Following qqball's suggestion I fleshened this part out.

Thank you all who reviewed, your encouragement is precious and vital to me. Especially because this is a Jack/OFC fic, something more or less new and risky for me to post/write.

This part wasn't actually a part of the original fic, but I thought this little epilogue was needed just to clear things up. This turn out what also what I had planned from the start.

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Jack shut the door behind himself wearily and trudged towards the kitchen for a cold beer, hitting the PLAY button of the answering machine along the way.

A pleasant feminine voice sounded through the speaker. Jack smiled in pleased surprise to hear from her. They'd only had a week together, because that was all Hammond had been willing to give Jack.

They'd taken full advantage of the allotted time still and spent most of the time together, talking about whatever came on their minds and thus getting to know each other. Because Rachel was his wife and thus needed to know such things, Jack had told her about his failed marriage, about Sara and Charlie, no matter how painful it was for him nor how hard it was for him to share his feelings. With the revelation that with such baggage he'd managed to start living again and had remained such a good person, Rachel's respect for him had grown even further. She in turn had told him of her previous relationships, short, unfulfilling and painful as they'd been.

Rachel was fully aware that she was now in a completely new territory. In her life she'd only had one relationship to which she had dedicated herself fully and because she'd spent most of her adult life focused first on her studies and later on her career she hadn't had much time, nor the strength to spend it on relationships. She was a shy and insecure woman and contrary to some other drop-dead gorgeous women she wasn't aware of her beauty, nor had it gone to her head, nor had she used her physical beauty to get what she wanted, much less had ever even thought of using it to have sex with as many men as possible. She knew that with her way of life, her shyness and insecurity, this was probably her only chance she'd get to have it all, because she'd soon reach the age at which every pregnancy is classified high-risk. Only a couple more years until she'd reach 35 and she knew, the way she'd been going, she'd have reached it without getting anywhere in her personal life. Career is good and well, but it doesn't warm your bed at night, or fill your heart with love or fill your home with laughter, love and happiness. Thus she'd resolved to do anything necessary to make it work. The fact that her husband was also a good and decent man just further sweetened the pot. The fact that he was good looking didn't hurt either.

Jack, on the other hand, was fully aware that with his 41 years of age time was running out on him for having it all again. This was his last chance for love and by god he'd take it, grab on to it and never let it go again and not just because there was no other possibility on the horizon for him. He wasn't ready to have kids again, true, not with the memory of Charlie still fresh in his mind, but he wanted to again be a part of a couple, committed to each other for life. He'd missed it these last two years after 15 years of marriage. From what he'd gotten to know of her, Rachel was a good woman, extremely intelligent, sharing his love for the stars, was compassionate and warm, indicating that she would make an amazing mother someday, but shy and insecure. She was also drop-dead gorgeous, easily among the top 3 most beautiful women Jack had ever seen, topmodels in Playboy, FHM, STUFF and other such magazines included. But even with her physical beauty, which was overshadowed by her inner beauty, she was not full of herself nor self-centered, but was incredibly humble and down to Earth, which was a rarety for women so beautiful, something that made her even more beautiful. Okay, so he wasn't in love with her, yet, but he didalready have a slight crush on her and was fully aware that he could easly fall in love with her for real. She was a good woman and definitely one Jack wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life with.

They hadn't made love again, though, it was something they'd agree to wait for a bit longer with. It had been with a heavy heart that they'd parted ways on the Nellis AFB runway when Jack had boarded his plane home. Not knowing how long it would be until they'd see each other again they'd permitted themselves one kiss. It had been a small one, lacking in passion, because contrary to what they'd done on their first night together it was the shy kiss of a newly-minted couple, but it was nonetheless sweet. They'd taken their agreement to start afresh and act as if their first night together hadn't happened, seriously and thus they felt and acted like a pair of virgins at the end of their first date. Which was ridiculous considering their ages, but somehow true. Even after Jack had boarded the C-17 Rachel had still stood on the edge of the runway, even after the plane had vanished on the horizon. Her mind been so full of tumbling thoughts and feelings that she hadn't even noticed an hour had passed in the meantime.

It had been a week since he'd returned to Colorado and, after having been sent off-world immediately, was home for real only now. He closed his eyes at the warmth that flooded his heart at the thought that he was no longer alone, that he again had someone to care about him, someone for him to care and worry about. After 15 years of marriage and constant presence of another person in his house the loneliness of a bachelor's existence had been the hardest to get used to. While he liked sex he was also mature enough to admit that the emotional closeness was more important and just holding a woman in his arms and having her hold him, was better than sex at any time. Giving his wife's recording his full attention he slowly sipped from the bottle.

"Colonel O'Ne... Ah, I mean, Jack." she stopped in embarrassement and muttered lowly. "Still can't get used to that. Or to people calling me that..." Jack smirked. Then she continued in a stronger voice. "Jack. You're probably away, so I just wanted to drop a line. This is definitely uncomfortable for me to discuss, especially over a phone and I'm not sure if this is something to just leave as a message, but you need to know this, since it touches your life too. I... ah... I got my period today. What I mean is... I'm not pregnant."

Jack's arm froze in the air as he was about to take a shot of his Guiness, the only beer he drank, not that Bud piss.

He knew that this wasn't a good time to bring a child into the world, and they as a couple weren't ready for such a big leap. They weren't ready yet to have their lives changed as completely and permanently as only a child can. They'd only just gotten together and were still living in diffent cities, not to mention states! One of them would have to request a transfer and move and their careers were important to them both.

These were all very good and valid reasons, but why did his heart spasm in pain at another missed opportunity for fatherhood?

"It's better this way anyway."

Wait a minute! Had there been disappointment and sadness in her voice? Had she just tried to console herself?

"Anyway, just figured you'd want to know. Call me so I know you got back okay. Bye." her last word was barely audible, sadness clear this time.

Jack's heart melted. It'd been a while since he'd had anyone care about him, worried about his health and safety, not because she'd have to stitch him up or get used to a new CO, but because she cared about him and even because it was in the job description of someone who had a personal investment and interest in him. A significant other, a wife.

Abandoning the thought of a shower Jack picked up the phone, intending to give his woman a call and console her over the obviously disappointing turn of events and let her console him.

Because that's what spouses do.

REVIEW!

AN: just to reassure you: even though Rachel isn't pregnant, thus eliminating any obstacle of them getting an annulment, they'll stay together and try to make the marriage work.

Okay, I know Rachel's news wasn't the kind to tell over an answering machine (or at least I think so, cause I was never either in the position to receive it, much less to leave such a news - I'm a guy), but for this part it was.

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