Hey guys! I know it's been waaaaay too long, but that's what I get for getting so into Shep/Weir over on Atlantis! Enjoy :-D

So They Say

Chapter 6 – Control

As the torrent of emotions finally subsided, Sam stood still in Jack's arms, holding onto him tightly and listening to his soft voice in her ear whispering words of comfort. She stepped back, finding the strength for a weak smile.

"Sorry, I'd talked myself into thinking I was…"

Jack stood up, placing both hands to her face and tracing the tracks of her tears delicately. "I know." As he studied her features, his mind raced with words he could say to make her feel better, but he gave up, instead bending to press a tender kiss to her lips. "Tell me how I can make this better."

With a slight shake of her head, she moved forward again, breathing in the scent of aftershave and soap as she wrapped her arms around his middle. "I think I'll go for a run."

"You want company?" He asked, smoothing her hair back and placing a kiss to the top of her head.

"I'll be okay. I just want to think."

His eyes followed her as she moved out of his embrace and into the bedroom to change. "Just don't push yourself too hard."

"I promise." She smiled at his disbelieving gaze, but he could see the sadness in her eyes, a sadness she didn't deserve. As she walked past him with a quick kiss goodbye, he felt a wave of guilt at ever bringing up the idea she might be pregnant.

Once Sam had returned from her jog, all traces that morning had even happened were gone, but it didn't stop Jack watching her intently. They'd taken up the offer of a guided tour of his brother's home town, although the second Dave's Taurus pulled into the hotel's parking lot, Jack regretted it. Not only had Dave brought Alison along, but strapped into the backseat was a small dark-haired little girl of no more than three. He clasped Sam's hand tighter, knowing this wasn't what she needed right now.

"Ellie here insisted she come along." Dave explained as he opened the door for his brother and girlfriend, earning a gleeful smile from the toddler. "She's Alison's sister's granddaughter."

The child's car seat took up most of the left side of the back seat; leaving Sam leant back against Jack, something he couldn't say he was unhappy about. Ellie sat quietly, her eyes on the two new people in the car next to her. Jack reached around Sam to tap Ellie lightly on the head, making her laugh exuberantly as she moved around to find out where the hand had come from.

"So did you two have a good night last night?" Dave asked from the front seat as he pulled out on to the main road.

"We made it an early night." Jack smirked, earning an elbow to his stomach from Sam, who shot him a mock-annoyed glare. Dave laughed at them, glancing over at his wife, who didn't look impressed. "That came out wrong…"

Sam smiled at the inquisitive gaze from the little girl beside her, vaguely listening to Jack continue his conversation. Ellie held out her hand, trying to reach for Sam but unable to from where she was strapped in.

"I like your dress," Sam told her with a smile, leaning closer to see what the toddler wanted. Her big green eyes looked at her before grinning again, her small hand reaching towards her neck and grasping the locket at her throat. She laughed at Ellie's determination, pulling the necklace gently from her grasp before releasing the clasp at her behind her neck. "This was a present from your Uncle Jack." She explained, letting Ellie hold the heart shaped pendant. "It's a locket, see there's a picture inside." Opening the faces of the locket with her fingernail, the tiny picture inside never failing to make her smile, she watched as the toddler studied the photograph.

"It's a dog!" Ellie exclaimed with a smile, pointing to the big black dog that sat with his tongue lolling out in the foreground of the picture. Jack stood behind him holding Jasper's favourite chew toy, his arms wrapped around Sam as they both smiled for the camera. It had been taken nearly two months after Jack had brought the young Labrador home, and Sam knew Jack also carried the picture with them in his wallet, though he'd never admit to being so sentimental.

"His name's Jasper." She told Ellie, who continued to smile from ear to ear.

"Can we play with Jasper?"

"I'm sorry, honey, we had to leave him at home."

"So you two have yourselves a dog too?" Dave asked, mildly amused. "You have Jack very well trained Sam, I'm pleased to see."

"They're no substitute for children though," Alison said pointedly, bringing the jovial mood to a complete stop.

"Ali…" Her husband chastised her with a glare.

"Oh, do you have children already, Sam?" Alison went on airily, deliberately ignoring both her husband's and her brother-in-law's glower.

Sam felt Jack's arm tighten around her protectively, and she turned to Alison with a forced smile. "No, I don't."

"Just never met the right guy?"

"Something like that." She replied, wondering why Alison had to go and pick today of all days to bring up the children topic. She felt Jack press a kiss to her hair as she turned her gaze back to Ellie, who was watching Sam intently again.

"Don't let her get to you." Jack whispered gently, his lips right next to her ear. He could feel her tense when his sister-in-law asked her the less than polite questions, immediately regretting the choice to spend the afternoon this way. Sam shifted round to smile at him, setting his worry aside as she pressed her mouth to his briefly.

"I'm fine." It was mostly true, the events of that morning having been pushed to the back of her mind for a while, but Jack wasn't convinced. Over her shoulder he grinned at Ellie watching them, tapping her lightly on her head again and receiving the delighted response.

"Here we are." Dave announced, pulling the car to a stop in front of the large park.

"Auntie Sam!" Ellie called urgently as Sam was stepping out the door. Turning back to the toddler, Sam smiled as she saw her holding out her locket.

"Thank you." She accepted the necklace, straightening as she tried to fasten it behind her neck, until Jack took over and managed to hook the fiddly clasp with ease. "Jasper would have loved this park."

"As long as he can give one of us the run around, he likes anywhere." Jack replied as she slipped an arm around his waist.

"He's always good as gold if I take him out." Sam replied with a grin. "Maybe it's just you."

"Or maybe the mutt is smart enough to know who feeds him." He replied; receiving the desired laugh he was aiming for.

As they waited for Dave and Alison to sort out which of Ellie's things to bring with them, the little girl in question suddenly ran around the front on the car and latched on to Sam's free hand. "I want to walk with Auntie Sam!"

"I think you made a new friend there." Jack laughed, tousling the toddler's dark hair affectionately.

"Swings!" Ellie said with an excited smile, pointing to a big playground towards the middle of the park as she tried to pull the two adults along with her.

Jack called back to his brother that they had Ellie, saying they'd meet them in the playground. Ellie headed straight for the swings, asking Sam to push her. Standing back from the rest of the children running around happily, Jack stood and watched as Sam played with her new best friend, the thought of how good she'd be as a mother pulling at his heart. At least they knew what they wanted now, if anything had come from the last - very surreal - twenty-four hours. He glanced back in the direction of the car park, spotting his brother and sister-in-law walking in what looked to be mid-argument. He shook his head; still disbelieving that Alison could still be as vindictive as she was ten years ago.

He switched his gaze back to his girlfriend, he saw she'd stepped aside of the swings, holding on to the metal support heavily as the colour drained from her face. Alarmed, Jack closed the distance between them in record time, but was a few feet short of her when she crumpled to the ground.