"Nope, I can't… what if…"

Sam rolled her eyes and remarked as Jack and Cassie wore twin smirks, watching the proceedings with great interest, "No. I'm not due for another couple of weeks… just go. Nothing's going to happen."

Daniel, looking worried, sat at Sam's feet saying as he held her hand, "Every one of our children came before their due dates… what makes Grace any different?"

"Daniel, the park's only a couple of minutes away… and our Juniors could use a little adventure."

Cassie said with a little shrug, "Hey, if Daniel doesn't want to go, I'll ta…"

Sam shook her head, much to Jack's amusement as Cassie looked a little insolent, and the Astrophysicist said, glancing at Jack, "He needs some Daddy-time with them."

Jack remarked, unable to stop his smirking, "That would be Mommy-time for our resident Jimmy Osmond."

Daniel looked at Jack scathingly for a moment as Sam ducked her head to hide a smile, and the Archaeologist sighed and said grudgingly, "Ok… as long as you're sure."

Sam smiled and he got to his knees to give her a kiss, continuing as he caressed her cheek, maintaining eye contact for a long moment, "I won't be long."

She briefly caressed his neck and then he got up, patting her shoulder gently as he called to the older twins playing in a corner of the lounge while their siblings took a mid-afternoon nap in their playpen, "Cammie, James, come on, we're going on an adventure."

Cammie and James looked up and were about to get up when Daniel gently chided them, "Put your toys away first."

The twins put their toys away and Cammie asked, "Where we going?"

James blew a raspberry and said, "Park."

Daniel said quietly, scolding him, "James, don't do that. It's rude."

James turned around and grinned at him, feigning total and utter innocence as Cassie and Jack exchanged a glance with guarded amusement, and Sam covered her mouth to hide a smile. The Astrophysicist remarked fondly as she looked up at the Archaeologist while the twins ran into the hallway,

"He gets that from you."

Daniel simply smiled as he gazed at her for a moment and then he left, saying gently, "We'll be back soon."

Jack glanced at Cassie who shrugged, and the General looked at Sam, perplexed and worried as the twins, now in their coats, ran to their mother, clambering onto her. Sam, smiling, kissed them both, saying as she caressed their cheeks,

"Enjoy your adventure."

James asked with a pout that made her smile more, "You're not coming?"

Sam shook her head and said, a regretful glint in her eyes, "Not today… I've got to look after your new sister."

Cammie rested her head on her mother's shoulder as James patted Sam's bump, saying to it, "Bye-bye, baby. Stay there."

Sam smiled at him in amusement and then said quietly, "Go on, you two… you'll never get out at this rate. I'll see you later."

She hugged them as best she could and watched as they went to Daniel, the Archaeologist holding their hands and she said, trying to stop the tears surging in her eyes, "Bye."

After Daniel and the twins had left, Jack said, looking at Sam oddly, "Ok Carter, out with it. What's up with you two? You're usually joking back and forth but I'm not seeing much of that. What's going on?"

Sam shook her head wistfully as she rested her head on the back of the couch, and she replied quietly, her gaze fallen, "It's hard, Sir… He blames himself and I blame myself for what happened. It's really put a strain on things."

Cassie moved to sit on the arm of the couch nearest Sam, and she said, smoothing the Astrophysicist's hair, hugging her sideways, "He does love you, Sam, and I know that you love him… you'll get through it. I don't think the baby's helped matters though."

Sam closed her eyes in the younger woman's embrace, replying quietly, "I know. So much has happened since he left."

Jack asked with a huff, "Do you want me to have words with Space Monkey?"

"Thanks Sir, but it's something that we have to work through."

He remarked sceptically, "Alright, but if you're not shooting jokes back and forth soon, I'm zatting the both of you. Work on it… that's an order. Something like the thing you and Daniel have – or had – is priceless."

--------------------

As Sam lay on the couch, reaching down to the floor to participate in a game of Monopoly with Jack and Cassie, she winced. Jack and Cassie, instantly alert, looked up, the Hankan asking as she quickly went to Sam's side, holding her hand,

"Sam?"

Sam shook her head and said, closing her eyes briefly, "Sorry, just a little twinge."

Cassie looked at her, worried, and Jack remarked, worried nonetheless, "Would that be a normal twinge… or a Jackson twinge, which is the equivalent of being stabbed in the stomach fifty times with a rusty dagger during a Vancouver Canucks game?"

Sam chuckled weakly, retorting, "You know, Teal'c's not going to take it too nicely if he hears that you've been badmouthing the Canucks again, Sir."

"Pfft, he's just sour because I bet against them the last time."

Sam sighed, opening her eyes and smiled gratefully at Cassie, squeezing her hand and she reached down to take her turn when suddenly she gasped. Jack lifted her blanket as Cassie helped her to sit up, and grimaced, remarking as he got up,

"Don't you dare call that a twinge – your water's burst."

Sam shook her head and said, "No… it's just gas…"

"Don't make me bring SG-3 in, Carter. My new goddaughter is coming whether you like it or not."

Cassie took a deep breath and then took charge as Jack grabbed a phone, saying, "Ok Sam, breathe. Come on, in and out. Help's coming."

Sam closed her eyes and focussed on her breathing as Cassie helped her to lie down again. She then said, looking up at Cassie, scared, "Cassie, she's not going to wait. You're going to have to help her out."

