Disclaimer:
Jack O'Neill, Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, Teal'C, George Hammond, Jacob Carter and any other recognizable character, part of script or plot of Stargate SG1 belong to MGM Studios, Amazon, and Brad Wright.
In no way is the author claiming ownage of any of the characters nor is there any economical/monetary gain at any time. The author is extremely respectful of the original creators and is willing to take down this work of fiction if requested.
No copyright infringement intended.
Original characters are property of the author.
Chapter 3: The Last Crossroad
The silence stretches between them sending Sam's mind into a state of worry. They had talked about children when they first decided to not let regulations get in the way, but that had been some time ago. Perhaps by now Jack had changed his mind. After all they weren't actively seeking to get pregnant.
Instead of turning to look at him, Sam focuses on his now still fingers. They twitch every once in a while against her but the gentle caress they'd been doing is gone. She hears him clear his throat, then watches as he pulls back his hand just enough to break contact.
"Jack?" She hates how unsure her voice sounds but she also can't deliver it any other way, not with the way her mouth has suddenly gone absolutely dry.
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry." Sam quickly whispers.
It takes only a beat before she feels him shift, his voice delivering his surprise right by her ear. "What?"
She twists on the couch until she's fully turned toward him. Her eyes instantly search for his but instead of finding his full of anger, she is surprised to find them full of confusion and fear.
"I... I thought you were angry." She stutters.
Jack shakes his head and repeats. "What?!"
"Cause of the news."
"No... I'm just... surprised." She knows him well known to know that it's not just surprise. There's something else he's desperately trying to hide amidst the bouts of sullenness. Sam has two options; she can either leave it like that or urge him to open up so he doesn't spend untold hours turning it in she mind. She choses the later.
"Talk to me, Jack." She urges. Her hand moves to grab his, giving it a gentle squeeze so he knows he's got her full attention. Seeing he's not going to talk without her narrowing the start of the conversation, Sam continues. "You are surprised cause of the baby. Is it a good or bad surprise?"
A shy little smile, so small that she almost misses it if she hadn't caught the spark in his eye, graces his lips. For a second he looks almost excited before a little of the doubt starts creeping in. "Good!" Jack declares.
A sense of relief sweeps through her. He's happy and obviously excited. Whatever had made him pause wasn't the knowledge that he was going to become a father again. So then, what had made that fear she'd seen in his eyes appear?
Charlie.
It's suddenly very clear to her. He's about to become a father again and the surprise probably brought some unresolved feelings to the surface. She winces, berating herself for not thinking of a better way to tell him.
"I know we haven't been trying to get pregnant but I guess it happened." She can feel the blush already taking over her ivory skin and knows he can see it just by the way he chuckles. "Don't look so smug. You'll probably get a call when the General informs the higher ups about this."
"Doh!" He mumbles under his breath.
Knowing he's not mad that she's pregnant allows her to lean towards him, letting her weight settle against Jack's body. She curls sideways so that her head can rest on his shoulder and her legs fit on the sofa. Once she's comfortable she lets out a little sigh of contentment.
Silence stretches between them but Sam lets it continue for as long as Jack needs it. She knows how hard it is for him to talk about his son. The times he had mentioned Charlie, it has always ended in tears for the lost boy and deep grief for her husband. As much as she knows those talks have helped Jack heal, even if only a fraction, she can't help but hope this time it's different. Jack needs the happiness linked to the memories just as much as he needs to heal.
Jack sighs beside her. She can feel the heaviness that his soul feels and how crushing it seems to be. She won't let it crush him again, not this time. "It won't happen again, I promise."
"I know it won't." Sam assures him. "It was an accident, Jack. Charlie's death isn't your fault."
She gently traces his fingers with her own, caressing the well used hands of an officer of his caliber. No one gets to Admiral General without seen some serious combat and his hands reflected his years of service. She knows they could be hard in battle, ready to make his P90 shoot or activate the Zat gun. Sam also knows how soft his hand can be because she's been caressed by them, be held and protected more times that she could count. A tiny little thrill runs through her at the thought of seeing him holding their baby with the same love with which he holds her.
"It was my gun, Sam." He doesn't need to remind her. She knows it was his service weapon that had robbed them of Charlie.
"Which you thought was secure and hidden. You couldn't have known Charlie would find it."
Jack knows she's right, at a level far from his emotions, he knows she is right. Still, the memory of the gunshot, the panic that had run through him, the grief of finding his son had injured himself with a gun, his gun, and ultimately Charlie's passing pulling him towards not believing. She understands.
"He was curious, a little mischievous and mad that I wouldn't let him have a toy gun." She hears him rub his stubble in an attempt to focus on something other than the memories. "I should have known."
"How?" She whispers inquisitively. "How could you have known he would search and find your gun?"
"I..." She continues the gentle caresses hoping that they will provide a distraction.
Leaning her head back, Sam looks at him. She knows he has no answer. How could he when the future, even now that they know all they do, is so uncertain?
"We will keep our guns in the hidden safe. I can even ring it up so that it requires our fingerprints."
She sees him nod, his hand leaving her shoulder enough to brush away a tear from his cheek before it keeps falling. "We will never open it in front of him or her." Jack decides and she finds herself nodding immediately. If keeping it completely out of sight helps him then that's what they will do. "And we will teach them how to respect guns, their dangers and responsibility."
"We will." She verbally agrees with him, her hand squeezing his as tightly as she dares to make him look down at her. His warm eyes are full of tears but unlike all the other times, there is a new sense of purpose in them as well. "And she will know who Carlie was, who her big brother was and how much he loved baseball and playing with his dad."
Jack sniffles then leans down to kiss her forehead. Sam snuggles closer to him and he takes full advantage of the close contact to slide his hand from her hip to her belly. Realizing he must be in a very awkward position, Sam shifts yet again until she is laying down on the couch, her head nestled on his lap.
Jack wastes zero time in placing his hand gently, almost reverently, on her belly. She's always been slim but had somehow still had a little bit of a belly that no amount of workouts had gotten rid off. She'd never hated it, but it also had never been one of her favorite features. Now, she can't help but thank her body for letting her have something that he could physically feel, even if not all of it was baby related.
Feeling over her shirt is apparently not enough because Jack soon slides his fingers between her skin and her blouse, gently feeling and mapping, committing to memory for when their job and commitments separate them.
"That's mostly macaroni and cheese." She can't help but tease. Jack snorts but doesn't stop his exploration. His methodical caresses only serves to remind her of how tired she is and before she knows it her eyes are growing heavy and her limbs are relaxing.
"Wait a minute!" Jack suddenly exclaims. She jumps slightly in surprise and he gives her a little smile to say sorry for scaring her. She goes back to closing her eyes, trying to retain the sleep that had lulled her.
"What is it, dear?" She hardly ever uses pet names and when she does she definitively never uses dear, but she can't stop teasing him by pretending to be a little miffed over his sleep interruption.
"How?" She cracks an eye open to look up at him again but he's completely focused on his hand and her belly.
Unable to stop before the words are out of her mouth, she smirks and in a very serious tone starts explaining. "Well, when a woman and a man really love each other, they get together, make love and his sperm travels all the way to the ovum-."
"No!" He catches up to her teasing and gently pokes her side with a finger. She giggles, wiggling on the sofa just enough to escape the jab. "How are you... how did she... you've been going through the gate! How was it not detected sooner?"
It seems now its her turn to open up a little further. It's not anything new to him, they've talked about it before, but its still somewhat a sore topic for her. Thankfully the knowledge of their little baby soothes her worried soul this time around.
"You know how Janet and I theorized that I wouldn't be able to have a child after Jolinar left the marker in my blood and I had all those complications from her death? Or that I would at least need some help to do so?"
