5 months later
For the first few seconds that Sam is awake, she has no idea what caused her to wake up. The sun isn't up yet. The kids aren't crying. Maybe a bird? Or maybe she is just done sleeping for the night.
She lays in bed, almost long enough to fall back asleep, when a contraction hits her. The pain is bad enough that she knows these aren't the false contractions that she's been having for the last couple of weeks. But she knows that she still has a decent amount of time before the baby comes.
The night has the feeling of not being long before daylight. That's good, because Jack will get up at daylight and go on a mission. He'll be gone most of the day.
Sam doesn't want him to be here when the baby comes. Or, more precisely, since fathers don't actually go into the birth chamber, she didn't want him in the living room when the baby came. The poor man has been worried enough about the pregnancy, she can't actually imagine what he would be like during the delivery.
-0-0-0-
Sam can't wait for Jack to get out of the house. The contractions are getting worse and worse, and Sam desperately wants Janet to check on her progress. Instead, Sam is feeding Cassie some applesauce, and trying to pretend that nothing is wrong.
A contraction comes, and Cassie makes a noise of protests as her mother's face contorts in a strange way.
"Be a good girl, and eat up for Mommy," Jack says in a cheerful voice, not seeing the true problem.
Sam's water breaks. She desperately tries to think of a way to clean this up without anyone noticing. But it turns out that someone has already noticed, and guessed all the motives behind her deception.
Janet reaches over and spills Cassie's cup.
"Let me help you clean that up," Janet says quickly, bending down to do all the cleaning. "Jack, shouldn't you get going?" she says from the floor.
"I still have half an hour or so," he says, leaning back in his chair with a cup of coffee.
"I thought I remember Walter mentioning at the briefing that he wanted you in early today," she says.
"Did he?" Jack asks, leaning forward with his forehead knit in confusion. He had the feeling that something is going on here, he just doesn't have an idea what it is. "You coming in, too, then?"
"I think I'm actually taking a sick day," Janet explains.
Sam breathes a sigh of relief. She was worried that Janet was going to leave her, and there was no way that she could deal with having this baby without Janet's help. Sam was starting to get pretty nervous about the birth the way it is. Maybe it's just because Jack is so worried about it. If a brave man fears something, it make you a little bit more inclined to fear it as well.
"You're not feeling well?" he asks with concern.
"Well, that's the story I'd like you to tell them at work," Janet says.
Sam's stomach lurches. So Janet didn't get it after all. She was about to be ratted out by her sister-wife.
"So what's the truth?"
"Sam's going to be having the baby any day now. We're going to be pretty busy when that happens. I mean, we're busy enough with a baby and a toddler. You throw a newborn into the mix, and it's going to get even crazier around here. I'd just like to get some cleaning up done before that happens."
"Do you want some help?" Jack asks.
"I can help," Sam offers, which earns her a glare from the other two adults in the room.
"We'll be fine, sir," Janet assures him.
"You're not going to let her do anything, right?" Jack prompts.
Janet giggles, but nods her head.
"Ok, I'm off to work. Have a good day." He gives Janet a pat on the shoulder before moving to his wife. Usually, the couple tries to tone down the public displays of affection around Janet. It's usually good practice among husbands when other wives are present. The usual reasons don't really apply in this case, but it just feels awkward and weird. Today, however, Jack feels like there is something going on and Sam really needs a real kiss, not just something on the cheek.
Sam feels like a jerk as he kisses her. Here is a guy who loves her, who loves the child which is growing within her. A man who worries about both of them. And she is lying to him. Well, it's a lie of omission, which still pretty much amounts to a lie.
He gives each of his children a kiss.
Then he walks out the door.
"How long have you been in labor?" Janet asks as soon as Jack is out of ear shot.
"Since an hour before sunrise," Sam says quickly.
"Ok, well, I'm going to check on how you are progressing before I go and drop the kids off and get Sha're."
"You're going to leave me alone?" Sam asks in horror. She is suddenly picturing all of the horrible things that could go wrong as she gives birth all alone.
"I'll be gone for less than five minutes, and not if you're too far along, although I really don't think you will be. You know that Charlie was a bit traumatized when he had to listen to me giving birth. I'd like to avoid that happening again if it's possible," Janet points out.
Sam nods her head, even though she's terrified.
"Listen, Sam. You're young and healthy, and I don't think there are going to be any complications. This birth is going to be a piece of cake, like Sha're's."
Sam nods her head, but she isn't sure that she believes it.
