Author's Note: This is not an epilogue, just so you know... that's coming.
.........
It was almost exactly two months to the day when the call came in. It was Friday night – the night before the Big Move, as Jack was calling it. The night before Sam was moving into his house – their house – and he was sleeping soundly, wrapped lovingly in her arms, with his head tucked under her chin and dreaming of a quiet lake with Jaffer on one side of him and Sam on the other. Then the phone rang and shattered the still waters of the lake, causing Jack to fall in and dragging Sam in after him.
"Jack?"
He'd originally thought he was hearing her voice in his dream, but in his dream she wasn't nudging him in the side with a bony elbow.
"Jack?"
"Hmmm?"
"Wake up. Marissa's on the phone. Abby's having the puppies."
He was awake immediately. He sat up so quickly that he almost bumped heads with her, and Sam smiled, handing him the phone and lying back down, cuddling against him, sleepily.
"Marissa?"
"Hi, Jack." Marissa sounded excited, and not at all sleepy. "She's already had two. Both boys."
"Black ones?"
"Yes." Marissa sounded amused. Jack and Sam had kept in constant contact with her all throughout Abby's pregnancy, even thought the two of them had been swamped with other things as well – moving Sam and the wedding not the least of things – and Marissa had tried to explain to Jack why there was a chance that Abby could have an entire litter of tan puppies without a black one in the bunch. Not that it was likely, but you never knew. Jack, of course, had gone glassy-eyed during the explanation, and Marissa knew that he hadn't taken in half of what she'd said. No biggie, Sam could explain it at another time.
"Is there anything you need? Do I need to come over and boil water or something?"
Sam snickered sleepily, and Jack frowned down at her. She reached up and caressed his cheek, and the frown disappeared immediately.
Marissa laughed.
"No, Jack. We have everything under control. If you want to come watch-"
"No. Not if you don't need me there."
"Then we'll keep in touch and tell you final totals and colors and sexes as soon as they're all out."
They'd done a couple of ultrasounds on Abby and the probable number of puppies was seven, but there was always a chance one was missed, and of course there was no way of knowing the sex or color. Jack had looked at the picture and thought that Abby had a bellyful of little aliens, until Sam had turned it over and pointed out backbones as the method of counting. Then he'd stared at the picture for a good hour, much to her amusement, and Hammond's annoyance, since he'd been holding a briefing.
"Thanks, Marissa. We'll be near the phone. Give Abby a kiss for me."
Jack looked at his watch. It was about midnight, and there was no way he was going to get back to sleep. He hung up the phone and looked down at Sam.
"She's had two so far. Black ones." That was good, because Jack wanted a black puppy.
Sam smiled, and rested her head on Jack's thigh. She knew he wanted a black one, although he hadn't told her who the puppy was for, either, and she hadn't asked, knowing he wanted to keep it a secret.
"That's wonderful news."
Jack nodded, suddenly restless. He looked over at Jaffer, who was lounging at the foot of the bed watching the two of them.
"Want to go for a walk, little man?"
No. He wanted to go back to sleep. But if Jack wanted to go for a walk, Jaffer wouldn't let him go alone. Who knew what might be waiting out on the dark street, just waiting for someone to walk past without a great big black guard dog walking with him? Jaffer would never let Jack go for a walk by himself. He wagged his tail, reluctantly, and it was enough for Jack.
He looked down at Sam, who he'd never drag out of bed for a restless walk. Not when she looked tired already. It'd been a long couple of weeks, once they'd actually started packing up her house. He'd let her decide what furniture in his house was put into storage to make room for whatever furniture in her house that she wanted, and he'd already moved all of the furnishings out of the guest room to covert it into a workroom for her. Of course, there were many things at work that she couldn't just bring home with her, but there were plenty that she could, and these she'd be able to look at with leisure, now.
"We're going to go for a walk."
"I'll wait for the phone to ring." And maybe get a little more sleep.
Jack slid out from under her, and then kissed her soundly, then went to get dressed, while Jaffer watched from his spot on the bed, half hoping that Jack would change his mind and decide to go back to sleep. No such luck. The black lab sighed when he reappeared, fully dressed and ready to.
"Come on, Jaffer."
Pretending to be a whole lot more enthused than he actually was, Jaffer hopped down off the bed and headed for the door with Jack. Sam watched them leave, and listened while they walked through the house, heard the front door open and close, knew Jack was locking it securely and looking around to make sure no one was lurking in the bushes waiting for him to leave her alone – and counting on Jaffer to do the same. She smiled, and closed her eyes. God, it was good to be loved.
