Chapter 26 – Milestones

Although Sam had explained the concept to Jack countless time, he never quite understood the statement that time was relative…until he had children. And then he swore that time picked up speed and moved him right along with it…almost like the moving escalators at the airport – you stood still as stone yet you moved forward through time and space, whether you wanted to or not. Sam tried to point out to him that time moved at the same pace it always did; it just seemed to move faster when your life was full and busy, as it was now. Not that his life wasn't busy before Sam and the kids, it just wasn't…full.

As a result of the seemingly increased pace of his life, Jack now tended to measure time in a much different way. Whereas before it was measured in days, weeks, months and years, now it was measured in increments of accomplishments: such as when each child began school, when this one lost their first tooth or that one broke their first bone. Maddie just so happened to be the first of their offspring to do the latter, which wasn't at all a surprise to Jack. In truth, he was mildly surprised that she wasn't in a full body cast by the time she was five.

At any rate, Jack knew that, even though he may measure time in a different way that most people, the year JJ turned eleven would forever remain a point of reference in his life. For the year Jonathon Jacob Carter-O'Neill turned eleven was the year that so many things in Jack's life and the lives of his closet friends changed forever.

That JJ made it to the age of eleven was in and of itself the most important thing to Jack O'Neill. His first son, Charlie, had died at the tender age of ten, leaving Jack with an innate feeling of dread as JJ wended his way through his tenth year. Sam tried to get her husband to talk about his obviously heightened sense of worry, but Jack refused. He insisted he was fine; that he was definitely not harboring thoughts of something happening to their son, even though they both knew he was.

He refused to talk about it, that is, until he overheard Maddie, a very astute five year old, talking to her mother one evening. Sam was tucking the little girl into bed that night. Unknowingly, Jack had begun to draw away from his young family; his thoughts preoccupied with the past and worried about the future. He had started to leave the nighttime rituals to Sam; rituals that he had always enjoyed participating in fully with the children. That fateful night, as he walked along the hallway to go to his room, he stopped in utter surprise at what he heard from his youngest daughter's room.

"Mommy? Is daddy going to diborce us?" came a sad, quiet voice from inside.

Jack could tell from the startled silence in the room that Sam was just as surprised by the question as he was. "Divorce us?" she asked in an astonished tone. "Of course not, baby. Why ever would you think that?"

He heard the sheets rustle as the little girl sat up in bed. His heart broke at her sad reply. "Cause daddy doesn't talk and smile much no more. Lilly sayed that her daddy was very sad and quiet before he diborced her mommy." She looked pleadingly up at her mother. "Did I maked daddy all sad, mommy?"

Jack closed his eyes in pain at his baby's words. Pushing open the door, he strode to her bed and picked her up in one smooth motion. He pressed her startled face into the crook of his neck, holding her tightly. "You could never make me sad, Madelyn Joyanna. None of you could," he stated firmly. "You are the most important things in my life." He looked over the top of Maddie's head to gaze at Sam, whose eyes were just as misty as his own at the moment. "And I will never, ever, divorce your mommy. Understand?"

Maddie nodded her head against Jack's shoulder, then drew back and looked up at him, her bright blue eyes reflecting his sadness. "But why is you so sad, daddy?"

Jack looked down at her and closed his eyes briefly. "Because Maddie, your father is a stupid, stupid old man."

"You isn't stupid, daddy!" Maddie protested vehemently, shaking her head to emphasize her point.

The corner of Jack's mouth lifted in a small grin as he looked down at her. "But old?" he prompted.

"Well, you does have lots and lots of gray hair," she said with a giggle as she reached up and ran her hand through his hair.

Jack smiled and kissed her on the cheek before he became quiet again. He sat on the bed, placed Maddie in his lap and told Sam. "Go and get Grace and JJ please." They shared a look before Sam went and did as she was asked. When his two older children appeared in the doorway, Jack patted the bed next to him. "Come 'ere," he said softly. The two children shared a curious gaze, then went to sit on either side of their father. Sam hovered in the doorway, not sure if he wanted her there as well. He solved her dilemma. "You too, Mrs. O'Neill," he stated with a gentle smile.

