A/N Sorry it took a while to get up, let me know what you think ok
She watched as he slowly walked back and forth with his hands in his pockets.
"Sir" she said as she opened the door
He continued pacing for a few minutes, he was obviously thinking something over more than he usually did because by now he would have either thrown his famous Jack O'Neill grin at her like when he's planning something mischievous or given some kind of sarcastic comment to try and hide what was really on his mind, none of which he did, he just looked lost.
"Sir if what happened back there bothers you...."
"What?"
"Inside"
"What about it?"
"I'm sorry Sir"
"Why?"
"I should have never reacted like that"
He stopped pacing and glanced over at her "you think this is about you?" he asked
"Well Sir forgive me if I'm wrong, but the last time I let this get in the way you disappeared for days, so yeah I'm guessing its about me"
He moved to sit down on the steps in front of the entrance and gestured for her to follow, which she did lowering herself to a squatting position next to him.
"Carter believe me this has nothing to do with you or you been pregnant, it's only about me"
"OK"
He fidgeted uncomfortably with the conversation, he would have stopped it there and then had he not continued talking some more.
"Do ya know what it's like Carter, to have everything you ever dreamed of and more, only to loose it"?
"I don't follow Sir"
"I've lost to much in my life, I guess all I'm saying is if you have to walk away from the SGC, don't even question it, believe me what you have now is way more important"
"Is this about your son Sir?"
"What?"
"Charlie"
"Oh.... err.... no..... I mean yes...I don't know.... in part I guess"
"Is that why you've been acting wired lately Sir"
"Wired?" he quizzed
"Like doing what just happened in there, I mean you act like your cool with this whole situation, being there for me and still seeing me as myself without tensing up on me cause you see me as different because you see what's inside me as a threat. But at the same time and forgive me Sir I don't know if I'm right, you just seem as if you sometimes don't want the situation to exist"
"And why's that?
"Don't know Sir"
Ah..... right Miss Carter as your CO and your company for tonight I'm going to repeat this once ok"
"Sir"
"I am happy that, even given the wired stuff aside in a few months your gonna have that kid, in fact ya know you might not wanna stop there, of course you might wanna give the normal route a try but I'm quite looking forward to the whole 'Carter's taking on the world' thing"
"Then why?"
"I just have stuff on my mind that's all Carter"
"Want to talk Sir"
"No believe me Carter, you'll think it over too much"
"I'm here if you change your mind"
"Right"
"Are we going back in? it's getting chilly and well I can't stay down here much longer"
"Oh hey Carter, I'm sorry" he said jumping to his feet and helping her up
"It's fine Sir and thanks"
"Not a problem"
"Do you mind if we call it a night Sir, I'm feeling kind of tired"
"Not at all, wait here and I'll settle the bill, then I'll give you a ride"
"That's not necessary Sir, I can get a cab"
"It'll be quicker"
"OK thanks Sir"
"Stay here" he said as he returned inside to pay the bill
Pulling up outside her house, Jack got out of his truck and walked round to assist his passenger with the task of getting out and continued he's duty as her 'date' by walking her to her door.
"Well Carter, it's been fun, wish we'd done it more often"
"We will Sir, if you like, when the others are up to it"
"Maybe"
"Are you coming in Sir?
"No, I should go, got a busy day tomorrow"
"I understand"
"But that stuff we talked about don't worry about it, it'll be sorted one way or other by then"
"Good"
"Well see ya Carter"
"Night Sir" she said as he headed back to the truck
He sat in the truck parked outside the house for a few minutes making sure she was OK given that it was dark and she did live alone. Any version of 'Carter' he had come to know in the past could take care of themselves and he kinda guessed that she would to but she was around five months pregnant and that changed things slightly.
He was about to pull away when the truck passenger door opened and a new passenger occupied the seat.
"Hi Jack"
"Harry" he said resisting the urge to really yell at him for sneaking up on him "what..."
"Just drive, I'll explain on the way"
Jack looked at the slightly unshaven smaller man with a 'this better be good' look all over his face.
"Hammond sent me"
"Really"
"Jack this is important"
"Why should I believe you?"
"Because"
"Because what?"
"It concerns Carter"
He pulled away and continued driving like he had been asked to all be it reluctantly and it was a good few minutes before either spoke to the other.
"Gonna ask this once, how the hell did you get Hammond to let you off base"
"I heard stuff you know even not being on Earth, I still know what's going on maybe better than you, I told him that it concerned Carter, but because of its nature and possible risk to her I'd only speak to you"
"And what would that be"
"How far along is she?"
"Excuse me"
"Oh come on Jack, I know she's pregnant"
"How?"
"I have my sources"
"Sure ya do Harry"
"Jack she's in danger"
"Oh here we go"
"It's the truth"
"What's it this time?"
"The child she is carrying"
"What about it?"
"It's been genetically altered"
"And this is important to me, how?"
"They'll kill her"
"Who?"
"NID"
"Come on Harry it's a baby, not some green eyed monster threat to the planet"
"If she's here and in her condition something went wrong"
"Try starting from the beginning please that way ya can at least try not to confuse me half as much"
"Does she remember anything?"
"Like"
"How it happened in the first place"
"How should I know?"
"Jack"
"Look, all she's said is she remembers me been with her and something along the lines of after the 'big day' they whoever they were, were going to eventually kill us. As for me, don't even go there I remember squat, just got my head full of stuff I don't even know is real or not"
"Makes sense"
"What does?"
"Your being there would have made her have the testing done a little easier, especially if both, not just her own life were in danger"
"Tests?"
"Experiments, to create a genetically enhanced solider"
"What?"
"I did some shopping for you Jack" he said taking a small black disk from his pocket and showing it to him
"What is it?"
"All the files I could download from NID headquarters regarding Major Carter and the programme, what the kid was designed to do that sort of thing"
"How do you know it's a...."
"'Super solider'"
"Yeah"
"She has the Goau'ld marker in her system that makes her more of a target, plus her name is the only one in the files. It looks like they were only in the early stages of stage one, the pregnancy it's self, noting that the child would also carry the marker and before implantation it's DNA code would be altered to make it more susceptible to anything that they needed in the future"
"Like"
"Advanced strength, speed that kind of thing"
"Right"
"Jack, the procedures are incomplete"
"So it's just a baby then"
"A baby with the potential to evolve far beyond that of a normal child if it's allowed to fall into the wrong hands"
"So it's just a baby then"
"Look, all I'm saying is watch your back with this, I knew about the programme five years ago, a backup plan to if the stargate programme failed"
"Let me guess, it was 'officially' closed down and yet hey presto someone's running it through the backdoor"
"Pretty much"
"I'd lay money its Kinsey"
"Whoever it is will want to cover it up"
"So"
"They'll destroy any and all links to the programme especially Carter if they think her remembering stuff that happened is a threat to them"
"Ya know I've had a really bad few days, mind if I get back to ya on this?"
"Someone should keep an eye on her"
"Who?"
"Carter"
"That's not concern I hear coming from you is it?"
"Would I be here taking risks if...."
"You tell me"
"Alright, fine, I don't want any harm to come to the Major same as you"
"Oh like you really have any idea what I want Maybourne"
"Like SG-1 isn't important to you"
"Not that one, no not really"
"What's that mean?"
"Forget it, doesn't matter"
Jack pulled up outside his house.
"Thanks for the ride"
"Your so not welcome"
"Oh how touching"
"Your welcome"
Maybourne stepped out of the truck and turned around and tossed the disk over to Jack "for what its worth Jack I hope everything turns out OK" with that he walked off away from the truck.