Jack nods slowly. His hand once more moves to her belly though this time his touch is more protective. "Yeah?"
She places her hand over his. She knows his first instinct is always to protect so it doesn't surprise her at all that he's already trying to make sure their baby is fine. "Well, a note was made in my file, which Dr. Lam has memorized by the way. When I was recalled to SGC, and with all the budget cuts they are trying to implement, it was decided that a woman with extremely low chances of conceiving would forgo the standard pregnancy testing before shipping off-world."
Jack stares at her as if she's grown another head before closing his eyes and exclaiming. "What?!"
Sam nods and gives him a little shrug. "Have to save as much as possible to turn on the gate and since the chances of natural conception were so... low... well, I didn't insist."
"Then how did she find out?"
She blushes bright red, turning her head slightly and raising her hand to cover her face in an attempt to hide against his knee. "I was so sure I was anemic again."
"I knew you weren't eating well!" He declares, proud of himself for having known his wife would return to her old lab habits. "You and Daniel always needed someone to drag you away from your labs."
She giggles because she knows he is right. It's a habit born from many years of running experiments, permutations and scenarios with long calculations. Surviving on coffee and the cakes or pies that Jack would bring had been a standard that she can't continue. At least not while she's pregnant.
"Go on," Jack urges, "What happened?"
"The gate happened." She mumbles in reply as she finally turns back to look at him. "Remember my first trip? Especially right after I rematerialized on Abidos?"
"I remember you pucking your heart out." Jack replies. The hand that isn't on her belly moves to her head, tangling with the slightly overgrown hair. The sensation is comforting and she can't help but wonder if he'd wanted to do that back then too. She'd plan to eventually get it cut now that she was back on active duty but his caress makes her want to keep it as is. "That happened?" He continues.
"Mitchell said he's never seen anyone as green as I was." Sam explains. She'd been grateful he had let her brush aside the little rookie reaction, after all, she hates being sent back in the middle of a mission.
"Let me guess," Jack interrupts before Sam can explain. "He sent you back, right?"
Sam winces and scrunches up her nose in an expression that should clearly tell him that wasn't what had happened.
"He let you go on?"
"I think he might be slightly intimidated by some members of SG1," She admits.
Mitchell almost hero worships them half of the time, at least the half that didn't have him making rash decisions in an attempt to prove himself worthy of his position. "I stayed until Teal'c had to catch me on the way down. He put his foot down and had the group go back. Vala complained the whole way and Mitchell apologized just as often."
A yawn catches her unaware but as soon as Jack is offering to go to bed she shakes her head. She's missed him and she's not about to misuse the time they have together. "Anyway, I came back and Dr Lam ran every test in the book except for the one I actually needed. She almost had Vala thrown out of the infirmary when she suggest I might be, and I quote, 'knocked up, preggers or stung by a serpent'."
Jack's extremely confused expression makes her laugh out loud, her belly quivering under his hand. "Don't ask." She warns.
By now Jack knows better than to ask her to explain anything. Instead, he drums his fingers on her skin, a sure sign for her to continue.
"Imagine my surprise when after insisting that I didn't need one, the little stick came back positive."
"I'm assuming Lam restricted your gate travel and I'll be receiving word that SG1 needs a new member?" She knows Jack is trying to pretend he isn't worried sick by making it about SG1 and her position within it, but she can see right through the work veil.
This time her hand joins his once again over her belly, her fingers half intertwining with his. She doesn't have to tell him how important this is for her, for them, so she settles for simply holding on to his hand, letting their combined weight settle protectively over their child.
"Lam said that our experience with pregnant refugees that have crossed the gate horizon indicate we should be fine if I wish to continue to travel and if the General permits it." She knows its probably not what he'd wish the doctor had said but she's not going to lie to him about her options. "She checked me over and the baby is measuring between 9 to 11 weeks. We couldn't calculate based on my las period caus-"
"It's so erratic since you've been at R " He finishes for her. Since she no longer had needed to keep her birth control shot up to date at R , and thinking she'd be there for a long period of time, she'd started preparing for the possibility of a family with him in a future where they could be together as husband and wife. The first step had been to get off the birth control to try and jump start what had been prevented for eight years while she was part of SG1 but her cycle had proved to be a headache to handle with its irregularity.
"Jolinar really did a number."
As much as she is no longer angry at the Tok'ra and hasn't been for years, Jolinar's passing and the absorption of her body had really created far too many consequences for her. It goes far beyond having to do totally different calculations for her whenever medicines are concerned. The truth is that she isn't sure what will come up the road health wise. It is a thought that scares her and used to keep her up at night.
"Doesn't matter though, I happen to have on good authority when exactly I got pregnant."
This time it's Jack's turn to blush and dip his head to hide his reaction. She knows him well enough to know he will be smirking even as he battles to keep a straight face. "Washington?"
Sam nods from her place leaning on his legs. "Guess that was a great send off, wasn't it?" She teases.
"Absolutely the best for the world's greatest mind." Jack teases back.
She snorts, the sound pushing itself out of her body without her permission. She doesn't mind him being smug, after all he had accomplished what she'd fear would never happen for them. He'd gotten her pregnant.
When the bout of smugness leaves, Jack sighs softly, his fingers once more finding their way to his hair and caressing her scalp. "I'm not staying with SG1." She finally declares. "I talked to the General and I'll stay at SGC but I'll head the science department, seldom going through the gate unless its absolutely imperative and I can't guide one of the scientist through the processes."
She observes him closely. She can see the relief on his face, even when he doesn't tell her outright that he agrees with her decision. He would have respected whatever she's chosen and supported her through staying with SG1 or transferring to the labs.
"Hold it! Why did no one call me about this?" Jack questions. "Am I not getting my urgent memos now?"
"You don't read your memo's remember?" She reminds him with a playful look. "And even if a memo was sent, you are playing hookie."
"I beg to differ." They hadn't agreed for him to take time off to come visit her, otherwise she would have come home earlier to spend more time with him. She would have probably rushed over, eager to share with him the news. Instead she had stayed at her lab, processing what the news meant, and finishing her last mission reports. "I'm here to personally make sure that our national treasure is well cared for."
She hums softly. She knows the conversation is now at a point they've decided not to discuss until they can actually make concrete decisions, but putting it aside seems impossible now. Slowly, she moves to get up until she's sitting on the couch, shifting until their shoulders and legs are touching. "Lam offered congratulations to my partner."
The one thing she dislikes from the arrangement they have is the inability to tell anyone that they are not only together, but actually married. While their relationship had been new and something they wanted to keep between them, Daniel and Teal'c, it hadn't bothered her. It was what they'd needed to finally be together, a fact she had argued for. Now, because it is a condition imposed by the president himself, it makes her want to rebel against it. Yes, Samantha Carter, perfect soldier and one of the brightest minds in the project, wants to tell everyone that she was married to Jonathan "Jack" O'Neill and that in less than eight months their lives will be turned upside down by the arrival of their child.
If her father had been alive, he would have told her she's been spending far too much time with Jack, all while smiling at her. It's not enough though, it's never enough time.
"Congratulations." She adds with a bump of her knee against him. Lam didn't know Jack was the father of her child, but she still wanted to pass on her sentiments to him.
Jack bumps her knee back but he's already a little distracted as his mind catches up to the path their conversation is taking. She doesn't get mad for she knows how his mind works. He has the need to get them to safety, where neither she nor their child will be affected, before he can even think about celebrating.
"I'll resign... again." Jack decides after a couple of minutes of silence. "For real this time, no buts or maybe's. We did what they wanted, we kept it quiet for the sake of... whatever they needed us to keep it a secret."
"They won't accept it." Sam warns before turning towards him, her left leg sliding up to the sofa, her hands landing between her legs. "You know it."
