Thanks for the reviews and for every1 that keep adding me as a fave!! Here's another to keep you going;OD

The News

"Say again?"

""I'm…uh…I'm going to be a father." Jack blinked.

"What? When did this happen?" Daniel sighed patiently.

"When I was at Atlantis, I met someone."

"Who?" Jack seemed to be recovering from the shock, becoming curious.

"Well, this woman, uh, well, her name is…."

"Yeeeeeah?" Jack prodded.

"Vala," Daniel let it out quickly. With that, Jack let his head fall back and roared with laughter.

"You mean the chick that stole your ship and seduced you?"

"Hey, I don't think 'seduced' quite covers it, but-" He was cut off by another bark of laughter. Ok, now he was offended. "Look, I know it's a bit…different-"

"Weird-"

"Whatever. I'm happy." Jack's laughter softened into a smile.

"So when's the big day?"

"Well. I haven't proposed yet, though I guess that would be the right thing to do, but-"

"Daniel, I meant the birth."

"Oh. Right. Of course you did. Yes. Around April I think. Maybe March."

"Congratulations." He seemed sincere, and Daniel accepted the offer.

--

Jack couldn't sleep. Staring at his companion's bare back he could only feel confusion. He had arrived that morning after an early flight from Washington. Daniel's news, though shocking and rather unexpected, made him feel nothing but happiness for his friend. Sam's reaction, however, had been rather different. Although she had congratulated, even hugged Daniel, Jack felt like it had been a false gladness, and her pale face had worried him. Uncharacteristically, she had also refused to talk, bordering on shouting when he tried to he cajole her. Plus, for the first time they were spending the night together and she was on the opposite side of the bed. One inch to the left and she'd be over the edge.

Silently, he stretched out his lean frame and, in nothing but his boxer shorts, crept out of the room. Once he was in the kitchen, he set the kettle to boil. Jacob was finally back in his own place, and Jack knew that even if he woke Sam, she wouldn't come out to tell him off. It seemed they were in a stand-off of some sort. Most of the time, as clueless as he was, if they argued, he at least got the feeling he was in the wrong somehow. This time, he was clueless. Scowling he thumped a mug down on the worktop; he hoped the sound woke her, just so she'd suffer for making him feel so damn miserable. Yet, deep inside he knew something must be very, very wrong for her to blank him out in this way.

--

When she woke in the morning she was cold. His side of the bed was empty, and when she searched the house she found him sitting on her couch, mouth open, a light snore reaching her ears. Smiling, she watched for another few seconds, before the niggling of worry once again settled in her stomach. Tears pricked under her eyelids, but she refused to let them fall.

It was another few seconds before she realised that his brown eyes were watching her, worry in their depths. She gave a brave smile, but clearly not fooled he reached out a hand which she took, and he pulled her down to sit on his lap.

"Your knees," she protested half-heartedly.

"Carter, what's up?" There was a note of desperation in his voice. She shook her head in reply, and he stuffed his head into the gap between her shoulder and head, his grip on her body tightening.

--

That evening, as his flight took off, Jack left the Springs with a heavy feeling in his gut. Something's wrong. You should have stayed. He ignored the voice, trying to concentrate on the magazine in front of him. Failing miserably, he instead tried to think of Daniel and how, just this afternoon, the archaeologist had excitedly informed him that Vala had permission to join him on Earth. As his pregnant wife. God, Jack thought, lucky bastard.

It was hard leaving Sam at the best of times, but with her being secretive and downright weird (she'd been frosty one second, clingy the next, then frosty again), it was almost impossible. But duty called, as it always did with them. On top of that, he knew there was a biiiiiig pile of paperwork waiting for him and that it might be weeks, hell, months until he could see her again.

--

So what's the secret?? hmmmm...another chapter up in a second...