Author's Note: So I'm still in real time but this is most likely the last chapter that will do that. Mostly because I'm pretty sure that if I tried to keep that going the updates would be only about once a month and you all would find me and kill me. LOL

I would also like to point out that yes, I know Carly is being stubborn but I guess I feel that she has had to endure so much baggage with Jack's constant swaying the past few years that she deserves to be a little bit stubborn if she wants to be. But then again, we all know what the G-man can do if he puts his mind to it ;-) Enjoy!
~JP

True North
By Jaclyn Parker

"Babies are such a nice way to start people"
-Don Herold
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Jack's cell phone ringing loudly and echoing in his room was cause for him to nearly fall out of his bed. Glancing at the clock with bleary eyes, he was dimly aware that the ringing had stopped and the call had apparently gone to voicemail. Muttering under his breath, he closed his eyes again to try and fall back asleep.

It might have been three o'clock on a Saturday afternoon but Jack had been working the graveyard shift the entire week and today marked the first day he had off.

After Carly had dismissed him the day he tried to take care of her, he had slunk back to the farm to lick his wounds. The kids had noticed his low mood and stayed relatively well behaved all weekend. Of course that was minus a few petty squabbles that, thankfully, Emma had broken up with just a sharp look.

Parker had tried to ask what had happened but Jack had evaded the question with the skill of his ex-wife. He had done it almost as well as he had evaded Holden and Brad's inquiries into how plan "Return of the G-man" was working.

So when news got around that Sunday about how Ken McKnicky had twisted his ankle on a bad bust and they were down an officer, Jack had immediately volunteered his services. He knew that it was a desperate attempt to try and escape the prying questions from his family and he didn't care. All he knew was that the extra work was also helping him suppress the need to go over to Milltown and physically shake some sense into Carly.

Jack's cell phone started ringing again and slapping a hand around his night table, he finally found the annoying piece of technology.

"Snyder." Jack mumbled into the phone.

"Jack, wake up. You're never going to guess…" Emma's voice started to say and he frowned.

"Emma? Where are you? I thought you were downstairs." Jack said, his brain still fuzzy.

"Jack, I told you I was going to the store two hours ago." Emma said in exasperation and the returned to what she had been saying. "But listen, you're never going to guess…"

"Emma…Emma, please. I am too tired to do this. Is this an immediate emergency?" Jack asked.

"Well, no, but…" Emma tried again but Jack cut her off.

"Then I'm not awake enough to play the 'guess what' game. I'll see you when you get home and you can tell me then." Jack said and amid her protests, he hung up the phone. Noticing the sun was moving into position to peer through his shades, Jack groaned as he placed his head under the pillow.

While Emma had sounded in a hurry, he detected no trace of real panic in her voice which meant no one's house was on fire. And quite frankly, other than a miscalculation and the Bears were actually in the NFL playoffs and someone had tickets, a fire was the only reason that he was going to be moving from his bed for the next 24 hours.

The cell phone began ringing again and with a half whine, half whimper he unburied his head to answer it. This time he didn't even get to open his mouth before Emma started talking.

"Jack Michael Snyder if you ever hang up on me again you are going to be sorrier than you have ever been in your life!" Emma yelled and he could hear her stomp her foot on the floor of wherever she was at. "Listen to me! I've been trying to tell you that Meg is labor!"

Thirty-five minutes later Jack ran into the waiting area of the maternity ward at Oakdale Memorial with an exhausted but alert face. He had dressed in a simple gray sweater and jeans with his black leather coat, which caused Emma to give him a hard mothering look. Jack just kissed her cheek and shrugged.

"I don't remember where I put my winter coat. I wanted to get here as fast as I could."

"Hmm," Emma said and then shook her head.

"How's Meg? Any news?" Jack said hurriedly and caught sight of Holden staring at him oddly out of the corner of his eye.

"What?" Jack asked huffily, running a hand over the five o'clock shadow that was threatening to become a seven o'clock one if he didn't shave soon.

"Dude, you look like crap." Holden said, eyeing his cousin.

"Yeah, well you try going into work at seven at night until seven in the morning with nothing but bad coffee and stale donuts to keep you going." Jack said and Holden held up his hands.

"No thanks. That's all yours."

"Seriously though, any news?" Jack said and Emma beamed.

"Eliza Jane arrived about five minutes after I called you. Seven pounds, eight ounces, 20 inches long."

"Thanks fantastic!" Jack said, hugging Emma tightly. Pulling away he grinned back at her. "Have you seen her yet?"

"No, but Paul should be back out any minute now so…" Emma trailed off, her emotions getting the best of her.

