Jack arrived in Atlanta in the early afternoon. It was about six when he
reached his destination, the hospital Janet was working in. He entered the
busy ER, a receptionist looking at him questioningly.
"Hi." He smiled. "I'm looking for Janet Fraiser." The receptionist scrutinised him,
"I'm afraid you'll have to take a seat and wait until she gets to you sir." She replied, assuming him to be a patient.
"Oh, no, I'm an old friend of hers. I just got into town, I just need to say hi before I go to my hotel." It technically wasn't a lie.
"Oh, ok." She frowned, unsure of whether or not she trusted the man in front of her, Janet hadn't mentioned anything about a friend coming from out of town, but then, she did keep herself to herself. "She's just through there with a patient, she should be done in a minute." She pointed in the direction.
"Thanks." Jack smiled again, going in the direction indicated. He could tell it was Janet from behind, she was standing a few feet away, her back turned, talking to a patient.
"Ok, so if you just stay off the leg for a few days it should be fine." He could hear that she was smiling.
"Thanks doc." The patient smiled in return, hopping off the bed and away on crutches. Jack stood for a moment, she was still unaware of his presence, busy writing on a chart.
"Long time no see huh doc?" He said suddenly. The chart dropped from her hands and she turned around. Jack immediately noticed the bump underneath her scrubs, his eyes falling to it for only a few seconds, but Janet caught him and instinctively put a hand to it protectively. Jack didn't show his shock at her appearance, the two second flit in his gaze the only indication. Janet stood silently, shocked at seeing Jack standing in front of her. Joanne suddenly appeared behind Janet, the noise of the falling chart attracting her attention. She picked it up and put it on the bed.
"Janet, what's wrong, are you ok?" She asked, concerned for her friend. This snapped Janet out of her trance-like state.
"Yeah..I'm fine, thanks." Janet said, her eyes still fixed on Jack. Joanne looked to him, a look of realisation on her face.
"Umm..ok, if you need me, just call." She said, sending Jack a threatening look. Janet, fully recovered from her shock now spoke,
"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked, her hand still defensively over her bump.
"Looking for you. I think we need to talk." He replied, his tone neutral. "Can you get a break?" She looked at her watch, sighing, realising that there was no getting out of it anymore.
"My shift's just about to end, let me clear it with Joanne." She said, turning and walking over to her. Joanne saw her coming,
"Hey, are you sure you're ok?" She asked,
"Yeah, honestly, I'm fine." Janet smiled weakly.
"You scared the hell outta me there, I thought you'd gone into premature labour or something." She half laughed. Janet smiled half-heartedly, thinking that that might be a preferable option to what actually happened.
"Would it be ok if I took off just now? My shift's due to end in tem minutes." Janet asked.
"Is that Jack?" Joanne asked, Janet nodded, Joanne put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Are you sure you want to do this?" Janet laughed,
"No, but.." She trailed off,
"Take as much time as you need, you can have the next couple of days off if you need."
"Thanks." Janet smiled.
Jack watched the exchange between the two women, his mind trying to analyse exactly what was going on. Janet came back over,
"Just give me a second to grab my purse." She said, walking towards the staff locker room, indicating Jack should follow, they were both silent as she took her stuff out of her locker. They stopped when they were outside the hospital, Jack spotted a bench,
"Sit?" He asked, pointing to it, she nodded. They sat for a few minutes in silence before Jack suddenly blurted out the question they both knew was on his mind, "Is it mine?" She looked down, nodding again. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?" Jack asked his tone stuck between angry and hurt. Janet closed her eyes, thinking of her answer,
"I don't know..I guess I just thought it would be easier this way."
"Easier for who?" Jack said accusingly. Janet stood up as quickly as she could,
"For everybody. I just...I know I should have told you, I just couldn't." She said beginning to pace. Jack stood as well,
"Did you even try?" He asked angrily, his voice getting louder, attracting attention from passers-by.
"Jack this isn't the place for this." She said quietly, he sighed,
"No probably not." He agreed.
"Have you got a rental car?" She asked, he nodded, "You can follow me back to my apartment." She said, heading off to the car park.
