"So, I was thinking." He said, holding her hand as they went for a walk in the cool evening air. Jack had been with her for two days, and even though she was still working, coming home to him each evening had been wonderful. She'd asked him what he'd been up to during the days, but he'd just grinned and shrugged. It was when she'd gone into her guest room that she'd realized he'd been putting all her furniture together (thank you IKEA) and setting up that room and then her office.

"You're doing a lot of that lately General", she'd said cheekily.

He glared at her with his 'Colonel O'Neill is pissed look', and then he'd smirked. "Well, I have to learn to keep up with you", he'd told her then.

"So, what were you thinking", she said a few minutes later, when he hadn't continued. They were walking up a hill which she'd discovered her first week in Nevada. The views of the desert where amazing from the top.

"Uh –well", he took a breath and squeezed her hand.

She glanced at him, hearing the unusual note of trepidation in his voice. It was very rare to hear anything at all when Jack was nervous. Usually he covered up any feelings like that with his bravado and humor. She'd gotten to know, over the years, as had Teal'c and Daniel, when he was truly afraid – usually for them – but it was more a matter of recognizing the signs rather than actually seeing or hearing him be frightened. The fact that he was showing it now had her worried.

"What?" she said softly, trying to stop so she could get a better look at his face. Instead he kept walking, pulling her along gently.

"Well, I was just thinking", he stopped talking and grimaced. "I mean – you're pregnant."

"Uh – yes, I know."

"Well – I mean, it doesn't mean anything – not anymore." Seeming to realize how that would sound he grimaced again. "Of course it means something – to you and me – it's important – but no one cares, not now."

"They don't?" What the heck was he talking about?

"What I mean is that no one thinks it's wrong anymore – for a couple to have a baby and you know – be – still - single. No one cares about that."

"No, I guess not."

"And it's certainly not that I feel I have to, you know. I love you and that's all that's important – to me – to us - I mean it's important that you love me back – you do right?"

"Of course I do", she answered, beginning to feel the grin wanting to surface. She didn't know quite what was going on, but Jack was quickly turning himself into a pretzel. It was rare to see him like this and she had to admit she was enjoying it.

"Good. So, that's what's important?"

"Yes, that's what's important."

"Good, cause I don't want you to think that I'm doing this because I have to or anything. You don't think that, do you?"

"Uh – no, I don't think that."

"Good – cause I wouldn't want that."

"Okay", she answered, a slight question in her voice. They were almost at the top of the hill and she could see the sun begin to set. She wondered if she'd figure out what he was talking about before it grew dark.

He pulled her over to a large rock that sat on a ledge overlooking the valley. It had become – in just two days – their 'special spot'. He sat down and pulled her down beside him and they watched as the colors grew glorious in the desert sky. "I never get tired of this", he murmured.

"Me either. It kind of makes me realize why we do what we do."

They sat watching as the sun descended towards the horizon, the colors growing darker and more vibrant. There really wasn't anything like a desert sky in the evening – the intense pinks and purples glowing and moving.

"So", he said softly, just as the sun touched the earth, "marry me?"

His words of a moment ago suddenly made sense. He wasn't asking out of any sense of obligation because she was pregnant and he felt he had to 'make an honest woman' of her. No, he was asking because he loved her and she loved him. She wanted to gurgle with laughter at his convoluted way of telling her that, and burst into tears at how sweet he was – and how he had picked the most romantic spot in the world. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye – he was staring straight ahead at the sunset, totally still except for the pulse beating madly in his temple. He was terrified, she realized – he truly thought she might say no. Silly, silly man.

She rested her head against his shoulder and looked out just as the sun disappeared. "Yes", was all she said. It was enough.

"So, I was thinking", he told her as they walked back down, following the light from the flashlight he'd remembered to bring.

"Of course you were", she agreed again, his hand held tightly in hers.

"Smart ass!"

"I learned at the knee of the master", she said calmly.

"Yeah – right. Okay then, I was thinking see – and don't say anything – that you live close to Las Vegas."

"I do", she nodded agreeably.

"And what is Vegas known for?"

"Gambling?"

"Yes, and what else?"