"I've done my duty, Sam." He sighs tiredly as he drapes an arm over the back of the couch. "So have you. It's time we get to enjoy what we've been fight for all these years."
"I could retire." She floats the idea that has been circulating her mind at him. "I won't be able to be on any team, not with the baby at home. I could retire from the Airforce and be a civilian scientist."
The fact they are back at square one, right where they were before they decided to take things to a new level, doesn't slip by her. Where they once had options, now they could only head one way. Hiding a marriage was attainable. Hiding a child, not so much.
"That's not fair, Sam. When you were thinking of a life with Pete, you felt you'd have to choose between your kids and your job. I don't want you to ever be in that position." He brushes a hand over his face in something akin to desperation before turning to look at her. "I can be a stay at home dad, look after our kids, and make sure they don't pull apart the TV without at least watching a season of The Simpsons. I will have my hands full if they take after you. No need for you to stop doing what you love."
"And you wouldn't get bored?"
"Bored?" He reaches for his long abandoned beer and takes a swing of it before grimacing because it isn't chilled any longer. "Nah! Are you kidding me? I'll be running after a mini Sam with O'Neill genes in the mix. I'll probably call into SGC for backup."
She chuckles at his words but seeing him doing just that is so easy to picture that she finds herself taking a moment to envision it. She can see him running around after a blond head child, his hair all tussled by either sleep or having spent a good chunk of his day playing with their child. Their baby would be laughing out loud, trying to run away from him so that Daddy wouldn't make them clean their faces after lunch. When she'd finally get home, she would find them on the sofa, Jack passed out just as much as their child who would be sleeping on his chest.
The image seems as clear as thinking of him in combat. In fact, she knows that he will thrive being a father. She'd always thought he is meant to be one and had lamented the fact that Charlie had been ripped from him. Their child would never replace Charlie, but it would at least give him back that opportunity.
"Alright." She whispers in agreement. "You can update your resignation letter."
"Hopefully for one last time." He teases. His arm slides off the couch and wraps around her shoulders, squeezing her gently. "Don't worry Sam, we'll figure it out. I promise."
His words help ease her tension a little, enough for her to lean her head back against the backrest, near his hand. They seemed to have come to an agreement without having verbally declared it. Plan A; he will retire and be a stay at home dad for their child. Plan B; she will leave the Air Force and offer her services as a civilian scientist.
That hadn't been as hard as she thought this conversation would be.
Either way one of them would be making a change. For the first time in her life, Sam doesn't feel like she will be losing anything if she leaves the Air Force. In fact, she knows that if it comes down to it, she will step away with absolutely no remorse. She can fight the Ori from the labs and come home to her husband and child at the end of the day. Jack was right, they'd paid their dues and it was time they were allowed to enjoy their life and marriage.
She can feel the change in him almost immediately. With the mission objectives and execution plan settled, Jack was finally allowing himself to feel the happiness her news brought him. It was almost electrical. She can feel him shift in his place, trying to keep himself somewhat restrained, but as the news settles further and further into his mind and heart, she can feel happiness radiating out of him. A quick look up at his face shows her that the grin he's been trying to suppress is now out in its full splendor. "Sam... I'm going to be a father again?"
She grins at him, her hand rising to gently cup his face. "Yeah." She whispers.
Before she can prepare herself for the shift, Jack pushes off the couch just enough so that he can lean down and raise the end of her shirt. He takes her by complete surprise, a laugh bubbling out of her lips as he presses kisses over the swell made of baby and mac and cheese. Over and over he peppers her skin with gentle caresses, promises she can't quite hear whispered against her skin. She ends up threading her fingers through his unruly hair, waiting for him to continue for as long as he needs.
"Hey." She finally hears him whisper. "I'm your dad, kiddo. I know I probably sound a little crazy so I might as well tell you that I'm not the brightest color in the crayon box. I'll teach you everything I know, though. All about the Simpsons, about cakes and pies and fishing, lots and lots of fishing. You and I, kiddo, we are going to go on lots of adventures. Don't worry though, we got your mommy to keep us in check."
"Who says I won't be joining in the shenanigans?" She teases him with a little tug of his hair.
"Fine, fine, you can join us too."
This time when the yawn threatens to overtake her, Sam doesn't fight it. She is tired, too exhausted to continue to deny herself sleep. "Alright, up we go, bed time." Jack decides as soon as he catches her yawn.
"But-"
"Nop, not gonna listen, you need sleep." He doesn't give her a chance to complain and instead helps her up. She groans, her limbs once more heavy as lead but doesn't argue further.
Jack practically has to guide her from the sunken living room, through the dining room and down the corridor and stairs to their bedroom. She closes her eyes, simply letting him take over as he undressed her, guides her to the bed and tucks her in before joining her. She rolls over, curling against his side, her head on his shoulder where it is easy for him to press a kiss to the top of her head. "Congratulations, daddy." She whispers.
Just before sleep takes her she is able to hear him one last time. "Congratulations, mommy."
--
Its early morning when Sam wakes again, still somewhat tired but not as exhausted as the day before. She fully expects to be able to roll around and snuggle against Jack but she finds his side of the bed empty. For a second she hesitates and thinks that it had all been a dream, but the way his pillow is indented and the way the blankets are thrown towards the center tells her that Jack had indeed been there.
"Jack?" She calls out, thinking perhaps he is in the adjoining bathroom. She waits for his reply but hears nothing.
Deciding to get up anyways, Sam rolls to the end of the bed and slowly sits. She hasn't gotten any morning sickness but after the effects of gate travel, she doesn't want to tempt fate. Once she realizes that she's not going to vomit, she gets up and goes towards the bathroom to wash her teeth then goes in search of her husband.
"Jack?" She calls out again as she makes her way up the stairs and down the hallway. She can hear his voice drifting from somewhere in the living room but he doesn't seem to hear her.
"I know, Sir." Jack replies to whomever he is speaking on the phone. "Sir, this wasn't something that either Colonel Carter or I planned. We were abiding by the..." He is interrupted by whomever is on the other side of the phone line.
Knowing just by his tone that the person has to be someone of high rank for Jack to be speaking so solemnly, Sam decides not to interrupt and simply listen. She can always ask him who he was talking to later. She moves to the living room and sits in one of the single couches, opposite to where he's standing.
"Sir-"Jack tries to speak but gets interrupted once more. He turns to look at her, no doubt having realized she was there far before she padded down the stairs of the sunken living room, rolls his eyes at the person on the phone then gives her a little smile. He might have sounded absolutely serious, but he was still irreverent in any little way he could be.
"Sir, as I said, this was not planned, but both Carter and I are looking forward to welcoming our child. " He continues once he is able to get a word in. "We both refuse to hide our child... No sir we haven't discussed that but I am very confident that I know Sam wouldn't want to."
He is right. She doesn't want to hide their child as if they were ashamed. She doesn't even want to keep hiding her marriage.
"Sir... No sir... Yes sir, as you know, the chance of Carter being able to conceive unassisted were low, the fact that this has happen-." He pauses for a long while, listening to the other end of the line without turning to look at her. She can see him losing patience with every second, his back straightening and his shoulders slightly pushing back. She could even see his jaw clenching as he tried to hold in the words he no doubt wanted to say. "Mr. President, we understand, but don't you think that we are owed the chance to enjoy this?"
His words instantly remind her of another conversation that had happened not so long ago. One that had taken place with the same person.
They were both nervous. Far too nervous for her liking as they waited for the call that could seal their fate.
They sat side by side in front of the conference table which was empty with the exception of a phone. They were supposed to receive a call from the President but so far the phone had remained silent.
They both know this meeting is a direct result of the morning conversation Jack had had with the President, where he had informed Jack's CO that after eight years of being coworkers, most of which they had adhered to the Air Force's regulations, that they wanted to take the next step in their relationship.