"Oh great, now do you see what you did?" Holden said, but his eyes were twinkling and the joy couldn't be missed on his face. "I just got her to stop crying!"

"Oh shut up, Holden. My baby girl just had her own baby. I'm allowed to be a basket case if I want to be." Emma said, slapping her son's arm gently as he pulled her to his side in a half hug.

"You are allowed to be as happy and as much of a basket case as you want." Jack said agreed firmly.

"Well if the look of complete and utter goofiness that was on Paul's face when he came out to tell us the news is anything to go by, I think everyone in there is happy too." Holden said laughing.

"Did we miss the fun?" Lily's voice called out. They turned to see her walking towards them with Ethan in her arms and Faith and Natalie right behind her. Jack paused seeing Carly and Sage were also heading their way.

"Daddy!" Sage cried and ran to jump in his arms.

"Hey, Princess." Jack said catching her and holding her close. An unfortunate side effect of the graveyard shift was that when he wasn't working he had no energy to do anything but sleep. Therefore he hadn't seen the kids in more than passing at the farm for the last week and had missed them horribly.

"I missed you!" Sage said hugging his neck, letting him know that he wasn't the only who had felt that way.

"I missed you too, Baby. What are you doing here?" Jack asked finally letting her go even though she hugged his waist, apparently not ready to do the same to him.

"We were all at the mall together when Holden called." Lily said handing Ethan over to Holden when the little boy reached out for his father.

"So, did Aunt Meg have the baby?" Faith asked, her eyes shining in anticipation.

"Yep, you guys have a new little baby cousin. Her name is Eliza and thankfully she apparently looks like her mom." Holden said and Emma elbowed him in the ribs.

"Aw, we missed it!" Natalie whined, not bothering to consider the fact that they wouldn't have been allowed in the delivery room anyway. Suddenly she brightened and gave him a smile. "Can we see her?"

"Well, I don't…" Holden started to say but the maternity ward doors opening stopped him.

"Hey, guys." Paul walked out, still wearing his scrubs and the most idiotic smile on his face.

"Uncle Paul, can we see the baby?" Natalie asked again, not being thrown from her quest for a second.

"Well, they did get your Aunt Meg set up in her room but kids aren't really allowed to be in there." Paul said held up a hand at the beginnings of whines. "But I talked to the nurses and they said that while the grownups visited Aunt Meg for a little bit, I can bring you guys to the nursery window for a peek."

"Awesome! Can we go now?" Faith said and Paul laughed.

"I don't see why not." Paul said and held out his hands for Ethan, who happily went to him. Turning to the others he smiled. "The nurse's desk is just to the left when you walk in and Meg is about three doors down in room 234."

They all nodded and Carly, who had stood back from the others, took this opportunity to reach out and take Sage's hand.

"Come on, Sage." She said but the little girl balked.

"But, Mommy, I wanna see the baby." Sage said, frowning.

Carly's eyes darted up to Jack's face and then away again. The last place she wanted to be around with Jack right now was the maternity ward.

"Sage," Carly said, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice as she spoke to her daughter.

"Carly, it's okay. The baby is Sage's cousin too." Jack said, frowning at Carly's behavior.

She looked up at the confused faces of the adults and, with an internal sigh, she nodded as she let Sage go.

"Just not too long, okay Sweetie? We have to head home to get ready to take J.J. to his hockey game." Carly said and with apologetic smile, kissed Sage's cheek.

Sage nodded and then bounced off to follow Paul and the other kids back towards the nursery viewing window.

The adults all turned to head to Meg's room but again Carly held back. Jack paused and looked at her.

"You're not coming?" He asked and Carly shook her head, giving him a small smile.

"Nah, it should just be family. I'll wait for Sage out here." Carly said, moving back towards the waiting room chairs and in a very non graceful move, accidently fell into one. Playing it off with another smile, she motioned them on. "Go ahead, I'll be fine. Give Meg my congratulations."

Neither Emma nor Holden needed any more encouragement and disappeared behind the maternity ward doors, but both Lily and Jack hesitated. Jack motioned with his head for Lily to go on and with a last confused stare at Carly, she did just that.

Jack walked over to sit next to Carly who gritted her teeth and tried not to look too annoyed.

"What, Jack?" She asked and he tilted his head at her.

"Why don't you want to go see Meg?" Jack asked her back.

"Like I said, it should really just be family."

"Meg considers you family and you know it."

"Jack, while Meg and I get along pretty well, I think that might be pushing it just a bit." Carly said rolling her eyes.

"I don't think so." Jack said and Carly decided to take another approach.

