In the United States, it's Thanksgiving–the day that we acknowledge our gratitude for all of the things with which we've been blessed. One of those blessings for me is all of you! When I first started writing a dozen or so years ago, I would never have dreamed that something so seemingly **silly** as fanfic would become so important to me—but this community has been supportive and enthusiastic, and I have been overwhelmed more than once by your kindness.

I'm humbled that y'all take time out of your lives to click on my stuff and read it. I'm even more amazed that so many of you go so far as to comment with observations or words of encouragement.

Seriously, friends. You're the best!

Beauty in the Broken

Sintering

"I still don't know why we're doing this here." Janet opened the oven, peering in at the turkey still basking inside. "My house is bigger, and we already had the food and everything planned to happen there."

Sam smiled down at the cucumbers she'd just diced. Gathering the chunks up in her hands, she tossed them into the salad bowl and reached for the freshly-washed bell peppers. "It's just easier with Jake to do things on his own turf."

"He's slept at my house, Sam. He was there for several days, remember? We have all the stuff he needs there." Closing the oven door, Janet stepped backwards and brushed her hands against the apron she wore. "In fact, when Cassie and I were up in Wyoming for the real Thanksgiving, my sister gave me all her old baby stuff."

"Why?" Sam carefully cut around the stem of the pepper, carving wedges away from the seedy portion inside. "Are you planning on something you haven't told me about?"

"No, silly." Janet shook her head, her hair swinging around her chin. She picked up a spoon and stirred at the gravy still simmering on the stove. "I had been telling her about you and Jake, and she figured that she had some stuff that you might need."

"Like what?"

"Clothes, a bath seat, a bunch of toys, a swing. Some receiving blankets and burp cloths, baby towels. You know—baby stuff."

"Jake's getting pretty big. He doesn't need burp cloths anymore."

"But what about the next one?" Janet made a random gesture with her free hand towards Sam. "I mean—I thought that was something you'd been working on. So to speak."

Ah. There was no point in denying it. Sam nodded as she worked at the pepper. "So—they're hand-me-downs."

"Hey, there, friend." Janet's brows rose as she looked up at Sam. "Never underestimate the wonder and joy that are hand-me-downs."

Sam grinned. Chopping the peppers into bite-sized chunks, she scooped them up with the edge of her knife and deposited them into the bowl along with the cucumbers. "I have so much to learn, Sensei."

"Smart Alec."

"Seriously, though." Tomatoes were next. Sam ripped off the plastic lid of the package, dumping the cherry tomatoes into the colander she'd just emptied of the other vegetables. "Let me know what your sister's phone number is so that I can call and thank her. Or give me her address and I'll send a note."

"Who, Aunt Susan?" Cassie wandered into the kitchen, Jake propped on her hip. She grabbed a carrot stick off the vegetable platter, dancing a little to keep Jake happy. "You'll love her, Sam. She's so much fun."

"Where does she fall in the line?" Sam moved towards the sink, turning on the faucet. "You're the oldest, and you have four younger sisters. Susan is—"

"Number four." Janet tapped the spoon against the edge of the pan, turning down the flame on the stove. "I'm the oldest, and then come Melissa, Angela, Susan, and last comes Jennifer."

"Ah. A veritable panoply of the most popular girls' names of the late sixties and early seventies."

"Right? My parents weren't terribly imaginative."

"Like 'Mark' and 'Samantha' were creative."

"At least you have a cute nickname." Janet snorted. "'Sam' is catchy. It was so cool to have a nickname like 'Sam', 'Alex', or 'Jo', like my friend Joanna."

Sam shuffled the tomatoes around in the colander, rinsing them thoroughly. "Janet is a great name."

"It always got shortened to 'Jan'." Fraiser rolled her eyes, and her tone dripped with derision. "Which was horrific."

Cassie frowned. From around a mouthful of carrot, she asked, "What's wrong with the name 'Jan', Mom?"

"Are you kidding?" Settling the spoon on the trivet next to the stove, she folded her arms across her body and turned to face Sam. "She was the least palatable of the Brady sisters. The annoying one who was always whining about the popular, gorgeous older sister. It was really obnoxious."

"Who are the Bradys?" Cassie reached for another carrot. Even after more than three years, she was still working on acquiring a native's grasp on Earth's popular culture.

