When he woke again, Sam was still comfortably cradled in his arms. And his
head was still pounding. He risked opening his eyes, which still hurt,
although not so badly that he couldn't keep them open this time. Looking
down at Carter, he saw that her eyes were open and she'd been watching him
sleep. She smiled when she saw he was awake, and Jack felt his belly flip-
flop in a way that had nothing to do with all the alcohol and ballpark food
he'd consumed the day before.
"Good morning," Sam whispered.
"Good morning." His voice was more of a croak, and she smiled again. An expression he was so glad to see on her face that he would have let her make fun of him all day just to keep seeing it. "How long have you been awake?"
"A while."
"You should have woke me."
"Nah. I figured you needed the sleep. Besides, I'm comfortable."
He nodded agreement with that.
"How do you feel?"
"Awful."
"Hung over?"
"I don't even remember coming home last night."
"Dad and Teal'c will remember it for a long time," Carter said, grinning. "You threw up all over them."
"I did not." Did he?
"Oh, but you did."
He was silent for a moment, trying to remember, but nothing was coming to him. His entire night was a blur. He couldn't even remember who won the game.
"I don't remember..."
"It's probably just as well." Sam went quiet for a while, long enough for Jack to wonder if maybe she'd fallen asleep. Then she spoke again, and this time the humor in her voice was gone. "I've been laying here thinking."
"Yeah?" He sifted his fingers through her hair gently. "About what, Sam?"
"You. Me. The baby." This time her voice didn't sound as heartbroken as it had every other time she'd mentioned what had happened. Jack tightened his grip on her, anyways, and Sam responded by pressing close. She still needed the comfort. "It's not the end of the world..." it was obvious – even to Jack – that she'd been telling herself that over and over. "I didn't know how much I wanted that baby until we lost it," she said.
"I know."
"But I can't let it stop me." She turned her head up and looked into his brown eyes, and saw love. "I have you. And someday, I'm going to have your baby. Until then, I've got to pull myself together and take care of my responsibilities. I'm needed."
"Yes, you are." He agreed.
"And loved."
"Completely. Utterly."
"I have good friends who will be there to support me when you can't be around to."
"I'll always be around."
"You have responsibilities, too."
"You're my main responsibility, Sam. Nothing takes precedence. Not the SGC, not any of the aliens, nothing."
She knew he was serious. She also knew that it meant she needed to get back to work. He wasn't going to get back to work himself until he knew that she was going to be able to, and he was needed, too. As much as she was. More?
"I love you, Jack."
"I love you, too, Sam."
"I'm going to call Hammond today and ask him to put me back to work. Light duty, at first. Until I'm sure I'm not going to start crying at the drop of a hat."
"There's no rush."
There was a rush, but Sam didn't correct him. She leaned her cheek against his chest, and closed her eyes.
"I'm ready. I think."
"I'll stick around, though, just in case you need me. Okay?
"I never doubted that for a moment, Jack."
"Good morning," Sam whispered.
"Good morning." His voice was more of a croak, and she smiled again. An expression he was so glad to see on her face that he would have let her make fun of him all day just to keep seeing it. "How long have you been awake?"
"A while."
"You should have woke me."
"Nah. I figured you needed the sleep. Besides, I'm comfortable."
He nodded agreement with that.
"How do you feel?"
"Awful."
"Hung over?"
"I don't even remember coming home last night."
"Dad and Teal'c will remember it for a long time," Carter said, grinning. "You threw up all over them."
"I did not." Did he?
"Oh, but you did."
He was silent for a moment, trying to remember, but nothing was coming to him. His entire night was a blur. He couldn't even remember who won the game.
"I don't remember..."
"It's probably just as well." Sam went quiet for a while, long enough for Jack to wonder if maybe she'd fallen asleep. Then she spoke again, and this time the humor in her voice was gone. "I've been laying here thinking."
"Yeah?" He sifted his fingers through her hair gently. "About what, Sam?"
"You. Me. The baby." This time her voice didn't sound as heartbroken as it had every other time she'd mentioned what had happened. Jack tightened his grip on her, anyways, and Sam responded by pressing close. She still needed the comfort. "It's not the end of the world..." it was obvious – even to Jack – that she'd been telling herself that over and over. "I didn't know how much I wanted that baby until we lost it," she said.
"I know."
"But I can't let it stop me." She turned her head up and looked into his brown eyes, and saw love. "I have you. And someday, I'm going to have your baby. Until then, I've got to pull myself together and take care of my responsibilities. I'm needed."
"Yes, you are." He agreed.
"And loved."
"Completely. Utterly."
"I have good friends who will be there to support me when you can't be around to."
"I'll always be around."
"You have responsibilities, too."
"You're my main responsibility, Sam. Nothing takes precedence. Not the SGC, not any of the aliens, nothing."
She knew he was serious. She also knew that it meant she needed to get back to work. He wasn't going to get back to work himself until he knew that she was going to be able to, and he was needed, too. As much as she was. More?
"I love you, Jack."
"I love you, too, Sam."
"I'm going to call Hammond today and ask him to put me back to work. Light duty, at first. Until I'm sure I'm not going to start crying at the drop of a hat."
"There's no rush."
There was a rush, but Sam didn't correct him. She leaned her cheek against his chest, and closed her eyes.
"I'm ready. I think."
"I'll stick around, though, just in case you need me. Okay?
"I never doubted that for a moment, Jack."