Take The Long Way Home by Oz Lovi
Summary: Sam goes missing during a mission and the consequences of her experience will change her life forever (and someone else's too).
Warnings: None yet.
Pairings: J/S (what can I say, I'm a Jack/Sam shipper, but I do write others too)
Season: Seven-ish Spoilers: Wee bit here and there from the whole series.
A/N: New chapter, yeah! Some of you have been wondering what the big secret is all about, or rather why I was drawing it out. I didn't get replies out to everybody who reviewed and I do apologize. I've had a lot of extra responsibility at work recently, which hasn't left a lot of time for typing this. As I told some of you, I intended to tell where Kalan got his 'sample' in the previous chapter. Unfortunately I ran out of time and I wasn't sure how long it would be before I could sit down and write more out, so I cut the second chapter a little short. Sorry for the added suspense, I do hope you'll all keep reading. Thanks for all the reviews! I looked up the number of hits on this story and nearly spit my drink out, it's over 1,000! Thanks to all of you for reading. Alright enough yakking; on to the new chapter.
Take The Long Way Home
From Chapter 2: An hour later Sam sat in the Control room, waiting for her team to step through the 'gate without her. She knew it was for the best. Admittedly, she didn't want to give Kalan a chance to get a hold of her baby, but she felt left out. As they walked toward the event horizon the Colonel paused. Glancing up to the Control room, he locked eyes with her for a second before turning to step through.
Chapter 3
"Kalan, I thought you would be hiding from us somewhere," Jack said acidly.
"Why would I hide?" He looked over the other men then settled his gaze on the petite doctor. "My name is Kalan," he said ash he held out his hand toward her.
She didn't take his hand, but she did give a small nod out of courtesy. "I'm Doctor Janet Fraiser. I've come to ask you about what you did to Major Carter."
At the mention of his lost trade he frowned. "Why? They took her."
"Let's ignore the fact, for a moment that you abducted and experimented on my friend against her will. I want to know how and where you got the father's genetic sample."
"As I told her, I gained the genetic sample from a human male I met during my trades. If you wish, I can show you the remaining sample from him." He motioned toward a building close by.
"That's what I'm after." As the group walked toward the building she said, "I noticed something while I was testing Sam's blood and comparing it to the baby. I have my concerns about where you got the sample."
Once inside the building he demonstrated, on a computer simulation of sorts, how the process of impregnating worked. After she was sure that she had taken the notes she might want, he showed her a small container with a few vials and slides in it. "These are the samples. I have broken them down to analyze their genetic structure." He held up a small vial. "This is the original specimen, what is left after impregnating Major Carter."
"I'll take that, please." Janet held out a small container. She watched him think it over for a moment then he placed the vial into the container. Turning and walking away she nodded to the Colonel to let him know she'd gotten what she needed.
As a group they walked to the Stargate. Making sure that the others were safely through the Colonel stopped Janet. "What was it you were trying to find?"
Hesitating a moment she said, "There were genetic traits I noticed that made me want to know where he got that sample, because they're not traits you find very often."
"You told us there wasn't anything wrong, so what is it?"
"There isn't anything wrong, it's not that kind of genetic trait. Please, let me do my tests to confirm it, then I'll tell you all what it is, Colonel."
He motioned toward the even horizon. After she stepped through he followed. As he stepped out onto the ramp he immediately saw Sam talking animatedly with Janet. He noticed that she looked somewhat put out as Janet walked away.
"The General wants to debrief in an hour, Sir," she said as he stepped off the ramp toward her. "Did Janet tell you anything?"
He shook his head. "Would you be up for a snack after I change?"
She smiled, "A snack? Sure."
Very quietly he whispered to her as they walked toward the team locker room, "Do I detect that cravings have begun?"
"Those showed up before Janet ever confirmed my 'motherly condition', as Teal'c puts it. Jell-O, Jell-O, Jell-O, and did I mention Jell-O?" She noticed his grin when she borrowed his phrase.
"Maybe I should tell the cooks to make extra."
