Two months later
"Sam, we have a chance to test that stuff you made!" Jack exclaims as he comes home, "We captured one of those snake things."
"They're called Goa'uld," Janet points out.
"Right, so we got a snake," he proclaims.
"I want to do the testing," Sam proclaims.
Jack looks directly at Janet, "Is this something anyone can do, or does it have to be her?"
Janet doesn't want to exactly lie to her superior officer, but she also really wants Sam to get the chance to do something that she deserves to do. So she settles for a version of the truth that would accomplish the same goal as a lie, "She's finished her training, Jack."
"I know," he says.
"I've sparred with her, Jack; she's ready," Janet adds, locking eyes with the only husband she hasn't hated.
"This isn't even a mission, guys, it's a science experiment," Sam protests.
"A science experiment that would have to take place on a secure base, and would involve a dangerous alien that is capable of taking over anyone it chooses to," Jack points out.
"Jack, I want this war to be over, and I want to have a part in ending it," Sam says.
Jack turns to Janet, "Will you go with her, watch her, keep her safe?"
Janet nods very seriously like she's just taken on some monumental responsibility, but Sam is offended, "I don't need a babysitter," she says with crossed arms.
"I'll babysit Mommy!" Charlie offers with excitement. He is more than a little obsessed with Sam lately.
-0-0-0-
"How did the test go?" Jack asks Sam when she comes home from her first real day as a resistance fighter.
"Really well, better than I expected," she says.
"How sure are you that this won't damage people who don't have a Goa'uld in them?"
"Positive. Janet and I were right in the room when we did the testing," Sam says with a smile.
"What!" he shouts.
"Relax, she isn't talking about the first test, Jack," Janet says.
"I told you to watch her! By 'watch her', I didn't mean let her do dangerous!" Jack exclaims.
Janet smiles, "I brought her home safe, didn't I?"
Suddenly crying begins from the babies' room. Jack moves to get it.
"Let me," Sam says.
Janet and Jack are left alone in the living room. "She did good?" he asks softly.
"Your wife is a warrior, Jack; it's time that you faced that face."
"Both of my wives are," he says, giving her a smile.
Two weeks later
"So what is your mission today?" Sam asks over breakfast.
"Stuff," Jack says.
Sam freezes. He doesn't tell her that it's classified. He doesn't give her an answer. He doesn't even bother to be evasive. That can only mean one thing.
"Who are you assassinating today?" she asks.
"See, sometimes I start to think you really are the warrior that everyone keeps telling me you are, and then you go and ask me a question like that," Jack says, standing up from the table and forcefully putting the bowl in the sink.
"Jack… I just want to know… how much danger you're going to be in," she stammers, trying to grab onto his arm as she walks past him.
"No, you want to know who your husband is going to murder today," he says searching her face.
"It's not murder… they're evil, and they aren't even humans," she says, confused by his face.
The anger leaves his face, "You really don't understand, then."
And Jack is about to walk away at that. Sam knows that she should leave it at that. The fight is over, and Jack isn't angry anymore. Why should she press it?
But she grabs his elbow, and looks at him with a question on her face.
He smiles, "You don't understand the gravity of a taking of a life: any intelligent life, no matter how different, no matter how evil."
"But it's the right thing to do, Jack. If you succeed, you are going to be saving thousands of lives. Millions, even."
"I know; that's why I know it needs to be done. And the fact that I know how horrible the taking of a life is is why I am doing it. But that doesn't mean that I don't wish I didn't have to do it. It doesn't mean that I didn't wish that these hands didn't have to be stained by blood," he says, holding his hands up.
And then she understands him. She folds his hands between hers, and slowly brings it up to his mouth. She kisses them, "I'm going to love these hands. No matter what they do."
"Don't say that, Sam," he says, shaking his head, "There have to be things you can't accept. There have to be things that are too much."
"No," she says softly.
"So I can just go sacrifice the kids to Ra?" he asks.
"You wouldn't do that," she says with a sad smile.
"So, unconditional love is just a form of trust?" he asks.
She nods. "I'm sorry I made something that makes you do something that you don't want to do," she whispers.
"I'm not," he says. He leans forward and gives her a passionate kiss.
-0-0-0-
If Janet were home that night, Sam would go to the headquarters to see what had happened to Jack. But she couldn't. She couldn't because they had three children. She is really starting to question on the wisdom of having a family at the same time as working to save the world. Of course, it's not like she had a lot of choice, after all, Charlie was part of this family longer than she had been.
She falls asleep, sometime after sunrise, in the chair near the door. She wakes with lips upon hers.
"Jack," she says, sitting up eagerly.
"Things did not go as planned," he says softly.
"What? Do we have to run with the kids?" Sam asks, standing up.
"No," he laughs, "We're quite safe. Safer, maybe, than we've ever been," he says, stunned.
"What happened, Jack?" she asks a bit desperately, trying to get his attention.
"It… was a massacre, Sam," he mutters.
"Your team? Is your team ok?" she asks.
"Yeah, the humans are ok. The humans are all ok. It's… we meant to kill Ra, Sam. That was it. We were going to kill one person today. That was the mission. We didn't understand the reach… the Jaffa, the Goa'uld, there are none left," he says.
"George," she gasps.
"He wasn't here. That's the thing, there are a lot of them in orbit. If you believe some of the wilder tales, there are even other whole planets out there that are full of Goa'uld and Jaffa. It's not over yet, but this weapon is…"
"So… who is in charge of the world right now?" she asks.
"Believe it or not, for about 186 minutes in the middle of the night, it was me," he says with a laugh.
"You're kidding," she says with a laugh.
"Hope. It's a good thing that the Resistance has higher ranking officers. I sent Feretti to get them."
"You saved the world, Jack," she says, taking his hands in the same gentle way that he did that morning and kisses them.
"Do you still love me, your murdering husband?" he whispers.
She nods her head.
"Did you get any sleep last night?" he asks softly.
She shakes her head.
He pulls her hand up, and starts leading her toward the bedroom.
"No, the kids are going to be up really soon."
"I'll take care of them," he says.
"You've been awake all night, just like I have, and you've been doing much more exhausting things than just waiting," she says.
"Short nap," he cajoles.