A/N: Thank you SO much for your continued support and reviews!! I appreciate it more than I can say.

Angst warning!!! (Not of a J/S nature. Just to warn you.)

Chapter 13: In which surprises abound.

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Jack reached into his locker, pulling out his combat boots. The well-practised routine needed no concentration; a good thing this morning, as he was acting completely on autopilot, an inane smile plastered to his face. His mind was filled with Sam. His fiancée. Nice. His eyes closed briefly as he tugged his boots on, picturing her delighted smile, reliving the feel of her in his arms, her smiling lips against his as she agreed, to his heart's delight, to become Mrs Jack O'Neill. Then to await the birth of their child.. Nope, life didn't get much better than this. An uncharacteristically happy smile escaped his lips.

"Uh... Jack?"

"Huh?" He spun round as Daniel's voice interrupted his pleasant train of thought. The archaeologist looked pointedly at Jack's feet, scratching his nose gently. "What?" Jack flounced, exasperated.

"You've, um.."

"I believe you have your boots on the incorrect feet, O'Neill." Tea'lc helped Daniel out.

"Wha..? Aww, crap," Jack huffed as he realised that his boots were, indeed, on the wrong feet. As he corrected his mistake, he heard Daniel snigger behind him. He looked back over his shoulder, glowering angrily. "You want this boot down your throat, Doctor Jackson?" He smirked in satisfaction as silence ensued.

"Why would Daniel Jackson desire such a thing, O'Neill? I do not believe such action would be wise." Tea'lc asked innocently. Jack groaned as the snigger started again. His uniform sorted, he walked towards the door, clapping Tea'lc's shoulder, resolutely ignoring Daniel.

"It's... It's - oh, it's sarcasm, T. C'mon, I've told you about this!"

"Indeed..." Tea'lc hummed, frowning as he followed the Colonel down the corridor. Daniel trotted behind the two taller men, readjusting his glasses as he wiped at his cheeks.

"Jack! I'm sorry," he gasped, catching up as they reached the elevator. Once inside, he began to probe. "Come on, Jack, you've got to admit that you never do things like that!" The only response he got was an irked eyebrow raise. "And you came in this morning looking... Looking, well... Seeming more than usually.. Ah -"

"Happy," the Jaffa interceded, a slight smile on his features.

"Exactly!" Daniel flapped his arms for emphasis. "And what was with the sigh? Come on, Jack, something's happened..." Jack did not back down. Daniel looked to Tea'lc for help, but received none, and reverted to a sulking silence. As the three men reached the Gate room, Jack walking ahead, Daniel released his excitable energy chatting to Tea'lc.

"...but it's so unbelievable! Come on, what archaeologist goes round with a whip and a hat like that? You just can't take it seriously! As for the ridiculous heroics..."

"And yet they are still enjoyable films, Daniel Jackson. Are the events in Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings not even more so highly unbelievable? Yet I recall you finding them to be most excellent movies."

"But-but... That's different! At least they're so completely unbelievable it doesn't matter!"

"Daniel!" Jack had had enough of the archaeologist's tirade. "For crying out loud, why spend the night doing an Indiana Jones marathon, which for the record are excellent films, if you're only gona complain about them! You're a fine one to complain about archaeologists pulling heroics!" He snapped. "There are much better ways to spend an evening," he added, raising his eyes to the control room window where Sam sat at a terminal, smiling at her perfect face. He needed to burn her image into his mind before leaving for a mission, to keep him going until they returned. It still felt wrong to go through the gate without her, without her comforting presence, lightening the load of his duties and the tedium of Daniel's rocks. The harmless flirting they used to do, knowing it could never amount to anything, but enjoying the fact that they could at least allow themselves that. Things were different now. He still hadn't found, couldn't find, anyone to replace her. He knew Hammond was getting impatient, but the truth was, no-one else was good enough. No-one else could fill the place of Major Samantha Carter. No-one was as brilliant, intelligent, brave, fierce, capable, or beautiful. Not that he wanted someone beautiful on the team now, that would just be wrong. But that was what Sam was. Still, he had to find someone... Until he did, SG-1 was rather restricted in their mission options. to missions such as this, boring first contacts with people that would no doubt fascinate Daniel, who would spend hours upon hours talking... Boring.