"Look, as someone who has actually given birth please trust me when I say that the last thing Meg wants or needs right now is more people in that room than necessary."

"Hmm, good point." Jack replied, crossing his arms as he leaned back in the waiting room chair.

"What are you doing?" Carly asked, perplexed at his new position, and he shrugged.

"You're right. I think Meg is probably exhausted and I don't want to overwhelm her."

"Jack, that's not what I meant. You're like a brother to her; of course she'll want to see you."

"Okay, then when Lily and Holden come back, you and I can go say a quick hi." Jack said, glancing over at her.

"Jack, you are not listening to me. I don't want to go in there with you!" Carly said and immediately regretted her words and panicked tone when Jack sat straight up.

"Okay, what the hell is going on Carly? You're acting really off." Jack said bluntly and Carly gave a small laugh.

"What? Just because I don't want to go see your cousin with you, I'm 'off', Jack? I think I'm acting perfectly normal." Carly said, using the panic she felt to fake indignation.

"Then just tell me the truth, Carly. Why don't you want to go see Meg and the baby?" Jack asked and Carly sighed loudly.

"Look, I don't like hospitals, okay? They've never been a really good place for me so I'd rather just visit them when they go home." Carly tried to bluff, even though some of what she said was partly true; Carly did hate hospitals.

"That must be hard when you have a doctor for a boyfriend." Jack said sarcastically and then sighed as he watched Carly's eyes flash.

"Jack, don't start." Carly said, her voice filled with part weariness and part anger.

"I'm sorry. You're right." Jack said, making Carly blink in surprise before letting out a small laugh. Jack looked at her in confusion. "What's so funny?'

"You've told me that I was right twice in the last ten minutes, which is almost as many times as you have said it in all the years I've known you."

Jack gave her a small half-crooked smile and Carly felt her heart jump. How could he make her so annoyed one minute and want to kiss him silly the next? She shifted in her seat and looked away at the clock on the wall to distract herself.

"It was nice seeing Sage today. I really missed the kids this week." Jack said and Carly's eyes swung to him at the change in subject.

"Yeah, they missed you too. But they understood about Ken and everything." Carly said and Jack had to smile at her casual use of his fellow officer's name.

Even with her run-ins with the law, when they were married Carly had taken being a cop's wife very seriously. Even now she still remembered all of the officers' names that he served with along with most of their wives too. Jack knew that during the brief time that he had gone missing after his accident, the Oakdale P.D. had looked after her and his kids in true blue honor code. Despite everything that had happened since then, Carly had never really forgotten that time and from the way they spoke to Jack about her, the officers that had been around then hadn't either.

"Well I was thinking about going to the skating rink on Monday with them since they have off for Martin Luther King Day." Jack said and Carly nodded.

"They'd love that. And I'm sure J.J. can't wait to show off how much ice he can shave up with the new sliding stop that Parker taught him." She said smiling. "Just let me know what time and I'll make sure they're ready."

"No, you don't understand." Jack said and he took her hand, rubbing his thumb across the back of her knuckles. "I thought maybe we could all go. You know, like we used to. The kids would love it and so would I."

Carly slid her hand out from his and brought it up to lightly scratch by her collarbone in a nervous gesture.

"Jack, I don't think that's a good idea." Carly said, shaking her head at the same time. "Besides I have to work."

"Carly, first off all, Metro isn't even open on Monday. And second of all, you're part owner. I think you can take the morning or afternoon to come skating with your family."

"Jack, you have to stop this, please. We're not a family anymore. At least, not that way." Carly said, trying to push the tight feeling in her chest back down.

"Come on, Carly. You want us to be together just as much as I do only you're too scared to admit it."

"That's not true." Carly protested and Jack narrowed his eyes, moving closer.

"You're lying." He said, inches from her face.

"You hope." The words slipped out of Carly's mouth before she truly knew what she was saying. At Jack's smug little smile, she knew that she had played right into his hands.

"I'm not playing this memory lane game with you, Jack." Carly said shaking her head sadly and standing up. "It doesn't help anything."

Jack looked up at her then stood too, reaching out to grip her arms firmly. His gaze was intense as he stared into her blue eyes.

"Yes, it does. It just proves that there is too much history between us, Carly, for you to let it go so easily."

"Easily? You think anything about this is easy?" Carly said, tears forming in her eyes. "How many times, Jack? How many times have I stood in the position you are in now, asking you to remember what we had but you refused to listen?"

Jack opened his mouth to speak but she placed her fingertips over his mouth and shook her head.