He'd been working his tail off the last months, and Sam knew it was all for her. He'd talked to a friend who had a friend who was in the Navy that was apparently an 'absofuckinglute' genius when it came to building things, and already plans were in the making for an add-on to the house. One that would be a guest room for all intense purposes, although Sam knew it was really intended to be a nursery. There was plenty of room to build, and she'd been reassured that this guy would have it up and built in record time. Especially since he would have plenty of help. It was amazing to see how many people owed Jack favors, and he was pulling in a lot of them, lately.
There had been wedding plans to make, and Jack had prudently stepped back from them. He'd waited for Sam to decide – with a lot of help from Janet and Cassandra and a few of her other friends – what she wanted, then Jack had become the one to get it. He'd proven himself a genius when it came to this. They'd have the wedding at a church, because although Sam had plainly stated she didn't have to have a church wedding, Jack had told her that he had the perfect place in mind. Since it was the only decision he'd really wanted to make, Sam had capitulated, and he'd done all the work in arranging to get it on the 12th – which was a Saturday, and it was downright impossible to get unless you'd already planned it almost a year in advance. What he wanted he got, though, and he'd proudly told her a couple days later that they'd be married in the biggest, most beautiful church in Colorado. She didn't ask how he'd managed, and he didn't tell her. She'd just smiled and thanked him.
Of course, they still had missions to go on, and places to explore, and worlds to save – according to Jack. No matter what else, they were in the SGC for a reason, and that was because they were good at what they did, and both Sam and Jack were careful to make sure the changes in their personal lives didn't affect their work ethics.
Sam was pulled from her drowsy thoughts when the phone rang again. She reached for it.
"Hello?"
"Sam? She's just had two more. Both boys. Four boys, all black."
"That's wonderful news, Marissa." Sam had been hoping for a tan puppy, herself. Just because it'd make that confused look appear on Jack's face when he tried to figure out – yet again – how it could be brown when the others were black. She loved that look. "Jack went for a walk with Jaffer, but I'll let him know when he gets back."
"Is he okay?"
"Restless."
Sam could hear the amusement n Marissa's voice when she spoke next.
"Can you imagine how he'll be when it's you having the baby?"
"He's not going to go walking," Sam said, laughing. "I'd kill him."
"I'll call you when I have more to tell, Sam."
The line went dead, but the laughter echoed for a moment longer. Carter smiled, and hung up the phone. They'd be married in about two months, and then she could start trying to get pregnant. She rested her hand lightly on her stomach, and closed her eyes, a slight smile of anticipation on her lips.
.........
It was almost exactly two months to the day when the call came in. It was Friday night – the night before the Big Move, as Jack was calling it. The night before Sam was moving into his house – their house – and he was sleeping soundly, wrapped lovingly in her arms, with his head tucked under her chin and dreaming of a quiet lake with Jaffer on one side of him and Sam on the other. Then the phone rang and shattered the still waters of the lake, causing Jack to fall in and dragging Sam in after him.
"Jack?"
He'd originally thought he was hearing her voice in his dream, but in his dream she wasn't nudging him in the side with a bony elbow.
"Jack?"
"Hmmm?"
"Wake up. Marissa's on the phone. Abby's having the puppies."
He was awake immediately. He sat up so quickly that he almost bumped heads with her, and Sam smiled, handing him the phone and lying back down, cuddling against him, sleepily.
"Marissa?"
"Hi, Jack." Marissa sounded excited, and not at all sleepy. "She's already had two. Both boys."
"Black ones?"
"Yes." Marissa sounded amused. Jack and Sam had kept in constant contact with her all throughout Abby's pregnancy, even thought the two of them had been swamped with other things as well – moving Sam and the wedding not the least of things – and Marissa had tried to explain to Jack why there was a chance that Abby could have an entire litter of tan puppies without a black one in the bunch. Not that it was likely, but you never knew. Jack, of course, had gone glassy-eyed during the explanation, and Marissa knew that he hadn't taken in half of what she'd said. No biggie, Sam could explain it at another time.
"Is there anything you need? Do I need to come over and boil water or something?"
Sam snickered sleepily, and Jack frowned down at her. She reached up and caressed his cheek, and the frown disappeared immediately.
Marissa laughed.
"No, Jack. We have everything under control. If you want to come watch-"
"No. Not if you don't need me there."
"Then we'll keep in touch and tell you final totals and colors and sexes as soon as they're all out."
They'd done a couple of ultrasounds on Abby and the probable number of puppies was seven, but there was always a chance one was missed, and of course there was no way of knowing the sex or color. Jack had looked at the picture and thought that Abby had a bellyful of little aliens, until Sam had turned it over and pointed out backbones as the method of counting. Then he'd stared at the picture for a good hour, much to her amusement, and Hammond's annoyance, since he'd been holding a briefing.
"Thanks, Marissa. We'll be near the phone. Give Abby a kiss for me."
