Daniel sat in his office, a cup of coffee in one hand with two or three reference books propped up against various articles lying strewn across the workbench as he studied the artifact before him intently.

"The red sun. Blood-like? Life-giving?" He asked muttered as he took a quick sip of the coffee, set the cup down and picked up one of the many books littered around. He flipped through the pages quickly. "Mesopotamia." He repeated as though it was a mantra that he repeated for strength.

"How's the resident workaholic?" Janet asked with a smile as she walked into the room.

"Huh?" Daniel asked as he looked up absently. When he noticed her teasing smirk, he nodded. "Funny."

She shrugged as she walked over to see what he was working on. "Are you planning on getting any sleep tonight?"

He nodded. "Why?" He asked, looking up almost in panic. "What time is it?"

"Calm down. It's only 2315."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."

She chuckled.

"What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

Daniel went back to work. "How's Sam?"

Janet bit her lip. "She's…she's hanging in there."

"So…she's not good."

Janet shook her head. "She's depressed. She's officially on maternity stand down at my demand, so…"

"You're not a popular visitor."

"Not really."

"It'd help if there was SOME kind of closure."

She nodded. "For all of us."

Daniel nodded, the artifact now forgotten. "Has she even started on the nursery?"

Janet shook her head. "It's almost as if she's freezing her life so that nothing changes before he comes back."

"Well at the rate the Asgard are going, she'll have no choice but to change before Jack gets back."

"Daniel, I am really worried about her mental health. She's only been this despondent once in her life that I know of, and that was after Jolinar."

"Well…" Daniel said, thinking. "Is there something we can do to cheer her up? Let her know she isn't alone?"

"What are we supposed to do, Daniel? She doesn't even leave her house anymore!"

Daniel thought for a moment. "Do you think we could pull off an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition type of thing?"

Janet raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going with this?"

"You, me, Teal'c and Cassie make up the nursery!"

"And Sam is…"

"We see if Jacob can drop in. Send them to see Mark and we have a free day to work with."

"Daniel…"

"Come on, Janet! We both know Sam's not going to do it by herself…"

"I know, but…"

"Janet, if we run into a glitch, there are dozens of people who can help us- SGC personnel and alien allies alike!"

Janet smiled. "I don't think painting the nursery can be classified as a galactic emergency."

Daniel chuckled. "I got carried away, didn't I?"

"Ya think?"

--

Sam opened the door to find her father, Daniel and Teal'c on the doorstep. "Dad!" She exclaimed, giving him a hug.

"Hey, Sam. I hear you've had a tough few weeks."

Sam let a sigh release itself from within her. "I guess you could say that."

"Premature labor scare isn't indicative of a tough few weeks?" Jacob asked, skeptically.

"Good to see you too."

"I'm sorry." Jacob said, realizing that he had placed her on the defensive.

"No, Dad…I'm sorry. I…I just…come in." She said, realizing that they were all still outside.

"Actually, Sam, I'm in town for a few days, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to see Mark and the kids."

"I would love to." She said, a hint of a smile lighting up her face.

"Then, it's settled. Go and pack."

"Now?" She asked, surprised.

"Yeah…"

"Well…I…right now is…"

"Sam, you wanted to come. Now, if something changes about Jack's condition, I'm sure the SGC will let you be the first to know."

She looked her father in the eyes wearily and nodded. "Okay."

--

"Dad!" Mark said, opening the door. "It's…It's good to see you."

"And you, Mark."

Sam hung back from the initial greeting, though her father would not allow her to be entirely forgotten. "Sam." He said in a slightly more frigid tone.

"Mark." She said, forcing a smile.

"Where's the man in your life?"

She bit her lip as Jacob walked into the house, trying to change the subject. "He's on business. Where're Lizzie and Luke?"

"In the back playing with Pete."

"Pete?" Sam asked, surprised.

"Yeah…my friend. I offered to hook you up, but…"

"I remember." She said, with a quick nod of her head to indicate that she didn't want to go there.

"Sam!" Laura said from the kitchen. "It's SO good to see you. How're you feeling?"

"Big." She answered truthfully.

"You don't look it. You look fabulous for being…how far along are you?"

"About eight months."

"Well, you're just radiant. Definitely glowing."

Sam smiled and hugged her sister-in-law. "Thanks."

--

"Okay, guys…bring in the stuff. Jacob and Sam left thirty minutes ago!" Daniel said into the radio.

Suddenly, a van was parked in front of the house, and Walter, Siler, SG-3, Cassandra and Janet jumped out. Walter and Siler carried the paint cans into the house, Teal'c leading them to the room designated to be the nursery. SG-3 brought a number of large and heavy boxes into the living room where they proceeded to put together the crib, rocking chair, nightstand, baby changing table and chest of drawers, two men on each project with two projects running at a time.

"Okay…Cassie, you're supervising. Janet and I are going back to the SGC to pick up the various baby gifts everyone's been dropping by Sam's lab. We'll also swing by and get the pizza for lunch." Daniel said, as the mass of people entered. "Oh, and let Teal'c handle Walter and Siler." He added to Cassie.