"The Bradys were a TV family from a long time ago." Doctor Fraiser counted off on her fingers. "Three boys, three girls—second marriage for both parents. Jan was the middle daughter. Marcia was the older, hotter sister, and Cindy was the adorable littlest sister."

Sam shook her head. "Yeah, Marcia was pretty, but Jan was the smart one."

"Nobody ever wanted to date the smart one, Sam." Janet rolled her eyes. "You know how it was."

Sam nodded, shaking the excess water out of the colander. "Point taken."

"But at least it wasn't as bad as my baby sister." Janet chuckled, remembering. "There were three other Jennifers in her kindergarten, and fourteen in her high school graduating class."

"Right? I'm pretty sure there were at least a dozen in my high school."

"There are eight Cassies that I know of in my school." Cassandra dodged Jake's fingers as he reached for her hair. "And I wasn't even named on this planet."

Sam stalled in her work, looking up at the teenager. "I hadn't ever thought of that."

"Me either." Janet tucked her hair back behind her ear with a chuckle that sounded a little strangled. "That's kind of weird."

"So, now that I've brought that whine session to a halt, I'm going to go change Jake's diaper." Cassie grinned, jostling Jake on her hip with a little hop. "Then, we're going to go across the street to swing in the park. Aren't we, kiddo?"

Janet waited until Cassie had disappeared around the corner before turning back towards Sam. Appraising her friend from beneath her dark lashes, she stepped a little closer to the counter where Sam was putting the finishing touches on the salad. "So, Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Have the two of you done the deed?"

Frowning, Sam looked up at her friend. "To which deed are you referring?"

"Come on, Sam. You know what I'm talking about."

"You could be talking about any number of things." Sam stuck a pair of salad spoons into the bowl and set it on the top of the breakfast bar. "Most of which are unmentionable at family gatherings."

The doctor gestured in the general direction of the front foyer. "I just still see that box on the counter over there. I haven't opened it, because I told you that I wouldn't. But I also don't see you wearing any kind of ring—wedding, engagement, or any other kind."

Sam's eyes darted towards the end of the island, and she bit back a smile. That box had become a bit of a private joke between her and Jack. They'd arrived back at Sam's house the day before, and, between unpacking, getting Jake situated, and making certain other necessary arrangements, they'd both forgotten—yet again—about the small, velvet elephant in the room.

Last night, as they'd lain in bed, he'd mentioned it anew, and she'd turned her face into his shoulder with a wry smile. "I can't believe that slipped my mind again."

"Don't you want to see it?"

"Of course I do." She'd pushed herself up on her elbow to peer at him through the darkness. "I'm just more invested in the marriage than the wedding. Being with you—becoming your wife and having you want to be my husband is the important thing. You, Jake, and me becoming this family—that's what matters. Not the fluff of it all. Does that make sense?"

Jack had smiled at her, languidly assessing her expression, before curling his hand around the nape of her neck and tugging her closer. He'd kissed her slowly, thoroughly, before somehow managing to maneuver her body to sprawl on top of his. His lips moved against hers as he answered. "Perfect sense."

And for the next few hours, she hadn't been capable of thinking about either marriages or weddings. Honestly? She hadn't been capable of thinking much of anything at all.

She'd awoken this morning to find him still beside her. Jake was babbling to himself in his crib, but not fussing, and so Jack had stayed in bed a little longer than usual. He was awake, his attention focused on her.

"Did you get enough sleep?"

"Of course not." Sam turned her face into the pillow, smiling against the cool cotton of the case. "Did you?"

His grin gleamed in the early morning light. A little tired—but mostly a genuine mix of self-awareness and deep satisfaction. "Nope."

That was both of their fault—not that either of them minded in the least.

He touched her beneath the quilts, resting his hand on the curve of her hip. "Are you ready?"

"For what comes next?"

His deep brown eyes quietly studied her. "Yeah."

Sam pulled a hand free of the warm cocoon of the quilts to stroke the roughness of his morning stubble. "Yes. Are you?"

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life."

Again, that easy smile soothed its way through her being, and again, she found herself being reminded that the choice she'd made—the changes she was making in her life—were the most right thing she'd done in a very, very long time.

A rough sigh dragged Sam back to the present, and she looked up to see Janet glaring at her.

"And now you're thinking about those other unmentionable deeds that you've done." Janet's voice carried a hint of amusement within a curtain of resignation. "I swear. You two are like rabbits."

