Chapter 7- Hush Little Baby

The remainder of that first day passed quickly. Two airmen brought down a portable crib which Jack set up in his on-base quarters. It was easy to set up and would be just as easy to move to Sam's quarters the following night. In addition to the crib, they had purchased a jumbo pack of diapers, a few more canisters of baby formula, and a few toys designed especially for children under the age of one.

Sam had spent the remainder of the afternoon with JJ while Jack took care of other duties on base. All four members of SG-1 met for dinner in the commissary. Sam came prepared this time with a large towel that she fastened around JJ while he ate. The team enjoyed a leisurely dinner at their regular table. Several SGC staff members stopped by to see JJ and offer to help with his care in whatever manner possible. Lt. Conners, the scientific expert on SG-5, offered to bring them a car seat should they want to leave the base at any time. His daughter had outgrown her old one and it was still in good condition; although there may still be some wayward Cheerios hidden in the creases, he admitted. They explained to the lieutenant that they would be staying on base for the time being, but thanked him for his thoughtfulness.

General Hammond stopped by just as they were finishing their desserts. "How is everything going with our little guest?" he asked as he pulled up a chair.

"Fine, Sir," Sam smiled at him. "JJ's a good baby. As long as he's fed and entertained, he doesn't fuss much at all."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Daniel mumbled under his breath. Not soft enough though, as Jack sent him a glare across the table. Daniel gave him an innocent look and returned to his dessert.

"Will the crib work to your satisfaction Colonel?" the General continued.

"Yes, Sir. It was a snap to put up. Thank you for approving the purchase, along with the other supplies," Jack answered.

The General waved away his thanks. "Anything I can do to help out, just ask."

"I was wondering General," Sam spoke up. "Would it be all right if we took JJ top-side for a bit tomorrow? We can stay on base," she quickly added at the frown that had formed on the General's face. "I just think JJ needs some fresh air, and maybe the chance to crawl around on the grass for a while, if the weather continues to be so mild."

General Hammond thought for a few minutes before deciding. "I think that will be fine Major, as long as you stay near the facilities. And don't take him out alone; I want two of you with him when you venture out."

"Yes, Sir. Thank you Sir," she added gratefully.

"Well, if that's all, I'm going to head home. Kayla has a music concert at school that I promised to attend. Carry on SG-1, sleep tight JJ," he smiled at the baby who grinned back, his face full of the chocolate cake that Jack had picked out for him.

After the General left, they finished their desserts and then cleaned up the mess that was JJ. Chocolate crumbs were not only on his face, but on every surface that his little hands had touched. Once again, a good supply of napkins and a wet cloth were used to clean him up.

"I'll take him Carter," Jack offered after the little boy had been sufficiently cleaned up. "I'll get him settled down and ready for bed."

"I'll come with you, Sir, if you don't mind. I'd like to say good night to him," Sam added.

"Sure, no problem. You can do diaper duty again!" Jack said with a smirk.

"I think it's your turn, Sir," Sam statedemphatically as they walked out of the commissary together. Teal'c and Daniel followed them out and went their separate ways once they reached the corridor. None of them noticed the airman who had been sitting in the dark corner of the commissary during their entire meal, taking pictures of the little group with a camera that was hidden inside the magazine he pretended to be reading. He was rather proud of the fact that, because of the high-powered zoom lense, he had many good close-up shots of the baby that had mysteriously appeared at the SGC today.

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Sam was just settling down to do some light reading in her quarters on base when her phone rang. She reached across the bed and picked it up quickly, "Carter," she answered absently as she continued to page through the journal she was reading. She was instantly alert as she heard the unmistakable sounds of a baby wailing in the background.

"Carter? It's O'Neill. I need you; fast!" he barked into the phone. Those few words were said with a distinctive sound of panic to them.

"What's wrong with JJ, Sir?" Sam asked quickly, even as she reached down to put her boots back on. The crying continued in the background and actually seemed to pick up tempo.

"If I knew that, would I be calling you? Just get to my quarters right away!" he barked, then the phone went dead. Sam hung up the phone, finished tying her boots, and rushed from the room. Her heart pounded as she tried to prepare herself for what she was about to find.

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Sam heard the crying emanating from behind the closed door of Colonel O'Neill's on base quarters long before she reached it. The door was slightly ajar, as Jack had been waiting for her arrival. Not bothering to knock, Sam went right in to see what was wrong.

JJ's face was red from crying, the tears continuing to pour down his cheeks. He arched his back and pushed his hands against Jack's chest, in the throes of a mini-tantrum. Interspersed between his sobs, Sam could hear him yelling "BA! BA!"

Sam walked over to where Jack was frantically pacing back and forth with the small child, desperately trying to hold onto the squirming body. "What's wrong with JJ?" she reiterated her question from before. At the sound of her voice, both heads turned in her direction. Despite the circumstances, she felt a smile form on her face upon hearing Jack mutter, "Thank God!" and JJ's clear utterance of "Mama!" Her heart swelled at the words she couldn't lay claim to, but were directed at her none the less.

