me about?"
"I am going to resign from the military. I was wondering what my chances of being hired on as a civilian scientist were."
"Major, would this have anything to do with having a relationship with a certain Colonel?"
I froze; what could I say?
"Major, I thought by now you'd have realized I view 'under the influence of alien technology' as a pretty good defense against court marshalable offenses in my book. At least I assume it happened while you were memory stamped."
"Yes, Sir," I replied. I had so underestimated the size of the group of people willing to do extraordinary things for me. I was one lucky girl.
"I'll try to get the paperwork through before Jack comes back. Congratulations, Dr." he said shaking my hand.
Then I hugged General Hammond.
"And if that kid needs another Grandpa you let me know, Sam."
"Yes, Sir."
When Jack called me that night I was already in my quarters, Janet taking too seriously Jack's orders. Apparently Jack could out Janet, Janet herself.
"Hey Jack, you woke me up," I lied.
"Not unless Janet's clock is fast, Major."
"You won't be able to call me Major must longer."
"No, Sam."
"I had a chat with Hammond. By the time you got back you'll have to call me Dr."
"Samantha?"
"Jack, I want to do this. I to be to have it all. Family and career, and I want you to have it all Jack too."
"But Sam," his voice sounded unJacklike and then I heard him talking to someone on the other end, "No Teal'c you do not need to leave the room….oh, for crying out loud, would you just sit back down? Have another quarter for the bed,"
"Jaffa!" he exclaimed, "Listen Sam, are you happy with your decision? I mean really happy."
"Yeah, Jack."
"Because you deserve to be really happy. I don't want you to feel like you're giving anything up. And Sam, I could still retire."
"Please don't Jack. I don't want the world to lose you, and off world missions would be lonely without you."
"Did I miss another photo op?" he said. I loved the way he referred to our ultrasounds like that. Otherwise they would just be glaring signs pointing to my failure to save out child.
"Yeah, hang on I'll send it to you."
There was a moment of silence, and then a very exasperated, "Move over Teal'c," asecond latter.
"O'Neil you said these pictures would became clearer in time," Teal'C's voice said.
"Right, there is the little head."
"I believe that is an arm," Teal'C proclaimed.
"That is definitely the baby's head," Jack said a little offended.
"DoctorCarter," Man this Jaffa adjusted fast, "Your child is beautiful."
"What are you talking about? You don't even know where its head is."
I could almost see the raised brow through the phone, "It is you, O'Neil who is unsure of the child's anatomy."
"Alright T, its Carter's bedtime."
I had the phone halfway hung up before I heard him whisper, "I love you Carter," so quiet I don't think he meant me to hear.
"I love you too, Jack," I said and I didn't feel far away from him at all.
When SG-1 came back at the end of the week I knew I looked different. The secret was definitely ended. I wasn't sure exactly how much had made it onto the rumor mill. As far as Janet knew it was common knowledge that I was pregnant andthat some alien technology was involved. But as far as she knew it was as far as it got. Of course, enough people knew how close I was to Janet that she might not know everything on the gossip mill.
This whole thing was wearing on Janet. She was after all chief medical officer, and this was a medical issue. I felt solely responsible for the safety of my baby, but so did Janet. Yeah, sometimes all this SGC is my family has a downside.
But anyway, back to Daniel, Teal'c, and Jack coming back. I'd started showing. Imagine the stretch marks this is going to cause! But they walked through the door and it was just like that time on Simarka when the male chauvinists dressed me up in a pretty gown and my three teammates all dropped jaws seeing me standing in it. Except this time they were awed by my barely there pregnant belly.
Jack came and stood near me whispering in my ear, "Do you want to keep any of this a secret now that there aren't court marshals in our future, Dr.?" I was shocked that he'd suggest that. But I didn't really want to hide my being with Jack.
"No," I said.
His hand intertwined with mine and we walked through the SGC with him singing, "Having my baby, what a wonderful way to say how much you love me…"
Jack O'Neil does nothing small.