I know a lot of you don't like the idea that Laira is Junior's mother, but she is not in this fic because basically I killed her off! I did actually like the episode, but mainly because it reminded us that Jack has a much more vulnerable and human side to his character that we had only glimpsed at twice previously. (Cold Lazarus and Show & Tell)

I would like to thank everyone who sent in reviews. I cannot express what I feel when they come in. Thank you doesn't seem enough. Every one of them makes it all worth while. Thanks!

A little humour and some angst in this chapter, but stick with me because this roller-coaster ride of emotions has only just begun.

Junior

By Lingren

Previously:-

Their eyes locked onto each other for a few seconds but a wealth of understanding passed between them. She was good with the boy, just as he'd known that underneath that tough military shell she would make a good mother, despite her protestations to the contrary in the past.

Chapter 5

Jonathon junior clung to his father's neck for most of the time they were making the rounds of the shops in the Mall, his head swivelling round to look at everything. Sam had collected several large carriers, overflowing with essential items. Jack felt guilty about her having to carry them all, but with Jon hanging onto him as he was, he couldn't do much else.

Everywhere they went, the boy's eyes were agog with things they took for granted. His face lit up with joy when they entered the toy store. It was the only time that Jack was able to put him down other than when he was trying on clothes for size.

Jack held onto his hand as Jon led him along the aisles. Of course the boy had no idea what half the toys were, but he recognised the stuffed toys and chose a large super-soft yellow toy dog because he said it reminded him of his friend Micah's dog.

Jack felt him tremble and saw the first tears fall as the boy recalled what had happened, and that he would no longer see Micah or his dog, or in fact anyone from his home town or planet ever again. Jack picked him up in his arms again, comforting him, holding him close before they moved on to find some drawing paper and coloured crayons, finger paints, and lots of building bricks, then a few books for reading at quiet times, anything to take the boy's mind off his tragic past.

By the time they reached the checkout, the cart was almost full and the middle-aged woman at the till smiled at them indulgently, passing a comment or two to Jon still curled up in Jack's arms, sucking on his thumb.

"Wow. You're such a lucky little guy aren't you!" she cooed softly as she worked. "I can see your grandpa spoils you."

Sam sniggered and Jack stiffened at the woman's assumption and pulled himself upright to his full height, staring down at her with a scowl.

The female assistant was completely oblivious to the look or to inner thoughts cascading through Jack's mind as she carried on chattering inanely to the boy.

"I can see you're gonna have so much fun with these," she said, placing the last item in the bag and handing the full to bursting carriers over to Sam. "There we are Mommy. All done!"

Now Jack didn't know whether to laugh at Sam's shocked face for being referred to as Jon's 'Mommy', or to be insulted by the insinuation that he was Sam's father. Instead, he handed over his credit card to the woman with a thunderous scowl which would normally have even seasoned Colonels quaking in their boots, but the assistant was totally impervious to such a look and even before he'd put his wallet away, she was already smiling sweetly at the next customer in line.

Jack snorted with disgust and followed a few metres behind a red-faced Sam, out towards the truck. When he arrived, she had her back to him, leaning against the truck with her shoulders shaking. He approached her with trepidation, wondering why she was crying. He reached out and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. Damn sales assistant, upsetting her like that, he cursed silently.

"Sam?"

When she swung round to face him, he was taken aback slightly because she wasn't crying, she was having hysterics. She was laughing so much, she had tears sliding down her cheeks which she ineffectually tried wiping away.

"What was so funny?" he demanded grumpily, though he knew full well what she was laughing at. So help her if she was laughing at him.

"Y...your face was a picture!" she giggled helplessly.

Jack's scowl deepened with exasperation but he kept his tongue firmly in place when Jon decided that whatever it was that had Sam in stitches, was funny too and giggled with pleasure.

"You think it's funny too huh?" Jack asked of Junior, but his lips twitched, it was good to see them both laughing, but he hid his own amusement behind another frown. Handing the guffawing child over to Sam.

"Here you are 'Mommy'!" he glowered as Jon easily transferred to her arms.

Jon looked at Sam and smiled shyly.

"Are you gonna be my new Mommy?" he asked in all innocence and both adults stood stock still as the words penetrated their minds. Thoughts full of possibilities.

Sam prevaricated on answering the question, finding something else to amuse him with, while Jack wordlessly grabbed the bags and slung them in the back of the truck, his black mood back again. It seemed obvious now that Sam was avoiding the question, probably because she didn't want to become involved any more.

He unlocked the front passenger door, letting the boy sit there with Sam who sniggered once more when she looked up to see Jack's scowl still written plain across his face. Jack set to on sorting out the new car-seat, trying not to listen to the two of them still snickering. He couldn't deny that hearing Jonathon Junior and Sam laughing did sound good to his ears. Goodness only knew when the boy had last been able to have fun, even if it was at his expense, but of course Jon didn't understand that minor detail. He hoped.

