Chapter 15

Sam sat there watching her commanding officer crying. It was the first time she had ever seen him show any real outward emotion. Her tears were still falling down her face and she knew as he kissed her stomach that she had made the right choice. Jack may have thought that he could have supported her if she had gone through with the abortion, but he would have never forgiven her. She knew that for sure now.

Jack as if he suddenly realised what he was doing eased himself off Carter's lap. "Sorry" was all he could say. Sam mumbled back "Its ok", as he turned back to drive the car. He wiped a few tears from his eyes and he turned on the engine.

The rest of the car ride back to Carter's house was in silence. Each had so much going on inside their minds though, that neither really noticed. Sam was thinking about her future, about how she had just made a choice that would change her life forever. She was choosing to keep Colonel O'Neill's child. He was still her CO, she knew how badly this would look on her record. Even more terrifyingly she was going to be a Mother. This child was going to be dependant on her. Whatever role Colonel O'Neill would play, there was no going back on her word to him now, she was going to have to give up so much. Yet, she wondered would it be worth it?

O'Neill could barely keep a coherent thought in his head, even driving the car was difficult. She had kept the baby. At first he could not, would not believe her. He had worked so hard tp keep it together for her, that when she told him the truth he just fell apart. The grieving he had already done for this child spilled out of him and he had fallen, kissing the child within her. He knew how inappropriate it was, but in that instant he did not care, he could not have hidden his feelings, even though he had wanted to. He would have his chance to be a father again, with Carter as his or her child's Mother. He had no idea how they would work it out, he only knew that they had to.

As Jack pulled into Carter's driveway he looked over at her, hand resting on the ignition, waiting to be asked in, but not wanting to seem pushy. He knew that they needed to talk before they went back to work in two days. Sam took the hint "Sir, i think i feel like pancakes, care to help me make them?"

Jack turned off the car and went inside, there was plenty of time to talk later, pancakes came first.

They made and ate the pancakes in almost silence, then Sam finally got the courage to ask him the question she had in her mind ever since they had left the clinic. She just came out plainly and asked "How you see this working Sir?"

"Carter, if i knew the answer to that…. well lets just say i would be pretty happy" he sighed.

Carter smiled, glad in the knowledge that she was not the only one who had no clue what to do.

"First things first, Hammond said he is happy for you to work in the lab and that big brain of yours is too important to lose from the stargate program, so I guess come Monday morning you ask to be reassigned there. That way you can keep an eye on Daniel and Teal'c, you know make sure they don't get into too much trouble. Who knows when we'll need you to blow up a star again". Jack laughed.

Sam rolled her eyes, he was never going to let her forget that. "Ok Sir, that sounds like a good start, and speaking on Daniel and Teal'c, we should tell them about the baby this weekend before we go back, since SG-1 is going to be down a member."

"Fine, but i can I at least draw in out to torture Danny Boy?"

"Go ahead… but Sir, i think that is all we should tell." She spoke nervously.

"Why, your already almost 3 months pregnant, we are going have to make an announcement soon, why wait, i say we explain that we got affected by some unknown drug while awy on a mission and that you are pregnant"

"You are right about one thing Sir, i am going to have to make an announcement soon, but I need some time to adjust to being pregnant. When I can no longer dress around it I will tell people, but until then, Hammond can just assign me due to scientific necessity."

Sam looked away from him, and he knew there was more she wanted to say.

"Spit it out Carter" he commanded.

"I don't think we should tell people that you are the Father when we do tell them I'm pregnant." She saw him balk at this and start to argue against her suggestion. "Just listen a minute Sir. I am not asking you to deny this child, i know that you could never do that. Our friends will know, but how can I tell my brother that I am pregnant with my CO's child? How do you tell the officers under you that we broke frat rules, do you really think they would believe us if we told them it was due to a drug." Her eyes pleaded with him. "What do you think people would say about us if they found out?"

"I don't fucking care what they think Carter, this is my child" He was angry now.

"Sir. please see this reasonably. I won't lie, but when people ask how this happened, I will say it happened as the result of a one time thing but that I could not bring myself to fix the problem. That I know who the Father of the child is, but that he and I are no longer involved. If they want to know any more I will tell them that it is none of their business what i do once i leave to go home at the end of the day" she explained.

Jack could see the reason in her argument but he wanted people to know that this was his child, he did not want to hide in the shadows. "Sam, you are being unfair…"

She interrupted him. "Sir, are you still my CO?"

"Yes" he said belligerently.

"Do the fraternisation regulations still apply to us?"

"Yes" He moaned, a more serious tone in his voice.

"Will people try and use this pregnancy against the stargate program, will it damage so much of what we have worked towards?"

He looked her in the face, searching her blue eyes "Yes"

"Can the fact that I am pregnant with your child be public knowledge?" Looking deep into his brown eyes, she knew she had finally made him see reason.

"No" he said softly and sadly.

With that Sam scooted over to Jack and took his hand. She intertwined her fingers with his. "I am not ashamed that this is your child Jack…" she paused, hoping that by using his name, he knew she was being serious and honest. "If I had to accidentally fall pregnant by someone while on a mission I am glad it was you…" He smiled at Sam as she spoke. "Who knows what kind of a nerd I would have produced with Daniel, at least our kid will have a fighting chance of being able to talk like a normal person"

Jack could not help but laugh a little. He nodded his head and lifted her hand in his until it touched briefly against his lips. "Fine Carter… but if I see this kid calls anyone other than me Dad there will be hell to pay." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and let it go. "Now… what kind of shenanigans can I pull in telling Daniel?" His eyes sparkled as he looked at her.