A/N: As promised... the next chapter! Yay! And just because it's Friday and my class royally sucked tonight, you guys get a LONG chapter. At least it's long compared to my other chapters. hehe. Thanks for all the reviews and adds, they totally make my day. Once again, like I said before, next week is my finals (tues. thurs. fri.) so posting next week is probably a no go, but I will try. I might post on Friday night to celebrate. Okay enough babbling. Read and enjoy!

Part 12

The briefing was short and sweet. Although Dr. Robinson got some samples of plants, nothing major would probably come of them.

Daniel for once wanted the briefing to end so he could talk to Sam. Now he understood her attitude. She found out about Jack and his… girlfriend and didn't want to talk about it.

He was mad at Jack. Not wanting anything to do with Emily because he already had a girlfriend. That was just stupid. Not only was it Jack's way to get with Sam, but also his second chance at being a father.

He rounded the corner to Sam's lab and stopped dead in his tracks. All her machines were shut off and Sam wasn't there. He looked down at his watch.

5:07

He blinked and looked again.

Yep. He'd seen right. This was something he'd have to get used to. No more coming to her lab at night and talking. For the first time since this whole thing started he realized not only was he losing a teammate, but also his best friend.

No. He wouldn't lose her. Sam just has different priorities.

He would adjust to her new schedule and they would still be able to talk. He wouldn't lose her as his friend. He wouldn't lose her at all.

Besides, he had a role to fill.

He was Uncle Daniel.

After leaving the mountain Daniel headed towards Sam's house. He wanted to let Sam know once again that he would be there for her and even be a father figure towards Emily. Plus he wanted to talk about the information he got from Jack on the mission.

As he drove the streets of Colorado, his anger started to rise.

Anger at Jack.

How could he just turn his back and not deal with anything concerning Emily?

Stopping in front of her house, Daniel took a deep breath. Sam already had enough on her plate, he didn't want her to have to deal with his anger.

Walking up to the door, he heard laughter from the backyard and went around the house to see what was going on.

"Higher, mommy, higher."

Daniel smiled as he watched the scene before him. Sam was pushing Emily on the new jungle gym. The smiles on their faces were identical and he was glad he came by. He needed to see this, needed to see Sam was happy with the decision she made. To see her unguarded and that she didn't regret the choice she had to make.

"Daniel! What brings you by?" asked Sam when she noticed him standing there.

"Uncle Daniel! Uncle Daniel!" Emily yelled, as she stopped the swing as fast as her little legs would allow, jumped off and ran towards him.

He never felt the emotion of wanting a child before, but as he held Emily in his arms and he listened to her chattering about her new Pre-K, he realized he would love a child who would call him daddy instead of uncle.

"Hey sweets, why don't you show me how high you can get on the swing." he said softly, giving her a smile.

"I can go real high, Uncle Daniel. All by myself, right Mommy?"

"The highest I've ever seen, Ems." Sam replied, with a small chuckle.

Emily ran towards the swing set while yelling over her shoulder, "Watch me, Uncle Daniel. I can pump my legs to get really high!"

"What brings you by Daniel?" Sam repeated.

"I wanted to talk to you, but you already left the base."

"Yeah, Ems pre-k lets out at three. General Hammond's letting me leave early until I can find a babysitter or daycare." Her eyes drifted back to Emily for a brief second, "What's on your mind?"

"I talked to Jack. He told me about his-" Daniel paused, not knowing the woman's name and Jack seemed too old for a –

"Girlfriend?" Sam half questioned, half stated. "It's okay Daniel."

"It's not! You are raising is kid while he's getting off scot-free!"

"Emily isn't his child."

"What? But-"

"Sure, biologically she is, but he didn't ask for this-"

"Neither did you, but you're not running away."

"But I had the choice too, just like he did. No one twisted my arm to take Emily and I won't twist his."

Daniel stayed silent, not sure where to go from here.

They both watched Emily go higher and higher.

"I'm thinking of changing her name." Sam said, softly.

"What?"

"Emily Rose Carter. Not the same ring to it, but it will be easier for when she's in school. When I signed her up for Pre-K, I couldn't even fill out all the paperwork. All her father's information doesn't exist."

"Sam-"

"I'm taking Jack off the birth certificate."

"Sam-" Daniel said, and once again she didn't give him time to finish.

"I've put a lot of thought into this. He shouldn't be burdened when he doesn't want to be. That way if something should happen to me, he won't be responsible."

"You should really talk to him, maybe when Clarisse isn't around."

"It won't make a difference. He made his place clear. I just-" Sam had to take a deep breath.

"It's hard." Daniel supplied.

"Yeah I mean I never thought I would be a single mother. I didn't even think of becoming a mother often. I just thought that I'd be married and happy."

"It's not bad to think like that, Sam. At least you're giving Emily a second chance."

"At what, though? The love that created her isn't in this reality. Why am I keeping her here? Why shouldn't I find a reality that she can grow up knowing that love?"

"You're giving her life and a chance to live without fear of what's going to happen. Can you really give her up? Just send her to another reality?" Daniel asked, gently.

Sam looked over at Emily now running around the little playground that wasn't there a week ago. She loved her. It was as simple as that. "No. As unfair as it is to her, I wouldn't be able to give her up."

"I came here to tell you that I'll be here for you. Anything you need," a smile lit his face, "Uncle Daniel will help."

Tears filled her eyes and she pulled Daniel into a hug. "Thank you, Daniel."

"This is what family is for Sam, to be there for each other. If the shoe was on the other foot, you'd be doing the same thing for me."

They stood watching Emily for a couple minutes in silence.

"Have you eaten yet?"

"No, I was letting her play on the new jungle gym."

"How about we go out to dinner, pizza on me."

"That sounds great. Thanks Daniel." Sam said, grateful that nothing was going to change between them. She looked over at Emily. "Come on Ems. Dinner's on Uncle Daniel."

The four year old slid down the slide and ran over. "Pizza?"

"Would I buy anything else?" Daniel replied, with a smile watching Emily jump up and down, doing what he assumed was a happy dance.

"Go grab your coat, Em. It might be chilly by the time dinner is over."

Daniel once again watched Sam in 'mom' mode and was amazed.

"Whatever you think Sam, they picked the right reality."

"Thanks Daniel." She said softly. "That means a lot."

"Pizza time!" Emily yelled running back to them, ready for dinner.

TBC...

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