When Sam had taken a seat at the end of the bed next to JJ, Jack sighed. He knew he owed them all an apology and an explanation. "Look, I know I've been…well, not really all here lately," he began. Maddie looked up at him in confusion. Jack ran a hand through her blond curls and gave her a smile of reassurance; he needed to explain in terms even she could understand. "It's just…I've been thinking a lot about Charlie lately, and I guess it has made me sad…more so than usual."

"Why, daddy?" Grace asked from next to him, looking up at him with wide brown eyes.

Jack smiled gently down at her. "Because princess, Charlie died when he was ten. The same age JJ is now." He looked over at his son, sadness in his eyes.

JJ placed a hand on his father's leg. "Nothing going to happen to me dad," he tried to reassure his father.

Jack placed his own hand over JJ's and squeezed gently. "I know that, son. I guess…well, it's just there in the back of my mind and I guess it's been making me act..."

"Stupid?" Maddie supplied helpfully.

Jack laughed, the tension in the room easing at her words. "Yes, Maddie. Kind of stupid." He looked around at all of them, including Sam. "I'm sorry guys. You all mean the world to me and I didn't mean to hurt you."

"We love you too, daddy," Grace declared, raising to her knees, putting her arms around his neck and kissing him on the cheek. She threw a look at her mother, a mischievous light shining in her eyes. "I think we need to make daddy happy again, don't you mommy?"

Sam smiled. She caught Grace's drift. "You bet. And nothing makes daddy happier than…" "A tickle fest!" they all cried. All three of the children pounced on Jack, tickling him wherever their hands could reach. Jack flopped backwards onto the bed, feigning outrage, growling and yelling as he tickled back. Sam joined in, reaching in between the wriggling bodies of her children where she could and adding her hands to the fray.

Finally, laughing loudly as he tried to catch his breath, Jack cried, "All right, all right. Uncle!" The tickling stopped but the children still remained sprawled on top of their father; Maddie on his chest and Grace and JJ to either side.

Jack hugged them all three of them close. Sam leaned over Maddie and smiled down at him. Jack smiled back, then looked at each child in turn. Heart overflowing, he gruffly stated. "I love you guys." Then he reached up between Maddie and JJ, put his hand to the back of Sam's head, and pulled her slowly toward him. "Even you, Mrs. O'Neill," he growled softly. Then, with a smirk, he pulled her close for a long, loving kiss. He ignored the loud "EWWS!" that issued forth from all three children as he showed his wife how much he loved her.

After that evening, when he bared his feelings to his family in Maddie's room, Jack wasn't quite so preoccupied with his worries. And when he felt the anxiety start to weigh in on him, he was sure to talk it over with Sam. Still, when JJ turned eleven, Jack found himself heaving a huge sigh of relief.

----

The year JJ turned eleven, Grace turned nine. It was a year of marked change for the girl, who had always been tough on the outside but soft on the inside. Though still a tom-boy at heart, Jack took notice when his daughter began to wear skirts and dresses without cajoling from either parent. He wasn't entirely certain he approved of this change either. For when Grace emerged from her room wearing something other than her tried and true blue jeans or shorts, Jack saw the beginnings of what she might become as a teenager. And it scared the hell out of him.

Her face was beginning to lose the baby fat as she grew. This loss caused the high cheekbones she inherited from her mother to show more prominently. Her long eyelashes seemed to grow even longer, accentuating her dark brown eyes. And as she walked, Jack noticed a certain sway that had not been there before. While he knew it was unconscious on Grace's part, it still worried him no end. Sam laughed off his concerns, telling him that Grace was bound to grow up sometime. But she assured him that his daughter was in no way ready for the next step; which in Jack's mind meant boys.

He was placated by her words until one Saturday afternoon when Grace announced that she was going to the local roller-skating rink with a few girl friends…and some boys. "Boys?" Jack asked, his eyebrows raised high.