"Uh, the strip?"

"Sam!"

"Okay – you tell me."

"Weddings."

"Oh."

"Yeah – look, if you want all the bells and whistles I'm totally fine with that. But I thought maybe – you know, Teal'c is back from Chulak next week and Daniel won't have left yet for Atlantis and Cassie will be finished her semester so we could have a small -" he ceased speaking and looked at her. "You don't like it? That's okay, we can plan something for when you're ready. I expect you want -"

"Exactly that", she said, stopping him with her hand. "It sounds like a wonderful idea. The last thing I want is a huge wedding with all the trappings. The only thing I would like is to have my brother and his family there and General Hammond too. Otherwise, it sounds perfect."

"Really?" he asked, surprised. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

"And – two weeks – you're okay with that?"

"Yes, as long as everyone can make it here by then. Are you sure you can come back that soon."

"Yeah – no problem. If not I'll quit."

"Jack!"

"What?"

"They're not going to let you quit. Just make sure, okay. I can look into all the details – I can get Cassie to help me – she'll love it."

Jack walked silently, a grin on his face, as his 'fiancee' planned out the entire wedding. He still couldn't believe she had said yes – when he'd flown out he hadn't really planned it, but as soon as he saw her and held her he'd known he wanted forever with her. Now he was amused at how Colonel Carter had clicked in – the great planner and organizer, the moment she'd said yes. He knew he didn't have to do much more than get to the wedding – everything else would be done to perfection.

"Jack!"

"What", he asked, suddenly hearing the note of panic in her voice.

"I haven't told him."

"Who?"

"My brother. I haven't told him that I'm pregnant or even that we're dating."

"Oh – will he want to shoot me when he finds out?"

"Uh – I don't think so."

"Good – then don't worry about it."

"Jack!" she said again, the exasperation clear. "That's not the only issue!"

"Hey, having someone want to shoot me is a big issue!"

"Okay – but what am I going to tell him? He was upset when I broke off with -"

"La, la, la, la, la, la", interrupted Jack, his fingers in his ears.

"Okay", she laughed. "I get it – but he was still ticked off at me. I don't know what he's going to think when he hears and you're Air Force. God, maybe I just won't tell him."

"And when you go to visit him with a baby and me in tow, what will you tell him?"

"That I'm babysitting?"

"I hope you meant the baby Carter", he warned. His eyes narrowed when she grinned.

"And then when he hears you're a general! God, it's going to be awful."

"I could say I was your gardener", he offered.

"My – I don't think he'd buy that Jack."

"No? I think I'd make a good gardener."

"You're really not helping O'Neill", she muttered. They were almost at her house and she was feeling distinctly panicky over the thought of calling Mark. She and her brother had gotten much closer over the years and then the thing with Pete had put a strain on their relationship. Now this had the potential of really alienating him.

"Sorry", he muttered. "How about your mechanic?"

"Jack!"

"Carter", he said seriously, waiting while she unlocked her door. "I think you're making way too big a deal of this. Your brother loves you. It may take him a while, but I doubt he's gonna disown you for getting pregnant and married."

"But to a general", she cried. "What was I thinking?"

"Carter?"

"What?" She turned and looked at him and seemed to realize what she'd just said. "Sorry." This time it was she who apologized. "I didn't mean it that way. Of course I want to marry you – and have your child – not that I have much choice now – although I wouldn't want it any different. It's just – God, maybe I won't tell him."

"Sam! Just call him and tell him. It'll be okay."

"And if it's not?"

"He'll come around, even if it takes a while – and your father's ghost haunting him!"

"My father's ghost? Why would he haunt Mark?" She looked at him in confusion.

Jack suddenly got a sheepish look on his face and shrugged. "Uh, I don't know."

"Jack O'Neill – you explain that!" She turned to him, her arms folded in front of him and her legs slightly apart. She looked ready for a fight.

"Well – he kind of – wanted us to get together", he said in a rush.

"What? How do you know that?"

"He uh – told me?"

"He did? When?"

"Look Car – Sam – I was just joking. I'm sure everything with M -"

"Jack, when did my father tell you that?" She spoke softly but with that look in her eye that told him if he wasn't careful he might just lose a testicle.