With a smile she turned toward her lab. "When you're ready, I'll be in my lab, Sir."
-----
Now dressed in clean clothes, Colonel O'Neill slid his access card and a picture into his shirt pocket. As he walked into Sam lab he paused, not want to disturb the scene before him. She sat with her hand lightly on her stomach as she leaned back against the table. He noticed that she was smiling contentedly.
When she noticed the shadow in the doorway she moved her hand away self-consciously. "Ready for snacks, Sir?" When he smiled, she stood up and turned to pick up her over shirt off the other chair. She heard the sharp intake of breath behind her as she turned. When she looked at him she saw his eyes as wide as could be, and his gaze was squarely on her stomach.
"You, uh, grew." He looked up at her face, seeing her grinning like a cat with a canary.
"Nobody's been able to see it is all, Sir. You haven't seen me without my over shirt on in a week." With a sigh she pulled the over shirt together. "I'm getting a little sick of hiding it."
"Why are you? Hiding it I mean. The General told everybody." He followed her as she walked down the hall.
"I don't know, Sir." As they stepped into the elevator she said, "I'm just a little self-conscious about what people might say."
"They know what happened. If they don't they'll find out as soon as their CO sees them"
"Good point, but I know the kind of looks I'll get. People don't know what to say. Should they say congratulations or maybe ignore it instead?" Her frustration was starting to show through.
"Listen, if you're happy and smiling it will make people realize you're not going to beat them up if they mention it." Staring at her for a moment he asked, "Are you happy about the baby?"
She smiled broadly and genuinely. "I'm not happy about how this happened, but I am very happy about having the baby."
"Then let it show. No one can fault you for wanting a family." He nudged her gently.
"Sir, do you think I'll be able to do this with a baby?" She waited as he turned toward her again.
"If anybody can do it, you can. Besides, you'll have help. If you want it, but we won't force you." He added as he turned around again when the elevator doors opened. He motioned for her to exit ahead of him.
As they walked into the commissary she froze. "What the…?" She looked back at the Colonel. "Did you tell the cooks?"
He shook his head. "Don't look at me." The extra glasses of blue Jell-O made him want to laugh. In front of them was a small sign that read 'do not touch, reserved for Major S. Carter by order of the head cook'. When he tried to stifle a chuckle she turned on him. Putting his hands up in a show of innocence he said, "Honestly, I didn't tell them. Maybe the General or Doc did."
"I don't mind. It's just that I wasn't expecting that." She waved toward the Jell-O. As she stepped into line the cook smiled at her. "Whose idea was this? She asked with a smile.
"We decided that since the blue Jell-O is your favorite we should keep an extra supply fixed up for you. You know, for any sugar cravings." He beamed as she took an extra dish of the Jell-O. "The General informed us of your pregnancy and we wanted to make sure you had lots of good, tasty foods to crave."
"Thank you," she said as she gave him a big smile. Grabbing her drink she turned to head toward a table when she noticed Teal'c and Feretti.
"Major, Colonel, have a seat." Feretti pulled a chair out for her. As he waited for the Colonel to join them he asked, "How's it going, Major?"
"Good. Everyone seems to be keeping comments to themselves, so far." She set her Jell-Os down on the table. "I also get my own Jell-O supply."
As Jack sat down he looked at Feretti. "Is she flaunting her extra Jell-O?"
Without a thought she said, "A girl has right to flaunt sometimes." Her eyes went wide as she blushed with embarrassment.
All three men were amused and starting laughing, though Teal'c's was more of a subdued chuckle. The laughter from the other two increased when they saw she was embarrassed by her own comment. "I'm sorry, Carter," Jack said as he tried not to laugh.
Getting over her embarrassment she grinned. "At least I got a laugh out of everybody."
After the laughter subsided Feretti looked at Sam a moment before deciding to ask her a question. "Do you know what you're going to do yet after the baby's born?"
"Yes." She didn't want to elaborate yet, although, she had the feeling that most people who knew her well could figure it out.
