Author's Note: WARNING: This chapter has discussion of reproduction issues. Just so you know...
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"This is all my fault," Sam said more to herself than anyone as she and Dotty walked down the corridor towards the locker rooms.
"How is it your fault, Sam?" Dotty asked, curiously, looking around her. She'd never actually been on the base before like this, and was interested in seeing where Shawn spent so much of his free time.
"Jack and Daniel have both been distracted all day," Sam said. "I saw it, and should have mentioned it. We'd never have been sent off-world with them acting like that."
"Jack's been distracted before, hasn't he?"
"Well, yeah, but not like this. He's been a million miles away all morning, and every time I ask him about it, he just tells me he's fine."
"That's hardly something you can blame yourself for, Sam."
"He and Daniel were arguing about something right before the Jaffa ambushed us. Daniel was just as out of it as Jack, and it was annoying him, I'm sure. I should have called them to the table on it. They never would have gotten the jump on us like that if Jack and Daniel had been paying attention. If it wasn't for Jaffer and Jack, none of us would have made it back to the gate."
Dotty nodded. She didn't know what had happened, only that Jack had been mortally injured and needed her.
"You can't blame yourself, Sam. Jack wouldn't blame you, and I'm sure Daniel wouldn't, either. I don't know a lot about what goes on while you're off-world, but I assume Jack and Daniel both know they're supposed to be paying attention to what's going on around them."
Sam had to nod, since it was true. She still felt that she could have done more, but Dotty was right about that much. It wasn't all her fault.
"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about, Dotty?" Sam asked.
Shawn's mother shook her head, and looked around as the two of them walked into the locker room.
"Actually, Sam, I wanted to ask you something... a bit personal. I'm not really sure this is the place to do it, though."
Carter's interest was immediately piqued.
"Oh?"
Dotty sat down on one of the benches that ran the length of the lockers. She looked up and saw she'd chosen to sit right in front of Jack's. How ironic. She smiled.
"I know this is really none of my business, but are you and Jack planning on having any children?"
It was the last question Sam had expected to hear, and it showed. She turned from her locker, where she'd been reaching for a clean shirt, her eyes puzzled.
"I... yeah, we're... we've hoped to have a... child, eventually." She said, practically stuttering in her surprise at the odd change in the conversation. "Why do you ask?"
Dotty shrugged, pretending nonchalance and doing a very good job of it. As far as she was concerned there was no reason Sam needed to know Jack had brought anything to Dotty's attention at all.
"I was just wondering if you understood how to conceive?"
Sam blushed.
"Um... yeah, we've got that part figured out, Dotty."
Dotty smiled, understanding what Sam meant.
"Actually, Sam, I didn't mean do you understand how normal humans conceive. I meant, do you understand how you can conceive?"
Now the surprise in Sam's expression turned to confusion.
"What do you mean, normal humans? What am I?"
"You're a human who used to carry a symbiote, and who works around the Stargate every day."
"So?"
"So when the Ancients built the Stargates, the metal they used has an odd side affect when it comes to symbiotes and those that carry them. It will render them temporarily sterile if they get too close to it. Some metalergic thing, as I understand it."
"But I've conceived before, Dotty," Sam said, feeling the familiar pang of loss when she thought of the baby she and Jack had almost had. "I'm not sterile."
"Sam, from what I understand, you conceived that baby away from here, right?"
"Yes, at..." Sam flushed, since they'd conceived that baby in the middle of the night at a camp filled with children. "Well... yes, away from here."
"It's a very delicate balance, Sam," Dotty said, ignoring the way the other woman blushed so hotly. "And I wasn't sure if you were aware of it or not. Obviously, you're not, so I'm glad I decided to bring this up." She patted the seat next to her, and Sam sat down.
"When you decide you want a baby, you need to be away from the SGC – and any other place that holds a Stargate – or anything made with the metal that the Stargate is made of."
"Jack and I have... um... been together... away from the SGC before." Sam objected. "We've been to his cabin a few times and to-"
"And then you've come home from your mini vacation and went on a mission off-world?"
Sam shrugged, "Usually."
"So, you and Jack possibly could have fertilized an egg – maybe – but if you went through the gate too soon afterwards – a week or so being about the cut off – then the egg would never have had a chance to bond to your womb, and you wouldn't have conceived."
"But-"
"Jack was pretty banged up at camp, as I recall," Dotty interrupted.
Sam nodded. "Him and Daniel both."
"When you returned here, I assume General Hammond didn't allow you to go on any missions until they were healed?"
"They were on light duty for almost a month," Sam confirmed.
"If your pregnancy would have been normal that time, you'd have carried the baby to full term, then," Dotty said, reaching out and resting her hand lightly on Sam's forearm. She knew that the miscarriage she'd had had been painful. "But since you go through the Stargate so frequently, if you want to conceive, you're going to have to avoid any off-world travel for a couple weeks after you return from your... tryst."
"And then...?"
Dotty shrugged, "Gate travel isn't dangerous for pregnant women. You wouldn't hurt the baby once it was positioned safely in your womb."
"Are you sure about this?" Sam asked. Dotty was secretly glad to see the excitement dawning in Carter's expression.
She nodded. "Who would know better than I?"
"Good point."
Sam stared at Dotty for a long moment, but she wasn't actually looking at the woman, she was just looking that direction as she digested everything that she'd been told.
"I hope you don't mind me sticking my nose into your business, Sam..." Dotty said.
"No!" Carter smiled, her eyes lighting up. "No... I'm grateful that you did." She looked down at her hands. "I'd... been wondering – privately – why we hadn't had a baby, yet. I thought maybe I'd been damaged or something by the miscarriage, even though Janet said I was fine."
"Now you know," Dotty said, smiling.
Sam laughed. It was a relieved laugh, and she hugged Dotty tightly for a moment. "I can't thank you enough..." She said, feeling the sting of tears. "First Jack and Daniel... and now this... I owe you so much."
"Not at all, Sam." Dotty held her tightly for a long moment, then released her. "I probably shouldn't say this, but we – we being the Ancients – owe Jack more than he'll ever know, and if making you happy makes him happy, then it's a small way we can repay him."
"Jack doesn't think you owe him anything."
"I know. He's wrong, though." Dotty stood up, looking at her watch. "I need to get going, Sam. James is coming home from work to take me to lunch today, and I want to be there when he gets there."
"Do you want me to walk you to your car?"
Dotty shook her head. "I didn't drive here. Besides, you're just a little bloody to be walking around the halls, aren't you?" She gestured at the uniform Sam was still wearing.
"Yes, I suppose I am. But if you didn't drive here, how did you get here?" Sam asked. "And who called you-?"
"That's a secret, Sam," Dotty said, smiling. "Someday, maybe you'll know, but not today, I'm afraid."
"But-"
"I'll see you later."
She turned and headed for the door and left. When Sam followed her a moment later, though, the corridor was empty. Dotty had vanished.
Frowning, but only for a moment, Sam went back into the locker room. She stripped out of her uniform, and couldn't help the happy smile that was on her face. When she stepped into the shower, she was singing cheerfully. She couldn't wait to tell Jack.