For disclaimers see part 1
The conversation. By gater101
~*~
Jack took Sam's hand and led her from the infirmary. She looked strangely apprehensive, Jack thought. Probably because I just left her and our child, he conceded.
"Sam?" Jack spoke softly once they were safely in the elevator. She was silent for a few moments and Jack was sure she hadn't heard him.
"Jack - why did you do it?" Now it was Jack's turn to be silent. He knew his reasons but this wasn't the place to talk about it. "Jack?" Sam asked.
"Not here Sam." He replied and she nodded her understanding.
Once they were topside Jack took Sam's hand again and led her to his truck. A thought suddenly struck Jack. Why did I leave it here to begin with?
The drive to Jack's house was made in silence - not an uneasy silence but a thoughtful silence. Jack noted that Sam's hand was still clasped in his on his lap. He looked across at her and noticed that she was staring out the window her free hand clasped across her stomach. Jack smiled slightly and stopped at the traffic lights. He unclasped his hand from hers and placed it over her other hand. She looked at him surprised but then smiled and turned back towards the window.
Jack pulled into his driveway and moved around his vehicle to help Sam out of the car.
"I'm not an invalid you know." Sam protested quietly.
"Sorry." He whispered and offered her his arm.
"It's okay." She stopped once they were at the front door and looked at the house. It hadn't changed. She took a deep breath as the memories came crashing back to her.
"Sam, you okay?" He asked hearing her deep gulp of air.
"It's been so long...I'm just overwhelmed." She whispered and Jack felt suddenly guilty. And so you should. His conscience told him.
Once inside Jack took Sam's jacket and hung it up in the closet along with his. He walked back into the living room and found Sam standing in front of the fireplace holding the picture of him and her at the park playing with Cassie. It was one of those unguarded moment pictures, and if it got into the wrong hands they would be in a lot of trouble. Not that they weren't now.
He moved up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, and took the photo from her hands. To say he was surprised when she leaned back into his arms would have been an understatement. After a few moments she pulled away from him and spoke.
"Jack we have to talk." Jack looked down and nodded his head.
"I know." He flopped down onto the sofa and ran his arms along the back. Sam sat opposite him in the recliner. She leaned forward and looked ready for anything, while Jack looked like he would crack.
"Sam, what I did was wrong, I know but it was also right. Do you understand?" He looked up and she nodded. "Good cause I don't." He gave a bitter laugh.
"Jack, you did what you thought was right. Whether we agree on that or not is a different matter." She was startled when Jack laughed - not a pleasant laugh but a hollow one.
"But you see, that's where you're wrong. I *didn't* think it was right. I was taking the easy way out. Well that backfired, didn't it?" He looked at her expectantly.
Sam was shocked at his words. She never thought him a coward, and she told him. "Jack, I didn't think you were a coward. Of all... Man, Jack. Why?"
He looked at her confused. "Why?" He asked unsure what she meant.
"Yes, why did you leave. Why didn't you talk to me about it?"
"Because I was afraid. I was afraid that you'd leave! And Kynthia was the only way I could get off the planet!" His voice was starting to rise.
"Do you love her?" Sam's voice was contradicting her hurt. The words were calm and calculated while her thoughts and feelings were everywhere.
"No." He answered surely. "No."
"What are you gonna do about the kid?" She noticed his questioning look. "Jamron." She explained.
"She's not mine, if that's what you mean. I don't know what we're gonna do. We have to wait for the Doc to finish her tests." He started thinking again, about how he was as stupid as to let this woman who he loved more than anything go.
"What about our child?" Sam asked quietly.
"What do *you* want? Do you want me to?"
"I want you, Jack. God I *need* you. But I'm not sure where I stand with you. Whether there's too much water under the bridge for us to pick up where we left off."
Jack looked at her, studying her every expression.
"What do you mean?" He asked suddenly afraid.
"I don't think we have any chance out there in the real world. Think about it Jack. You're a Colonel in the United States Air Force. I'm a Major under you're command. I'm having your child. Hammond knows, as does the President. One or both of us will get court marshalled, and what would we do then? Would you get a job scrubbing toilets at the local primary school? This isn't a fairytale Jack, life isn't a fairytale." She stopped realising Jack had closed his eyes and was leaning back o the sofa, unusually quiet. "Jack?"
He was silent, and for a moment Sam thought he was asleep. He sat upright and faced her.
"Your right. Life isn't a fairytale and we not have a happy ending. But at least we'd have each other and bump here. We don't need the Air Force." He was silent again contemplating.
"Yes we do! We need them. They are who we are. They are us and we are them. This has to end Jack."
