Chapter Eleven

After a half hour, I decided I had to wake her. Keeping her awake was my only hope for getting her to sleep through the night. I shook her lightly and her eyes opened instantly - just like Carter to be wide awake in a split second. I smiled at her. "You want to go play?"

I could see how excited she was at first, but it died off quickly. "With you or by myself?"

I remembered her rare comments about her childhood through the years, mostly when she was extremely tired, which revealed that her parents, especially her father, had always been too busy and left her alone to amuse herself. I could fix that. "Absolutely with me. You think I don't want to play too?"

"Yay!" She sprang off the bed and retook her place in my arms. I grinned as I carried her to the surface, wondering how in the world I would ever get used to grown up Carter who didn't continuously jump into my arms.

A female airman was in the elevator with us and she waved at Carter. "Good afternoon, sir." She grinned as Carter offered her a pretend salute. "She's so precious! What's her name?"

"Sam." I figured the airman would recognize that Carter had been shrunk.

Instead she nodded politely. "I've heard that's become very common."

"What? The name?" I couldn't think of a single Sam besides Carter, but I didn't really know many people with young children.

"No, sir, naming girls after their mothers. Kind of like boys are named junior." She waved goodbye to Carter and exited the elevator before I had a chance to correct her.

Carter looked at me after the elevator began moving again. "She's pretty."

I laughed - that was certainly not something Carter would ever feel compelled to point out to me normally. Of course, the only response that came to mind wasn't something I could say normally either, so I figured it was fair. "She's not as pretty as you." Carter giggled as she leaned over to kiss my cheek.

I let her run herself ragged at the park. She ran in circles, although never very far from me. She played on the slide if I held her hand all the way. She did some rather acrobatic stunts on the jungle gym as long as I kept hold of her. And she stayed on the swings until my arms hurt from pushing her.

Her eyes were starting to drift closed when I put her back in my truck. I thanked God for the factory standard integrated child seat in the back of the cab as I strapped her in. I kept bugging her on the way back to the base, trying to keep her awake. It wouldn't do any good to let her have a nap a few hours before bedtime, but I eventually gave up because she started to get cranky. I'd rather have her wreak havoc than make her angry. I started to think about dying her hair brown for the duration - I wasn't nearly such a sucker for brunettes.

As soon as I got back on base, I heard my name being paged. I made my way to Hammond's office. Thor was waiting for me. "Hey, buddy! What's up?" Carter was still sleeping, so I spoke softly.

"O'Neill, General Hammond summoned me. I believed that you were already aware of the situation."

I was about to explain the finer points of my facetious wit, but Thor's voice had woken Carter. I watched as her head turned slowly to look at Thor. I watched as her eyes went wide. I waited for her scream. It never came.

Carter cocked her head to the side. "Are you from outer space?"

Thor blinked at her. "I am from another planet. No creatures are spawned from space itself."

Carter looked confused. "Are you a space alien?"

Thor looked at me; I nodded. He turned back to Carter. "I am what your planet's inhabitants would call an alien."

Carter looked at me. "Jack?"

I smiled. "He's a friendly space alien."

Carter reached for Thor's hand. "Take me to outer space."

"Sam!" I looked at her, surprised that she was so quick to forget me.

She misread my disappointment and looked back at Thor. "Please." She waited a moment and when no one responded, she continued talking to Thor. "I'm going to go to space someday."

Thor nodded. "I believe you will. I believe your parents will encourage you to explore other worlds as they have done." Carter squealed happily and beamed at me.

I squatted down to join the conversation. "Uh, Thor, her father certainly explores other planets, but her mother never did."

Thor looked between Carter and me several times. "Is this not the offspring of yourself and Major Carter?" General Hammond didn't even laugh. I thought he was beginning to be alarmed at how easily everybody we knew could envision Carter and I having a baby together. In fact, with how easily everyone was accepting it, I started to wonder if maybe we shouldn't try - once Carter was big again.

"No. This-" I pointed at her to be sure he understood. "Is Major Carter."

"That is unfortunate. I had hoped you would allow your daughter's genetic structure to be examined in the hopes of preserving the Asgard race."

"Let me down!" Carter's sudden shriek startled me so much I almost dropped her. As soon as her feet hit the floor, she ran up to Thor and hugged him ferociously.

Thor looked befuddled, well, as befuddled as a practically expressionless alien can look. General Hammond came around from the other side of his desk. "Thor, are you injured? I apologize-"

Thor held up his hand, halting Hammond's apology. "That is not the first time Major Carter has hugged me."

Hammond looked at me. I shrugged. I knew of a few times she'd hugged Daniel. I knew of a few times she'd hugged Teal'c. I'd seen her hug Hammond. I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one who didn't get a hug. I thought it best to ignore his statement. "So, Thor, can you fix her?"

"She does not appear to be broken, O'Neill."

Carter giggled and released Thor's hand, snuggling up to me once again. Thor stared at her as though he was honestly surprised to see her so affectionate with me. I wrapped my arm around her, sneakily clamping my hands over her ears.

"As much fun as snuggly Sam here is, I kind of miss Carter. Not to mention that we'll sorely miss her the next time someone needs our help." I let the implication hang in the air that Thor would be the someone. Carter wrestled her head out of my hands, but apparently, I was easily forgiven for not letting her hear. She didn't move an inch away from me.

"I will take Major Carter to my ship and have the medical systems scan her."

"Ok, when do we leave?" I had my fingers crossed that Thor would find a quick fix.

"Your assistance is not required. The procedure will not take long."

I was going to argue that Carter might be traumatized by going alone, but General Hammond stepped in with another legitimate argument. "Thor, I don't think you realize the amount of spirit that young Sam possesses. Perhaps Colonel O'Neill should accompany you just to keep an eye on her."

"That is not necessary. We are quite capable of handling a child for a short period of time."

I looked at Carter. "Thor wants to take you to his ship for a little while. Do you want me to come with you?"

Carter was in the middle of nodding when Thor beamed her away. Of all the times Thor had used his little zappy stuff, I knew that was the meanest. The Asgard were all clones; it had been generations since there had been children to deal with. And somehow I knew Carter wasn't the kid they wanted to practice on. Hammond just shook his head as I headed out to get something to eat. I knew Thor wouldn't harm Carter. I never imagined what Carter would do to Thor.