The group of friends sat together, huddled against the cold above and to the left of the adults. Close enough to gain their attention should it be needed but not so close that it was a single cohesive group. Jack had given them an extra pair of binoculars so they could see better when it was Sammy's turn.

Among the adults were the Amos's and their sons and families, having decided Sammy was 100% their little sister even if she did not share their last name though it had come up that it might make her life easier if she changed it. Also there were Sam and Jack with Gracie and Mr. and Mrs. Berring and their youngest daughter and Brian's parents. Gracie was busy bouncing back and forth between the various adults and the teens behind them.

Finally Jon grabbed her and sat her in his lap after exchanging a look with Jack. Sam snickered.

"She minds her cousin better than her parents. Typical." Brian's mom told Sam.

Sam chuckled. "He bribes her."

"That makes sense."

"I don't argue with what works." Jack told the other woman who was dressed like she might still think it's the 1960s.

Brian's dad grinned at Jack. "It's the next best thing to a grandpa."

Jack chuckled at the other man whose name Sam had told him at last three times and he still couldn't recall. "She's going to grow up spoiled between those kids and all her aunts and uncles. Speaking of Carter, I'm kind of surprised Vala didn't convince Daniel to come today."

Sam shrugged. "He's still weird about it."

Jack huffed a sigh. He'd talked to Danny about this. Just treat the kid like he was Jack's little brother or something. It wasn't that complicated. Jon had his own friends now and while still a little hurt Daniel had entirely ignored him except in emergencies, he was ok with the situation now. Especially as he clearly had his hockey buddies, a best friend, and a gaggle of Sammy's friends to boot. Said gaggle was laughing over something the tall kid in the cowboy hat said to the dark haired girl who reminded him of Inah. He sometimes wondered if she meddled a bit there and, if so, had she planned out exactly this some time ago before any of them would have ever suspected. He could probably go ask her but he knew he wouldn't get a direct answer any more than he would have from Oma. And why that family anyway? Jack had met the mother. She was a mess and a half. Jack had known moms like her in the old neighborhood. Convinced of their own superiority while they screwed their kids up with their idiotic behavior.

Jack didn't think he was the world's greatest parent by any means. He had plenty of baggage to prove he'd sucked at it to a particular extent. But he'd been smart enough to marry women that were good parents. Both of them. Because whatever could be said about his relationship with Sara, she'd been a good mom. She'd been happy for him when he'd remarried and pleased for the reason why as well. Told him it had been about damn time he and Sam got married.

Jack chuckled to himself a little and Sam gave him a questioning look.

"Just thinking about my last conversation with Sara, that's all." He told her,

Sam grinned. "I wonder what she'd think of those two?" She pointed at Sammy who was busy warming up for her turn at the pole.

"I think she'd be hurt but understand. You two are alike in that. Neither of you wastes time holding grudges."

"I hold grudges." Sam told him, her mouth firming.

"Oh?" Jack gave her a mild inquisitive look.

"I just don't let them eat me up. I still want to beat Sally Manchester's ass for stealing my 9th grade boyfriend." She growled.

Jack laughed. "Wasn't that the girl who grew up to be a retail manager and the kid she swiped is an insurance salesman now?"

"It was rude." Sam said primly which made Jack laugh and hug her.

"You're a nut, Carter." He grinned and pulled her closer. "But I'm really into it."

Sam snuggled against her husband. "You better be. You're stuck with me now." She grinned and gave him an affectionate kiss though.

"Gross! Stop it! My eyes!" Jon yelled at them from a few feet away.

"Gwose!" Gracie agreed which made the other adults laugh.

"Hey, some of us came here to watch Sammy at her first meet." Jay reminded all of them and poked Lynn in the side for grinning foolishly at Sam and Jack's affectionate behavior.

"What? They're cute." She said defensively.

"Old people kissing is not cute." Jay said, making a grossed out face but his eyes were laughing. Sam and Jack were in fact cute and he hoped some day he found a guy that loved him half as much as they clearly loved each other.

