Jack awoke to find General Hammond, Sam and Janet whispering quietly in the corner. "I'd like to keep him in the infirmary until I can figure out just what it is we're dealing with, but…the base needs to be run."

"Don't worry about that, Doctor. That's why I'm here."

"I don't know…while Jack keeps joking that he wants General Hammond to come back…I'm not sure he'll be happy that it's taking place because he got affected by an alien device."

"Would you three stop talking about me as if I wasn't here?" He interrupted.

"General!" Janet said, walking over. "I didn't know you were awake."

"I noticed." He growled. This was NOT his day.

"Jack? Are you okay? Or are you in pain?" Sam asked, a concerned look in her eye.

"I'm fine!" He barked. Instantly, he softened. "I'm sorry. I just…I'm sick of staying here in the infirmary, helpless."

Sam and Janet looked at one another and then at General Hammond. This seemed remarkably like a…mood swing?

"Jack, are you sure you're okay?" Sam asked, cautiously.

"Yes! Why?"

"Just checking." She said, throwing a questioning glance to Janet.

"Well, General…I think you'll be okay to go home for a few hours a day, once I get some tests done. Now, I still want you to spend the night in the infirmary, but…I think going home every once in a while would be okay."

"Great."

Janet went and retrieved a couple of syringes that she would use to draw blood.

"Well, Jack…you just focus on getting yourself all taken care of. I'll be here to take care of whatever needs to be taken care of. Although, I think the President may want to talk to you about your policy regarding your own off-world travel…" He added with a wry smile.

"Thank you, sir." He said, wincing as Janet drew some blood.

"I should be able to have the test results in a few minutes, okay?" She asked, looking between Sam and Jack.

"Thanks, Janet."

Jack huffed and crossed his arms. "Jack?"

"What?"

"What's wrong? I mean, you were fine when Grace was here, but…I don't think I've ever seen you get so snippy."

"Sam, I'm a general. I'm supposed to be in my office complaining about the paperwork, but no…I'm here, complaining about being in the infirmary!"

Sam raised her eyebrows, partly in understanding, and partly in discomfort. "Okay…Jack, you said there was something you wanted to talk about when we were on that planet. We have some time…let's talk."

Jack bit his lip. Maybe he should soften up before he tried asking her what he wanted to ask her…after all, she was the one who would have to do the most work.

"You know, it's…it's really not that important."

"Jack, I'm sure it was. Now, what did you want to ask me?"

"No, really…it…it's nothing."

"Jack." She said, a serious look in her eyes.

"Okay…you asked for it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He took a deep breath. Just because you feel like , doesn't mean you should take it out on Sam, he reminded himself.

"Nothing. It means nothing."

"Jack, if you don't want to talk, then fine." She said, getting up, angrily.

"Sam, please." He said, motioning to the chair she had been seated in earlier. "I've been…I've been acting like a jerk. I'm sorry."

She took a deep breath. "That's better."

"I was going to ask you if…" He stopped. He REALLY didn't want to be having this conversation in the infirmary where the nurses would overhear, or heaven forbid…Janet should hear. "It's really personal. Can we talk about it at home?"

She closed her eyes in exasperation. "Sure. If that's what you want to do."

He hated the look that she gave him when she reluctantly let him call the shots. "Okay…Sam…"

"What?" She asked, seriously concerned, and starting to get weary of the whole conversation.

"I…" 'want to have another baby' just sounded weird to him. "I…Sam, I'm not getting any younger."

She was quiet as she waited for him to finish his statement.

"And…I was wondering if…we could start…"

"You want to have another baby?" She asked, surprised.

He nodded, cautiously, almost waiting for her reaction.

"Wow…uh…" She coughed in discomfort. "Well…Jack…I…"

"Sam, we don't have to start right now, but…"

"No, Jack…just…let me…finish."

"Finish what?"

"Thinking."

"You'll never finish thinking." He said, a look of adoration clearly written in his eyes.

For some reason, it touched Sam, and she leaned in, pressing her forehead to his and looking him in the eyes. "You get better, and I promise…we'll try to have another baby." She said, before kissing him on his lips. "Besides…maybe we'll try to do it without the beam thingie this time."

"Thingie?" He asked.

"That's the technical term, I hear." She said with a chuckle as she pulled away and sat back upright.

"You know I love you, don't you?" Jack asked, a tender smile on his lips at the thought of the possibility that their little family might get just a little bit bigger.

Janet coughed. "Sorry to interrupt this…Hallmark moment." She said, a faltering teasing grin on her face. "But I have your test results back."

"Already?" Sam asked, surprised.

"Actually, these are tests that I ran this morning. The others are merely follow-up tests."

"What is it, Doc?" Jack asked, sensing the turmoil in the Doctor's voice.

"I don't know how to tell you this…" She began.

Sam's heart dropped. It never bode well when any doctor started a sentence with those words.

"But you're pregnant, sir."

Jack raised his eyebrows with incomprehension. "I'm WHAT?"

"He's WHAT?" Sam followed, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"I know…but it explains a lot: the exhaustion, anemia, even the mood swings."

"Mood swings?" Jack asked, seriously wondering whether or not the CMO of the base had lost her mind.

"Janet, what are you talking about?" Sam asked. "It's the estrogen levels that skyrocket during pregnancy that cause the mood swings, not the actual pregnancy itself."

Janet nodded and reached for Jack's chart. "His testosterone levels have skyrocketed, thus indicating the aggressive attitude we were experiencing earlier. And, the trace amounts of estrogen that he has naturally are climbing steadily."

She looked at her friends as she paused. They both looked like they had been hit by a semi.

"Now, I'd like to run a sonogram just to make sure, but…all the evidence is pointing to Jack's pregnancy."

Sam closed her eyes, trying to process the information. She inhaled deeply a few times, reminding herself that there was a great HUGE possibility that this was all just a bad dream.

"Unfortunately, General, I would like you to stay in the infirmary while I check up on some of these tests."

"Great." He said, sarcastically.

She turned to leave, but Sam stopped her. "Wait a minute, for a woman, pregnancy doesn't even show on any type of test until between the fourth and sixth week. Jack was in the device ten days ago. This doesn't make any sense."

Janet shrugged. "There's a whole lot about this that doesn't make any sense to me, Sam. Starting with the fact that anatomically, General O'Neill should not be able to conceive."

Sam paled. "The Chosen." She said, with a horrified look that had Janet wondering if she was going to pass out.

"Sam, are you okay?"

"I'll be right back." She said, stumbling as she got out of the chair and ran to Daniel's office.

"I hope she remembers that it's bad luck to tell anyone before the third month." Jack said, a sardonic edge to his voice.