"Circles"

By Aeryn

Chapter 4

The mood quickly became convivial, what with all the beer and Scotch flowing, and the decision was made to call Daniel and Teal'c and give them the big news right between the eyes.

Sam picked up the phone, looking over her shoulder at Jack and Hammond, who were laughing hysterically over some fairly unamusing story about a friend they had in common. She sighed. Being drunk was a lot less fun when you were looking at it from the other side of sober. She dialed.

"Daniel? Sam. Look, if you're not busy would you like to come over? What? Yep, that's Hammond. It's a long story. What hyena? Oh, you mean Jack. Listen, could you pick up Teal'c? Thanks. Hey, you wouldn't have any deviled eggs, would you?"

Jack was in the kitchen, trying to make deviled eggs, all mustard, his eyes slightly crossed and leaning to the left, when Daniel and Teal'c arrived.

There was a boisterous round of drunken greetings and chit chat, then Teal'c and Daniel sat back expectantly. "So," said Daniel. "What's up?"

Jack leaned over to Sam and accidentally fell into her lap. He looked up at her with the adoring gaze of a man who has had one too many sips of Scotch. "Hey!" he whispered, if you can call talking so everyone in the room can hear whispering, "Your eggs are ready! All mustard!"

"Uh, thanks," she said, hauling him out of her lap by the hair of his head.

Daniel cocked his head, smiling slightly. "So, like I said, what's up?"

Jack suddenly seemed to remember Daniel was there. "Hey, Daniel!"

"Hey, Jack."

"Hey, Teal'c!"

"O'Neill."

"Hey, Daniel!"

"Jack . . ."

"What's up, Teal'c?"

Teal'c looked at Daniel. Daniel looked back and shrugged.

"Colonel Carter," Teal'c said. "Was there something that you wished to tell us?"

"Hey, Teal'c!" said Jack.

Sam smiled, albeit a bit with a bit of embarrassment, and took Jack's hand.

"Uh, yeah. Let's see, what's the best way to put this? Um, JackandIhavebeenseeingeachotherforthepastyearandwegotmarriedaweekagoandI'mpregnantandwouldanyonelikeabeer?" She smiled brightly and then ran for it, it being the kitchen.

Daniel hopped up quickly and followed her, Teal'c hot on his heels, since Jack was rambling and Hammond was repeating himself.

She was about to open the refrigerator door when Daniel caught her by the shoulders and spun her around to face him.

"Urgh. Daniel, my stomach isn't working right on the best of days. No spinning or sudden movements, please."

"Oh, sorry," Daniel said, taking his hands away slowly as if suddenly realizing she was made of glass. "Now, do you care to explain yourself just a tiny bit more thoroughly?"

She sighed. "It started about a year ago."

"A YEAR? And you didn't tell us?"

"Well, we wanted to, but we didn't want you to be . . . I don't know . . . implicated, I guess, if anyone found out."

Daniel smiled slightly. "Like we'd be, what, accessories to a relationship?"

"The regs so hazy, Daniel, we just didn't know what would happen if anyone found out."

Teal'c glanced at Hammond. "It appears someone did find out."

"Well, I couldn't exactly walk around the base, married to my CO and very pregnant, without SOMEONE finding out. We had to tell him."

Daniel looked thoughtful. "You know, now that I think about it, Jack HAS been a lot less grouchy lately."

"That isss not TRUE!" Jack yelled from the living room. He turned back to Hammond. "Don lissen to him, sir, I've been totally grouchy."

"I believe you, son," Hammond said, clapping Jack between the shoulders and sending him sprawling onto the floor.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Anyway, when we found out I was pregnant, we . . . got married." It still sounded weird to her.

"And why is General Hammond here, Colonel Carter?"

"Well, first he skinned us alive. Then he decided what to do about the whole mess."

"Which is?" Daniel asked.

"I'm being removed from SG-1," she said. She must've looked downcast because both Daniel and Teal'c reached out to comfort her, Teal'c winning the battle to put an arm around her shoulders. Daniel settled for standing closely at her side.

"Jack's being reassigned to SG-1, and Hammond is resuming command of the SGC."

"Wow."

"I know," she said, looking glum.

"Sam," Daniel said.

She looked at him. He was grinning. "You're having a BABY!"

She smiled.

Teal'c was also grinning. "Congratulations, Colonel Carter. This is wonderful news."

She started crying. It was the first congratulations she'd gotten; well, except from Jack and that didn't exactly count. That was like congratulating yourself, which, she thought, was what he'd actually been doing, considering the shit-eating grin on his face at the time.

She turned into Teal'c and bawled, for a long time, before he handed her over to Daniel and went to try to mop up his sodden shirt. Daniel held her close, quiet for a while, then started talking. "Sam," he said softly. "Sam, look at me." She did, sniffling. "This is great news. And you know we'll be there for you, right? Anything you need, any time." He smiled. "I love you, you know that?"

She threw her arms around him and the bawling started in earnest then, causing Jack to peek over the back of the couch.

"Sam? Wass wrong? C'mere." She walked over to the couch and sat down beside him. He may have been drunk off his ass but his arms still worked, and very well, she noted. More bawling. "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, sh, shhhhhhhhhh, iss okay."

She sat up finally, blowing her nose. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I'd just been so worried about everything . . . I'm just glad it's finally resolved." She cast a glance at Hammond, who nodded, for a long time, a lot longer than necessary, actually.

"Well," said Daniel, rubbing his hands together. "Shouldn't we celebrate? Weddings and babies are big deals!"

"Right on, Danny!" Jack said.

"Uh, Jack, maybe you could do with a little LESS celebrating."

"That, too!" Jack said.

Daniel looked at Sam. She simply shook her head and tried not to laugh.

"Would anyone care for pizza?" Teal'c asked.

"Oh, shit . . ." Sam bolted for the bathroom.

Jack sighed and rolled off the couch. "No pizzzzzza, Teal'c. Makes her puke."

"I am sorry, O'Neill."

"S'alright." Jack was crawling off slowly in the general direction of the bathroom.

"Uh, Jack? You want me to handle this one?"

Jack fell flat on the floor, resting his head on his arms. "Would ya? Tell her I'll be there in just a sec . . ."

Big snore.

Daniel sighed and looked at Teal'c. They came to some unspoken agreement and Daniel went to tend to Sam while Teal'c hauled Jack off to bed.

Hammond was still nodding, but because he was asleep.