Author's note: Binky is older now... he's not the baby kitty he used to be. But we're skipping the meeting between Jaffer and cat for now, to focus on other things.

.........................

9AM

"Are the girls all here?"

Janet nodded, smiling as reassuringly as she could. Sam looked more nervous than she'd ever seen her look before.

"Don't worry, Sam. They're all getting dressed, now. Everything's going to be perfect, you'll see."

"I feel like I'm going to throw up."

Cassandra patted Sam's hand.

"You're going to be fine, Sam. It's just Jack, after all. You already know how he feels about you."

Sam nodded, but still she couldn't stop the butterflies that were swirling in her stomach. Just Jack, sure. But the biggest day of her life, she knew. And she was certain something was going to go wrong. Something always went wrong. Most of the time.

"Relax, Sam. You're making me nervous."

Carter gave Janet a tight smile, but she was still pale, and Janet frowned.

"I could give you something..."

"Dope her up before the wedding?" Cassandra asked, giggling.

"Nothing too strong, just something to make her relax."

Sam shook her head.

"It's okay, Janet. I... I'll be okay. I'm just being dumb. I wish I could talk to him, though..."

Fraiser frowned, but reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone.

"Call him, then. But only for a few minutes, okay?" It was better than having her throw up.

Sam took the phone gratefully, and dialed the house. No one answered though.

"He must be at Daniel's."

"Call his cell phone, Sam," Janet told her. Otherwise they'd be spending all day tracking the man down, and they didn't have all day. Had she been thinking straight, Sam would have called it first.

Sam nodded and dialed Jack's cell phone, and smiled when he picked up on the first ring.

"O'Neill."

"Colonel Jack O'Neill?" Sam tried to disguise her voice, but there was no way Jack wasn't going to recognize her voice. "This is the Boulder Police Department, and I'm calling to inform you that your bride to be has just been seen going at a full run past the city limits..."

"Don't even joke about that, Sam," Jack told her, his voice sounding almost as panicked as Sam's felt. "I keep expecting Janet to call and tell me you've changed your mind."

"Never."

She smiled; glad she wasn't the only one who was nervous. He'd been married before, after all, and she'd expected him to be as cool as the other side of the pillow. He didn't sound anywhere near so cool, though.

"Where are you?" He asked, wanting to hear her voice some more.

"At the church, just starting to get dressed. You?"

At that moment, the door to the dressing room – the bride's room as the sign on the door called it – was nudged open, and a large black head stuck itself through the space. Jaffer's brown eyes looked around cheerfully, and Janet scowled, even as Sam smiled broadly.

"We just got here." Jack said.

"Jaffer just made an appearance," Sam told him, gesturing for the lab to come over and see her.

"I was wondering where he was going..."

"Tell Colonel O'Neill he'd better not be on the other side of that door," Janet said, walking past Sam and Jaffer and over to the door, looking out it, and then closing it firmly.

Sam smiled again, one hand holding the phone, the other stroking Jaffer's ears. She felt better already.

"You're not on the other side of the door, are you?"

"No. I'm watching Daniel and Teal'c get the boys dressed. They look so sharp. Daniel won't let me near your dressing room, so chances are I won't see you until you're walking down the aisle."

"I can't wait..."

"Me, either, Sam. Send Jaffer back to me if he gets in the way."

"I will." She started to hang up, but he wasn't finished.

"Hey, Sam..."

"Hmmm?"

"I love you. Don't doubt that for a second, okay?"

She smiled so brilliantly that Janet and Cassie both smiled as well, and they both had to wonder what Jack had said to her to make her smile like that.

"I won't, Jack. I'll see you soon."

She hung up, and handed Janet's phone back to her.

"They're in the church."

"Obviously."

"He's watching the boys get dressed, and says Daniel won't let him near us, so don't worry, Janet."

"Did he send Jaffer to check on you?"

Sam smiled, and rubbed the black lab's ears. He had been brushed out until his normally glossy black coat was even shinier than usual, and his brown eyes were so cheerful she couldn't imagine being nervous or scared with him around her.

"I think he just came on his own."

"Well, send him back to the Colonel. We have to get you dressed, and we don't have time to trip over him."

"He wouldn't be in the way..."

"Sam..."

"Fine."

She kissed Jaffer's nose, avoiding his quick tongue.

"You'd better get back to Jack, little man." Sam murmured, reaching for her purse. "But before you go..."

..............

"Stop looking so nervous, Jack."

O'Neill scowled at Daniel, who was flanked by the boys. All of them were in various stags of dress, but all of them were smiling and looked excited. Far more excited than Jack felt.

"I'm not nervous."

"You look nervous."

"I'm not."

"Shawn?" Daniel looked over at Shawn, who was the only boy fully dressed – except his bowtie. "Does he look nervous?"

"Jack's not nervous, Daniel." Shawn said, loyally. "He's going to marry Sam! How could that be something to be nervous about? So what if it's the biggest day of his life... nothing to it!"

Jack frowned. "Thanks."

Shawn smiled, and went over to stand in front of Jack.

"Will you do my tie?"

Jack crouched down in front of Shawn, who was watching him with those dark eyes that were so much like his own.

"Don't be nervous, Jack," Shawn said, softly. "Sam's perfect for you."

"I'm working on it, Shawn."

Jack tied the boy's bowtie expertly, and then suppressed the urge to ruffle his hair. It was neatly combed, after all. Who was he to mess it up?

"You're set. Try not to get rumpled."

"Yeah," Said Andrew. "Otherwise Gina won't want to walk with you."

The rest of the boys laughed, and Shawn colored, slightly, much to Jack's amusement. Jennifer was a thing of the past, and Shawn had found a new woman to set his sights on. An older woman, he was fond of saying. Of course, since Gina was all of fifteen, and Shawn was almost fourteen, Jack wasn't too concerned that they were going to be any kind of serious item. But it was fun to watch. And even more fun to speculate about.

"I hear she's looking pretty hot in her dress..." Devon said, laughing, although he was just a little jealous that he hadn't thought to ask Jack if he could walk with Gina down the aisle at the beginning of the wedding. Of all the girls that were going to be in the wedding, Gina was the cutest as far as the boys were concerned. And Danin was second best, and Andrew had already asked for her.

"She's always hot," William said. "She's-"

Whatever she was, it was interrupted when the door opened and Jaffer came trotting through, looking at the boys cheerfully, but making a beeline for Jack.

"They kicked you out already?" Jack asked, smiling as he reached out to scratch the black lab's ears. He noticed the piece of paper in Jaffer's brand new collar, then – it wasn't hard to miss a piece of folded white paper against the black of the dog and the collar, after all – and pulled it out. "What's this?"

Jaffer didn't answer. He just went over to Jack, who was stretched out near the wall, watching the boys and making sure nothing happened to his Teal'c, and flopped down beside him. His message was delivered, and all was well with the world.

"Read it Jack." Andrew said, as Jack unfolded it. He was just as curious as the others were, after all.

Jack smiled.

"It's from Sam. It says she loves me, and to tell you guys she'd see you soon."

They smiled, but Shawn had a feeling it said more than that. Jack had blushed, and since Shawn did a lot of blushing himself, lately, he knew it'd take more than Sam telling him she loved him to do it. He didn't ask, though, knowing that it was private.

"You'd better get dressed, Jack." Daniel said. "We're at one hour and counting."

Jack folded the paper carefully, and put it into his pocket.

"I'll see you guys in a bit."

"Good luck, Jack!"

He gave them a nervous smile, and left the room, Jaffer scrambling to his feet and following.