After several minutes and softly muttered curses, he'd managed to get the seat organised and then fastened his son securely into it; the new toy dog clutched firmly in his hands.

"Ready to go kid?" Jack asked when he'd finished.

Sam slid into the seat beside the boy and fastened her seat-belt too, feeling like an unwelcome guest.

Junior nodded and yawned round a sleepy smile, worn out and happy with his adventure. He was tired and had eaten well considering, enjoying the food he'd managed to eat, although Jack was careful at what he gave the boy. The last thing he wanted was to have to child throwing up all the way home because he couldn't digest the strange food, and besides, Doc Brightman had warned him to go easy at first.

There was one advantage of his time spent with Laira, at least where food was concerned; he'd lived on Edora for three months so he knew what they ate and had stuck to the most palatable similarities that Earth had to offer. He had yet to go grocery shopping, but that could wait until tomorrow, he still had plenty of food in the fridge at home. That was at least one benefit of not going off-world anymore; that he could now stock his fridge and larder without it going to waste as it had in the past while he was away on missions.

"Great," he confirmed, ruffling the boy's hair gently with affection. "Let's go home."

Sam and Jack exchanged glances, knowing that before they had gotten too far, the youngster would be asleep and it would be time to talk. Jack climbed into the truck and pulled away, neither of them saying anything until Jack noted the boy had finally drifted off. He wanted to ask her to if she'd spend the rest of her days with him. To marry him, because the question of 'when' he would retire was no longer valid, it was now a case of effective almost immediately. He couldn't ask her that important question like this though, he wanted to do it properly, at the right time, without extenuating circumstances.

"Will you drop me back at the mountain Sir?" Sam asked, feeling awkward for the first time.

Her words left him cold as if someone had walked over his grave.

"You don't wanna come back to the house?" he asked incredulously.

"No Sir. I can't, I have work to do."

'Sir' That simple but damning word drove a wedge between them leaving a tense atmosphere inside the vehicle which put a strain on their normal easy relationship. The brief moment of hilarity back at the parking lot had passed leaving a hollowness that he found hard to fill.

"Ah...we need to talk Sam. I thought...with the kid asleep, we could..." he stumbled through the words unsure of how she would react.

"I need some time to think about this first Sir. Please..." Sam begged, she really needed to get her head round recent events and developments.

"Uh...okay. How about dinner next Saturday?"

There was a tense moment when he thought she would refuse outright, but when she did reply it was almost as bad as he feared.

"I'm not sure Sir. I'll let you know."

Damnit, he could see it in her eyes; she was having doubts about all this. Sooo not good, Jack taunted himself.

He felt like he was on a 'merry-go-round' and he just wanted it to stop so he could get off. His life had been turned upside down within 50 or so hours. Was he destined to lose Sam because he had gained a son? He couldn't lose her now; he needed her in his life, but he couldn't not keep his child. Those eight years of waiting for the right time to be with her meant a lot to him and he wasn't about to let her go; not now, not ever. Not if he could help it.

"Sam...nothing's changed between us. I still love you, ya know!"

He watched her in the rear-view mirror; watched as her face took on a strangled, anguished look and she turned her head away to gaze unseeingly out of the window at the passing scenery, tears leaking from her eyes.

She didn't reply. She couldn't not yet. She needed to sort out herself and her conflicting emotions before she could answer him in all certainty. She did love him, but where exactly did she stand now? He had new responsibilities and a small child was a heavy burden not to be taken lightly, especially at his age. He wasn't young any more, though he was young at heart. She snorted inwardly knowing that despite that hard-ass military front there still lurked a child like quality hidden within him. It's what makes him the way he is. It defined his soul and made him all the more endearing. He was human after all and not just a mindless military machine.

Jack watched her fighting with her inner demons and quietly sighed with disappointment.

"Okay," he relented sadly. "I'll drop you off at the gate. Give me a ring later in the week to let me know if you're coming okay?"

Sam could tell by his gruff voice that he was upset now. That her unwillingness to respond to his declaration had caused him grief.

"Sure. I'll give you a buzz on Friday night."

He nodded as their eyes met in the mirror before he turned away to concentrate on his driving.

She gave him a tight smile as he pulled away from the gate, but he didn't respond, merely setting his face into neutral and then drove off, retreating down the mountain again. Sam's heart sank into the depths of misery. It would take a lot of serious thinking to discover exactly where their relationship was heading. After spending time with his son he may not want her around. The boy may resent her intrusion into his life after having just discovered his father and losing his mother like that. She felt she was adrift in a mine field and didn't know which way to turn.

TBC