Sorry for the delay; here is Chapter 3. Flashbacks are in italics. Thank you for your kind reviews.

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Chapter 3: Now get out of my conference room

He vividly remembered the day she resigned. It was a broken record he played in his head over and over for the last four and half years.

"You wanted to see me, Carter"?

"Yes, here."

"What's this?"

"My resignation…from SG-1."

"I won't accept it." he pushed it across the table and shoved his hands into his pockets defiantly.

"Sir, I've been reassigned."

"What? Where?" He started to make his way toward the door. He was going to have a chat with Hammond about this.

"I am going to work with the Asgard." He stopped and turned around.

"For how long?" He asked suspiciously.

"I don't know." She answered in a quiet un-Carter like voice.

"We weren't going to discuss this-" He really didn't want to seem chauvinistic about this, she didn't have to ask his permission, he just wanted her here with him.

"Don't," she pleaded.

"Sam-"

"Colonel, please-" He looked into her eyes and saw how red they were. He could tell she had been crying. He softly started, "You don't have to do this-" but he knew she hadn't made this decision lightly. She didn't make any decision lightly. Her eyes were begging him not to make this more difficult. He didn't want her to leave, but he couldn't hold her back. He smiled to reassure her, "You're the best person for the job, Carter." She smiled, but he could tell it was only half-hearted. He heard voices in the corridor.

"Well keep your head down and good luck Major. You'll be missed." The last part he said more quietly. He walked out, knowing that if he didn't leave then, he was going to really mess things up. If he had only known then…

"So you going to give this account of circumstances to which it is hoped that I will not overreact, run ranting through the hallowed corridors of the deserted SGC, and alienate myself from my kids, my wife, two generals, 2 valued allies and the President….ahhhh-" an understanding of the timing of this late night/weekend meeting hit him, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly and she smiled, "Clever Carter fewer witnesses of my lunacy."

"Thank you, but you're way too calm." She observed with concern.

"Well maybe I am getting soft in my old age – or maybe (and here is where he started to slip) no one has ever conspired against me with 2 alien races to conceal the existence of my children...at least, that I know of. I am very curious to know why you, the smartest human being I know, felt this was your best option." He waved his hands manically around the room with his voice rising and Sam felt strangely more at ease – seeing the Jack she knew and loved.

Sam turned around and looked back at the window her Dad started walking toward the door at the sound of Jack yelling and Hammond grabbed his arm and said something that stopped him from moving further. Thor seemed to be not so patiently waiting anymore. She looked to them for strength and to remind herself of how things got to things point.

She turned to face Jack again. Breathe she reminded herself.

"General Hammond retired when the NID picked up his granddaughters from school." He nodded remembering the incident that still left a bad taste in his mouth. "He left and you disappeared, and that's when I discovered I was pregnant." He looked down at his hands, thinking about the stress General bullet point summaries had put her under to build that bomb and nearly blew up the mountain. Now knowing that she had also just discovered she was pregnant during that time put a knot in his stomach.

"Then when you and Hammond returned, I went to him to resign. He wouldn't let me. He asked me to wait just a few more days before I told you, to see what he could do. A few days later I was beamed aboard Thor's ship with General Hammond, and my father was waiting there. Hammond explained what the NID had done regarding the threat to his granddaughters, what he knew of Kinsey's involvement, and how you factored into what had happened. Hammond thought if Kinsey found out, he would come down hard on you, well on both of us." She paused and breathed in deeply. "In addition what interest the NID might have in a baby that might have naquadah in their blood and Thor expressed his concern about the dangers from our enemies elsewhere. It all seemed….well a bit overwhelming. Here I was just worried about you not getting court-martialed." She snorted at the irony.

She continued, "We discussed some possible options, George and the President tried to figure out another way, but they just couldn't with Kinsey. So with Thor's help they decided the best solution for the time being was for me to embark on a science mission to work with the Asgard. If all went well Kinsey's bid for the White House would end unfavorably and I could come home. I worked with Thor for the next 4 months or so and then he left me with the Nox, they were able to give the babies a better chance."

"Are they okay?" suddenly concerned.

"Yeah, their great. The Asgard just don't know anything about birthing babies. Thanks to the Nox, JJ and Grace were both born healthy, 10 fingers and 10 toes each. I worked from there for a few months after they were born. Thor returned and I went back to work with the Asgard. Turns out Thor loves kids, at least ours. We've spent the majority of our time on Asgard ships, and on Nox and Asgard protected planets. Now earth can better protect itself, and the Goa'uld, NID and Kinsey are no longer the threats they were. So here I am, asking you if I can come home."

He looked up surprised, not realizing there was a question. "Asking, you don't need my permission. Sounded like it's a done deal out there."

"No matter what they said out there." She pointed back to the window behind her. "It is up to you. I have options, this is the assignment I want."

Jack stood walked around the desk and leaned back against it, not looking up from the floor. He wasn't sure what he was processing, if anything. Sam was coming home with their children, they had all kept this from him, and she didn't trust him. It was a melting pot of anger, hurt, fear, betrayal, joy and anticipation. She stood up and took the couple of steps to close the distance and stand in front him. He didn't know if he was going to shake or hug her, or throw something across the room. How did he get left out of a major decision regarding his family?

"Of course, I want you to bring them home." How in the world could she not know that? He wondered. "When can I see them?"

"Whenever you're ready," she looked at her watch. "but it's about 0300 there right now."

"Where are they?" trying to figure out the time difference.

"With the Nox, Lya is taking care of them."

"Oh. When were you thinking of bringing them home?"

"I told her possibly through Wednesday."

"Wednesday!"

"I didn't know what you would want, how you would react, and I don't have a place or anything ready for them."

"Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter, PhD doesn't have a plan?" He teased; he was surprised.

"There are still a lot of loose ends, and hard to make arrangements from an Asgard Vessel."

"Loose ends?"

"Kids haven't been cleared yet, paper trail has to be established. They don't even have birth certificates."

"We bring them back here to the base until then?" She nodded. She had already figured they would probably have to spend some time on the base. "Tomorrow then?"

"Sunday? I think we need to talk before we bring them back here."

"That can wait until tomorrow right. I need sometime to think about all of this." She nodded gratefully for the break she needed as well.

"What are they waiting around for?" He pointed out the window.

"Moral support…concern….your decision."

"Hmm, my decision. Now you all care what I want?" he responded somewhere between sarcasm and bitterness. But, as he looked down to the floor she knew he was more hurt than angry. He put his hand out to her. He needed to know that she really was here. She reached for it immediately. Her hand felt so small and her cool hand warmed immediately in his. He laced his fingers with hers and resisted the urge to pull her closer. He couldn't handle that yet.

Through the touch of his hand she could feel his pain reach her heart. She wanted to hold him, but feared they weren't there yet. But, at least they were here. She was here and he was holding her hand stroking it with his thumb. She was coming home. A couple of tears escaped, but she managed to maintain her breathing.

"As much as I would like to go out there and speak my peace…I don't think that's such a good idea. Tell George I have one requirement; our marriage is no longer a secret." He squeezed her hand and then let go and walked to the door leading to the hall. "And, tell them to get our of my conference room, will ya?" He shut the door and left.