Summary: Sam goes missing during a mission and the consequences of her experience will change her life forever (and someone else's too)

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: No, you haven't just entered the twilight zone I did actually update the story. :o) I owe all my readers a HUGE apology for seemingly abandoning my stories. I really haven't forgotten about them, or you. On a side note, I nearly spit out my drink when I discovered that this story has had over 7,500 hits! You, the readers, rock! Thanks for sticking with the story and for your encouragements. Alright, now back to the show.

Take The Long Way Home by Oz Lovi

Last Time: They both noticed her glance at Janet and mouth 'we' as she smiled. "Mom told me the baby should be here in a few weeks. How do you feel about all this?"

Smiling Sam said, "Excited, nervous, pick one at any given moment and I'm probably torn between them."

"What about you?" Cassie turned her attention to Jack.

Chapter Six

He was a little surprised that she'd asked. Not many people gad, but not many people knew who Kalan used yet. "About the same."

Rolling her eyes at his minimal answer, she drug them to the couch. "You have to stay for a few minutes at least." As she disappeared into the kitchen for a minute Jack followed her.

"Listen, Cassie, I don't want to run out on you, but I need to get over to my house in case the General calls. He wanted to maybe come by to talk to me about something."

Pulling a small camera out of a desk close by, she tuned to look at him. "Alright, but I want to get a picture before you take off. Jack, how do you really feel about all of this?"

Debating about how to answer her for a second, he opted for honesty. The look in her eyes wouldn't let him give her any less. "Happy, even though I think we would have both liked the circumstances to have been different."

"You mean like you and Sam married with a house and everything?" She saw his look sober.

"We can't have that, even if we want it."

Gently putting her hand on his on the kitchen counter, she gave him a light smile. "Maybe not yet, but you do have something to share. The baby, she's part of you and part of Sam." Walking into the living room again she held up her camera as he took his seat next to Sam on the couch. "I know you guys have to take off, but I want a picture. I bet you haven't had a picture taken et and you should have one to show the baby what it looked like while she was in your tummy."

Sam smiled and indulged her, standing up to let her get some quick pictures. After several shots in various poses she held up her hands. "Enough, for now, please."

"Okay." Setting the camera down she grinned as she looked at the adults. "We should have a baby shower."

Janet shrugged and looked at the others. "It's up to you."

After a quick look at each other Jack sighed. "You can have it at my house, if you like."

"Oh thank you." Giving then both a hug she headed off to make plans.

On the drive to his house neither of them talked, but they did keep glancing toward each other. At Jack's Sam kicked off her shoes and perched on his couch.

He grinned as he took in the sight. She had her feet on the edge of the coffee table and her knees bent up as she leaned into the couch cushions. Her eyes were closed and she had a small smile on her lips as she put her hand on her swollen belly. After a few minutes he realized that he was being stared at and looked up to her face again. She was looking at him with curiosity. "What?"

"We never did discuss how we want handle all of this."

"Good point." Cautiously sitting next to her, he eyed her before he spoke. "How…how involved do you want me to be?"

"As involved as you want to be. I don't want to sound like I'm pushing you into anything. This is your baby too. This is our baby, together. You're her father, even though she wasn't conceived in the usual way, Kalan did use you and if I'd had my choice I would have picked you. We already talked about that though."

Giving her an appreciative smile he stood up. "I have something for you." As he walked down the hall he heard her call after him.

"Is this what was in the bag you put in your truck a week ago?"

Coming back in to sit beside her he handed her a box. "It is." He watched as she opened the box and held out the items.

"They're adorable. Thank you." Holding up the baby clothes she smiled. There was a little dress with a diaper cover, matching shoes, and hair bows. In the bottom of the box she found a much smaller box that, when she opened it, revealed a necklace. "You didn't have to do this, Sir."

"I wanted to." Taking the necklace from her, he unhooked it and put it on for her.

"It's beautiful." She glanced up at him.

"Like you," he commented as he looked at her.

"Thank you." She was a little surprised by his openness. Holding the pendant out a little to look at it she smiled. It was silver and shaped like a man and woman with an arm around each other and their other arms round a baby in front of them. Lightly touching the pendant at her throat, she glanced up at the small box it had come in. There was a note in the bottom. Glancing at him she saw him steel himself for her reaction as she picked it up. Unfolding the note she felt moisture build in her eyes when she saw the simple but very meaningful words. 'Why I will keep fighting'. Staring in his eyes she let a tear escape. "You didn't know yet when you the note in?"

Gently brushing the tear from her cheek with his thumb, he smiled very softly. "I didn't have to. Even if she wasn't mine I would still keep this fight up for both of you." Pausing for a moment he tried to keep the huskiness out of his voice. "When I…when we found out Kalan used me it just made the feeling even stronger."

"When she's born I want to give her your last name. This idea had been bouncing around her head for hours and she was relieved to see a broad smile on his face as his eyes lit up.

