Worth the Wait

It had taken them too long to get to this point.

Way too long to fulfill a promise.

/Flashback/

After one of Sam's stays in the infirmary, Jack drove her home.

He helped her inside and got her settled into bed. He held her hand, something which they had minimized since the za'tarc test and made her a promise.

"This isn't easy for me," Jack admitted. "I can't promise you anything more then a someday Sam, if we both get there that is."

"I know," Sam said, giving his hand a squeeze.

"No," Jack said shaking his head, "You don't. But I'm promising you that if we get to the end of this war, and we're both still here and single, I'm taking you fishing, giving you a ring, and marrying you before something else comes up."

"I think that's a good enough incentive for me to stay alive," Sam said with a smile as she snuggled under the covers, still holding onto Jack's hand.

When she woke up hours later, he was gone and the only sign that he had ever been there were the fresh groceries and a rather lengthy note, at least by Jack O'Neill standards on her kitchen counter.

I've never been one for words, so ignore the scribbles and crossed out words as I try to say what I mean.

I'm promising you a someday.

A someday where we'll both get that life I've been ordering you to get. One that includes a house with a white picket fence for our dog Thor and the six kids we're going to have.

A someday where I'll tell you exactly how much you mean to me.

Until then, hold on to my promise of fishing and some rings.

Not that I want you to wait forever for that Sam, because I don't. There has to be a man out there that deserves you more than I do – and if you find him, know that I will be happy for you.

Don't ever not take that chance at happiness because you're waiting on me.

Think of me as your safe bet.

Sam read the letter over and over again until she had it memorized. It became her private reminder of what she was fighting for. She locked it away in her desk, where it would be kept safe, right on top of her letter of resignation.

/End Flashback/

Those two sheets of paper came out occasionally after hard days like after Janet's death, her engagement to Pete, and the death of her father and subsequent breakup with Pete. By now the ink was starting to fade and that paper was crinkled, but the words were her constant reminder that she did have a future.

They had started their relationship five years ago, right after the whole team had went fishing at Jack's cabin, but fate seemed to be against them ever getting married, let alone engaged.

First, the President had authorized them "to have a relationship as long as it is carried out in a discreet manner" as it had been so delicately worded in the letter that came to replace her resignation in the locked drawer. Since getting married or even engaged wasn't exactly discreet, Jack and Sam were left with the odd weekends in D.C. or Colorado Springs, and stolen trips to the cabin in Minnesota.

When they were finally given permission to 'quit being discreet', Sam was serving as the CO of Atlantis. Attempts at planning a wedding from another galaxy had been chaotic at best, and an emergency kept Sam from getting there anyway, leaving them with their first canceled wedding.

And engagement, since Jack refused to ask her to marry him and give her the engagement ring until they were up at the cabin for the wedding. He claimed he was "keeping a promise of fishing, a ring, and a wedding." Sam had given up trying to reason with him, and now just rolled her eyes every time he mentioned it.

The second cancellation came a year later when she told Jack in no uncertain terms, "I am not getting married when I look like an elephant." Jack quickly assured her that she would always look beautiful to him. Sam's refusal turned out to be a good thing when they welcomed Emily Charlotte O'Neill to their family on the day that was to have been their wedding day. She was greeted by a large crowd of people, including adopted brothers Zach and Luke who were ages four and six.

Sam still wasn't sure exactly when Jack had asked her opinion on adopting the two boys, but after his retirement from the Air Force he had needed something to do, and as their attempts at having children of their own had been unsuccessful, they had looked into adopting. Zach and Luke had kind of fallen into their laps when one of the SGC teams had found them abandoned off world. Jack had been roped into looking after the boys and before Sam realized it, he had moved them into their house and completed the paperwork for making them O'Neills. Of course, Sam had only pretended to be mad at Jack for two minutes before asking him if adopting older kids was his way of getting around their agreement about him changing diapers and getting up in the middle of the night.

/Flashback/

Jack had just smiled and shrugged his shoulder. "Maybe a little bit," he admitted, "But let's face it, if we want those six kids, having them all be ours biologically would be a little rough, so if we're adopt, I'm going to do my best to get out of the diaper changing and 2 AM feedings."

