AN: As I go in to work early tomorrow I'm throwing everyone a solid and posting today. Poor Jack's experience is based on my own husband's account of the same event happening to me mid labor. Apparently I am very strong.

Chapter 6

"Permission to treat the witness as hostile, your honor?" Bauer's attorney asked Kerrigan.

"Granted."

"Major Carter… How far along are you?"

"About eight months." Sam told her.

"You willingly had sex with Colonel O'Neill, did you not?"

"Yes." Was all Sam said.

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Objection! Irrelevant." Harm argued.

"Sustained. Lieutenant Colonel Saunders, this isn't a Lifetime movie. Keep the theatrics out of my court."

"My apologies, General." She said. "You said in your deposition that you informed Colonel O'Neill prior to the forced sexual encounter with him that he had consent, did you not?"

"I did."

"Why?"

"Why did I consent or why did I give him consent?"

"Let's say both."

"We already knew if I didn't they were going to put me back in what they called the 'pool'."

"And what exactly is the pool?"

"A group of unclaimed women who are forced to submit to any man who wants them for the night. If he makes her leave his room, she's fair game to any other man after that."

"So it's your assertion that had you not submitted to sex with your commanding officer, you would have been made to have sex with someone else less to your liking."

"Rape isn't sex." Sam said in a flat voice.

"Couldn't one of your other teammates made sure you were picked out every night? Surely having sex with them would be just the same as your CO?"

"There was no guarantee that one of them would have gotten to me first." Sam said.

"But they could have."

"In theory, yes."

"So why did you give him consent?"

"I didn't want to force my team to have to focus all their energy on protecting me every night."

"But you're a trained combat veteran with class four hand to hand training. Surely you could have fended off a rapist."

"Anyone who committed a violent act other than rape was killed immediately. Unattached women were not allowed to refuse any sexual attention. There were no second chances."

"So instead you compromised yourself and your commanding officer."

"I suppose I did." Sam told her.

"Tell me, Major… what are your thoughts on your commanding officers feelings for you?"

"Objection, irrelevant."

"Redirect your witness, Lieutenant."

"Does your commanding officer still care about you more than he's supposed to?"

Sam winced internally. Bauer must have gotten access somehow to the mission notes from the Za'tarc incident. "Colonel O'Neill cares about all of us more than he's supposed to." Sam said flatly.

"So what you're saying is the Colonel was already committing a fraternization reg violation long before the events that lead to this trial."

"I suppose you could see it that way if you squinted hard." Sam replied in a cold tone.

"No further questions."

Harm stood.

"Do you need a moment, Major?" He asked her. Sam looked a little stressed and Jack looked like he wanted to vomit.

"I'm fine, Commander, thank you."

"Major Carter, did Colonel O'Neill ever pressure or coerce you for sex?"

"No, Commander, he went out of his way to avoid sexual contact with me."

"Even after 'faking' it to avoid detection?"

"Especially after."

"Your relationship was platonic."

"He's my friend. He never would have asked such a thing of me."

"In your deposition, you stated that when forced to initiate sexual contact with you by the medical staff, Colonel O'Neill became distraught and refused. What changed his mind?"

"I reminded him that if he didn't that someone would likely rape me every night until I got pregnant."

"Why until you got pregnant?"

"The point of the facility was black market babies. Once the women were pregnant, they no longer had to submit to sexual contact if they chose not to. The staff put the health of the babies above whatever sadistic glee they took in watching us be abused."

"So why didn't you just get pregnant right away and get it over with?"

Sam sighed and gave Jack an apologetic look. "Colonel O'Neill has already lost one child. I cannot begin to imagine how painful it would be for him to lose a second. We were trying to find a way to escape the facility. Me being pregnant would have added more permutations to the situation that was already difficult to navigate."

"The facility was heavily guarded?"

"Yes, as were the work facilities we were taken to daily."

"I see. You never found a way out?"

"Not one that wouldn't result in potentially losing part of the team."

"You weren't willing to take calculated losses?"

"Colonel O'Neill does not believe in leaving his people behind or sacrificing them for any reason. We knew there had to be a way out that we all survived and he was not willing to risk losing part of the team as collateral damage."

"Are you familiar with the regulations regarding the definition of fraternization? "

"I am, yes."

"Why?"

"It's my duty and responsibility to be familiar with all regulations, Commander Rabb."

"Did your commanding officer break that regulation?"

"Objection. Calls for speculation."

"Sustained."

"Major, does Colonel O'Neill treat you with favoritism?"

"No, Commander. I was never treated any differently then the rest of my team."

"And you're aware one of the requirements for regulation subparagraph article 134 is favoritism."

"I am."

"Doctor Jackson said in his deposition that a man attempted to claim you initially."

"That's correct."

"Did you have reason to believe that this man would be first in line to attempt to rape you once you were no longer under your CO's protection from him?"

Sam nodded. "I did."

"No further questions for this witness for now, your honor."

Sam glanced at Jack as she stepped down from the witness stand but he was staring stonily ahead of him, giving nothing away. She supposed that was for the best.

The court adjourned for two weeks as one of the Tribunal had training exercises to oversee. When they got back, Harm was ready to have Teal'c then Colonel O'Neill testify then possibly call Sam and Daniel back to the stand but real life got in the way.

"Commander Harm, you seem to be short a few people today." Kerrigan told Harm.

"Ah… yes sir, Major Carter went into active labor about oh-three hundred hours this morning. Their commanding officer gave all of them permission to wait out the birth and Colonel O'Neill in particular to skip trial today."

"You have proof of this?"

"Yes your honor, I have a written note from General Hammond."

When Kerrigan took the note, Bauer snarled. "I fail to see why Major Carter needs nearly a half dozen non-medical staff around her while she squirts out her career killing spawn. I especially fail to see why Colonel O'Neill needs attend the birth of his mistress' whelp."

"That's enough, General Bauer. Your presence during the trial has been noted but you currently do not have standing." Kerrigan admonished him. "Have Hammond inform me when Colonel O'Neill is once again available for court."

"Yes sir." Harm told him and was suddenly very glad the man thought highly enough of Major Carter to be understanding.

"Then this court is adjourned until further notice." Kerrigan told them and banged the gavel.

"Congratulations, Major. You have a healthy baby girl." The interim CMO said as Janet Grace let out a disconsolate squall.

"Good job, Carter." Jack said softly and brushed her hair tenderly away from her forehead to gently kiss her temple.

"Sorry about your hand, sir." Sam said of Jack's now crushed fingers.

"Not your fault the epidural wore off." He said from behind her where she was propped against him. He was honestly too worn out to move right now… and he had to admit it to himself that he'd missed holding her.