Alternatives

Babysitting

Based upon Stargate: SG-1

Rating: G

- RMI - Takes place between "Enemy at the Gates" and "Continuum" -

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Colonel Samantha Carter got out of the black suburban that tended to drive her around while she was home in DC. She grabbed her brief case, bid good evening to her driver and walked up to the townhouse she shared with one Major General Jack O'Neill, retired.

She always considered herself a very independent person, but she had to admit: she liked living with him. It was the stupid little things that she liked. It was coming home to a house with lights left on by someone else for her. A refrigerator full for two people. Her shampoo and conditioner bottles at the same level.

Which, as a side note, bothered the hell out of her. How did she always use so much more conditioner than shampoo? But with Jack using her shampoo, the bottles stayed level, which did wonders for her minor case of OCD.

She did the same amount of laundry, because Jack did a few loads every now and again. She liked having someone there to help her fold the sheets. She loved having someone there to keep the sheets warm when it was cold out -- she was looking forward to that part of the relationship right now, it being late January and freezing.

Yes, she was definitely glad to be home from her "business trip" to a small planet on the other side of the galaxy, and looking forward to a few days off.

She was supposed to have gone back on the Hammond finish the last week on her six month tour before turning it over to the Blue Crew, commanded by Colonel Cameron Mitchell. She had to admit, she liked the Blue Crew/Silver Crew system better. 'Six months on, six months off' made her schedule nice.

Colonel Mitchell took over her position a little early because she was needed for some negotiations with the Tok'ra. The negotiations had gotten over with earlier than expected, so she was allowed to enjoy a brief vacation.

She unlocked the door and entered the home. She kicked off her heels as soon as she got in the door and put her coat in the closet, taking a moment to shiver off the chill from the weather. She put her shoes in their place in the closet.

Venturing further into their home, she took of her jacket and dropped it on the hall table, reminding herself to pick it up later. She heard the television on and knew Jack was in the living room. She took off her neck tab and started on the buttons on her shirt.

She stopped in her tracks at the image before her. Jack was lying on his back on the sofa, asleep, dead to the world. He had the afghan half pulled up over his legs and stomach. Both his hands rested gently on the infant lying on his chest.

Her heart would have panged at the adorable sight were she not so bewildered.

Why was she bewildered?

They didn't have a baby.

But, sure as Jack was asleep, was a baby lying on his chest. It was a small baby, too; the kind that can lift its head and roll from its stomach to back, but not much else.

She stared at them for a moment. They were both fast asleep, which was cute, but . . . Who's baby was that?

Sam made her way over and sat on the coffee table, facing Jack. She turned, in search of the remote, and turned the television off. As soon as the sound stopped, a forceful hand grabbed her knee. She jumped, and whipped around.

"Jesus, Carter," Jack relaxed back into the couch as he recognized her. "Don't do that to me." He released his death grip on her knee, patted her thigh, and then rested his arm on his forehead. He absent-mindedly rubbed the baby's back with his other hand.

"You don't have another girlfriend, who you got pregnant, do you?" she asked.

"What?" he dropped his arm and looked up at her. He followed her gaze to his chest.

"Who's baby is that?"

"What? Oh! Cassie's."

Oh, it was Cassie's baby. That made perfect sense . . . Wait a second, no it didn't. "Why do you have Cassie's baby?"

Jack stretched a little, not moving too much under the baby. "When Cassie called me this week, she asked if I was doing anything this weekend. I told her no, because you weren't supposed to get back until Thursday. She asked me if I would look after little George here so she and Elliot could get away for the weekend. You know, she says that ever since Elliot got stationed here in Washington, that they really haven't had a lot of time together, especially after this little guy came around."

"Do you talk to Cassie a lot?" Sam asked.

He nodded. "We talk about once a week."

Sam tilted her head. Really? Jack on the phone regularly?

"Okay, so she does most of the talking," he clarified, reading the expression on her face. "I think she just wants to make sure I'm not going crazy from boredom. Crazy or senile . . ."

Sam nodded. Okay, that did make sense.

"What are you doing home? I thought you were supposed to be with the Tok'ra for another few days."

"I was. But we were able to come to a decision much quicker than planned. Fortunately, Martouf was able to be there, which helped a lot. I was able to come home because we're going back next week."

"We?" Jack repeated.

Sam nodded. "We've been asked to attend an extraction ceremony."

"Really? Whose?"

"Ba'al's."

Jack fell silent for a moment, looking at the baby asleep on his chest. "Who's we?" he asked at length.

"You, me, Daniel, and Teal'c. Vala, Cameron Mitchell . . ."

"Mitchell?"

Sam smiled. "The Hammond found him when I was with the Tok'ra."

Jack smirked. "Who knew you could turn a 302 pilot into a good bounty hunter?"

"Who knew you would turn into a Top Secret babysitter?"

He chuckled. "What can I say? I get along with babies; we enjoy the same things . . . cake . . . long naps . . ."

"You are so cute," Sam said, running his fingers through his already messy hair.

"Also something we have in common."

She leaned down and kissed his lips before standing up. "How about I make some dinner then?"

She heard Jack slowly get up behind her. "Mmmm, dinner, how positively domestic."

She chuckled. "I get this way when I come home to two handsome boys in my living room."

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