"Just ring." She whispers nervously at the phone.
She wants to get it over with. The president had insisted that he wanted to talk to both, but Sam had been in the middle of an experiment and she'd been unavailable until now. Even then, Jack had had to go into her lab and personally prevent her from starting another experiment to effectively hide. They'd both agreed that the call would be made during his next visit to the R so that they could face the fallout together but when the time had come it was suddenly more appetizing to hide in the lab.
A pit develops in her stomach every time she thinks of why he wants to talk to them. It could only mean one thing. If the President decided to start the process of bringing up charges for both of them, which was really the only reason she could come up with for this talk, she'd rather just know instead of waiting in limbo for the phone call.
At least Jack was sitting beside her instead of being miles away in Washington.
"Patience, grasshopper." He's been pretending he isn't nervous but she can easily see through his façade. He is as nervous as she is, although usually he is the most impatient of the pair.
Sam gives him a look which he replies to with a shrug of his shoulders. "What can he say, Carter? That we can't be together? That we have to stop seeing each other?"
"No, he could just court martial us." She replies.
"He won't, he likes us too much." He pauses, his grin falling from his lips, then adds. "Or well, he likes you too much."
If the President likes either of them it would more than likely be Jack who had his favor. He works closer to the president and has has a better chance to know him but she refrains from telling him so because the last thing they need is to get into an argument about why Jack is far more important for the program.
"You've saved the world one too many times for him to court ma-"
The rest of his word gets cut off by the shrill ring of the phone in front of them.
Her back straightens right away, as if the President himself had just walked into the conference room. She can feel her hands start sweating but she quickly brushes them off on her lab coat. She watches silently as Jack reaches for the phone and pulls the receiver towards his face, the sudden urge to snatch it from his hand and hang up rushes through her but she pushes it
down. Suddenly, she doesn't want to take the call at all. Would Jack notice if she scurried away back to her lab?
No, Sam. You've faced Goa'ulds. You've been interrogated and tortured by them. You can face the President.
"O'Neill speaking." Jack answers. He gives a nod but quickly realizes that the President can't see him. "Yes, Sir, she's sitting beside me. Let me put you on conference mode."
She watches as Jack pushes the conference button then puts the earpiece back in its slot. "We can hear you, Sir."
"General O'Neill, Colonel Carter?"
"Yes, Sir?"
"I just got off the phone with George where we discussed your recent... development." He continues nonplused.
She can't really tell if the President is angry or not. The hand counted times that she had been in his presence had left her thinking that he could be either laid back or very strict, depending on the moment.
"You do know that pursuing a relationship with your second in command, or commanding officer in case of Colonel Carter, is a court martial offence, don't you?"
What she's feared the most is coming to pass; the President is going to court martial them. Otherwise, why would he mention it?
"We do, Sir." Sam's voice doesn't quite come out as confident as she wishes it had. She quickly clears her throat and shares a look with Jack. "It's a decision we did not take lightly."
"Sir, with all due respect, Colonel Carter and I have shown time and time again that our respect and dedication to the Air Force is unwavering." Jack continues. "As General Hammond might have mentioned, our feelings for each other aren't a new development."
Sam waits as silence meets them from the other end of the line. She's about to ask if the President is still there when his voice filters thru. "I am aware of your feelings for each other." He admits. "I've make it a point to read all of the team's mission reports as well as those that landed directly on my desk from the base's commander."
"Of course you do, sir." Sam quickly says. "We... we didn't mean to make it sound like you didn't."
"How long has this been going on?"
Sam swallows uncomfortably. She knows they have to be completely honest with him just like they'd been with Hammond, but she'd been hesitant to talk about it even to the man she considered a surrogate father. "Almost a year and a half, sir." She finally replies.
"A year and a half!?" Now she can detect the surprise in the President's voice which makes her wince. She's never liked letting anyone down and even though her life with Jack is the thing she cherishes the most in the world, she can't help but feel that she is letting down THE President. "George didn't mention that."
Not wanting to sully Hammond's reputation, Sam quickly replies "He wasn't aware, Sir."
Once again silence envelops them. Sam wants to scream just from the anxiety of waiting but she knows that if she does it will only be worse. She can't add another court martial offense to the already pending one.
It is Jack who ends up breaking the silence this time, with what she feels is a well-rehearsed explanation. "Sir, as you are very well aware, the nature of the Stargate Program is very different to that of any other armed forces. We are stationed here for longer periods of time, building comradery and family. We have to in order to fully trust those we go to other planets with. Both Colonel Carter and I-"
"Skip the speech, son." The president interrupts him. "George has already come to bat for you. Fact is that we've been aware of your feelings for each other for quite some time now. I shouldn't say this, but it is commendable that you've managed to not fall into bed with each other earlier."
Something catches in Sam's chest and she grimaces. Her relationship with Jack is far more than 'falling into bed with each other'. It is based on trust, mutual admiration and love. A quick look at him lets her know he didn't like the comment either.
"It is a far different command but it still falls under the regulations imposed by the Air Force. I can't have people gossiping that the men and women serving at Cheyenne Mountain do not abide by them without severe consequences."
"We know, Sir." They'd both been aware of it when they started their secret relationship. "Neither General O'Neill or I think that we are above the rules, Sir."
"You don't? Then why start something that is clearly against how you think?"
Jack's jaw clenches harder, his right hand fisting and making his fingers turn white. She knows that he is about to say something that he might regret later so she places a hand over his, squeezing lightly to calm him down. It seems to work for he releases his tight hold and lets her fingers slip in the space between his thumb and forefinger.
After taking a deep breath and searching for the patience that he's tried to develop ever since being at Washington, Jack continues. "Sir, this isn't a one night stand that will end badly. Colonel Carter and I are aware that our relationship is against regulations and we've gone to great lengths to stop it from affecting our work. We've been doing it for far longer than you are probably aware."
"That doesn't help me, Jack." President Hayes sighs. "You know every decision you have ever taken pertaining to Colonel Carter will be put to question if this gets out, every commendation, and every rank advancement will be put under the microscope."
"Sir, Carter is an excellent asset to the Air Force who has saved this world more times than I can count. We've both given far more than the Air Force has a right to ask." Jack continues, his voice just a little stronger than before. Once again Sam gives his hand a squeeze. "And we've done so all this years without asking for anything in return."
"But now you are asking."
"We are, Sir." She replies. "Only because this step seems to be the logical one and because, for the first time since the Stargate program was reactivated, we aren't in each other's direct chain of command."
"And quite frankly, Sir," Jack continues. "We are both ready to resign if our request can't be granted."
Hayes seems to be stunned into silence. She can't blame him, it's not every day that the Head of Homeworld Security and R threaten to resign. "You are putting me in a very awkward position and I do not like being backed into a corner."
"Neither do we, sir," She takes over by gently squeezing Jack's hand so that he won't talk. "But just like General O'Neill said, this isn't something we are doing in the spur of the moment. We know that by asking this we are asking for a lot, and risking just as much, but we wouldn't be doing so if we didn't think our relationship was solid... Sir. We just... want to have the chance to... explore it further now that we aren't working together."
"We just want to get married, Sir." Jack adds.
"I should be court martialing you two." The president admits. Hearing him say that he should be doing something gives Sam hope that they won't end up in some brig by then end of the day. She can see that Jack is getting ready to say something but she stops him with a very tight squeeze of the hand. They are on the winning side for now, the last thing they need is to lose that advantage.
