Author's note: Sorry it took me so long to update but my notebook broke down and I have to use the computers at university, which is not very appealing :o) But anyway I hope you like the chapter. The next one is almost done, just need to have it corrected and typed.

Special thanks to my friend SuSanne who always listens to my story and helps editing! Love you:o)

Chapter 8

Jack turned around to see an older man approaching.

"Al! Long time no see!"

"Jack O'Neill. I can't believe it." He repeated and patted Jack's shoulder.

"Didn't see you in a while, Jack. I guess you were busy." He smiled at Sam and Charlotte.

"Look Al, it isn't what…"

"You can be proud, Jack. No need to be shy; she's beautiful the little lady of yours, just like her mother. Why didn't you te…"

Jack sighed.

"Stop it Al. Let me introduce you."

"Alright then."

Jack let him to Sam and Charlotte that were still standing next to the street.

"Al. This is Samantha Car…ah…Shannahan and this little one-" he looked at Charlotte and ruffled her hair, "-is Charlotte. Sam, Charlotte. This is Albert Robertson. He's one of my father's friends." Jack paused. "I spent lots of time with him when I was younger."

Albert nodded silently while he eyed Sam who listened very carefully to the thing Jack had to say.

"Why don't you and your girls join Nancy and me for dinner tonight? I'll give her a call to let her know we'll have company tonight. You'll come, won't you?"

Jack looked at Charlotte who smiled broadly and nodded. Although she didn't know the man she liked him.

"Let's meet at my house in 30 minutes. What do you think?"

He sighed again. Obviously Al hadn't noticed that Sam had a last name different from his own. Nodding his head he said: "See you in thirty."

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They parted and everybody headed for their cars.

While Sam secured the seat belt around Charlotte's waist and car seat she was deep in thought. Everything seemed to be so normal, so nice, domestic and so very right. That's the way life should be. The three of them shopping for groceries and kid's clothes, spending time together, visiting friends, having nice BBQs at the neighbours'. She could have had all those things if she had just told him. But she hadn't had the courage to tell him, destroy his career she'd rather given her happiness and risked the fact that he'd hate her for the rest of his life. But she had been willing to learn to live with it and had married Pete to make sure he knew she separated herself from him. She'd married Pete. No shopping, no BBQs nothing but anger and frustration. A little hand touched her arm.

"Mommy, ok?" she looked into Charlotte's brown eyes, which were full of concern. Although she was just two years old she seemed to sense things and immediately Sam started to worry, all kinds of thoughts racing through her head. Maybe Charlotte was that special because of the Naquada Jolinar had left in Sam's blood and which was now to be find in Charlotte's too. Sam cursed herself for leaving the SGC. What if something was wrong with her little girl? What if something happened to her and the doctors wouldn't be able to help? Janet would have been the right one to take care of her, to make sure she was alright at all times but she had just left. Internally she cursed again. She had left; just worrying for her own good, not for Jack's, not for Charlotte's; just for her own.

A silent tear ran down her cheek.

"Hey there! Ready to go?" Jack asked entering the driver's side of the car. Sam wiped off the tear, kissed Charlotte on the forehead and took her seat next to him.

"I guess there isn't enough time for us to stop by the cabin first to get changed. Is it ok with you if we go straight to Albert's?"

"Sure." She answered quietly.

The rest of the trip was taken in silence. Sometimes Charlotte laughed from the back, shouting at things she could see passing by. Jack felt a little awkward but Charlotte made him smile. He barely knew her, had just been told about her 24 hours ago, how could it be that he already adored her so much? He didn't understand his own feeling toward the little girl. Although he knew she wasn't his family and that it was totally impossible; the more he looked at her, watched her the more she seemed to be like Charlie. He looked into the driving mirror and found Charlotte watching him carefully.

"Almost there, little lady." He announced trying to sound cheerful.

"Just one more street to go and then we'll have a wonderful BBQ with Al and Nancy. You like BBQ, don't you?"

"Like!" Charlotte answered clapping her little hands.

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Jack pulled up in front of a little cabin just like his own and actually not that far from his.

"Jack! Here you are!" an older woman shouted and came over. Before he managed to open the door Nancy Robertson did it for him and dragged him in a tight hug when she let go she looked up and down on him.

"You look good, Jack. Family life really suits you, my dear."

"Look Nancy. We aren't…" but the older woman didn't hear what he had to say instead she walked around the car where Sam was busy freeing Charlotte from her car seat.

"You must be Sam and Charlotte! Nice to meet you!" and a hug again but this time for Sam. When Nancy looked at Charlotte she smiled.

