"She's reconsidering, Daniel." He finally admitted, vulnerably.
"What?" Daniel asked, surprised. "Why would she do that?"
"Nobody can live up to eight years of fantasies…"
"Are you speaking of yourself or of Colonel Carter?" Teal'c asked, knowingly.
"Uh…pass…" He said, thinking back to the morning after she'd accepted his proposal.
He'd awoken the next morning, still entangled in Sam's embrace. He pulled out of it, despite the fact that she tried to cuddle back up to him. "Sam…I gotta go see if Suzie's okay…" He whispered.
She nodded as she went back to sleep. He smiled as he watched this woman, warrior-scientist by day, his fiancée by night, sleep. There was something about her that was fascinatingly beautiful. She was gorgeous when she was working on some alien doohickey, but the scene of her sleeping peacefully in his house evoked a strong and yet tender emotion within him. It was difficult for him to describe, except that it was an urge to protect.
He kissed her head as he got out of bed and threw on his slippers, and slipped his air force t-shirt over his head. He reached the kitchen to find Suzie eating cereal and Jacob drinking a cup of coffee. "Jake."
"Daddy!" Suzie cried, scrambling from her seat at the table to her father's arms.
"Hey, pumpkin."
"Where's Mommy? She's usually up before you…"
"She's still sleeping…she's been working really hard lately."
"Okay."
"How 'bout you finish your breakfast, princess…then we'll get you dressed, okay?"
"Okay." She said, bouncing out of his arms and back to the breakfast table.
"So, Jake…how'd you get back?"
"Some ascended being took pity on me…all of a sudden, I was being offered an opportunity to live on a higher plane…couldn't exactly say 'no' to that, so…I went. After that, I heard that my daughter was having a hard time telling the man that she loved that she loved him, so…I figured that the universe had enough people to screw it up…I came to see if I could help…"
"And because you interfered, you're back for good…"
"Well, in a manner of speaking…"
"What manner of speaking?"
"It's boring up there, believe me. For Daniel, it was probably fascinating, but…for military men like you and me…it's boring. You watch everyone else make mistakes that they complain about, and you can't do a flipping thing!"
"Yes…I once had to tell Daniel that ascension wasn't my thing…so…got Selmak with you?"
"Sadly, when I died, our souls were separated again…Selmak wasn't offered the opportunity to ascend."
"Because of the big guy himself?"
"Yep."
"So…Jacob, I…I didn't get a chance to talk to you…" Jack began.
"Before you asked Sam to marry you?"
"How'd you know that?"
"Jack, I was ascended…you can see a WHOLE lot from the Higher Plane." He said, sipping his coffee with an amused smile. "And…I saw you put the ring in your pocket last night…" He chuckled.
"Right…"
"Jack, I'm not going to give you the whole 'if you hurt her, you'll answer to me' speech, because let's face it…if you hurt her, she'll kill you."
Jack swallowed. "And I'll deserve it."
Jacob smiled. "Exactly…I'm not worried."
"But…what about her career, Jake?"
"I'd be lying to you if I said that she wasn't worried about it." Jacob admitted, softly. "But honestly, she'd rather be with you than in the Air Force…"
"That's not all of it." Jack said, quietly, as if he was divulging some top secret information.
"I know." Jacob sighed.
"She's afraid that she'll leave Suzie motherless."
Jacob nodded. "I don't know what to say to that…"
"Neither do I."
"Except that she should be careful in the field?" Jacob chuckled, sadly.
"Yeah. And even that isn't half enough."
"I know."
"But it could happen at any moment…"
"Believe me, I know."
He fidgeted with his tie nervously. She'd resigned her commission, and was now "Dr. Carter," though half of the base personnel still called her Colonel Carter…including Teal'c.
He took a deep breath. She'd sacrificed so much to get this far…she wouldn't leave him standing here, would she?
--
Sam wiped her mouth with a couple of squares of toilet paper. Cassie handed her a tiny cup of mouthwash, and she looked into the paper cup. She sighed. "Jack must be SO petrified." She said, before pouring the liquid into her mouth and swishing it around.