"The only reason I am not doing so is because I know how much you two have given to your country and because George vouched for both of you, but I am not, in any way, pleased about the situation." Hayes continued. "Seeing as I can't accept your resignations at the moment, and you two are set in getting married, the only way I can allow you to do so is if it is kept completely silent. No one, and I mean no one, can know about your marriage. Colonel Carter will continue her work leading R and General O'Neill will continue being the head of Homeworld. If Colonel Carter gets recalled to SGC, we will re-evaluate the situation but your marriage will continue to be a secret, understood?"
"Yes, Sir." They both chorus. It's not exactly what they would have wanted, but it would at least give them the opportunity to get married.
"I mean it. If this gets leaked, or we detect even the smallest hint of work impropriety, it will force me to do something I do not want to do." He warned them. "I think we can both agree that the Air Force cannot lose its reputation and I can't be seen favoring some armed force members over others."
"Yes, Sir." Jack agrees once again.
She's already smiling, the corner of her lips curling upwards even against her will. "Of course."
"Let me add something before I end this conversation." Hayes's voice lowers slightly as he speaks. "I will deny ever saying this but 'congratulations'." He doesn't give them a chance to reply. Instead the dial tone quickly fills the room before she reaches forward to press the conference button again.
They remain silent for a couple of seconds before Sam turns to look at Jack. He's grinning like she's never seen him smile before. She knows that he will find the same kind of smile on her lips. "Did that... did it really happen?"
Jack gives her a nod and quickly teases. "How does a work day wedding sound to you?"
She giggles. "Don't want to risk the chance of him changing his mind?"
"Not for one second."
They'd gotten married the next day with Teal'c, Daniel and Hammond as their only witnesses and only after being practically sworn in by Jack that they wouldn't share the news with a single soul. After they had enjoyed a quiet 'reception' of Chinese food and cake at Sam's home, their honeymoon had consisted of staying in bed all of the weekend, parting only when Jack had to catch a flight back to Washington. It was then that their little ring ritual had been born.
Hearing Jack continue talking on the phone, Sam can't help but play with her ring. She doesn't want it to become a habit since she mostly doesn't wear it, but the movement does ease the nerves she can feel starting to form.
Jack remains silent for a while, listening to Hayes on the other side of the phone line. Looking down, Sam's eyes focused on her belly. She stopped fidgeting with her ring and placed a hand over the general area of where she knows her child was growing. 'We are gonna make it work.' She declares in her head, promising the unborn baby that she would do anything in her power for them to be happy and healthy and definitively not hidden.
"Yes, Sir, I understand." Jack finally replied. "Both Colonel Carter and I will remain here awaiting your call." With that he places the phone down in its receiver but pauses before turning her way.
"The General gave me the weekend off after finding out I was pregnant." She informs him. It had completely skipped her mind to tell him yesterday but he must have figured it out, or found out, since he'd just told the president they'd be readily available at their home phone number.
Jack raises his hands to rub his face and hair, leaving it in an even bigger mess than sleep had left it. A groan follows before he turns towards her. He gives her a soft sad smile before tilting his head slightly towards the kitchen. She knows they need to talk but he's far too worked up to sit down and talk to her. He needs to do something. Breakfast it is.
"I'll get the omelet started." He gives her a little wink before entering their soft yellow kitchen.
Sam grins, already salivating at the thought of the delicious omelet he's made time and time again for her. "That actually sounds delicious."
He grins a boyish grin then makes a bee-line towards the refrigerator. While he pulls the necessary ingredients for breakfast, Sam moves to the coffee maker. It's not until she's almost done measuring the little cups for the amount of coffee needed, that Jack freezes, half through cutting the squares of ham.
"What?" She asks. She knows that whatever made him stop isn't something to truly worry about because of his body language. He is somewhat relaxed and not on the hyper focus she has seen him exercise during missions, so instead of going on full alert she simply waits for him to answer.
"You can't have this." He concludes.
Frowning, she looks down at the pieces of ham and eggs nearby. "Why?"
"It has beer." He declares abruptly. "And you can't have beer. You are pregnant!"
"I knew it!" She laughs. "It does have beer! That's your secret ingredient."
He realizes what he's let out and pushes his tongue out at her playfully. "Yeah well... I'll have to think of something else."
"It will be fine," Sam assures him. "You are gonna cook it, whatever alcohol is in there will evaporate."
He doesn't look very convinced. For a moment Sam is tempted to pout at him because the thought of the omelet is really appetizing but he ends up shaking his head. "Fine, but no beer on it." He declares.
Sam shakes her head and quickly asks. "Half?" she asks with a tilt of her head. If she has to use the Carter puppy eyes she will use them.
"Are you 100% sure it will cook out?" Jack asks as he reaches for the beer bottle. He quickly checks the alcohol percentage in his Guiness but ends up frowning when it doesn't really tell him what he wants to know.
"I'm 100% sure that it will cook out." She promises, this time letting her bottom lip curl outwards in a cute pout. "Please?"
"Fine, I'll only do half though."
"Will it taste the same?" She can't say she's the best cook from the two of them. As long as it's edible, she usually calls it a win. She has a better chance of a successful win if she's given step by step instructions and time to properly prepare. Jack is definitively the one with the cooking skills, and the creativity, to put out dishes that she absolutely inhales and which she knows their baby will actually eat.
"Sure, why not?" He answers with a little shrug as he pours half of what he usually would use.
"Then that's fine." She goes back to the cups of coffee in front of her. This time it's her turn to frown before she picks up one of the steaming hot cups and pours it down the drain.
"What was wrong with it?" Jack asks after having watched her go through the motions of preparing another cup of warm water and stick a bag of tea in it.
"Nothing, really, for someone that isn't pregnant." She finishes with a little grumpy tone. "We are gonna have to swing by for decaf because there is no way I can give up on coffee, especially at the lab."
Jack chuckles and continues cooking their breakfast. "Just remember not to accept anything prepared by Daniel. Don't want the kid to come out with chest hair."
Sam can't help but laugh out loud at his warning. While she normally doesn't mind Daniel's coffee and has actually developed a taste for it after years of depending on it for late night experiments, she knows it is definitively out of the question for the foreseeable future. "Guess I"ll know now what Dad went thru when he gave up coffee."
Jack pauses after turning the omelet so that it would cook on the other side. "Dad gave up coffee?"
She reaches for Jack's coffee cup and places it on the counter by the stove. She waits for him to reach for it before she leans against the same counter, her back to it as she cradles her own cup of tea. "Yes. Selmac didn't like it."
Jack gives a little hum before checking the inside of the omelet to make sure it is fully cooked. "I could never."
"You'd have a harder time giving out on beer than on coffee." She takes the opportunity to lean over to press a kiss halfway on his chin and cheek, before moving to get the plates for him. Once the huge omelet has been cut in half and plated, they each carry a plate and a cup to their table.
The boxes awaiting them makes her wince but at least they have enough space for both of them to eat. "I still have to sort through them." She admits. "Haven't had the chance with all the missions."
"Good thing you'll be working at the labs for a couple of months." He takes a mouthful of the egg, bites through it then swallows. "Actually, I'm not sure if that will help you get more time to settle in or if you'll get lost in experiments and barely come home."
Sam replies with a little cheeky grin before she takes her own mouthful of the delicious egg. The first taste of it makes her close her mouth and moan softly. His food seems to be hitting the spot and she's not sure if it's because her pregnant body craves his special cuisine taste, or because it's probably the first time she's had a home cooked meal since the last time they were together.
"That good?" He chuckles.
"Shut... up." Sam mumbles around the next spoonful of egg. It's far too delicious for her to stop and remember her manners, at least for the moment.
Before she knows it, she's finished with her plate and is seriously eyeing his. Jack playfully pulls it away, taking in another piece of egg.
"You would leave the mother of your child hungry?" Sam asks him with a very serious expression even though she wants to burst out laughing at the expression he makes.
"No," he replies playfully. She should have known he could see right through her charade. "But you've had your part, this one is mine."