"Yes? Well, well why don't you give us some tips? Seeing as whatever you did last night has evidently put you in such a good mood, why don't you share?" Daniel huffed, as they waited for the gate to dial. "Come on, if you're so wise about fun ways to spend evenings, enlighten us!" Jack merely stood, resting his hands easily on his P-90, waiting. The Stargate burst into life, the room filling with the blue rippling light. General Hammond's voice rang out from the control room above.

"SG-1, you have a go. Remember, these people have only just discovered their Stargate, and have only just learnt that the universe might be bigger than they thought. Go easy, Colonel. Find out what you can. Report in 48 hours. Godspeed." Jack nodded, throwing a sharp salute to his commanding officer before turning and striding up the ramp. Tea'lc and Daniel followed quickly.

"Come on, Jack!" Daniel pressed relentlessly, whining. "What happened?"

"Oh, nothin' much," Jack paused slightly before the event horizon, contemplating it's surface. Just spent the evening with Carter, doin' normal things... Had dinner, watched tv..." he paused a moment, looking back up to the control room. Meeting her eyes, reassuring her he'd be back soon. "Got engaged..." As the words left his mouth, he stepped through the gate.

Sam sat in the control room, watching Jack. She was there working on the gate dialling program, and had already decided that she would always find an excuse to be there as SG-1 departed for missions. Returning Jack's smile knowingly, she reached into her pocket, fingering the ring that lay there. The ring that only they knew about. She watched him step confidently through the event horizon. She frowned as Daniel spun around, gaping at her, before practically running after Jack. Tea'lc turned also, merely raising an eyebrow as he bowed his head towards her, before following his team through. Sam ducked her head, grinning to herself as she realised what he'd just told them. Oh, she loved him. She felt Hammond's hand come to rest lightly on her shoulder.

"How's it coming along, Major?"

"Good, Sir, actually," she turned from the screen to look up at him. "I'm just trying to work out which subroutines need to be rewritten with the new codes for the various modifications to work. I mean, the new program is practically written, I just need to figure out where to write it in to make it the most effective. We've theorised that if everything goes to plan, we can increase dialling efficiency and speed by up to thirty percent." The explanation rolled easily, excitably, out of her mouth. Now that she had the time to dedicate to it, she had spent the past two weeks poring over the detailed diagram of the inner workings of the DHD that Jack had drawn whilst having the Ancient's knowledge downloaded into his brain. While she had been terribly afraid for him at the time, the experience had proved very beneficial.

"Good, good. Keep me up to speed, Major." Hammond smiled, retreating to his office.

"Yes Sir." She turned back to the computer screen. She supposed it was silly, the little flutter of excitement she felt every time she remembered that she was only able to do this because of Jack. Jack O'Neill, the man who had asked her to be his, who would stand by her side through thick and thin, who had impacted her life in so many wonderful ways. A tiny sigh escaped her lips as she remembered the sight of him striding confidently through the gate. Damn but that man could make the uniform look good, his hands possessively on his gun. His instrument. So self-assured. The same hands that could wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to him. The same thin, confident mouth, that could bellow orders, make grown men quake in their boots, yell as adrenaline coursed through his veins as he emptied a magazine into oncoming opponents, send quick, competent orders through the radio. She loved his radio voice. The same mouth, lips, that whispered words of love into her ear, that caressed her skin so softly, the same mouth that made such lame jokes that she found so funny, the twinkle in his eyes that appeared as he made her laugh. The same lips that smiled so sweetly at her. She had never seen him smile so much, not since she'd known him. He never used to smile. Now, he couldn't help it. Jack O'Neill. So incredibly, wonderfully masculine, in every possible way, and yet so gentle and caring. Oh how she loved him. And he would be her husband... Yep, she liked the sound of that.

