Chapter 31

After walking for a while, they reached the internal garden where the ship was hidden. "Here it is." Jack waved

"Here… where?"

"Oh, shoot. Give me a minute." Jack took three steps to the side and placed his hand on the door button; then he took another two steps before he disappeared. The Ambassadors looked confused.

"Where did he go?"

"Wait," Sam said. And soon the ship was uncloaked, and Sam was walking towards the back. "Let's go on board."

"Please do hurry in, I can't leave it like this for long, not even here," Jack said from inside. Sam guided them in and entered last closing the door behind her.

"What do you feel about going to space?" Jack asked before he started the ship and flew them away from Earth.

"This is incredible, General." The Russian Ambassador pointed. "But what's that? It's not ours."

"Huh? Sam?" Jack asked confused.

"Oh, that. Thor forgot to let you know about it. It's the new Asgard ship: The O'Neill."

"They named their ship after me?" He asked in shock.

"Yes, sir."

"Cool." He grinned before he frowned. "Sam? I'm picking up something coming from Earth Orbit?"

"Magnify here," she asked. She smiled as she saw what it was.

"You better uncloak and hail them, sir."

"Is that?" he asked amazed.

"Yes, that's the first Earth ship, the Prometheus."

"I'm impressed," Jack nodded before hailing them. "Colonel Ronson."

"General O'Neill we received Major Davis message."

"Good. How is she handling?"

"Pretty smoothly, sir. We still got some issues with the hyperdrive."

"What sort of problem, Colonel?" Sam asked. The crew in the ship heard Sam and the engineers exchange information about the situation until she turned to Jack who sighed.

"You want to check it out," he left out tiredly, and she grinned at him.

"Yes"

"After kids are born," he adds.

"Come on, Jack!" She whined.

"No, Sam"

"Jack come on! Take this as a window of opportunity."

"Meaning?"

"You can give the ambassadors a tour while I'm in the engine room," she grinned, and he rolled his eyes before squinting at her.

"There's one condition. You let them do the work, do we have a deal?"

"Yes, sir."

"You hear the Lt. Colonel, Colonel Ronson. Open the hangar."

When the ship landed, Colonel Ronson was there to greet them. Jack introduced him to the ambassadors, and they walked around as Sam went to the engine room to try and figure out what was wrong.

"General, do you know what they are talking about?" One of the ambassadors asked as they reached the engine room and found Sam and a team of engineers talking quickly about many things at once. Jack shrugged.

"Something about the hyperdrive? That stuff is way above my head." He grinned.

"If you want to know about it you must ask Sam. Just remember to tell her you don't need the technobabble or she will confuse you more."

"I heard that, General." Sam smiled over to the ambassadors before glaring at her husband.

"Note to myself: do not piss off a pregnant Lt. Colonel," Jack muttered to himself, before smiling and walking towards her. "I know what you are like with your technobabble, Sam."

"Yes, I know you do, and I know what you are like ...sir" She said grinning back at him

"I'm in trouble, aren't I?" He huffed.

"Yes, you are Jack." She nodded in agreement. "The hyperdrive is fixed, and we can return to the Pentagon after I've been to the ladies' room...sir." She said smiling as she walked past Jack and the ambassadors. Jack turned around with a glare towards the chuckle he heard.

"Colonel? May I ask you what's so funny?"

"Sorry, sir. Your relationship just made me wonder who's the Lt. Colonel and who's the Major General," he added apologetically.

"Don't I know it?" Jack shook his head. "I'm giving her heaps of lean way because of the pregnancy."

"General, did you just admitted that you give Lt. Colonel Carter a special treatment because of she your wife?" The Chinese ambassador asked.

"No, so that you know, Sam isn't the only pregnant women on the base, ambassador. There are others, and I give them all the same amount of lean way. I also like to give them time for naps if they are feeling tired, and their maternity leaves start on the fifth month unless they are pregnant with twins in which case they can take it as their Doctor recommends them. Now, in Sam's case, she would go stir crazy after three days at home, so she's on a special work schedule of three hours a day. If she didn't then I would be in trouble."

"Does your government know about this arrangement?"

"Yes, they do ambassador. President Hayes himself agreed that getting her to work was an excellent idea knowing her. Anyhow, shall we go?"