JJ repeated his cry of "MaMa" even as he reached out for her. Sam took him in her arms and cuddled him close, relieved that his wails almost immediately began to quiet down. She looked at Jack who sat down on the edge of his bed, a harried look on his face. "What exactly happened here, Sir?"

"Damned if I know Carter. I got him into his pj's, gave him a bottle, then laid him down. He wouldn't stay down. He kept standing up in the crib and crying BA! What the hell does that mean?" he asked in exasperation.

At Jack's mention of the word BA, JJ raised his head and tearfully repeated the same word. He was still crying, although softer now and the occasional hiccup could be heard in between cries.

Sam wracked her brain. BA – now what could that mean? "You did give him his bottle right?" At his nod, she tried again. "How about his pacifier? Did you try that?"

"Of course I tried that Carter! I've tried that and everything else that could possibly start with the letter B!" his voice rose as his frustration became more apparent. JJ's cries started up again, frightened now by the anger he heard in his father's voice.

Sam frowned at Jack and quietly said, "There's no need to yell Sir." She ignored the glare sent her way as she walked JJ around the room, still trying to wrap her brain around what JJ could be asking for. Her eyes opened wide as she thought of the likely answer. She turned back to Jack and asked, "Where's his Bart doll?"

When he heard the word Bart, JJ leaned back to look at her face, offering a watery sounding "BA?" in reply.

Sam smiled down at him. "We'll get Bart for you sweetie, don't worry." She looked to Jack with her eyebrows raised.

"I can't believe I didn't think of that," Jack replied wearily. He got up from the bed and made his way to the corner of the room where JJ's bag was stored. He reached into the side pocket and drew out the well-worn toy. Jack grinned ruefully as he looked at it. Charlie had had a teddy bear that he wouldn't sleep without until he was almost five. It looked like old Bart, here, was going to be the same!

Jack came over to Sam and held the toy out to JJ. "Here you go little man. Sorry I didn't know what you wanted," je saidsoftly.JJ reached out eager hands for his toy, sobbed out a relived sounding BA! and tucked the doll under his chin while he kept a death grip on it. Jack met Sam's eyes and they shared an amused and relievedsmile.

JJ's cries lessened now that he had his beloved doll in his arms. He still hiccupped every now and then, due to the serious upset he had just been through. Sam leaned into the crib and picked up the pacifier, popping it into his mouth to help stop the hiccups. She continued to walk around the room with him, gently rubbing his back and bouncing him ever so slightly.

Jack went and lay down on the bed, tired beyond measure. He had forgotten how tiring a crying baby could be. He closed his eyes and let himself relax, all the while mentally berating himself for not figuring out that JJ wanted Bart on his own.Jack's eyes cracked open as he heard the soft sounds of a lullaby being sung. He turned his head slightly and watched Sam as she continued to walk with the baby and sing softly to him.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are.

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

How I wonder what you are."

Sam was unaware of the captive audience she had. She had just started to instinctively sing the song she remembered her mother singing to her. Her voice was soft, gentle, and very much on key. JJ's eyes closed after the first verse and he drifted off to sleep, safe in his mother's arms.

Sam moved to place him in his crib when she heard the soft voice of Jack say, "Now that was sickening." Her eyes flew to his face and a faint blush stained her cheeks.

"Excuse me?" she asked, rather taken aback by the comment.

Jack sat up and waved a hand her way. "I walk the kid and try everything in the book to get him to settle down. For over an hour I might add. Then you waltz in, figure out he needs Bart, sing him a song, and he's out like a light. Sickening." He shook his head in regret but added a smile to show her he was teasing. Although, in truth, he was rather embarrassed at how easily she had gotten JJ to calm down while he couldn't.

"Oh. I thought you were referring to something else." She added sheepishly as she laid JJ in the crib and covered him with a blanket.

"Your singing? You have a beautiful voice Carter. You never cease to amaze me," Jack answered her truthfully.

She wouldn't quite meet his gaze. "Thank you, Sir. Do you need me for anything else?"

Yes, of course he needed her for other things. Unfortunately, they were not things that would be approved of by the USAF, so he just said, "No thanks Carter. I think you've done everything you can here tonight. I'm sorry I disturbed your sleep."

At this she did meet his eyes. "No problem, Sir. I wasn't asleep yet. Just doing some light reading."

"Light reading?" he asked as he walked her to the door.

"Yeah, there's a new article out on low-mass spiral galaxies and how they relate to dark matter density profiles that I found fascinating," she replied with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Ah, well as long as it's light reading then," he replied with a quirk of his eyebrow.

She laughed softly as they came to the door, then looked back at the sleeping baby. "He'll be fine now Carter. Don't worry," Jack assured her.

Sam nodded her head, then looked up at him. "Feel free to call me if you need any more help with him, OK?" she asked quietly.

Jack reached out and lightly squeezed her arm. "I will. And thanks again. You were amazing you know. You'll make a great mom someday," he added.

Sam smiled softly at him, then with a quiet, "Good-night, Sir," she left him and walked down the corridor to return to her own quarters. She didn't hear his quiet, "Good-night, Sam," in reply.