SORRY!

Because I have been such a horrible author I have decided to beg for your forgiveness with an extra long chapter that is absolutely filled to the brim with goodies.

As always, thank you to the wonderful Katy who makes my drabble easier to read.

We are still on our upward journey in our roller coaster ride... there will be a short downhill journey in a few chapters, but I promise it will go back up...

Please enjoy!

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When the newly engaged couple arrived at the base the next morning, everything seemed quiet. They signed in and went their separate ways to get ready for the Monday briefing.

Sam knew she had one place to go before the meeting or she would never hear the end of it.

She walked into the infirmary and spotted Janet in her office. "Good morning Janet," she said with a bright smile and an extremely chipper attitude as she nonchalantly put her left hand on the back of one of the chairs.

Janet looked at her and smiled. "Good morning Sam. You playing hookie from the Monday brie…. OH MY GOD," she screamed as she shot out of her chair and rushed over to her friend. "He proposed!"

Sam nodded her head and stuck out her hand for her friend to look.

"It's Jack's mom's ring, right?" asked Janet as she pulled the offered hand for closer inspection.

Sam nodded. "I can't believe she gave it to him over Labor Day," she said excitedly. "She insisted he take it. Which, I guess, was her stamp of approval."

"Damn straight it was," laughed Janet. "Daniel said that he and Chuck have been harassing Jack for weeks. When they heard that Jo gave him the ring, they knew it was only a matter of time."

"Jack sort of mentioned that," smirked Sam. "He also used a few colorful words at how it annoyed him. You know Jack, he was so caught up on our age difference that it took a bit of time for him to work up the nerve. I would have said yes over Labor Day!"

"You two are so perfect for each other," sighed Janet. "And trust me, after the jackass I married the first time around, I am an expert on what not to do!"

"Janet," said Sam a bit sadly, "you and Danny are a wonderful couple."

"Thanks. It's still early, but he is fantastic with Cassie and treats me like gold. We really like each other. Time will tell. It's just hard not to be a bit jaded. But enough about that. Did Gracie understand? Did you tell Jo or the General yet?"

"Wow," sighed Sam. "Grace doesn't really get the difference because Jack practically lives with us already. We have actually been talking about renting out his house. As you know, she started calling him daddy a few weeks ago. So as far as she is concerned, we are just catching up with her agenda. We called Jo right away and she was over the moon happy and can't wait to come for Thanksgiving to help celebrate and of course to spoil her new granddaughter. We decided to tell the General together over a Skype call. We wanted to do it in person but with the grapevine, and his conversations with Uncle George, we are going to call him after the meeting because we probably won't see him face to face until Thanksgiving." She looked at her watch. "I've got to run, but we can chat over lunch!" she called as she ran out the door.

: : : :

Everyone was already in the briefing room when she got there so she immediately took her seat across from Jack and pulled out her tablet.

"First things first," said General Hammond. "I believe congratulations are in order for Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Carter."

"Thank you General Hammond," they answered in unison.

"You pregnant?" asked Chuck without thinking.

His head practically hit the table when both Jack and Daniel smacked him on the back of it. "YOUCH!" he yelled.

"We're getting married," said Jack with an exasperated sigh.

"General, if you wouldn't mind not telling my father, I would greatly appreciate it," asked Sam. "We are going to call him after the meeting."

"Certainly Dr. Carter, I am sure Jacob will be thrilled," he kindly replied.

Jack still had his doubts about that.

: : : :

They sat in Sam's office in front of her laptop waiting for the General's secretary to put the call through.

"Stop fidgeting," scolded Sam as she grabbed the gadget from his hands. The last thing she needed was for him to break something while they were talking to her father.

"Sammie," said Jacob with a wide smile. "Oh, hello Jack," he said as he noticed the other man on the screen. "This must be serious, is Gracie ok?" he asked immediately concerned.

"Gracie's fine Dad," reassured Sam. "We tried to reach you last night but you must have been out all evening."

"Budget talks," he said grumpily.

"Wonderful," muttered Jack. He was hoping to catch the General in a good mood.

"Well I hope our news brightens your day," said Sam as she grabbed Jacks hand off camera and gave it a squeeze.

"General Carter," he said seriously. "I've asked Sam to marry me and, amazingly, she said yes."