"I wish you could have it too." His eyes widened.

From the look on his face she knew he hadn't planned to tell her that. Once her own eyes had returned to their normal size as well, she let words slip from her mouth before she could intercept them. "I do too."

They shared a stunned look before he stood and walked toward the door to the deck. "There's not an easy way around this discussion is there?"

"Not this time. Sorry." Thinking for a moment she lightly rubbed her hand over her belly. "I know Janet and Cassie will be happy to baby sit when we're off world. There's plenty of room for a nursery in my spare room, and I'm sure that if you want us…her to stay here sometimes we could rig up something in your spare room." She saw him jam his hands in his pockets then slowly nod without turning around.

"Yeah sure."

There was something in the way he said it, as well as his posture, that made her think he had other ideas about the arrangement. But for some reason he wasn't saying it. Stepping up behind him, she looked at his reflection in the glass. "You don't want to do it that way."

"My idea wouldn't work." He still refused to turn around, not sure he wanted to see the look in her eyes if he told her what it was he wanted.

"Sir?" She saw him cringe slightly and tighten up his jaw. Realizing that this was a conversation that should be kept in a more personal tone she pulled up her courage and lightly touched him. Taking a calming breath as he looked at her she looked him in the eyes. "Jack?"

It was said quietly and there was a slight tremble but it sounded beautiful to him. Jack knew she wanted him to tell her what his idea was, but it wasn't going to work out. There was a plea in her eyes that he couldn't ignore though. "I want you here with me, both of you." Very gently he put his hand on her belly as he stared in her eyes.

"Oh." She had no idea what to say now. Deep down she knew that was something she'd wanted for a long time, even more now that the baby was in the picture. They both wanted a life together and had for a long time, but this had pushed those feelings and wants into the foreground for both of them.

"Yeah, oh." He shrugged and lightly rubbed his hand over her baby belly before shoving it back deep into his pocket.

A slight change of topic seemed like a good idea, so she nodded toward the couch. "Will you come sit for a minute?" When he nodded lightly she walked over to the couch. After he sat next to her she had an idea that would, hopefully, cheer him up a little. "Do you want to hear her?"

Giving her a skeptical look he raised his eyebrows. "How?"

"Put your ear against my stomach and listen closely."

"If you think it will work." Seeing her nod he did as she suggested and leaned toward her, putting his ear against the swell of her belly. After a moment of intense silence, where he listened as closely as he could, his eyebrows jumped up and his head shot up as he stared at her. "That was her moving around?"

She nodded with a smile. "She moves around like that a lot. She seems to like the sound of your voice too." He gave her a smirk. "I'm serious. When you talk she calms a little, if she's been kicking a lot. When you talked to her before she kicked; she'd been relatively quiet before that."

Leaning his ear against her stomach again he listened closely. "She's moving a lot. Does she let you get much sleep, or does she keep you up?" He noticed that as he kept talking the baby had settled down. Glancing up at Sam he saw her mouth 'Told you'. With a big smile he listened to the baby moving around again.

"She lets me get sleep. Hopefully she won't be overly fussy once she's out." Looking at him as he closed his eyes to listen to their baby, she smiled. Their baby. It was something she was beginning to think they'd never get to have. Now, seeing him so excited and happy she realized that even if they couldn't be together they could have this. She really would have regretted not giving him, them, this chance at something close to a life together. As his breathing became deep and even and his smile softened, she figured out that he'd fallen asleep. She wasn't about to make him move. The baby, on the other hand, might if she kicked much. Sam noticed that as he fell asleep the baby seemed to settle down as well. Smiling she closed her eyes to catch a little nap too.

An hour later, Jack blinked the sleep from his eyes, unsure of what had woken him. He quickly noted how, or rather where, he was lying. Glancing up at Sam he saw that she was sound asleep with a hand protectively splayed on her belly. Sometime during his nap he'd also placed a hand their, near where his head was leaning on her belly as well. Quietly lifting his head he looked at her baby belly with a soft smile. "Sorry, sweetie, daddy wasn't meaning to use you as a pillow." Lightly rubbing his hand over her belly he felt a small kick. Getting up as quietly as he could Jack missed the small smile on Sam's lips as he turned around.

She felt so warmed by his tender words and actions. Of course, he didn't have any idea she'd heard him and even peaked her eyes open enough to see him. When she heard him turn away, as he got off the couch, she smiled lightly before drifting back to sleep.

Now he knew what got his attention as he heard a knock at the door. Not wanting to wake Sam up yet he quickly opened the door. Looking at his visitor, he nodded in greeting, "Jacob." As he stepped out of the way to let him in, he glanced toward the living room. Keeping his voice low he motioned toward the kitchen. "What's up?"

"I was guessing Sam would likely be with you, but I guess…"

Nodding toward the living room Jack said, "She's asleep on the couch."

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That's it for the moment, folks.

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