Grace rolled her eyes back at him. "Relax, daddy. It's just roller-skating." Then she flounced from the room to go and change.

Jack looked at Sam. "Boys?" he repeated. Sam laughed at him.

"Yes, Jack. Boys. They're only nine and ten years old, dear. All they do is skate around in circles, talk, and eat chips and soda." She cocked her head at him. "Didn't you ever go skating with friends at her age?"

"Well, yeah. But it was pretty much always on ice, with a stick. The girls stayed on the other side of the ice and did…girl things."

Sam shook her head at him. "You, for one, should know how I feel about that kind of thinking," she said a bit sternly. "I think it's great that Grace's friends do things together like this; boys and girls. It makes it that much easier as they get older for men to accept women in all facets of life."

Jack looked down the hallway where Grace had disappeared. "Yeah, I guess so," he acquiesced, even though he still didn't like the idea of Grace skating with some boy. What if they held hands, for crying out loud?

Fifteen minutes later, when Grace came back into the living room, Jack's concerns rose anew. His eyes widened as his daughter entered the room. "Where in the hell did you get that?" he cried as he rose to his feet. Sam looked over at her daughter and smiled, her very body language expressing her unconcern at what her daughter was wearing. She did have the presence of mind, however, to warn quietly, "Jack. Language." Jack ignored her as he continued to stare at his daughter.

Grace looked down at her outfit and tugged at the black leather jacket, then straightened the denim skirt. Looking back up, brows furrowed, she asked with real confusion, "What's wrong?"

Jack took in the whole outfit, head to toe. She had a pale purple blouse underneath the black leather jacket. The jacket was zipped up partway and fit her small frame perfectly. Her denim skirt rested just above her knees and she had on a pair of low black boots, no heels. He pointed at the jacket, then the boots. "You look…you look like you belong on a motorcycle, that's what's wrong!"

Grace's eye lit up. "Really? Cool!"

"No! Not cool!" Jack protested loudly, waving his hands for emphasis.

Sam put aside the journal she had been reading and came to stand next to Jack. "Will you relax, Jack? It's just a jacket. A jacket that I gave her, by the way."

Jack turned on her. "You gave my baby girl a black leather jacket? Why in God's name would you do that?" His tone carried an edge of exasperation that surprised Sam.

Cocking her head to the side, Sam replied calmly, "Because it didn't fit me anymore, that's why," she replied slowly, as if talking to a child. "Besides, you're the one who suggested I save it for her, remember?"

Jack blinked several times, trying to remember when he might have told Sam to save a leather jacket for their daughter. Deciding he must have been under alien influence at the time, he got ready to defend himself. "I never told you to save it for her. That would imply that I knew you when…" His eyes widened as the memory shot through his rather sluggish brain. Sam smiled when recognition dawned in his eyes.

Grace looked between the two of them, puzzled. "How could daddy tell you to save it for me? I thought you said you got it when you were eight? Did daddy know you then?"

Sam gave Jack a sideways grin. "Well, in a manner of speaking, yes. But only for a short time." She came closer and inspected Grace. "It looks wonderful on you, sweetheart. I'm so glad you can finally wear it." She'd been saving the jacket for Grace for what felt like a long time. Grace was a bit smaller than Sam had been so it had taken a little more time for her to have the opportunity to wear it. Sam had in fact, kept it wrapped up in a box in the back of their closet since they had gotten married. She smiled, thinking of how Jack had never even noticed it all these years. It just went to show how infrequently the man cleaned out the closet!

"Thanks, mom," Grace returned the smile. The two hugged briefly, then Grace pulled back and looked at her father, a look of uncertainty in her eyes. "Daddy?" She wasn't quite sure if he was going to let her wear this or not.

Jack's eyes roved over his baby girl once more before he sighed. OK, Sam had worn it when she was eight…kind of. And it hadn't done any harm to her…just as he was sure it wouldn't to Grace. Even so, he hated the thought of her wearing the jacket in public. It made her look too, well, too grown up. Still, he had to let her start growing up some time…just not too fast, he thought to himself. Sighing again, Jack said, "Your mother is right, Grace. You look wonderful." Her uncertain gaze turned into a full blown smile. "Come here." Jack held out his arms. Grace went into them willingly.

