Chapter fifteen

Two weeks had passed since Megan had been admitted to hospital for the second time in a week, and now she was about to go home.

They had had a briefing in her hospital room a few days after the event that bought her here. She told them that when she entered the room, the man that was in there with nurse bitch, was beside the door when she kicked it in.

She had felt her stitches pull when she had lifted her leg. The man who apparently worked for the NID, had shot her in the arm when she burst in the door.

It was all a bit blurry after that the only other thing that she remembers in nurse bitch punching her while she was on the ground.

All she remembers after that is the babies crying and then she must have passed out.

Megan was waiting for Daniel and Johnny to come and pick her up some time this morning. She had to admit it. She felt a hell of a lot better for lying in bed for almost two weeks.

The stitches had been removed earlier that morning and she was just left with a nice big scar along the lower part of her stomach.

Standing up in her private room, Megan went to the closet to finish packing her stuff and to find something to wear that wasn't PJ's.

Everything appeared to be settling down in her life and the lives of the people around her. All the members of SG1 were on two months leave, and they were all using it differently.

Sam, of course worked in her lab for most of the first week until Jack busted her and dragged her out of the mountain. He ordered the guards at the front gate not to let her into the building unless it was an absolute emergency, and he got General Hammond to sign off on the order.

Needless to say that Sam chucked a major shit. After a few loud words were spoken she got over it when she realized that Jack was not going to budge.

Since then, so Daniel told me, she had been spending a lot of time at his house, apparently just helping with the children.

Daniel moved into the O'Neill house the first day of leave that he had. He had moved into Megan's room, being that there were not any more spare rooms.

Megan was happy enough with that. Thankfully he had only bought his clothes and few necessities with him cause the house was getting pretty crowded. Daniel had told Megan that he was rather proud of him self for how easily he had turned into a Mr. Mom as he put it.

He visited her everyday with the kids, and she was glad to see that when he arrived everyday that he actually seemed organized.

They had talked about what would happen when she came home. He said that he would move back to his place. But she had told him not to be stupid. She wanted him to be there. Of course if it was ok with her dad.

Apparently Daniel had discussed it with Jack, and to everyone's surprise he was all right with it on a few conditions. Number one, that Daniel sell his apartment and either sell his stuff or find somewhere for it all. After all there wasn't much room left at the house.

And number two was a complete mystery to Megan. Daniel and her father had talked about something that she obviously wasn't able to be a part off. She would find out eventually, in a house that crowded you couldn't keep anything a secret too long.

Finally she could hear some movement out in the hallway. Becoming slightly self-conscious lately around Daniel, Megan quickly checked herself in the mirror. She looked rather good, wearing a short sundress.

Looking at her self in the mirror, Megan was glad to see that her body had almost bounced back completely. Still a little podgy around the middle but nothing a bit of basic training couldn't get rid of. Back into a size ten almost. Not too bad, for being a whale a short time before.

Johnny burst into the room, and ran straight for his mother. He had really come out of his shell that last few weeks he was openly talking to just about anyone who would listen and when the adults were talking he would sit and listen and pretend to follow what was being said.

"Hey baby, how is my little man?" Megan exclaimed as the toddler launched himself into her arms.

"Good, mummy." He replied.

"Have you been helping daddy around the house like you promised you would this morning?"

The little boy nodded proudly to his mother.

"Tell mummy what you did this morning Johnny?" Daniel egged the boy on from the doorway, admiring the view of a beautiful woman.

"Nothing, mummy I promise." Johnny said as he squirmed his way out of his mother's arms and tried to make himself look inconspicuous.

Looking at Daniel for explanation, Megan packed the last few things away in her bag.

"Ill tell you later. Ready to come home?"

"God yes, I swear if I have to spend another day in one of those horrible hospital beds Ill scream. Take me home Daniel."

He walked up behind her, and hugged her from behind, mindful of her tender stomach.

Admiring how she had shaped up since the birth of the twins, even considering the fact that she had been in bed for the last two weeks.

He kissed her on the neck and smiled when he heard her moan her appreciation. Turning in his arms, Megan placed her arms around his waist and looked up into his beautiful eyes.

"I've missed all my boys, especially you Daniel Jackson." Megan whispered seductively in his ear.

Resting her forehead on his chest she gave her self a few moments to be thankful that the nightmare of the past few weeks was gone. Lt Baxter had been court martialled, and sentenced to ten years in maximum security detention with no hope of parole and health wise Megan was doing better than was expected.

Janet had discussed her options with her after she had been there a few days. They didn't have to do a hysterectomy, her internal damage wasn't that severe, but there was a chance that she may never be able to conceive another child naturally.

