A/N: And here's the next one. Slight Jack whumping, but not too bad ;)

Enjoy and review.

Chapter 57

Janet's POV

"Do you like my dress?" asks a little brown haired girl from beside me. I bend down to be on her eye level.

"It's beautiful sweetie. Did your parents buy it for you?"

"Yep. Especially for tonight, so I'd look pretty when I met everybody."

"You know, my little girl had a dress like that when she was eleven."

"I'm four and a half." She points out. The matter of fact way she states this sounds vaguely familiar. "Is she here tonight?"

"No. Cassie is back on Earth. But I have a picture of her. Would you like to see?"

"Yes please?"

I pull out my latest picture of Cassie with SG-1 and General Hammond at Sam and Jack's wedding. The Colonel only had eyes for his wife and if they moved a millimetre away from each other until the General Carter fixed the Colonel's ribs I'd be surprised.

"She's very pretty. Is this your family?"

"I guess you could say that."

"I think you all love each other very much."

"Yeah. We do."

"Lots of the people in your picture are here too."

"Yes. That's Teal'c, Jack, Sam and Daniel."

I see Sam heading our way with a young boy in her arms. My young friend waves goodbye and skips away happily.

"Hey Janet."

"Sam. Who have you got here?" I ask quietly trying not to upset him. He seems very young to be at a Festival alone.

"Uhh. He just wanted some attention without getting trampled by the older bo-"

The boy chooses that moment to lunge into my arms. "It's okay Sam. I'll take him. Hey little man. I'm Janet." He giggles and clings to my uniform, before he rests his head on my shoulder and snuggles in to me.

"I think you've got a friend for life there Jan." quips Sam softly as she moves back into the mob of kids that have surrounded us.

I run a soothing hand down the back of my young charge and he chuckles happily, grabbing a loose tendril of my hair. "Gently little one." I warn and he releases my hair to pat my cheek softly, before turning his head again and snuggling into my shoulder.

I rock him gently and move a short distance away where its quieter. His glasses slip sideways and I take them off him as he closes his eyes.

"Lul-by." Comes a short succinct demand.

I search my mind for the children's stories and lullabys I learnt when Cassie first came to me.

"Lul-by peaz!" he whines tiredly.

"Alright little one. Let me think for a moment." I rack my brains and sing the first one that comes to mind. "Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you are. Up, above you shine so high. Like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you are."

I look down to check on him, but he is fast asleep.

SG-1 SG-1 SG-1

Janet's POV – an hour later.

There is a tinkling bell, that wakes my napping young friend from his slumber. He grumbles and wrinkles his nose, and for a second he looks so much like Daniel when he's waking up that I want to cry or laugh. I settle for a sad smile as I put his glasses back on.

I see the little girl that was talking to me earlier head my way. She's been sitting between Sam and Jack for about half an hour as they laughed and played. She grins at me.

"I'll take the baby now. He has to go home. Back to his Mommy and Daddy." She advises me. The boy grips me tighter and I impulsively press a kiss onto his cheek. "The bell is our bed time."

"Okay. Honey, do you want to walk?" I ask of the boy

He sleepily shakes his head and snuggles back into me.

"S'okay. He's my cousin. I can take him."

"Are you sure you can manage?"

"'Cey no. Stay!" Implores the young boy.

"Honey, you need to go back to your parents." I reply as he looks up at me hopefully, when the girl shakes her head sadly.

"'Cey?" he whines.

"Come on little cousin. Home time." she reminds him and he pouts, the bottom lip quivering. "We've got cake when we get home." She interrupts as he takes a deep breath to start crying.

"Cake!" He suddenly brightens. "Down! 'Cey! Cake!" He reaches down to 'Cey' and I make sure she has him securely before letting him go. He waves cheerily as she carries him off and I wave back, my heart aching to hold him again.

I shake my head to clear it and see Sam and Jack sneaking back to camp on their own. Louis Ferretti looks over at me and winks, indicating our honeymooning couple with his head.

I don't know what he's up to, but if the look in his eyes is any judge, Sam and Jack won't be left in peace for long.

SG-1 SG-1 SG-1

Sam's POV

"Jack? You awake?"

"Mmm. What's up?" mumbles my husband and I feel the vibrations in his chest as my ear rests over his heart.

"I was thinking."

"Do ya e'er stop?" he teases and I poke him in retaliation. "Hey! Alright. Fine. I'm awake."

"We need to do something abut Janet and Daniel."

"Sam. They gotta live their own lives. I've tried yelling at him. It didn't work."

"And what about when Janet finds out she's pregnant?"

"I'll kick his ass if he hurts her, okay?"

"Jack."

"Sam. I'm a guy. A guy who doesn't do the touchy feely stuff a lot."

"All last weeks evidence to the contrary." I tease with a smug smile which earns me a leer and those wonderfully talented fingers start tracing my ribs beneath my t-shirt. "Jack, please?"

"You're the one who decided we need to sleep clothed Sam. Means I gotta undress ya all over again." He nibbles on my neck and I squirm away.

"Be serious for a second."

He sighs. "I'll try tomorrow, okay. You work on him, I'll work on the Doc. See if we get any where that way round."

"You promise?"

"Yes Carter. I promise. Can we get back to the touchy feely stuff, now please?"

I giggle as he draws me back down into his arms and he shushes me.

"Jack? Sam? You guys awake?"