"Uh – before he died", he told her gently. "Remember when he asked to see me? He told me he knew I was in love with you and he was pretty sure you felt the same. He thought – what's his name – wasn't good enough for you and wanted me to tell you how I felt about you."

"He – you're kidding right?" she said.

"No – that's what happened."

"And what did you say?"

"I told him I'd always be there for you and other than that – it was up to you."

"I – see." She looked at him for a few moments and then her eyes filled with tears. Damn hormones! "Thank you."

"What for?" he asked, puzzled.

"For telling me that – and for being there for me. You don't know how much it means to me to know that Dad approved of us getting together. Before he died he told me I could have everything I wanted and I sometimes wondered if he was talking about you – but I never knew for sure. Now I do." She walked up to him and put her arms around him. "Thank you", she said again.

He held her for a few moments but knew that she had to deal with the present issue of Mark. "I think you should call him", he told her. "Get it over with now – the longer you wait the harder it's going to be. And I'm here for you whatever happens."

She nodded and stepped away. "You're right." She walked into her living room and grabbed the telephone. "Here goes everything."

Jack sat in the chair across from her and watched as she dialed and then listened to the phone ring. He could tell when someone answered by her sudden tension.

"Mark? Hi, it's Sam."

"Sam! How are you sis? I haven't heard from you in a while. I figured you were on one of your science expeditions again."

"Oh – sorry. I'm afraid I've been quite busy. I've been meaning to give you a call but everything's been happening real fast. How are Amy and the kids?"

"Fine. Amy's out with Erin right now at her dance class. Michael's doing his homework."

"Oh – give them all a kiss for me."

"I will. So, you said things have been happening there. Can you tell me what or is it classified."

She was pretty sure that was said without bitterness, although with Mark you could never be quite sure. He'd seemed to reconcile with things in the last few years, but his resentment of the Air Force had run deep. Taking a deep breath she dove right in.

"Yes, I can share. That's actually the reason I called. First I need to tell you that I've been reassigned – just for a few months – to Nellis in Nevada. I'm heading up a research and science team there."

"Oh? Sounds like it's right up your alley. Are you happy about it?"

"Yes – it's a challenge – things are kind of a mess and they're hoping I'll get them back on track. Of course I miss my friends in Colorado, but since it's just for a few months I'll survive."

"Great – well congratulations. The fact that they want you to clean things up sounds like they know how valuable you are. Good luck with everything."

"Thanks Mark", she said sincerely. "Uh – that's not all though."

"Okay", said her suspicious older brother. "What else?"

"Well – I uh – kind of met someone." At Jack's raised eyebrow she continued quickly. "What I mean is – I've known him for a long time, but we only recently started to see each other."

"Is it serious?" Mark wanted to know. He didn't sound angry, which gave her some confidence.

"Yes, very serious", she told him. "In fact, we're getting married." There, she'd done it! She looked at Jack who gave her a thumbs up and mouthed 'way to go'. She smiled in gratitude.

"Married? Uh, isn't that rather quick? I mean, it's only been a few months since you and Pete broke off. This isn't a rebound thing is it?"

"No Mark – definitely not. I told you I knew him for a long time? Well, the reality is that I've loved him for a long time I just – couldn't do anything about it. I realized that I wasn't being fair to Pete, marrying him while I loved another man. That's why I broke off with him."

She heard a deep sigh on the other end of the phone and tensed up, wondering what was coming.

"So that was the reason. I could never figure it out. I thought you were just scared of commitment and didn't want to get married."

"No – in fact the reason I got engaged to him in the first place is because I did want to get married. I just picked the wrong man. I felt terrible Mark – I really didn't mean to hurt Pete. He's a decent guy but I knew I'd end up hurting him even more if I went ahead with it."

"Yeah, that's what Amy said. I'm sorry the way I reacted – I guess I thought it would be nice having you married to a friend. But enough about him – who is this guy? And hey", his voice suddenly grew suspicious. "Why couldn't you do anything about it? He wasn't married or something was he?"