When Megan discussed this with Daniel, he told her how he felt when Janet had told him about it all in the waiting room that first day. He said that he didn't care, she was alive and that was all that mattered. And that if Megan ever wanted to have any more children that he would be there for her no matter what happened.

Johnny broke her out of her trance, by climbing up on the bed and jumping up and down to get some attention.

Walking over to her son Megan reached out her arms for him, and picked him up.

"You coming home today Mummy?"

"Yes sweetie, you and daddy are taking me home right now. Do you want to sit with me in the wheelchair?"

He squirmed out of her arms and got in the wheelchair all by himself.

"I guess we will take that as a yes." Daniel said as he picked up Megan's bag and motioned for her to join Johnny.

Checking out took no time at all and before Megan knew it they were in the car on the way home.

Megan watched Daniel for most of the drive home. Quietly glancing at him as he drove. She was utterly surprised at the way that he had handled all of this.

For gods sake he even had a wiggles CD in his car for the younger passengers. He was fitting in so completely to this readymade family.

Megan was of course concerned about the twins. Not being able to spend a lot of time with them was making her depressed.

She knew that they were being looked after by the great Jack O'Neill slash baby whisperer, but she was slightly upset because she was worried about the bonding that she had missed out on.

She saw them everyday that she was in hospital and it was for at lease four or five hours at a time, but she did get rather lonely at night and was rather disappointed when her milk had dried up.

Daniel pulled into the driveway of his new home carefully so as to not jostle Megan.

Johnny started wriggling in the back seat wanting to get out and go and play with his granddad.

Before he got out of the car Daniel turned to the woman in the passenger seat and undid her seatbelt for her as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you for everything Daniel, I don't think you realize how much I appreciate it." She cupped his face with her hands and gave him a gentle kiss.

A knock on the window shattered the moment, the door was opened and her father helped her out of the car.

"Dad, I'm not an invalid. I can do some things on my own."

"I know. I'm just excited that you are finally home."

"So am I Megan. Way too many men around here at the moment." Sam piped up from over his shoulder.

Sam was holding Nick when she came out to greet her friend.

Dutifully handing him over to his mother as soon as she was standing.

After giving her a hug around the child, Sam ushered her in side.

Going straight inside Megan sat down on the lounge while everyone milled around her. Lachlan was in his rocker on the floor by the seat she was in. Looking at her children Megan realized how loved they were here.

"So who's up for some lunch, what about a BBQ?" Jack asked as he helped Daniel up the stairs with Megan's bags.

"Sounds fantastic to me Dad." Megan replied over Johnny's enthusiastic yelling that he would help.

After they had dumped the bags, the men headed out to the deck to cook up a feast. Megan put Nick down in his bouncer and joined Sam in the kitchen.

"Hey," Megan said as she walked in the room.

"I just rang Janet, and she and the girls will be over in a couple of minutes. You don't mind do you?"

"No, not at all. I haven't seen Caitlin in a few days, it's a Saturday isn't it?" Megan asked.

"Yep. I bet it feels good to be home?" Sam asked as she got some salad ingredients out of the fridge.

"God yes, so how has it been around here, chaotic?"

"No not really. I think Jack and Daniel were a bit overwhelmed at first but between the two of them, they managed. I didn't know how they would cope, living together but they surprised me completely."

Megan grabbed the lettuce from the bench and started washing it.

The women continued with the idle chitchat until Janet and the girls arrived. After squeezing the stuffing out of Megan in a hug Caitlin and Cassie both went out side to help the boys.

After Janet gave Megan a hug she launched right in to the gossip.

"Megan, have you noticed any subtle changes around here at all?"

Knowing what the Doctor was trying to do, Megan played along.

"Whatever could you mean Janet?"

Both the women looked at Sam who was trying to look uninterested in what they were saying.

Janet continued.

"Oh I don't know, maybe the new fixture in the house. She is blonde, about your height..." before she could finish Sam piped up.

"And she is going to kick your ass. If you don't get over it."

"Come on Sam, you wouldn't hurt the daughter of the man you are gaga over, would you?" Megan said trying to stay serious.

"It depends how much she pisses me off." Sam replied not being able to control her chuckling any more.

"Come on Sam, I've already told Megan all about it at the hospital. I told her how you and Jack are like lovesick teenagers. It is quite gross actually." Janet said bursting out laughing as well.

"Come on seriously Sam, are you and dad really finally getting it together or are you just yanking our chain?"

"What the hell does that mean? Yanking your chain." Janet said in between fits of the giggles.

