"Jack, will you quit pacing, you're making me nervous!" Daniel laughed from the recliner in Jack's living room. Everybody but Janet and Cassie had shown up for the party and the weather was starting to take a turn for the worse. Daniel had already called her house, but got the answering machine, and hoped it meant she would show up soon.
"It's looking like you might be staying over tonight guys," Jack replied peering out the window. The snow was getting deeper by the hour, laying a wonderful shimmer across the neighborhood. It was the perfect Christmas Eve, well, almost perfect. Jack couldn't help but let his mind wander to Sam, and what she was doing at that moment. He hoped she was all right, and deep down he really hoped she'd be thinking of him.
The slight knock on the door startled Jack. He whipped around to Daniel, who had hopped up from his chair. Nobody else seemed to have noticed, they were too busy in the kitchen. Jacob had insisted on cooking, tired of the bland Tok'ra food he'd been living off of. He enlisted the help of Lt. Hailey and Teal'c as soon as they had arrived. Hearing of Daniel's experiences with cooking off world, he'd decided not to let the young archeologist near the kitchen at all.
"That'll be Fraiser, now," Jack said flinging the door open wide, relief coursing through him that they were okay. "Or not." The whisper barely caught in his throat as he stared into the beautiful blue pools of the eyes he had missed so much over the past six months. He didn't know what to say. No witty remarks sprang to the front of his mind, no extreme declarations of love, nothing. So he stood there, mouth agape staring at her.
He recovered rather quickly and gathered her into his arms. "God, Sam, I've missed you so much," he murmured into her ear. He couldn't let her go, never again. He didn't want to risk losing her a second time. He was concentrating too hard on just believing that she was home he didn't hear Daniel's shouting in the background. Jack pulled back from her smoothly, planted a loving kiss on her lips, not letting his eyes drop from hers, and jerked the jewelry box out of his pocket. He'd been carrying it with him in case he saw her again. He wanted to be ready the moment he laid eyes on her.
"Sam," he started, opening the box. "I don't quite know how to say this. I love you, more than anything, and it would be the greatest pleasure if you would agree to marry me," he choked out. He let a solitary tear slip out from it's resting place in his bottom eyelid.
He wasn't prepared for her to turn her back on him, her shoulders shuddering with heavy sobs. "You don't have to do the 'right thing', Sir. I can handle it on my own if I have to." Her words stung him to the core. He had no clue what she was talking about.
"Huh?" He grabbed her arms to turn her around so she was facing him and noticed her outfit seemed out of the ordinary for Samantha Carter. He could see, just from behind that her top looked fuller than he remembered, and it suddenly clicked. The conversation he'd had with Janet replayed through his mind. He let his eyes fall as she spun in his direction, catching the bulge in her abdomen.
"I... is... uh..." Jack stuttered, trying to find the right words to say. Pulling her inside and shutting the door, he finally was able to make them come out. "Is it mine?" He was scared of the answer, afraid he might have driven her to someone else while she was where ever it was she had disappeared to, and he wasn't going to hide his fear from her. On the contrary, he let it show through, but it came out sounding accusatory and bitter.
"God, Sir, I'm sorry we repulse you so much!" she spat back, threatening to storm out of the room. Jack finally noticed everyone had gathered in the living room and was watching the spectacle. Jacob shot Jack a look that seemed to scream at him to get his act together.
"Sam, that's not what I meant." He pulled her back to him, holding her close as she sniffled. Her tears were flowing freely now, but he could see that her beautiful blue eyes had lost the shine and luster he'd loved so much. "The Doc told me of the possibility, but I never imagined you'd look so wonderful. I've been so scared that maybe you'd found someone else while you were gone." He ran his fingers through her hair, pressing his lips gently to her smooth forehead.
"Yes, it's yours, Jack." She couldn't help the smile that danced across her face and through her eyes. He squeezed her tighter, choking back a yelp of pure joy. The deep guttural laughter emanating from Jack's throat echoed throughout the house.
"Really? Really, truly?" Jack's eyes were glowing, in a good way as he lifted her up, kissing her sweetly and gently swung her around.
Sam let herself smile a pure grin for the first time in months, giggling, and nodded, her eyes fixed with his. The sparkle had returned to her eyes as she gripped him tighter not wanting to lose her balance and fall backwards. She knew he wouldn't let her topple over, especially with their special cargo, but it felt wonderful to be in his arms again.
"So, I have something to show you. Wait right here." Jack sat her down on the couch softly and kissed her forehead. He quickly disappeared down the hall.
Jacob moved over and sat next to his daughter, tears welling up in his eyes. He wrapped his arms around his little girl, knowing she must have been through Hell for all those months she'd been missing to them. Stroking her hair softly, he pulled back and looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry, baby, I'm so sorry."