"And you are just going to eat it in front of me and not even give me a little piece?" Sam continues. She probably couldn't finish it all but she wasn't quite satisfied with her half of the omelet. She just needed another little bite that was all.
Pretending to be extremely put out by her request of sharing his food, Jack sighs heavily and pushes the plate towards her. "Fine, whatever I gotta do to make sure my wife and kid are fed."
Sam grins, having won their little standoff, and takes the fork she'd been using to break a piece off his food. She happily hums as the egg hits her tongue.
"If I knew that all that I needed to do was make you one of my omelets to make you this happy, I would have done it the day I met you." He too breaks off another piece of the spongy breakfast. Before he puts it in his mouth, though, he adds. "Might have saved me the whole reproductive organs talk."
Sam blushes bright red but sticks out her tongue at him. "I might never let you go back to Washington." She admits. "Gotta keep you around to make breakfast and dinner."
"Glad I can provide such service." He takes another piece of the egg then pushes the plate towards her. "All yours. I'm full."
She's sure that he's not full but doesn't complain. Instead the takes the plate and pulls it toward her while pushing away the empty plate she'd been using. "Thank you."
He smirks. Sam can see how proud he is of himself for having cooked her something she really seemed to enjoy. Was this what cravings were? She couldn't help but ask herself.
Jack stands up and starts clearing the plate and eating utensils that are no longer in use, along with his cup of coffee which he'd quickly downed. "If I have it my way, I'll be able to make your omelets every day you want them."
If they had it their way Jack would be retired before the baby arrived and living back in the Springs with them. She would continue to lead the SGC labs, occasionally going through the gate on needed basis but she would be back at a respectable hour every day to enjoy some time with her child and husband. Sam wasn't a dreamer though, at least not where real life was concerned. Her perfect view of the future could be trampled over by the Ori, the sparse Goaul'ds who still tried to grasp dominance in their corner of the galaxy, or even by their own government. They'd been very lucky so far, but their luck might just be about to run out and she doesn't want to set herself for a letdown.
"Did he tell you when he'd call?" She's finished her food and picked up after herself, meeting with him back at the small sink opposite to his stove.
"Just said he'd call when he reached a decision." She wasn't surprised, after all Jack had sprung up the news on him after they'd abided by his desire to lay low for so long.
"Did he sound angry?"
Jack ponders but ends up shaking his head afterwards. "Angry? No. He was definitively exasperated, went on and on about the Air Force and our irresponsibility for a while. Then he sort of sighed and said to wait for the call."
"Irresponsibility?" Sam asks surprised. She can't believe they'd be accused of that, even if done so as a result of having surprised the President.
Jack gives a nonchalant shrug before wiping his hands clean on the kitchen towel. He moves toward her silently before wrapping his arms around her. "Hey, I don't mind being called irresponsible if it means creating a family with you." He whispers against her lips before gently kissing her. "I'll be irresponsible every day of the week if I get to come home to you and the bean."
"Bean?" Of course Jack would come up with a nickname for their baby. She's not even surprised at how fast he came up with it.
"I thought about Junior, but then I remember Teal'c's junior and... well no thank you." He explains with a shudder which travels throughout his whole body. "Then I thought about Mac for Macaroni-"
"You are not calling my child macaroni!" She exclaims, cutting him off and earning herself a grin from Jack. "Or Junior!"
"Fine, fine." He leans in for another kiss against her pouty lips then continues. "Then I thought of peanut but... I don't know it's just too obvious."
"So you settled on bean."
"Well..." He says. "I did consider calling him Pi"
She raises an eyebrow at him, her eyes showing the smile that she's really trying to contain. "Pie? As in... fruit cake?"
"No, not pie, Pi. Our little Pi. I figured that having you as their mother they will hopefully inherit some of that wonderful brain of yours so why not call it something brainy." He corrects her. Jack waits for it to dawn on her before he gives her that boyish grin that she loves. "Although now that you mention it, pie isn't a bad nickname."
"Pi, yes." She decides. "Pie, no." She shakes her head for emphasis just in case he really is considering calling their child that.
While Pi certainly couldn't be considered a baby nickname, Sam couldn't help but find it extremely cute that Jack considered it as a way to honor her scientific mind. It was little things like that which made her fall in love with him in the first place. It was also the double meaning behind it that made her grin; people would either assume he was calling their baby pie because he had a certain affinity to the desert or Pi because of her being a scientist.
"Don't worry, that's why I settled on bean."
"Actually, I kinda like it." She admits to Jack who looks at her with a surprised expression. "What? It's an unusual nickname, something I'm very sure no one has ever thought of calling their child. I like it."
Jack gives her a little nod, his eyes twinkling with happiness. "Pi it is. Our little Pi."
Unable to leave their home as they wait for the call, Sam and Jack eventually settle for getting rid of some of the boxes that still littered their home. With Jack's help, they were able to clear their living and dining room and move anything that still needed picking through to his office. After a light lunch, which Jack insisted on despite her telling him that she wasn't really that hungry, they settled on their couch. Sam read one of the many scientific journals she'd been putting aside since she never had time to read while Jack watched re-runs of the Simpsons. It was all positively domestic. Anyone who dared to peek at them wouldn't even think that they'd worked together for 8 years, saving the world on the daily from parasitic oppressors. She liked it. A lot. Enough to get used to it rather quickly.
"We are going to need a bigger house." He interrupts her reading. He's been gently massaging her feet while watching his show but he stops all-together when the epiphany slams into him.
"Hmmm?" She asks, a little distracted. She looks over the edge of the papers to find him staring at her, not at all paying attention to whatever Homer Simpson is currently doing. "Why?"
"Pi." Jack states. "A kid needs room to grow, bigger backyard, their own room. A real home, not a bachelor pad.
"This isn't a bachelor pad." She quickly replies before looking down at her paper again. She tries to focus on the mathematical equation in front of her but can still feel him staring at her. Putting down the scientific journal on her lap, Sam gives him a little challenging look. "It isn't. It's our home and it's just the right size for you, Pi and I. We have a backyard which is just right for a baby."
"But not for a kiddo that needs to run around," He adds, "Or a dog."
"A dog?" She knows he's been thinking for years about getting a dog. It had started as a joke but as the fight with the Goau'ld continued it had turned into something he really considered so that he could have someone to come back to.
"For the kiddo." Jack quickly explains though he knows she's aware of his dog conundrum. "You should ask Cassie, there's a law somewhere that says every kid needs a dog."
She giggles at his antics. Getting a dog was something she could see them going through, especially now that the baby was coming. The thought didn't scare her as it had once done with Pete. It seemed logical, natural even, that they would do it. "Just what kind of dog are you thinking of?"
The grin that Jack gives her lights up his whole face. He probably thought she would complain about it based on what she'd shared of the panic that had rushed through her when Pete had bought and presented the house to her. "At first I thought of a Golden, they have lots of energy so they can tire each other out but maybe a German Shepard. I've heard they are great with kids and great guard dogs as well."
Sam nods. A German Sheppard would fit right along with their little family. She could already picture them taking their dog out on walks, little Pi strapped to Jack's chest, their little legs kicking and dancing around as their hands waved towards the dog that walked in front of them. "I think I would like that a lot, but..."
"Doh!" Jack whispers under his breath at her words which earns him a dig of her toes against his belly.
"We don't have to rush into it right now." She had always been the sensitive one of the two. While Jack no doubt would want to start immediately looking at houses and dogs available, she still wanted to wait for the phone call to even allow herself to start daydreaming of their future. "The house is big enough. When the baby is born we'll probably have them in our room for the first few months. We can convert the guest room into a nursery once they are a little older. The backyard is big enough for both Pi and the dog to run around."
