It had been two weeks since she had the last test and it was found out her results were being fudged. It had been five months, two weeks, three days, four hours, and ten minutes since she had been captured tortured, and sent back to Earth barely alive. She had been in a medically induce coma for just over four months, and she had been living with Jack and Xantheia for the last month. After the incident with Emily, she decided to move in with Jack to his house.
So here she was sitting on their bed, in their room, staring at the closed door, not wanting to go outside and see to the people that were out there for not only Jack's but for her daughters birthday. She knew she had to tell him, who she was, but she didn't know if she could do it without having too many consequences for Xantheia. She wanted her daughter to have the man as who he was, and is.
Yes he was her father, and no neither of them knew it! She knew Jack could be dense, but he was also well aware that Xantheia looked a lot like Debbie did at this age. She knew there would be something running through his head. Something telling him there was a possibility that she was his, and the age met with everything, if he tried to work it out! She was only sixteen when they first met and only nineteen when they first started going out. He was a captain, and before he was sent on that horrible mission she'd forced her self onto him, despite his protests about protection.
She knew what she was doing and she knew, despite telling him there was no way she'd get pregnant, that there was a high possibility that she would. So there she was three months down the track pregnant, and just getting word he was dead. She managed to cut all ties with her friends that had known him, and all his friends. She moved around with her father, before joining the air force, and then as fate will have it, his file crossed her desk, two weeks before she was meant to meet her new CO!
There was his picture. Tears had stung her eyes. He was alive! It had been ten years, and she was now going to be under his command! He didn't know about his daughter, and she didn't know then or now how to tell him! Yet now she had the biggest dilemma with that Xanthie was so close to Jack, that it scared her that he might actually try to take her away, now that her hearing was slightly impaired.
She couldn't always hear what was going on, and no matter how many times, since her medically induce retirement that he had held her and told her he loved her, she still had her doubts. And the biggest one was now standing in front of her. She could see her daughters lips moving but couldn't hear what she was saying for the first few seconds. Sniffling she wiped at the tears, that had escaped down her cheeks and smiled at her daughter before pulling her into a tight hug.
"I love you," she whispered. Grinning Xantheia hugged her back.
"I love you more!" She stated with a slight giggle and pulled back. "Are you ok? Jack's worried! No one's seen you all afternoon! Mum I'm scared! What's going on?"
"Xan I have to tell you something! You have to promise me never to tell anyone!"
"What is it?"
"I have to talk to someone before you can tell anyone ok?"
"I promise mum," she stated staring at her mother in utter fear.
"It's about your dad," she said gently. Grinning Xantheia bounced on the balls of her feet for a few seconds.
"It's Jack isn't it? I knew it! He was always saying he wasn't but I knew it!" She grinned. But froze suddenly. "That means he doesn't know," she whispered. Nodding Sam bowed her head.
"We knew each other for a while eleven years ago. He was sent away with the air force and I found out I was having you. I had no way to tell him. When I got word he had died in that mission I stopped all contact with his friends. I moved around with granddad before I also joined the air force. I didn't know he was alive until he became my commanding officer for the mission we went on, where I was injured."
"So you... You said you had to talk to someone before I could say anything. Are you going to tell him?"
"I'm going to try Xan, but I'm scared that he'll get really angry and try to take you away from me, now that I have trouble hearing." Gasping at that thought, she flung her self at her mother.
"Please don't tell him! I'll keep calling him by his first name! Please I don't want to be taken away from you!" She sobbed into Sam's shoulder. As Jack walked through the house he stopped outside his open door to hear Xanthie's comment and then frowned. Coming into the room Sam looked up and swallowed.
"All ok? Xanthie said she'd come get you, that was about ten minutes ago," he smiled gently.
"Yeah, we were just talking sorry. Be out in a minute," Sam smiled at him and he nodded smiling at her and winking, with a slight undertone of what was install later. No sooner had he left did Sam push Xan away from her.
"Please don't say anything!" She sobbed.
"He has a right to know Xan," she whispered.
"I'll fight him! I won't do anything he says, and I wont let anyone take me away from you!" She sniffled.
"Hey, shh! Lets go out there and have some fun ok? You leave Jack and everything to me ok?" Sniffling she nodded and wiped the tears away, before they walked out to the party.
That night when she was sitting on the bed, she had her knees pulled to her chest, when he came out of the en suite. Frowning he moved over and sat in front of her on the covers.
"What is it?" He asked softly, watching her. Sniffling she looked up at him.
"I have to tell you something. Something you may or may not be aware of at the moment, and something that effects everyone living in this house." She stated staring at him. Frowning he shifted closer to her.
"Sam, what ever it is we'll work it out,"
"It's about Xantheia," she stated ignoring his comment.
"What about her?" He frowned, now totally concerned about the little girl sleeping just down the hall.
"I want her to know her father. As her father. Not as just some guy,"
"Sam?" He frowned.
"He has a right to know, and until two weeks before that mission we went on I thought he was dead! I had no idea he was still alive!"
"He's in the military then?" Sniffling she nodded.
"Air Force," she whispered watching him. Nodding he took a deep breath. "I'm scared he's going to take her from me!"
"What?"