Jack looked at his watch. It was about midnight, and there was no way he was going to get back to sleep. He hung up the phone and looked down at Sam.
"She's had two so far. Black ones." That was good, because Jack wanted a black puppy.
Sam smiled, and rested her head on Jack's thigh. She knew he wanted a black one, although he hadn't told her who the puppy was for, either, and she hadn't asked, knowing he wanted to keep it a secret.
"That's wonderful news."
Jack nodded, suddenly restless. He looked over at Jaffer, who was lounging at the foot of the bed watching the two of them.
"Want to go for a walk, little man?"
No. He wanted to go back to sleep. But if Jack wanted to go for a walk, Jaffer wouldn't let him go alone. Who knew what might be waiting out on the dark street, just waiting for someone to walk past without a great big black guard dog walking with him? Jaffer would never let Jack go for a walk by himself. He wagged his tail, reluctantly, and it was enough for Jack.
He looked down at Sam, who he'd never drag out of bed for a restless walk. Not when she looked tired already. It'd been a long couple of weeks, once they'd actually started packing up her house. He'd let her decide what furniture in his house was put into storage to make room for whatever furniture in her house that she wanted, and he'd already moved all of the furnishings out of the guest room to covert it into a workroom for her. Of course, there were many things at work that she couldn't just bring home with her, but there were plenty that she could, and these she'd be able to look at with leisure, now.
"We're going to go for a walk."
"I'll wait for the phone to ring." And maybe get a little more sleep.
Jack slid out from under her, and then kissed her soundly, then went to get dressed, while Jaffer watched from his spot on the bed, half hoping that Jack would change his mind and decide to go back to sleep. No such luck. The black lab sighed when he reappeared, fully dressed and ready to.
"Come on, Jaffer."
Pretending to be a whole lot more enthused than he actually was, Jaffer hopped down off the bed and headed for the door with Jack. Sam watched them leave, and listened while they walked through the house, heard the front door open and close, knew Jack was locking it securely and looking around to make sure no one was lurking in the bushes waiting for him to leave her alone – and counting on Jaffer to do the same. She smiled, and closed her eyes. God, it was good to be loved.
He'd been working his tail off the last months, and Sam knew it was all for her. He'd talked to a friend who had a friend who was in the Navy that was apparently an 'absofuckinglute' genius when it came to building things, and already plans were in the making for an add-on to the house. One that would be a guest room for all intense purposes, although Sam knew it was really intended to be a nursery. There was plenty of room to build, and she'd been reassured that this guy would have it up and built in record time. Especially since he would have plenty of help. It was amazing to see how many people owed Jack favors, and he was pulling in a lot of them, lately.
There had been wedding plans to make, and Jack had prudently stepped back from them. He'd waited for Sam to decide – with a lot of help from Janet and Cassandra and a few of her other friends – what she wanted, then Jack had become the one to get it. He'd proven himself a genius when it came to this. They'd have the wedding at a church, because although Sam had plainly stated she didn't have to have a church wedding, Jack had told her that he had the perfect place in mind. Since it was the only decision he'd really wanted to make, Sam had capitulated, and he'd done all the work in arranging to get it on the 12th – which was a Saturday, and it was downright impossible to get unless you'd already planned it almost a year in advance. What he wanted he got, though, and he'd proudly told her a couple days later that they'd be married in the biggest, most beautiful church in Colorado. She didn't ask how he'd managed, and he didn't tell her. She'd just smiled and thanked him.
Of course, they still had missions to go on, and places to explore, and worlds to save – according to Jack. No matter what else, they were in the SGC for a reason, and that was because they were good at what they did, and both Sam and Jack were careful to make sure the changes in their personal lives didn't affect their work ethics.
Sam was pulled from her drowsy thoughts when the phone rang again. She reached for it.
"Hello?"
"Sam? She's just had two more. Both boys. Four boys, all black."
"That's wonderful news, Marissa." Sam had been hoping for a tan puppy, herself. Just because it'd make that confused look appear on Jack's face when he tried to figure out – yet again – how it could be brown when the others were black. She loved that look. "Jack went for a walk with Jaffer, but I'll let him know when he gets back."
"Is he okay?"
"Restless."
Sam could hear the amusement n Marissa's voice when she spoke next.
"Can you imagine how he'll be when it's you having the baby?"
"He's not going to go walking," Sam said, laughing. "I'd kill him."
"I'll call you when I have more to tell, Sam."
The line went dead, but the laughter echoed for a moment longer. Carter smiled, and hung up the phone. They'd be married in about two months, and then she could start trying to get pregnant. She rested her hand lightly on her stomach, and closed her eyes, a slight smile of anticipation on her lips.