Sam walked into the darkened living room, still toweling her damp hair. The only lighting was from the glow of the fire and Jack's back to the flames left only an outline of his form for her sight. A picnic blanket lay sprawled underneath him and he was currently placing two wine glasses on the coffee table.

Jack looked up as he heard her approach, the right side of his face aglow with the fire's light. A slow smile on her face, Sam raised a questioning brow.

Jack shrugged. "I'm trying to be romantic."

She loved the bashful quality to his voice. Sam padded her way the rest of the way over to join him on the floor. Sitting next to him, she pecked him on the mouth. "Doing good so far..."

"Oh, this is just the beginning, Samantha," Jack teased. He pulled a wine bottle that Daniel had brought for dinner yesterday out from behind his back.

"Jack ...I still don't think my stomach can handle alcohol yet."

She'd been sick all week. They'd been hopeful that it was a sign Sam was pregnant but a trip to the drug store to buy not one but two pregnancy tests and a glaring negative sign had dashed that hope.

"I know." He set down his wine glass. "That's why this is for you." Jack pulled out another drink from off to his side - a can of sprite. Sam laughed. He poured half the glass full of the soda and handed it to her.

Taking his wine glass off the coffee table, Jack positioned himself behind her, his legs on either side, and wrapped his free arm around her waist.

He clinked his glass with hers. "Merry Christmas, baby."

"Merry Christmas."

Jack nuzzled into her neck and Sam was happy to accommodate him, exposing her neck as he briefly kissed her skin. "Today was a good day."

"It was."

Cassie had come home from New York. She was completely in love with the city and with everything she was learning and experiencing at UNICEF. Her hopes were that she would finish the Junior Professional Program in five years and then become a UN Volunteer. Cassie's main expertise was in education and she would be sent to teach children in third world countries. Sam was so proud of Cassie's determination and desire to help others. Janet would have been too.

"I wish Teal'c and Ishta had gotten to stay longer. I miss him a lot."

Jack nodded. "Felt kinda like the old days..."

Daniel and Teal'c had stayed Christmas Eve at Jack and Sam's just like they used to do as a team years ago. Vala stayed at the base, wanting to show Ariston a proper Christmas. Jonas decided to join them as well. Sam wished they could have all gotten together but Ariston and Jack made each other uncomfortable. Jack couldn't help but think of Baal and Ariston couldn't look at Jack without feeling guilty. Both were wrong but understandable and Sam wasn't about to push either of them. Cameron had gone home to spend Christmas with his family, which he hardly ever got to do. So it had been the four of them plus Cassie and Ishta.

Sam found herself looking over each man in turn, thinking about how much they had changed. Daniel had been so innocent, so eager, so full of life. She had been the same. Two peas in a pod right from the beginning. They weren't so innocent anymore. Not by a long shot. Not quite as eager either. But they were stronger, as individuals and as two people with a bond that could not be broken. Teal'c wound his way into her heart in ways she never would have imagined in the beginning. The silent determined ex-first prime of Apophis had accomplished everything he ever dreamed of, never wavering, never losing faith. And he'd gained more in them. As much as Teal'c would deny it, they had rubbed off on him after all these years. And Jack ...well that cocky, irreverent, childish Colonel that she'd been so determined to prove herself to was now a cocky, irreverent, childish General that she loved more than she would have thought possible.

Sam squeezed the hand around her waist. "No, this is better."

Jack twisted to look at her face, quirking one of his small smiles, light dancing in his eyes. Getting a mischievous smile of her own, Sam said, "We have the roaring fire. We've had the 'wine'. What's next in your woo-ing of me?"

"You forgot snuggling. And kissing."

"We haven't been kissing."

Jack turned her in his arms. "Now, ya see, I've got the perfect remedy for that."

He took the wine glass out of her hand as his lips found hers, blinding putting it on the table behind him. His kiss was soft, lingering, exploring, and more intoxicating than any alcohol she'd ever had. And as he lay them both down on the blanket, Sam's world shifted and her stomach roiled.

"Jack..."

He was far too interested in her ear and throat at the moment to notice.

"Jack..."

He leaned back. "What?"

"I'm gonna be sick." Pushing him off her, Sam ran for the bathroom, removing all traces of Christmas dinner from her body. It didn't take Jack long to follow her. Wetting a cloth, he handed it to her once she was done and sat on the edge of the tub.

Leaning against it as well, Sam closed her eyes.

"You should go see Lam tomorrow."

"I know. I was planning on it." She felt him brush her hair back from her face with his fingers. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Not exactly the reaction a guy looks for when he makes his move."

