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PART 13: Our Child
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She opened her mouth and then paused. And just kept looking at him.
"Carter?" he tried a third time.
"Are you saying that Thor created a child for us? -Our- child?... Yours and mine?" She sounded a bit shell-shocked.
He shrugged and tried a small grin and then settled for a nod 'yes'.
She echoed his nod and just continued to stare at him.
She actually looked so cute that he wanted to give her a hug just like he'd done on the gateroom ramp a week ago.
A few moments of silence and he waited… but she wasn't saying anything. She was looking off into space and seemed to be having some kind of internal discussion. Probably about the reality of this situation, he realized.
"Um… hang on a sec," and he jumped up and hurried around the back where Charlie had gone. When he came back a few minutes later he had their daughter in his arms. He had asked the others to wait a bit longer to give Sam some space to meet her daughter.
He walked over slowly and she didn't take her eyes off the infant.
Stopping just in front of her, he passed the little girl into Sam's arms and then stepped back.
Sam didn't say a word, she just kept staring at the child. Then she slowly moved a hand up and ran her fingers gently across the girl's cheek. A waving hand quickly grabbed one of Sam's fingers and held on tight. Jack looked back up to her face and saw silent tears running down her cheeks.
He guided her over to a chair and then let her spend the next half-hour just holding her daughter. She didn't say a word, so he just let her have her space. He'd had seven months to get used to it, she'd had just a few minutes.
Finally, however, Cassandra and Daniel peeked around the corner. Catching Jack's eyes, they raised their eyebrows to silently ask if they could come in. Jack signaled for them to wait a second.
"Sam…?" and she looked up. Neither of them had spoken in a half-hour… and he had just used her first name. He had her attention.
"Do you think you are ready for some company? There are some folks who'd like to come in," and he tilted his head towards the end of the room where their friends were peeking around the corner.
She looked over in surprise and then looked back down at the child in her arms. "Uh… sure...," but she sounded anything but sure.
He gave her an encouraging look and then waved for the others to come the rest of the way in and join them.
"Sam, she's beautiful," Cassie spoke up right away.
Sam looked startled and then managed, "Thanks…," and a small smile.
"Sam, we've all been taking care of her over the past seven months. She is a wonderful child," Daniel added.
"Indeed, Samantha, your daughter is extremely bright and well-behaved for her age," Teal'c provided.
And at that, Sam realized looked down at the baby again and then back at Jack, "How old is she?"
"Roughly ten months, although she's only been with us for seven. Speaking of which, we are going to have to choose a birthday for her – Thor wasn't that specific when he gave her to me," Jack finished.
"Ten months…," and Sam's voice trailed off and then she looked back up at Jack. "What's… what's her name?"
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====o0o==== End Part 13====o0o====
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PART 13: Our Child
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She opened her mouth and then paused. And just kept looking at him.
"Carter?" he tried a third time.
"Are you saying that Thor created a child for us? -Our- child?... Yours and mine?" She sounded a bit shell-shocked.
He shrugged and tried a small grin and then settled for a nod 'yes'.
She echoed his nod and just continued to stare at him.
She actually looked so cute that he wanted to give her a hug just like he'd done on the gateroom ramp a week ago.
A few moments of silence and he waited… but she wasn't saying anything. She was looking off into space and seemed to be having some kind of internal discussion. Probably about the reality of this situation, he realized.
"Um… hang on a sec," and he jumped up and hurried around the back where Charlie had gone. When he came back a few minutes later he had their daughter in his arms. He had asked the others to wait a bit longer to give Sam some space to meet her daughter.
He walked over slowly and she didn't take her eyes off the infant.
Stopping just in front of her, he passed the little girl into Sam's arms and then stepped back.
Sam didn't say a word, she just kept staring at the child. Then she slowly moved a hand up and ran her fingers gently across the girl's cheek. A waving hand quickly grabbed one of Sam's fingers and held on tight. Jack looked back up to her face and saw silent tears running down her cheeks.
He guided her over to a chair and then let her spend the next half-hour just holding her daughter. She didn't say a word, so he just let her have her space. He'd had seven months to get used to it, she'd had just a few minutes.
Finally, however, Cassandra and Daniel peeked around the corner. Catching Jack's eyes, they raised their eyebrows to silently ask if they could come in. Jack signaled for them to wait a second.
"Sam…?" and she looked up. Neither of them had spoken in a half-hour… and he had just used her first name. He had her attention.
"Do you think you are ready for some company? There are some folks who'd like to come in," and he tilted his head towards the end of the room where their friends were peeking around the corner.
She looked over in surprise and then looked back down at the child in her arms. "Uh… sure...," but she sounded anything but sure.
He gave her an encouraging look and then waved for the others to come the rest of the way in and join them.
"Sam, she's beautiful," Cassie spoke up right away.
Sam looked startled and then managed, "Thanks…," and a small smile.
"Sam, we've all been taking care of her over the past seven months. She is a wonderful child," Daniel added.
"Indeed, Samantha, your daughter is extremely bright and well-behaved for her age," Teal'c provided.
And at that, Sam realized looked down at the baby again and then back at Jack, "How old is she?"
"Roughly ten months, although she's only been with us for seven. Speaking of which, we are going to have to choose a birthday for her – Thor wasn't that specific when he gave her to me," Jack finished.
"Ten months…," and Sam's voice trailed off and then she looked back up at Jack. "What's… what's her name?"
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====o0o==== End Part 13====o0o====
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