Notes: I was so desperate to finish this before I went away I was much with the inconsistencies in the last chapter. They're all edited and corrected though, thank you to 'SG-1 fan' for pointing it out. I've been ill all this week and not exactly with it, so I apologise for any mistakes.
One month later
"So what really happened all those years?"
"What do you mean?"
Janet cradled Emma in her arms, smiling down at her, besotted, "I mean…this, you, the General, Emma, Ryan," she said softly.
Sam tilted her head, a smile spreading across her face, "Does this mean she's going to have you and me and Jack wrapped round her little finger? Ryan's already a charmer, I'm going to have my work cut out…" she paused for a moment, "…Honestly? I don't know," she laughed quietly, "I still don't know. It just feels like its always been this way…" she slouched against the back of the sofa, "I keep expecting things to have changed with all of you…and you're all just the same…"
"I'm still playing the 'my best friend has come home married to our CO and with two children' card," Janet grinned.
"You would!"
"I still can't believe all this happened to you. But all the medical results say you're older, you've given birth to children…and I doubt you decided to play fifties dress-up for fun when we first saw you."
"I'd never been happier to see fatigues!" Sam sighed, "Sometimes I think I'm going to wake up and find myself back in Egypt or Greece…anywhere but here. Its like everything's new again, just watching TV, opening the fridge, even just having a fridge! Having a proper house and not having to pretend I'm someone else…" she glanced back at her friend, "And not have to worry about being dragged through court anymore…"
"Well, what else could they do? They couldn't legally take your children from you, either of you, they had no actual reason. I think getting married was a good idea. Something else they couldn't dissolve themselves unless you did so…" she grimaced, "You got off pretty lightly…considering…they could have done a lot worse…"
"Considering I'm no longer allowed to serve as a military officer in the SGC…and lost command of SG-1…"
"Better than a dishonourable discharge," Janet handed Emma back to her mother, "which they could have done. Could have said you should've reacted to the situation in the 'proper military manner' and kept saluting and 'sir-ing'."
"We could have both lost our jobs completely…" she gently smoothed some of fair hair on her daughter's head back into place.
"But would you rather have your job or your kids?"
"In all honesty?"
"Of course."
Sam smiled slightly, "If I could, I wish I could've imitated Jack and told them to shove it. Then I would've run for my life," she joked.
"They did go too far, asking him to detail your 'inappropriate' behaviour. He had every right to tell them where to stick it. Can't believe he got away with that though," she laughed.
"They need you. Both of you. Jack could've tap-danced on the president's desk and just got a reprimand," Daniel wandered in from the garden and sat down in one of the available chairs in Jack's living room.
"Don't tell him that!" Sam warned, shaking her head, hiding a smile. She glanced around, "Where's Ryan?"
"Garden, with Jack. He's teaching him how to barbecue. Of course, he won't let Ryan within ten feet of the barbecue, so he's shouting instructions…"
"And let me guess, Teal'c is fielding any attempts by Ryan to get closer to the barbecue?" Janet questioned.
"'Indeed', as would be said."
"…So…" she began again, "In a month, you've actually lived six years, we've all got Ryan and Emma to look out for now, you're 'Doctor Carter' again, and the General…well…he's still the General…only older and actually slightly less cranky…"
"Ryan's turned him into a child again," Sam smiled.
"Again?" Daniel echoed.
About to reply, she jumped when she heard a knock at the door. Sam stood up, headed to answer it, when Ryan ran straight past her, determined to reach it before she did.
"Where did you spring from?" she exclaimed, opening the door for him rather than watching him struggle with the handle.
"The garden," he piped up, gazing up at the two figures outside, "Hello!"
Sam's eyes widened, not at the sight of the first figure, but the second, "Hello, Sir," she greeted General Hammond, "What brings you here?" she flushed a light shade of red as her eyes rested on her second guest, "Hey…Dad…"
But Jacob was staring at his grandson and not at his daughter.
"I thought you two had a lot to catch up on…" Hammond explained, a little uncomfortable. Somehow he could already see himself back commanding the SGC for another few years, not just the weeks requested of him whilst his replacement and the Colonel recovered, "The Tok'ra contacted us and I know you're both on parental leave, but…"
"No, no, of course," Sam nodded, unable to move or invite them in, glad Ryan was standing his ground in the face of strangers but worried about her father's reaction.
Jacob knelt down, "You must be Ryan."
The boy nodded, "Who're you?" he questioned.
He smiled, "…I'm your grandfather."
Ryan frowned, thinking, "…So…Mama or Daddy's…daddy?"
