Losing More than a City

Well my lovely readers, here is the conclusion to the story. It has some elements from Threads, which I still don't own. Hope the ending is satisfying to you all.

Chapter 11

"So, there he was, completely naked." Jack paused, turning from Sam and Jacob to look at Daniel. "You know, Oma must really hate you. That's the second time that's happened." Jack finished telling his story to Sam and Jacob as he, Daniel and Teal'c visited the hospital.

"Wish I could've been there. You did save the camera footage, didn't you?" Sam asked.

"Oh, yeah. It was a hoot. Walter's already organising the auction. Which reminds me, Jacob. Apparently you cleaned up on the baby bets. Walter said to give you this."

Jack handed over a large envelope as he made his way to the crib. He looked down at the sleeping baby and made an attempt to reach out to touch him. Just as his finger lingered on his son's face the little boy's eyes opened. Jack's arm shot back; it was almost like looking at Charlie again. He shook his head and forced his hand to reach out again. Slowly he reached into the crib and drew his thumb along the little boy's face.

Daniel watched as Jack's face took on several transformations, from awe to curiosity, to fear, and then to all-out love. Daniel smiled as he watched his friend. He then nudged Sam on the bed and nodded for her to look at Jack. Sam followed his eyes and a broad smile came over her face.

The little group watched as Jack very carefully lifted the little blue bundle from his crib and held on tightly to his son. He turned to see all eyes on him and blushed.

Daniel was moved when he saw how gentle Jack was with his son, and how proud he was of his offspring. "You want to show us the newest member of the team?"

Jack smiled and showed him off around the room. Soon the baby began to wriggle and Jack passed him to Sam.

Sam settled the baby in her arms and looked up at Jack. "So, does this mean we're done? Everyone defeated?"

"Yeah, I think so. There are a few system lords that need defeating but Anubis seems to have done most of the work for us."

"And we're sure he's really gone this time?" Jacob questioned.

"He disappeared right in front of us, JacobCarter. DanielJackson assures us that Oma took care of him."

"Wow, after 8 years of war it's all over, just like that, in one day. Good job guys!" Sam said.

"Sam, from what I saw with Sha're, you had the hardest job today." Daniel said quietly.

"Yeah, but it was worth it," she said, looking at the baby.

After a few minutes Daniel continued. "So, how long are they going to keep you both in?"

"Well, the doctor said that he wants to keep an eye on him for a few days and that I need to stay here as well as I needed some stitches after such a quick birth." The looks of horror on the guys faces made her giggle, she would have to remember that for future reference, labour stories equals squeamish men.

She looked again at the miracle in her arms and sighed contentedly "But this way I get to be close to him and as long as he's healthy that's all that matters."

Sam looked up at Jack. She knew they'd have to talk. "Dad, why don't you take Daniel and Teal'c for coffee? You can actually drink it now," Sam tried to joke, knowing her Dad was still very depressed about Selmak.

Jacob saw right through the obvious statement but agreed without commenting and the three men left.

Jack was standing nervously beside the bed. He knew they had to talk but he had no idea how to start or what to say.

"Jack, do you love me?" Sam got straight to the point.

Jack walked to the window and fiddled with the blind. "Yeah," he whispered, so quietly that Sam had to strain to hear it.

"Do you want to be part of our lives?" she asked quietly.

"If you want me to," he said croakily.

Sam nodded and there was a pause in the conversation as Sam thought over her next words. Jack was squirming a little as if waiting for the verdict at a Courts Martial.

"I was thinking that I'd like to visit your cabin soon," Sam said decisively.

"What?" Jack exclaimed, that was so far from what he expected his voice had raised to sound like a school girl. He'd been expecting more talk, a bit of shouting, some grovelling on his part, which he was very prepared to do.

"Well Dad's been invited to stay with Mark for a bit and I'd really like to see the cabin."

"Are you sure? I mean, you just had a baby and the cabin's miles from anywhere. What if something goes wrong? What if we need a doctor? What if you don't like it...?" He came to a stuttering halt.

"Jack, calm down. I don't mean tomorrow. I want to spend time with you, away from everything else, and I'd really like to go."

"Sam, I love you, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet. I can't put either of you in a situation where there could be danger, I can't please don't ask me to." Jack turned from Sam, ashamed at his outburst and his obvious fear.

