Chapter Sixteen

AN: Yes I know it's been a while. Honestly I had hoped to post it up sooner, but I was busy with exams, spending time with my most wonderful nephew (who has a little bit of a cameo role in this chapter, his name is Jerrom though), graduating highschool (all done guys!) and celebrating my graduating, and I shall be doing a lot more of that next week! The next chapter is also done which I shall post up tomorrow, if I get the time. Celebrating like three birthdays with the family on one day tomorrow. Where will it end! lol

Six Months Later…

As Jack sat on the couch with Daniel watching The Simpsons, he reflected on the date.

Six months. It was hard to believe that it was just over six months ago that Sam had got married, left the SGC, and left the state. A lot had happened in that six months.

The System Lords were no more. Jaffa were free. Teal'c had gone to live on some planet with Ishtar and his and his family. And after all those victories came one great defeat. Jacob Carter and Selmak had died.

Sam and Pete had come up to the Washington for the funeral, allowing everyone to see her maternal side. She was three months pregnant and just starting to show, but she looked very beautiful and had that mum-like sparkle. Teal'c had come to pay tribute as well after the funeral they had all gone to a café to have some much needed SG-1 time. The only regret that was mentioned was that Jacob would not get to see his newest grand-child. In a throe of unexpected bitterness Jack thought that seeing as he didn't like Pete, he would be a better off not seeing the kid. But that quickly went, as General Hammond seemed enthusiastically pleased about the whole thing.

For Sam, she was very pleased to visit the SGC and was so excited that Pete almost suggested that maybe it wasn't a good idea, for the health of her and the baby. However he only managed to get a couple of words out before the idea was completely dismissed.

Of course Jack wouldn't have expected anything different. He longing to see the SGC was very much like his longing to see her. Not seeing her for six months was a big change from seeing her almost everyday and he had missed her terribly.

Seeing her again in the place she had called home for so long, in "natural habitat" so to speak, it had brought such warmth to her face that he loved to see.

But that had been one month ago, and now it was six months since and he still missed her a lot.

He had learnt to take one day at a time however, and now that he had moved to Homeworld Security he found himself gratifyingly occupied with work, and when he wasn't working, he could be found in Minnesota.

All in all he thought he had survived the period well. He wasn't happy, but he wasn't sad. The times he felt most content were at work, as the "act of fishing" allowed too much time to think of Sam.

They hadn't discussed regrets, but he had them, boy did he have them. He wasn't entirely depressed either, but there were times he felt very lonely, especially seeing as SG-1 was no longer. He had been seeing CIA agent Kerry Johnson, and she had helped heal some of that loneliness.

Loneliness that still shadowed him as he sat watching The Simpson's with Daniel.

One Year after the wedding…

One year had passed since Sam's wedding. Not that Jack was counting; but it was kind of hard to forget the anniversary of your true love's wedding to someone else.

Sam had come up partly for Daniel's birthday party and partly to show off her new baby.

It was a boy incidentally, who to Jack's dismay had the features of his mother rather than that of his father. Curly blonde hair, bright blue eyes, adorable smile.

It put Jack into a bit of a pickle as it was harder not to like the baby, when he looked like Sam.

His name was Char, ironically a lot like the name Charlie, but of course it was a little bit weird for Sam and she insisted on calling him by his middle name Jeffery.

Jeffery was a gorgeous boy and Jack could see that Sam was completely in love with him… And Pete as well.

They were such a typical American family, including the white picket fence, the puppy, the picnics. It was almost sickening really.

As Jack watched them interact at the party, a wave of self-pity washed over him.

Sure Pete did some that embarrassed Sam, and at times she didn't look entirely happy (but whose life was perfect anyway) but Jack knew that she was content with the life she had chosen.

He just couldn't help thinking though, if I had done something earlier on that could've been us. If only I had told her how I felt before that dratted Pete came along. If only I had let her know that I hadn't forgotten about her; that I still loved her, even after I was lost on that moon.

They could've been the 'perfect American family', with their beautiful child/ren. He could've had another chance at fatherhood, with Sam. A brief flash of longing passed across his face which quickly disappeared, so that no one but Daniel noticed, and Daniel knew better than to question Jack about it, of course, but he just watched out for him.

Sam's hair was also a lot longer now that didn't have to have a military haircut. In the past year it had grown very long, another thing that the 'fates' seemed to have against Jack. It reminded him so much of the Alternate Sam that had visited them six years ago… the first time he had gotten to kiss her, well a Sam in any case. The Alternate Sam that had opened up to him, that wasn't involved with Military, wasn't afraid to show her feelings. A side of his Sam that he'd only caught glimpses of.

Jack hadn't felt this awful since the day of the wedding, and the aftermath. After two beers and lots of cake, he decided it was time for him to leave the party. As he said goodbye to Sam, who was holding Jeffery at the time, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and a smile. 'Nice to see you again, Jack.'

'Backatcha, Sam. Ooh watch out for the little man there.' He said as he wriggled in Sam's arms in her attempt to give him a hug.

'Thanks.' Sam tried to reposition him on her hip, but Jeffery still refused to sit still and started to make a pouty face. As he started crying he grabbed his arms out to Jack. Sam gave a flash of a nervous look and said 'I guess he wants to give his Uncle Jack a hug goodbye,' and handed him to 'Unky!'

Jack pulled the cute little boy into his arms and gave him a long hug, trying very hard not to pay attention to his mother behind Jeffery who was smiling so beautifully.

They stood there in the afternoon sun, Jack holding Jeffery and Sam standing next to them. If an ignorant spectator would have happened to pass by, the probably would have mistaken them to be the happy parents with their son; family. But as Daniel observed with his own knowledge, he saw a man, holding the child whose father he did not like, and whose mother was the woman that he'd always loved but could never ever be with.