"So, do you have a color picked out for the nursery yet?" he asked. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out she planned to raise the baby herself. After all, this is her baby, he thought as he saw her smile.
"Not yet. I haven't been to my house. Janet doesn't want me to go too far yet."
"What about names? Have any ideas yet?" Jack asked.
"I'm thinking of naming the baby after someone I know or maybe someplace we've been." She grinned, "I'm open to suggestions; as long as they're not Goa'uld names."
Glancing at his watch Jack said, "We should be in the briefing room pretty soon."
After putting up their trays the group made their way to the briefing room. As they walked in they saw Daniel and Janet sitting at the table in deep conversation. As they sat down Janet looked over at Sam.
Seeing the gentle look from her friend made her smile. Even though she seemed to be in a debate with Daniel she still kept a friendly look on her face. "Daniel, why don't you give me some name suggestions?"
"Really? Do you have any particular background in mind? Greek, Egyptian…?" he suggested.
"Anything, other than a Goa'uld's name." She knew this was an open invitation for him to teach her about the cultural heritage and meaning of every name he suggested.
After the briefing Sam stopped Janet before she left. "I don't want to bug you, but can I please go home for a little while?"
"General?" When he nodded she said, "For a little while, but I want you to come back into work just like normal."
"Thank you." As Sam walked to the door she spotted the Colonel.
"I heard Doc say you could go home for a while. I'll give you a lift." When she gave him a questioning look he added, "We took your car home."
"You took my car home?"
"Daniel did."
"Give me a second to change. I'll be ready in a few minutes." When he nodded she headed to locker room.
As they made their way topside Jack noted that she kept her jacket pulled closed. She was hiding again, but he couldn't blame her. Most of the officers outside of the SGC wouldn't have any idea about the baby. It was also a little over a month since most of them would have seen her. She definitely wasn't looking pregnant then. Walking to his truck it dawned on him that it might not be easy for her to climb up into it. When he opened the door he asked, "Would you like a hand?"
"Maybe." She tried to pull herself up but realized it wasn't easy with baby weight. When she glanced at him he already had his hand out. "Thank you," she said as she gratefully took his hand.
After she was settled he shut the door for her. Walking around to the other side he hopped in. "Want something to drink?"
"Sure, Sir." They drove to in silence all the way to the area convenience store. As she opened the door she discovered it was fairly easy to slide out of the truck.
While Sam went inside Jack gassed up the truck. As soon as the pump shut off he headed inside. He stepped up to the counter to pay for the gas when he heard a familiar voice.
"Hello, Jack."
He turned to see Sara, his ex-wife, standing close by holding a little boy. "Hi."
"It's been a while," she ventured cautiously.
Smiling slightly he said, "Yeah, it has."
"How have you been?" she asked as she adjusted her hold on the toddler.
"Good. You?"
Smiling she said, "Good. I, uh, remarried."
"That's good. You seem happy, and busy," he said motioning to the little boy.
"I hope I'm not making you uncomfortable." She gave him a sad look.
"No, I love kids. You know that. I'm happy for you. Really." He gave her a genuine smile.
"What can I get for you, Sir?" the clerk asked as he made his way to the register.
"Uh, the gas in the black truck." As he pulled out his money a picture fell out onto the counter.
Sara pointed to it, "You dropped something." As he picked it up she asked, "Is that a sono picture?"
He smiled softly as he carefully put it in his wallet. "Yeah," he said quietly.
"You didn't tell me if you wanted anything, but I grabbed you a drink just in case." Sam stopped in her tracks as she recognized the woman in front of her.
"Thanks," he said as he took the items from her and put them on the counter. Motioning between the two he did introductions. "Sam, this is Sara. Sara, this is Sam."
Sara offered her hand, "Pleased to meet you." She glanced at Sam's protruding stomach. "When are you due?"
Shaking the woman's hand Sam grinned slightly, "A few weeks." She looked at the little boy in Sara's arms. "Who is this handsome little man?"
"This is Jason. He's a year old." Seeing Sam's smile she asked, "Would you like to hold him?"
