One last snow storm and a week of rain delayed the first planting, which also delayed Sam and Jack's commitment ceremony. Most couples waited until after the first harvest for their commitment ceremonies so the whole town was both bewildered and excited at the prospect of a party so early in the growing season. When Sam and Jack arrived at Jorl's it was clear the Moril children had helped with the decorating. It was too early for there to be flowers blooming so the kids had made paper flowers that were hanging on the walls and staircase tied together with colorful ribbons. Nara was sitting on a stool in the kitchen with her leg propped up giving directions to Leila when Sam walked in.

"You're here!"Leila came over and hugged Sam.

"You look busy." Sam looked at the food covering every surface. "Are you planning to feed an army?"

"Close to it. Now get out of here. The last place you should be today is the kitchen."

Nara pointed out the door. "I agree. We have everything covered. Out." Nara ordered Leila back to work before Sam was even through the door.

The house was full of guests. Jamale was working the room, playing host, while Jorl busied himself moving furniture and staying on the periphery of the crowd. He was uncomfortable by all the attention he was getting thanks to having the ceremony at his home, a place few people had visited since his parents died several years ago. Nala had been appalled at the condition of the house when she got there but she directed Jorl and the boys as they got the place cleaned up, she had a real knack for giving directions.

Commitment ceremonies were pretty straight forward. Sam and Jack would each pledge their lives to the other and exchanged tokens. When it was time to start everyone stood in a circle around Sam and Jack. Jamale cleared his throat as all eyes turned to him. "It is a pleasure for Leila, Jorl, and I to welcome you today. We are here today to celebrate Jack and Samantha's decision to join their lives together. It was lucky for us that Marl brought them to town. Most of us could tell early on that Jack and Samantha would be good additions to town but a few weeks ago they surpassed our wildest expectations by saving three of us. There is little we can do as a town to repay them but hopefully today they will know we appreciate them and are glad they have decided to live their lives here."

The crowd applauded as Jamale stepped back, leaving Jack and Sam in the center. Sam's hand unconsciously fell to her abdomen as she started talking. "Jack, we've know each other for almost two decades, nearly half my life. We didn't exactly see eye to eye when we met but I was determined to earn your respect. Over the years you have been my protector, my best friend, my boss, my worst critic, my biggest supporter, and now the father of my children. I've wanted this day longer than was appropriate and we've made many missteps getting here but today I am confirming that I am giving you my whole heart. I love you Jack O'Neill."

Sam pulled a ring from her pocket. The Tauri symbol was carved on the ring and in the inside she had their initials engraved. Sam placed the ring on his finger.

Sam smiled at Jack as he took a deep breath. "I was a curmudgeon when we met. From that first day you brightened up my life and no matter how grumpy I was you never quit on me. I fought my attraction to you far longer than I should have and I'm lucky you were still willing to let me into your life. I can't believe you're going to be the mother of my children and I am looking forward to everyday we get to spend together. I love you Samantha O'Neill."

Sam beamed as Jack pulled out a ring which also sported a carved Tauri symbol on the outside and their initials on the inside. Rings weren't a common Uraba token but Jack and Sam both knew they wanted rings, a touch of Earth on their new home. The crowd cheered again and moved in to give Sam and Jack hugs and pats on the back. They all feasted and drank until late into the night. Nara and Leila refused to let Sam and Jack stay to help clean up. Nara was however more than willing to keep Jorl and Jamale hopping.

As Sam climbed into bed late that night Jack wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. "Good night Mrs. O'Neill." Sam giggled. Jack pulled back and looked at her. "What?"

"It sounds odd."

"You can certainly keep your name. You've been Carter to me for a long time."

Sam shook her head. "You haven't called me Carter in months and I like it that way. I am very happy to be Mrs. O'Neill. It's taken us long enough to get here. I plan to enjoy every moment." She curled against him as the babies shifted position and kicked out against him.

"I guess our babies like hearing you called Mrs. O'Neill." Jack's hand migrated to her swollen belly as his lips sought out her mouth. The night went like many other nights over the last few months but it was still different for them both because they were now committed.

Within a few days of finding out she was pregnant Sam had started showing. It still amazed Sam and Jack that neither of them had noticed earlier. Twins meant Sam expanded rapidly and her ability to reach beyond her belly was shrinking daily. Jack quietly stepped in and helped her but he never asked her if she needed help. He knew independence meant too much to Sam and even this small loss was hard to swallow. She was finally pushed over the edge and driven to tears, a rarity for Sam, when she could no longer tie her own shoes. Her trouble getting behind the wheel to drive to work, her inability to cook, her trouble eating because the table was so far away, and the hormones surging through her took over and she just lay down on the bed and cried. Jack heard her and came into the bedroom. He didn't ask her what was wrong. He put her shoes, helped her up, and held her while she let it out.

Jack had been tying her shoes for three weeks when she unintentionally woke him in the middle of the night as she made her third trip the bathroom. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. I'm sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep."

"Wasn't that your third trip to the bathroom tonight?"

"Yes."

"But you're ok?"

"Yep." Sam propped some pillows behind her and sat up.

"Aren't you going back to sleep?"

"Not right now. Maybe in a little bit."

Jack sat up. "Why?"

"I need to check something."

Jack knew when Sam was being deliberately evasive. "What?"

Sam smiled shyly. "I might be in labor?"

Jack sat up even straighter. "Might? You aren't sure?"

"Each trip to the bathroom was twenty minutes apart. I am going to see if it happens again in twenty minutes."

"So what can I do?"