"Pulling your leg, joking around, that sort of thing. Boy you yanks are dense aren't you?" Megan replied.

"Well, seriously yes we are getting it together. We haven't been on any dates or anything, but we have been talking a lot more openly and he has stopped calling me Carter except when we are on base, that in it's self was a big step."

"Please just don't tell me too many details about what else you have been getting up too, just remember no body likes to think about their parents having sex. So can I start calling you mum yet?" Megan got a poke in the arm for her effort.

"Not unless you want me to turn into your evil stepmother."

The women continued gossiping while putting some salad's together.

Cassie and Caitlin were running around with Johnny in the backyard, while Daniel and Jack looked on from the deck.

"So Daniel, any thought as to what the ladies are gossiping about in the kitchen?" Jack asked while he poked the meat on the grill.

"Well, there is properly two choices, either you or me. I'm betting on you." Daniel replied.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well cause they are looking out the kitchen window, and well, Sam is blushing a nice shade of red and the other two are laughing at her." Daniel said as he looked over his shoulder at the women through the thin curtains.

Jack also looked over his shoulder, pausing a moment when he caught Sam's eye. She gave him one of her huge smile that made his heart flip in his chest.

"Well I think they are about to start on you, Danny boy."

"Hey Uncle Jack, what's so funny?" Caitlin asked as she came up on to the deck puffing from chasing Johnny around the backyard.

"Nothing, sweetie. Can you go in and tell the cackling women that the meat is almost ready."

Nodding her answer she headed in through the back door.

"Mum, Uncle Jack said the meat was almost ready. Can I have a drink?"

Janet helped her daughter get a drink out of the fridge, and gathered up some cutlery and took it out to the outside table.

The other women with all the salad and a couple of beers followed Janet for the guys.

After the BBQ Janet and the girls hung around for a while until it started to get cold outside.

Just before they left Janet took Megan up to her room and gave her a quick check to make sure that she was ok.

With a clean bill of health, Megan followed the good doctor downstairs and into the arms of Daniel who was waiting at the bottom.

Jack had asked Sam if she wanted to go out to dinner and a movie that night. She had agreed then headed off home so she could get ready.

After Jack had had a shower, he asked Megan to follow him to his room. Daniel stayed down stairs and kept the boys entertained.

"What's up dad?" Megan asked as she sat down on his bed.

"Well, I just wanted to have a chat. We haven't had a chance to talk for a couple of weeks. Plus I need you to help me pick out a shirt to wear tonight."

"Worse than a woman, I swear. What did you want to talk about?" She asked as she got up from the bed and started rummaging through his wardrobe sorting through the choices.

"Well I don't know. I suppose I wanted to double check that you are OK with me and Sam dating."

"Dad, honestly, I've already been to your wedding. I think I'll survive." Megan said sarcastically as she held up a shirt for him.

He shook his head at the choice and continued.

"I know that smart arise, but I just wanted to check. I've never been in this situation before, and I thought it was the right thing to do. Since your ok with it I can start in on the fatherly interrogation shall I."

"Give it your best shot. What about this one?" She said holding up another shirt.

He shook his head, "No, that one is too big. Do you think I should wear jeans or slacks?"

"I don't know where are you taking Sam to dinner and I swear to god if you say some steakhouse I will kill you. You should take her somewhere fancy, and I honestly don't think you will make it to a movie."

"What are you implying Megan? That she will get bored and ditch me?"

"No father dear, I am implying that you wont be able to make it to the movies cause you wont be able to keep your pants on long enough." At the shocked look on her fathers face Megan burst out laughing.

"Megan, I can't believe you just said that. You have been hanging around me way too long. I suppose I will take her somewhere nice, can you pass me my black slacks on the hanger in there?"

Jack headed into the ensuite to change into his pants, still talking as he went.

"So changing the subject, what's going on with you and Daniel? I hear he is staying here."

"Don't be an ass, dad he asked you and you said that it was ok. Plus even if you didn't I am a big girl now daddy." She said the last part in the most horrible little girl voice.

"Point taken. But seriously how are you coping with all this stuff?" Jack asked as he walked out of the bathroom with his pants on waiting for a shirt.

"I don't know, I'm finding it a lot easier now to see this Daniel as a different person than my husband. I can differentiate the two now, in my head. I still want to take it slow for a while, but it will be good for the boys to have their father here. You honestly don't mind do you?"

"Hell no, Daniel and I have lived together before, back after the second Abydos trip. This time he is a lot neater though. It is strange, going from living by myself for years and then in the space of a couple of months having a house full of people. Can't walk around in the buff anymore."

"Thank god for that." Megan said as she found a shirt and a tie and handed it too her father.

