Thanks again to everone who reviewed, so glad you're enjoying it. Airam4u; Technocratic Sith Lord; Sci Fi Fan Gillian; Stick with me guys it will get worse for a bit, but it will be worth it in the end! HONEST!

Natters - Everyone is from an AU meaning she's from their own future; so no ECF

Froggy0319 - Far, far from over yet!

Debcole & ichargrl - Sorry more angst to come first, I'm afraid!

Birchy - Another chapter at your request.

stargate-fan - Not quite, just wait and see.

Harbinger of Sorrow...Herald of Joy.

By Lingren.

Previously:

This was Jack's daughter? How? When? Who's? Jack had never mentioned having any daughter before. Why had he kept her in the dark about this? Embarrassed and feeling like an intruder she ran back down the stairs again, hurrying from the control room to seek companionship with her friend and the base's CMO, Janet Fraiser.

Chapter 4

After they broke contact, both Jack and Jacqueline, felt slightly strange, and he ventured to ask further questions that had niggled at him. He turned his thoughts away from the tragedy of Earth's fate and focussed on her instead.

"Wow. You're married?" he commented, his mind quickly realising she was old enough after all. "Kids?" he asked sitting down again.

She sighed, smiling wistfully and nodded, once more settling into the chair.

"Two. Here." She delved into her pocket, pulling out a dog eared photograph and handed it to him. It was of two small blonde headed boys, posing from the back of a truck, each sporting an identical and familiar cheeky grin. He spent a long moment studying them. "Your Grandsons..." she enlightened him, watching a smile creep across his face. "Ben was 2 and...Jack was 3 when we took that."

"Wow...my Grandkids huh? Another Jack too...cool," he grinned. "They look great kids, and full of fun."

Jacqueline paused for a moment, closing her eyes with the onslaught of painful memories.

"Yeah...you would have loved them," she sighed regretfully. "They were always so full of mischief," she sniffed back a quiet sob. "I...I lost them when...'it' happened, along with my husband Ronnie and Mom, as well as the rest of the population."

Her words hit him like a driving blow to his gut, making him reel with sudden earth-shattering memories of pain. Taking a last look, he handed the photograph back to her with shaking fingers. It wasn't just the though of what had happened as to whom it had taken from her.

"Oh God...not again. I'm really sorry," he choked out, "I...I don't know what to say. It sounds kinda cheesy to say I know what it's like...but I do." He felt the tears sting behind his eyes and wiped away a single tear as it rolled from his eye, remembering what it felt like to lose a child. He'd lost his son Charlie, but she had lost two sons, her husband and her mother. He reached out to grasp her hands in his, gripping them tightly, sharing the deep feeling of loss.

"I know all about Charlie, Daddy..." she whispered softly, "I'm sorry too. I'm sure I would have been proud to have called him my brother."

Jack nodded speechless. His couldn't trust his voice just then. Long moments passed before he dared venture to speak again, changing the subject to get back on track, and lighten the sombre mood that had fallen over them, still searching for answers. He coughed to clear his throat.

"Uncle George?" he asked, bringing to mind Hammond's shocked face when she'd called him that.

She laughed suddenly, breaking the tension and now saw only confusion in his face.

"I was practically brought up in here. I spent many hours running around these corridors. General Hammond became a doting uncle. He was so very fond of Sam. She washis god-daughter, and he felt her departure as keenly as your death. He often went to visit her in the hospital whenever he could, and after he retired, would spend hours with her, reminiscing over old times. You were both very popular here, and I grew up listening to lots of stories about how you often disobeyed orders, played practical jokes, or acted the fool, as well as your daring exploits with SG-1. Mother told me you were waaay smarter than you ever let on."

"Sam told you?"

"No. Not Sam...my Foster Mother, I should say. Janet Fraiser; she was more like a Mother to me than Sam was. She practically raised me."

"Ah...that explains it."

"Can I go see her?" she asked excitedly.

"Sure. She has to check you out anyway."

"Yeah. Protocol!" she acknowledged. She knew the routine.

They both stood up and left the room. Jack smiled as he walked through the corridors beside her, Jackie knew exactly where to go. He grinned at Ferretti's face, when she greeted him by name, and he looked back at her blankly. Jack shrugged at him and they continued on, leaving a puzzled Major behind. She greeted another officer just outside the Infirmary, and Sam who had been chatting to Janet, heard them coming and made her excuses to leave, not wanting to intrude again.