"Why are you here?" He asked suddenly.
"What do you mean?"
"You've obviously made up your mind, so why are you here. To rub it in? Huh, Sam? Is that it?" He continued icily.
"You know that's not true." She hissed. "If you hadn't left in the first place this wouldn't have been happening!"
"If I hadn't left it would have made no difference. You'd still be pregnant and we'd still get court marshalled. Fine I left, but it doesn't change the outcome. The only thing it changes is whether our child has one or two parents." He'd thought this through since the day he left. Since he'd found out she was pregnant. God was that only today? So much had happened.
Sam was silent considering his argument, knowing his words were true.
"Your right." She conceded. "I just..."
"You just what?" He prompted.
"I don't know." She broke down then. The pressure if everything catching up with her. She felt Jack's familiar embrace and relished every moment of it.
"Sam...Stay tonight?" She nodded and he picked her up and carried her upstairs to their bedroom. He took off her sweater and her pants and pulled the cover over her. He slipped in beside her after undressing.
She snuggled closer to him and he put his arms around her waist and rested his hands over her abdomen and smiled.
"I love you." He whispered.
"Love you too." She whispered back. ~~
Thirty minutes later the phone woke Sam and, without thinking, she answered it.
"Carter." She sounded half asleep even to her ears.
"Sam?" Daniel voice was loud and he was breathless.
"Daniel do you know what time it is?" She asked glaring at him through the phone.
"Uh...it's 2.30." He said clearly not understanding her question. "Look, Janet found something in Jamron's blood and she wants you and Jack here as soon as." He continued excitedly.
"Okay Daniel. We'll be there in the hour." She was about to hang up when Daniel spoke again.
"Sam- so you and Jack?" She could just imagine him raising his eyebrows and laughed slightly.
"Talk to you later Daniel." This time she ignored Daniel's protests and hung up. She turned to wake Jack and jumped when she seen his eyes looking at her and a mile on his face.
"God I've missed this." He said as he sat up and kissed her.
"So have I." She kissed him back. "But Janet's found something and wants us there ASAP."
"Can't it wait till morning?" He whined.
"Apparently not." She whispered.
"Well, we'll continue this later." He got up and got dressed leaving Sam in bed grinning like a Cheshire cat. She had her man back.
TBC.
Dun duh da! Was that a little too easy? Want more angst? Let me know.
The conversation. By gater101
~*~
Jack took Sam's hand and led her from the infirmary. She looked strangely apprehensive, Jack thought. Probably because I just left her and our child, he conceded.
"Sam?" Jack spoke softly once they were safely in the elevator. She was silent for a few moments and Jack was sure she hadn't heard him.
"Jack - why did you do it?" Now it was Jack's turn to be silent. He knew his reasons but this wasn't the place to talk about it. "Jack?" Sam asked.
"Not here Sam." He replied and she nodded her understanding.
Once they were topside Jack took Sam's hand again and led her to his truck. A thought suddenly struck Jack. Why did I leave it here to begin with?
The drive to Jack's house was made in silence - not an uneasy silence but a thoughtful silence. Jack noted that Sam's hand was still clasped in his on his lap. He looked across at her and noticed that she was staring out the window her free hand clasped across her stomach. Jack smiled slightly and stopped at the traffic lights. He unclasped his hand from hers and placed it over her other hand. She looked at him surprised but then smiled and turned back towards the window.
Jack pulled into his driveway and moved around his vehicle to help Sam out of the car.
"I'm not an invalid you know." Sam protested quietly.
"Sorry." He whispered and offered her his arm.
"It's okay." She stopped once they were at the front door and looked at the house. It hadn't changed. She took a deep breath as the memories came crashing back to her.
"Sam, you okay?" He asked hearing her deep gulp of air.
"It's been so long...I'm just overwhelmed." She whispered and Jack felt suddenly guilty. And so you should. His conscience told him.
Once inside Jack took Sam's jacket and hung it up in the closet along with his. He walked back into the living room and found Sam standing in front of the fireplace holding the picture of him and her at the park playing with Cassie. It was one of those unguarded moment pictures, and if it got into the wrong hands they would be in a lot of trouble. Not that they weren't now.
He moved up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, and took the photo from her hands. To say he was surprised when she leaned back into his arms would have been an understatement. After a few moments she pulled away from him and spoke.
"Jack we have to talk." Jack looked down and nodded his head.
"I know." He flopped down onto the sofa and ran his arms along the back. Sam sat opposite him in the recliner. She leaned forward and looked ready for anything, while Jack looked like he would crack.
"Sam, what I did was wrong, I know but it was also right. Do you understand?" He looked up and she nodded. "Good cause I don't." He gave a bitter laugh.