She nodded.

Only a few days ago, Janet, Teal'c and Daniel had sent out a memo to everyone on base:

If anyone is interested in sending a baby gift to Major Samantha Carter, please contact either Dr. Janet Fraiser, Teal'c, or Dr. Daniel Jackson.

We, as representatives of the O'Neill family friends from the SGC, would like to put together the nursery, just like Colonel O'Neill would do if he was here. We are not only doing this to assure that it gets done, but also to let Major Carter know that we are all here, doing everything that we can to help her husband get home. In short, we are here for her, no matter how this is resolved. As we all know, many families made sacrifices when Anubis attacked, but we believe that all involved would move that without Colonel O'Neill, Anubis's defeat would not have been possible, and the other sacrifices were made to enhance the lasting effect of his sacrifice. And the timing of this sacrifice made it even more poignant and heartrending.

If you feel that you would best help us by doing the actual labor of the decorating (i.e. painting, building, hammering, nailing, etc…), we are trying to get Major Carter out of the house on February 24th. Her father, Jacob Carter, will be in town and will take her to see her brother, who currently resides in Denver. Please note that this will be an all day activity. You may be there for the entirety of the day or you may come when you can.

We have already had many inquiries into the sex of the baby, and while Dr. Fraiser knows, she is under the obligation not to disclose it to us under Doctor-Patient Confidentiality. We also know that Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill have refused to learn the sex, therefore, to paint the room pink or blue would give away the surprise that they have been waiting patiently to have revealed. The paint color has already been chosen, and if you are trying to contribute toward one of the larger items, such as the crib, rocking chair, chest of drawers or any other item we deem a necessary or frivolous expense, these items will be white. Dr. Fraiser has already managed to find out what Major Carter would have decorated the nursery with had Colonel O'Neill been here to help her with the task, therefore, we are doing this with a fair mind of what Major Carter would want.

Again, thank you for all of your help. All of the presents for "Junior" will be kept in Major Carter's lab, and watched over by Sergeants Siler and Harriman.

Dr. Janet Fraiser, Dr. Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c

P.S. We would request that you refrain from betting on the outcome of the actual decoration, as we wish this to take place quickly and quietly. PLEASE do NOT do anything that might make this goal impossible to attain.

The result had been astounding. Janet, Daniel, and Teal'c had had to ask Dr. Weir to step in and help with the administration of the project due to the volume of calls, suggestions, and gift donations. Not to mention to get them off duty long enough to see the project completed.

Baby O'Neill, girl or boy, would be fully clothed and even fed for the first year of life outside Sam's womb.

And they had received enough volunteers for the actual labor of the redecoration that they could have redecorated the entire O'Neill house in the time allotted.

Sam's lab had been completely and utterly transformed into a miniature baby store by the time Daniel and Janet arrived to cart the presents away. Books and toys lined every shelf, and clothing and other necessities sat in boxes on the floor. A floor lamp graced the corner, two matching table lamps sat on the desk.

In response to the information that this was to cheer Sam up, they had even received a number of 'just for Sam' things.

One of the new additions caught Janet's eye, and wordlessly she tugged on Daniel's sleeve. He turned to find a Homer Simpson doll, lying against the scores of teddy bears, blankets, teething rings and other paraphernalia. Daniel's throat constricted and Janet's eyes were moist with tears.

They walked over and read the tag: In loving memory of Colonel Jack O'Neill who, at the very least, sacrificed part of his life to make the world a safer place. May his legacy live on, even if he does not.

Daniel and Janet were having a hard time keeping their own tears at bay and could hardly imagine how Sam would take it.

"I guess we have our work cut out for us." Daniel said, not just referencing the volume of things that needed to be transported.

Janet simply nodded her head in agreement.

--

"Aunt Sam!" Lizzie said, running to her aunt, arms outstretched.

"Lizzie!" Sam said, bracing herself for impact.

However, Lizzie stopped just short of Sam. "You're…you're going to have a baby!" The eleven-year-old said, her voice cracking with excitement.

Sam just chuckled. "Yes, I am."

The pre-teen turned to her father, hands on her hips. "Why didn't you tell us, Dad?"

"Carter."

"Hey, Sam…I've got this friend…"

That was her brother. No pleasantries. Just down to business.

"Mark, I'm seeing someone." She said, a headache coming to the forefront of her senses.

"Sam, it's my friend Pete. You remember him, don't you?"

"Yes, I remember Pete."

"Come on, I know you're not dating anyone seriously right now…what's the harm in just going out with him once?"

"He's a nice guy, but I told you already."

"You're not getting any younger."

"I know." She said, gritting her teeth.

"Well…how's Dad?"

"Dad's fine. He'll be at my place for a day or two in the next couple of weeks."

"Cool. Well, if you ever become interested, give me a call."

Her lips pursed. "No, Mark. I'm not planning on leaving Jack anytime soon. He's the father of my baby!" She hung up the phone angrily.

