March 2012

The ringing of the phone jolted Daniel awake, as Vala groaned and rolled over burying her head into his back.

"I got it," Daniel mumbled as he fumbled around the dresser and grabbed the cellphone that was ringing. "Jackson."

"The babies came," the voice on the other end spoke, as Daniel opened his eyes and sat up.

"When?"

"Late last night," Cameron replied. "Two boys, and a girl."

"That's great Cameron, congratulations!"

"What?" Vala asked as she moved to sit up.

"The triplets came," Daniel informed her. "Did you name them yet?" he asked Cameron, who he could now tell was in the process of calling all the family.

"Maxwell Noah, Andrew James, and Elizabeth Sarah."

"Maxwell, Andrew and Elizabeth," Daniel relaid to Vala who was beaming.

"Look Jackson, I gotta call Mama and the family, can you call everyone else?"

"Of course," Daniel smiled. "Congratulations again."

"Thanks."

Turning the phone off, he smiled at Vala. "Can you imagine?"

"Three at once? Not at all," she said very seriously.

Lukas had just turned two, was as active as ever, and Alexandra rediscovered her lungs, as she was now cutting molars. In the months that passed since Daniel moved back in, their lives were slowly evolving away 'gate travel, and towards their family life. Cassandra married in October, and announced she was pregnant at Christmas, and subsequently moved to the east coast of the country. Sam and Jack struggled with the reality of Grace's heart, as she most recently went in for a second heart surgery to repair the small hole. With Sam and Daniel working, Vala and Jack spent a lot of their days together, with running after Lukas, and letting Gracie and Lexie play together-the best they could.

Sleep, who really needed it? Jack stood in the doorway of Grace's room, as he watched Sam sit in the chair, rocking the almost a year old baby.

"You didn't come to bed," he said softly, moving into the room.

"She needed me," Sam replied softly, as she gently rubbed Grace's back. The heart monitor attached to her small chest, ran over Sam's shoulder. They had taken Grace home the moment she was released from the ICU, which meant at night, she was connected to a machine to monitor her heart.

"Wouldn't go down?" Jack asked as he moved into the room, and reached for his daughter, letting Sam stretch her arms. "Hi my Gracie," he mumbled to the sleeping child.

"Just fell asleep," she replied standing up, as Jack rested the baby in her crib, and Sam moved the monitor closer to the crib. Holding out his hand, Jack guided Sam out of the room. He knew there was something wrong with Grace the moment he noticed her not gaining weight, and being lethargic… Was it their fault? We're they too old to be parents… He was in his 50s, Sam in her 40s… was their age the reason Grace came too early, and suffered through two surgeries before she turned a year old? Bringing Sam into a hug, he rested his head into the crook of her neck, as Sam gripped onto him. Never did she imagine that being a mother would be this tough… to love someone so much every day hurt when she was hurting.

The sound of the front door opening, pulled the two apart, as Jack glanced down at his watch, pulling away from Sam. "Daniel."

"Good morning," Daniel smiled softly as he peered down the hall, holding out a cup of coffee, and Lukas on his hip.

"You brought the little man," Jack grinned as Daniel put Lukas down. "Hey buddy."

"Vala had to take Lexie to the doctor this morning," he replied. "Oh, Mitchell called."

"The babies?" Sam asked as she took the coffee cup from Daniel.

"Andrew, Maxwell, and little Elizabeth," Daniel smiled, as Sam's smile widened. "He called sometime this morning. Said they were born last night."

"Leap year babies."