The Life he Left Behind
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FOUR MONTHS LATER:
Lt. Col. Samantha Carter entered her house after a long day at work. Being in charge of Research and Development was just as exhausting as going off-world used to be. She wasn't surprised to find her house messier than it was when she left. She was used to it. Setting down her briefcase, she noticed the discarded 'Buzz Lightyear' figure laying haphazardly on the floor. She picked him up and walked further into her home. Setting the toy down on the nearest table, she called out, "hey, I'm home! Where is everyone?"
"Hey, Sam. How was work?" said the woman who had appeared from the back of the house. She was about Sam's age with shoulder-length brown hair and pretty emerald-green eyes. She was a few inches shorter than Sam, but just as skinny.
"Hi, Claire. How were they today?" Sam asked, smiling at her friend.
"Oh, the usual. Jonathon still thinks he's a super hero. He wouldn't change out of his 'Superman' pajamas. Chloe is watching 'Beauty and the Beast' in the den for the 4th time today," Claire announced, grinning at Sam.
"I don't know how their uncles know them so well," Sam admonished. "Daniel bought Jonathon the 'Superman' pajamas for their birthday and Teal'c bought the 'Beauty and the Beast' movie for Chloe."
"Well, they do spoil them quite a bit," the young woman said, picking up her car keys to head home. "So, you have to go to Area 51 tomorrow?"
"Yes. If you can be here at 0600, that'd be great. My plane heads out at 0730. The twins are scheduled for their physicals tomorrow, so if it's okay with you, can you drop them off with Janet in the infirmary tomorrow around 1500? Janet will take them home with her until I get back."
"Yup! No problem. See you tomorrow."
"Kids, come tell Miss Claire good-bye!" Sam yelled. A few seconds later, two toddlers came running into the room.
"B-bye, Miss Cwaire!" Shouted a little boy with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes, dressed up as 'Superman'.
"Goo-bye, Miss Caire!" A much quieter little girl with blonde curly hair, falling in ringlets around her face and dark brown eyes said as she wrapped her cherub arms around her mother's leg.
"Good-bye Jonathon, good-bye Chloe. Bye Sam. See ya tomorrow," Claire replied, before opening the front door and making her departure.
"Mommy, I missed you," Chloe said, as she unwrapped her arms from around Sam's leg and reached up for her mom to pick her up.
Sam, out of habit, reached down and picked up her little girl. "I missed you too, sweetie! I heard you've been watching 'Beauty and the Beast' again."
"It's my favot movie," the two year old announced, happily.
"Toy Stowy's better," her brother yelled as he started jumping on the couch.
"Jonathon Charles, what have I told you about jumping on the furniture!" Sam yelled at her little boy.
"But, mommy! I'm superman! I have to fwy," the boy argued.
"Not on the couch," Sam demanded as she walked over and picked him up in her other arm. "Now, you two go play good so I can make us dinner. Okay?"
"Okay, mommy." Chloe said, climbing out of her mom's arms and heading back to the den.
"I be good, mommy," Jonathon told his mom as he kissed her on the cheek and then hopped down to chase after his sister.
Sam watched them run out of sight, thinking how much they were like their father. Sam knew it was a bad idea thinking about Jack. It always depressed her. Her children had never met their father and their father didn't even know they existed. It broke her heart whenever she thought about it.
He had left before she knew she was pregnant. He left to go back to Sara. As much as she hated that he chose Sara over her, she loved him too much to deny him his second chance at happiness. Of course, as it were, if he wouldn't have left. The twins probably would have never been born.
It was a few weeks after Jack went to Chicago to help his ex-wife. Thor, after finding out O'Neill was indisposed, beamed up Major Carter in his place. If it hadn't been for Thor and his ship's advanced computer, Sam wouldn't have even known she was pregnant and would have, more than likely, only found out when she miscarried. Thor's ship detected the life forms in Major Carter when she was beamed aboard the vessel. Thor questioned her, to a much surprised Sam, and then informed her the babies were in distress. Her uterus had somehow been damaged and she was on the verge of a miscarriage. Thor was able to temporarily repair her uterus, but, the continued strain of carrying the babies would inevitably lead to a miscarriage further into the pregnancy.
Thor came up with another option. The asgaard had the technology to rapidly age the babies. Instead of a 9 month gestation. Thor sped up the incubation time so Sam was only pregnant for 3 months total. One and a half months before Thor intervened, and 6 weeks of rapid growth. Her uterus was able to sustain the 6 weeks of stress and as soon as the babies were born, Thor fixed Sam's uterus completely.
During the six weeks she knew she was pregnant, everyone tried to get Jack to come home. Because of Thor's involvement, the pregnancy was classified and therefore, they couldn't tell Jack the exact reasons for needing him to come back over the phone. On the day Sam delivered the twins, Hammond finally gave up on Daniel talking Jack into coming back and called him himself. On hearing Hammond's order to come home, Jack resigned. Daniel, Teal'c and General Hammond were planning on flying to Chicago and dragging him back. But, Sam, after just giving birth to her beautiful twin babies told them "not to bother".
After arguing with the three men for several minutes Sam told them "Jack was happy. And they had no right to take that away from him." They argued with her saying that if Jack knew he had children, he would be back in a heartbeat. She agreed with them. "He would come back for the kids. But, this is his chance to make things right with Sara and they should let him be happy again." She finished her argument by telling the men that in a few years, when he and Sara were happy and could handle the news, she would tell him. The men, reluctantly, agreed. Deep down, Sam wished they wouldn't have.
It was two years since her babies were born. She had given up gate travel and taken a position in the labs. General Hammond put her in charge of R&D and before long, she was promoted and put in charge of all R&D, stargate related. This meant a lot of travel to Area 51 and DC. But, she was easily able to adjust. She had a great nanny to help out along with Daniel, Teal'c, General Hammond, Janet and Cassie. Claire was the wife of Col. Reynolds. She had worked as a nurse when he was stationed at Area 51, so she had clearance to get the twins on and off base as needed. She was fully aware of what Sam did for a living, so Sam never had to worry about making up cover stories for why she would be home late.
Sam forced herself to stop thinking about Jack before she went into full-out depression mode. Finishing dinner, she called the twins to come eat. As the two toddlers came running to the table, Sam grinned. She might not have the man himself, but, she would always have a piece of him in their children!
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a/n: okay, the twins just turned two. I know they're talking very well for their age, but, they are Sam's kids. Not to mention, who knows what Thor might have done while they were in utero.