Control: Parental

'So, you guys are...?'

She winced slightly but figured she might as well rip the band aid off quickly.'We're married.'

'WHAT?!'

The door slammed shut and the last iota of Sam's strength crumbled. The emotions of the day, the weight of their secret all caught up with her and she wrapped her arms around her head and shook silently, tears welling up in her eyes.

Jacob, she needs her father, not a General.

Jacob sighed, a little of his anger dissolving with Selmak's wise words. 'Sam,' he murmured more softly. 'Talk to me.'

'I love him.' she mumbled into her knees. 'I can't help it.'

Jacob put his arm around him and drew her close.

She raised her head to look around the empty room. 'I knew I was in trouble the instant I saw him. I thought I could get over it, get over him but it just got worse. Especially when we found out we were engaged in an alternate reality.'

She felt him shift, obviously surprised by this.

'We were married in another one too which is kind of what started all this.' she said before sighing loudly. She looked over at him trying to discern what he was thinking.

Trouble was, he wasn't sure what he was feeling himself. He liked Jack, but he wouldn't necessarily pair him with his daughter. And factoring in the regulations just made everything much more complicated.

'Sam...' he started.

She turned to him, the look she gave him reminded him so much of her mother it stopped him in his tracks. 'In Washington, you said you wanted me to be happy. You were pushing me to join NASA when I already had the job of my dreams. But there's more to life than just work, and I know now that for me to be happy with my life as a whole I need him in it, I need him with me.'

He sighed. 'And you're prepared to risk that dream job for him?'

'Yes. I'm risking it for me aswell' she whispered but with increasing confidence. 'I have other dreams too.'

'And he can give you that?'

'We're married already. We both want kids. Haven't really discussed if we're getting a dog or a cat yet but all the important bits are there so yeah.'

'Does... ' he sighed before continuing. 'Does he treat you okay?' He was genuinely concerned, remembering the emotional if not physical traumas she suffered whilst with Jonas.

She understood the reason for his question but still shot him with a stern look.

'Perfect gentleman.' and not, when I want him to be, she added in her mind. 'Did you hear what we were talking about when you woke up?'

He nodded. 'I did.'

'Wasn't that enough to tell you what kind of man he is? How much he cares about me?'

He sighed again and nodded reluctantly.

'The reg...'

'We've been together a few months now and no one has noticed any change in our behaviour at work. We haven't let our relationship affect our work.'

'Even still...'

'Dad, if I had to, I'd give up everything for him. I don't think he'd let me but I would.'

He sighed deeply. 'Are you happy?'

'I was in love with him for months, Dad. Knowing he feels the same, being with him? Of course, I'm happy. I will be happier when we don't need to keep it a secret. We can't go out to dinner or even pick up some groceries together.'

Jacob sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face. 'I can't pretend to be happy about the situation. I mean I'm happy you're happy, Sam, but I don't want to see my little girl up before a military tribunal.'

'I hope it won't come to that.' she murmured. 'Like I said we've not let it affect our work. If we can prove that then I don't see what the problem is.'

He sighed again and looked over at her. 'You're sure this is what you want?'

'I don't have a choice. I can't imagine my life without him now.' She admitted truthfully.

'Okay.' he said with a nod.

'Okay?'

'Yeah, okay.' a sad smile spreading over his lips as he wrapped his arms around her.

'Thanks, Dad.' she said hugging him back tightly.

'Sam... I can't breathe.'

'Sorry.' she said sheepishly and drew back with wide smile.

'Right... send Jack in here, I need to talk to him about his intentions towards my daughter.'

Sam rolled her eyes. 'We're already married.'

'Doesn't mean I can't have a conversation with him.'

'Dad.' she pleaded.

'Sam.'

'You just want to talk to him. That's all?'

'You have my word I won't make you a widow. Or prevent you from having kids.'

She groaned and stood. 'Fine.'

She knocked on the door.

Daniel made to go to the door.

