The three of them arrived home after an uneventful ride from the hospital. Jake had been asleep the whole time which both Jack and Sam were grateful for but they knew it wouldn't last forever. So with great care, Jack took his son from the car seat while Sam took the rest of the things. As soon as she closed the door, Jake woke up.
"Hi, buddy", Jack said looking at his son.
Jake put his finger in his mouth and looked at his dad.
"Honey, I think he's hungry…", Jack said.
Sam put all their things down on the floor and looked surprised at them.
"Already?"
"Yeah…he's sucking his finger. So probably hungry", he said with a smile.
Sam sighed and extended her harms. Jack gave her their apparently hungry son. She sat on the couch and started opening her shirt. Then she put Jake in the cradle hold position, like the nurse had shown her at the hospital and he immediately latched on, suckling like a piranha.
"Told you he was hungry", Jack said looking marveled at his son eating.
Sam just nodded. She could ear the sound of Jake's swallowing.
"I'm so envious of the little guy right now", Jack said looking at her much larger breasts.
"Jesus Christ, Jack, I'm breastfeeding…", Sam said.
"Oh yes, I can definitely see that", he said with a smile.
Sam was in no mood for his sexual innuendos. Not after a ten-hour labor.
"Forget it. Go take care of it alone. I'm not helping you. In case you haven't notice I've your son very attached to my breast! So fuck off", she said in an annoyed tone.
Jack got the message.
"Sorry honey. Got a little carried away with the view. I'll take care of him once he has eaten. Don't worry. You can go take a shower and sleep", he said.
"Much better, General", she said changing breast and moving her son who had no problem in latching her other nipple. At least that was going well.
And Jack was true to his word. After she finished breastfeeding him, Jack took him and always talking to him, took him to the nursery where he took care of him. Sam dragged herself to the shower and then to their bed where she instantly felt asleep. She didn't ear Jack putting the baby in the crib next to their bed and then getting in the bed with her. Three hours later they woke up with Jake crying.
"Coming", Jack said getting up.
Sam was still in between sleeping and waking up when he gently put him facing her. The nurse had told them it was a good position for nursing in the middle of the night. Sam use the hand on the side she wasn't lying on to cup her breast and he was set to go. Jack had placed a small pillow behind the baby's back to hold him close. After he was finished, Jack took him away and repeated the process. Sam just closed her eyes and slept.
And so the Carter-O'Neill family entered a new pattern. Called sleep deprived. Sam was exhausted, Jack was sleeping three to five hours a day and Jake was a happy growing up baby. At least according to his new pediatrician, Dr. Astor who was very pleased with his growth. And told them that things eventually would get better. With time.
Everything was more or less fine until the day Jack was called back to work due to an emergency. And then Sam had a panic attack. So strong that she almost fainted. So Jack had to stay home and coordinate everything by phone. After he took care of the affairs of Homeworld he decided to give Vala a call. He needed backup.
Sam however caught him in the middle of the call and took the cell away from him.
"What the hell are you doing?", she asked in an angry tone.
"Calling Vala. We need help, Sam", he admitted.
"No we don't", she said stubbornly.
Jack sat on one of the kitchen chairs. Jake was asleep in the living room. They had the baby monitor with them.
"You had a panic attack today, honey. I had to stay home. You almost fainted", he pointed out.
"My blood pressure dropped because I didn't eat anything", she corrected.
"Come on, Sam…", he said.
She drank a little of her water.
"OK maybe I freaked out a little but it won't happen again. I don't want anyone here. I don't need Vala, or Daniel, or any of them", she said.
"A little help won't hurt", he said.
"I'll get this on track, Jack. Things are almost in a pattern already".
He looked at her with a surprised expression.
"Oh really? So I can get back to work tomorrow?", he asked.
Sam blushed.
"If you want to…", she said in a low voice.
He sighed and passed a hand through his face. He had some stubble. He needed to shave.
"Of course I don't want to but I might need to. Like today", he said.
"Today was an episode. It won't repeat itself", she said getting up.
He grabbed her arm.
"Sam, we're in this together. Don't start that again. Don't shut me out", he said.
"I'm not", she said with a low confidence tone in her voice.
Jack also got up.
"Really? Prove it!", he said daring her.
She looked at him surprised.
"What? Prove how?", she asked.
"Watch a movie with me. Let's cuddle in the couch while Jake is asleep", he said with a smile.
She lowered her head to avoid him seeing her smile.
"You want to cuddle in the couch?", she asked still looking down.
"Yes I want", he said crossing his arms.
Finally, she looked at him, a small smile still on her lips.
"Fine but you put the movie on mute. I don't want to wake him up", she said.
"Sure, no problem", he said heading to the living room.
Sam checked their son. He was sound asleep, covered with just a blanket. Jack had already turned the TV on and took the sound off. She sat on the couch next to him. He put one arm around her shoulders and she rest her head in his chest.
"You know that I'll just probably fall asleep, right?", she asked putting a hand inside his shirt and feeling his skin.
"I don't mind", he whispered in her ear.
"OK", she said gently caressing his stomach as her eyes were slowly closing. She wasn't even looking at the TV.
They hadn't had any time together alone since Jake was born. And although Jack knew it was still too early for any more intimate activities, he missed her and wanted to have these moments with his wife.
He gently caressed her hair as her hand stopped moving. She was asleep. He smiled and continued cuddled with her until Jake eventually wake and they would get back to their routines.