"Oh, I…"
"Please, it will make it easier for me to get my money out." She handed him over to Sam.
Taking the little boy she glanced at Sara, who was fumbling through her purse. Sam was sure that the woman didn't remember her. After all, they only met briefly without introductions. She, however, had remembered Sara.
Jack paid for their drinks and snacks. "Sheesh, have enough chocolate?"
Not even flinching she answered, "The baby wants some chocolate."
With a grin he replied, "You want chocolate. The baby has been after Jell-O."
"Busted." She tickled the little boy in her arms. "You're a cutie, aren't you?" As Sara picked up her bag Sam smiled. "I think I made a friend."
Sara had to grin; her little one was hugging Sam. As she reached toward him he patted Sam's stomach.
"Ba ba," the little boy said.
"That's right, baby." Sam smiled broadly as she gave him a hug then handed him to his mother. As she turned to take her drink out to the truck she said, "It was nice to meet you, Sara." She waved at the little boy, who sucked on his fingers and smiled.
Before Jack turned to leave Sara stopped him. "It's good to see you happy." As he turned she added, "I think she seems like a very good woman."
"Yes, she is." Ruffling the little boy's hair he added, "It's good to see you happy too."
"I think you'll be good parents." She missed the quick sad look in his eyes.
"Thank you. You know, you're a good mother too." With that he left. As he walked up to the truck he saw the look on Sam's face. "What?"
"Sir, you realize that she thinks I'm you wife or girlfriend and this is your child?"
"I know." He gave her a hand up into the truck again. "I thought it would take longer to try to explain the truth than let it go."
"I don't blame you, Sir." Sam put her hand on her stomach as he slid into his seat. Smiling she leaned into the soft seat.
"Do you still want to go to your place?"
After a moment she answered, "Not really. What I need to do is get some new clothes. The General cleared it for me to wear something other my uniform while I'm pregnant."
"Alright, where to?"
"There's a little strip mall not far from my house."
"I hope they have maternity clothes."
"I'm sure they do, Sir."
As he gave her a hand out of the truck he said, "I'll catch up with you in a minute."
With a puzzled look she nodded, "Alright, I'll be over there." She motioned toward a clothing store down the walkway.
"See you in a minute." With that he walked in the opposite direction.
Walking into the shop Sam was almost immediately approached by a saleswoman.
"Hello, can I help you find anything?" With a smile she added, "Perhaps something in maternity?"
"You're very observant," Sam said as she grinned.
"It's my job, dear. Besides, it was easier to guess when you walked past everything else in your size." She smiled again.
"I guess I'm not very inconspicuous today." As she followed the saleswoman to the maternity section she noticed an adorable outfit. Unfortunately it wasn't in maternity.
Glancing at her the saleswoman said, "I think you'll like our mothers to be fashions. Many of them are maternity versions of our other fashions."
"Really? That's quite a novel idea."
"It's become the trend to make them as fashionable as possible."
They looked through a number of outfits. She took a stack of them into the fitting room. As she tried them on she stepped out to the mirrors. When she was looking over her next outfit she heard the door bing as someone entered the shop.
The saleswoman stepped up to the new visitor. "Hello, sir. Are you looking for a young woman?"
"Yeah, actually. How did…"
Interrupting him she said, "You were looking around, but not at the clothes; and I only have on customer at the moment." She motioned toward the fitting rooms, "This way."
Peeking out of the fitting room Sam smiled. "I thought I heard you out there."
"How goes the shopping?" he asked as he took a nearby chair.
"Good. I think I'll wear this one today." As she stepped out she saw him grin widely.
"Looks good."
The saleswoman took off the tags and rang up the outfits. When they made their way to the register she had everything waiting. After she paid the woman said, "Enjoy."
"Thank you."
Getting in the truck Jack put a bag in the backseat. He noticed that Sam kept eyeing the bag as he drove. "I'm not telling you what's in it." She shook her head with a smile. "Do you want to take the clothes to your house?"