"I have a hearing defect Jack! I was made medically unfit for duty! I was dismissed from the Air Force because of it! If he's angry with me I know he'll try to take her!"
"That's what you were talking about to Xanthie today?" Nodding she looked away.
"I told her he might try to take her, and she said she'd fight him, and never do what he said so he'd have to leave her with me."
"If anyone tried to take her Sam..."
"She's eleven Jack!" Sam stated cutting him off. She had to tell him, but she was so damned scared.
"I know that! We had her party today!"
"Don't you think she looks a little bit like Debbie?" She asked staring at the floor, beside the bed.
"I thought so a few times. But kids look like anyone you want them to."
"I'm scared Jack, she knows who he is, but she doesn't want me to say anything! She was begging me never to tell him!"
"What?" He frowned.
"She's scared he'll take her too! She knows him and he knows her, now. She calls him by his first name, and she said she'll always do it, just so he wont know and take her away. I've tried telling him since I found out he was still alive. And now it's harder then ever!"
"Sammie," he whispered leaning forward to grab her chin. As he forced her to look at him, he saw the pain she was in. She was ripping her self up in side.
"I'm so sorry Jack!" She stated watching him. "If I hadn't broken contact with everyone I would have known!" She cried pulling away from him, and burring her head into her knees.
"What?" He stated.
"She's your daughter!" She exclaimed staring at him through blurred vision. "She looks like Debbie, because she's yours! You get on so well because she's yours!"
"WHAT?" He yelled jumping off the bed and staring at her.
"I'm so sorry!" She cried.
"It's taken you eleven years to tell me I have a daughter?!" He gasped.
"I thought you were dead!" She exclaimed.
"Charlie could have told you!"
"I stopped talking to him three months after I heard what happened! I left with my dad, and he's had me and Xantheia on a very low radar the whole time. No one knew where I was! My dad made sure of it, because I asked him to keep it that way!"
"You've stopped me from knowing my own kid!" He yelled.
"And I said I'm sorry! I didn't do it on purpose!"
"You told me you wouldn't... You said..."
"I lied Jack! I knew something was going to happen! I found out I was three months the morning Charlie told me you were dead!" She yelled back.
"So you used me?" He questioned staring at her in utter disbelief.
"NO! I loved you then and I knew something was going to happen! And I love you now! But I love my daughter more! I meant what I said Jack! I'm scared! You know everything about me, you know more about my hearing impairment then anyone! I can't let you take her!" She stated staring at him.
"If it means keeping her safe..." He got out in a snarl before glaring at her. She knew this was going to happen, but what she didn't expect was the venom in his words.
"Jack please!"
"She needs someone who can hear her Sam! Someone who'll hear a truck coming and stop her from crossing a road!"
"I'm not useless! I can hear things!"
"Not like you used to! Not like someone else!" He shot back.
"You can't take her!"
"I'll fight you on this Carter!" He hissed.
"Jack please!" She stated just as Xantheia ran in. Jumping on the bed she grabbed hold of Sam.
"You're not taking me anywhere! I'm staying with my mum!" She yelled at him.
"Xanthie,"
"No Jack! She's my mum! I'm staying with her! If you fight her, I'll be on her side!"
"Xan!" He exclaimed trying to get a word in.
"No! Before all this, you told me you love her! That you love me! If that was true then you'd be happy she told you! And if it was a lie we're leaving! I knew you'd be angry and I told her never to tell you! Yes ME Jack, I was the one who said not to tell you!"
"You only found out today!"
"I had my suspicions! And so did you! And when I found out I was happy! I had a dad! And my dad had me! He was alone before and now he has me and mum, and now I wish you weren't my dad because you're mean and I hate you! I'm never going to be with you! It's always going to be me and MY mum! And we're leaving! We're going to stay with granddad and you'll never see us again!" She yelled at him, while still gripping Sam tightly.
"Xantheia," he said softly, taking a step forward, and watched as the little girl clung to her mother for dear life at his small step to get closer to her. "All that is true! I do love you both! But it's the shock!"
"You should never use that as an excuse Jack! And when you think and realise what you lost, you can try to find us but grandad will keep us hidden again!" She stated, pulling away from Sam, before moving to him and pushing him out of the room before he had a chance to grab her the door was closed and locked. Turning to her Xanthie smiled sadly.
"You shouldn't have done that," Sam stated getting up and changing into clothes, before packing her things quickly.
"I had to! I called grandad and he's on his way. I have my stuff just outside the front door." Nodding Sam sniffled and sighed.
"I wish it wasn't going to be like this,"
"Me too, but it is,"
"I love you Xan," she stated hugging her daughter to her.
"I love you more!" She smiled up at her, as a car was heard approaching the house. "Come on that's grandad!" Nodding Sam finished her packing and then opened the door to see no sign of Jack. Getting to the car, she turned to see him standing at the open front door staring at them.
Watching them Jack sighed. He was losing them both because he was so stupid. He watched them as she turned to him. He straightened slightly. He wanted her back. He knew his life had no meaning with out her in it. She was giving him a second chance just in that moment. But no sooner had he taken a step forward, did she turn to the people in the car, and nod, before glancing at him once more, and getting in leaving him once again alone.
THE END