"Here give it to me ill tie it for you, after half a lifetime in the air force you still can't do a bloody tie up." Megan did it up for her father.

"Don't forget to use that cologne over there, it is Sam's favorite. Ill go down stairs and book you a table at one of the nicer restaurants in town."

"What did I ever do without you sweetheart." Jack said as he leaned over and gave his daughter a kiss on the forehead.

Once downstairs Megan avoided Daniel's curious looks and went straight to the phone. After booking her father a table at an Italian restaurant in town, she rang Sam to warn her that they were going somewhere nice and jeans wouldn't cut it.

Thankfully she had called cause that is all she was going to wear.

Completely oblivious as to what to wear, Megan told her she would be there in five minutes to help her.

She told Daniel where she was going and found out what he wanted for dinner, saying that she would get it on the way home.

She told him just to tell her dad that she was getting dinner and not to mention that she was going over to Sam's.

Megan grabbed the keys for Daniel's car and gave each of the boys a kiss on the head.

"Samantha Carter you have 35 minutes to finish getting ready. Do your makeup and ill find you a dress?" Megan yelled down the hallway as she let herself in the house.

Going straight up to Sam's bedroom, Megan opened her closet to start the search.

Sam walked out of the bathroom, halfway through applying her makeup. "Thank you so much Megan, I'm the first to admit that I am completely dense when it comes to dresses, I think I only own three."

"Not a problem, I just finished dressing dad. I feel like I have my own ken and Barbie set."

Sam pulled the three dresses out of the wardrobe and laid them on the bed, and headed back into the bathroom to finish her makeup.

"Do you have any skirts and tops or is this the final choice?" Megan asked as she examined the first dress.

"Depends how dressy it is."

"Well dad is wearing a tie, don't know about a jacket. He will most likely wear his leather jacket."

"This one doesn't look too bad, here put it on I'll find you some shoes."

Sam tried all three dresses on before the women decided on the first one. Once Megan was satisfied that Sam looked perfect she headed off before her father came to pick up his date.

Picking up dinner on the way, she made it home in record time.

Just in time to give the twins a bottle and put them to bed.

With in an hour all three children were in bed and the Chinese takeout was in the oven heating up.

Daniel had set the table up in the dining room with candles and good dinnerware, while Megan had put the boys to bed.

He heard her moving around up stairs as he took their dinner out of the cardboard boxes and put them on the plates.

Putting them on the table he had a quick look around to make sure that everything looked perfect. He lit the candles as he heard Megan coming down the stairs.

Meeting her at the door to the dinning room, he noticed that she had changed into a pale green dress. It was shorter than the other one she had on and showed more of her shapely legs.

The green of the dress made the green in her eyes shine as if they were luminescent.

"I figured since we couldn't go out for a romantic dinner, I thought I would bring the romantic dinner to you. Plus Jack told me that he properly wasn't coming back tonight. But I think you might have realized that." Daniel said as he pulled out her chair for her.

"Thank you Daniel, it's lovely. Now hopefully the boys give us a couple of hours to enjoy it."

They ate in comfortable silence for the rest of the meal.

After dinner Megan went into the lounge room, while Daniel cleaned up. Megan tried to help but Daniel made her sit down and pick a movie to watch.

Soon after she made her selection Daniel finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher, and sat on the lounge next to her.

Up until tonight they had not been completely alone since Megan had been in the hospital. Either the kids where there or somebody else was visiting at the same time.

Megan turned her self on the lounge so she was facing Daniel, and grabbed both of his hands with her own.

"Daniel, I want to say this when there is no body else around. I know I've said it before but I want you to realize how deeply I appreciate everything that you have done for me and for Johnny and the twins."

"Honestly Megan, I love being part of your family. I can't believe it that after all this time I can say that. I can say that I have a family. I can't wait until I meet someone and am able to say `Hi nice to meet you. These are my children Johnny, Lachlan and Nick. To say that they are my children, that is enough thanks."

He said while fiddling with the bracelet around Megan's wrist that he had bought her after the twins had been born.

Megan saw the look of pure joy in his eyes as he explained that to her.

At that moment she knew that it was the right decision to come here, to let him be a part of her life and all the other things that she had been questioning during the lonely nights at the hospital.

"Daniel, I want to show you something that I asked Cassie to buy for me." Megan jogged up the stairs and up into their room.

Coming back down a few minutes later with a tiny package in her hands.

"When you got me this bracelet, I noticed that there was an initial missing. I have M for Megan, J for Johnny, N for Nick, and L for Lachlan." She said each one as she counted them off. She handed the package to Daniel.