"I think I'll take them to the base with me. I'm not sure how much time Janet will let me spend off the base."
"How about we go by my house? I can make us something to eat before we head back."
"Food?"
Glancing at her he asked, "Do you have a specific craving? I can take you out to eat if you like." He saw her smile.
"You don't have to do that, but do you have any fish?" she asked with a gleam in her eyes.
"You might not believe it, but the fisherman has no fish. I ate what I did have a few weeks ago and haven't been to the store yet." Turning onto a side street he said, "Here we go, this place has great fish."
"You do know I'm getting spoiled here, Sir?" she asked as they went inside and waited for a seat.
"You've been through a lot and with a baby on the way you'll have your hands full soon." As they followed the waitress to their table he noticed how she smiled at them. He pulled out the chair for Sam then took the seat across from her.
With a quick glance over the menu Sam smiled brightly. "This sounds good." Seeing the question in his eyes she pointed at the menu. "There's a salmon dish with vegetables."
He smiled as she folded her menu and picked up a breadstick from the complimentary basket, munching on it contentedly. "Daniel's right, you do look happy." When she looked up at him he added, "And beautiful." He saw her try to hide her smile as she looked away. To his surprise when she looked up again she stared right into his eyes.
"Thank you." Sobering slightly she searched his eyes. "Does this…make you uncomfortable, Sir?"
Giving her a questioning look he saw her motion toward her stomach. "No." He gave her a soft smile before gently touching her cheek. "This baby is part of you, no matter how it got there."
She was touched and stunned by his sincere words and his display of affection. He seemed to suddenly realize what he was doing and quickly pulled his hand away, his eyes widening briefly in surprise at his behavior and words.
Taking a look around, he spotted their waitress and waited as she approached. After they gave her their orders they sat in a companionable silence for several minutes.
"Sir?" When he looked at her she asked, "Did you mean what you said before? That you guys would give me a hand with the baby."
"Of course, I wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise." Seeing the unsure look in her eyes he had a feeling she wasn't as confident as she'd sounded earlier. "You're scared."
She nodded lightly. "What if I'm not a good mother? I mean, we're gone so often, is that fair to a baby? What do we do about the team? Should I step aside or just take a little time off for maternity leave? How do I explain this to the baby when it's old enough?" The questions came out hurriedly one after the other, as if she was afraid that she wouldn't have the courage to say them if she stopped to think about it.
"You will be an excellent mother, as for everything else; we'll help you figure it out." He gave her a somewhat surprised look when she held his hand for a moment.
"Thank you, again." Sam gave him a dazzling smile then moved her hand away.
After a nice meal they climbed into the truck and headed back to the base. Along the way he turned on the radio to some soft country music as Sam leaned against the door and tried to stay awake. Half way there he glanced over and realized she was asleep. Trying not to wake her up yet he quietly called Daniel on his cell phone. He agreed to meet them topside to help carry the couple of bags Sam had as well as keep any comments from the rumor mill to a minimum. It looked better if they didn't show up by themselves with her obviously pregnant stomach now showing.
Once they dropped off her things Sam turned to them. "Thanks. I have another sono with Janet today." Glancing at the Colonel she asked somewhat timidly, "Are you going with me again, Sir?"
He gave her a quick grin, "Sure." Casting a glance toward Daniel he noticed a little smirk on his friend's face.
"I didn't know you went the first time." He caught the quick flash of annoyance sent his way. "Keeping Sam all to yourself, were you?"
"Shut up, Daniel."
As Sam shook her head at their antics she turned to walk toward Janet's office. "Are you two coming with me?" she tossed over her shoulder.
Following her down the hall the two men exchanged a grin as a number of young airmen stepped out of her way and even called the elevator for her. "You know, it's not often that female officers really get to be treated like a woman around here." Daniel smiled as they neared the elevator.
When they entered the infirmary they were surprised to see Teal'c and Feretti deep in conversation. Janet stepped up to them and made a quiet comment before noticing their new visitors. "Sam, come in. I'll be ready for you in just a minute." She gave the two men next to her a pointed look before she walked away. Seeming to get the idea they dropped the conversation and stepped toward Sam and the others.
