Chapter Four.

It had been two days since SG-1 arrived on the alternate Earth and Sam was nearly ready to deliver her final report to the General.

She was so tired and, she decided, sleeping on the small pallets in her on base quarters was not easy for someone in her condition. The first night, she was surprised by a knock on her door; she opened it to reveal the General. He smiled at her warmly. He was carrying two pillows. 'These are Sam's' he'd said. He looked a little embarrassed when Sam had blushed bright red. She had taken the pillows from him hesitantly, not knowing what to say. 'You'll probably find that you'll be more comfortable if you put a pillow under your stomach when you lie down, oh and um you shouldn't lie on your back its not good for either of you.' He had said, before he wished her goodnight and walked away. She had only just managed to whisper a soft thankyou before he left. She tried the pillow thing, he was right.

She kept thinking about this reality and its differences. Jack was so openly affectionate toward her. Not physically – anymore - but it showed in his face. Her Jack, um General, never looked at her like that, never exposed his deeper feelings for her, if he even had any she thought. This Jack had loved his Sam so much he'd resigned for her; at least that's what she'd garnered from the small things she'd heard.

She was pregnant with his child. She tried not to think about it too much, but as time went on and she was becoming more and more uncomfortable as she tried to work with her huge belly in the way, she couldn't help it. She'd been bumping into everything, knocking things off tables as she kept underestimating her girth. She could feel the baby move and kick inside her, Jack O'Neill's baby. Oh God! I don't know if I can take this much longer she thought.

What about Janet? Janet was alive in this universe. Sam held her breath, willing the tears that threatened to escape away, but she didn't seem to have the same level of control over her emotional reactions that she usually had and they rolled silently down her face anyway. She knew she was feeling sorry for herself, this seemed like the perfect universe – Janet was alive; Jack loved her and they were actually together, married, having a child together – it wasn't fair. She sniffed and swiped at her tears, Daniel and Teal'c had gone to bed already, she'd promised to as well but she decided to go and see someone she'd avoided for the past few days.

She entered the Infirmary to see Janet checking on the chart of her single patient. The lights were dimmed to approximate night. Janet put the chart down and drew the curtains. When she saw Sam she immediately went to her smiling.

"Hi Sam, haven't seen you for a few days, is everything ok?"

"Hi Janet, um I thought maybe we could get something to eat and talk a bit. If you're not too busy that is, if you are its ok, I can go, you…" Sam was rambling nervously and Janet cut her off.

"It's ok Sam, I was just finishing my shift. Do you want to go down to the commissary or should I send a nurse to bring us something in my office?" Janet could see Sam was uncomfortable and worried about something, she thought maybe Sam would prefer to talk in private, rather than the very public commissary.

Sam smiled, they used to do that together sometimes, shut themselves up in Janet's office with a snack and just chat about everything and nothing, she missed it. "Your office would be great Janet."

Sam and Janet sat around the desk in Janet's office, nibbling on the huge platter of Nachos, they'd had brought. There were advantages to rank.

"I was going to let you know you have a check up due tomorrow. After that I want to see you once a day." Janet opened, hoping this would lead to some conversation. She could see something was bothering the other woman.

"Every day?" Sam asked disbelieving.

"You are over thirty nine weeks pregnant Sam." She noticed Sam's eyes widen in shock and realised that of course Sam hadn't been told just how far along she was. "Sam, honey, you're due in five days."

"Really!" Sam's voice cracked, and she lost control over her tears again. "I can't be Janet, I don't know if I can figure out how to get us home before then."

Oh No! Janet hadn't even considered how this must feel for this Sam. "So, I take it you're not pregnant in you're reality?"

Sam shook her head, and stared intently at the nachos. "There are a lot of things that are different Janet."

"Such as?" Janet prompted, putting a nacho in her mouth and licking some salsa off her thumb.

Sam swiped at the remaining tears on her cheek as she replied, "Tell me…I just wondered…" Her cheeks blew out in a nervous puff. Janet spared Sam having to continue.

"You and Jack aren't together in your reality are you?"

"No." She answered quietly, staring now at the hand sitting protectively over her belly.

"And you want to know what happened in ours that made the difference?"

At this Sam looked up at her old friend. "Janet, it's just, in so many other respects our Universes are almost identical, there's just two things, well three I guess," Sam patted her tummy, "That seem to be…that obviously aren't, and I guess I was wondering what happened to make the difference."

"Ok, I can tell you a few things I guess." Janet said.

"Well you know Janet, it could be an important facet in my research." Sam smirked mischievously at Janet, a flash of amusement and Sam's usual self in her blue eyes.

Janet smiled broadly, "Well in that case, of course." To be honest she herself was very curious about Sam's world, she desperately wanted to know why the team had reacted to her the way they did when they'd first seen her, but then again, maybe she didn't really want to know, she had a bad feeling about it. "So where do we start. I don't really know what's different and what's not?"