"Oh Jack, she looks so much like-"

"Hey Nan! Don't keep them all for yourself out there!" Al shouted from inside which made her take Charlotte's hand and walking her inside. On their way Sam could hear her say: "I think there might be something you like to play with." And immediately Charlotte's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Sam? You ok?"

"Sure." He answered without looking at him.

"Why don't we join them inside and see what they're up to?"

"Sure."

They made their way in silence; although it was just a short walk it felt like they walked forever, neither of them knowing what to say. Jack's thoughts swirled around Al and Nancy who obviously thought that the three of them were a happy family. He needed to tell them they were wrong. When they reached the front door they heard Charlotte laughing and babbling until she spotted Sam.

"Mommy!" the little girl shouted carrying a puppy.

"This Donald." She held him to Sam apparently wanting her to pat him.

"He's so cute, sweetie."

"OK campers, let's get in the backyard! Dinner is almost done." Nancy yelled from outside.

Sam took the little puppy from Charlotte and let her outside where they were seated around a table.

"Donald me, Mommy."

"Here you go, honey but before dinner you need to put him down. We don't want him to get all messy, do we?" Sam smiled and put the dos down in her girl's lap.

"No, mommy."

Jack stood in the door frame watching Al, Nancy, Sam and Charlotte talking, laughing and playing with the puppy. Everything felt so right. Charlotte, Sam and himself being with friends of the family spending a nice evening together. His thoughts swirled around the things he could have had hadn't Sam left him which led him back to the question why she had left n the first place. A comment of Charlotte made him smile and pulled him out of his musing. Once more he stored his questions in the farthest corner of his mind but he definitely needed a real and all clearing talk with Sam.

When Jack joined them on the table Charlotte almost jumped him.

"Look. Donald cold" she whined and drew the puppy close.

"I guess he's tired. He's little just like you are and sometimes little ones get tired. Why don't you and mommy bring him inside? It's time to eat anyway." She nodded and Sam who had gotten up walked her inside. When Sam and Charlotte disappeared Jack shifted uncomfortable in his chair and cleared his throat. Al and Nancy had started talking about how nice Sam was ad that she was the right woman to be with Jack. They looked at him with a slightly confused expression on their faces. Jack took a deep breath and started.

"I need you to know something."

"What is it, honey? Anything wrong?"

"That depends." He paused. "Listen. I tried to tell you earlier. Although you might think that there's more. Sam and I are just friends." He sighed and watched out for their reactions.

"But you've got a child together." Nancy protested; obviously she hadn't got his point.

"Nan, I guess Jack tries to tell us that Charlotte isn't his daughter."

"But you look so good together; I can see the sparks flying."

Jacks face saddened.

"She made her choice three years ago when she quit the Air Force and got married. I didn't even know she had a child until yesterday."

"But you love her." Nancy said and it was more a statement than a question.

"She hurt me."

But before Nancy could reply they were interrupted by Charlotte jumping on Jack, clapping her little hands.

"Eat! Donald sleep!"

Time flew by as the five of them enjoyed their wonderful meal. The sun settled and stars started to twinkle on the dark blue sky of Minnesota. Sam and Jack avoided talking to each other, neither of them knowing what to say. Charlotte sat on Jack's lap shivering slightly.

"Hey little one, you're cold?" se didn't answer but snuggled closer against him.

"Sam, can you take her? I'm going to grab some clothes from the cabin. Anything else you need?"

He rose but Sam stopped him.

"Stay put. I'll get it by myself. That means if you don't mind me driving your truck. I'm sure you three'll have a lot to talk about."

"Just go ahead." He smiled and she smiled back at him for first time of the evening.

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Sam made her trip to the cabin in total silence while lots of thoughts raced through her head. She really, really had to talk to Jack, tell him the truth. But how should she do that? When she pulled up the driveway she froze. Pete's car was parked behind her own and light shone from inside the cabin. She felt anger rise along with her insecurities.

How did he find her? She'd been so very careful; hadn't used her credit card just cash and she knew she hadn't told anybody about her plan of leaving Pete or where she was going. And how did he know about the cabin anyway? She'd never told him about this place; how the hell did he know and how did he find her?

She left her car and walked towards the little house thanking whatever Gods that Charlotte wasn't with her but with Jack.

Pete rose from the armchair he had occupied for the last hours when he noticed an arriving car outside. Here they were and now he would take his wife and is daughter home and he would make sure that they'd never leave him again. Never!

The door opened and Sam walked in.

"Pete, what do you want?" she shouted when she Sam him standing in the living room.