"Your mother's," he nodded.
"You see Em. She's small, but she cries real loud."
"Is that so?" Jacob stood, noting the changes in his daughter, and the tiny bundle in her arms, "…So they weren't kidding me then?"
"No," Sam replied, "They weren't," she supported Emma with one arm and reached to tuck Ryan closer to her, "These are your grandchildren. …Jack and I have children. Though I guess they told you nearly everything…" she managed to step aside, "Come in, Sir, Dad."
Ryan ran back inside the house and flung himself at Daniel, jumping up onto the chair, "I got a grandfather."
"Do I get one too?" Daniel quipped, hugging the boy.
"Nah, silly, he's mine."
Jack and Teal'c chose that moment to wander back into the kitchen, the former carrying a plate of charcoal that had formerly been sausages, "Slight accident, kids!" he warned. He stopped dead as he caught sight of Jacob, "…I…hmm…hey, Jake…"
Janet stood up, "Hey, Sir, have a seat…" she gestured to Hammond, anticipating an awkward silence.
Sam glanced between her husband and her father, opting to field the closest, "…Dad, you want to hold Emma?" she didn't give him a choice, depositing her daughter in his arms and stepping back.
Jacob was still in shock as he gazed down at his granddaughter. As he had instantly seen Jack's features in Ryan, he saw a young Sam in the baby he held. Seeing his daughter with her son, aged since he had last seen her, with longer hair, a look he hadn't seen on her in years, was enough of a shock; now he held her baby daughter. A faint smile appeared on his face, one that vanished as he quickly handed the baby to Janet, "Sam, a word."
"Jacob, don't you dare start on her," Jack stated, ready to defend her.
"Just be glad I'm not demanding an answer from you."
"You have no right-"
"Jack, leave it," Sam insisted, "Its fine. Dad, garden?" she turned and led the way, silently.
Janet rocked Emma gently, eyes downcast.
"If he even-" Jack began.
"Let them talk," Daniel interrupted.
"Samantha O'Neill will hold her ground," Teal'c nodded. Everyone present simply stared at him.
"…That's the first time I've heard her name like that…" her husband said quietly.
"Sounds good," Janet smiled.
Silence descended on the room again, broken by Ryan, "…Where's the food?"
"Dad, you can't come into his house and behave like this," Sam began, turning to face her father, shaking her head, exasperated, "Things have changed. Six years. Six years we've been gone. I know it was only a few hours for everyone else, but it wasn't for us. We lived. We survived. We had a family. I married him. Because I love him, not because I had to. And you know what? I'd rather have lived those six years like that than have carried on living like I was. That wasn't living. That was existing. I love my kids and I love my husband, we've been through hell and had to explain ourselves to enough people already. So I'm not explaining myself to you. I don't expect you to like it, but I do expect you to live with it. And if you can't…" she sighed, "Then leave now. I don't want Ryan getting to know an absent grandfather."
Jacob just stared at her for a long moment, "Are you quite finished?"
"I think so."
"I was just going to ask if you were happy, you know?"
She looked quite ashamed of herself for a moment, "…Could've pre-empted me before I said all that…"
"You had the whole speech thing going. Shame to ruin it," he shrugged, "You answered the question anyway," he smiled.
Sam suddenly flung herself at her father, hugging him tightly, "I missed you."
"I always miss you," Jacob wrapped his arms around his daughter, "and now I've got two more grandchildren to miss too."
"…Sam? You okay?" it was Jack's voice at the side door to the house, Emma in his arms.
"Food not 'possed to be black!" Ryan ran straight past him, headed for his mother.
Sam caught him and whirled him into the air, spinning round, "Daddy can't cook, huh? Well, neither can Mama!"
Jack wandered to meet them, "I can cook better than you can!"
"Charcoal," she taunted, grinning, forgetting her father was there for a moment.
He regarded Jacob with a hesitant gaze, "…Its not really charcoal, its edible on the inside…" he shrugged, with no idea what to say.
"You better damn well take care of them," Jacob stated.
"With respect, Sam can take care of herself, and I'm sure she wouldn't have otherwise said of her," Jack answered, "…But I have. And I will."
"I know you will. I wouldn't leave her in the care of anyone else," he nodded silently and started to make his way back toward the house.
Jack turned back to face his wife, "Well…2004 what you expected it to be?" he smiled.
Ryan reached out to gently smooth Emma's hair and nodded to himself, looking up at his parents.
Sam shook her head and rested it against their son's, smiling brightly, "No. Not at all. And that's what I love about it."
Fin