Sam carried the clean bed quilt from the line outside and made the bed, barely conscious of each move, even as she smoothed the fabric out and neatly tucked the corners in engrained military style. She moved through the house, closing her new bedroom door behind her, and paused to stir the stew in the pot on the cook stove.

When there was nothing else to do to keep her occupied, at least in body, she sat down on the bench near the fireplace and stared into the low burning flames. Her mind raced, not giving her a moment's piece since she had gotten home. Before that, really. For several days now. She hadn't even been able to focus on making notations for the experiment she had set up in her lab.

To try and distract her own rebellious mind, Sam looked around the cabin for something to do. In the two season cycles since she and Jack had moved into the small, rundown shack it had taken on many transformations. The space was no longer open, but divided into their bedroom and a living area. Although it lacked many of the amenities of home, Sam did have an attached room just for bathing and a room she used as a makeshift lab. She had filled three journals since the day Jack had given her the first.

Jack seemed to like doing things with his hands, something she never would have guessed before. If he wasn't making his stoneware pots, he was finding some new improvement or repair to do on the cabin.

Sam groaned and pressed her hand to her forehead.

She heard his footsteps on the porch, and her insides did a funny flip. Sam jumped to her feet, and immediately regretted the quick movement. She barely had time to grip the back of the nearby rocking chair before the door opened and he came in.

"Hey, beautiful," he said and crossed the space to pull her into a tight, warm embrace. "You should have come with me today. The weather was great. Aaroon and I rode to the next village, and I managed to get a hold of what I think is a pretty close match to hydrochloric acid. That's what you wanted for the next test, right?"

Sam nodded, her voice suddenly completely gone.

"Good." He set his leather satchel down on the table. "The guy who runs the barter station in Rena Valley wants me to make him a bunch of plates and bowls and stuff. He'll trade whatever I need that I can't get here in Calla Hills."

Sam smiled, listening to the excitement in Jack's voice. "That's wonderful," she managed to say.

Jack paused, an amber colored bottle of something in his hand, and looked at her. With his dark eyes trained on her, Jack set the bottle down and moved towards her. Sam's insides twisted and spasmed like an entire handful of Mexican Jumping Beans, and she tried to hide the shaking of her hands by gripping them together in front of her.

"Sam..."

"What?"

He gently pulled her hands apart and held them up, looking at them. She tried, with every muscle in her body, to hold back the next tremor but it didn't work. As he tipped his chin, and his gaze locked with hers again, Sam chewed vehemently on her lower lip.

This should be easier!

"Sam... what?"

She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face against his shoulder, the tears that had threatened to fall all day hit her like a torrent. Which made no sense at all. She wasn't sad. She wasn't upset. But the tears came anyway. Jack stroked her back and shushed softly in her ear.

When she finally felt like she had regained some amount of control, Sam pulled back and brushed at her cheeks with her fingers. Jack held her shoulders, watching her with a dark expression.

"I'm fine."

Jack only stepped away from her long enough to retrieve a handkerchief from the bedroom for her to wipe her eyes. But even as she dried her cheeks, he stood nearby with his hands at his waist and his stare heavy on her. She could just imagine what he was thinking. Since Sam wasn't really the type of woman to fall apart at the drop of a hat. She laughed softly, which really made Jack look confused.

"I'm not going crazy, if that's what you're thinking."

His eyebrows shot up. "I don't know what to think."

Sam sighed and smiled, looking into his eyes. God, she loved him. "I've been flipping around in my head all these ways I can... to tell you... but I didn't know -- don't know -- we just never..."

"Sam, for cryin' out loud! Spit it out!"

Sam took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "I'm pregnant."

Jack's mouth fell open and his eyes widened, his eyebrows rising in a surprised arch. "Wha...at?"

"Pregnant."

His hands were suddenly holding her head, and his lips on hers in a kiss that was an intoxicating blend of sweet and intense. Sam leaned into him, letting his arms support her and be her strength. Then he wrapped her in his arms and buried his face into her neck. The embrace reminded her of the mission when he had been frozen in Hathor's lab, and how he held her after coming up from the cold; fierce and needy. She had never for a moment considered pulling back.

"Oh. God. Sam," he said against her skin, his voice heavy and thick. "I love you."

Sam stroked his hair and kissed his temple. They stood together for a long time in each other's arms.

"The diagnostic is complete, General," Sergeant Siler said from the doorway of Jack's office, where General Hammond had temporarily taken up residence.

"Did we find anything?" Daniel asked before General Hammond had a chance, then shrugged and raised a hand in apology. "Sorry."

Hammond nodded, but no one was smiling right now. "Report, Sergeant."

Siler sighed and his shoulders dropped. "I'm sorry, sirs. It shows nothing. All programs are running perfectly fine. Nothing has changed in the system on this end to affect our ability to connect."

"Thank you, Sergeant," General Hammond said, and tapped his fingers on Jack's ink-spotted desk calendar.

"General, can I just throw a thought out here?" Daniel asked, sitting up from his slouched position in his 'usual' chair.

"Of course, Doctor Jackson."

"There are safeguards on the network, right? To prevent us from dialing through under certain conditions. Sam has overridden them before. What if we try now?"

"Yes, and the last time she did we nearly destroyed a planet."

Daniel winced. "Yeah, there is that..."

"Sir, you suspect the Orn.. Orn..."

"Ornorean."

"This Ornorean is responsible, and it's a natural phenomenon?"

Daniel nodded.

"Do you have an idea, Sergeant?" General Hammond asked.

"I'm not sure, sir. But it may be as simple as an electrical storm and the gate doesn't want to connect due to the increased energy levels. If we overrode that safeguard, it might at least let us make a connection. I wouldn't suggest Gate travel, but we might be able to contact them by radio and better assess the situation."

General Hammond nodded. "See what you can do, Sergeant."

Sergeant Siler nodded his head and left the office. Daniel slumped back in his chair and rubbed his forehead with his fingers, failing miserably at hiding his yawn. He glanced at the clock. It wasn't even nine yet, but he felt like someone had dragged him through the ringer.

"Doctor Jackson, I have always had the utmost faith in the abilities of my top team," General Hammond said after several moments. "Both in whole and in part. Comparatively speaking, this seems to be one of the least dangerous situations General O'Neill and Colonel Carter have been in. My faith still holds."

Daniel nodded and smiled. "Thank you, sir."