I'm sorry to keep everyone waiting for this chapter. I was going to upload it yesterday, but bad storms hit our area and we got cut off.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed again. I really do appreciate them. I'm just glad you're all enjoying this. More fluff coming very soon.

Junior

By Lingren

Previously:-

She desperately wanted to go and check him over properly and run some tests to make sure the damage had been healed but she knew she should trust the Tok'ra Selmak or General Carter so she reluctantly left him to sit with the patient while she spread the good news to Jon and Colonel Carter and the others waiting outside.

Chapter 18

Dr. Brightman knew that Teal'c and Dr. Jackson would be there too. Whenever one or the other were in the infirmary the others were never far from them.

She entered the main waiting area where she could see that they were going through hell wanting to know what was going on. As she approached she saw them look up, and could see they were desperate for news.

"Colonel Carter, Dr. Jackson, Teal'c, and Jon Junior," she smiled, especially at the last person mentioned.

"What happened?" Sam and Daniel cried together.

"The General went into Vfib. Unfortunately it's a common occurrence in patients with Arrhythmia," she explained.

"Is he...? Is...?" Sam stuttered, desperate for someone to tell her how Jack was.

"General O'Neill will be just fine now. Colonel Carter, your father told me to assure you that Selmak has healed all the damage and that given some time to rest and recover the General shouldn't have any more problems. He's sleeping comfortably now and Selmak says he should not be disturbed yet." She crouched down to face Jon Junior. "Your Daddy's gonna be just fine now Jon. He's all better again."

Jon smiled and looked up at Sam for confirmation, moving to hold her hand which she clung to. Sam unconsciously slipping her free hand round his shoulder to pull him towards her.

"Dad healed him?" Sam asked; she'd been wondering where her father had gone. "He...he never said a word." She spun back to the others accusingly. "Did you know about this?"

"No, no Sam. I...I didn't know what he was here for," Daniel said backing away from her angry frown. "I wouldn't lie to you Sam, you know that!" he said standing up to her now. He was just plain happy that Jack was going to be fine once more.

"It is indeed good news Dr. Brightman," Teal'c intoned, though his imperious manner belied the pleasant feeling of warmth he felt spreading inside him at the thought of his friend being healthy again.

Dr. Brightman left the friends to talk among themselves while she had her duties to see to, and knowing that what would pass between them wouldn't be any business of hers.

Sam closed her eyes and took a tight hold on her emotions.

"I'm sorry guys. I didn't mean..."

"It's okay Sam." Daniel moved forward to wrap her in his arms, showing her he forgave her. "Jack's gonna be fine Sam. No more problems now."

He released her and bent down face to face with Junior who was feeling lost and out of it at the moment because everyone had ignored him so far.

Daniel sat on the bed and pulled the boy onto his lap, making eye contact with him.

There were tears in Jon's eyes and Daniel gently wiped them away with a tissue. He smiled reassuringly at the boy then explained everything to him slowly so that he would understand.

"Jon, your Daddy's gonna be okay now. He's all better again. I guess he's sleeping right now but when he wakes up he's gonna be like new. He's gonna be the one to take you to all those exciting places he promised before he got sick, and he's gonna be able to look after you again. Okay?"

"And Mommy too?" Jon asked in all innocence.

"Huh?" Daniel, linguist extraordinaire, couldn't come up with a coherent exclamation to his surprise while his eyebrows rose higher than Teal'c's.

"Mommy," Jon explained. "Daddy and Mommy are gonna look after me. Right?" He asked, turning to Sam with a big happy smile and reaching out towards her with a chubby hand.

"What?" Daniel asked again, still flummoxed by the statement. "Sam? What is it that you're not telling us?"

Sam coughed a little uncomfortably, but took Jon's hand with a grin.

"Well, I...em...It's not official yet but, well, Jack asked me to marry him."

Daniel shot off the bed, putting Jon aside quickly and grabbed her by her arms, pinning them to her sides.

"When?" he began, then clarified what he meant. "I mean when did he ask you? What did you say?"

"In the hospital in Minnesota. Just after I got the roses. And I said... yes."

"And you never said a thing to us? I though we were your friends Sam?" he asked with a mock hurt expression, though his blue eyes sparkled with joy.

"You are our friend Daniel, but...Jack hadn't officially retired back then. He is now so I guess it doesn't matter so much. But it's not common knowledge yet guys so please don't say anything until we can publicly announce it."

"Congratulations Colonel Carter. I am indeed very happy for you," Teal'c said stepping forward to brush his lips over her cheek in a chaste kiss, and gave her a warm hug.

"Thanks Teal'c. I'm still finding it rather strange. I can't believe Jack's going to be okay. I just want to go see him."

"You cannot Colonel Carter," Teal'c reminded her, "Selmak has said he was not to be disturbed. He is resting."