Of course, Sam had never been a mom before this. Jack was the one that had all the parenting expertise and if he thought they needed a bigger house, they probably did. "If you really think that we need a new place then we'll look, but I think that at least for the first few years we should be fine."
Jack nods though she can see a bit of a pout developing on his lips. "What about our dog?"
"Well, we still have a few months before the baby gets here." She reminds him although as soon as she does she remembers how long it took for her Cassie's dog to be fully house trained and she can't help but agree that perhaps he should start looking. "We can start looking for one after we hear from the President."
The smile comes back to Jack's face as he lets himself relax on the couch again. "Don't worry, I'll have it trained in no time."
The phone interrupts her before she can try and tease him about his training abilities based on his rather unsuccessful attempts with Cassie's dog. She shares a look with him before twisting around to reach for the phone behind her. Instead of handing it over to Jack, she presses the green button on the receiver. "Hello?"
"White house, please hold." A woman's voice that no doubt belongs to the President's secretary promptly informs her that the call they've been waiting for is finally happening.
"Put it on speaker." Jack urges. He must have forgotten that their house phones do not have the speaker option so she shakes her head at him and points in the direction of the kitchen, where another of their phones waits for him to use.
Jack barely enters the kitchen by the time Haye's voice comes through. "General O'Neill?"
"No, Sir, this is Colonel Carter." She informs him. "General O'Neill will be with us in a second."
She hears the other phone connect before Jack's voice joins the conversation. "Sir?"
"There you are." Hayes replies. "You both certainly know how to keep me on my toes, don't you?"
Whatever exasperation Jack had heard in his voice on the previous call was certainly gone now. Hayes seemed to be almost relaxed, which isn't really an adjective she would usually give to the President. She tells herself not to panic, not to see if as a bad omen, but she can't stop her heart from rapidly beating against her chest. She suddenly feels sick enough to vomit but she simply covers her mouth to try and contain the nerves within.
"We are sorry, Sir." She hears Jack apologize, yet again. "We didn't pl-."
"Yeah, yeah, you didn't plan for any of this to happen." Hayes interrupts. "You already told me that."
"Right, Sir." She hears Jack sigh and she knows he's probably wincing at himself for the awkwardness.
"What Colonel O'Neill means, Sir, is that we were willing to abide by what you had asked of us and keep our marriage under wraps, but... well Sir, to be frank from what my doctors had told me, the fact that I'm even pregnant without any treatment... well I believe Dr. Lamb said it was a miracle." She uses her most calm and soft voice not only because she wants to soothe whatever her husband is currently feeling but also because she wants the President to know just how important this is for them. "I know we've already asked too much of you, Sir, but this... this is very important to us."
"The Air Force, and certainly I, would never ask you to get rid of your child, Colonel Carter." Hayes replies using the same tone of voice that she had previously used. "It just... complicates things a little bit."
"We understand, sir."
Hayes sighs on the other end of the line and once more Sam feels something jump within her, knotting at the base of her throat. "Colonel Cart... Sam, may I call you Sam?"
She quickly forces herself to reply, fighting against whatever is stuck in her throat. "Of course, Sir."
"Sam, I need you to be honest with me. You are one of our finest officers and I don't mean just in the SGC. The Air Force is lucky to have you." She doesn't detect any dishonesty in Hayes words or tone so she finds herself relaxing just a little. "General O'Neill once said that your potential would take you to one day be a General yourself. As much as I hate being the one that has to ask this question, it must be asked. What do you see of your future in the Air Force after your child is born? Do you plan to continue going off world and continuing to climb the ranks?"
"Sir!" Jack's now angry voice sounds through the phone. "Colonel Carter is perfectly capable of being a mother and a soldier. Her dedication and focus will not be affected by having a child. Quite frankly, the question shouldn't have had to be asked unless you plan to ask me the very same question."
She knows Jack means well. He's always been a soldier who treats every member under his command the same, whether they are a women or man. Throughout their years on the front lines, with the exception of their very first meeting, she had never felt that he looked down at her for being a female. She had felt she'd had to prove herself but she knows that was mostly her own need and not a reflection of how he saw her. She also knows that the last thing he wants is to put her in a position where she will have to choose between the life they both want and her career.
"Jack." She interrupts the charade that she hadn't realized had kept going.
"Yeah?"
"Just, let me think for a second." She begs.
The line goes silent as Sam thinks about the future.
Did she want to continue serving the Air Force?
Ideally, yes. Traveling to other worlds, learning from different technologies and even advancements in science that made Earth's pale in comparison, was a dream come true to the scientist inside of her. Life isn't ideal, though, and she knows that even if Jack doesn't want her to have to choose, she will eventually have to face that decision.
The memory of her younger years also makes her hesitate. Although now she knew that her father had loved her very much, back when her mother had passed away Sam had felt the loneliest. Growing up without a mother had left an incredible wound in her heart and soul that at times she feels she still has to deal with. Did she want her child to have to face a world where their mother never came back? Stepping through the gate was a risk every single time. Before she'd gotten pregnant, it was a risk worth taking, but now? Now she wasn't so sure. She couldn't bear the thought of leaving a son or daughter motherless, especially since they probably would be far younger than she'd been when she lost her mother.
The decision really was quite easy.
"Sir, as much as I wish my career could continue with the Air Force," She broke through the pregnant silence that had settled. "My child takes priority."
"Colonel Carter."
Hearing the disagreement in her decision in Hayes' voice, Sam quickly interrupts him. "No, Sir. An accident took my mother's life and growing up with a grieving father who threw himself into his career left my brother and I in a very... lonely place. I can't do that to my child."
Sam's not sure whether Hayes is surprised at her reply or pissed off because it's not what he wanted to hear, but she waits patiently for the man to speak. "What if there was another choice?" He asks.
Confused, and partially surprised, Sam turns to look towards the kitchen just as Jack appears by its open door.
He tilted his head at her, as if to ask her what the option could possibly be but all she could do was shake her head to tell him that she didn't know.
Turning her attention back to Hayes, Sam cleared her throat slightly before continuing. "Sir? What do you mean?"
"You could, if you desired, stay in the Air Force's payroll as a scientist." Hayes explains. "This option is usually reserved for the airmen who serve at SGC as medical personnel such as Mayor Frasier was, or even as a scientist like Dr. McKay, who despite having no military training remains part of the program. Of course you wouldn't receive hazard pay since you wouldn't be on the front line but it would leave an open door for you to continue your Air Force career later if you desired. ."
Stunned, Sam turns to look back at Jack who gives her a little shrug. She knows he's not going to decide for her or try to influence her in any way, and she respects that, but she still finds comfort in his presence. "That's a... I wasn't aware that it was an option for us, Sir."
"Normally, it wouldn't be. However, this aren't normal circumstances." Sam wasn't quite sure what he meant and judging by Jack's expression, neither did he. "General O'Neill, at this present time, the United States' Air Force is unable to accept your resignation. Your involvement in Homeworld is far too important for the survival of the Stargate Program and quite frankly, this world. "
There went plan A. Jack wouldn't be allowed to be an at home dad because the importance of the future of the world surpassed the future of their child. As an airman, Sam could understand, as a mother she wanted to rant and rave.
From the kitchen, Sam watches as Jack's hand strikes the edge of the door frame, a mouthed curse coming from his lips as he then shakes the pain away. She wants to go to him so badly, but she knows she has to remain as professional as she could. Jack slouches with a sigh, defeat running in waves from him.
"Colonel Carter," Hayes continues. "As of this moment and with the threat of the Ori in the galaxy, I find it imperative that you continue to be involved with the program in any capacity that is possible. Because of this and the circumstances surrounding your marriage and pregnancy with General O'Neill, I am willing to issue a special dispensation so that you can continue to be a part of the program through the armed forces and in General's O'Neill's line of command, if you so wish to be, while continuing your private life with each other."
