Hannah was screaming when they stepped through to the SGC, clinging tightly to Jack with her face buried against his neck. Jack didn't have time to even look around, to take the moment he needed to assimilate himself with the Gate Room. He went down on one knee, shifting his daughter so she sat on his raised leg, but she refused to release her hold on his neck.

"Shhh, baby. It's okay. We're done. No more," he whispered, stroking her hair.

Sam knelt beside him, one arm stroking Hannah's back and the other around Jack's shoulders. She cajoled and soothed, and the entire Gate room remained silent. Finally, Hannah lifted her head and brushed her hands across damp cheeks. Her lower lip pouted out and she took a shaky breath.

"Dat was scary, Daddy," she said accusatorily.

"I'm sorry, Hannah. Daddy always thought it was fun." He glanced at Sam, and nodded his head. As he stood, he set Hannah on her feet and held her tiny hand in his.

Daniel and Teal'c stood together near the base of the Gate ramp beside General George Hammond. His expression was priceless, and Jack wondered who he could bribe to get a still shot off the security cameras. There was no fury. That would probably come later. Right now it was shock, pure and simple. Hammond's eyes shifted from Sam, to Jack, down to Hannah, and back to Jack.

"General O'Neill, I would very much like an explanation. Doctor Jackson has just begun to tell me that you were in some type of time dilation, and now..."

"We'll get to that, George. First things first. Hannah, baby, this is your Grandpa George."

"Grandpa George? Jack, what the--"

Sam suddenly grabbed Jack's sleeve, and he saw her body sway out of the corner of his eyes. "Sam?" Jack caught her before she fell and swept her up into his arms.

He pushed past General Hammond and Daniel, all of them shifting back to get out of his way. His only goal was getting Sam to the infirmary. Behind him, he heard General Hammond shout his name, but didn't pause.

"Sam is five months pregnant," was the last thing he heard Daniel say before he made it to the hall.

"What?!"

Sam's face was pale, a slight sheen of perspiration on her forehead, and her eyes were closed. Jack's heart pounded like he had just run five clicks. Back on Earth for less than five minutes and he already had a crying daughter and a wife in the infirmary. For cryin' out loud!

Jack sat on the edge of one of the infirmary beds, Hannah curled around his hip with her head on the pillow. Anna was tight in her hold, and for the first time in months, she had reverted back to sucking her thumb. He stroked her hair and touched her cheek.

Sam slept in the next bed, getting some rest even though she argued with Dr. Brightman that she was 'fine' and 'didn't need it'. Jack smiled in the dark. That was his Sam.

His Sam.

After 6 cycles -- No, four and a half years -- Jack sometimes had a hard time believing she was finally his. He squinted his eyes and looked around the dimly lit infirmary. The doc had moved Sam away from the 'activity' so she could rest. Gray walls. Gray floors. Gray pipes. Flourescent lights. Forced, filtered air.

StarGate Command Welcomes You

"General O'Neill."

Jack turned towards the door, and saw General Hammond filling the frame. The General stepped into the room, stopping at the foot of Sam's bed. His look of concern had a definite edge to it, one Jack had learned to recognize serving seven years under the man's command.

"Is everything all right?"

Jack nodded, turning on the bed so his legs hung straight down and he linked his hands together to hang loosely in his lap. "Yeah. Doc Brightman said it was just a shock to her system. It's been awhile since we've Gate traveled, and with the baby..."

General Hammond made a sound somewhere between a huff and a groan. Jack pulled his lips back in a wince and stepped to the floor. He eased the safety railings up on the bed, so Hannah wouldn't fall out, and without a word followed General Hammond out of the infirmary. They walked in silence through the halls, and Jack nodded to some of the servicemen they met. He was sure the story had already spread through the base, and wondered what transmutations it had already gone through.

It was late, and the halls of the SGC were quiet. The briefing room was empty as they passed through and Jack led the way into his office, even though George was the senior officer. Hell, I might not be an officer at all.