Sam paused in the doorway, letting them through first. She was about to give him a half smile in passing but her breath caught in her throat, and the smile quickly faded from her lips as she overheard the whispered 'Mother' issue from the Captain's lips when she'd spotted Janet. Sam's heart clenched painfully, as she witnessed the inevitable embrace with the Doctor.

This was Jack's daughter, and she'd just referred to Janet as her Mother.

Sam felt herself stiffen. Nausea filled her even as she blushed from the thought of Jack with Janet, and looked away quickly, rushing out of the door and down the corridor, away from the scene, needing to escape; wanting to throw up. She blinked back the tears smarting behind her eyes, at the thought that Jack had obviously deceived everyone about his relationship with her best friend.

How could he have done that? How could Janet? she wondered, sobbing inwardly. She'd barely made it to the bathroom when the growing nausea suddenly overwhelmed her and she retched pitifully. Sliding to the floor, she sat leaning against the porcelain bowl, sobbing hard, and feeling utterly wretched. All her hopes and dreams lay shattered around her. She felt them flush down the toilet along with her last meal. He had betrayed her trust, and loyalty. Had her all-consuming love for him been for nothing?

OoOoOoOoOoO

Leaving Jackie in the guest suite to rest, Jack took off to brief the General. He wasn't quite sure how he was going to explain everything to him, and knew he couldn't say anything to his CO about Sam's condition, without speaking to Sam first. He was about to speak to her when she'd suddenly rushed off looking a little green around the gills. He decided to just stick with the basics for now when he told Hammond. The news would eventually come out regardless of the outcome of the next day's events.

He spent the next hour going over the facts with Hammond, convincing him that it was still worth their going to retrieve the device, and promising wholeheartedly to stay as far away as possible from it, and not allow anyone else to touch it until it had been made safe.

Escaping at last from General Hammond, Jack looked at his watch and knew he would be just able catch Sam before she left for home.

He stood silently in the doorway closely observing her pale and unhappy face. Was that a tear he saw, hovering on her lash? She looked sick, and he wondered if her being pregnant was responsible. Did she even know about the baby yet? he wondered. If she did, then she hadn't told him about it. Why not?

She was putting her things away when she looked up and caught him standing there leaning against the frame watching her. He grinned widely at her, his eyes full of warmth and affection. He was slightly puzzled by her cool reaction, as she looked away almost ignoring him. Warning bells rang in his brain. Perhaps she'd just found out and was angry about becoming pregnant. She had looked more than a little upset when she left the infirmary earlier. He took the plunge, and walked over to confront her, wanting desperately to pull her into his arms and reassure her that things were going to be just fine. Her cold words stopped him abruptly, even if the idea of hugging her in full view of the security cameras didn't.

"Is it important Sir because I really am tired?" The way she emphasised the word Sir brought an imaginary ice cold hand up to clutch at his heart.

"Sam?" he asked confused by her chilly reception.

"Colonel."

"What's wrong?"

"I just need to go home to bed Sir. Can it wait until the morning?" There it was again, that oh so cold Sir.

"I only wanted to know if you want me to drop by tonight?" he whispered, "I have something to...look...we really need to talk."

"That won't be necessary Sir. There's nothing to talk about. I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight Colonel." Her voice quivered over the words and she hurriedly grabbed her coat, rushing out of the door before he'd realised it.

He turned to follow her with his eyes, a puzzled frown covering his face. Taking a couple of steps outside the lab now, only to watch her disappear quickly down the hallway.

"Carter?" he called after her, "Sam?" She didn't respond, just kept going, heading for the elevator, head down, practically running. Running away from him. Jack stood, totally flummoxed, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. She obviously wasn't taking the news of impending motherhood particularly well. He shrugged his drooping shoulders and walked from the lab, lost in his thoughts, feeling guilty once again at what he'd done to her. Wondering if he was doing the right thing? Should he leave her to think things out by herself, or should he confront her, assuring her of his wholehearted support?

Wanting to change and go home too, he entered the locker room only to find it teeming with SG teams recently returned from missions. Jovial conversation was the last thing he wanted right now, and turned his back on the raucous noise, walking away from the hubbub which always signified the release of built up tension when teams returned safely. He decided to leave her to get over it on her own.

They could sort it out later, after the mission. Sam was good at working things out by herself, why should this be any different? Because...the answer came back in a flash...she's carrying your child. Still, he thought, give her some time and space to think things through. It was a momentous change for her.

TBC