She's stunned into silence again. Sure, plan B in which she turns in her resignation had just gone down the proverbial drain, but if what the President is saying is true, not only would she be allowed to remain in the Air Force, but they'd be able to be married and welcome their child publicly. If she wanted, once their child was older and self-sufficient she would be able to return to a Stargate team and go through the gate again.
"Although extremely unusual, I am also willing to grant permission to General O'Neill to relocate for four days of the working week to new offices that will be located within Cheyenne Mountain," Jack's head raises immediately as he hears Hayes new proposition for him. "With two days to be spent at the Washington's Office."
"I'll take it, Sir." Jack quickly agrees. Sam knows that he's not taking the chance of the offer being taken off the table, but she's still too stunned to officially accept hers.
For the first time since this type of conversations started, Hayes chuckles on the other side of the line, no doubt tickled by Jack's sudden eagerness to stay in command. "Yeah, I thought you would say that."
Sam knows that it's more than Jack had thought they'd ever receive. As much as they were firm on their plans, they knew that the last word would be ultimately spoken by the President. At least if either of them wanted to remain out of the brig.
"And you, Colonel Carter?" The President address her. "Are you in agreement?"
"I would remain as an Air Force officer while I stay in the labs?" She asks, just to verify that what she'd heard was real. "With the possibility to return to active duty once our child is older?"
Hayes chuckles again. A rasping sound comes through the phone and Sam can almost imagine him rubbing at his shaved chin. "Colonel Carter, you are very, very valuable to the program. Quite frankly, if it wasn't for you neither General O'Neill or I would be alive. While the Air Force and I are unwilling to lose you we can agree that at the moment your expertise would benefit us in a different area. Let me make it clear, you wouldn't be just a scientist at the SGC labs, you'd be the leading scientist. You'd oversee all of the technology that is brought through the gate before it is sent to R & D, as well as any experiment that is needed on a day to day basis to make sure that both the gate and the base runs as smoothly as it is designed to run. If, and I stress this to show General O'Neill that we are not making you choose between career and private life, if you chose to come back the Air Force will always be willing to reactivate your hazard pay."
"And going through the gate while I am a scientist?"
"Would only be on needed basis and only if any of the other scientists are unable to deal with the problem on the other end of the gate."
Jack had been right, yet again. When plan A didn't work, and plan B had no merit, then plan C was always there to get them out of whatever though situation they found themselves in.
Hayes continued "Sam, Jack, this offer is only available as a courtesy for all that you two have done for this country, this world, heck this universe. It's going to sound harsh but as soon as this call is done the offer is off the table."
She knew that the last of his words were directed at her more than at Jack since he had already accepted his end of the deal. "We take it, Sir." She quickly answered. "And... we are thankful."
"We are, Sir." Jack agrees with her from his spot at the door frame. "Truly."
"Then that's what we will do. Come Monday, Colonel Carter will officially be off SG1 and will assume her leading position at SGC labs. General O'Neill, I expect to see you in Washington this Monday to iron on the details of your new offices and to see who will be part of your staff at Cheyenne, as well as which days you are to report where. Am I understood?"
"Crystal, sir." A quick look at Jack lets her see that he's standing upright, his shoulders pushed back as if he is face to face with the President. She can see his hand fidgeting though and knows that while he's being as serious as he can be, he truly wants to start celebrating this new turn in their lives.
"Very well." The President gives another small chuckle before adding, in a much softer voice. "Congratulations guys. My wife insisted that I include her well-wishes in this call and I do not plan to ire her. She's much scarier when she's mad at me that all the politicians in this town put together."
"Thank you, Sir." They both say at the same time earning themselves another laugh. After their goodbyes, Sam remains quiet as she stares at her husband wide-eyed.
Had that really happened?
Had the president just given them special dispensation so that they would be free from the regulations? No more hiding? No more keeping their marriage and their child a secret? They would be able to live together without worrying about someone catching them as they went about their lives?
And Jack would be able to live at Colorado Springs? With her and their baby? She would be able to rejoin active duty once she felt ready, if she felt ready?
No, this had to be a dream, right?
"Sam?" She hears Jack's voice draw nearer and finds herself turning to it instinctively. She knows she's staring at him wide eyed, still not fully processing what had just happened. "Sam, are you ok?"
She nods but doesn't say anything. Instead she simply throws her arms around him, pulling him against her as tight as she can. "Is it real?" She whispers near his ear.
She can feel Jack's chuckle reverberate against her chest as he pulls her closer. "Yeah, baby, it's real." He replies.
She doesn't know whether to cry or laugh, so she settles on doing both. In the safety of Jack's arms she lets go of all the fear and worry she'd felt, of all the uncertainly for the future, as well as the relief that comes from not having to hide any longer. She'll blame the hormones later but for now she just lets herself feel.
Sam only pulls back when she finally calms down. When she does she turns to look at Jack who quickly brushes a tear away from his face. Though still sniffling, she raises a hand to cup his cheek, her thumb brushing away the evidence of the tears he too had shed. When she looks into his chocolate eyes she can't help but grin, her smile quickly mimicked on his face. She's immediately attracted by his smile, his little boyish grin that grows until it reaches his eyes and lets them sparkle. God, she hopes their baby inherits that grin of his.
The ring on her finger catches the light streaming through the window and makes her eyes draw to it. She loves their little ring ritual but now that their relationship will be out in the open, she knows that she won't be taking her ring off for anything other than when running an experiment. She had to be careful, after all.
"No taking it off anymore." Jack says as soon as he notices what she's looking at. He raises his hand to look at his own wedding band.
"At least not when I'm out of the lab." She reminds him.
"Yeah, well… Gotta find a way to make sure the eggheads know you are spoken for." He teases.
Sam gasps as if she was truly offended but then gives him another little grin before pulling away from him and turning so that she has her back is toward him. She looks over her shoulder and Jack quickly understand what she wants and leans back against the armrest, raising a leg up on the couch and opening space for her to lean back on. Sam wastes no time in moving backwards, her body resting comfortably against his chest while he wraps his arms around her waist.
It's only when he presses his hand to her belly that she finds an answer to his teasing. "I think that my belly growing will be enough to let them know I'm taken."
Jack hums under his breath, pretending not to be thoroughly convinced. "I don't know, for being the brightest minds the world has to offer, sometimes they are completely clueless, Carter."
"Hey! I happen to be an egghead too." She pinches the skin of his hand softly before soothing the spot with her own hand.
"But you are a pretty egghead."
"Really?" She asks, turning to look at him over her shoulder.
"The prettiest." He replies before leaning forward to gently kiss the spot of her neck that meets her shoulders. "The most gorgeous, pretty, intelligent, loving egghead that ever existed." He punctuates each word with a kiss down her shoulder until she's shivering as a reaction, squirming against his arms.
He soothes over the goosebumps that have developed on her arms, then settles his hand once more on her belly. "Ready for the rest of our lives?"
Sam sighs softly, her eyes focused on their joined hands over the gentle swell of her belly, which she is still sure is mostly omelet with a dash of macaroni and cheese from the night before, "No more crossroads on our way?" She asks and smiles even wider as she feels him press his chin against her shoulder then shake his head.
"Nop, not one." He whispers. "Clear skies for our future; just you, little Pi and I"
She knows the threat of the Ori is still out there, that they still have to defeat them but she's not worried, at least not where their relationship and family is concerned. After all, if the Goa'uld or Air Force regulations couldn't keep them apart then certainly the Ori would not accomplish it either. "Then I'm definitively ready for the rest of our lives, flyboy." She sighs contently as she snuggles closer to him.
She feels him chuckle, his chest vibrating against her back. "Nice."
The End