After a few moments, he pulled back and looked down at her. "Just promise me two things." At her raised eyebrows, he continued. "One, no holding hands with any boys while roller-skating." Grace rolled her eyes. "Two; when this gets too small for you, hide it way, way in the back of your closet. Or better yet, give it to the Salvation Army." Grace and Sam laughed, knowing he was thinking of Maddie.

"OK, daddy." A car horn honked outside. Grace released her father. "That's Brittany's mom. I have to go. Bye daddy, bye mom!" And with that, she was out the door and gone.

Jack's eyes stayed on the closed front door for a few moments, deep in thought. Sam came over and put her arms around him. "You made her very happy. Thank you, dear."

Jack wrapped his own arms around her, and looked down. Then, narrowing his eyes, he said gruffly, "I always knew you'd be nothing but trouble, Carter."

----

The Jackson family also experienced several milestones the year JJ turned eleven. Nicky, now four, received his first pair of prescriptions eyeglasses. As Maddie was to Sam, Nicky was a carbon copy of Daniel and the glasses just amplified the look. The brown hair, bright blue curious eyes, and now glasses made it look like Daniel had been cloned and sent back as a child. But there, the similarities ended. While Nicky was inquisitive like his father, he was so much more outgoing than Daniel had ever been. He made friends at the drop of a hat, was eager to try anything new and, like his slightly older blond cousin, had very little sense of fear. When the two youngest were together, they had to be watched at all times. Even so, they always seemed to get into one scrape or another.

Katie Rose began first grade that year and loved it tremendously. The little red head was exuberant about all aspects of school life and took things very seriously. Though a bit more reserved than her little brother, her outgoing and friendly nature meant that she also had an abundance of friends.

Although Katie and Nicky were making their own strides as they progressed through life, the major milestone for the Jackson family that year was the successful completion of a doctorate degree in Biochemical Engineering by Cassandra Fraiser. Cassie had gone into her chosen field with the express desire to unlock the mysteries of viruses and bacteria and hopefully find antibiotics and vaccines that would fight against new and often deadly viruses. Though her close friends often wondered why she would want to go into such a difficult, and to them boring field, her family knew her real reasons. Having one's family wiped out by a Goa'uld engineered virus tended to sway one's thinking. It was a given that Cassie would not be limiting herself to those viruses that only occurred on Earth, either. Her background as both an off-world alien and the daughter of one of the SGC's most highly regarded medical officer ensured that she would find a position within the SGC should she desire one; which of course, she did.

Both the Jacksons and the O'Neills had flown out to California, where Cassie had attended the University of California, Irvine, for the past five years and earned herself a PhD, along with high accolades from her professors. Though she had done her undergraduate work at the University of Arizona, Cassie had felt that the more prestigious program at Irvine would suit her better. And she had been correct. She graduated first in her class and was highly sought after by both those in both the private and public sectors.

As they watched her walk down the aisle, her eyes bright with happiness, Janet and Daniel felt the normal parental surge of pride in their oldest daughter's accomplishments. Though Daniel had been a friend long before he became a step-father, Cassie had started calling him "Dad" about the same time Katie had, and it made Daniel's heart swell with love whenever he heard her say it.

"Look! Der's Cassie!" Nicky cried with excitement as his big sister neared their seats. The long line of gradates was making their way sedately down the aisle; their long robes billowing behind them. "Hi Cassie!" the little boy waved earnestly.

Daniel tried to shush his exuberant son; this was a serious occasion after all. But Cassie didn't mind in the least. She paused next to their row and smiled at everyone, giving Nicky a special wink and smile before she continued her regale stride up to the stage.

"Cassie winkded at me!" Nicky proclaimed proudly as he took his seat once more. Janet and Daniel exchanged an indulgent smile over the top of his head, then focused their attention to the podium, where the Dean of the Biochemical Engineering Department was beginning the formal address.

