John Doe


Chapter Forty FourXXXX

Sam wrapped her arms around her chest, in a failed attempt to retain a little bit of body heat, as she stood in the parking lot of the boat dealership. It was September 30th, the day after she had given her husband-to-be his one-year anniversary gift, and only then nearing 0800 hours. She should have been at home, in bed, but she was the only one who could pick up the boat, since she had been the one to buy it, so she had been forced to tag along. But, after a night like the one before, she would have done anything for her fiancé at that moment. She was beginning to regret that decision however, because it was cold.

Currently, she was standing beside the two-story brown boat, watching as said-man checked it over, once and then twice and then once again. Just making sure everything was perfect and nothing was missing, he claimed. He wasn't gong to risk her life and the lives of his children because there was a valuable piece of the boat gone or broken. Sam was forced to believe him, and stand and wait while he scrutinized her gift to him.

"Can't you do this at home? Where I can stay in the nice, warm house?" she questioned, rocking back and forth slightly, hoping the movement would bring her some warmth. "I've signed all the papers and so have you... we can take it home and you can obsess there."

"What if I find something wrong with it?"

"Then you can bring it back." she stated. "I'm cold... let's go. Please?"

With a sigh, the man nodded. "Alright. I guess so."

"The truck will pull it, right?"

Jack nodded, "It should." Glancing back at the boat he grinned, "You sure Danny and T helped you pick this out?"

"Positive," she confirmed. "Teal'c is the one who found it."

"Who named it?" he asked, tracing the large, black letters that spelled out 'Homer' on the back.

"I did." she replied, stepping up next to him. "You can marvel at home just as easily as you can marvel here, you know?" Smiling slightly, she slid her hand into his and tugged at it, pulling him back with her to the truck. "Daniel and Teal'c are bringing Cassie over for lunch at 1300 hours."

"They brining the food, too?"

"Nope. You get to grill out."

"In this weather?"

She shrugged, "You made me stand out in this weather for an hour so you could get a boat you can't even take out on the water for another half a year, so I think it's a fair trade."

"Who says that I can't take it out?"

"The weather channel." she claimed with a smile. "It'll be snowing soon. There is no way I am going out on a boat when it's freezing. Not only would I never risk my warmth for fishing in a nearly frozen pond, but it's not good for the babies."

He frowned, she was right. "Well... oh well. I still want to have it at home."

Sam smiled and kissed him briefly, "I know. Let's go home." He helped her into the car (she had learned to let him, because he fussed when she didn't) and then he walked around to the drivers side and climbed in, turning on the truck. After letting the engine heat up they took off down the road, Sam turning the heat on high.

XXXX

Upon returning home, the two were greeted by an enthusiastic Pandora. The dog jumped up, placing her front paws on Jack's thighs, and barked happily, he tongue hanging halfway out of her mouth. Sam knew immediately what she was so excited for, and smiled because of it. "Take her outside, Jack, she has to go."

"Aw, come on Sam... maybe she's just happy to see me."

Sam gave him a look that told him that she knew what she was talking about, so he'd better not argue. Pregnant women are always right, anyway. "Just take her out. I'm going to call Daniel."

"Why do I always have to take her out?" he whined, although he pretty much knew what her answer would be, and agreed with it totally.

"Because I'm pregnant and it's cold and the cold isn't good for the babies." He was overly protective already, so using that excuse was very easy, not to mention the fact that it was true. At least, she was fairly sure that it was. Who knew? Anyway, the truthfulness of the matter wasn't at stake, the fact that he believed her was. And... he did. Jack sighed and headed for the back door, calling out for Pandora to fall him. The dog did, happy that somebody was finally home so she could take care of what needed to be done an hour ago. Humans. Always late. Her's were at least.

Meanwhile, Sam called Daniel to confirm that they were still coming over and that Jack loved the boat, even if the archaeologist and the alien had helped pick it out-- two people that nobody on the world would figure knew the first thing about boats. But then again, Daniel pretty much knew everything and Teal'c was always studying up on earth culture, so maybe it wasn't such a long shot that they had done a good job.

"We'll be that at about fifteen till," Daniel told her when she called. "Cassie is brining cake."

"Jack will love that," Sam said, sliding her hand over her swollen belly. Cake sounded wonderful to her, too, but she wouldn't be able to eat much of it, unless she wanted her children to come to the world with sugar rushes. With Jack as their father, they would already have a sweet tooth, so she didn't need to add fuel to the fire. "Is it chocolate?"

"Yup." Daniel replied, sounding amused. Everybody knew Jack's reputation with chocolate cake. The one Cassie was brining probably wouldn't last for ten minutes when he got sight of it. "I'll see you later, though. I have some work to finish up, first."

"It's Saturday, Daniel," she told him, as if he hadn't already known. With Daniel, that was a possibility, though. He seemed to lose track of time when he was working. Not to mention the fact he that he forgets to feed her dog, and his self, as well. Sam was still a bit sore about that one, but she had expected as much, and Pandora hadn't been worse off for it. No harm, no foul, right? "Never mind," she sighed, taking back her earlier statement. "I'll see you later."

They hung up and Sam went into the kitchen to find Jack putting on a small batch of coffee. No use making an entire pot, since she had long since given up caffeine. Sam sighed, sitting in the nearest chair. "Daniel, Teal'c, and Cassie will be here at fifteen until 1300." she informed him. "They're bringing cake."