Sam patted his shoulder and nodded her head in agreement. "Catch up on your sleep while you can because in seven months you're going to need it," she informed him, unable to hide the grin any longer.

Jack's smile could have lit up the Stargate as he whooped and hugged his… girlfriend and almost, kind of fiancé.

/End Flashback/

So now they were faced with their third wedding, and everyone kept telling them 'third time's a charm' and assuring them that they would finally make it down the aisle. Sam was sure that Jack had threatened everyone from the President down to Doctor Lee about not messing up this wedding. Sam happily left the SGC in the capable hands of her 2IC Colonel Dixon, and joined Jack for the trip to Minnesota. They left the kids with Daniel and Vala, after telling Daniel it would be 'good practice for him', given that Vala had just recently announced she was pregnant.

They arrived and unpacked, planning on enjoying the slightly less than 24 hours they had to themselves before wedding madness took over their lives.

It was a relaxing 24 hours.

And then the madness began as caterers came and setup, their friends and family arrived, and had the rehearsal dinner. It wasn't going to be a huge wedding, given that only their closest friends and family members had been invited. Their military friends and members of the SGC had already celebrated with them a year ago when Vala had organized a large baby shower turned engagement and wedding party.

Of course, that didn't stop someone, who Sam suspected hadn't gotten an invitation to the actual wedding, from planning another party once Sam and Jack returned to Colorado Springs.

But right now, Sam was most concerned about keeping the little bit of breakfast she had managed to eat down as she prepared to walk down the aisle.

"Ready?" retired General George Hammond asked the woman who he had come to look at as a daughter as he held out his arm.

Sam took a deep breath and nodded her head, forcing a smile as her stomach did somersaults once more.

'Not today,' she prayed. Everything had been going so well this time around, and Sam had been really glad that nothing had gone wrong, but she couldn't help but feel like there should be a 'yet' attached to that thought.

The wedding march played and General Hammond walked her down the aisle which led to the dock. Jack was standing at the alter waiting for her. Daniel, Teal'c, Zach, and Luke, stood with him while Cassie, Vala, and Emily waited on the other side of the minister.

They managed to make it halfway down the aisle before Sam felt the bile start to rise from her stomach. She quickly turned and ran towards the cabin, wanting nothing more then to disappear as she heard the gasp go up from the crowd. She slammed each door as she ran towards the bathroom.

First the door leading to the deck.

Then their bedroom door.

And finally, the door leading to the master bathroom.

She collapsed in front of the toilet and threw up what seemed to be an awful lot of crap considering the little bit she had eaten for breakfast. Sam eventually settled herself on the floor, kicking off her shoes and waited for someone, hopefully Jack, to brave coming after her.

Sure enough, within minutes there was a knock on the door. "Can I come in?" Jack asked, his voice muffled through the door.

"Yeah," Sam sniffled. Up until that moment, she hadn't even realized she was crying.

The first thing Sam noticed was that Jack had already taken off his jacket and tie, leaving him in just the button down shirt. His knees creaked and popped as he sat down next to her, not sure just how close he should get. After all, she had just run out on their wedding, and while he couldn't figure out what he could have done to screw up, didn't mean that Sam couldn't have a different view of things.

"So," Jack said, opening the door for conversation, "What's going on?"

Sam felt icky and disgusting and really wanted nothing more then to crawl back into bed, preferably with Jack this time since she hadn't gotten to sleep with him last night. Not that she would be able to do any of that without taking a shower first. There was something about throwing up that made her want to take a shower to wash away the icky feeling.

Unfortunately, none of that was on the list of options right now since there was a crowd of about one hundred people waiting for her and Jack to finally tie the knot.

All thoughts of this were lost though, when Sam looked up and realized how worried Jack was. That and the fact he had the start of a black eye.

"What happened to you?" she asked, reaching out to touch the skin around his eye which was already starting to bruise.

"Oh you're brother decided to use my face as a punching bag," Jack said casually, "As you ran back down the aisle."