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She held the door open for Jack to follow,
"Nice place." He said as he entered, the first words spoken since they'd left the hospital.
"Yeah, well, I haven't sold my place back ho- in Colorado yet." She cut herself off from saying home, here was home now.
"Right." Jack said. "So where were we? Oh, that's right, why was it you left without telling me you were having my baby." He said angrily,
"Well you didn't seem too interested at the time. I thought it was just a 'mistake'." She retaliated, quoting the word he'd used months earlier. Jack was confused for a second until he remembered what she was talking about, relenting a few seconds later,
"I'm sorry. I just....you know?" He didn't know how to word it, she nodded sadly,
"It's my fault, I could have dealt with this a whole lot better."
"That's an understatement." He smiled, breaking the tension a little.
"Yeah." She smiled back, sitting down.
"I've missed you." He admitted, sitting next to her,
"Me too." She paused, "I'm sorry Jack, really." She said putting her hand over his,
"Me too." He paused, "When I said it was a mistake, I didn't mean....if I'd known..." He paused again, "You could have just told me you know." He said softly, turning his hand round under hers and taking it in his own.
"It's not as easy as it sounds."
"I guess." Another pause, "So what are we going to do?"
"I don't know."
"You wanna get married?" He asked casually, she couldn't help but laugh, "Well you don't have to laugh."
"I'm sorry, it's just, you said it so casually. Besides, we can't." She said still smiling,
"Why not?" He frowned,
"I'm not about to marry another guy who doesn't love me." She said, her tone more serious,
"What, where the hell would you get the idea that I don't love you, you're the one that keeps running away from me." Jack said indignantly. Janet sighed,
"I run because I love you too much." She whispered quietly.
"What?" Jack asked, not sure he heard right, she sighed, deciding just to take the plunge and tell him the truth,
"I said, that I run because I love you too much." Her floor became a sudden source of fascination.
"I don't get it." Jack frowned.
"Never mind, just forget I said anything."
"No, what do you mean?" He asked, she sighed,
"I'm afraid to love you." She said quietly, Jack waited for her to continue. "You have such a dangerous job, now it's the 'gate, before that it was special ops. Every mission you go on there's a really high chance you're not coming back, I don't think I could deal with that." She said it all quietly, afraid it would sound stupid, it suddenly all made sense to Jack, he had had no idea about any of this.
"So that's why you weren't there when I got back from the mission fifteen years ago?" He asked, she nodded timidly, "And why you left this time?" She nodded again. "I had no idea." He thought for a second, "I'll still don't get where you got the idea I don't love you though?"
"Because you love Sam." She said even quieter than before. Jack coughed and spluttered for a second,
"Carter?! Where the hell did you get that from?" He asked,
"I was there for the whole zatarc thing Jack, remember, 'I care about her, a lot more than I'm supposed to'." She quoted him,
"How do you get love from that?" He asked, frowning.
"Because everybody sees the way you look at one another."
"What, everybody thinks? Oh god! Me and Carter?" Jack was shocked by the idea, "I mean, yeah, she's attractive and..but I mean, we would kill each other." Janet looked up at him,
"You really don't love her?"
"No! There's only room for one Major/Doctor in my life." He put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him, she went willingly, "And that's Major./Doctor Shaw from SG-9." She looked at him again, until she say the smile he was fighting to suppress, she hit him playfully, before settling back down into his arms again. He noticed her shift uncomfortably a few times.
"What's wrong?" He asked, concern filling his voice,
"Nothing." She said sitting up, "Somebody's just being a little active."
"Really?" Jack asked, his voice full of excitement. She nodded, "Can I?" Jack held his hand out. She nodded, taking his hand and placing it on her expanded stomach where he would best be able to feel their son or daughter moving. Jack laughed as he felt their child move beneath their hands, looking at her, his eyes full of wonder. He could still see the uncertainty in hers. "I promise I'm never going to leave you, either of you." He promised, she smiled,
"Don't make promises you can't keep." She said sadly, a moment passed and she smiled again as the baby kicked, "It's ok, it doesn't matter anymore." He frowned, "You'll keep coming back, that's all that matters." She smiled as she said it, despite knowing that it was something neither of them would have a say in.