-0-0-0-
"Sam?" a voice calls through the door uncertainly a few minutes later.
Oh crap, Sam thinks closing her eyes. Today is the day that her father returns from a business trip. He left shortly after Jack had found out that Sam was going to have a baby. Sam and Jack had decided on not telling her father about the baby until he came back from the business trip.
The cowards way out HAD seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that she was facing the much more difficult task of explaining that she was pregnant, and had neglected to tell him this fact, while she was in labor, the plan was looking downright stupid.
"Dad, everything's ok," Sam assures him as she walks toward the living room.
"Did Jack take the kids somewhere?" Jacob asks, looking around the house. Then his eyes fall on the form of his very pregnant daughter walking down the hallway. He barely has time to absorb this sight before she bends over in an obvious contraction.
Jacob's heart stops for a second. Sam doesn't just look like her mother when she's angry. She also looks like her when she is in pain. "I'm going to kill him!" Jacob shouts.
"No, dad, this is not Jack's fault. I was the one who wanted our marriage to have a… physical portion to it. I was taking something that was supposed to keep me from getting pregnant. But Janet it didn't work. Janet says this stuff only works like 60% of the time."
"I don't want to kill him, because you're pregnant. I knew you wanted to get pregnant, and I knew you were together almost since you got married. I want to kill him, because you're alone in labor. Where is the nearest doctor?" he asks quickly. He hates the idea of leaving her alone in labor, but he hates the idea of playing midwife to his daughter a whole lot more, especially since he still fears that she might be stolen from him with childbirth.
"It's ok, Janet just went to drop the kids off next door, and get Sha're, and then she'll be back to help me," Sam explains.
"Who is Janet?" he asks.
"My sister wife," Sam explains, prevented from being more delicate by another contraction. She knows that the baby really can't be far off now.
Jacob is stunned by those words. Jack went from not wanting any real wives to having two in less than a year. Of course, it was common that a man take another wife when his first one reached the point in her pregnancy where she stopped enjoying sex. At least, that was habit among the husbands who were polite enough to care that their wives didn't feel much like sex. Jacob supposed he should be grateful at least that his son in law should be counted among one of those.
But he didn't have to time to worry about this new addition to his family right now. He had to get his daughter help. "Honey, you need a doctor, not a sister wife," he tells her.
"Janet is both," Sam says, glancing at the door. She really does want Janet back.
Her silent plea is answered when Janet comes through the door a few seconds later with Sha're in tow.
"Who is this?" Janet asks.
"My father. The pain got way worse," Sam says in a voice that reminds Jacob of the whine that she used to use whenever she had a fever as a child.
"Ok, sweetie, let's go in your bedroom, and I'll take another look. Sha're, you can support her back," Janet says with the spirit of command.
"I'll go get Jack," Jacob says.
"No!" Sam whines, pulling away from the women who are gently ushering her out of the room. "Dad, you can't do that!"
"Why not?" he asks, confused by her resistance, "He's your husband, and he would want to be here for this."
"Sir, Sam actually went through great pains to make sure that Jack didn't figure out she was in labor before he left for work. She's afraid that he would worry if he was here," Janet explains.
"Of course he's going to worry! That's his right! He's been worrying ever since he found out about this baby, no doubt. And you doing it like this Sam, it's just going to make him worry a whole lot more if the two of you ever have another child. Worse than that, it's going to erode all of the trust between you. He's never going to be able to believe another thing that you say to him.
Sam fidgets under her father's critical glare. "I don't know where he is."
"I have some contacts in the resistance. I'll figure it out," Jacob says.
"Wait, I can get you some help with that," Sha're says, getting a piece of paper and writing an address down on it.
"Thanks. You are, after all, one of my main contacts," Jacob says with a grin.
-0-0-0-
For some reason, Jack just can't seem to keep his mind on his work today. The mission that he went on this morning was a short one, and he's supposed to be writing a briefing on it right now. In another half hour, he has to leave for his other job, and he really wants to get this done with. If he doesn't, he's going to have to take it home tonight, and he desperately wants to help with whatever cleaning is so important that it kept Janet from going to work today.
Walter suddenly bolts away from the walkie-talkie which connects them to the outside world and across the room. "Jack, you have to get home right now!"
A million things that could have gone wrong suddenly rush through Jack's head. He stands in horror, immobilized by the possibilities in a way that mere war never could.
"Sam's having a baby," Water continues, realizing the suspense he is putting his boss through.