"Hi guys. What's up?" Jack waited for an answer as the men glanced at each other.
"It is a simple discussion concerning Taur'i childbirth practices, O'Neill."
"Come on over, Sam." Janet motioned toward an exam bed as she moved the sono machine. "Do you want such a big audience?"
With a warm smile Sam looked at the men. "I don't mind if they don't mind."
"You asked us, so you know we don't mind."
"Good point, Daniel." She smiled as the Colonel gave her a hand up onto the exam bed.
"As I told you, Jacob, if you find one of them the others usually can't be far away."
Jacob smiled as he and George entered the infirmary. "Sam, are you alright? George told me that you'd been experimented on when you were abducted." As he got closer he noticed that his daughter was trying her best to keep her torso as covered as she could, by folding her arms over her stomach.
With a sigh she unfolded her arms and took the hand the Colonel offered as she slid off the bed to stand in front of her father. "Hi, dad." She saw his eyes widen as he took in the sight of her expanded pregnant stomach. She put her hand lightly on her stomach as she waited for him to say something.
"Did that man hurt you, Sam?" There was tinge of anger in his voice and Jacob knew that she wouldn't dare not answer him.
"No, not the way you're thinking, dad. Janet can explain it better to you later if you like. The short version is that Kalan used a genetic sample from a human male to impregnate me by inserting a needle into my abdomen and using a growth hormone of some kind to accelerate the baby's growth."
Seeing the conflict between anger at Kalan and a desire to be there for his daughter warring in his eyes Janet motioned to the sono machine. "I was just getting ready to do her second sono, Jacob. I don't think anyone would mind a couple more people watching."
"Of course not. Come one, dad, General." Sam motioned them over as the Colonel again gave her a hand up onto the exam bed.
Janet pushed Sam's shirt up above her expanding stomach and squeezed on the gel. "I warmed it up this time." Seeing Sam's appreciative smile she moved the wand around her stomach.
Everyone stared at the monitor as the baby came into view. Jacob glanced at Sam and noted how happy she looked. He also couldn't miss the look on Jack's face as he watched the monitor. There was a mixture of joy and sorrow, which disappeared when he glanced at Sam as he caught her looking his way. Giving her a soft smile that she returned they turned their gazes back to the baby on the monitor again.
"How soon can you tell if it's a boy or a girl?" Daniel waited for Janet to answer as she switched from the sono wand to a microphone of sorts. "At this point the baby is roughly the size of a seven month old fetus."
"Seven?!" Jacob knew she said there was a growth hormone used, but he wasn't expecting her to be that far along.
"Yes, and as for the sex of the baby, with a few more days I should be able to tell. That is if the baby is in a good position to see what we need to."
Sam shook her head, "I don't want to find out before the baby is born."
"But wouldn't that make it easier to…"
Jack interrupted him, "She gave you her answer, Daniel."
Returning to her task Janet moved the microphone around Sam's stomach. As the whirring sound of the amniotic fluid played through the small speaker everyone quieted down. Suddenly they heard a steady fast beat come through the speaker.
Sam's eyes widened, "Is that…?"
"Your baby," Janet answered for her.
There were tears of joy in Sam's eyes as Janet wiped the gel off. Her eyes widened again and she smiled. "She kicked." Without thinking she grabbed the Colonel's hand and held it to her stomach.
The others saw his hesitation as he was about to pull away, then his eyes widened briefly and he also smiled. "She kicked me."
"Can I…?" Daniel motioned toward her stomach.
Jack moved his hand as Sam nodded. He couldn't help but smile again at the goofy look on Daniel's face.
"I think she knows we're talking about her. She kicked me too."
Jacob looked at his daughter as Daniel stepped away. "She?" When she shrugged with another smile he grinned. As she pulled down her shirt and prepared to slide off the exam bed he noticed that she reached for Jack's offered hand without even looking to see that he had offered it. This can't be easy on them, he thought as he watched them together.