"No we aren't." But she couldn't keep the smile from creasing her cheeks, or the blush that rose up to color her throat.

"How you guys managed to keep your hands off each other for four long years is beyond me."

Sam stepped away from the island, aiming towards the fridge. "Yes, well. You know what the Colonel always says—"

"'Really jab that needle in this time'?"

"No." Snorting out a laugh, Sam raised a brow in Janet's direction as she opened the door. "'Don't dwell.'"

"Ah." Janet shrugged. "So, you're not going to answer me."

Sam had gathered up a selection of salad dressings, closing the door with a movement of her foot. "Just be patient, Janet."

"But that's my line, damn it." Janet reached out and grabbed a few of the bottles, carrying them around the island to set on the table.

They'd moved the couch to the far end of the room, pushing it flush against the wall in order to make room for the tables they'd erected in the middle. Cassie's first task had been to put the tablecloths on, and then she and Teal'c had set out the plates and silverware. Jack, Teal'c, and Daniel had been sent to the bakery to pick up the pies and dinner rolls Sam had ordered, and then to the grocery store for the last few items she'd forgotten when she'd gone the night before. The fact that they hadn't yet returned was a little worrisome. Sam checked her watch again, then glanced towards the timer on the oven.

"They'll be back soon." Janet had read her mind. "Besides. The bird still has half an hour to cook. I don't know why you're putting everything out so soon."

"I just want to be ready."

"What's not ready? Turkey. Mashed potatoes, gravy, salad, vegetable tray, stuffing, cranberry sauce. You deep-sixed the green bean casserole thing—"

"Because it's gross—"

"—even though it's tradition." Janet paused. "So, I think that's everything."

"Except for the pie and rolls."

"We have butter for the rolls, dressing for the salad, dip for the veggies, and whipped cream, and vanilla ice cream for the pies. That pretty much checks everything off the list." Janet waved a hand towards the tables. "The only thing I'm questioning is the overabundance of place settings."

Sam raised a shoulder. "Maybe I miscounted."

"By double?"

Sam was saved from having to answer that when the front door opened.

"Sam! Jack's home!" Cassie practically skipped down the entry hall. "And he's brought more people."

More people? Sam stepped into the archway between the kitchen and the foyer, watching as Jack walked through the door. He'd snagged Jake from Cass outside, and pilloried Sam with a triumphant look as he stepped through the arch with the baby on his arm.

Sam turned to him when he stopped next to her. "What's going on?"

"I just made some extra arrangements." He cast a deliberate look down the foyer towards the front door.

"Aunt Sam!" Lucas barrelled through the doorway first, followed by his little sister. Behind them were Heather and Mark, both toting suitcases. Daniel and Teal'c brought up the rear, carrying bakery boxes and sacks from the grocery store.

Sam crouched down to catch her niece and nephew in a huge hug, grinning as they talked over each other to tell her about their adventures.

"We got to ride in a huge plane!" Lucas gestured wide with his hands. "It was—like—ginormous!"

Macy's little voice somehow made itself heard. "And there were really nice soldiers who flew it! And we got juice boxes and gum!"

"And Mom gave us new coloring books, and I got some new Legos and Dad asked us to please stop asking questions or his head would explode!"

"That's so cool!" Standing, Sam watched as Heather and Mark parked their luggage in her office space. She'd been smiling so much today that her cheeks hurt, but somehow, their presence made her smile even more. "I thought you guys said that you couldn't make it."

"We couldn't." Mark let a wry grin break through.

"We were pretty swamped." Heather stepped forward, gathering Sam into a tight hug. "But your Colonel made us see the error of our ways."

Jack lifted one shoulder in a lazy shrug. "I called in a few favors. There was a transport already scheduled from Haskell to the Springs. I asked for a few seats."

Mark waited until his wife was done before taking his turn to greet Sam properly. He embraced her tightly, giving her a quick kiss on her cheek. "Your Colonel reminds me a lot of Dad, actually."

Jack appeared to listen with only half an ear as he tugged Jake's hat off and smoothed at his hair. He made a silly face at his son when he responded. "Daddies can be very persuasive."

Stepping backwards, Mark narrowed a look at O'Neill. "Downright demanding, you mean."

The Colonel gave up on Jake's hair, turning his attention back to the group in the hall. "It comes with the job."