"Dad, you didn't do anything," she replied leaning into him and tilting her head up to his. He had been out there, searching for her just as much as Jack had. She'd seen how many of SG-1's reports included a search with Jacob Carter, and how many Gate sheets included him coming through and staying for days.
"That's the point. The other Tok'ra didn't tell me there was an operative on Earth. I could have told you if I'd known. Then, maybe Jack wouldn't have had to miss the past six months in the lives of the two most important people in his life." Jacob smiled and looked down at the bulge in his daughter's stomach. "So, what can you tell me about this little guy?"
"Unfortunately, not much. I've been going to the doctor, but they hadn't done an ultrasound yet. I'm due mid March. I really wanted Janet to do the major tests. And I didn't want my first ultrasound without Jack." She blushed slightly at her last comment. If she couldn't have gotten home by the end of the month, she would have gone in, but she wanted to hold off as long as possible.
Jack ran back into the room, breathless, holding a small strip of paper. "Here," he said walking over to her and placing it in her hands.
"A receipt?" Sam's eyebrow raised and she looked into his eyes. He was now kneeling in front of her, the ring again in his hands.
"For the ring. Look at the date."
Sam didn't know what to say. He'd bought the ring almost a year before, right after they had admitted that they had feelings for each other. She could feel the tears starting to well up behind her lids again. This was becoming a pattern for her today. Damn hormones.
"Sam, once again, will you marry me?" The anticipation was welling up inside of him, still not sure of her answer. The knowing look he got from her father helped ease his nerves only slightly. He loved the woman sitting in front of him, and if she would give him the chance, he would spend the rest of his life with her.
Sam wanted to scream at him, jump in his arms, tell him he was the most wonderful man alive, but her voice had other ideas. Her mouth flopped open and closed, doing the perfect imitation of a fish. What could she say? She'd waited for this moment for a year? Yes, was the predominant answer in the front of her brain, but she had to have one question answered first.
"What happened? With my resignation and disappearance?" she barely whispered, her eyes still locked on the wonderful diamond ring sitting in his hands.
"Sam, there's nothing keeping us apart. Answer me and then we can talk," Jack stated matter-of-factly. He didn't want anything getting in the way of their happiness, and he wouldn't let her back out.
"Okay." Sam could barely tear her eyes away from the ring to look at him. Her smile was contained in her eyes, her face frozen in shock.
"Okay, as in yes?" Sam nodded and leaned forward to kiss him. Cheers rang out throughout the room as the onlookers finally made their presence known. Smiles broke out across the faces of Jack and Sam as he pulled her close in an almost rib crushing hug. "I love you so much, Sam."
"I love you, too, Jack," Sam sniffled back amongst her laughter. This was the happiest she had ever remembered being since her mother died. The thought sobered her momentarily as she broke away to glance at her father sitting next to her. She knew this had to be hard for him, the bombshell of her showing up on Christmas Eve the way she had. The smile in his eyes told her all she needed to know. He was happy for her and that was the clincher in the deal. She smiled back at him and turned back to Jack. He pulled the platinum ring out of it's box and slipped it on her finger.
"Wait," Sam said suddenly, looking around at the friends gathered around them. "Where's Janet? I called her to let her know I'd be here."
"I'm right here, Sam." Janet walked through the foyer, Cassie following right behind her. The smiles on their faces told the couple that they had heard the whole thing. They hadn't noticed the two enter the house, Daniel had let them in.
"Janet!" Sam leapt as best she could off the couch and rushed into the outstretched arms of her best friend. Cassie quickly wrapped her arms around the pair jumping joyously in the excitement shared by the group.
"Did you get everything cleared for tomorrow?" Sam asked cryptically. She pulled away from her friends and sat back down next to Jack on the couch.
"Yep, and Hammond knows you're back. I had to tell him so I could get the clearance to do the tests I need to run. I want to make sure this baby is in perfect health." Janet took the seat across from them and motioned for Cassie sit on the floor by her feet. Daniel, Hailey, and Teal'c had taken their seats already.
"Speaking of Hammond, Jack, what's going on with my resignation? Did they accept it?" The worried look in her eyes told Jack he needed to explain everything to her and let her choose how her life was going to go, now that they had another little one to think of.
"Sam, they determined the information about our little 'Goa'uld' friend was accurate enough not to report you AWOL. They said they'll accept your resignation if you agree to sign on as a civilian leader of the science department. I'm not sure if that's such a good idea anymore, but it's your decision and I'll be here no matter what you decide." Jack wrapped his arm around her shoulders and rested his hand on her knee. He gave her a gentle squeeze of reassurance and kissed her temple.
"How long do I have to think about it?" Sam asked quietly. She wasn't exactly sure what she wanted know. She loved her job, but being a mother was infinitely more important.
"As long as you need," Jack answered soothingly.
A/N: And finally, Sam's return! Now we just have to get family together, wedding to plan, and baby to introduce. Thanks for the tons of reviews! i love reading them!