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, well, I fully expect you to make it up to me when you're better."

Seemingly changing the subject, Sam said, "I have another present for you."

"Don't worry about it. We can get it later."

He was seconds away from sending her to bed, she just knew it.

"You should get some sleep. Help settle your stomach."

Sam huffed a breathy laugh.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just let me brush my teeth really quick and I'll go get your present."

"I'm serious, Sam. You don't look too good."

Grabbing her toothbrush, Sam glared at him via the mirror. "Your romance points just went way down."

He didn't look too threatened which annoyed her. She'd obviously been being far too good to him. Needed to keep him on his toes a little.

Jack put his hands on her hips. "I'd rather have an angry wife than a sick wife."

She decided not to point out the obvious fact that she was both. Well not really, but it was the principle of the matter. Besides, Sam still wanted to give him his present. She booted him out of the bathroom while she finished brushing her teeth. She really did look like crap. Pale pale skin and dark circles under her eyes. Definitely going to see Carolyn Monday.

Sam found Jack in the living room, picking up the remains of their indoor romantic escapade. If Cassie was to come downstairs in the morning and see the scene as it was she would 'awww' and 'That's so sweet' Jack to death, the worst form of teasing in the O'Neill handbook.

"Wait in here, okay?" Clearly as a second thought, Sam added, "And close your eyes."

"Seriously?"

Sam gave him a look that clearly said she wasn't going to move a muscle until he complied. Acting as if he was really put out, Jack closed his eyes. She headed toward the garage. "And no peaking, O'Neill."

"Yes, ma'am."

Jack was curious when he heard the door to the garage open and when Sam came back in, he heard ...was that squeaking?

"Hold your arms out."

Jack did what he was told and his arms were instantly filled with a squirming furry squeaking ...something. He opened his eyes on instinct and saw blonde. Lots of blonde. And brown. Two chocolaty brown eyes looked up at him pitifully and whined.

He looked at Carter and then at the bundle again. "You bought me a dog?"

Jack couldn't help but grin down at the squirming lump in his arms. It was so darn cute. He'd always wanted a lab.

"No. It's not for you."

There was no preventing it. He frowned and maybe, just maybe, pouted a little. "Then what's it doing here?"

"Someone once told me that every Earth kid had to have a dog."

Jack looked at her with a 'yeah, what's your point' expression. Sam waited patiently for all the dots to connect. And when they did, she was positive he almost dropped the puppy.

"You mean ...that we ...I ...you ...are we..."

The grin she had been holding back escaped and she nodded. Before she could fully comprehend it, Sam was pulled into a Jack O'Neill bear hug, puppy and all.

"Are you sure? I mean, we took that test..."

"I know, but when I was still sick a few days later I took the other one and," overcome with emotion, she trailed off. She'd been keeping the secret from him for two days, wanting to tell him on Christmas since it had been so close. It almost killed her, keeping all that excitement to herself. "I thought it would take so much longer. If we'd be able to at all. With everything that's happened and my age..."

Jack was grinning more openly than she had ever seen. She stopped talking and they just grinned goofily at each other.

"We're gonna have a baby," he told her.

He pulled her into another hug. The puppy whined, letting the people know that she was very unhappy in her current position of being smushed in between them and hanging exceedingly high in the air. Jack lifted said puppy up to face level, holding it with both hands. She looked at her new owner curiously, sniffing to investigate. Either to further her analysis or to show her approval of him, the puppy licked his nose.

Jack grimaced. "Now none of that."

Sam chuckled and ruffled the puppy's fur. "What should we name her?"

"It's a girl?" Jack looked. "It's a girl." He eyed the puppy. "I don't know." He set the puppy down on the floor. "Later. Right now I'm much more interested in this." Jack put his hands on her waist under her night tee, his thumbs stroking her flat stomach.

"And this." He kissed her deeply and Sam was happily buzzing by the time he stopped. "You think you're up for more?"

She nodded, helpless to articulate more. Her body was far from nauseous at the moment.

"Good. I've got some serious thanking to do for my present."

Grasping the backs of her thighs right underneath her bottom, Jack lifted her up so that he could carry her to bed.

"Jack! Your knees!"

"I think they'll make it to the bedroom, Carter."

"Okay then, what about the puppy?"

Jack growled and put her down. "Fine. She's got a kennel in the garage?"

Sam nodded.

"I'll put her up but I fully expect you to be naked by the time I get to the room."

"Yes, sir." She snapped off a smart salute and sauntered, sauntered up the stairs to their room.

Jack looked at the dog and back at Sam. This was the best Christmas ever.