"Anyway." Heather interceded, giving both men a pointed look as she moved into the great room. "We're here, we're hungry, and things smell delicious. What can we do to help?

Daniel and Teal'c had busied themselves with the groceries and pies, while Janet had started scooping potatoes out of the pot and into a serving dish. Sam aimed Heather in towards the kitchen as Cassie came over and introduced herself to Lucas and Macy.

"Heather—if you and Mark can get the stuffing into a serving dish, I'd appreciate it." Sam stepped aside as her brother and sister-in-law headed into the kitchen, then plucked Jake out Jack's arms and handed him to Cassie. "Cass—if you could entertain the littles for a few minutes, it would be so helpful."

"Sure, Sam." Cassie corralled the kids and herded them into Jake's room. "Come on, guys. Let's go play."

Sam sighed, glancing over at Jack. She tried to stop smiling, but gave up. Leaning in towards him, she wrapped her arm around his back, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for getting Mark and his family here."

"Don't mention it." He returned the touch, smiling down at her. "I couldn't get your dad here, so I figured you should at least have your brother."

"The General should be here soon."

"So will the other people we've invited."

"I guess it's time to get changed, then."

Jack smiled—private. Anticipatory. "Are you ready for this?"

"Oh, yes." Sam grinned, tightening her hold on him, she lifted herself to press a kiss to his lips. "Let's do it."

—-OOOOOOO—-

The doorbell rang just as Sam was fastening the tie tab in place. Jack was already finished—he'd been sitting on the bed for a few minutes watching as she'd added the finishing touches.

They'd stolen quietly into her bedroom—their bedroom—to change before Hammond and their other guests arrived. Jack had brought most of his clothing over that morning, and with it, his dress uniform. Sam had taken just a little longer to get ready—she'd spent a few minutes applying mascara and brushing on a little powder blush.

It wasn't every day a girl got married.

"You look great, Carter."

"Do I?" She gave herself a critical once-over in the full-length mirror on the back of her closet door. "I never feel comfortable wearing this thing."

"You always look more comfortable than I feel." He stood, making short work of the space between the bed and the closet. "Remember DC?"

"You complained the entire time about having to wear your 'monkey suit'." She caught his eye in the reflection. "I remember."

"Until that reception, I had never once thought of service dress as sexy." He waggled his eyebrows in blatant suggestion. "But somehow, you managed to change that."

"I was just praying the entire time that I didn't seem too naive and immature." She felt some color creep up into her cheeks at her admission—and at the way his eyes were studying her. "I was completely intimidated by you. And more than a little attracted. And then my dad showed up and crashed the party, and I went back to just feeling overwhelmed and childish. But still—all I wanted was to do was impress you.."

"I already knew I wanted more than I should want from you. Having your dad there only made the whole situation even more awkward. A CO thinking things he shouldn't be thinking about his second in command—while her father hovers close? That's pretty skeezy" Jack reached up and toyed with the hair at her collar, skimming his fingertips along the back of her neck. When she shivered, he grinned and replaced his fingers with his lips. After a beat, he spoke again, quietly, his words warm against her skin. "So, let's go do this thing. That way, we can get on with the rest of our lives together."

And, just because she knew it would make him smile, she met his eye in the mirror and raised one tawny brow. "Yes, Sir."

A knock at the bedroom door shook them both back to the present. Sam stepped out of Jack's arms and cracked the door open to find Janet there. "We're coming, Jan."

"General Hammond just arrived, and along with him came Colonel Griggs and his wife." The doctor's face was wreathed in confusion. "I didn't know they were coming. Are they here for dinner, too?"

"Kind of." Sam swung the door wide, stepping across the threshold. "Jack and I invited them."

"Should I set more plates—um—" Janet paused, frowning. "Why are the two of you in service dress? What am I missing?"

"Nothing." Sam looked down as Jack took her hand, then smiled back up at Janet. "You're not missing anything."

"Wait." Eyes narrowed, Janet looked from Jack and Sam back down towards the living room where the guests were mingling around the tables. Her head whipped back around towards the couple, the light of comprehension dawning in her eyes. "You're doing this now, aren't you?"

Sam gave her friend a little push back down the hall. "Come on, Janet. There are people waiting."