"Ok, well" This was becoming much easier for Sam, now that she was treating it as part of her work she found she could detach herself from it a little. "In my universe Jack O'Neill is a Brig. General, currently CO of the SGC. He was promoted and took over from Hammond at the end of last year. At about the same time I was also promoted and took aver as SG-1's CO. And, well, that's pretty much it."

"Yes, that sounds about right. But here, not long after Jack took over, he resigned his military commission and the President appointed him as the SGC's civilian leader. You're still SG-1's CO." Janet said matter-of-factly.

"Why did the General resign?" Sam asked in bewilderment.

"Well, I don't know all the details Sam, you know better than anyone how private you are about these sorts of things. I don't even think Daniel and Teal'c know that much more than I do, but apparently you had paid a visit to Jack when he was still a Colonel, after he had been exposed to the ancient repository for the second time. Did that happen in your world?" Sam just nodded, listening intently. "right, well like I said I don't know the details but you and he had a little talk. You told me later, after he was put in the cryogenic chamber that at least you got to tell him something really important on the cargo ship later. You didn't specify beyond that, but I admit I always knew what it must have been. After he was revived by Thor and you all returned to Earth, he accepted his promotion. I'm not sure exactly what happened after that, but I do know that his memory of those events took some time to come back entirely. I also know that one night, he turned up at your door, I was there. He just stood there Sam, I'm pretty sure now that he'd remembered a few things; anyway I left in a hurry. Next day Jack left you in command of the base and went off to Washington, a couple days after that, when he came back, General Hammond came with him. He announced that Jack had resigned, but would continue to head the SGC as a civilian. That's pretty much it." Janet laughed cheekily, "you should have seen your face Sam, you were totally flabbergasted and just staring at Jack, I swear I thought I'd have to bring you into surgery to re-insert your eyes. It wasn't long before you two were married."

Sam couldn't believe it. Had she heard right? This Sam had managed to tell him, to say the words that Sam had tried to say but didn't. The General had cut her off, saying he knew, and she had allowed it. God! Maybe if she hadn't let him stop her…but he said he knew, either he didn't really know or it was true, her Jack, General, didn't feel the same way toward her. She felt a fist close around her heart. She lowered her eyes and fixed them onto her swollen middle.

Seeing this Janet continued, "Sam told me it was Jack who asked."

Sam looked back up, confused, asked what?

"About the baby." Janet qualified. "Jack is the one who approached Sam about having a child. Sam was so shocked; she didn't think Jack would have ever wanted to. She was determined never to bring it up, you, she said she didn't really care anyway. But when the replicators were destroyed and the Goa'uld threat all but eliminated…Sam was happier about it than she ever let on I think." Janet laughed again. "The whole base is so excited, there's a pool going about the gender and probably a few more I don't know about. We even have an on base day care centre now for base personnel. That move made our CO a very popular man I can tell you. He just said that he might have need of it when his wife is out on missions. You should see his office, he's already got a cute little white bassinet set-up in the corner."

Sam just stared at Janet in open surprise, "are you saying that I'll, I mean your Sam, will still be leading SG-1 whilst the General looks after the baby?!"

"Apparently Jack insisted on being a full time dad, I think he didn't want to miss anything the way he did before."

"Wow!" Sam just could not believe what she was hearing, right there she decided her life totally sucked compared to this reality's Sam. As she looked into Janet's smiling eyes it solidified her opinion.

Janet noticed the sadness that passed over Sam's face for a moment.

"So Sam, what's the third?"

"What?"

"The third difference, you said there were three."

"Janet…" Sam's voice cracked.

"I'm dead aren't I?" Janet asked quietly.

"You died in combat, saving the life of an SG team member two years ago." She said it quickly but quietly, a tear escaping once again. "I'm sorry Janet." Her breath hitched as she wiped the tear away, desperately trying to rein in her wayward emotions.

"Don't apologise Sam, its ok. I'm right here." Janet tried to console her obviously bereaved friend.

Sam slowly rose out of her chair, trying not to fall over, it was really difficult to get used to the sudden extra weight and size she was sporting. "Janet thanks for the talk, and the nachos," She smiled. "I'm so tired lately, I think I'll try to get some sleep, there's a few more things I have to check over in the morning before I present my findings to the General."

"Sure Sam, that's probably wise. You know you could probably call him Jack in this reality." Janet replied.

Sam just smiled at her again. There was no way she could call him Jack, not this one and not the other one – it was too personal, she couldn't allow herself to get too personal. "Goodnight Janet, I'll see ya tomorrow.'

"Goodnight Sam." Janet gazed at Sam's retreating back in sadness, and hoped to God this Sam could get back to her own world and bring back her Sam before the baby came.

A/N: One of the things I found disappointing about 'Ripple Effect' was the lack of Sam/Janet friendship. Please review, it'll make me smile :)