Chapter 4: Dad's Back

The ride across town was a blur.

Sitting in the back seat of the Towne Car, Sam made half hearted efforts to inquire about her father. To her frustration, all questions were met with the standard non-committal answers favored by top-secret government employees. "He's fine, Ma'am. He's been rather busy, Ma'am. He's looking forward to seeing you Ma'am." Those were the more in-depth responses Agent Harris provided during the half hour drive. The rest were little more than head nods and cryptic noises.

Now, Sam waited impatiently in the VIP suite at the convention center. In a rare show of gratuitous information giving, Agent Harris told her Jacob was finishing up a speech to the Colorado Republican Committee. The idea of her father giving a speech on anything other than troop deployments was foreign to Sam. She couldn't imagine what he'd find to say to a partisan re-election committee. Anyway, she'd find out soon enough.

And so she did.

"Sam!" Her father's voice boomed from the doorway. He was clearly delighted to see his only daughter.

Startled, Sam jumped to her feet and turned toward the sound of Jacob's voice. It was him. Her dad, he was alive! Unbidden, tears formed and began to fall. She approached Jacob tentatively, afraid to believe he was really here and certain on some level it wasn't him at all.

"Dad…"

Though she tried to make it sound like a greeting, her voice carried an unmistakable question. In spite of her resolve, Sam froze as Jacob closed the distance between them, concern bright in his eyes.

"You okay, honey?" Jacob asked sincerely.

"Sure, Dad," Sam answered. "I'm fine, a little surprised you're on time, is all."

"Cute," Jacob responded to the attempt at teasing levity. "When have I ever kept my favorite daughter waiting?"

"Ah … since I was three?" Sam suggested, easily slipping into the friendly banter.

"Okay, you win," Jacob admitted with a smile. "It's the curse of a politician." With that Jacob moved to wrap his arms around Sam.

Sam relaxed into Jacob's embrace. It was wonderful to be with him again. It wasn't real; she knew it wasn't real. Still, it was wonderful to be in his arms. Politician?

"Hey," Jacob said, noticing the tears in his daughter's eyes as she pulled back to face him. "What's wrong, Sam?"

"Nothing, Dad," she lied. "I'm happy to see you. It's been a while."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"I have to admit, you look great," Jacob said. Purposefully, the older man pulled back from the embrace to carefully observe his daughter's demeanor. He didn't see her half as often as he knew he should, especially after she'd been so ill for so long. In fact, it had been three months. He knew he should be ashamed of himself. Nothing was as important as family. His wife kept trying to teach him that lesson. In this particular area, Jacob Carter was a poor student.

Now as he looked at Sam, he realized he needn't have worried. Despite her tears, she looked well, beautiful in fact. The sharply dressed, fit woman in front of him belied any active mental illness. Certainly this didn't look like a woman in the throes of psychotic depression. It had been years since he'd seen her looking so well. Whatever was happening in her life, things seemed to be looking up.

"I can't get over it," Jacob said. "You look like your old self."

Sam had no idea what Jacob was talking about. What old self, she wondered. She hardly knew who she was now, let alone how she may have changed.

"Whatever do you mean?" She asked, keeping her tone light and non-committal.

"You know we've all been worried about you," Jacob said. "Only three months ago you were back in that hospital, really out of it. Now look at you. I had no idea how much better you were."

"The hospital was good for me," Sam played along.

"You weren't saying that a few weeks ago," Jacob replied. "As I remember, you were complaining about having to follow up with outpatient treatment. You weren't even taking your meds."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door of the suite.

"Come," Jacob called.

It was Agent Harris.

"Mr. President," he said, "the car's ready when you are."

"Thank you, David."

Mr. President?

OoOoOo

That night, Jack O'Neill arrived home later than expected. His plane had been delayed by weather. Normally, his young wife turned in before he arrived home on these late nights. They'd agreed some time ago that she'd do whatever it took to have the energy needed for the couple's one year old twins.

Tonight was an exception to the rule. Kerry had made every effort to stay awake to greet her husband. The phone call she'd received today had shaken her badly. For the most part Kerry had been incredibly happy with Jack for the past two years. The birth of the twins seemed to cement their relationship. Kerry loved her adorable babies and thrilled to the happiness they'd so clearly brought to their father.

Jack had been miserable when Kerry first met him, nearly three years ago. At the time, Jack had finally concluded contentious divorce proceedings with a woman whose sanity was in question to this very day. From the start, Kerry knew Jack O'Neill had lost a great deal. For all her faults, he'd loved his first wife, Samantha Carter. Then there was the child. Moving on hadn't been easy.

OoOoOo

A/N: I know, I know… Jack/Kerry is painful. Remember this is AU, AR or whatever. And the backstory will make it more understandable and sufficiently angsty (and you know I love happy endings). Please hang in there with me. More shall be revealed.

Thanks so much for your reviews!!