"You're doing this in uniform?" Walking backwards, the doctor gestured towards Sam's attire. "No gown? No bouquet? No bridesmaids?"

They'd reached the archway into the kitchen, and Sam grabbed Janet's hand and tugged her to a halt. "We just wanted it to be easy and simple, Janet. Private. We're not the big fancy event type. You know that."

"But the groom isn't supposed to see the bride before the wedding. There are protocols for this kind of thing." Janet sputtered, her hands flailing in mid air. "I can't believe that you didn't tell me you were doing this! We don't even have a cake, or music."

"We have pie."

"Pie?" Janet huffed. "Pie?"

"It's no big deal, Janet."

"At the very least, let me find a flower for you."

"We don't need flowers." Sam looked up to see the rest of the room staring at them. Cassie standing there with Jake on her hip and a huge grin on her face. Teal'c, solemn but for the hinted curve on his lips. Hammond sitting at the table, arms folded across his chest and a look of profound, knowing satisfaction in his eyes. Mark frowning across the room while his wife couldn't have looked more pleased. Jack, standing next to her with his hand at her waist, warm and solid. "This is exactly how we wanted it."

Daniel had made his way over to the end of the island, peering at them over the tops of his glasses' frames. "What's going on here?"

"We're getting hitched." Jack pushed them all deeper into the great room.

"Married?" Daniel's brows flew upwards. "Here? Now?"

"Yep. Now." O'Neill addressed the crowd, his fingers tightening on Sam's body, pulling her closer. "So, everyone, we've invited you over with an ulterior motive. Sam and I wanted all of you to be here when we finally did this thing. Colonel Griggs here is going to do the honors, but we would love it if all of you would be our witnesses. Or hell—just clap when it's over or something."

"Wait!" Janet held both hands up, palms out. "Just wait a minute. I'm not letting you do this without a little bit of tradition."

"Janet—" Sam let out a little giggle—equal parts aggravation and resignation. She really should have known this would happen. Not that she minded. It was just icing on the nonexistent cake. Cream on the pie? Regardless, she tried to smooth things over with Janet. "It'll be fine—"

"Daniel? Do you have your camera?"

The archaeologist made a random gesture towards the front of the house. "It's in my car."

"Go get it."

Jackson obediently hot-footed it past Jack and Sam and down the foyer towards the front door.

"Something old, something new." Janet turned to look at the group. "Something borrowed, something blue. At the very least, we can drum up that. Who has something old?"

Mark spoke up from near the fireplace. "Um—Sam already has something old. Isn't Jack like—sixty?"

Heather rolled her eyes, whacking her husband with the back of her hand. At his muffled yelp, she stifled a laugh, then reached up and carefully pulled something from her hair. Walking past the tables, she handed the item to Doctor Fraiser. "I've got something that might work. It belonged to my great-grandmother."

The hairpin was lovely. Tiny garnets arranged around a clear stone in the shape of a flower. Janet took it with a smile, muttered, 'thank you' and arranged it into the hair just above Sam's right ear.

"Something new." This from Colonel Griggs' wife, who had stood up from where she'd been sitting at the table. "We need something new."

Cassie raised her hand. In it, she held a little tube. "I just bought this. It smells like mangoes."

"Give it here!" Janet grabbed the lipgloss from her daughter's hand. Opening it, she handed it to Sam. "Put this on."

"Something borrowed." Heather managed to sound just slighly less authoritarian than Janet had. "The hairpin and the lipgloss don't count. It has to be something separate and individual."

Teal'c stepped forward, reaching for the leather sheath at his side. Pulling it free of his belt, he extended it towards Sam. "I believe that this will suffice."

The knife was small, but wickedly sharp. Sam recognized it as the one he'd received from Bra'tac as a gift when he'd been a young man. She accepted the weapon, lifting the tail of her jacket and hooking the sheath on the waistband of her skirt. "Thank you, Teal'c. I'll give it back to you once this is over."

Janet seemed satisfied with that, as well. "Okay. Something blue. Who has something blue?"

Heather shook her head, and Mrs. Griggs started rummaging around in her purse. General Hammond even patted at his pockets, as if he'd find something there that he didn't realize he'd had. After a few tense moments, Jack broke away from Sam and stepped towards the island, where the little black box still sat. Plucking it off the counter, he turned back towards her.

"Here." With a flick of his wrist, he opened the lid, tilting the box so that Sam could see what was inside.