Sam took the sono pictures Janet handed her with a big smile. Part of her wanted to give the Colonel another picture, but the part of her that remembered they weren't alone won. She decided to him another when there weren't as many people watching them
-----
Janet was fuming, "I want to talk to Mr. Kalan, Now!" She slammed a file down on the briefing room table causing the General and Daniel to jump slightly. This was uncharacteristic behavior from her, she knew, but she also knew she needed answers and soon.
Reigning in his initial surprise at her harsh tone the General calmly asked, "Why is that, Doctor?"
Calming down she eyed him coolly before she answered. "I finished my work up on the baby's blood sample and I have a question for that 'man'."
"I do not want you taking off on a mission when Major Carter is so close to delivering."
"General, I have no intention of going to see that man on his world. I want to talk to him here. It's the safest way to be able to talk to him alone."
"Alone?" Daniel couldn't hide the concern in his voice. "What do you want to ask him?"
"I will only tell all of you after I talk to him. If I'm wrong I don't want to get everyone worked up. Honestly, I'm sure I'm right, but I want him to tell me so there is no doubt."
"What's wrong? What did he do, Janet?" Sam was on the verge of tears.
Seeing that she and the Colonel both looked concerned Janet shook her head. "There's nothing wrong with the baby or you, Sam." Turning her attention to the General again she pointed to the file on the table. "I need to talk to him, Sir."
An hour later SG-2 walked through the 'gate with Kalan trailing eagerly behind them. As he walked down the ramp he spotted the General, Dr, Fraiser, and SG-1 standing near the door. "Ah, General, thank you for inviting me again."
The General decided not to hide his distaste for the man. "It was not my idea, Mr. Kalan." Seeing some of the eagerness fade from the man's eyes he motioned toward Janet. "Dr. Fraiser would like to talk to you again."
Janet motioned for him to follow her. As they walked by the team Kalan stopped. "Major Carter, you seem quite well." She took a step away from him.
The action didn't go unnoticed by the others, but apparently Kalan didn't get the hint. Jack eyed him closely as he talked to her again.
"Has the baby begun to kick yet?" He reached toward her stomach.
Jack tightly grabbed Kalan's wrist as Sam stepped out of his reach. "Don't even think about it, Kalan." He practically growled the man's name in a low threatening tone. Seeing that this time he got the message Jack let go of Kalan's wrist.
A security officer followed Kalan and Janet to a small holding room. Janet had insisted that there be no one else in the room as well as no security camera. The others didn't like the idea but they respected her judgment that the nature of their conversation wasn't something she wanted anyone outside of their small group to know about yet. She would only tell the group if Mr. Kalan confirmed her findings.
The conversation had gone well as far as Kalan's cooperation was concerned. As far as making Janet feel at ease with what he'd confirmed he did, that wasn't happening. "How could you?"
"Curiosity, the samples seemed well suited to each other." Seeing the disgust in her eyes he had to ask, "How did you know?"
"I compared the baby's DNA to Sam's as well as to the sample you told me you used."
'But you must have had your suspicions before then, otherwise you would not have asked for the sample."
"I'd seen some of those genetic traits before and among our people they are very rare, to our knowledge. Since you have access to people from all over the galaxy I wanted to know where you go the sample. It was after I analyzed the DNA that I knew for sure." Standing Janet eyed him as she reached to open the door. "I would suggest that you distance yourself from the Stargate on your world before I tell them what you did."
Following her as she walked into the hallway he nervously asked, "You do not think your people would exact some kind of retribution?"
As she nodded to the security officer to escort him to the 'gate she said, "I can think of some who might want to initially."
Kalan quickly followed the officer to the 'gate and made his way to his world.
