A/N: Okay my notes are going to be short since I have to get back to work, but since ya'll are being so nice and also being patient with all my short chapters, I've decided to combine chapters 10 & 11 together and just give you one bigger chapter. Hope that's okay with ya'll! Enjoy the read. Not sure if I like this chapter much since Jack seems to take a step backwards, but don't worry, it will all work out, I think. Still deciding on how to end it because I don't have anything past chapter 14 written. So if you would like to see anything happen (besides the obvious of Sam and Jack getting together) drop me a review and I might be able to work it in.

Previously:

Jack groaned. Of course Carter wasn't thinking about him. He was an ass towards her. Just pushing her away numerous in her time of need because it would've been an inconvenience towards him.

Noticing the late hour, he decided to get a good night's sleep and talk to Carter tomorrow at work. He would apologize and say that she caught him off guard showing up on his porch. As much as he liked Clarissa, he wouldn't jeopardize Carter's friendship for it.

Part 10

It felt weird, Sam decided as she worked in her lab. She was in civilian clothes and a lab coat. Not the usual BDU's.

She dropped off Emily at a preschool that Sam signed her up for. The drop-off was hard. Sam with tears in her eyes holding tight to a four year old scared that her mommy wouldn't be back.

Fifteen minutes later, the teacher was able to get Emily interested in coloring and here Sam was an hour later, wondering if Emily was still okay.

"Hey Sam, you wanted to see us?" Daniel asked as he entered her lab, followed by Teal'c.

"Yeah, thanks for coming down here. Listen," Sam faltered. This was harder than she thought. "I've decided to take myself off SG-1."

Silence reigned for a minute,

"I figured." Daniel replied, without the hurt or anger she expected. Just calm acceptance.

"That is indeed the most wise decision." Teal'c commented.

Sam was shocked, "Really, Teal'c? I thought for sure you would disapprove. I joined the cause to fight and now I'm giving up."

"Not giving Samantha Carter. You are just fighting on a different front. Emily Rose O'Neill needs a mother. You chose to be a mother over a soldier and there is no harm in that."

Relief flooded through her.

"Does Jack know?" Daniel questioned wanting to know if they talked about it.

Sam was about to answer when the phone rang. "Carter…thanks you airman."

"What was that?"

"I asked the airman to call when Colonel O'Neill arrived. I'm meeting him at the locker room. Hopefully before he see's my empty locker."

"You haven't talk to him?" Daniel asked astonished. They always seemed to talk about everything. Well, everything related to work.

"Once. Believe me when I say he wants nothing to do with Emily."

"But-"

"Daniel, just leave it at that, please." Sam cut him off. "I need to go so I can meet him there."

With that she walked out, getting a nod from Teal'c and she prayed it was a nod of approval.

As she approached the locker room, she was praying that she arrived first. As she poked her head in, her hope deflated.

There was Jack O'Neill standing ramrod straight staring at her empty locker.

She swallowed a couple times before she spoke, "Sir?"

"Something you want to talk about, Carter?"

"I didn't have a choice." She said honestly as she motioned to her empty locker.

"So what, you decide to quit and don't even tell me? You let me find out by seeing your empty locker?"

"I went to your house once and if you remember it didn't end that well." She defended herself.

The strained silence lasted for a few minutes.

"I really don't have a choice." She repeated. "I need to be there for Emily. I can't let her loose another mother.

Jack just shook his head.

"Besides, can you honestly tell me that you'd be able to send me into dangerous situations knowing that Emily would have no one left here?"

"Yes. If you stayed on the team I would. I'd look at you and see a soldier, not a mother-"

"That's where we're different. I can't… I wouldn't be able to go through the gate knowing I'd be leaving her alone. I'm okay with this and-"

"I don't believe that, Carter. You live and breathe this place. You can't tell me you're happy about giving that up. Stop lying to yourself and stop lying to me." Jack said, getting frustrated. His plan to apologize to her was quickly leaving his mind as he tried to deal with this blow.

Sam thought about this morning, holding Emily Rose extra tight when the little girl didn't want to be left alone at Pre-K. She thought back to spending all of the downtime with her daughter, learning more about her and falling in love with her even more every passing minute, all the while figuring out that she could be a single parent and be able to give Emily everything including unconditional love.

"Things change." Sam said, with a small wince as she threw his words back at him.

Sam turned to leave. He knew, granted not how she wanted him to find out, but what's done is done.

"You're abandoning your team, Carter."

She turned back to face him, finally letting some of her anger out at his comment, "Call it what you want, sir, but I see it as taking care of my daughter and not shirking my responsibility." With her hand on the door knob, she was about to open it to leave when she heard him speak once more,

"She's not your daughter, Carter."

Sam froze for a second before she walked out, then leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. He was right. Emily Rose wasn't her daughter. Biologically, yes she was but nothing more. She didn't have four years of memories with the child. Sam shook the thoughts away. She wouldn't let him get into her head.

Maybe she didn't give birth to Emily, but she already loved her and would be her mother. No, she wasn't abandoning her team.

They'd be fine without her.

She was just starting out on a new journey.

TBC...

So what did you think? Next update should be soon!