Jacob was thrilled to see the excitement and joy in his daughters eyes but he couldn't resist tormenting the highly decorated Colonel beside her. He could still have a little fun with this, couldn't he? "Are you asking for my permission or my acceptance?" he stoically asked.

Knowing her father, and seeing his eyes do their little twitch, Sam tried to hide her smile and looked at Jack for his answer. He was a brilliant strategist and she loved to watch him work. She felt him shift in his seat next to her. Oh goody, she thought to herself. Stuff like this always fires Jack up, and a fired up Jack was always a lot of fun!

"Respectfully Sir, I wasn't even sure she was going to say yes. So asking for permission would have been a moot point if I was going to be handed my hat."

Jacob looked at the man that was going to marry his daughter. His reply was evasively brilliant. Damn. "I would tell you to take good care of my girls, but I know my Sammie and if you step out of line I would be more worried about what else she'll hand you."

Jack smiled, he really liked this man. "Already noted and experienced Sir. Sam has no problems kicking my sorry ass to the mats during hand to hand exercises. I shudder to think what would happen if she was actually angry with me."

"Excellent," smiled the General proudly. "I taught her everything she knows, but not everything I know. Understood airman?"

"Crystal Sir."

"So I assume this means you'll be adopting Grace Elizabeth," asked Jacob wanting to get several things cleared up right away. He didn't want that little girl growing up without a real father.

Sam tried not to roll her eyes. The General, direct as usual, she thought.

"Yes Dad," she answered before Jack felt that he had to. "That was one of the first things we discussed and we are going to start the paperwork this week. We would like the wedding to be May first of next year."

"Yes!" said Jacob, excitedly.

"I am glad you are happy about it Sir," said Jack who was a bit confused by the General's excitement.

"Well of course I am happy about that," he chuckled. "On another note, I just won the SGC pool. Play your cards right and I'll make it your wedding present."

"DAD!" exclaimed Sam. "You bet on us? May first was mom's and your wedding anniversary."

"Easy money," he said with another chuckle. "Tell Kowalski I expect payment when I come for Thanksgiving. That still gives him a few weeks to get my money together. I wonder if I can still win the baby pool."

"DAD!" yelled both Jack and Sam.

"Oh please, that's even easier money. Grace needs a younger sister or brother, hopefully both. I want more grandchildren to spoil."

"Good bye Dad," said a frustrated Sam.

"Welcome to the family Colonel," he said to Jack. "Bye Sammie, I love you kiddo. Or should I call you Dr. O'Neill?"

"In six months you can," she said with a radiant smile. "Bye Dad, I love you too," she said then signed off.

Jack pulled Sam into his lap, "So I was thinking a hockey team would be enough to satisfy the General."

Sam leaned her head against him, "I love you and yes, I do want Grace to have siblings. But I was thinking more along the lines of one or two more. We'll just have to put our skates on and join them and hijack a few cousins."

"I think I can live with that," he said with a kiss. "What's funny is my mom said the same thing as your dad. She desperately wants more grandchildren. She's not satisfied with just the five or now six that she has. She wants the lodge to be bursting at the seams over the holidays and every summer."

"Camp O'Neill?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, sure you betcha."

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : (this is where the chapter would have ended!)

The newly engaged couple got to enjoy an entire week of peace before things went haywire.

They had decided to go to Jack's fishing cabin that weekend for a private celebration. They flew out Friday morning and enjoyed a full seventy two hours of bliss. Just them, the fishing cabin, and lots of firewood to keep them warm. They didn't bother packing much, they knew it would have been a waste of time.

They arrived home obscenely happy and, if possible, even more deliriously in love. They knew something was up when they were immediately called to the infirmary isolation room at 0600 Monday.

They stopped in their tracks when they looked through the observation window and found a young boy in his early teens, who looked amazingly like Jack.

Sam looked at her fiancé. "Uh, something you want to tell me sweetheart?" she ground out, trying her best to remain civil.

"No way, no how, is that kid mine," protested Jack.

"You're right Colonel O'Neill," said Janet, "That boy is not yours, he's you."

"What!" exclaimed both Jack and Sam.

"He's a clone and unfortunately, a very sick one," said Janet sadly. "We have no idea how he got here. He just showed up in the gate room."