Carrying her files with her Janet cut through the control room to make sure Kalan had left before she took the stairs up to the briefing room. As she walked in she eyed the expectant faces around the room. She'd not made her presence known yet giving her a chance to observe for a moment. Sam was talking quietly with the Colonel and she noticed that Sam handed him something as he gave her a small grin. He looked at the square of paper before carefully putting it in his pocket. Teal'c, Daniel, and the General were discussing an upcoming mission as they sat at the table. Catching sight of her Sam moved to take a seat. Janet had to smile when she saw the Colonel pull out the chair for her before taking the seat next to her.
"Doctor, I take it you found out what you wanted to know." The General waited as she took a seat and laid her files out.
"Yes, Sir." She was working on the best way to start when he interrupted her thoughts.
"From the look on your face I take it Mr. Kalan confirmed your findings, Doctor?"
With a sigh she nodded, "Yes, General." Looking at her friends around the table her gaze settled on Sam. Turning her attention back to the General she opened the file. "As you know, I retrieved the remainder of the genetic sample used to impregnate Major Carter. During my initial analysis of the baby's blood I detected genetic traits that are fairly uncommon here. One was easily explainable as they protein marker Sam carries from her blending with Jolinar. The other is a little more unusual. That is why I wanted the sample and a chance to talk to Mr. Kalan. As a trader he has access to people all over the galaxy which could have explained the uncommon genetic trait." Janet could see the questions in everyone's eyes, but they all kept quiet trusting that she would tell them everything. "I ran part of the sample through the DNA sequencer to confirm that it is indeed the sample he used. Comparing it to Sam's and the baby's blood samples I discovered where he got the sample. He confirmed my findings and suspicions." Standing she looked at Sam and then, as calmly as she could, dropped what she knew was a bombshell of information. "Sam, your baby has traces of the gene of the Ancients. He used a sample from you, Colonel O'Neill. You are the baby's father."
Then pen that Jack had been holding tightly, to keep from fidgeting, clanked to the table top and rolled off onto the floor. Sam stared open mouthed at Janet and unconsciously put her hand on her stomach again.
"I'm sorry, both of you." Janet sat down roughly.
Daniel broke the immense silence. "That means at some point during our mission he did something to Jack." Glancing at his friend he asked, "Were you ever by yourself with him when he might have knocked you out with some kind of drug?"
Seeing that the Colonel had not planned to answer or possibly not even heard the question yet the General stepped in. "That can be left for another briefing. Right now I'd like to know how soon you think Major Carter will deliver, Doctor."
"According to Mr. Kalan the growth hormone should have worn off by now, meaning that the baby will develop at a normal speed from here out. She should deliver in a couple of weeks." Janet heard a noise behind her and turned to see Jacob standing by the stairs. From the look in his eyes she guessed he'd heard everything.
"Where is that man?"
"He went back to his home world, likely to hide." Janet watched as Jacob frowned then stared at his daughter. There were tears in her eyes and Janet thought she might have been shaking slightly.
Glancing at the unusually still man sitting next to his daughter Jacob realized he looked shell shocked. Sam let out a small gasp which grabbed everyone's attention. Including Jack, who looked instantly concerned.
Sam moved her hand over her stomach and grinned lightly. "Sorry, she kicked again."
The others watched as Jack seemed to shake off his surprise and total shock. He stared at her for a moment before he leaned toward her.
"Can I…?" he nodded toward her stomach. She smiled and moved her hand away. He gently put his hand on her stomach and after a moment he glanced at her with a slightly disappointed look. When he was about to pull his hand away she put her hand over his and moved it to another part of her stomach.
Sam watched the look on his face change as she felt the baby kick again. He smiled and closed his eyes as the baby kicked a couple more times. She was happy to see how calm getting to feel baby seemed to make him, especially given how unusually quiet and shell shocked they'd both been after hearing that he was the baby's father. Though it was through no fault of their own she felt slightly guilty and she had a feeling he did too.
Jacob glanced at George. With a light nod his friend turned to the others. As he closely eyed his daughter and Jack he heard George dismiss the others quietly.
A/N: I hope you liked it. I know it's a bit longer than the other chapters, but I wanted to make sure I got the big reveal of the father's identity in this chapter. New chapter coming soon. Thanks, and don't forget to review.