My husband groans in frustration and deliberately slams his head on the ground.

"What is it Daniel?" I ask through my giggles.

"Uhh, have you two got a minute."

"SpaceMonkey, w-"

I press my hand over Jack's mouth to curb his retort and reply. "Just a second Daniel. I'll be right out."

"Sam!" hisses my husband.

I glare him down and he crosses his arms sulkily. "Worse than a four and a half year old child." I tease as I straighten my t-shirt and trousers before climbing out of the tent.

Daniel is standing there, looking sheepish. I lead him away from the tent.

"I'm… uhh…sorry about… uhh… interrupting."

"Don't make a habit of it and I won't hold it against you." I tease, glad of the cold night air to calm me down. "What's wrong Daniel?"

"I think I messed up Sam."

"With a translation?" I ask.

"No. With Janet. Every time I try to talk to her we end up shouting."

Daniel, couldn't this have waited 'til morning? "Well. I admit I didn't think you two were completely fixed yet, but-"

"FERRETTI!" comes the enraged yell from my husband and I hurry back to the campsite, just in time to see a soaking Jack tackle Major Ferretti.

The others have all come out of their tents to watch the spectacle.

"Come on Jack. Didn't you need a cold shower?" quips the Major from his headlock. Janet and I look at each other and start giggling which sets the rest of the camp off. Only Teal'c and Jack aren't laughing.

After a few minutes, I calm myself down, and 'rescue' the CO of SG-2 from my husbands wrath.

"Come on Jack, let him up."

"Nuh uh. That was damn cold Sam."

"Jack."

He sighs and reluctantly releases his 'prisoner'. "As for you SpaceMonkey. Getting Sam outta the way. You oughta be ashamed of yourself."

"Jack, I did ask if I could talk to you both. You were the one who'd rather stay in your tent."

I muffle a giggle.

"I am sooo gonna get you back for this. In fact, since I'm the CO here, and you two obviously aren't tired, you can take the watches tonight. After all, we are two sleeping bags short now, until tomorrow, when mine and Carter's gets a chance to dry from your prank."

Ferretti and Daniel look at each other in horror.

"All night sir?" asks Ferretti with a resigned sigh.

"All night Major." Replies Jack with a wicked grin. "Good night." My husband disappears back into our tent to change out of his wet clothes, and I follow him. I take one look at our sleeping bags, which had been joined together to make a double and my giggles turn to a frown. They are completely drenched in cold water.

Jack is muttering to himself angrily, and I know he's more angry at himself for being caught like this than Ferretti or Daniel.

"Jack?"

He is shivering now and I quickly grab a few towels from our, blissfully dry, packs, wrapping them around him and rubbing him dry, even as he peels the sopping clothes from his body. I bite my lower lip and throw a towel over his head, rubbing his hair dry. I hear a muffled protest but continue, trying to warm him up.

"Here, get into these dry clothes, and I'll get you a coffee to warm you up."

"Throw out the sleeping bags and those clothes too Sam?"

"I'm on it Jack. You just stay here and keep warm okay."

"I'm not a kid Sam." He argues again.

"Nope. You're my husband. That means it's part of my job description to keep you healthy, so don't argue.

I leave our tent, dragging the wet clothes and bedding behind me, before I string them up to dry between a few trees. Daniel comes over to help and I smile at him.

"He okay?"

"Just grumpy. He'll be fine once I've got him some coffee to warm him up."

"I really do want your advice about Janet."

"We'll talk tomorrow okay? I promise."

"Thanks Sam."

"Don't thank me yet. Now, where's your sleeping bag Daniel?"

"Sam. I didn't do anything. In fact, I got you outta there. I mean, think how embarrassed you'd be if Ferretti had done that while you two were… you know."

"If he had, he'd be dead right now." I warn, and Daniel steps back a few paces.

"Right. So, I'm saying you should take Ferretti's sleeping bag, not mine."

"I'm taking both."

"Oh."

"Consider it a warning Daniel."

"Right. Received and understood."

"Good night Daniel."

"Night Sam."

I head for the fire and Louis hands me a mug of coffee straight away. "Thank you."

"I thought he might need it."

"Where's your bag Ferretti?"

"Uh, in there."

"Good night."

"'Night."

I return past he and Daniel a minute later, carrying the dry sleeping bags in one hand and the coffee in the other.

"Jack? It's Sam." I whisper, still hesitant at interrupting my CO when he's in a bad mood. The old cliché about old habits running through my head.

"Come on in Sam."

I go inside. He has wrapped himself up in all our towels and I immediately start to lay out our new bed. With military precision and five years of practice we work together to get everything ready for sleep. Except this time, it's a bed for two. I smother my smile quickly and make him get in the sleeping bag first, before joining him and passing him his coffee.

"My knees are gonna give me hell tomorrow, so I'll probably be a bit…"

"I know." I reply, cuddling up to him. "It's okay. You can be grumpy and I won't take it personally."

He sighs. "Just smack me if I start getting out of line okay? With anyone?"

"Jack."

"I mean it Sam. You used to warn me when we were just… whatever we were before, so don't stop now okay?"

"I didn't smack you before though."

"What's the point of being married if you can't enjoy the perks." He quips, making me giggle. "'Night Carter." He prompts as he finishes his coffee and turns off the light.

"'Night sir." I reply, one nightly ritual that we've decided to keep going. Even if we can spice it up with kisses and snuggling.