Author's Note: Merry Christmas!!!

OOOOOOOOO

Daniel cleared a throat that was suddenly dry, and wondered if she could hear the pounding of his heart – it seemed deafening to him.

"I… um… wasn't going to ask you like this," he told her, looking up at her, and then over at Jaffer, who had flopped down at the edge of the breakfast nook and was watching the two of them, and then back at her. "I had it all planned out… fancy lunch, and then a flowery speech about how much I love you and want you to-"

"Daniel."

He was rambling. She smiled, because even if she hadn't known him as well as she did, it was impossible to miss the nervousness in his expression and his body language. She knelt down next to him, the ring box in one hand and her other hand coming to rest on his arm.

"Are you sure about this? Your wife-"

"Sha're is dead," Daniel said, softly, taking her hand. She could see the hurt in his eyes when he said it, but she could also see the resolution there as well. His jaw clenched for just a moment, but then he shook his head, and squeezed her hand. "I can't live in the past. I've seen what it did… can do… to people, and I don't want to be alone because of an inability to move on. I certainly don't want to miss out on the greatest thing that could happen to me…"

"What's that?" she asked.

"You."

She felt an odd feeling deep inside her when he said that. Not just love, but a mixture of pride – in him, for being able to move on, and in herself for being the object of the affection of such a man – and hope. She'd never mentioned marriage to him – not even when his best friends got married – because she'd never been sure if he'd be able to get over the tragic loss of his wife, and she didn't want to rush him into making a mistake that would hurt them both, and ruin what they did have. Obviously, though, Daniel had been considering it – even though he hadn't mentioned it, either.

"Daniel…"

"You know what I am," he said, interrupting. "I mean… you know that I might not always be home by 6 every day, and that I might miss a few dinners or other appointments…" Hadn't he almost missed this one, after all? "But I love you, Sally… and I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy."

"Is this part of the flowery speech you had prepared?" She asked him, her eyes telling him the answer that he hadn't heard from her lips, yet.

He nodded, "It's part of it… do you want to hear the rest?"

She smiled and shook her head, feeling the stinging of tears.

"I didn't even need to hear that much, Daniel. Of course I'll marry you."

It took him a moment to understand – and believe – that she'd actually just said yes, and Daniel looked at her, stunned once it sank in.

"You will?"

She laughed, and he managed to wake up enough to wrap his arms around her, pulling her close and kissing her. Sally held him just as tightly; the two of them both grinning, now, and the ring box clasped tightly in her hand as she hugged him.

"I love you, Daniel."

He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, and the look of love in his expression was for her, and her only. He took the ring box from her hand, removed the ring from it, and took her hand, sliding the ring on her finger while he watched her.

"I lov-"

A loud hissing sound from above them made both of them look up, and then dodge out of the way as the pasta in the pot started boiling over furiously, water cascading out of the pan and down the front of the stove.

"Crap!"

Sally got to her feet and pulled the pot off the burner while Daniel reached for the control knob to turn the heat down.

"Are you all right?"

She nodded, and waited until the bubbling water simmered once more back into the confines of the pan before turning back to him, smiling ruefully.

"I'm fine, but the pasta's scorched… it's probably not going to be very good…"

He pulled her into his arms, hugging her close, and feeling relief and happiness flood through him. He didn't care about lunch. How could he!? She'd just agreed to be his wife, for Heaven's sake. He felt practically giddy.

"We can go get something."

She smiled and ran her hand lightly along his side, her cheek resting against his shoulder.

"Or… we can find something else to do to amuse ourselves, and eat later…"

Her touch was enough to take his mind off lunch entirely, and Daniel turned his head and kissed her.

"Or we could find something else to do to amuse ourselves..." he agreed.

"Iknow just the thing…" she told him, taking his hand and leading him out of the kitchen and past Jaffer, who was watching them, still, hoping someone was going to drop something. As they walked past the living room without even stopping, the lab snorted, and stood up, heading back to Binky with his leash still trailing behind him. That was fine. They could ignore him. Sally had lots of interesting stuff in her house and he was certain he could find something to do to amuse himself…

OOOOOOOO

"I'm not amused…"

Sam laughed, and ran her finger along the side of her belly, watching the monitor to see if the baby was reacting to her touch. The little hands came down from the side of the baby's head, but the thumb went back towards the tiny mouth and there was no change in the position. He still had his back to mom and dad and the doctor, and there was no sign that he was going to turn for them anytime soon.

"He's got a cute butt…" Sam said. "Just like his daddy."

Jack couldn't help but grin at that, even though he didn't necessarily need Doctor Sawyer to know he had a cute butt.

"She."

"He."

"She."

"He."

"It." Maria said. She smiled when the two of them turned towards her,"We'll do another ultrasound a few weeks before the delivery date when we make sure the baby is in the right position, and we'll probably get a better look then."

Jack grumbled, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it.

"Stubborn little punk kid…"

"I wonder who he gets that from?" Sam said.

Maria grinned, and looked over at Jack.

"You can go ahead and go out into the hall for a few minutes while I get Sam cleaned up and then she gets dressed. Then I'll call you in so we can talk about what she can do and what she shouldn't be doing for the remainder of her pregnancy."

He didn't even argue this time. Jack leaned over and kissed Sam, then took another look at the monitor where his daughter was still mooning her parents, and kissed her again.

"I'll be right back."

She nodded, and gave him a smile.

"Greg and I will be waiting."

"Greg?" Jack smiled and ran his hand along her belly, this time getting it slimy with the lube that Sawyer had used on Sam's stomach. He didn't even notice as he felt the baby's little body under his fingers. "Angela…"

"Larry."

Maria shooed Jack away from the table.

"Lisa."

"Jack Junior."

"No chance in hell." He gave her another soft smile – one of those that were reserved only for her – and left the room. There was time. He'd come up with the perfect little girl name, yet. That butt was a girl butt – he was positive. And he was never wrong. Most of the time.