"ColonelCarter, have you not considered the possibility that you are gestating?"

Sam blinked in surprise at the Jaffa's question as she poked at rather than ate her food at the ship's Mess. She shook her head, sadness in her tired eyes, "Teal'c... I'm not a Jaffa. I'm too old to have babies."

Teal'c replied, "A woman among the Tau'ri successfully conceived at the age of sixty-five years."

She smiled slightly, remarking quietly with a touch of sarcasm as she looked down at the table, "Yeah. Thanks."

He reached over the table to hold her hand, leaning closer to her, a note of urgency in his voice. "It is not impossible for you to conceive. The symptoms that you have exhibited resemble those of Drey'auc during her own period of gestation."

She nodded, looking increasingly thoughtful. She turned her hand over to hold his, saying quietly, glancing up at him, "I suppose it's not completely impossible." She paused and met his gaze, looking helpless. "What do I do?"

Knowing that she was now torn between her duties and implications of the new possibility, he smiled slightly at her, "It is an added incentive."

He got up and left the Mess as she sat alone with her thoughts. She pushed away her uneaten food and sighed. She massaged her temples with her fingers as tears began to prick her eyes, the Colonel feeling so alone and even more under pressure.

Some time later, she felt soothing hands on her neck and shoulders, the hands not only relaxing her but reminding her that she really wasn't alone. Sniffing, she leaned back, the back of her head against Daniel's stomach, and she heard him say,

"I did think of it."

She looked up at him. "You didn't say anything."

He raised his eyebrows. "And have you break down? You don't need the stress." She noticed his lip tighten and she got up and hugged him, remembering how he had been after learning of Sha're's pregnancy and then having to leave his step-son for the greater good... twice.

His own arms came around her, holding her tightly, and she whispered, "I don't know what to do, Daniel. Teal'c seems to think that it's a good thing because I'll get us out of here quicker... which, to be honest, isn't surprising. Even he must be tired of beating Cam up."

He kissed her hair. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. I don't even know how far along I am..." Still holding him, she looked down at her stomach. "It's a life... but..." She looked at him, the Archaeologist seeing the hurt and conflict in her eyes. He whispered in reply as he stroked her cheek, trying to hide his own pain from her,

"Whatever happens... whatever you decide, I'll always be here for you."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't want to have to decide." Tears in his own eyes, he held her tighter against him, closing his eyes as he whispered,

"You're going to get us out of here... there's no doubt about that."

0o0o0o0o0o0

After Sam had managed to put together a pregnancy test from what she could find on-board, she went straight to where Landry was watering some plants, the General wearing a white t-shirt instead of the shirt from his dress blues. She watched her superior officer for a moment, a memory of General Hammond making her smile briefly.

The General looked up finally. "Colonel Carter... I trust you haven't found a solution yet." The quickly concealed desperate glint in his eyes made her wish that she didn't have to come to see him. She bit her lip.

"No, Sir. Not yet. I, uh..." She exhaled and held his gaze. "I have some news Sir... I'm pregnant."

His eyebrows went up and down, and then back up again, almost in slow motion as he processed what she had just told him. He suddenly smiled. "Good one... is Colonel Mitchell that bored that he's hiring prank monkeys?"

She looked momentarily hurt at the term that the General had used, and she shook her head. "No Sir. This is real. I've... I've been experiencing symptoms for several weeks... and a test I MacGyvered proved it... twice."

He sighed, putting his watering can down as he looked at the floor for a moment. "I'll have to admit I considered the possibility too... I've noticed your behaviour has been fluctuating recently and you appear to have put on some weight. Naturally I didn't say anything... and I should have. Unfortunately, I didn't put you, as one of the officers under my command, first. And I am sorry for that."

She shook her head. "There's no need to apologise Sir... the situation's taken a lot out of all of us."

"Well, it's not my responsibility to enquire as to what you and Doctor Jackson do in your spare time but... congratulations. Have you discussed what you are going to do?"

She looked down. "Thanks Sir. We haven't exactly discussed it but there's not much of a choice."

He nodded. "Understood." He paused. "Good luck."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Managing to avoid everyone else, she went back to the engine room to continue her work. She stopped in her tracks on seeing Daniel in her chair, appearing to work with Thor's hologram. She just watched him, stunned, and eventually asked him,

"What are you doing?"

He replied, concentrating on what he was doing, "Uh... helping you out. I think I got somewhere but I need you to check something. How did the MacGyvering go?"

She sighed wearily as she leaned over the back of his chair, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She kissed his neck. "Congratulations, Doctor J."

When he didn't move or say anything, she asked, looking at him, "Daniel?"

He made to get up and she, worried, let him go as he stood up and pulled her into a tight hug. She rested her head on his shoulder as he rubbed her back, and he kissed her.

"Congratulations, Sam."

Surprised at his reaction, she looked at him, noticing the conflict of emotions in his eyes. She touched his jaw and returned his smile when he grinned at her. He kissed her once again, this time while smiling.

"It's amazing."

She looked down for a moment. "I'm sure it is..."

He touched her jaw. "Despite our present situation, the pain and the darkness... some good came from it. A little beam of light. It's more than amazing, Sam."

She remarked wryly, her head on his shoulder again as she kissed his neck, "Easy for you to say." She sighed, closing her eyes. "It's my fault... I should have known that my injections would wear off by now. I... I just... I just didn't think that I could conceive."

He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her as she allowed herself to cry, and he soothed her, whispering, "Hey, hey... it's ok. It really is. You're not going to be alone. If Mitchell pushes you again, I'll break his legs, ok?"

She couldn't help but chuckle, her head still on his shoulder as he smiled down at her, smoothing her cheek. "I'd like to see you do that... I think he would be surprised."

"Ah... well, if all the combat training Jack drilled into me is still there, he could get a few punches to the face too along with some of that unique wit."