"Has anyone called our friends the Asgard?" asked Jack.

"There is a call already out Colonel," said General Hammond. "We had a feeling it was them when he arrived with a bright light, a signature of Asgard beaming technology."

"Do you want me to talk to him?" asked Jack.

"Not especially," said Janet. "He's at a very fragile point right now. Until an hour ago he thought he was you. He can't even tell us how long he's been alive because he somehow possess all your memories."

"All of them?" asked Jack.

"Up until about four months ago, yes. The last thing he remembers is going on a date with Dr. Carter before the mission to P3x-9279 then waking up on an Asgard ship and being beamed to the gate room. He had no idea that four months had past."

"Lucky him, he missed the Groundhog Day fiasco," said Jack sarcastically.

Sam wanted to smack him. This was not a time for jokes, but she knew that was how he dealt with things. "So why is he sick," she asked.

"Unfortunately, he was a very poorly designed clone and all of his internal organs are failing. I've made him as comfortable as I can, but I really need the Asgard to come here to fix him. Otherwise, he only has a few weeks at most."

A bright light interrupted their conversation.

"Thor buddy!" said a very perturbed Jack. "Glad you could make it to the party."

Sam could tell that Jack was barely hanging on to his emotions. The Asgard hit a little too close to home this time.

"Colonel O'Neill," said the Supreme commander of the Asgard Fleet. "My apologies for the accident. Loki, one our head scientists, went against regulations and produced your genetic clone in the hopes of solving our cloning degeneration. Our research has already proven this route to be ineffective. Unfortunately, upon learning that you possess the ancient gene, Loki convinced some of our more rogue scientist that this clone would produce the answer. I am here to collect his failed research and dispose of it accordingly."

"Commander Thor," interjected General Hammond. "Thank you for arriving so quickly, but I am afraid I must object to your destroying what you call failed research. That boy may be a clone, but he is a boy just the same and it is our duty to care for him to the best of our ability."

"Yes," interrupted a frustrated Janet, "and my foremost concern is saving his life. He's dying from extensive organ failure."

"Dr. Frasier is it?" asked Thor. "Most clones are produced for temporary purposes and last less than seven of your Earth days. But if you wish for him to live I will return him to my ship for repair."

"About that," interrupted Jack. "I am all for the kid living but I really don't think we need two of me running around. Can't you alter his DNA and his appearance so that he has a fighting chance at normalcy? And while you're at it wipe his memories and give him some decent ones. God knows I have a hard enough time living with them, no reason to torture the poor kid."

Everyone looked at him in shock. "What?" he protested. "I have not always been the put together guy you see here today. I wouldn't relive my teenage years for a million dollars! Hell, he can even stay an O'Neill. My mom needs another kid to spoil. Sam and I saw her for an hour yesterday and I don't know what she was more excited about, the wedding or the prospect of more grandchildren. Maybe mini-me will give her something to do so she doesn't drive us crazy over the next six months."

Thor just nodded his head and in a flash of bright light the three of them were gone.

"I guess Thor wanted Jack's help," said Janet as everyone looked around to see who else was gone. "Well, I am going to go requisition some supplies for our new addition.

"I think I am going to call in Mrs. O'Neill," said General Hammond with a heavy sigh. "God help me if I don't let her know right away. Top secret clone or not, he's technically her son and I am sure she's going to want a say in this."

Sam nodded. "I have a feeling you are correct Sir. Jo already has clearance and the Colonel was right, I am sure she would love to take him in. He could go to school in Minnesota, or she could cyber school him."

"That's a great suggestion Dr. Carter." The words died on his lips as Sam disappeared in another flash of bright light.

"I guess Jack wanted Sam's help," commented Daniel.

When Sam got her bearings, the first thing she realized was that Jack was angrily yelling at someone.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY HAD THE NERVE," as soon as he saw her he quieted down. "I am so sorry about this Sam," he apologized.

What she was greeted with both amazed and shocked her, to a point where she was actually speechless.

Up on a huge screen was a frozen image of she and Jack in bed, without clothing, and in a very compromising position.

"WILL YOU TAKE THAT DOWN!" yelled Jack. "What are you guys trying to do, make it so I never have sex again," he grumbled.

"What," she got out.