"No – oh no. I mean he was but he's divorced", she gave Jack an apologetic look but he shrugged in reply. It was the truth and was something she should tell her family. "But that happened before I knew him."

In actual fact his divorce hadn't gone through until after she'd joined his team, but he had been separated so didn't think it was worth it to quibble.

"So, why couldn't you be with him?"

"Because we were in the same chain of command", she said quickly, her fingers crossed.

"In the – do you mean he's Air Force?"

"Yes."

"Oh." He sighed. "Well, I guess that's to be expected, although I'd hoped – wait a second – in the same chain of command? Are you telling me he was your superior officer?" Mark wasn't an Air Force brat for nothing.

"Yes, that's right. It's Jack O'Neill – you met him briefly at Dad's funeral."

"General Jack O'Neill?"

"Yes, that's him."

The silence was thick and she could feel herself tensing up again. Jack suddenly stood and came and sat beside her, his hand on her shoulder. She put hers over top of his, needing his support.

"Wow", he finally said. "So you're marrying a general?"

"Yes – are you – how do you feel about that?"

"Is he as obstinate and stubborn as Dad?"

"Well", she looked at Jack and suddenly grinned. "Sometimes, but not nearly as bad. He's actually very sweet and funny."

"A sweet, funny general? Either you're pulling my leg or you really are in love."

"I'm definitely in love Mark – and you'll see. He really is sweet. Dad liked him a lot and wanted us to be together", she told him, grateful that Jack had finally told her about his conversation with Jacob.

"Well, if Dad liked him he must be a pretty good guy. He didn't think anyone would ever be good enough for you. Congratulations Sam."

That did it! Her eyes overflowed and she couldn't speak for almost a minute. Jack looked at her in concern but she shook her head and smiled. "Happy tears", she whispered.

"Thank you Mark. You don't know how much that means to me."

"You thought I'd be a jerk about it, didn't you?" asked her big brother.

"Well – "

"Yeah – I know Sam. I was a jerk about Pete, but I figure that you're old enough to make your own decisions. I just want you to be happy."

"Thank you", she said again. "I love you."

"Ditto Sis. So – you're getting married? When is the big day?"

"Uh – that's another reason I called. We'd like to get married in two weeks and were wondering if you and Amy and the kids could come to Las Vegas for the wedding."

"Two – wow." He laughed. "It almost sounds like you have to get married right away. Not a shot-gun wedding is it?" He laughed again.

She blanched and grabbed Jack's hand even tighter. "Well – there's one more thing – "

"Sam?" Her brother asked, his voice sounding odd. "What?"

"Well – I'm kind of pregnant."

"Aaargh! Samantha Carter! You are so getting married in two weeks if I have to threaten to shoot the general."

She laughed in relief and looked at Jack, wanting to share that with him.

"So – are you happy?" he asked.

"Thrilled."

"Then great. You realize that Amy and Erin are going to be over the moon, both with a wedding and a baby on the way – by the way, how far along are you?"

"Not very – just a few weeks. I'm so glad you're okay with this Mark. I really want you at the wedding – I'd like you to walk me down the aisle."

"I'd be honored Sis. Thanks for asking. I'm sure Amy's gonna want more details – you know she'll pester me right?"

"Tell her to give me a call when she gets home."

"I will Sam – and congratulations again. You're gonna be an amazing Mom and I know you'll be happy with your general. And you can tell him for me that I'm standing in for Dad from now on – if he doesn't treat you right -"

"You'll shoot him, I know."

"Love ya Sis!"

"I love you too Mark. I'll let you know the details as soon as they're finalized, and do have Amy give me a call."

She hung up the phone slowly, a big smile on her face.

"So – that went okay", Jack said, a knowing glint in his eye. "See, I told ya – Mark loves you."

"He does. Oh Jack – I'm so happy!" She threw her arms around her fiancé – how she loved to be able to say that. "I was worried but he's really pleased for me."

"Of course he is – although you lied Carter."

"Lied?" She looked at him with a frown. "How?"

"You said he wasn't going to shoot me!"

She gurgled and laid her head on his chest. She really loved the men in her life.