Though the ceremony was long, the younger children sat quietly throughout. Jack made certain to keep Maddie and Nicky apart, however, and plied them with small toys and treats. He knew they would get up to something if left to their own devices, and knew his knees couldn't take running up the aisles after the two youngsters if they decided to take off. He spared a glance at Daniel; he could always send the younger man though, he thought with a grin.

When the ceremony finally ended, Cassie found herself surrounded by her extended family and engulfed by exuberant hugs. After what seemed like hours, she was able to pull back a bit and catch her breath. Nicky chose that moment to lunge into her arms. Cassie picked him up with a loud, "Oof! You're getting awfully big there, Nicky."

Nicky straightened up proudly. "I's going to gra-jew-late someday too!" he declared importantly, pushing up his glasses as he spoke. Cassie held him close and smiled at her mother, the two women sharing a smile over the familiar gesture. Though she had loved being in California, Cassie had dreadfully missed her family; especially the young brother and sister that she had never expected to have. She truly relished anytime she got to spend with them and was looking forward to her return to Colorado.

Maddie sidled up to Cassie and pulled on her sleeve. "Can I tries on your flat hat? It's funny," the little girl declared with a grin.

Cassie smiled down at the blond imp. "Of course, Maddie." She shifted Nicky to one side, then reached up and carefully pulled the hat off and handed it down to Maddie. "It's called a Mortarboard," she explained.

Maddie cocked her head as she looked at it, then set it firmly on her own head. The front tipped forward over her eyes, forcing her to tip her head way back so she could see. "It is called that 'cause it looks like a board?"

Cassie laughed. "Probably."

Maddie tipped the hat back and stated purposefully, "I's going to wear a motorboard when I gets bigger, too." Everyone laughed at her pronunciation.

Jack picked her up and spun her in his arms. "There's no doubt about that, Maddie Joy. Just promise me you'll get a degree in something that I can pronounce, OK?"

"Kay, daddy," came the reply. More laughter ensued, and then Jack turned to Cassie.

"So, another Doctor Frasier in our midst. Thank God this one won't be wielding needles." Janet shot him a look, which he returned with a wide grin.

Cassie smirked at him. "I don't know, Uncle Jack. I might be wielding something even more deadly than needles." She paused for a moment. "Doohickeys. Lots and lots of scientific doohickeys. And explanations of said doohickeys, of course." She grinned at him for she knew well his aversion to any scientific explanation.

Jack groaned good-naturedly. "At least I won't be on the base that much when you're working away. You can bore Sam and the other scientists with all that technical babble."

"I don't know, Jack," Daniel butted in. "I was hoping she could tell us some things that she might be working on right away…like over our celebration dinner." Daniel shot Jack a smirk.

"Please," Jack held up a hand. "We don't want to give the children upset stomachs." Daniel shook his head at him, then turned his attention back to his children.

Katie tugged on her big sister's hand. "Are you going to work with mommy and daddy at the mountain?" Her green eyes were bright with curiosity and expectation. Katie knew that if it was true, she would be able to see her sister a lot more than she had previously.

Cassie put Nicky down and crouched down on her knee in front of Katie. "Well, actually Katie, yes I am. I am going to work with Auntie Sam as well."

Katie regarded her with narrowed eyes as she thought of something. "Does that mean you want your old room back?" The younger girl had acquired the room as her own four years ago when Cassie had made the semi-permanent move to California. She rather liked the large, airy bedroom and the teenager-style posters that still hung on the wall.

Cassie laughed and ruffled her sister's hair. "No Kate. I won't want my old room back. I'm going to be getting my own apartment."

Grace looked over at her and asked innocently. "Is Brian going to live there with you?"

Cassie blushed as she cast a quick look at her parents, then over at Jack. Both men were now wearing identical scowls. Even though she had been seeing Brian for three years, and was 26 years old, they both still tended to get overprotective. "Uh, no Grace. Brian will be staying in California for a while. We'll wait and see if he gets a job in Colorado." She got to her feet and gave Jack another look. "I'm hoping he'll get an offer at the SGC as well," she said meaningfully.

