Memories of the Heart by Betty Bokor
Sam/Daniel. A mission goes horribly wrong while Sam's life is changed forever. Spoilers: All seasons, including 10 to the end.
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

Memories of the Heart

Chapter 14

They walked back to Sam with the planks.

"So, what? An hour before internal bleeding becomes a problem?" she wanted to know.

"How did you ...?" Rodney asked surprised.

"It's not my first rodeo, Rodney," she replied.

After Jennifer gave Sam some pain medicine, they went back to trying to find a way out. Rodney looked at Sam, hoping she would have an idea.

"Sorry. All my energy's focused on not screaming in agony."

"Wonderful! Okay… Well, the grappling hook didn't work because the hook wouldn't hold our weight in the soil; the crates didn't work because Sam was too heavy..."

Sam looked at him, stunned.

"Oh, well, we all would've been… I mean, our weight in general... Nothing to do with you: you just… you're pregnant!" he said triumphantly.

Sam did not look very satisfied with the answer.

"And even so," he tried again, "you're in very good shape, seriously. I mean, you have like… uh… the perfect body."

This time it was Jennifer who glared at him.

Rodney looked at her and added, "Oh… Not that you don't. Oh, no, no-no. I realize that your bodies are different and…and…and, uh… uh, maybe that would mean that I think that your body is imperfect but that's not the case. No, no-no… Far, far, far from it." He paused. "That is a sweet... uh, which is to say, I mean… It would be impossible for me to choose which of you..."

"Rest assured, you're never going to have to," Sam said with a smile.

A few moments later, Rodney came up with the idea of making a cannon to send a rod −instead of the grappling hook− through the hole in the ceiling, but the attempt only brought more dirt into the room and made one of the supporting stilts break. The new inclination of the room took Jennifer by surprise and she fell to the abyss behind the red door, only holding onto the rope Rodney had attached to the rod.

While he was straining to pull her up, she saw light coming through a mineshaft and asked him to lower her a few feet to be able to swing over to it. Once there, she checked that it was an exit to the surface and then called the others.

In spite of the rope burns that he had gotten by holding Jennifer, Rodney made something like a harness or sling and lowered the injured Sam. Jennifer helped her into the mineshaft. Then, Rodney climbed down just in time to see their chamber fall into the abyss.

Once they were finally back in Atlantis, they were taken to the Infirmary.

"How's Sam?" Rodney asked Jennifer, as he was getting his hands bandaged.

"She's going to be okay. It's a clean break. Still, they're re-setting it and putting her into a cast, which means she's going to be on crutches for a few weeks or so, but…"

As soon as the nurse who was helping him walked away, he asked, "But what? Something happened to the baby?"

"No… The baby is still there. We can't really know too much more. It's too early in the pregnancy. But she's going to be fine."

Late in the afternoon, Rodney went by Sam's quarters.

"Hey," Sam said as she opened the door. "How are the hands doing?"

"Great. As I told Jennifer, they're the only part of my body that doesn't hurt."

"But we made it."

"Yeah… So, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine. Thanks… for everything."

"Oh, well, you know…"

"I know," she said inviting him to sit in her small living-room. "I know that you're a very different man than the one I met at the S.G.C."

"No… Well, maybe. All this working in a team and saving the world," he said.

"It changes you, eh? I know. My team changed me a lot."

"It did? I thought you were always like that… awesome."

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "But I'm serious. I had a great commander, an amazing warrior like Teal'c, and then there was Daniel."

"Jackson, eh? That's a pity. They never found him, right?"

"No," Sam said with sadness, trying not to cry. "But there's always hope, as long as we don't find him dead. You know that with Daniel we never know."

"Yeah… but chances are…" He noticed the pain in Sam's eyes and he changed the subject. "So, you're pregnant… Congratulations, really. Jennifer told me that it looks that everything is okay in spite of all the mess down there."

"Yeah, thanks."

"And the father?" he asked, unable to contain his usual curiosity. "You've been in Atlantis all this time, so…"

"He's not from Atlantis."

"He's not? You have an Athosian boyfriend, too, like Teyla?

Sam smiled. "No, he's from Earth."

"But, how?"

"I didn't think you'd be the first I told, but I owe you my life, so… But you have to promise to keep the secret."

"A secret?" he asked in his best whining voice. "I'm not good with secrets."

"Then, I can't tell you," Sam said, still smiling.

"Okay, okay, I'll keep the secret."

"All right… It was artificial insemination."

"Seriously? So you got pregnant on purpose? I thought it was a surprise or something."

"A surprise? No."

"And you got a donor from Earth? Someone you don't know? What if he's not a genius like you? You could jeopardize the I.Q. of your own children."

Sam had to refrain from laughing. "Oh, no, don't worry. His I.Q. is as good as yours or mine."

"Really? I didn't think there are too many- So, you do know who the donor is."

"Yes. I do."

"And?"

Sam sighed. "I'm serious, Rodney. You can't tell anyone."

"I know, I know."

"It's Daniel."

Rodney seemed stunned. "Daniel? So you two had- Hey, wait a minute. He's been dead, lost, something… for more than-"

"I told you, Rodney. It was artificial insemination."

"Ah, yeah, right. Still, I wouldn't have thought… But, you're right. I have to admit that he's a genius −different kind than you and me− but a genius anyway… and do you know that he earns more than I do? Way more."

Sam smiled.

"So... a baby, eh? That's good, good." He changed his tone. "I hope you find him soon... Did he know?"

"Not exactly."

"Well, an idea he must have had, because he left you the- I mean… Was he hurt or something?"

Sam smiled again. "No; he was fine. It was just in case something happened…"

"I see. Well, you let me know if you need anything."

"I will. Thank you, again."

They chatted for a little while longer and then Rodney left Sam so that she could rest.

She lay on the bed and thought about the baby. He was still there. She only hoped that he was all right.