Jack lead the way out of the engine room and towards the hangar. Sam was already in the bay waiting for them. Once they were all on the ship, Jack took them back to the Pentagon Where Major Davis was already waiting for them.

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you all. If you or your government have any questions regarding the program, please do not hesitate in contact, Major Davis. He has clearance to get in touch with Lt or me. Colonel Carter."

A couple of thank you's and goodbyes were heard as handshakes were exchanged. Soon after, Jack and Sam were back in the front seats and traveling to Colorado.

"Sam? What can I do to get back in your good book?" Jack asked while they were flying. Sam turned to him with a grin on her face. "Mexican," He whispered as soon as he noticed her look.

"Aha"

"Eat in or at home?"

"Eat in." Jack groaned, and Sam patted him on the shoulder

"I'm sure you can handle it, Jack." She grinned mischievously.

"Sam, you know it gives you gases every time you eat it while pregnant," Jack tried.

"Revenge can be sweet, Jack."

"Sweet, more like..."

"JACK!" He groaned

"I should sneak a gas mask off the base," he muttered before she whacked his arm. "Ouch!"

"Well?"

"Sorry," he told her lowering his eyes.

"Good," then she turned and looked out the window before she farted.

"Sorry," she grinned

"Oh, no. You are not," he added as Sam giggled.

When HMAS Anzac returned to port, the crew couldn't stop smiling even if they tried. Getting closer to port, the crew could see their families waiting for them, but they all knew there was a little more waiting time before they could get down. Kate was in the officer's office with Lt Commander Marshal going over the last reports before leaving.

"Lieutenant, do you know when HMAS Sydney due to return?" Marshal asked Kate as they closed their files.

"Next week."

"And you are going to get checked up before they arrive, right Lt?"

"Sir?"

"I've noticed you weren't feeling well the past few days." Marshal smiled at her, and she nodded.

"No, I haven't been myself and yes sir, I'm going to head to the hospital after I've been home."

"Hopefully it will be nothing serious."

"That's my hope, sir."

"Well, there's nothing left here, Lieutenant. Good luck." He said arranging the folders.

"Thank you, sir." Kate finished as they both stood up.

They walked towards their own cabins, and Kate sighed when she reached hers. Closing the door behind her, she got changed and sorted the few things that were out of her bag before finally walking down the gangplank. She clenched her jaw feeling a bit jealous of all her crew mates that were now in their families' arms while she had no one there, sighing she carried over to the taxi stop.

Once in the cab, she gave him the address and rested her head on the window thinking about Mike. The taxi stopped quickly, and soon she was opening her door. She scrunched her nose when the stuffiness in the air reached her nose, quickly she opened the windows to let the breeze freshen out her apartment. After sorting her bags, she headed to the hospital.

"Lieutenant McGregor, what seems to be the problem?" The Doctor asked as soon as she took a sit.

"I would like to have a pregnancy test done."

"Oh, okay. When was your last period?"

"Three and half months ago," she left out with a sigh, and the Doctor stopped writing to look at her with a frown.

"Why didn't you come earlier?"

"It wasn't possible." The Doctor looked at her. "I was on the HMAS Anzac; we reached port today."

"I see," he huffed. "And the ship Doctor?"

"He doesn't know. I hadn't got time to see him; I was third in Command."

"Ok, have you any other symptoms besides missing three periods?"

"Nausea, morning sickness, tiredness."

"Terri, can you get blood and urine samples from Lieutenant McGregor?" he asked the nurse.

"Yes, Doctor. Ma'am, if you follow me," Kate stood up.

"I'll call you as soon as the results are ready, Lieutenant."

"Thank you."

Not too long later, Kate walked out of the hospital and headed home, and finally got out of her uniform. Then, she grabbed her purse and walked out to do some shopping since she didn't have anything to eat at home. That afternoon, she did some cleaning, and after what seemed ages, she drew herself a bath and soaked in it during the night.

The next morning, her day started with two calls, changing to her uniform she headed to the hospital. Inside, the nurse from the day before spotted her before she could reach the reception.

"Lieutenant. McGregor"

"Yes?"

"Follow me, the Doctor is waiting for you," Terri told her before she walked them to the office.

"Lieutenant. please take a seat."

"You got my results back," Kate affirmed.