've been geting overwhelming reviews now! I love you guys lots. Here's the chapter that I cried when I wrote. I hope you enjoy it! Glad you didnt mind the last one!

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Chapter 7

Closure

Colonel O'Neill was gazing at a picture of Charlie when the knock came. "Not in the mood for company," he called through the door. The person knocked again and he sighed. Best not answer. Again they knocked. "I'm not answering!" he yelled through the door. Alright, now they were flat out banging. Swearing he swung his feet off the bed. Either they had paused or left and this nagging feeling told him it was the former.

Yanking the chain off of his door he pulled it open, reading to give a tongue lashing to whoever stood there, destroying his moment of sulking. He found Carter standing before him. "Sam," he whispered, taking in an eyeful of her. He wasn't expecting their first meeting since the last time they had spoken, 6 or 7 months ago, to be her coming to him…and bringing her…their…baby.

He stood back and let her come in. "Come on in," he gulped. He was scared.

xxxx

Sam wasn't sure what to expect when Jack opened the door. She half thought he wasn't going to. But one thing she did know when it did opened. She was scared. Very, very scared. She half thought about turning and running away, but with a baby in her hands, she couln't go far.

"Sam," he whispered, his jaw dropped and he was swallowing hard, trying to believe the scene in front of him.

Suddenly she knew that she wanted to be there, she had to be there. She adjusted the baby in her arms.

"Come on in," he said, standing back to admit her. She walked in slowly.

He closed the door behind her. She walked over to sit on his bed, still exhausted form earlier and needing her rest. He walked over and stood in front of her. "Uhm…I…" he stopped, at a loss of what to say. Sam motioned with one hand for him to take the seat next to her. He did so, trying not to look at the baby, trying not to ask for it.

When he sat down, Sam shifted their daughter, and then placed her in Colonel O'Neill's hands, maneuvering them the right way until he held her correctly, dumbfounded. "This is our daughter, Jack," she said, trying not to get choked up. Too late. Watching Jack and the baby didn't help.

Reacting suddenly to the baby in his arms, Jack moved a finger and waggled it in front of the girls face, a smile growing on his face. She was awake now, and gazing in wonder at the man holding her. She moved her hands around, but couldn't grasp anything, for she was still to young. O'Neill laughed. "Beautiful," he said.

Cater let a silent stream of tears run down her face. Coming her was too much. She sobbed, and O'Neill looked up at her. She saw tears forming on his eyes too, and she couldn't help but bawl. "I'm sorry," she said. "I stayed away and I shouldn't have but…" she couldn't finish, overcome with emotion.

Jack placed their daughter on a pillow behind them, making sure she was safe before turning around and grabbing Sam. He pulled her into a fierce hug, squeezing her as hard and tightly as he could. She put her head on his shoulder and sobbed into his neck, and he let some tears roll down his leathery face as well. Sam squeezed him back just as hard, neither was able to get enough of the other.

"It's not your fault in the slightest," he said, finding it hard to control his voice, but he had mastered it years ago. "I should have tried harder to get to you, I should have said everything would be all right, I should have been there for you."

Sam cried harder. She was ashamed of herself, of her actions, she knew this was mostly her fault. "I shouldn't have cut you off," she said. "I was scared, sir."

He cringed. She still called him sir. "Sam," he said, pushing her away to look at her in the eye and wipe a tear from her cheek. "I was terrified."

Laughing and giving a choked sob at the same time, Sam smiled. Jack was looking at her, the same emotion in his eyes that had been there nine months ago. But he was reluctant tonight and didn't want to kiss her, afraid of the consequences. Sam leaned into him and snaked her arms around his neck, kissing him on the mouth as her way of saying everything was alright.

They broke apart when the baby squalled. They both reached to pick her up, and Sam laughed when their hands touched. Letting Jack be the one to finally hold her again. "Teal'c and Daniel said she has no name yet," Jack said, bouncing her up and down in an attempt to stop her crying.

"No, sir…" she paused and licked her lips when he winced, then backtracked. "No, Jack, she doesn't."

"Teal'c said I should tell you my suggestion," he said, still looking down at the baby.

"What's that?" Sam asked, putting her head on his shoulder as she watched the baby girl too.

Jack paused for a moment. "Elizabeth," he said. "If Charlie had been a girl, or had a sister, her name would be Elizabeth."

Sam gazed at the child in his arms. "I like that," she said. "Elizabeth Mae Carter."

"You know what would be better?" Jack asked, giving her the baby. When she left room for him to continue, he did. "Elizabeth Mae O'Neill."

Sam stopped rocking the baby. "But…Jack…regulations…"

"Screw regulations," he said, looking her in the eye. "I'm sure Hammond can ask the President to pardon us or something."

"Jack, if this is because of the baby…Elizabeth…"

O'Neill put his hand over her mouth to silence her and held up the finger of the other hand. "Ep. I thought you were going to say that. Carter…Sam…I would have married you three years ago if we had been allowed to. C'mon Sam, you remember what I said, right?"

Sam nodded. "Okay," she said.

"Okay….what?" O'Neill asked, shocked. Would she really accept.

"If we can find a way…let's do it," she said, smiling.

Jack smiled back at her. "Carter," he said. "You always find a way."

Sam laughed, and he laced his arm around her, making sure she stayed close. "Sam?" he asked softly.

"Mnnh?"

"Next time, I want to be there every step of the way, okay?"

Sam whipped her head sideways to look at him. "Next time, s...Jack?"

O'Neil nodded. "Next time," he whispered. "Okay?"

Carter looked deep into his eyes, and could tell he was almost pleading with her, if the Colonel could plea. She nodded. "Alright sir, next time."

Jack grinned, and Sam smiled. Before she knew it, she found herself spending the next few hours in Jacks room, catching up with him. It felt good. When she finally dozed off listening to one of his stories, Elizabeth cradled in her arm, he smiled. Gently, Colonel O'Neill picked her up, bridal style, the baby nestled in her lap, and carried her back to the infirmary, where she had told him she needed to be that night. He saw Teal'c and Daniel on his way, and both gave him surprised looks. Well, Teal'c didn't look surprised, he looked like he knew all along. Janet smiled as he carried her back in, and offered to pull up another bed for him that night. He refused, saying he'd rather just sit and watch them sleep, and Janet left them alone.

xxx

yeup! that's the end...minus the epilogue of course! stick around for three more mini chapters!

love ya all lots for reviewing big grin