For the longest of beats, she couldn't breathe. Her heart seemed to stall, and it felt as if she'd been enveloped in warmth.

It was perfect. Simply perfect.

Against the rich ebony velvet of the box, the ring twinkled blue fire. A sapphire—round cut—set within a circle of icy diamonds.

"I know that, traditionally, it should just be the diamond. At least, that's what the lady at the store said. But the blue reminded me of your eyes. And then it kind of made me think of the 'Gate, which is what brought us together." He'd spoken softly—so low that only Sam—and maybe Janet, who had gone up on her tiptoes to see—could hear him. "Anyway. This just seemed like something you'd like."

Sam swallowed, pushing back the emotion that suddenly pooled in her core. She couldn't speak—was more than a little afraid to try. It felt as if she'd found herself all at once. Found who she'd been trying to become for her whole life. Found herself coming home without ever realizing how long she'd been lost.

She'd never felt more recognized. More seen. More understood.

At her silence, Jack faltered a bit, glancing out at the crowd before turning his attention back to Sam. A frown played around the edges of his eyes and lips. "If you hate it, we can take it back and get something else."

"Not a chance in hell." Shaking her head, Sam looked up at him, blinking back the tears that threatened. Damn the emotional mess that she'd become lately. "This is exactly what I would have chosen. It's exactly what I wanted. Even when I didn't know what I wanted, this is it."

His dark eyes softened, and he stepped closer to her, lifting his hands to cup her jaw. Sam tilted her face up for his kiss—

"Nope. Cut it out, you two." Janet literally stepped between them, shoving Jack backwards with one hand while guarding Sam with her body as epically as the best offensive lineman in the NFL. "None of that nonsense until the vows have been said."

Sensing his time had come, Colonel Griggs stood, pulling a little book out of the inside pocket of his uniform jacket. His wife opened her purse and removed from it a neatly-folded piece of embroidered satin. Handing it to her husband, she shifted to help him get the stole situated just right around his neck. Satisfied, he looked towards the bride and groom and raised his brows. "Where are we doing this?"

"Fireplace." Jack strode past the tables and stopped near the hearth, pulling Sam along by the hand.

As if on cue, everyone found a spot. Cassie took a seat with Jake on her lap, Hammond stood, rounding to the back of his chair so that he could see better. Heather and Mark sat on the far end of a table with Lucas and Macy between them. Teal'c remained standing near the back door, while Daniel emerged from the foyer with his camera just as Sam and Jack positioned themselves on either side of the chaplain.

Colonel Griggs leaned in. "Is there something you'd like to say first, or—"

Jack shook his head. "Nope. Let's just get it done. We don't want the turkey to get dry."

"Who has the rings?"

"Just a minute." Sam removed the engagement ring from the box and handed it to Jack, who dropped it into his pocket where the wedding rings they'd bought on their way back from Minnesota already were. Putting the empty box on the fireplace mantel, she resumed her spot across from Jack, with the chaplain between them. "Okay. Now, he does."

"Is everyone ready?"

Colonel Griggs opened his book to the right page, smoothing a ribbon marker in the crease. He smiled down at the book, then up at the crowd. With a deep sigh, he began.

"Dearly Beloved."

—-OOOOOOO—-

"Happy?"

Sam smiled against his chest. Her face hurt—actually hurt—from smiling, but damned if she could keep from doing it. It had been perfect—all of it. The surprise, the company, the dinner afterwards. The joy that their friends and family had taken in sharing it all with them.

It had been far from hiccup-free. The timer on the turkey had sounded just after the opening salvo, and they'd paused the proceedings until Janet had turned off the oven and covered the bird with foil to prevent drying.

Colonel Griggs had goodnaturedly started again. Halfway through the vows, Jake had decided that he'd had enough of Cassie and had started shrieking "Mama! Daddee!" at the top of his little lungs. And then, he'd wriggled himself off Cassie's lap and made a beeline for Sam and Jack. Jack had snatched him up first, only to have the baby launch himself with a happy squeal towards Sam. They'd juggled him between them for the rest of the ceremony. He'd tugged and picked at their medals and ribbons, dislodged one of Sam's Gilded Oak Leaves, ripped one of Jack's epaulets clean off, and wiped his nose on Jack's shoulder. For his grand finale, he'd stuck his fingers up Sam's nose during their first kiss as husband and wife.