He looked over at her, forgetting the coffee that he had been anxiously waiting for to finish. "Chocolate?"

She couldn't help but smile at his eagerness. He was so cute when it came to cake. Like a five year old is when they're given candy. "Yeah, chocolate."

"Great," he said, turning back to his coffee, which had stolen his attention once more. Probably because the smell of it was becoming stronger and he had gotten a whiff of it. Sam sure had, and she was regretting the decision to give up the substance. Hot tea (without caffeine, of course) just didn't cut it for her.

"We have to pick up our clothes tomorrow." she stated, playing with the napkin holder on the table she was sitting at. "My dress and your tux."

"Yeah, I know."

"Not until 1100 though," she claimed. "I know how to set appointments for late in the morning..."

Jack grinned, poured himself a cup of coffee, and made his way to the table to sit next to her. "I'm sorry for waking you up early, Sam."

"The babies were kicking anyway," she told him with a shrug. "I just figured I'd give you a hard time."

With a snort of amusement he took a sip of his drink, "Women."

"Pregnant women," she corrected. "It's your fault, anyway. You got me in this position."

"You didn't complain while I got you into this position," he reminded her.

"When did I say I was complaining?" she questioned, "I've never been happier in my entire life."

"Must be the mood swings."

She swatted at him playfully, a smile gracing her lips, causing him to do the same thing. He never could resist her smile. Not that he was complaining, either.

"It is not the mood swings," she claimed. "Is it so hard to believe that you could make me happy, Jack O'Neill?"

"I still haven't figured it out, myself." he told her. "You are way too good for me."

Sam rolled her eyes, how many times had they gotten into this discussion? Too many for her liking, that was for sure. "You are perfect for me, Jonathan Jack O'Neill, and you'd better never question that." And that was the end of the discussion. Pregnant women are always right, anyway.

XXXX

Daniel, Cassie, and Teal'c arrived a few hours later, Cassie holding a cake plate, which Jack took off of her hands immediately. He claimed it was so she didn't have to carry it, but everybody knew it was because he wanted the first piece. And the second, and the third, and the last. Sam rolled her eyes and invited the three inside, whereupon they sat down in the living room.

"Can I see it?" Cassie questioned.

"The boat?"

"Yeah," she replied, "Danny told me about it."

Sam nodded, "Jack will take you..." She turned her head, looking through the divider between the kitchen and the living room, "Hon, take Cassie out to see your boat."

"Ok!" he called, "Come on, rut."

Cassie only grinned at the name, her eyes rolling slightly. When she headed out of the living room, Daniel spoke up.

"Can I see it?"

"You helped pick it out," Sam told him with a slight chuckle. "Why on earth do you need to see it again?"

"The necklace," he corrected. "Not the boat."

"Oh," she pulled the necklace from under her shirt and moved across the room so that he could see it. "I've never really had a diamond necklace before, you know? I'm not that big of a jewelery fan."

"But...?"

"Jack bought it for me." she said. "Sappy, I know... but you know Jack. Shopping for jewelery for him is almost as shocking as you and Teal'c shopping for a boat."

Daniel frowned, "I didn't think that it was so far fetched for us to help."

"Jack thought it was," she told him with a shrug. "You should have seen his face when I told him you did. He probably figured it'd be horrible." She smiled, then was hit with a memory. "Hey, you wanna see the nursery? Jack finished it while we were gone."

"That would be most enjoyable," Teal'c said with a tilt of the head. Daniel nodded as well and the three of them headed for the nursery, hearing the back door open and Jack, Cassie, and Pandora coming inside. Figuring that if the two of them were curious as to where the others went Pandora would find them, she didn't bother calling out where they were heading. Jack would probably know already, anyway.

"Wow," Daniel said as they entered the room, looking around in a state of slight shock. "This looks great."

"Chell'nok," Teal's added, his eyes fixed towards the star-covered ceiling.

The linguist opened his mouth, ready to translate for her, but Sam remembered the phrase. "I know. Very cool."

He smiled sheepishly and looked towards the direction that Teal'c was, "He really did all of this in the short time that we were away."

"No," she informed it. "The room was about three-fifths of the way done when I left. He just finished it up and painted the ceiling."

"...Wow..." a voice from the doorway breathed out. The three turned to see Cassie, Jack, and Pandora coming into the room, Jack wearing a very smug smile. Sam sighed, rolling her eyes, and walking over to him. Snaking an arm around his waist she nudged him slightly.

"Don't get too much of a big-head, alright?"

"I'll try," he grinned. "If everybody keeps looking at it like it's the Sistine Chapel, and I'm Michelangelo, that will be a bit of a task, though."

"It's not that great." Daniel informed him. "It is a pretty good job, though."

Cassie nodded in agreement, looking up at the ceiling with the same awe and wonder as the others had (well, Sam and Daniel; Teal'c's looks didn't change much). Her face scrunched up as she made an observation, pointing at the part of the ceiling directly above the twins beds, "Is that the face of Homer Simpson?"

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A/N: Sorry it took for ever to get this chapter out. Firstly, I was out of town from early Thursday morning until Sunday mid-afternoon and then I've got some kind of cold or something, since it sees fit to snow in Kentucky (where I was) during April! So, not knowing it, I took some medicine to make my throat feel better, and it made me extremely drowsy so I didn't get this finished until midnight on the 27th. Ugh. Here it is though. I hope you enjoyed it. More to come.