"Right." He smiled, knowing the same thing.
"Hi." He smiled. "I'm looking for Janet Fraiser." The receptionist scrutinised him,
"I'm afraid you'll have to take a seat and wait until she gets to you sir." She replied, assuming him to be a patient.
"Oh, no, I'm an old friend of hers. I just got into town, I just need to say hi before I go to my hotel." It technically wasn't a lie.
"Oh, ok." She frowned, unsure of whether or not she trusted the man in front of her, Janet hadn't mentioned anything about a friend coming from out of town, but then, she did keep herself to herself. "She's just through there with a patient, she should be done in a minute." She pointed in the direction.
"Thanks." Jack smiled again, going in the direction indicated. He could tell it was Janet from behind, she was standing a few feet away, her back turned, talking to a patient.
"Ok, so if you just stay off the leg for a few days it should be fine." He could hear that she was smiling.
"Thanks doc." The patient smiled in return, hopping off the bed and away on crutches. Jack stood for a moment, she was still unaware of his presence, busy writing on a chart.
"Long time no see huh doc?" He said suddenly. The chart dropped from her hands and she turned around. Jack immediately noticed the bump underneath her scrubs, his eyes falling to it for only a few seconds, but Janet caught him and instinctively put a hand to it protectively. Jack didn't show his shock at her appearance, the two second flit in his gaze the only indication. Janet stood silently, shocked at seeing Jack standing in front of her. Joanne suddenly appeared behind Janet, the noise of the falling chart attracting her attention. She picked it up and put it on the bed.
"Janet, what's wrong, are you ok?" She asked, concerned for her friend. This snapped Janet out of her trance-like state.
"Yeah..I'm fine, thanks." Janet said, her eyes still fixed on Jack. Joanne looked to him, a look of realisation on her face.
"Umm..ok, if you need me, just call." She said, sending Jack a threatening look. Janet, fully recovered from her shock now spoke,
"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked, her hand still defensively over her bump.
"Looking for you. I think we need to talk." He replied, his tone neutral. "Can you get a break?" She looked at her watch, sighing, realising that there was no getting out of it anymore.
"My shift's just about to end, let me clear it with Joanne." She said, turning and walking over to her. Joanne saw her coming,
"Hey, are you sure you're ok?" She asked,
"Yeah, honestly, I'm fine." Janet smiled weakly.
"You scared the hell outta me there, I thought you'd gone into premature labour or something." She half laughed. Janet smiled half-heartedly, thinking that that might be a preferable option to what actually happened.
"Would it be ok if I took off just now? My shift's due to end in tem minutes." Janet asked.
"Is that Jack?" Joanne asked, Janet nodded, Joanne put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Are you sure you want to do this?" Janet laughed,
"No, but.." She trailed off,
"Take as much time as you need, you can have the next couple of days off if you need."
"Thanks." Janet smiled.
Jack watched the exchange between the two women, his mind trying to analyse exactly what was going on. Janet came back over,
"Just give me a second to grab my purse." She said, walking towards the staff locker room, indicating Jack should follow, they were both silent as she took her stuff out of her locker. They stopped when they were outside the hospital, Jack spotted a bench,
"Sit?" He asked, pointing to it, she nodded. They sat for a few minutes in silence before Jack suddenly blurted out the question they both knew was on his mind, "Is it mine?" She looked down, nodding again. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?" Jack asked his tone stuck between angry and hurt. Janet closed her eyes, thinking of her answer,
"I don't know..I guess I just thought it would be easier this way."
"Easier for who?" Jack said accusingly. Janet stood up as quickly as she could,
"For everybody. I just...I know I should have told you, I just couldn't." She said beginning to pace. Jack stood as well,
"Did you even try?" He asked angrily, his voice getting louder, attracting attention from passers-by.
"Jack this isn't the place for this." She said quietly, he sighed,
"No probably not." He agreed.
"Have you got a rental car?" She asked, he nodded, "You can follow me back to my apartment." She said, heading off to the car park.
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She held the door open for Jack to follow,
"Nice place." He said as he entered, the first words spoken since they'd left the hospital.