She jumped as the computer beeped at her, bringing her attention back to the task at hand. Boy, she needed to get him out of her head so she could work. Easier said than done, she thought. She really had to see Janet, get it off her chest.

..--00--..

The next day, Sam sat in her lab, rubbing her abdomen gently. She was so tired, but so close to cracking this. Her free hand ran over the paper spread in front of her, tracing the sure lines that Jack had drawn three years ago. So detailed, so perfect. She smiled to herself at the irony of Jack O'Neill drawing such a complicated schematic. She was sure she had the right subroutines written now, she just needed to figure this out... Her head jerked up as the klaxons rang, Walter's voice informing the base of an unscheduled off-world activation. Familiar apprehension beginning to creep through her body, she made her way quickly to the control room.

"Sergeant?"

"Receiving the Tok'ra IDC signal, Ma'am," Walter replied sharply.

"Open the iris," she ordered, her apprehension becoming tinged with excitement. Maybe Jacob was back from his mission; she had really missed him. And of course, she needed to tell him that he was going to become a grandfather again, and gain a new son-in-law. She smiled at the thought of her father's reaction to having Jack O'Neill as his son-in-law, let alone the father of his grandchild. Even though she was absolutely dreading telling him...

"What's going on, people?" Hammond entered the control room.

"Tok'ra, Sir," Sam supplied, as the two officers made their way to the gate room.

Sam hid a small sigh of disappointment as not her father, but Anise, stepped through the event horizon, a grave look on her face. The Tok'ra nodded a greeting to Sam and Hammond.

"General Hammond, Major Carter. It is good to see you again. I only wish it were under pleasanter circumstances."

"It's good to see you again too, Anise," Hammond greeted her. "Let's go up to the briefing room."

"Thank you. Major Carter, your presence will be required also."

Sam simply nodded, wondering if there would ever be a time that Anise would visit in pleasant circumstances. All their past experiences with the intelligent Tok'ra had been somewhat... Traumatic.

..--00--..

"He's... He's what?" Sam stammered, voice barely above a whisper. She felt as though a sledgehammer had been taken to her heart, all the breath knocked out of her. She gripped the edge of the briefing room table tightly.

"I am deeply sorry, Major Carter. Truly, I am," Anise's head bobbed in sympathy as she spoke. General Hammond merely lowered his eyes, keeping a respectful silence, his fists balling tightly in hidden anguish as the Tok'ra continued. "Selmak's death will be deeply mourned by the Tok'ra, as will Jacob's. He was very dear to all of us, I assure you."

"B-but.. All you've heard is a report, you can't be sure he's... I mean, maybe he could've -"

"Samantha, I am sorry. I would not have burdened you with this news if we were not sure. As I have said, we received a report of the ship's explosion from one of our operatives aboard a nearby mothership. As you know, the location of the meeting was an uninhabited planet. Our operative was able to access use of the ship's scanners in order to locate possible survivors. There were none. I am sorry." As Sam and Hammond continued to sit in stunned silence, Anise's head bowed, allowing her host, Freya, to speak. "Major Carter, the Tok'ra high council wished me to convey their sincere regrets for this loss. Selmak was one of the eldest Tok'ra brethren. Jacob was thought of very highly among us, and his experience brought us many victories."

"That's all very well," Sam's voice was a cold, harsh whisper. "But with all due respect, that doesn't bring him back, does it." Her lip quivered as she fought to maintain control. "Sir?"

"Dismissed, Major." Hammond complied with her unspoken request. Speaking softly, he continued. "Sam... I'm so sorry. Go home. Take as long as you need." His soft eyes conveyed the depth of his emotion to Sam, who nodded mutely, turning and leaving the suddenly claustrophobic room quickly. George Hammond had been close friends with Jacob Carter for more years than he cared to remember. His heart weighed heavily in his chest.