"I, uh…"

"I didn't officially tell him." Sam covered. She had thrown the last bit of information in his face to get him off her back, and now, she realized just how much she had hurt him by not saying something earlier in the conversation.

A stocky blond-haired man approached the group. "Hey, Mark, what's going on?"

"My sister and dad are here."

Pete looked over at Sam. "Miss Carter!"

"Actually, it's Samantha O'Neill." She said, with a faltering smile. "You can call me Sam. But I told you that last time we met." She said, realizing that Pete had addressed her so formally to gain access to her marital status. As a cop, he had undoubtedly noticed her wedding and engagement rings on her left hand, and had played it safe.

Mark almost flinched.

"O'Neill, huh? Mark…I thought you said she wasn't married." He half-whispered to his friend.

"She wasn't…" He said, somewhat embarrassed.

"I see…" There was an awkward pause as Luke and Laura joined the circle. "This is great." Pete said, a big smile on his face, faltering even as he said it.

Sam had a sick feeling in her stomach as she saw it. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be home. But even home had ceased to be inviting. She wanted Jack.

--

When Janet and Daniel finally arrived back at the house, the room had been completely painted. It was also dry enough for them to take off the floor covering and move in the furniture. Which they had done under Cassie's careful eye.

The crib went lovingly into the corner by the window. Almost immediately, Cassie took the bedding that they had retrieved from Sam's lab and placed it on the tiny mattress. The nightstand, lamps and dresser were placed carefully around the room.

The self-hanging wall shelves would be put up after almost immediately before Sam arrived. But now, it was time to let Janet and Cassie place each toy and gifted item in its proper place. However, as they carefully placed each tiny knick knack in its place, Daniel and Teal'c found themselves hanging and folding the clothes, putting them either in the chest of drawers or in the closet. Meanwhile, SG-3, Walter and Siler went about doing minor baby-proofing around the house.

--

"Thanks for coming." Laura said, giving Sam a hug.

Sam smiled. "Well, thanks for having us."

Sam was exhausted. Going to Mark's house had taken a toll on her emotional reserves, and she fully expected to go home and start crying. Unknowingly, Pete had begun flirting with her through dinner, and she had taken a deep breath, almost pleading wordlessly to be excused. She received no such luck.

However, it was not surprising to Jacob that Sam fell asleep on her way back to her house. He chuckled to himself when he pictured her reaction to the decoration project currently underway.

--

"Okay, people, they'll be here in an hour!" Walter said, having been placed on phone duty.

There was a flurry of activity as the shelves were quickly hung on the wall and all evidence of their work was placed into the van. As soon as all of the tools were placed in it, Cassie got in it and drove it into the driveway of one of the houses for sale on the street. They didn't want to send the poor woman into labor because of fear.

Sam's car pulled up to the driveway just as Cassie closed the door. "They're here!" She shouted.

--

"Sam. Sam, wake up. We're here."

She stirred. "I'm…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

"You're tired. It's been a long day." He said, a tiny smile on his face.

"Yeah." She acknowledged.

"Let's go inside."

She nodded, taking off her seatbelt. She opened the door and struggled to get out of the car. Jacob hurried to the other side where he helped her out of the car. She laughed with a tiny note of derision in her voice. "I'm not going to miss this part."

Jacob chuckled as they walked up to the door.

She turned the doorknob and found Daniel and Teal'c inside. "Hi." She said, startled.

"Hi."

"What are you doing here?" She asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Uh…well…your trip to Mark's was a little…diversion."

"Diversion?"

"Dr. Jackson, we're ready." Siler said, running down the hallway. He stopped when he saw Sam. "Major Carter."

"Sergeant Siler." She said, surprised. "Daniel, what's going on here?"

"Follow Siler and find out."

She looked skeptically at her friend who nudged her forward, and she followed them down the halls of her home. They stopped at the bedroom intended for the nursery. She threw a questioning glance to her father, Daniel and Teal'c. All of them motioned for her to enter the room.

She barely touched the door, and it swung open. The sight that met her eyes was overwhelming to say the least. The pale yellow walls brightened the room, enhancing any light that came through the cheery curtain-covered window, and making it seem like sunlight. The white crib stood in the corner by the window; a pale green and yellow quilt covered the mattress and sheets while pillows and teddy bears adorned the corners of the crib. The white wooden rocking chair sat diagonally from the window, close to the door. It was flanked by a nightstand on its right and a chest of drawers on its left. A baby changing table sat on the other side of the window from the crib, only a few steps away from the closet. Inside the closet were numerous outfits and even a tiny baby bathtub, a portable crib, a hamper, a stroller, and a tiny mobile to keep an older infant entertained with.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she saw all of the many toys, knick knacks, and books that lined the shelves. A nightlight was poised, ready for action in one of the sockets and a portable CD player was placed on the dresser, a couple of CDs made specially for infant development stacked neatly beside it.

On the rocking chair sat the Homer Simpson doll, and she openly sobbed, picking up the tiny memento of her husband and sitting in the chair as she read the inscription.

"Thank you." She said, to everyone now standing in the doorway. She couldn't say anymore, and they heard everything she couldn't say.