"Jack" she spoke quietly, she was annoyed at herself for suggesting the cabin and wanted to hit herself for not pushing him more months ago and not realising how deep his fears must run. He turned to face her, his eyes displaying his emotions, his fears,

"I shouldn't have just come out with that but we need to work together and try not to be afraid of this. We can't wrap him in a bubble to keep him out of danger we just need to plan as much as we can. The cabin is important to you and I would like to see it and would like our son to be there too"

Jack sighed, he knew she was right. Charlie had been born in the cabin due to a heavy late snow that had forced them to stay in Minnesota, and nothing had happened to him, then. He looked at bothk of them, Sam was looking at him hopefully and the little boy, well he wasn't doing anything but he was perfect as he was.

"Okay, we'll go, but only when the doc says your both ok and fit to travel and I take my phone, for the first time, so I call in help if anything goes wrong."

Sam smiled, "Yes Sir" she said and moved the little boy's arm to mock salute his father.

Jack looked sternly at her then smirked "No Sir, not now" he added quietly. He coughed to try and break the silence and pulled his gaze from her.

"You want to go alone, just the two... sorry, just the three of us?" he asked to confirm, looking down at the baby in Sam's arms.

"You and I have a lot to talk about, Jack, but maybe after a few weeks the boys could join us. What do you think?"

"Yeah, I think that could be arranged. We did just save the world, after all, and I have leave pending." Jack smiled and crossed to the bed. "I'm so sorry for the way I treated you, Sam. I was so scared and worried that it just clouded everything else."

Sam looked up into his face and saw how earnest he was. "Jack, I can't lie and say that you didn't hurt me, but I do understand now, I never realised the fear you carried around with you, you hid it very well."

"Yeah so well I had no idea it was there. When Charlie….. when he died I think I buried all my feelings with him. I spent a long time being angry with myself and….." he looked away not realising where this confession was taking him before it was too late.

"and…." Sam prompted him. He had opened up to her so much today that she was desperate for him to continue.

Quietly Jack spoke amazed that he was confronting these emotions at all, but Sam deserved it, he had been a real bastard to her for six months. "Charlie…. I was really angry at Charlie, I don't know why he took my gun, I don't know how he loaded it but I know I never showed him and it was unloaded I am certain of that. I was angry at myself and Charlie for so long. I didn't let anyone else close in case… Then you and the guys came along and somehow I let you in." He took a deep breath. "You know Dixon has a lot to answer for getting me to talk like I'm in session with McKenzie" he spat the name of the base psychiatrist.

Sam began to laugh at him, "Maybe we could get Dave a white coat and a new job?" she joked.

"More like a posting to Antarctica" Jack growled.

Sam grew serious again "Jack we have both spent too many years hiding from each other. This is not going to be easy, we're both headstrong and stubborn and we are likely to have huge arguments but if this is going to work at all we need to be honest with each other ok?"

"Yes," he agreed, cupping her cheek and looking from her to the baby.

"Oh, and I love you, too," she said with a giggle.

Jack leaned down and kissed her, not too intense but enough to turn Sam to jelly.

"Sam? What's going on?" Cassie stood at the open door, staring at Sam and at the man who had been so horrible to her the last time they'd seen each other.

"Cass, you made it! I thought your flight wasn't until tomorrow," Sam said, reaching for the younger woman as Jack backed away from the bed, unsure what to do.

"Yeah, it was, but Uncle George pulled some strings and got me on an Air Force hop." Cassie glanced at Jack. "He thought you might need me."

Sam cast a fleeting look over at Jack, upset at the veiled insinuation in Cassie's words. Her heart ached at the hurt at being left out that was etched on Cassie's face. "Well, remind me to thank General Hammond the next time I see him." She looked lovingly at the young woman. "So, would you like to meet your little brother?" Cassie had demanded very early on in the pregnancy that she was to be a big sister to the new baby; she'd always wanted a sibling and she saw Sam as the closest thing to a mother that she now had.

"A boy!" Cassie whispered in wonder. She moved to the bed and looked at the small figure snuggled in his mother's arms. "Oh Sam, he's amazing, so gorgeous… oh!" She stopped short when the boy opened his eyes and she saw the same thing that Jack had seen shorly before. "He looks like…" Her eyes slowly moved from the baby to Jack and took in the tall man who was trying to make himself blend into the background of the small room. "...Charlie," she whispered.

