The Touched

Part 13

In the reviews, someone mentioned they wanted 'strong' Sam back…I'd just like to point out that I prefer strong Sam too, and I rarely do anything without reason, here there was a reason… read on ;)

OMG, I made it over 100 reviews! WOW! Am thrilled, thanks for all your reviews, guys, you're wonderful!

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Janet entered the room slowly, trying not to take too much notice of the conversation she could hear from the next room. If there was one thing she was sure of, it was that no amount of money would make her want to be in the Colonel's shoes. She knew General Carter wasn't likely to kill Colonel O'Neil, but it was the maiming she was worried about.

Janet smiled at the thought and shook her head. She walked into her office, glancing anxiously at Sam's bed as she passed. Her friend had been through so much and she wasn't sure how she managed to keep it together. The puffiness around her eyes, told Janet that she had let go of some f the emotion inside, but if there was one thing that Janet could always be sure about with Major Carter, it was that she wouldn't let anything stop her. It was something Janet had always admired, she didn't know where Sam got the strength to keep going, when Janet knew there must be a part of other woman that wanted to give up.

A noise shook her from her reverie and she stood, picking up her stethoscope as she entered the main room. Sam was awake, and attempting to pull herself into a sitting position, despite her obvious fatigue.

"Woah, there tiger. Take it easy. You've been through a lot, give your body a chance to recover." Sam smiled at her, but didn't stop her efforts. Shaking her head and smiling, Janet walked to her patient's bed and helped her to sit, giving Sam a disproving look as she did. "Always got to do things the hard way."

"It would seem that way, wouldn't it."

At the sad tone in her friend's voice, Janet frowned, sitting on the bed next to her. "Want to tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Janet shook her head and smiled, "I'd like to think I know you better than that, and I don't think there's 'nothing' wrong."

Sam sighed, "Why did this have to happen?" she said softly. "Don't get me wrong, Janet, I wouldn't give this baby up for anything, but…but it wasn't supposed to happen like this."

"I know what you mean." Sam frowned at her and she continued, "I couldn't love Cassandra any more if she were my own daughter, to me she is. But I never imagined that I'd end up a single mother. I wanted the romance, the passion, and the white picket fence. They were all supposed to come before the parenting. Now I wonder if they'll even come at all."

"They will." Sam said softly.

"And they will for you."

Sam stared straight ahead, refusing to look straight at her. She rubbed her red eyes and spoke softly, "You've got to tell me why I'm acting like this."

"Acting like what? Pregnant, you mean? Because if you do then I have a news flash for you Major Carter, you are pregnant."

"I mean it, Janet."

"So do I. Want me to show you the sonogram again?"

Janet smiled a little and Sam returned the gesture. She sighed, "I want you to tell me why I'm acting so weak, why I'm being so...just..."

"Sam," Janet placed her hand over Sam's, "You are not acting weak. You're the strongest person I know."

"Janet, I cried all over him."

"Oh," Janet smiled, but Sam was looking straight ahead, "so that's what this is about. The Colonel."

"Isn't that what everything's about these days?"

Janet sighed, "I know this isn't the fairytale, Sam, but this is life."

"Thanks for making me feel better Janet." Sam said wryly.

"Let me finish," Janet shifted her position until she was sitting directly in front of Sam. "This is life, Sam, it isn't perfect, but it's real. I might not be," Janet sighed, "I'm not supposed to say…it might be against regulations to say this, but…Sam, you're in love."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"He loves you, too, Sam. I might have been a little inarticulate in saying so, but that was my point." Janet sighed, "I know that it's against regulations, but it's real. Hold on to it, Sam. Let it keep you strong. I've never known you to give up in the past, and I don't want to see it now, understood?"

Sam smiled, "I wont."

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"You care to tell me what the hell's going on, Colonel O'Neill."

"We're, eh, talking?"

"Colonel, don't be an ass." Jacob said, sitting on a chair.

Jack smiled tightly, and took a deep breath, waiting a moment before sitting opposite Sam's father, "So…"

"So," Jacob repeated, "Are you in love with my daughter, Colonel?"

Jack almost choked. Almost, since he wasn't actually eating or drinking anything, and almost because he had half expected the question. Of course, he hadn't expected it to be the first thing that he was asked.

"It…it's against regulations for me to be in love with her."

"I'm a General, Jack, I know what the regulations are, that's not what I asked. I asked if you were in love with her." When Jack didn't answer, Jacob sighed and shook his head. "Fair enough, Colonel. It might not be my place to ask, but tell me this, Sam explained how she became pregnant, but there's one thing she didn't explain. The way I understand what she said, when the man that she loved – the man that loved her - touched her, she would become pregnant. So I ask again, are you in love with her."

Jack closed his eyes and let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Looking back into the older man's eyes, he answered the question the only way he felt he could, "The baby's mine."

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END PART 13

Okay, so I still have a lot of other stuff to explain, like why Sam was in pain when she returned through the Stargate, and exactly what happened when Sam was with the Tok'Ra (something always happens with the snakeheads!). But all will be revealed soon!

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