Jack and Daniel were in gear and waiting for the gate to finish dialing within 30 minutes of Jack answering his cell. Jack stepped through as soon as the wormhole was established, forcing Daniel to catch up.

"General, it's good to see you again."

"It's just Jack now. Where is she?"

The Colonel pointed to his left, "ICU 1, sir."

Jack handed his weapon and gear to the sergeant by the door as Daniel came down the ramp. He handed off his gear and followed.

When Jack walked into the room he saw a woman in hospital gowns was leaning on the back edge of a gurney with her back to the door. A nurse was rubbing circles on her back. "It's almost over Colonel."

Jack coughed. "Is she ok?"

The nurse looked over at him but didn't stop rubbing her back. "Yes sir. She's doing very well."

She let out a long slow breath before straightening as she pushed up off the end of the gurney. Their eyes widened as she turned around.

"Sam, you're huge!"

"Well, thanks Daniel. Those are just the words every pregnant woman wants to hear."

"You're…you're having a baby?"

Sam nodded as she kept her eyes on Jack. "Actually, Jack and I are having a baby." Jack's eyes moved from her abdomen to her face. Sam moved her hands to her belly. "You did say you wanted that last time to be memorable. Well, you got your wish."

"It's really you."

She furiously nodded her head as he closed the gap between them. He put his hand on the side of her face. She tilted her face into his hand as he leaned in and kissed her.

"Well, I guess that explains how you are having Jack's baby."

Sam's giggling interrupted their kiss. "Are you trying to say you had no idea Daniel?"

He waved his hands back and forth in front of his chest. "Not a one." Daniel winked and grinned. "That reminds me Jack, I believe you have something you need to tell me."

"Can't think of anything."

His arms failed outwards, "Oh, you have to be kidding me." Sam saw Jack's half grin and turned her head so she wouldn't laugh. She was about to ask what Daniel meant but that's when it started again. She reached out and grabbed Jack's upper arms as she bent forward and put her head on his shoulder. She emitted a low moan before taking a deep breath through her nose.

"Two minutes and fifty-two seconds. Your contractions are now less than three minutes apart. You're making excellent progress."

Daniel looked over at the nurse. "You mean she's in labor now?"

The nurse nodded. "Breath with her, sir. In through your nose and slowly out through your mouth." Jack flexed his biceps as Sam's fingers dug into his arms. He followed the nurse's orders and breathed along with Sam. Daniel joined in the breathing as well. Jack reached around and rubbed circles on her back, like he had seen the nurse doing when they walked in earlier. Slowly Sam's grip lightened and she began to straighten. Jack pulled her closer and let her lean against him.

"The equipment is finally here." The doctor and another nurse entered the room just as Sam recovered.

"Equipment?" Jack looked at the carts being wheeled in.

"Yes, sir. We aren't exactly set up for delivery and prenatal care, but we asked the SGC to send what we need."

Jack nodded but Daniel stepped forward. "Send her to the SGC, they're better equipped."

"They are but protocol won't allow it.

"Protocol?!"

Sam reached out towards Daniel. "We established a protocol that would allow SGC personnel who were declared missing or killed in action to return to the SGC but it requires verifying my identity and that can take time."

Daniel shook his head, "But we know you're you."

"It's not that easy Daniel." Sam grimaced as another contraction began.

"This contraction is two minutes forty-four minutes from the last one."

Jack held Sam and breathed with her as the doctor moved closer. "Excellent. You are getting close. When this contraction passes we are going to get the fetal heartrate monitor on you."

The doctor walked to the other side of the room and helped the nurses who were laying out all sort of equipment and supplies. They were ready when Sam's contraction ended.

"I'm going to need to put these around your abdomen." The nurse was holding up a couple cords.

"This is when you get to leave Daniel." She opened her arms towards him. "But give me a quick hug first."

"I'll see you soon." Daniel looked down after their hug. "I'll see both of you soon."

Jack looked at Daniel's back as he was leaving. "Don't even think it." Sam reached out and touched Jack's arm. "You have to stay."

"I wasn't going anywhere."

"Good, because I didn't work this hard to get here in the nick of time and have you waiting in the hall."

They got the monitors hooked up and Sam settled on the gurney just before the next contraction started. Jack breathed with her and let her squeeze his hand, a mistake he wouldn't make a second time.

"Now that that's passed I want to check to see how many centimeters you are dilated. Scoot down to the edge of the bed and place your feet in the stirrups."

Sam did as the doctor requested. "I want you here but I would prefer for you to stay at this end of the bed." She smiled at Jack.