The terror should have lessened, but it doesn't, at least not much. It does mobilize Jack enough that he starts to move.
-0-0-0-
This was the worst part. The waiting. Men usually got to be a part of the action. They did war and business and politics. They were right in the fray and got to know what was going on. Sometimes, the knowing what was going on was as important as actually having some sort of say in what was going on.
But with labor, and labor alone, it was the women who were in the know, and the men who were excluded and regulated to the outskirts of society. Jacob hated it.
The door swings open to reveal Jack, much disheveled by worry, and the way it made him run his hands through his hair.
"Jacob?" he asks, confused at seeing his father-in-law in this room.
"The one you're not married to came out a while ago and said everything was going fine," Jacob quickly informs him.
Jack nods numbly, and Jacob worries if he's in a state of shock. But he can't help but ask the question he hadn't the heart to ask his daughter.
"You married again?"
Jack turns to the man in shock and surprise, "Not really, Jacob. Her husband was abusing her. I had to buy her to get her out of that. And I wanted her to be around for Sam… especially when Sam was pregnant."
"So you 'not really' married Janet in the same way you 'not really' married my daughter," Jacob accuses.
"No, really this time," Jack says earnestly, "I really like Janet, but there is nothing romantic between us. We've agreed that I'm going to sell her as soon as she finds someone she wants to be sold to."
Jacob nods.
"You're not looking for a wife, are you," Jack says half in jest and half in earnest.
Jacob laughs hardily, "Not likely, but I'll keep my eyes peeled for a likely candidate."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you that Sam and I were really together," Jack whispers.
"It wasn't a great surprise," Jacob admits. He pauses, and looks at the younger man for a long second before saying, "You love her."
He meant it as a question, but it came off sounding a bit more like a threat.
"Always," Jack promises.
Jacob cracks a little smile at him, before a cross between a grunt and a scream splits the air.
"I can't stand this," Jack says jumping up to do something between a pace and sprint.
"I know how you feel," Jacob says somewhat miserably.
"I'm going in!" Jack announces quite suddenly.
"What? You can't just go in!" Jacob protests, but the younger man has already disappeared.
-0-0-0-
"Jack, you can't come in here," Sha're says, getting up from her position helping Sam sit on the edge of the bed to shoo the man out of the room.
"Listen, when I am out there I am imagining all the things that are going wrong. When I'm in here, I don't have to imagine. I can see if anything is going wrong. It's not nearly as bad," Jack defends himself quickly.
Both of the other women look at Sam to get her opinion. She gives her head a tiny nod.
"Sit next to me," she beckons. He sits down on the edge of the bed, and she rests her head on his shoulder.
It's nearly time now, and the contractions are coming right on top of one another. As another one hits, Sam does her best to bite back the pain.
"Samantha, don't you dare fake brave on my account. I know that it hurts, and pain is not what I'm afraid of here."
"It's a little bit what I'm afraid of," Sam says, letting out a huge shout at the end of her words.
"I see the head," Janet says, "We're almost there."
"Sure, if by 'almost there', you mean having all of the hard part remaining," Sam grumbles.
"Well sweetie, that's usually what 'almost there' means," Sam says giving her a smile.
Jack wraps her arm around her, and it gives her strength.
As her baby slides into the world a few minutes later, a feeling of dread settles on everyone present. There is silence.
And then Sam starts to sob.
"Sam, it's ok," Janet says.
"No, it's not!" she screams.
"Listen to me Sam, the baby is fine," Janet insists.
Jack looks at the baby, and actually laughs in relief, but Sam is too stunned to register the words. "It didn't cry," she insists.
"I know, Sam, sometimes they don't cry. But he's moving, and breathing, and he's got good color."
"What?" Sam says, looking at the baby for the first time.
"We've got a son," Jack tells her taking the baby out of Janet's arms.
Sam starts to cry in relief.
"Hey, I thought I was the one with irrational fears," Jack jokes.
Suddenly Sam looks at him in horror. "You have to go see my dad."
"No, I have to enjoy my wife and son," he says.
"The baby didn't cry, and he probably thinks…" Sam says.
And Jack remembers that he isn't the only one with irrational fears. "Can I take the baby along to show him?"
"The baby is still attached to your wife," Janet informs him, just barely able to keep a straight face as she gestures toward the umbilical cord.
"Right. I'll be right back, Sam," he says, kissing her as he hands their son over.
"He's perfect," Sam says in awe.