Sam wouldn't have had it any other way. She hoped that Daniel had gotten pictures of the whole thing. Fingers and noses and all.

The party had gone late into the evening. Once the food had been eaten and the leftovers put away, the group had settled around the tables telling stories about Jack and Sam—some of them carefully redacted—some of them comically embellished. Random rowdy—and sometimes tawdry—toasts had been made using beer, or wine, or the diet soda that Sam preferred.

It had felt odd, to look down at her hand and see all those stones sparkling back at her. Her wedding band—chosen without her having seen the engagement ring—had nevertheless worked perfectly with the sapphire creation. The set still felt foreign—heavy on fingers not used to wearing anything at all.

And Jack's ring. Simple. Classic. Subtle. Nothing more than a platinum band, but still, a statement. She'd glanced over more than once to see him turning his left hand this way and that, just to see it catch the light.

Despite herself, she couldn't help but think about Samantha and her Jack and the rings within the kintsugi cup on her nightstand. She was starting to understand more deeply what that 'fluff' meant. It had hit her the hardest as she'd slid Jack's ring past his knuckle—how it must have felt for the other woman to have needed to take it off his finger.

But then he—her Jack—had kissed her, and Jake had inserted his chunky little finger into her right nostril, and the spell had been broken.

Griggs and his wife had left first, followed closely by General Hammond. Mark and Heather had put Macy and Lucas to sleep on travel cots in Jake's room, after Jake himself had long-since fallen asleep on his dad's shoulder. By some unuttered agreement, Daniel and Teal'c had left around midnight, tailed by Janet and Cassie. Mark and Heather had bid Jack and Sam a saucily knowing 'good night' before locking themselves into the guest room a few minutes later.

They'd tucked Jake into his crib, flicking off lights and checking door and window locks before making their way to their own bedroom.

Their bedroom. Their house. Wherein slept their family.

Jack had closed the door quietly behind them, turning the lock, his eyes never leaving hers. And then he'd slowly undressed her and shown her precisely what she could expect from him over the next thirty or forty years.

Happy? Sam trailed her fingertips through the hair on Jack's chest, exulting in how his heart beat steadily there. Oh yes. She was happy.

"Yes. I'm happy."

"Good." He paused. "Can't sleep?"

"Just thinking."

"I'm shocked."

There was that whole smiling thing again. Sam pressed her cheek to his shoulder, gathering her thoughts. "You said something back at the beginning of all this. Months ago. When we were at the baby store and Jake had just peed all over me. I was doubting that I could be this person—a mom—a woman who wanted to be a mother."

"Mmm." He remembered. His own fingers were smoothing along Sam's bare back, his calloused skin rough against the silkiness of hers. "You were pretty apprehensive."

She tilted her head up to look at him. "You kissed me and you said, 'What if it's amazing?' Do you remember that?"

He paused before answering. "I do."

"I've thought about that a lot."

"And?" His hand stilled on her shoulder blade, resting heavy and warm on her body.

She hovered a kiss just beneath his collarbone. "And I'm feeling very optimistic about our chances."

"Good." But he didn't seem convinced.

Sam pushed herself upwards, turning to rest her chin on the back of her wrist. Catching his eye, she studied him through the dark. "Is everything all right?"

"Sure." He worked his fingers through her hair again, teasing the sensitive skin at the back of her neck. "I'm just worried that you're going to regret things once you've had a chance to think about it."

"Like what?" She frowned. "Like marrying you?"

"No." The pillowcase made a shushing noise as he shook his head. "Not that."

"Then what?"

"The big dress, the flowers. The string quartet."

"No, no, and no."

"How about the vows thing?"

Sam scooted upwards in bed, until she could settle her head on her own pillow and look her husband in the eye. "What vows thing?"

He shrugged, turning to face her. "Daniel told me afterwards that couples are making up their own things to say during weddings these days. More than just the 'love, honor, and cherish' stuff that Griggs brought up."

"I did ask him to take out the 'obey' part."

He smiled, his teeth white in the darkness. "You've shown a remarkable inability to do that over the past four years. I certainly didn't expect it today."

"I didn't want to be accused of false advertising."

His hand came up to rest between them, his dark eyes seeming fathomless in the night. "I'm just not that guy, Sam."

"What guy?"