"No, Jack, don't. We are just going over the same things again and again and I can't do it. I'm too damn tired of this merry-go-round. I want…no, I need to get off."

Carly searched his face and then realizing what she had done with her fingers, dropped her hand to her side and stepped out of his grip.

"So that's it? I'm supposed to let you go. Just like that?" Jack asked and Carly shook her head again.

"No. You're supposed to let me move on with my life and try to move forward too."

"Because you're supposedly in love with Lee?" Jack asked and Carly frowned at his words. "You've only known him a little over two months, Carly. We've been in each other's souls for years. There's no comparison."

"Oh, well, excuse me, Mr. Righteous! How long, exactly, were you seriously dating Janet before you proposed? And I think the day after we almost made love would be a good place to start counting." Carly demanded with her entire body stiffening in anger. "What would it be then? Two? Three weeks?"

"What happened with Janet was a mistake. Just like the mistake you're making with Lee." Jack said and she glared at him harder.

"Don't you dare compare them! Lee is a good man and you know it." Carly said, pointing a finger into Jack's chest. But almost as quickly as the anger had come into her eyes, it was gone; replaced by a plea.

"Jack, if you really love me just let me be happy. Let's just accept that what we had was beautiful but it's over. And that no matter what happens in the future that might look like it would change that fact, it can't ever happen again."

Jack stood there, momentarily confused by her words. But then he just shook his own head, his jaw setting in a stubborn line.

"No."

"No?" Carly repeated in shock. Of all the reactions she thought she would get, that one worded answer was not one of them.

"I'm not letting you go without a fight this time, Carly." Jack said and stepped forward. Ignoring every warning sign her body language was giving off he grabbed her arms again, this time pulling her to him.

Sliding his hand behind her head he lowered his mouth to hers and absorbed the soft sigh of surprise that escaped her into his kiss. His tongue traced the seal of her lips until he felt them part slightly, giving him the access he wanted. Jack was aware that she was holding her body away from his by placing her hands on his chest between them, but she was also surrendering into his kiss more and more.

A loud voice over the intercom interrupted them and with the crackling page of "Dr. Lee Reynolds", Carly seemed to snap back into reality. Jerking herself out of Jack's grip, she backed up with wide eyes, pressing her fingertips to her own lips this time.

"Carly," Jack started to say but the maternity ward doors opened and the sound of the Snyder clan surrounded them.

"Oh my god, Mommy, she is so cute!" Sage said hurrying over to where Carly and Jack stood. She was so completely moonstruck by baby Eliza that she didn't even begin to notice the tension between her parents. "She had the tiniest little fingers and toes and I swear she smiled at me!"

Carly gathered herself together long enough to try and focus on what Sage was saying. Running a hand over her daughter's braids, she smiled.

"Well, babies that age can't smile yet, Sweetie, but I'm sure when she gets older she'll give you all the smiles you want."

"I wish I had a little baby brother or sister." Sage said sighing and all of the color seemed to drain out of Carly's face.

"Sage…" She started to say but abruptly changed course. "We need to go, Baby. J.J.'s game starts in a couple hours and still I have to make dinner."

"I'll drive you home." Jack said, eager to try and continue their conversation, and Carly truly began to internally hyperventilate.

There was no way that Sage would ride home in the car with both her and Jack and not mentioning them having another baby. It just wasn't cosmically possible in their world. And there was also no way that Carly could stand that ride and those questions and still keep her sanity.

Lily wasn't sure what was going on, but as she watched Carly closely she had the distinct impression that if she didn't get her best friend out of there in the next minute or so, Carly was going to have a complete nervous breakdown

"No, that's okay, Jack. All of their things are in the back of my SUV anyway." Lily said and before Jack had a chance to protest, she turned to her kids. "How about you guys head home with Daddy and I'll pick up pizza for dinner after I drop Carly and Sage off?"

"Yeah!" Natalie said and Faith grinned, nodding enthusiastically. They were well aware that tonight was originally going to be meatloaf night and pizza was a much better option in their eyes.

"Yeah!" Ethan echoed although he wasn't really paying attention to what his mommy had been saying. At two and half, he just wanted to do whatever his big sisters wanted to do.

"Okay, then that's settled." Lily said, moving right along and giving each of her kids a quick kiss, before also giving one to Holden. Turning to Carly and Sage, she smiled. "Ready to go?"

Carly nodded, but then moved forward to give Emma a hug.

"Congratulations, Emma. Please tell Meg and Paul that I'm so happy for them and I'll see them soon." She said and a slightly surprised Emma hugged her back.

"Thank you, Carly." She said and Carly quickly stepped back.