Sam didn't have the chance to say anything else as she found herself throwing up what had to be the last of her stomach contents. Jack was right there, holding back her long hair and rubbing her back in a soothing manner.

Sam collapsed into his arms, letting Jack hold her.

"I told you we should have planned an afternoon wedding," Sam finally said.

"I bet if Janet were here she would tell you that the flu doesn't magically disappear just because it's the afternoon rather then morning," Jack joked.

"It's not the flu, it's your wedding present," Sam mumbled into Jack's shirt.

Sam could tell the exact instant that Jack put all the pieces together because his body relaxed and his arms held her tighter.

"Do I get to name this one?" he asked.

"Nope. I will not have a son named Bart or a daughter named Lisa," Sam claimed. "It's bad enough having a dog named Thor. He doesn't even look like Thor!"

"Yes he does," Jack objected.

"Jack, he's brown! Thor was gray."

"Okay, but that doesn't explain why I can't name our kids."

"Jack, I don't think right now is the time for us to be arguing over who gets to name the kids. There's like a hundred people out there waiting for us to get married," Sam reminded him.

"Right. We are still getting married, aren't we?"

"I'd like to," Sam responded.

"But?"

"But I'm gross and disgusting, and my dress is a mess and I really, really want a shower."

Jack chuckled. "You'll do anything to get out of wearing that dress won't you?"

Sam elbowed him in the ribs. She couldn't help that the dress that Cassie had originally picked out for her three years ago wasn't something she would have picked for herself. But she didn't want to let Cassie down by not wearing the dress.

"Okay, get a shower, put on something else. I'll go inform the crowd that we'll be ready to go in about an hour, and come back in to change into something else. Your brother got blood all over my jacket," he explained.

"I'm sorry," Sam apologize.

"It's not your fault Sam," Jack assured her as he used the counter to pull himself to his feet. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm partially to blame for your current condition," Jack reminded her as he helped Sam to her feet.

Sam headed straight for her toothbrush and toothpaste while Jack headed for the door. "Jack," Sam called after him, "Just tell them I didn't feel good and send Carolyn in. That should be good enough for everyone for now. We can share the good news later."

Jack nodded and smiled before softly closing the bathroom door.

It was actually two hours later that Sam emerged from the bathroom, her hair and make-up once more perfect. Now she just had to find something to wear. But Jack had already figured that part out.

Sitting on the bed was her favorite pair of jeans and her best looking Air Force t-shirt, the only one that had somehow escaped being stained during the last year of feeding Emily.

Sam picked them up and hugged them, wondering what in the world Jack was thinking if he wanted her to wear that outfit to get married in, never mind the fact it was the outfit she would have picked if she hadn't been getting married today.

As if he could read her mind, Jack opened the door and snuck into the bedroom, wearing an outfit that matched Sam's. "I figured even Cassie wouldn't say anything once she sees the ring. Besides, I know how much you hated that dress," Jack claimed.

"What ring?"

"This one," Jack said, reaching into his pocket. His hand came out empty. "One minute," he said, "I left the ring in my other pants."

Sam chuckled as Jack found his pants and pulled the ring out of the pocket.

"This ring," he repeated, "That is, if you still want to marry me?"

Sam dropped her clothes on the bed and hugged her fiancé (finally). "Of course I still want to marry you Jack. If I didn't have morning sickness we'd be married by now."

Jack smiled and slipped the ring on her finger. "Good," he said as he kissed her. "Not about the morning sickness, of course, but about the whole marriage thing… I'm going to let you finish getting dressed so I can drag you off to get married before you change your mind because I've stuck my foot in my mouth," he said in a rush of words. He went to the door and opened it just a crack before quickly shutting it again.

"On second thought, maybe I'll wait for you," he said, turning around and leaning against the door.

Sam questioned him with just her eyes.

"Your brother is out there," he explained.

Sam shook her head as she buttoned up her jeans. "You know, last time I checked, you were a retired black-ops Lieutenant General in the United States Air Force. One would think that my older brother, with no military training, would be no problem for you."

"He punched me and he still looks angry!"

"Did you ever think that maybe he's mad because his wife is making him apologize?" Sam questioned. "Didn't think so."