Cassie, scared but for a different reason, said, shaking her head as she remembered a mother and baby that she couldn't save at a Somali refugee camp, "I… I can't."

Sam replied, gasping as the pain grew, "You can, honey. I know you can."

Cassie gazed at her for a moment and then with a resigned nod, went to the delivery end as a worried Jack brought in towels and a bowl of water. The General kneeled at Sam's side as she wept, holding her hand right as Cam came in. The southern Colonel blinked slowly in surprise before snapping into action and kneeling next to Jack, smoothing her abdomen as she cried out.

Jack said, stressed out, "Of all the times for that guy to go out!"

Cam asked, looking at Sam in concern and worry, "Where's Jackson?"

Sam replied, gasping and crying, "He's gone to the park with the twins… I told him to go. Agh!"

Noting that Cassie looked apprehensive, Cam asked, "Cass, do you need some help? I birthed a cow once…"

As Jack looked on in amusement, Cassie shaking her head and whispering her thanks, Sam retorted, Jack mopping her brow with a damp flannel, "Gee thanks, Cam…"

Cam remarked with a shrug, "Well, while you're down…"

--------------------

At the park, Daniel pushed Cammie on a swing as James, on another swing, called, "Daddy!"

Daniel said gently, "Junior, I already pushed you."

"'s not high enough."

The Archaeologist remarked fondly, "You're just like your Mommy… Daddy's scared of heights."

"Silly Daddy."

"Yes silly Daddy… fine, give me a sec."

He pushed Cammie once more and then moved behind James, giving him a good push. The boy squealed with laughter as he moved in a gentle upward slope, calling,

"Weeeeeeeeee!"

Daniel smiled in amusement and then closed his eyes, gasping as he sensed something. Making sure no-one was watching, he stopped the swings with a discreet wave of his hand and as the twins looked disappointed, Daniel said, grabbing their hands as he almost ran from the park,

"We've got to go home… Mommy's in trouble."

Wanting to get home faster, he picked up a complaining Cammie over his shoulder, James in his other arm as he sprinted home. Cammie asked, her voice vibrating due to the bumpy ride,

"Daddy? What's wrong wi' Mommy?"

"I think your new sister's coming."

"Now?"

"Oh yes. She's got Uncle Jack's timing – she drops in when she feels like it."

Daniel, reaching the house and somehow managing to unlock the door, carefully dropped the twins in the hallway, threw his coat off and ran into the lounge, calling his wife's name. He found her surrounded by Jack, SG-1 and Cassie, the Astrophysicist screaming in pain as the Hankan coached her through pushing. His team-mates looked up on hearing his voice and Jack remarked,

"Jesus, took you long enough."

The General got up to take care of the twins with Teal'c and Jonas as Daniel knelt by Sam's side, holding her hand tightly. Sam, opening her eyes, whispered breathlessly,

"I knew you'd come."

He tenderly kissed her forehead, whispering back, "Always."

She shut her eyes, the lower half of her body rising momentarily as she screamed her way through a push, and Cassie called, feeling a little more confident as Carolyn raced in, murmuring apologies, "Almost there, Sam. You are doing so well. Not long left now."

Daniel remarked as he looked at Cam kneeling next to him, "All four births."

Cam replied with a little smile as he continued to smooth Sam's bump, "Oh, you can't get rid of me, Jackson… and I seem to remember someone being at Francis' entrance."

Vala remarked, wincing at the memory, "If Francis ever becomes famous, the kitchen of your old house is going to be a place of pilgrimage for all his groupies."

Cam smiled at his wife as Daniel grimaced at Sam squeezing his hand as she screamed. Cassie called, glancing at Carolyn kneeling next to her,

"Just one more, push. One more and then you can rest."

Daniel gently kissed his wife, whispering with tears in his eyes, "You've done this three times already, honey. You can do this. I believe in you."

Cam added, "And they've all been SG births."

Sam let out a loud scream as she channelled her available resources in one big push, amassing energy and willpower and injuring her husband's hand. Cassie smiled in relief as sighted a head and she, now wearing the surgical gloves that Carolyn had given her, supported the baby's head and neck as it slowly slid out. She said as an exhausted Sam flopped back in exhaustion,

"You kicked ass."

Carolyn took charge with checking the baby over, bathing it and wrapping it in a towel as it took its first breath, screaming. As a proudly smiling Daniel kissed a tired Sam, Carolyn handed the baby to Cassie, who began to cry as the Chief Medical Officer said with an admiring smile,

"So did you. Well done."

Looking overcome, Cassie gazed down at the squirming new addition to the Carter-Jackson household, stroking its cheek as she whispered, "Hello."

Smiling through her tears, she made her way to a shakily smiling Daniel, saying, "Congratulations… it's a girl."

Daniel carefully took the baby from her and then with equal carefulness, hugged her tight, whispering, "You did so well, Cassie. I'm so proud of you. You've brought my daughter into the world – I owe you so much… we owe you."

He kissed her cheek as she continued to cry, mostly out of relief and Vala hugged her, Cam smoothing her hair. Daniel smiled down at his new daughter and then kissed his wife, whispering,

"I never understood how you did it the last three times, honey, or this time, but you're far stronger than I am. I love you."

Sam remarked weakly as she smiled slightly, "I think you'd better save the flattery until I'm fit enough to keep my eyes open for longer than a minute… Oh, I am so not having another baby."

Jack remarked as he poked his head into the lounge, "That means protection, Dannyboy. The lady has spoken."