Chapter ten

Warning: Abortion is discussed in this chapter. Avoid it if you must.

Jack figured she had gone to their room, but she was not there. Next he tried the kitchen garden right outside their back door, where he knew she spent a lot of her time. Instead of raising pigs in their yard, they bought their pork from neighbors, while Jack was using their kitchen waste to fertilize a vegetable garden. He could smell the strong scent of rosemary in the cooling night breeze, but Sam was not there.

Following the stone pathway around to the other side of the house, he came upon his lover where she sat on a stone bench under an olive tree. He could hear her sobbing before he got close to her, and suddenly he felt as though he would be invading her privacy if he were to speak to her just now. But Sam must have heard Jack, because she began wiping away her tears and turned to face him.

"Honey, I'm sorry if you'd rather be alone, but I just thought... Hell, you know I'm no good with words, Sam, but I've gotta know what's wrong. Is it something I did or something I said? I know I can be difficult to live with, but..."

"Oh, no, it's nothing you've done! It's something I've done, or didn't do," she said mysteriously, leaving Jack even more confused.

"Something you didn't do? I don't understand, honey."

"I... You see when we first left the SGC, I was on the patch...a contraceptive, that is. But Janet was going to start me on a new program of shots in a few days. I forgot all about it, until Daniel mentioned it to me earlier today."

"Daniel? What the hell is Daniel doing talking to you about birth control?" Jack asked, feeling his temper rising. As far as he was concerned Daniel should keep his nose out of their personal business!

"He's just trying to be helpful...make me aware of the risk I'm taking. He thought that most likely whatever birth control system I had been using would be depleted soon, leaving me vulnerable. Well, what he didn't know was that I have already gone without any birth control at all...for the past six weeks or so. And that's not all; I haven't had a period since we arrived here."

"Why in the hell didn't you tell me?" Jack yelled at her. Sam stood up and walked away from him. Jack followed her.

"Sam, honey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice. It's just that I can't believe you'd..."

"What? Be so stupid? I've already called myself every name in the book including stupid. I just wasn't thinking, Sir. And I know that's no excuse; I totally blew it! I am so sorry! But you don't have to worry; I take full responsibility for my actions," she stated.

Jack took hold of her arm and spun her around, holding her by both biceps.

"What the hell does that mean?" he asked, his brow furrowing.

"I'll see someone...have a talk with the local midwife. I'm sure there are things I can do...things I can take," she said, diverting her eyes to the ground.

"Oh no you won't! There is no way I'll let you get rid of our baby!" Jack yelled, tightening his grip on her arms.

"Ow! Let go! You're hurting me!" she cried, as she tried to pull away from him.

"I won't let go until you promise me you won't do this! I don't even want you to think about it!" he yelled.

"Sir, this is not your decision! It's my body, and I'll do whatever I want!" she yelled back at him, pushing hard against his chest.

Jack's face was dark red with anger as he growled at her. "This is my baby, and I won't let you kill it!"

Neither of them heard Teal'c as he walked up behind them.

"O'Neill, General Vorenus is here to see you."

Jack let go of Sam's arms, and she immediately began rubbing them.

"Okay, I'm coming. We'll talk about this later, Sam," he stated staring at her, and then he turned and went into the house.

Sam continued to rub her arms. She could still feel the pressure of his fingers where they had clutched her so fiercely, and she was sure there would be bruises. Not that she cared. She didn't blame him for being upset, but she was upset too! Surely she had a right to decide her future? After all, this was iher/i body they were talking about. Plus, she'd be the one who would have to raise the child. No matter how involved a father was, the mother always played the major role in raising a child, and she wasn't certain she wanted that role...at least not here and not now.

Sam hadn't realized that Teal'c was still there until she heard him speak.

"Samantha, please forgive me for speaking my mind, but I feel I cannot ignore my friends when they are so obviously upset. While O'Neill can be a very demanding leader, he never expects more of his men than they are capable of giving."

"You mean me? You know that I may be pregnant?" she asked him, somewhat surprised that the Jaffa paid that much attention to what went on between her and Jack.

"Yes, I am aware. And I believe you would make a fine mother, Samantha. O'Neill believes this as well. He loves you, and I believe that he would be a good father and a faithful husband."

"I don't doubt that Jack would be a good father and husband, Teal'c. As for me being a fine mother, I'm not so sure about that. Even if I wanted a child now, how can I consider raising a child here? And what if we should get back home? Then what? How can I justify that he and I waited no time at all before becoming intimate?"

"Simply tell the truth. You have loved each other for a very long time, have you not?"

"Yes, we have, but that doesn't make what we did right. I really messed up, Teal'c. And even if Jack and I never pay the price, our child surely will. Look at how we live! No, Teal'c, I just can't stand the idea of bringing a child into this world. There has to be some other way," she said, sounding as desperate as Teal'c had ever heard her sound.

"I hope you will think long and hard before you make a decision. If there is anything I can do for you, you have but to ask," the big man offered with a bow, and then he turned and left her alone.

TBC