His lips thinned as he prepared his next words. "The guy who's going to shower you with flowers, and cheesy cards, and all that romantic stuff."

"I know you're not." Sam's lips tilted upwards. "Did you think I expected that?"

"I'm not sure." He watched as she gathered the pillow under her head, getting more comfortable next to him. "There are still a bunch of things that we really haven't discussed."

Sam shrugged, the movement dislodging the quilt from her bare shoulder. "I think I know you well enough not to expect any of that mushy stuff."

He simply watched her, gathering up the words he needed. "Just because I don't say it all the time doesn't mean that I don't feel it."

"Feel what, exactly?"

His dimple flashed in his cheek. He was going to be obstinate about it, but in a teasing way. "You know—the stuff."

Sam smiled—again—only more privately this time. "What would you have said? If you were the mushy kind of guy who'd written his own vows?"

He stretched a little under the covers. His gaze focused on the closet just beyond the bed as he thought about it. "I would tell you that I promise to never look bored when you're telling me about science stuff."

Stifling a giggle, Sam forced a serious expression onto her face. "I promise to watch hockey with you, even when there's something better on."

"There's never anything on that's better than hockey."

"And I will let you continue to believe that."

He squinted at her, a smile playing around his eyes. "I promise to never make a big deal out of the fact that I outrank you."

Her eyes flew wide, but she recovered quickly, tilting him a sassy look. "I promise to never make fun of the fact that you're older than me."

Jack grinned at that. "Your brother is kind of a punk."

"The 'something old' comment?"

"I might have to take him down a notch for that one."

Sam patted his cheek, her expression fervently sarcastic. "I promise to root for you when you take my brother on."

"I promise to win that fight." He tapped his fingers on the bed between them. "But nicely. So that your brother doesn't pout about it."

"He does carry a grudge like a pro." Sam considered before offering her next vow. "I promise to never brag about the fact that I'm a better shot than you are."

"You are not."

"Okay, then. I promise that I'll let you keep thinking that you're a better shot than I am."

He glared at her—jokingly—before covering her fingers with his own. "I swear to never correct your grammar."

Rolling her eyes, Sam twisted a mocking smile his way. "I'll never make fun of your Midwestern accent."

"I don't have a Midwestern accent."

She inhaled and then lovingly mimicked the twang she'd heard so much of during her time in Minnesota. "Of coooorse you doooon't. You just betcha talk goooood as you're warshing your caaaar."

Despite himself, he laughed out loud at that. "Smart ass."

Giggling, Sam turned her hand around, threading her fingers through his. "I promise to never complain about you leaving the seat up."

"I promise to never complain about you at all." He rose up to balance on his elbow. His expression had changed—morphing from teasing to sincere in what seemed like an instant. His hand tightened in hers. "I swear that I will never take you for granted."

"I know." And she did. To her soul, she knew he wouldn't do that to her. When she spoke again, all mocking had disappeared. "I'll never betray your trust. Ever."

"Sam?"

"Yeah?" Her voice was barely a whisper against the pillowcase, melting towards him through the darkness.

"I swear that you will always be safe with me." His hand traced a path along her face, from temple to chin, his fingers deliberate against her skin. "For the rest of my life, no matter what—I will do whatever I have to do to keep you—and this family— safe."

There was that feeling again. That warmth that started in her heart and radiated throughout the rest of her. She pushed back against the tightness in her throat and whispered, "Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"For the rest of my life, I will make sure that you know that you are loved. That you are worthy. You will know how much better the world is for having you in it."

For the longest time, he simply looked at her, touching her as if he were afraid she'd suddenly disappear. Then, in a quiet flurry of sheets and quilts, he pulled her towards him, tilting his head to press his lips to hers, his hands savoring the feel of her skin, her form against his.

Sam wrapped herself around him, needing to feel him against her—his solid body, his heat—his strength—the pure beauty of him paying homage to her with his hands and lips.

And later, when the moon was casting its haphazard glow through the drapes, he held her close, his face tucked into her throat.

"Sam?" Drowsy, languid, his voice barely more than a breath.

"Yeah, Jack?" Sam whispered back.

"Those are some vows I can live with."

She was smiling again, against his hair, his body tangled hers. Her lips curved even through her exhaustion, through the intense, profound satiation that thrummed through her body. "Jack?"

"Hmm?"

"Me, too."