"It seems our friends, the Asgard, are peeping toms and we are their favorite entertainment," he got out through clenched teeth.

"Why would they..," she fumbled out, still in shock.

"I assure you Dr. Carter, Loki's research is completely justifiable," droned Thor.

"Research?" asked a confused Sam.

"It seems that Loki has another bright idea," fumed Jack. "They are just thrilled that we are getting married and want more children. But ever since we started having sex, they have been observing us hoping that I will get you pregnant!"

"Pregnant!" exclaimed Sam. "But they wouldn't.."

"No, I've already screamed at them for that. They only want the DNA from the cord, something about it being the purest. They seem to think that because we are both advanced, we will produce some super baby that will be the answer to their problems."

"But I don't have the ancient gene," she said a bit more assuredly. She was starting to get over her shock from finding out that the Asgard were fans of her and Jack's sex life.

"Sam honey," he said softly as he took her hand and pulled her closer, "you are the smartest person on the planet. Trust me, you're advanced."

Jack looked over at the five Asgard scientists who were observing them and talking quickly amongst themselves. "WILL YOU GIVE IT UP!" he fumed. "It's bad enough that you have God knows how many hours of us saved in your mega-computer, do you really need to watch us right at this moment!"

"Colonel O'Neill, Dr. Carter," said Loki. "Our research shows that though you copulate frequently, you have yet to produce offspring. We are concerned about the Colonel's advanced age, but you are both in excellent health so it is obviously your technique which is faulty. We are confident that with direct observation we could come to a solution and impregnate Dr. Carter to compensate for Colonel O'Neill's inadequacies."

Sam actually had to restrain Jack to keep him from launching himself at the clueless Asgardian scientist.

"You must be Loki," she said stiffly. "Let me assure you that the Colonel's technique is quite exemplary and the reason I have not yet become pregnant is due to mutual agreement."

"Dr. Carter, please explain further," asked Loki. "Why would you engage in the act of copulation if not to produce offspring? It is as if you are repeatedly performing the same experiment to knowingly fail each time. You humans are a strange race indeed."

"Trust me, never once have we failed. If anything the Colonel is a bit too talented and I am still exhausted from this past weekend. Let me assure you that his years of experience are an advantage which I gratefully exploit."

This outburst surprised Jack, causing him to laugh out loud. "Sorry, you caught me off guard there," he got out though his muffled laughter.

Sam just glared at him, "Enough you," she growled out, "I am barely getting through this as it is. This is like your parents watching you, only this time they got it on video. And so help me, if you make a joke about asking for copies, you really won't have sex ever again!"

"Yes ma'am," he said with a salute and then turned back to the overly curious scientist. "So are you done fixing Jr. yet?"

"If by Junior, you are referring to the recent cloning experiment, no. We are in need of additional data."

"OK, shoot. What do you need to know?" asked Jack.

"The subject is currently in stasis and, as per your request, undergoing extensive repair. DNA modification is a complex process which will take some time. Memory augmentation is routine but we will need your input to complete this."

"As far as DNA goes just make it so he's not an exact duplicate. I had identical twin brothers but even they were different in some ways. My mom will probably take him in so just make him a brother or a cousin or something. As far as memories go, wipe the poor kid clean. I don't want him reliving everything I had to go through and I certainly don't want him sharing any of my memories of my relationship with Sam. That would be extremely uncomfortable for all parties involved."

As he was speaking, all five Asgard scientists were busy moving stones around the consoles, and the stasis tube began to glow.

"This is a most unusual request Colonel O'Neill," said Thor. "Normally clones are disposed of without much thought involved. Our conscience is sent to the main core and joined with the new corporeal form when it is complete."

"Well, unfortunately, humans don't work that way and we are stuck with the body we are given. This kid needs a fighting chance and knowing he is an exact duplicate of me is no way to live. I am not about to let your dispose of him, so starting over is the only solution."

"As you wish Colonel O'Neill," said Thor with a bow. "It will take several of your Earth hours to complete. I will return you to your base, and inform you when it is ready."

"Peachy," said Jack with a forced smile. "Now I just have to call my mother."

T.B.C.

OK, I am not done groveling... Again, I am sorry for leaving you in a lurch but at least it was at a good part right?

Reviews are like warm chocolate chip cookies and a hot pumpkin spice latte!