He opened it up and found a small charm, about the size of the others in the shape of the letter D.

He wrapped it back up telling her that he would take it to the jewelers first thing in the morning to get them to attach it and placed it on the coffee table.

Daniel leaned forward slightly, lowering his eyes to their hands.

He slowly pulled his left hand out of her grasp.

Gently he lifted it towards her face and rested it on her cheek.

Turning slow circles on her skin with his thumb. He could feel the electricity when they touched. Slowly, as if asking for permission he moved forward as he gently pulled her forward until there lips almost met.

Resting his forehead on hers he reached up in between them and pulled his glasses off, discarding them on the nearby table.

"Megan, you are beautiful. I can't believe that I have you here in my arms." He whispered.

Growing impatient, Megan closed the distance between them and kissed him. Lightly at first, she slowly allowed him to deepen it.

Daniel kissed her back feverously, enjoying every sensation that she caused in his body.

Megan ran her hands through his hair, leaving her hands at the back of his head pulling him closer to her.

Daniel leaned back onto the arm of the lounge and Megan followed. Soon he was lying fully on the lounge with Megan cuddled up on top of him.

They spent the rest of the evening exploring each other, knowing full well that they could only take it so far. After all Megan only gave birth a few weeks earlier.

They eventually went to bed and they were only awakened a few times by a crying child. Each time Daniel left Megan to sleep and he looked after it like a pro.

The next morning Megan slept in, until she heard her father's jeep pull up in the garage.

Feeling a little bit groggy, she slowly got out of bed. She could hear Daniel and the boys downstairs making a late breakfast.

Coming down the stairs as her father came in from the garage, Megan took note of the look of absolute happiness that was on his face.

He looked up at her with a half guilty look on his face, looking like a fifteen year old boy busted trying to sneak back into the house.

"Hussy." Was the only thing Megan said to him as she walked by.

He realized that she was just stirring him up and wouldn't bite back.

She went into the kitchen as Jack went up stairs. After sitting down at the breakfast bar, Megan allowed Johnny to crawl up into her lap, so he could actually see his father making pancakes for everyone.

Giving Jack about ten minutes to go up stairs and get back into bed, as she knew he would. Megan sent Johnny on a mission to keep him awake.

As the little boy scampered up the stairs in search of his grandfather, the twins cried out and demanded some attention.

Leaving Daniel to take care of breakfast, Megan happily went about seeing to her babies.

For the next month things went smoothly. Jack spent most nights over at Sam's place.

He said it was to give Daniel and Megan a chance to be alone as a family. But everyone knew there was an ulterior motive. And there were no dire emergency's at the base, so no one was called in.

Teal'c was spending his leave with his son, so they hadn't heard much from him recently. But they were due for a communication check in within the next few days.

Janet had been back to the base a few times, it appeared that there had been an emergency with one of the off world teams.

They had gone to a planet called Kelnoween, one of the members of SG4 had been exposed to a high amount of radiation from a bomb that he had stopped from detonating.

The man had unfortunately died even the Tokra's healing device didn't help. She had been called back to base when one of the people from the planet had come through the stargate.

He had bought a small amount of a metal, which would help them in their fight with the Gould, and had asked for asylum. His name was Jonas Quinn and the good doctor found him rather interesting in a non-medical sense.

Daniel and Megan had managed to go out a few times for those romantic dinners that Daniel had promised her.

Sam and Jack looked after the kids for them every now and then.

Daniel had sold his apartment and at the moment he and Megan were looking at buying a house hopefully not to far from her fathers house.

Daniel had put all of his stuff in storage but had refused with Megan's backing him to sell his stuff. They were hoping to find somewhere with a decent sized office and an attic so he could keep all of it.

With only a week and a half left of there holidays Jack decided that everyone was going up to his cabin.

They would leave the next morning, flights had been booked, car's had been hired and the guy who looked after the cabin during the off peak time was asked to open all the windows to let in the summer breeze.

They were all looking forward to a week in the summer heat fishing and relaxing.

Megan was up late the night before packing all of the kid's stuff that she thought that she would need.

Four suitcases later, she had both hers and the boys stuff ready to go. Daniel chucked a duffle bag on top of the pile the next morning, followed by Jack's then Sam's stuff.

The cabs came by the house and picked up the occupants shortly afterward.

Daniel, Megan and the twins went in one, and Jack, Sam and Johnny went in the other.

Janet, Cassie, and Caitlin meet them at the airport.

Teal'c was invited but being the only one that had been there previously politely declined stating that the lack of fish defeated the whole point of fishing.

Please read and review. Ellie Mae