Jack scowled deeper. Though he had nothing against the young man, Jack wasn't thrilled with the idea of him moving in with Cassie. Even though she possessed a doctorate degree, he still thought of her as a little girl sometimes. "I have nothing to do with it," he answered her unspoken plea.

Sam stepped forward. "But I will. And if he's half as good as you and Professor McDonald say, I'm sure there will be no problem getting him in," she assured the younger girl.

Cassie stepped forward and hugged Sam tightly. "Thank you," she whispered in her ear.

Sam pulled back and smiled gently into Cassie's eyes, her own eyes beginning to fill with tears. She thought back to that day years ago when they had spent miles beneath the Earth, waiting for Cassie to possibly blow up, and Sam felt her heart quicken. That something so horrible had almost happened to this beautiful, brilliant girl made Sam's heart constrict with pain whenever she thought about it. And though Sam had gladly stepped aside and blessed Janet's chance to become Cassie's second mother, Sam always felt a special bond with the young girl that was obviously reciprocated.

Sam brushed a strand of hair behind Cassie's ears and smiled tearfully. "I am so proud of you, Cassie. We all are," she spoke for the group. Cassie's own eyes filled with tears as she once again hugged Sam tightly.

"Daddy?" Maddie piped up from her father's arms. "Why is mommy and Cassie crying?"

"Because they're women, that's why," Jack replied with a frown, but his eyes held a smile. "Come on, everyone. Let's go eat."

"Cake?" asked the three O'Neill children.

Everyone laughed and Sam and Cassie drew apart with watery smiles. "As good old Uncle Teal'c would say: Indeed!" replied Jack.

------

Jack quietly closed and locked the sliding door behind him as he entered the house. The children had long ago been put to bed and he had spent a half hour of blissful peace on his rooftop, looking at the stars. It was a few days shy of JJ's twelfth birthday, and Jack had felt the need for some time alone. As he sat up on the rooftop, looking at the constellations, he had considered the past year with quiet contemplation.

From his bout of near depression over the old but still painful loss of his oldest son and the fear of losing his second; to the realization that his children were growing up way too fast; to Cassie's return to the mountain, now as a valued member of the SGC, Jack felt that it had been a most prolific year. There had been ups and downs, to be sure, but the ups vastly outweighed the downs in his estimation. Not one to be very religious, Jack none-the-less felt the need to count and cherish his blessings. That he was alive and fairly healthy for a man in his sixties was upper most on his list, quickly followed by the fact that he continued to be surrounded by close friends and a loving family. And most important of all, he was still madly, passionately in love with his wife; as she was with him.

Back inside the house, Jack was now intent on finding the woman who still made his heart quicken each time he looked at her. He strode purposefully through the quiet house, looking for the blond woman he had called his own for well over a decade now. He smiled when he spied her on the couch, her legs curled under her and a photo album open on her lap. The light from the fire cast a golden halo around her head which made Jack's smile widen all the more.

Sam had been looking through pictures early that evening with Grace, trying to find pictures that she could bring to school for a project. Apparently, she was still involved with the albums. Jack walked quietly over to the sofa and placed his hands gently on his wife's shoulders. "Hey," he said quietly.

Sam craned her neck back to look at him and gave him a tremulous smile. "Hey," she replied.

Jack frowned down at the moisture apparent in her eyes. He walked around the couch and sat next to her, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. "What's wrong?" he asked gently.

Sam laughed as she brushed at her eyes. "Oh, nothing. Just looking through these pictures made me kind of…nostalgic, and a little sad I guess." When Jack looked at her questioningly, she continued. "They'll never be little again, Jack," she said, pointing to a picture of Grace at the age of three, grinning at the camera. She stood wearing a pair of her father's large boots that came up to the top of her thighs. She had loved stomping around in either parents shoes at that age, but especially her father's. "And sweet and innocent and cuddly and…"

"Hey," Jack stopped her with a hand to her cheek, drawing her focus back to himself. "Maddie is still just a little girl and the other two have quite a few years before they fly the coop. Besides, you're the one who has to keep telling me that we have to let them grow up," he reminded her.