"Bye." Carly said, encompassing the rest of them and Jack frowned as she deliberately didn't make eye contact with him. He was about to say something when a loud voice echoed from the area of the elevators.

"Where is my grandchild? Why was I not called before now? Where the hell are the damn doctors?"

They all groaned and braced themselves for what was coming. Carly seized the chance to once again take Sage's hand and pull her towards the exit. This time Sage went willingly and they brushed by an irate Barbara Ryan as they hurried away.

"Well, at least everyone got about an hour of peace before the banshee showed up." Lily muttered under her breath to Carly, low enough that Sage didn't overhear.

"Hmm," was Carly's response and as the elevators opened up, Lily's eyebrow rose.

"Okay, when even a crack about Barbara Ryan doesn't get a response from you, I know something's up. Spill." Lily said and Carly glanced down at Sage. But the little girl had put her headphones from her iPod Nano in her ears and was now ignoring both women, tapping her foot along to whatever song she was listening to.

"Lily," Carly started to say but the brunette shook her head.

"Don't even try it! I have a feeling that I just saved your butt up there and so help me, Carly, before this day is over you're going to tell me what's going on." Lily said and at the determined look in her friend's eye, Carly knew that she was serious.

Despite being able to hear Sage's music through the headphones, which meant she couldn't hear a word they were saying Carly still leaned over and whispered into Lily's ear.

"I'm pregnant."

There was a distinct pause followed by...

"What?"

Lily's cry was loud enough that even Sage looked up in surprise. But at Lily and Carly's reassuring, although somewhat shaky smiles, she immediately went back to her music.

As soon as Sage's attention was back where it belonged, Carly shot a small glare at Lily.

"I'm sorry. It just kinda…slipped out." Lily said, shrugging in an apology as the elevator doors opened up into the parking garage.

As they made their way to Lily's silver Nissan Armada, neither one said anything until they were all buckled up. Glancing in the rearview mirror to make sure Sage was still bopping her head along to her music, Lily turned to Carly.

"Jack doesn't know yet, does he?" She asked and Carly looked over at her in slight surprise. Lily just stared back, not a hint of uncertainty about her comment in her face.

Instead of arguing with her, Carly just shook her head noiselessly and turned to stare out the window. Lily let out a sigh as she started the vehicle and they drove back to Milltown in silence.

As soon as they pulled up, Sage hopped out of the SUV. With a thank you thrown over her shoulder she bounded into the house announcing that they were home. Lily helped Carly get the shopping bags out of the back and finally spoke up again.

"So when are you going to tell him?" Lily asked, pausing to lean on tailgate edge of the open trunk.

Carly noticed that Lily hadn't asked if she was going to tell Jack and knew that her words were on purpose. Sighing she leaned on the right side taillight of the SUV.

"I don't know. I have my first ultrasound on Friday and I guess I'll just go from there." Carly said and Lily frowned.

"Are you going to see Dr. Schiller?"

"No, I have an appointment with a doctor over in Heathersford. He was recommended by the doctor I saw out in LA. He specializes in…high risk pregnancies."

Even though Lily didn't agree with what she was doing, she could hear the fear in Carly's voice as she uttered those last few words. Lily reached out to place her hand on Carly's arm.

"Do you want me to come with you?" She asked, softly and Carly smiled gratefully but shook her head.

"No, I just want…I just want it to be me the first time. I can't explain it. Once I know that the baby is okay then maybe I can…" Carly trailed off and Lily finished for her.

"…tell Jack without worrying that something might go wrong."

Carly looked into Lily's eyes and gave a shaky smile. "Yeah, something like that."

Lily looked into Carly's eyes again and sighed. "Okay, as long as you promise to call me as soon as you get out of the doctor's office."

"I promise." Carly replied and Lily leaned forward to hug her friend.

"It'll be okay, ya know?" Lily whispered into her ear. Pulling away again, she smiled softly and tilted her head.

"Did you ever think that maybe this baby is coming for a reason? That he or she was supposed to bring you and Jack back together for good?"

She didn't let Carly respond, only pressed a cheek kiss to her face and stood back to close the hatch of the SUV.

"I'll call you later." Lily said and hopped into the car leaving Carly waving on the sidewalk to the house, pondering her last sentence.

"Mom, J.J. stole my iDog and he won't tell me where he hid it!" Sage yelled from the doorway. Carly shook herself out of her thoughts and rolled her eyes,as she went to go referee the anarchy inside her house.

As for Lily, she was so preoccupied with what she had just learned that it wasn't until she was five miles from her home that she realized she had completely forgotten to pick up the pizza.