"I'm not letting you out of my sight until after we've said our 'I dos'," Jack claimed.

"All right then Mister one-eyed raccoon, let's go face my big, bad, older brother and the other hundred odd people that want to see us get married."

But instead of being met by Mark, the minister stood waiting for them. He eyed them suspiciously. "Will there be a wedding today?" he asked.

"Yes," Sam assured him as Jack wrapped his arm around Sam's shoulder. "I think we'll skip the big procession though and go straight to the vows, if that's all right with you."

"After we make an announcement as to why the ceremony was delayed, that is," Jack quickly added.

Sam glared at him.

"I'm just making sure that I survive the day Sam. You didn't see the line of guys dead set on beating the crap out of me after you ran out. The only thing that saved me was Teal'c telling them that I hadn't had the opportunity to screw up yet," Jack claimed.

Sam rolled her eyes. This was one battle she wouldn't win. "Fine, but I was hoping to keep this quiet at least until I was farther along or had a replacement lined at the SGC during my maternity leave."

At this point the minister left the room; not wanting to listen to what could quickly become a heated argument.

"Well then I guess you shouldn't have gone running down the aisle at our wedding," Jack said sarcastically and then realized he had put his foot in his mouth. "Not that you didn't have a good reason you know… you just scared me."

Sam glared at him, making Jack nervous. Suddenly a thought occurred to her and she smiled while patting her husband on the arm. "Don't worry Jack; I have the perfect man in mind to fill in for me while I'm gone."

"Who?"

Sam gave a dismissive wave of her hand, walking towards the back of the cabin, "Nah, he wouldn't want to anyways. It was a bad idea."

"Carter, I don't think you've ever had a bad idea in all the years I've known you. In fact, I'm pretty sure that your idea is a great idea!" Jack exclaimed, following after her.

"You sure?" Sam asked with concern.

"Absolutely. I'll bet the guy would be thrilled to fill in for you," Jack assured her. "And if he isn't, I'll talk him into it," Jack vowed.

Sam smiled, hooking arms with her husband. "You'll be doing an awful lot of talking to yourself then Jack."

Jack sighed. "I should have seen that one coming," he groaned.

"But you'll do it, right?" Sam asked, giving him a dazzling smile.

"Of course I will," Jack said half-heartedly. There was no way he was getting out of this one.

"Good. Now let's go tell everyone the good news."

Jack and Sam stepped through the door to the deck, and watched as a hush fell over the crowd. Hand in hand, they walked up the aisle, stood in front of the minister, and turned to face the crowd.

"We have an announcement to make," Jack began.

"You're not getting married today," someone called from the back of the crowd.

"No," Sam quickly assured everyone, who she noticed had changed from their own wedding wear into more casual clothing, something she guessed had been Jack's doing and the explanation for the constant movement of people in and out of the cabin during the last hour. "We are most definitely getting married today. Jack just felt the need to explain to everyone why I ran out on my own wedding. I think it has something to do with preventing his own demise."

Several people chuckled nervously, but most were withholding judgment until after they heard the reason.

Sam looked to Jack and nodded, giving her consent to make the announcement.

"I have to admit that I am not totally without blame for Sam running the other way earlier, but I wasn't aware there could be a problem, at the time. Since then, I have been informed that Baby O'Neill number two will be joining us in a few months and Dr. Lam has assured me that the morning sickness Sam suffered today is par for the course," Jack stated.

There was silence for all of two seconds.

And then the crowd swarmed the happy couple, offering words of congratulations, and apologies to Sam and Jack for threatening Jack's life earlier. Sam assured them all that even at nine months pregnant she could kick Jack's butt, but that she appreciated their defense of her honor.

Eventually, the minister got everyone to take a seat and began the service.

Sam and Jack said their 'I do's' and exchanged rings, smiling the whole time.

Before long, the words of the minister rang out loud and clear. "And in what has to be the most unusual wedding I've ever officiated and the longest engagement I've ever heard of, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Jack leaned in and kissed his wife. "It was worth the wait," he whispered when they separated.

"It sure was," Sam agreed with a smile on her face, "It sure was."