To all the people who have reviewed so far - (I'm sorry it took me so long to reply! I've been writing like crazy, and I thought you would probably prefer it if I updated the fic before replying!)

angelcat70: thanks! I intended this to catch people's attention. Domestic violence is a really serious issue (my mum manages a couples counselling and mediation service, and I work there twice a week as their receptionist, so its an issue fairly close to home). I'm glad i caught your attention, and thankyou for the review

sexyirishBeep: Thanks! I'll update as quickly as I can - for quicker updates you might want to check out my website (its on my profile page) - I put the new chapters up there first. She didn't go to Jack because she was scared he wouldnt want her or that he'd feel obligated to her. And as for him walking away, well, we all know Jack O'Neill - he never walks away from a challenge!

Dana-Carter: Thanks for reviewing! I guess your question has been answered now, Jack is the father of ALL of Sam's children. lol!

Trunksblue: She didn't go to Jack because she was scared he wouldnt want her or that he'd feel obligated to her, and she didn't want to 'burden' him. Thanks for reviewing!

angie b: Well, the games have begun! You're right, without giving too much away, there are going to be some pretty fun (and some not so fun) things happening before the mess is resolved!

Veve: Thank you! I have some great plans for this fic, so I'm not stopping any time soon!

k80cue: I agree. I've always been a Jack/Sam shipper- you should have seen my face when she said 'yes' to Pete's proposal! Besides, they couldn't even have given her someone remotely interesting, if she couldn't have had Jack?!

Gactttaca: Timeline wise, it runs canon up till affinity, and maybe a couple of eps after, altho im assuming Jan is alive and Heros 1 and 2 didnt happen like that. After Pete proposed, they got married about 4 months (give or take) later, and moved in together in Denver or somewhere (not important, just that they moved away and she eventually lost touch with everyone), and then her retirement party happened 3 months after the wedding (Pete insisted she retired, she agreed coz she thought she'd never get anyone better, you know, the 'black widowcarter' thing.) Then she slept with Jack at the party, and 9 months later the twins were born. She had run from Pete a couple of times before and after the wedding but never said anything to anyone, and ran once when she was 6 months pregnant. A bit more than a year and a half after the twins were born, she was clearing out some old junk and found a Simpson's dvd of his. She decided to give it to him in person, and her son was conceived. This begins about three months after that - lets just say she's just showing (i'm not good with my pregnancy details, so if she'd be big by then please someone correct me) and that Pete just thought she gained weight and she ranthen because if she stayed any longer he'd realise she was pregnant. I think that's about right - if I've got anything wrong, please tell me! The song is an old favourite of mine, and it inspired this fic! Thanks for the review! (Oh, andshe didn't go to Jack because she was scared he wouldnt want her or that he'd feel obligated to her, and she didn't want to 'burden' him.)

Just me and myself: Thanks for the review! I'll update as soon as possible but for faster updates you might want to check out my website (the adress is on my profile page), as i tend to post there first!

Now that I've replied to everyone, here's the next installment! For reference, I'm not that happy with the way this chapter turned out, but Jack had to find out soon! And this plot bunny has been hopping around in my head, so i had to put it on paper. I may eventually change this chapter a bit, but i'm not sure :S

"So, in a nutshell, Sam's back, she's left Pete, who is currently sitting in a county jail cell somewhere until someone posts bail for him, and she's staying with Janet." Daniel neglected to mention Sam's children to Jack – it would open up a big can of worms and he thought Sam would probably want to tell him herself. "She's really broken, Jack. I think maybe you need to go see her."

"Danny, think about it. She's been back for what, a week and a half now? If she wanted to see me, she would have called. And with everything that happened to her with Pete, I think the last thing she wants is some old friend strolling into her life without a care in the world. Especially an old friend who…well, you know." After Sam left, it had taken a long time for Jack to come out of the shell he had retreated into, but a year after her retirement party, a drunken Jack had turned up on Daniel's doorstep, interrupting a nice dinner with Janet, and had confessed to everything – sleeping with Sam, the Zatarc events that had been 'left in the room' for so damn long, how much he loved her, everything. It had been a long night, with Teal'c called over when Daniel realised what was going on, and the three remaining SG-1 members and their petite spitfire of a doctor had gotten very, very drunk. But it had been therapeutic for all of them, and when Jack turned up at the base for work the next day, sporting a killer hangover, he was finally back to being the Jack O'Neill everyone knew and... well, loved, as annoying as he was.

"Damn it Jack. She needs you! She's just spent the past three years in an abusive relationship – she's gonna need a familiar male presence around, someone she's comfortable with. And Jacob's not exactly likely to turn up anytime soon, he's off on some damn mission, and Teal'c and I are off-world as often as not. Its gotta be you."

"Danny, even if I should be there, I don't know if I can. To just have her suddenly back in my life, after last time… I don't think I can deal with it if she leaves me again. I mean, before, I could always use the damn regs as an excuse you know? But she's retired, Pete's gone… I don't know if I can deal with that situation. Especially if she decides to leave again…"

Daniel sighed – he hadn't wanted to do this, but he had no choice. "Jack, I wasn't going to tell you this, but… She's pregnant Jack, and she has kids. Twin girls."

"Daniel, I understand that you're trying to change my mind, but just because she's having kids with that damn idiot will not make me more inclined to go see her."

"Jack, you're not listening. They're yours."

"Daniel, I still…What?! But… why didn't she tell me? When? How? I don't mean how. What?!"

"The kids are yours Jack. Sam told Janet. She never told you because she didn't want to ruin your life, and she didn't want you to feel like you had to be there just because of the kids. She loves you Jack, she just couldn't tell you. She left Pete because she was afraid he'd hurt the kids. And I think its also because she realised that she's still in love with you."

"Still in love…Daniel, what do I do? I don't know if I can do this. I mean, after everything she's been through I can't exactly turn up at her door professing my undying love for her and expecting her to just throw herself into my arms. I mean, I know you think she's still in love with me, but does SHE know that? I don't know."

"Look at it this way, Jack; she needs a friend, right? So go over there, offer a sympathetic ear, and be a friend. You can at least do that for her, right?"

"Yeah, Danny, you're right. I'm being selfish; she needs a friend right now. I'll go see her tomorrow."

"Um, well that's the other thing. She doesn't think you know she's back."

"Ah, Danny, you gotta be kidding me? I guess I'll go 'visit' you and Janet then. Can you guys be at Janet's tomorrow? And maybe we can get Teal'c to stop by. That way it'll be like a good old-fashioned team day." And that way I can sneak out if I think its all going to hell, thought Jack.

"Yeah, sure, I'll arrange it with Janet. See ya later Jack."

"Yeah, sure, you betcha."