"I'm good with that actually." Jack concentrated on Sam's face as the doctor sat down behind the curtain at the far end of the bed. Jack was growing more uncomfortable as the doctor moved around.

"Good news. You are at nine centimeters. You'll probably be holding your baby by the end of the hour."

Sam smiled up at Jack who returned her grin. The beeping of the machine alerted them all to the start of the next contraction. The nurse turned up the volume on the baby's heartrate monitor and Sam concentrated on the sound as she breathed.

"Is the heartbeat supposed to sound so erratic?"

The doctor stood up and oved closer to Sam's head. "It is usually steadier but I don't think it is anything to worry about. Your contractions can also interfere in the readings."

Sam nodded but Jack could tell the doctor had not soothed her worry. Now that she had pointed it out he was listening too. The heartbeat did seem to miss a couple beats every once in a while.

Ten minutes later the doctor was back in position and had declared Sam was ready to push whenever she felt ready. Jack helped her sit up as she wrapped her hands around her knees and gave a low grunt. She took a quick breath and pushed through the rest of the contraction. Jack kissed her forehead as she rested after the contraction.

"You're doing great, Sam."

She just nodded as the next contraction began. She sat forward and reached out for her knees and Jack supported her back. Six contractions later the doctor told her he could see the baby's head. He told her that once the baby's head was delivered her would need her to not push so he could gently delivery the shoulders. Sam followed his orders and few minutes later she heard her child making a soft mewing.

"It's a boy."

Sam and Jack shared beaming smiles. "You're amazing Sam."

The doctor placed their son on Sam's chest. Jack reached out and used his index finger to touch his son's soft black hair.

"He's so little." Sam sounded really worried. "Is he ok?"

"He is smaller than I expected but I think he's fine. We'll give him a full exam though, just to be sure."

Sam watched as the doctor carried their son across the room. "He's so little Jack."

"They all start out little."

"I guess."

"Thanks for getting here in time. I'm glad I didn't miss this."

"Next time you can enjoy every excruciating moment."

"I like the sound of that, next time. I can rub your feet and get you pickles for your ice cream."

"Ick. There were a lot of things I wished I could have eaten while I pregnant but ice cream with pickles was never on the list."

"What was?"

"I did miss ice cream, and pizza, and lasagna. I could have used some jello and cantaloupe too."

"Cantaloupe?"

Sam shrugged. "What can I say, a craving is a craving." Sam grunted and her face scrunched up.

"What's wrong?"

"Another contraction." Sam balled her hands up in the sheet.

The doctor stepped back over to her. "You'll have a few more contractions as you expel the after birth but they won't be as bad as before. Your son is five pounds three ounces and sixteen inches long. His breathing and heart rate are fine. We'll have a pediatrician check him too but I feel good saying your son is well."

"Ummm…doctor, could you come here for a minute?"

Jack and Sam looked over at the nervous sounding nurse. The doctor joined her at the machinery behind Sam's head.

"Well, that explains a couple things."

"What does?" Jack couldn't keep the concern out of his voice as the doctor stepped to the edge of the bed and palpated Sam's abdomen.

The doctor smiled. "I'm glad you are both interested in having a second child because you're having twins." Both of their faces went blank with shock. The monitor was picking up two heat beats, that's why it sounded so erratic. It also explains why your son is smaller than we expected."

Sam reached out and Jack took her hand. "Twins." She grimaced as another contraction started.

"You can do it. It'll be over before you know it."

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one who…" Sam went pale, her grip on Jack's hand weakened, and her eyes rolled back in her head.

"Sam!" Jack squeezed her now limp hand.

"Dammit!" All eyes shifted to the doctor. "I need a fully staffed OR now." HE looked up at the nurse standing near Sam's head. "Get her unhooked."

The other nurse had put their son in a bassinet and she was now on the phone.

"You need to let go, sir." The gurney was moving but Jack was still holding Sam's hand. He loosened his grip and her hand slipped out as they raced out of the room. He looked down and saw a large pool of blood on the floor.

"Jack?" Daniel stuck his head in the door. "Jack, what's going on?"

Jack shook his head. "I…I don't know."

The lone nurse left in the room brought Jack's son over. He was wrapped in a light-yellow blanket and had a small knitted hat on his head. "Can you hold your son for a while so I can go help? I'll bring you a bottle in a little bit."

Jack stretched out his arms. She gently placed the small bundle in the crook of his left arm. She guided him out to a chair in the hall and left him and Daniel staring at the small boy.

"It's a boy?"

Jack looked up at Daniel and nodded. "Yeah, yeah he is."

"He's so little."

Jack grinned. "That seems to be the first thing everyone says."

Daniel reached out with one finger and touched the boy's face.