He didn't feel quite right sitting behind the desk yet, and yet he didn't want to make it look like he was ready for a dressing down by sitting on the other side. So, he leaned back onto the edge of the desk and crossed his ankles. General Hammond stood at the glass window that looked out onto the briefing room. Silence sat like a blanket over the air.

Finally, Jack cleared his throat. "I'm not going to apologize, George."

General Hammond turned to stare at him. Jack wasn't' sure what he expected. There had been plenty of times he'd pissed George Hammond off... but he was pretty sure this took the cake when it came to pushing the limits and breaking the rules.

"I have absolutely no idea how I'm going to deal with this, Jack."

"Were I in your shoes, I wouldn't either."

"That doesn't help me, son. The regulations are very clear on these matters. And even if there were room for leeway for personal interpretation, you blew it clear out of the water. Jack, you are still Colonel Carter's superior officer. And you've... you've..."

"Married her. Had a child with her. George, I've been in the Air Force long enough to know that to Uncle Sam these are terrible, grievious crimes, but I gotta tell ya, from this side I just don't see it."

Hammond huffed and shook his head. "Son--"

Jack brought his hand up. "I know what you're thinking, George. I was never so stupid as to think you didn't damn well know how I felt about Sam. And if we were able to maintain a professional, completely within the regs relationship for eight years, then why – ah, hell, General. We were there a long time."

He thought he saw the slightest hint of a smile almost cross General Hammond's face, but he turned away to the window before Jack could be sure.

""Did you doubt that you would eventually return to Earth?"

Jack shook his head. "No, we didn't. But that's the thing. We had no idea that time was different here. We figured that when we came back it'd be nearly five years later. And really, at that point, who the hell would care?"

"But that wasn't the case. Just what do you think I should do about this, Jack? Because I sure as hell would like to know." His voice was quiet in the dark of the sleeping building.

"Sam and I made a decision, and neither of us are going to back out of it. We can't. Moreover, we don't want to. We want to stay with the SGC. Sam studied and tested the whole time we were there. She's dying to get her hands on a spectro-whatever. The point is, she still has something to offer. Hell, maybe I do, too."

"There's no doubt in my mind that this program is better for the two of you," General Hammond said with a sigh.

Jack drew in a short breath, and paused before saying in a low voice "You do what you gotta do."

"It's not entirely in my hands, Jack."

"I know that. But I know you've got our backs."

Hammond nodded, and headed for the door. "As far as I'm concerned, the three of you are free to go whenever you like."

Before he hit the door, Jack called out to him. General Hammond stopped and turned back, the light of the hall behind him.

"If this all goes south... Sam..."

Hammond nodded, and Jack knew he understood. "Get some rest, Jack." He was in the hall when he turned back again. "Did you really tell your daughter I was Grandpa George?"

Jack smiled and shifted to push his hands into his pockets. "Since the day she was born."

Hammond smiled and chuckled. "I'm honored, Jack."

Jack just waved him away, smiling. General Hammond tapped the doorjamb with his hand and walked down the hall. Alone again, Jack linked his fingers behind his neck and bowed his head. This was so not going the way he thought. But, then again, when did good things ever come easy? He looked at the clock on his desk and saw it was nearly 2300 hours. Back less than a day, and his brain was already clicking back into military procedure. Jack smirked. Was that good, or bad?

Before he went back to the infirmary, he had one last thing to take care of. Jack walked through the dimly lit briefing room and went down the stairs to Control. Sergeant O'Brien was on duty and looked up as Jack entered.

"Good evening, General."

Jack nodded. "Evening, Sergeant. It's Bernard, right? Bernard O'Brien?" He nodded. "I need you to send a message for me."

"Yes, sir. Where?"

"The last known Tok'Ra location. I need to contact Jacob Carter."

"Yes, sir. What should I tell him?"

"Tell him Colonel Carter needs to see him. But make sure he knows it's not life threatening, or anything."

"Yes, sir. I'll take care of it for you."

Jack nodded and turned to head for the infirmary.

"General?"

He stopped on the top step leading to the corridor and looked back. "Hmm?"

"Congratulations, sir."

Jack nodded. "Thank you, Sergeant. Good night."