Sam stumbled out of the room, into the one place on base she knew she would find undisturbed refuge; Jack's office. She slammed the door, crashing down into his chair, face streaming with burning tears. How could he be gone? How? She always knew the danger of their lives, had always understood, but... It actually happening was inconceivable. She hadn't seen him for so long, their last parting had seemed so brief. His face was burning in her mind, and she clung to it desperately, clasping her knees to her body. She took several deep, shuddering breaths. She reminded herself, he could easily have been taken from her to cancer three years ago. She had had three valuable years of getting to know the father she had lost hope of loving. But three years had not been enough. Why, why oh why did people always wait to tell people they cared, until it was too late? Sobs shook her body as she recalled the number of times they had nearly died, berating herself fiercely for not taking the opportunity after each of those times. She sniffed loudly as she remembered where she was, sat in the little-used chair of Jack. Her only slight consolation was that now, should the worst ever happen to Jack, he would know how he felt about her. And she would make sure he knew it, every day.

She didn't know how long she sat there, crying unashamedly for her father. It was until she had no tears left to cry. The stress had disturbed her baby, and she could feel the nausea come on, the bile rising in her throat. Rushing out of the office to the nearest restroom, she collapsed on the floor, sobbing and retching into the bowl, thanking the stars there was noone else around. After an age, resting her head in fatigue on her arms, she accepted the best place to be would probably be home. Not here, with the essence of the Stargate everywhere, the object that had brought her father back to her and taken him away from her. Leaving the cubicle, she splashed cold water over her face. As she turned the tap off, the klaxons signalling an unscheduled gate activation rang out once more. Oh, brother. She paused a moment, considering, out of a sense of duty, whether she should at least see what was going on. No, she decided, she needed to get out of there. Get out and forget.

She made her way quickly to the locker room to throw on her civilian clothes, avoiding all conversation. She just couldn't face anyone right now. As the elevator door opened to take her up and out of the claustrophobic mountain, she groaned inwardly as she noticed it was occupied, with a young man in strange clothes she had never seen before. The door opened more fully to reveal the three members of SG-1 with him. Thank goodness. They hadn't been due back for another two days, but at least they appeared uninjured.

Sam stepped into the elevator with a weak smile, moving immediately to Jack's side. There were no security cameras in the elevator, and she sighed deeply as she leaned into his side. His arms came reflexively around her, Daniel, Tea'lc and the stranger moving as far as they could to give Sam some space. She looked up at Jack, blinking tears away.

"I.. I-"

"I know, sweetheart. I know. Hammond told us," Jack soothed her, murmuring into her ear and rubbing her back softly. She felt Daniel's arm grasp her shoulder comfortingly.

"Sam, I'm so, so sorry."

"As am I," Tea'lc added solemnly.

"Thanks, guys," Sam sniffed. "Jack, I'm going home... I can't stay here." He nodded understandingly.

"I'll see you there, Sammie, soon as we're done here," he cringed reflexively at his unintentional use of her father's favourite nickname, feeling her crush into his shoulder a little more. "Hell, I'm sorry, Sam.."

"S'ok." Her small voice sounded, muffled in his uniform. Jack rubbed her back, easing her off him gently.

"This is our stop, Sam. I'll see you later. Just... I... Crap. Sam, I'll be there. Just... Hang on til then, okay?" He winced as the doors opened, eyes connecting with Sam's as she nodded slowly. As the four men stepped out on the infirmary level, Sam held the door open a little longer to give them a parting wave. Suddenly remembering the stranger with them, her curiosity got the better of her for a moment.

"Sir," she called after them. They all stopped, Jack turning back to face her, concern etching his features. "Um.. Who is..-" She gestured vaguely at the young man, who was looking around with great curiosity, a serious look on his face.

"Who.. Oh! Oh. This is a guy we met on the planet. Name's Jonas, Jonas Quinn," Jack explained briefly. Jonas waved at Sam briefly, and Sam returned the gesture unsurely. "I'll explain everything later, Carter," Jack assured. Sam nodded, allowing the doors to close and the elevator to carry her up to the surface, to air, to freedom from the growing feeling of oppression. She doubted it would lighten her heart any.

TBC

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A/N: Thanks for reading! I'm sorry about Jacob! I hope you enjoyed it. Thoughts and responses will be most, most welcome:-D