Jacob chuckled. "It's not everyday that you wait for the most gorgeous woman in the world, and the mother of your child, to marry you."
Sam turned pink and spit the mouthwash into the sink quickly. "What?!"
Suzie, dressed in her pale yellow and blue dress ran over. "Mommy! Hurry up! I want everyone to see the pretty petals!"
Jacob picked the five-year-old up. "It won't be long now, sweetie!"
Sam groaned as Cassie turned a questioning glance to her.
"That wasn't just nerves, was it?" Jacob asked as the satisfied girl ran off again.
She reached for the lipstick and quickly applied it, ignoring her father's question. Then, she set the tube down, turned, and gathered her skirts. "I'm ready to go, Dad."
"That's what I thought." He said, grinning.
She composed herself as Cassie got Mark's wife and kids, Cynthia, Matthew and Katelyn, Suzie, and herself into their correct order in front of Sam and Jacob. She signaled to Suzie and Matthew who, as ring bearer and flower girl walked down the aisle first. Then, Katelyn and Cynthia walked down the aisle as bridesmaids, followed by herself, as maid of honor.
Sam breathed as butterflies started flying in her stomach. She was getting married…she was getting married in just a few minutes…she was getting married to Jack O'Neill.
The very thought made her go somewhat lightheaded, but she calmed herself down enough to walk on her father's arm toward Jack, who was looking somewhat relieved that she had finally chosen to him.
"I'm sorry." She muttered as her father passed her to Jack.
"It's okay." He said, smiling, reassuringly to her.
She grinned as they made their way to the minister.
"Dearly beloved, we gather here today…"
--
They were sent away in a limo, and Sam turned to Jack. "Where are we going?"
He'd determined that he would keep the honeymoon a secret, and hadn't given her so-much as a hint.
"I'm not telling you." He said, kissing her nose.
"Why not?" She pouted.
"You pout?"
"On occasion." She giggled.
Suddenly, they were beamed aboard the Prometheus. "Welcome to the Prometheus, Mr. and Mrs. O'Neill." Colonel Henderson, the new commander of the ship said, smiling.
"Thanks, Walt." Jack said, chuckling at the look he received from his new bride.
"JACK! I am in my wedding dress and I am on the Prometheus!" Sam said, mortified that she wearing her strapless and embroidered wedding gown with a very full skirt on a military craft. EVERYONE around her, except Jack, was wearing some kind of uniform, and even HE was wearing PANTS!
"And?"
"There is something innately WRONG about this picture!"
He looked at her, a very lustful gleam in his eye. "Nothing wrong with it from where I sit…in fact…I might even go so far as to call it perfect."
She blushed as they were beamed back down to Earth. More specifically: to the cabin.
"How did I see that coming?" She asked herself, chuckling.
"I don't know what you're talking about…" Jack said, feigning ignorance as he effortlessly picked her up and carried her to their room.
He placed her on the bed, lovingly. "Jack…" She began, almost nervously.
"What?"
"I have something to tell you…"
He raised her eyebrow in surprise. "Really?"
She nodded. "I wasn't trying to make you nervous today…"
"Sam, it's okay…I barely remember it now…"
"Well, there was a reason I was late coming down the aisle."
Jack sat down, expecting a talk. He could handle this…he just would have preferred getting to the…more active part of their honeymoon. "Okay…"
"I threw up."
"So you were nervous…" He said, almost relieved. "So was I…"
"Not exactly…"
"What do you mean 'not exactly'?"
"Jack, I'm pregnant."
His eyes widened before he grinned. "You are?"
She nodded. "Yeah…"
He smiled as his eyes wandered from her face to her abdomen. "We're going to have a baby?"
"Yeah."
He grinned before leaning over her. "I love you, Mrs. O'Neill…"
He bent down to kiss her as she responded. "I love you too, Mr. O'Neill…"
All right, folks...this is the end, but fear not, I already have the sequel under way. It should be up by Monday. Enjoy!