The announcer called Sammy's name and the entire group settled down to watch her.

Sammy took a deep steadying breath. 'You can do this, Carter'. She told herself. 'Don't screw up'. Her brain replied rudely as she tapped the rosin bag on the side of the track to make her fingers tacky.

She approached the situation mathematically. Count your steps one… two… three… nine lower your pole… fifteen plant it in the stop board, swing push! I'm over… spin, land on your butt not your ankles. YES! She bounded up and threw a fist up in victory. She'd made it without faulting.

Her eyes flew up to the stands and connected with Jon's right away. He grinned at her and held up Gracie who was mimicking her fist pump. Sammy laughed. A large portion of her friends and family crowded around him. Wil and Mare were grinning ear to ear and Uncle Wil was doing a little bit of a jig. Sammy was still grinning as she was helped off the mats.

"Great job Sammy. Your practice sessions with the O'Neill kid have really paid off."

"Thanks coach." Sammy said with a smile. Jon was actually a great coach and this was fun. She wondered how the guys managed to get out of practice today though. Probably nagged the coach with some nonsense about her being their team mascot.

It was twenty minutes until her next attempt by the time they rotated through all the kids and set up the next height so Sammy went over to the rest of her team. She didn't have much in common with any of them as she'd never really been a jock but they were nice enough kids, especially the team captain Lacy.

"Good job, Sammy. I'm glad coach Bonnie suggested you." Lacy told her. Her mouse brown hair tied back in a ponytail.

"Thanks. This is fun."

Maria chuckled. "It beats softball for sure."

Sammy grinned.

She cleared her second hurdle with ease but faulted on the third one. Disappointed in herself, she sighed and packed up her stuff. Her team reassured her for a first meet she did great but Sammy was mentally calculating where she was making a mistake. She'd need more practice if she was going to get better at this.

Warm arms grabbed her from behind. A split second prior she'd recognized he was behind her or he'd have lost a tooth. "Hey, you did great out there." He told her.

"I need more practice."

"I didn't get good at stopping a puck my first game, Sammy." Zulfi told her coming up from her side.

"I couldn't draw well at the beginning either." Lynn reminded her.

"Quit being so hard on yourself, Carter. You've got this." Jon told her.

Sam and Jack wandered up with Wil and Mary. "You did great, mini Carter." Jack told her with a grin. "Don't let her beat herself up too much about needing more practice." He admonished Jon who gave him a salute. Jack shook his head. "Was I always that sarcastic?" He asked Sam.

Sam shrugged. "Probably." She told him and bumped his shoulder.

"We'll see you kids at home. Jon, make sure Sammy eats something besides your order of French fries."

"Ha ha. Busted." Brian told her which made Wil laugh.

"Have fun kids. Jon, be back to the house by 1830."

"Yes sir." Jon said cheekily as they moved away which earned him an eyeroll from Jack.

"How did anyone put up with me at that age?" Jack said wonderingly as Sam let Gracie hug Sammy and Jon goodbye before they left together, leaving her equipment for Wil to hump to the SUV later.

"I'm trying to figure out how we put up with you now." Sam said in amusement.

"All right, that's it. You're cut off from hanging out with Daniel. He's rubbing off on you." Jack grumped to Sam's tinkling giggle.

"Those two are ridiculously cute." Brian's mom told Wil and Mary as Sam and Jack left themselves.

Mary grinned. "You don't know the half of it. Wil and I worked with them separately for years. They are fantasy novel level in love with each other. They should have gotten married yeas ago if you ask me."

"Why didn't they?" Brian's dad asked in curiosity.

"Military regulations. He was in her direct chain of command for nearly a decade." Wil told him.

"That's a stupid rule." Brian's dad said.

Mary and Wilson looked at each other then at Brian's parents. "We agree." They said together and laughed as though it was the funniest of inside jokes.