"Here you are, honey!" he walked towards Sam trying to hug her but she flinched.

"Don't touch me! What do you want?"

"I'm here to take my two favourite girls home, honey." He stated as if it was the most normal thing in the world to be here, picking her up; as if she had asked him doing so.

"I'm not going with you, Pete. I'll stay."

"No, you won't!" he yelled and took another step towards her.

"I'm sorry, Pete. You came here for nothing. I told you not to search for me!"

"You're not leaving me. You're my wife!" his head got redder.

"You're my family. You won't leave me!"

Sam snorted.

"We're no family and you know that!"

Thinking and talking about family made Pete finally notice the absence of Charlotte.

"Where's Charlotte?" he shouted but Sam remained silent.

"Sam, where's Charlotte?"

When she didn't answer Pete grabbed her arm harshly.

"Pete, let me go!" but he just tightened his grip on her.

"She's with him, isn't she?" and finally she answered:

"Yes."

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Outside the cabin another car showed up. Nancy and Al had convinced Jack to make use of the time Sam was at the cabin on her own to talk to her. They'd assured him Charlotte would be safe with them and the little girl herself had insisted on staying with the older couple and Donald, of course.

Jack stopped in shock when he noticed an unfamiliar car next to Sam's and froze when he heard people yelling from inside.

"I don't want my daughter to be with him nor do I want my wife to stay with him! He's not taking you away from me." He hissed.

"I'll take Charlotte back home and you'll come along just to be with her. I know you Sam. You belong to me. You're mine. We three will go home and be happy! "

"We won't come with you, Pete!" she repeated and freed herself from his grip.

"Oh yes, you will."

"We don't belong to you. We belong here." She shouted while Pete tried to pull her in direction of the door.

"My daughter won't stay."

Sam got furious. Never ever was she letting him take her little girl.

"She's not your's!"

His eyes went wide.

"Of course she is."

"No. She's Jack's!"

She froze. He froze and so did Jack who had entered the cabin unnoticed by Sam and Pete but before Sam was able to process what she had admitted Pete slapped her in the face.

"Don't you dare hit her again!" Jack shouted when Pete held up his hands to repeat his action but instead he turned around.

"YOU!" he yelled furiously and before Jack knew what happened he found himself tackled to the floor and felt a hard punch on his jaw. It took him mere seconds to flip Pete and himself over; years of special ops training kicking in. Although Pete himself was a cop and trained in hand-to-hand there was no chance he was able to beat Jack who had pinned him to the ground. Pete tried to get free but his opponent was heavy on him and didn't leave any space to move.

"Get off of me!" Pete yelled.

"I will and I'll give you some advice. Leave and don't come back."

Pete snorted and tried once more to free himself but he didn't succeed when Jack grabbed the collar of his jacket, lifted the upper part of Pete's body off the floor and brought it near his own face.

"Let me say it differently. I don't want you near Charlotte, Sam or my cabin." He lifted him fully and holding on him tight he walked him out the door. In one last attempt Pete yelled: "Sam! You're my wife! You can't leave me!"

"Shut up!" Jack replied and yanked him outside while Sam just stood still, not moving she just watched the scene. She'd never been slow on uptake but this time the entire world seemed to slow down while all kinds of thoughts and emotions made their way through her mind.

Pete's yelling interrupted her thoughts but Jack didn't waste any time and pushed him through the door before she could reply.

In front of the cabin Jack dragged Pete towards his car, opened the door and pushed him in.

"Leave. Don't come back. And you'll better forget about Sam and Charlotte, you bastard." He shut the door and motioned for Pete who breathed heavily to leave.

Inside his car Pete cursed and murmured: "She'll pay. She'll regret leaving me. "

For mere seconds he thought about running over O'Neill but in his crazy mind another idea took form; an idea that'd made her realise how stupid it was to leave him. Oh yeah. She'd regret betraying and leaving Pete Shannahan.

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When Jack was certain Pete had left he spun around and went back inside the cabin where he found Sam on the very same spot she was occupying when he had entered the cabin the first time this evening. She hadn't moved an inch. He could see blood running down from her upper lip and he felt anger rise again when he stepped closer to wipe it off.

"You okay?" she nodded and leaned into his touch.

"Where's Charlotte?"

"She's with Nan and Al; wanted to stay with them and Donald and I thank God she wasn't with me."

Although she knew she should be the one explaining and answering questions she couldn't help asking them instead.

"Why did you come after me?" He shrugged.

"I had a little talk with Al and Nan; decided we needed to have a real conversation. And obviously it was good I came by."

Author's note2: Let me know what you think!