'Ah I'll get it.' Jack said pulling himself up and limping. To say he was a little worried would have been an understatement. It had only been a few minutes. He figured they'd need at least 20 or so to chat this through.

His worry wasn't dispelled by the look on Sam's face when the door sprung open.

'Your turn.' She said stepping past him.

He gulped slightly and glanced over at her before limping into the hold.

A shiver ran down his back when the door slithered shut behind him.

Jacob's eyes bored into his skull. Sam's dad. General Carter.

He drew himself up and limped forward coming to attention in front of the older, but only slightly, man.

'Sir.' he muttered.

'What happened to Dad?' Jacob said with a grin that was anything but friendly.

'Umm.'

Jacob's eyes dropped to Jack's trembling leg, he sighed. 'Take a seat already, Sam would kick my ass if you're leg got any worse.'

Jack smirked knowing it was the truth and took a seat next to him on the bunk, but he couldn't prevent a slight groan from escaping him.

'It was pretty stupid standing up to a guy with a staff weapon without any weapon of your own.'

'Yup.' he agreed looking down at his bandaged thigh.

'Thanks.'

'Not like I had a choice.'

Jacob smiled a little, his words echoing those his daughter had said less than a minute ago.

'I've lost one family.' Jack continued not knowing how much Sam had told her Dad about his past. 'I can't lose her and the chance at another.'

'What happened?' Jacob asked softly.

'My son shot himself with my gun. I couldn't begin to forgive myself let alone expect forgiveness from my wife. We divorced soon after.'

Jacob sighed softly not knowing how to respond to such a bare confession. He'd guessed that Jack had had some hardship in his life but not something quite so traumatic as this.

'I can't let anything happen to her. I barely got through losing my family last time.'

'You know just by being in a relationship with her you're putting her in danger?'

'Yes. But we're in danger every time we step through the gate. There's so many times we could have lost each other already.' Jack sighed. 'I'm certainly happier for the chance to be with her, to make her happy. And I can't imagine she would have said 'I do' if she didn't feel the same. Hell, getting married was her idea.' he finished with a smirk.

'You're kidding?'

'Nope.' he said with a grin and glancing over at Jacob.

The older man shook his head, the corners of his mouth turned upwards. 'Gotta give it to my Sam. Once she sets her mind on something, that's it.' He sighed. 'I just want her to be happy, Jack.'

'Me too.' he said seriously, then smiled and added. 'Dad.'

'Oh shut up.' Jacob shot back, punching him none to gently on the shoulder. But there was smile in his eyes.

'So... you're not going to kill me?'

'I promised Sam I wouldn't make her a widow or do anything that would prevent her from having kids.'

'Ah thanks.' he mumbled, his body tense from him thinking about how Jacob would prevent them from having kids.

'Jack I like you, I'm just not sure how I feel about you and my daughter being in a relationship just yet. Sam's a big girl and nothing I say will change her mind so I'll just keep my mouth shut. But if this goes south... I'll happily see to it that you're thrown under the bus to keep her out of trouble.'

Jack nodded a serious look drawn over his features. 'I wouldn't want it any other way.'

'Good. Then I don't think there's anything more we need to discuss. Go get Sam in before she worries any more than she has to.'

'Yes, Sir.' He said standing.

'Jack.' Jacob said softly

'Yeah?' he said turning around to look at him.

'Dad is fine.'

Jack smiled at him thankfully and limped over to the door. He had to knock only once before the door sprung open to a very worried looking Sam. He smiled and from it she knew everything was okay. Sam slipped past him to go sit with her father. Jack wandered over to the other side of the hold and settled down on his bunk. He watched them talk quietly for a few minutes. Sam caught his gaze and smiled brightly. Jacob's eyes flicked between the two and he shook his head lightly with a smile on his lips. Jack grinned back, enjoying the reactions from both Carter's before settling down further on his bunk and giving into the exhaustion of climbing out of hell and then discussing his secret relationship with his father-in-law.

He didn't wake again until they entered the atmosphere of the Tok'ra home world.