"He is. And Selmak did say that Sam!" Jacob said on entering the room behind her, making her swing round to see him. "He's gonna be just fine Sam. Selmak healed all the damage. It's all gone. You'll see him soon enough when he wakes up." He reassured her.

"Oh Dad!" she cried burying herself in his embrace and allowing the pent up tears of relief and joy fall to soak his sand coloured tunic.

He didn't mind in the least that he was getting damp from her tears, he just held onto her, kissing the top of her head, and waiting patiently until she had recovered from her emotional outburst.

Daniel swept up Jon with a whoop of delight and spun him round joyfully, making Jon giggle.

Jack was going to be okay and everyone could be happy, but they had forgotten there might be a new threat on the horizon.

A certain Goa'uld was best not pleased with the news that Jack was still alive.

OoOoOoOoO

The sound of Jack's grumbling was music to Sam's ears as she neared the General's infirmary room. She entered with a wide grin, unable to hide just how happy she was to hear him, no matter what he was grouching about.

Jack was sitting on the edge of the bed, still clad in the pale blue scrubs and complaining that he was fine.

He turned towards her and appealed to her to please tell the Doc that he was okay now.

Dr. Brightman was taking his blood pressure, the cuff wrapped tightly round his left arm.

"I just want to make sure that everything is working normally again General," came the exasperated cry from the medic.

"It is! I'm fine!" he groused once more.

Sam couldn't help the wide smile on her face at this. It was difficult to think that only yesterday he was at fighting for his life again for the second time in as many weeks. He'd woken from a healing sleep feeling so very much better. Glad to be alive and healthy once more, thanks to Jacob's intervention, or rather Selmak's; for she had been the one to wield the healing device.

"Is he okay Doctor?" Sam asked when Dr. Brightman withdrew the stethoscope from her ears, hung it round her neck, leaving her hands free to unwind the BP cuff.

"He's all yours Colonel!" she sighed with relief. There was nothing worse than a grumpy General O'Neill being kept in her infirmary unnecessarily.

"Great. General," she said laying his clothes carefully over the bottom of the bed. "General Hammond is waiting to see you in the briefing room when you're ready."

"No 'hello' from my favourite person this morning?" he pouted.

"Hello Jack," she whispered seductively, trailing a finger up his bare arm sending shivers through him, making him glad that he wasn't still attached to the BP cuff or the CMO would have kept him where he was for sure because he was certain his blood pressure had risen at her touch.

"Not quite what I had in mind, at least not here anyway. But I'll hold you to that later."

"That a promise?" she pouted mischievously.

"Yeahsureyoubetcha!" he said leaning over to kiss her. He reached out to wrap her in his arms. The first time he'd been able to since just before the attack, and he'd missed it so. "I love you Sam!"

Sam kissed him back, pushing herself to stand between his knees while he sat on the edge of the bed so that she could get closer to him. She relished the fact that she could do this now without reproof. He was officially retired after all. She loved him and wasn't afraid to show it any more.

"I love you too Jack."

She reluctantly withdrew from his warm embrace, pushing the coat-hanger with his clothes hanging on it, into his hands.

"Best not to keep the General waiting, General."

He sighed with regret. He wanted nothing better than to stay in her arms all day having missed the feel of them around him for what seemed altogether like far too long.

"I guess. You coming?"

"Uh, uh! I've not been invited," she sighed, shaking her head.

"I don't care about that. Will you join me? I want to tell George about us."

"Us?"

"I thought you said 'yes'?" he frowned, stopping from dressing.

"I did. I just...is this the right time to tell him? That's all."

Jack finished pulling up his pants then dragged on his shirt, tucking it in before he zipped up and fastened the belt. She straightened his tie for him before he was speaking again.

"I'm not gonna wait any longer Sam. We've waited far too long as it is," he grumbled. He wasn't annoyed with her, only their circumstances. "I want a life! Is that too much to ask?"

"Okaaay," she drawled, dragging the word out. "If that's what you want."

"I always wanted you! I just couldn't have you before, well, not officially. Not until now that is," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

Sam smiled to herself as she watched him pulling on his socks and tying his shoe laces, then donned his dress blues jacket for one last time, thanking god for her father and his symbiote. It was sooo good to see Jack fit and well again, and her heart did a flip to see him looking so damn handsome in his uniform, with the rows of hard won and well deserved medals on his chest. She sighed happily as she watched him, bringing a smirk to his lips as he caught sight of her far away look.

"Ready?" she asked when he straightened up.

"As I'll ever be!" he huffed, picking up his cap and tucking it under his arm.

Together they walked to the elevator to reach the briefing room. They didn't hold hands, as much as Jack wanted to; too many years of conditioning himself not to touch her if he could help it, and it wouldn't allow him to do as such in the corridors of the SGC. Besides which he was in uniform for his last official duty as a favour for General Hammond.

TBC

Just wanted to say, my family and I are very much shocked and saddened by the devastation wreaked by 'Katrina' and that you are in our thoughts and prayers.