"Jack, you did what you thought was right. Whether we agree on that or not is a different matter." She was startled when Jack laughed - not a pleasant laugh but a hollow one.
"But you see, that's where you're wrong. I *didn't* think it was right. I was taking the easy way out. Well that backfired, didn't it?" He looked at her expectantly.
Sam was shocked at his words. She never thought him a coward, and she told him. "Jack, I didn't think you were a coward. Of all... Man, Jack. Why?"
He looked at her confused. "Why?" He asked unsure what she meant.
"Yes, why did you leave. Why didn't you talk to me about it?"
"Because I was afraid. I was afraid that you'd leave! And Kynthia was the only way I could get off the planet!" His voice was starting to rise.
"Do you love her?" Sam's voice was contradicting her hurt. The words were calm and calculated while her thoughts and feelings were everywhere.
"No." He answered surely. "No."
"What are you gonna do about the kid?" She noticed his questioning look. "Jamron." She explained.
"She's not mine, if that's what you mean. I don't know what we're gonna do. We have to wait for the Doc to finish her tests." He started thinking again, about how he was as stupid as to let this woman who he loved more than anything go.
"What about our child?" Sam asked quietly.
"What do *you* want? Do you want me to?"
"I want you, Jack. God I *need* you. But I'm not sure where I stand with you. Whether there's too much water under the bridge for us to pick up where we left off."
Jack looked at her, studying her every expression.
"What do you mean?" He asked suddenly afraid.
"I don't think we have any chance out there in the real world. Think about it Jack. You're a Colonel in the United States Air Force. I'm a Major under you're command. I'm having your child. Hammond knows, as does the President. One or both of us will get court marshalled, and what would we do then? Would you get a job scrubbing toilets at the local primary school? This isn't a fairytale Jack, life isn't a fairytale." She stopped realising Jack had closed his eyes and was leaning back o the sofa, unusually quiet. "Jack?"
He was silent, and for a moment Sam thought he was asleep. He sat upright and faced her.
"Your right. Life isn't a fairytale and we not have a happy ending. But at least we'd have each other and bump here. We don't need the Air Force." He was silent again contemplating.
"Yes we do! We need them. They are who we are. They are us and we are them. This has to end Jack."
"Why are you here?" He asked suddenly.
"What do you mean?"
"You've obviously made up your mind, so why are you here. To rub it in? Huh, Sam? Is that it?" He continued icily.
"You know that's not true." She hissed. "If you hadn't left in the first place this wouldn't have been happening!"
"If I hadn't left it would have made no difference. You'd still be pregnant and we'd still get court marshalled. Fine I left, but it doesn't change the outcome. The only thing it changes is whether our child has one or two parents." He'd thought this through since the day he left. Since he'd found out she was pregnant. God was that only today? So much had happened.
Sam was silent considering his argument, knowing his words were true.
"Your right." She conceded. "I just..."
"You just what?" He prompted.
"I don't know." She broke down then. The pressure if everything catching up with her. She felt Jack's familiar embrace and relished every moment of it.
"Sam...Stay tonight?" She nodded and he picked her up and carried her upstairs to their bedroom. He took off her sweater and her pants and pulled the cover over her. He slipped in beside her after undressing.
She snuggled closer to him and he put his arms around her waist and rested his hands over her abdomen and smiled.
"I love you." He whispered.
"Love you too." She whispered back. ~~
Thirty minutes later the phone woke Sam and, without thinking, she answered it.
"Carter." She sounded half asleep even to her ears.
"Sam?" Daniel voice was loud and he was breathless.
"Daniel do you know what time it is?" She asked glaring at him through the phone.
"Uh...it's 2.30." He said clearly not understanding her question. "Look, Janet found something in Jamron's blood and she wants you and Jack here as soon as." He continued excitedly.
"Okay Daniel. We'll be there in the hour." She was about to hang up when Daniel spoke again.
"Sam- so you and Jack?" She could just imagine him raising his eyebrows and laughed slightly.
"Talk to you later Daniel." This time she ignored Daniel's protests and hung up. She turned to wake Jack and jumped when she seen his eyes looking at her and a mile on his face.
"God I've missed this." He said as he sat up and kissed her.
"So have I." She kissed him back. "But Janet's found something and wants us there ASAP."
"Can't it wait till morning?" He whined.
"Apparently not." She whispered.
"Well, we'll continue this later." He got up and got dressed leaving Sam in bed grinning like a Cheshire cat. She had her man back.
TBC.
Dun duh da! Was that a little too easy? Want more angst? Let me know.