"Yeah," Jack mumbled in response and then he cleared his throat to speak. "Look… ah… Cass… about before, I… well… crap, I'm useless at this." Jack looked fit to bolt from the room when Cassie moved towards him.

"Is that why you were acting the way you were?" Cassie forced him to look at her; he might be the tough General and Sam might have decided to accept him here for some unknown bizarre reason but he still had to deal with her.

"Yeah… I was scared."

Cassie took a small step back; her childhood hero had just admitted he was scared. She turned and glanced at Sam, who nodded slowly.

"I didn't think anything could frighten you," Cassie whispered, close to tears.

"Cass, I'm not proud of what I did, of how I spoke to Sam, the guys and to you. Cass, I can go several rounds with any… out-there goon you could find, no problem. But not here. Here I'm scared. I'm scared of a tiny baby because he looks like… my little boy… who… who I let down and who died because of me. I couldn't face any of that again and I said so many things that hurt you and hurt Sam. I'm sorry. I don't expect either of you to forgive me but I would like the chance to be part of your family and I hope to not screw it up again."

Cassie wiped her eyes, the tears falling down her face as she moved towards Jack and pulled him into a hug. Then she thumped him on the arm as she pulled back slightly to look him in the eyes. "You are so stupid, Jack, you know that? Pushing everyone away when you should have been pulling us closer!"

Jack simply shrugged his shoulders; there was nothing he could say, she was right.

"What you said really hurt, Jack. I never thought you could be that nasty to any of us. But it wasn't directed at me, but at Sam."

"I know, and I've apologised to her. We have lots to talk about and I'll be trying to make it up to her for a long time, but she's willing to let me be involved in your lives. What about you?"

"Do you promise not to hurt her again?" Cassie stared deep into his eyes, trying to see his promise, but Jack pulled back from her.

"Cassie, you're an adult now and you know that the world isn't black and white. Nothing's that simple. I can't promise never to hurt Sam but I do promise to try and stop running so that we can work together to make a go of things."

Cassie turned from his arms and Jack felt the loss acutely. He'd hoped she'd accept him back although he realised he didn't deserve her forgiveness.

Cassie walked over to the bed and smiled at Sam who was also crying. Cassie bent over and touched the baby and without words asked if she could pick him up. Sam handed him over and Cassie spent a few minutes analysing the baby, counting fingers and toes.

"Are you happy that Jack's here?" Cassie asked the million-dollar question.

Sam nodded. "I love him, Cass. You know that."

Cassie nodded back. "Do you trust him?" she whispered, although she knew Jack could hear her.

"With my life and with the life of our son," Sam stated gently, looking not at Cassie but at Jack, giving him more reassurance than he'd ever hoped to receive.

Cassie nodded again, more emphatically this time, and turned towards Jack. "I really want you to be in my life, Jack. I always saw you as my father and I would be honoured if I could be your child as well as this little boy."

"Oh, Cass, you've been my little girl since you got here." He pulled her into a light embrace, wary of the precious bundle in her arms.

"Welcome back to the family, Jack," she whispered.

A few months later...

Jack couldn't think of anything better. He was sitting fishing on his pier. Sam was sitting beside him feeding their son and he was waiting for their best friends and daughter to arrive.

They were "dating", Sam claimed. Not sleeping together yet – Jack knew it would take time for her to trust him like that again – but they were together.

He turned as Sam finished feeding the baby and watched as she placed baby Connor in his chair, an indulgent smile on his lips. He reached over and took Sam's hand as she settled back down on her chair.

Sam smiled and turned to look at Jack. "This is nice."

"Yeah," Jack replied lazily as he cast his line. "I'm sorry we didn't do this months... or years ago," he added.

"It's okay. We're here now." She squeezed his hand.

Behind them they could hear the truck pull up and he turned to see Daniel, Teal'c and Cassie coming around the cabin.

They were here, they were safe, and they were all together. They deserved this victory. They all did.

*****************************SJ**************************

So another story ends. I have enjoyed sharing with you all and a special thanks to my beta who made the story so much better. Thanks to all who reviewed you really kept me going. Let me know what you think of the end. I'm quite sad to be finished, have been tinkering with this for nearly a year now. Oh well on to another one.