Sam smiled sadly at him. "I know. It's just…sometimes, I really miss those times," she indicated the pictures. "They could be insane and intense, but I still miss them."

"Yeah, me too," Jack sighed as he looked down at another picture showing a five year old JJ in his first baseball uniform, grinning proudly at the camera. "But we have lots more good times coming. They're still just kids," he reminded her.

She laid her head on his shoulder. "I know," she agreed. "And we have so much to look forward to: first dates, driver's licenses, paying for college…" she teased.

Jack groaned, "Don't remind me."

Sam giggled and snuggled deeper into him. "I know that we have many more things to look forward to; with the children and with each other," Sam smiled up at him. Jack returned the smile and squeezed her tightly then together, they continued to look through the rest of the pictures in the album, talking quietly and laughing over many of them.

When they reached the end of the book, Jack took it from her hands and placed it on the coffee table, then leaned back into the couch and pulled her close once more. "You wanna know what the best day of my life was?"

She craned her head back and looked at him expectantly. "What?" Thinking he would say their wedding day or the birth of their children, her eyes widened in surprise at his response.

"The day you walked into that briefing room, eyes flashing and attitude all over the place. I knew my life was about to change from that moment on," he smiled down at her.

Sam chuckled and hid her face in his chest. "I was such an ass that day. I'm lucky you let me stay on the team."

Jack brushed a kiss into her hair at the same time he pushed a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't think I could have let you go if I'd wanted to." He tilted her head back and looked into her eyes. "Do you remember what I said when you told me that I'd like you once I got to know you?"

Sam smiled at the remembrance. "As I recall, you said you adored me already."

Smiling lovingly into her eyes, he said, "Then, now and always Mrs. O'Neill."

She returned the smile and replied softly, "You know, sometimes, you can be really sweet."

Jack gave her a slight frown. "Yes, well, let's keep that our little secret, shall we? I do have a reputation to uphold, ya know!" Sam giggled and raised her lips to his. Jack happily obliged her silent request. They spent several pleasurable moments locked together, expressing their love for each other in the soft kisses and even softer words exchanged.

Jack planted one final kiss to her upturned face, then drew her head back down against his chest. Together, they turned their gazes toward the fire that flickered gently in the room and both sighed in contentment. Though the sweet moments of babyhood may have passed, they both knew that many more milestones lay ahead for their family. There would be joys and sorrows, periods of anger and disappoint tempered with periods of great pride and happiness.

Their photo albums would continue to grow, holding the snapshots that would make up the fabric of their lives together. From family vacations to school and sporting activities, from prom dates to first cars, from high school to college graduations, and ultimately, weddings and grandchildren, Jack and Sam would continue to live full, rich lives.

And perhaps the most important snapshot they owned would continue to remain hidden beneath an odd assortment of papers and memorabilia in Sam's dresser drawer; a picture of a small boy with bright blue eyes and brown hair who had made an unscheduled trip through a mirror so long ago. A child who had shown two battle-weary soldiers the true meaning of love, and whose short presence in their lives had changed them forever.


Well, that's it for a while. I hope you enjoyed this final chapter before I take a break. I tried to incorporate some things that people had been asking for and make it funny, sweet and touching without being too smarmy. Hope I succeeded! Special thanks to Emerald Green Queen who nudged my memory about the black leather jacket from It's Great...hope that scene lived up to your expectations! And also for those of you who had been asking about Cassie...I hope I did your own imaginations justice! Thanks so much for reading and responding throughout this series. It's so hard for me to letthese kidsgo, even for a while, but I just have to get this other idea out of my head before it drives me nuts! And I will continue to post chapters for Snapshots as I have time. I hate having the kids grow up but I have to get to that date between Grace and Billy! Thanks again - I love that so many of you really have enjoyed my little fantasy land and, even better, that I have been able to make you smile, laugh, cry, and imagine how things could be. Janissima