"Yeah, well, I haven't sold my place back ho- in Colorado yet." She cut herself off from saying home, here was home now.
"Right." Jack said. "So where were we? Oh, that's right, why was it you left without telling me you were having my baby." He said angrily,
"Well you didn't seem too interested at the time. I thought it was just a 'mistake'." She retaliated, quoting the word he'd used months earlier. Jack was confused for a second until he remembered what she was talking about, relenting a few seconds later,
"I'm sorry. I just....you know?" He didn't know how to word it, she nodded sadly,
"It's my fault, I could have dealt with this a whole lot better."
"That's an understatement." He smiled, breaking the tension a little.
"Yeah." She smiled back, sitting down.
"I've missed you." He admitted, sitting next to her,
"Me too." She paused, "I'm sorry Jack, really." She said putting her hand over his,
"Me too." He paused, "When I said it was a mistake, I didn't mean....if I'd known..." He paused again, "You could have just told me you know." He said softly, turning his hand round under hers and taking it in his own.
"It's not as easy as it sounds."
"I guess." Another pause, "So what are we going to do?"
"I don't know."
"You wanna get married?" He asked casually, she couldn't help but laugh, "Well you don't have to laugh."
"I'm sorry, it's just, you said it so casually. Besides, we can't." She said still smiling,
"Why not?" He frowned,
"I'm not about to marry another guy who doesn't love me." She said, her tone more serious,
"What, where the hell would you get the idea that I don't love you, you're the one that keeps running away from me." Jack said indignantly. Janet sighed,
"I run because I love you too much." She whispered quietly.
"What?" Jack asked, not sure he heard right, she sighed, deciding just to take the plunge and tell him the truth,
"I said, that I run because I love you too much." Her floor became a sudden source of fascination.
"I don't get it." Jack frowned.
"Never mind, just forget I said anything."
"No, what do you mean?" He asked, she sighed,
"I'm afraid to love you." She said quietly, Jack waited for her to continue. "You have such a dangerous job, now it's the 'gate, before that it was special ops. Every mission you go on there's a really high chance you're not coming back, I don't think I could deal with that." She said it all quietly, afraid it would sound stupid, it suddenly all made sense to Jack, he had had no idea about any of this.
"So that's why you weren't there when I got back from the mission fifteen years ago?" He asked, she nodded timidly, "And why you left this time?" She nodded again. "I had no idea." He thought for a second, "I'll still don't get where you got the idea I don't love you though?"
"Because you love Sam." She said even quieter than before. Jack coughed and spluttered for a second,
"Carter?! Where the hell did you get that from?" He asked,
"I was there for the whole zatarc thing Jack, remember, 'I care about her, a lot more than I'm supposed to'." She quoted him,
"How do you get love from that?" He asked, frowning.
"Because everybody sees the way you look at one another."
"What, everybody thinks? Oh god! Me and Carter?" Jack was shocked by the idea, "I mean, yeah, she's attractive and..but I mean, we would kill each other." Janet looked up at him,
"You really don't love her?"
"No! There's only room for one Major/Doctor in my life." He put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him, she went willingly, "And that's Major./Doctor Shaw from SG-9." She looked at him again, until she say the smile he was fighting to suppress, she hit him playfully, before settling back down into his arms again. He noticed her shift uncomfortably a few times.
"What's wrong?" He asked, concern filling his voice,
"Nothing." She said sitting up, "Somebody's just being a little active."
"Really?" Jack asked, his voice full of excitement. She nodded, "Can I?" Jack held his hand out. She nodded, taking his hand and placing it on her expanded stomach where he would best be able to feel their son or daughter moving. Jack laughed as he felt their child move beneath their hands, looking at her, his eyes full of wonder. He could still see the uncertainty in hers. "I promise I'm never going to leave you, either of you." He promised, she smiled,
"Don't make promises you can't keep." She said sadly, a moment passed and she smiled again as the baby kicked, "It's ok, it doesn't matter anymore." He frowned, "You'll keep coming back, that's all that matters." She smiled as she said it, despite knowing that it was something neither of them would have a say in.
"Right." He smiled, knowing the same thing.