"Relax and wait with me for another fifteen minutes." Jack had a hard time relaxing and was more than a little disturbed by Sam's calm demeanor. He got up to use the bathroom, came back and rubbed her stomach, and nervously chatted. He felt the muscles of her abdomen tighten just as she sucked in a breath.

"Is it bad?"

"Not really. Just tight. Excuse me." Sam headed back to the bathroom. When she came out Jack was bouncing around the room. Her prepacked bag was out and he was putting on clothes.

"Jack?"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"Getting ready to go."

"It's only two in the morning."

"So?"

"The contractions are only twenty minutes apart."

"So?"

Sam walked over to him and put her arms around him, as best as she could. "Calm down. We don't need to leave yet. Let's go back to bed for a while."

"There's no way I could sleep now."

"By this time tomorrow sleep will be something in our past so we might as well get as much of it as we can now."

"Your seriously going to go back to sleep."

She shook her head and laughed. "I doubt I could fall back to sleep either but I wanted to give you the chance if you could." Sam hugged him again and whispered, "I'm going to have our children today."

Sam convinced Jack to lie back down for a few hours and after talking for a while Jack fell asleep and Sam dozed off and on between contractions. When Jack woke Sam was sitting at the table in the kitchen eating a biscuit and egg.

"Are you allowed to eat?"

"Yep. Leila actually recommended it. She said it would help me keep my energy up."

"Energy is good." Jack went over and put a couple eggs in the pan. "So when are we going to the clinic?"

"My contractions are twelve minutes apart so we aren't in any rush."

"How close do they have to be before we go?"

"Five minutes apart."

Jack turned around from the eggs and looked at her. "Five!"

"Yes. I'm going to go get a shower."

"You can do that too?"

Sam smiled gently as she pushed herself up and waddled to the sink. "I do it every day."

"You know what I mean."

"Being clean is also good when birthing children." He kissed her cheek as she started to walk away.

"My children."

"Your children." Sam disappeared into the bathroom. By the time she came out all wet and clean Jack had cleaned up from breakfast.

"I'm going to go out and get the animals situated. When I get back I want to talk about going to the clinic."

"Ok."

"Ok as in we'll go?"

"Ok as in we'll talk about it."

Jack shook his head and went out to the barn. Sam finished getting dressed and double checked her bag. She had packed a couple cute outfits for each of the babies but she was worried the clothes would be too big. Nara had given her several outfits and Sam had bought a couple she could keep after the babies outgrew them. A couple of the local women had also knitted her some blankets. The blankets seemed almost too pretty to use.

She went into her old bedroom and looked around. Jack had built a crib and a changing table. He was working on a dresser but for now the babies didn't have much stuff so the shelves under the changing table were enough. They didn't plan on putting the babies in the crib right away. They had a couple small bassinets they had borrowed set up on Sam's side of the bed. She planned on breastfeeding so having them right beside her at night would be convenient. Jack found her looking around the babies' room. He came up behind her and put his arms around her, resting his hands on her belly.

"They're going to love their room. We've done a good job with it."

"We have." Sam leaned back against him. "It's hard to believe this is really going to happen."

"The sooner we leave the sooner we get started."

Sam's fingers dug into his arm and she grunted. She glanced at her watch. Jack stayed silent and waited for it to end.

Sam shook her head. "This will happen when the babies decide it will happen."

"How close together are the contractions now?"

"Nine minutes."

"Nine minutes seem pretty close to five minutes."

"Jack…"

"It will make me feel better."

"How about we drive to town and do some window shopping. Then when we get to seven minutes apart we can go to the clinic."

"Deal."

Sam had another contraction before they made it to the truck. She had two more contractions on the ride to town. Jack parked right outside the clinic.

"We're still going to walk around for a bit."

"I know." Jack came around the front of the truck and helped Sam get out. As they walked past the front of the clinic Jack heard the sound he had been hoping to hear.

"Hey, Samantha! Jack!" Leila had seen them parking through her office window and walked out onto the porch desk. Sam and Jack both turned to face her. "Why are you in town?"

Sam put her hand on her belly, grunted, tensed her face, and bent slightly, which was the only answer Leila needed. Leila came down to the sidewalk and put her hand on Sam's arm.

"You're in labor." Sam nodded. "How close are the contractions?"

Sam lifted her head once the contraction ended. "Eight minutes apart."

"Where were you headed?"

"We were going to walk around town until the contractions get a bit closer together."

"It makes sense to keep moving but how about we get you checked in and you can go out into the garden behind the clinic." Jack beamed at Leila's suggestion. Sam refused to look at him because she knew he was gloating. They followed Leila inside to a nice sized room that featured a soft looking bed low to the ground, a large rubber ball, a weird looking chair, a couple rolling chairs, and a couple large comfortable looking stuffed chairs.

"We only have one maternity room but there aren't any other parents close to delivering so you should have the place all to yourself. For now you are welcome to walk through the small garden we have outback and I'll keep checking on you."

Jack put down there bag and sat on the big rubber ball. "What in the world is this for?"

"Some women find it comfortable to sit on the ball while laboring."

"It reminds me of elementary school." Sam laughed as she took his hand and led him out towards the back door. They spent an hour walking around outside. Sam leaned on Jack each time she had a contraction. After an hour the contractions were six minutes apart. Leila was pleased with Sam's progress but Sam had grown bored with the garden so they went back inside. Jack went straight for the ball. Sam got a book out of her bag and sat in one of the big cushy chairs. She tucked her legs under herself, as best she could, and flipped the book open to her last spot. She couldn't concentrate through the contractions and Jack's bouncing on the ball was being to grate on her nerves.

"Jack, why don't you come sit down."

"I'm fine. This thing is oddly comfortable."

"I'm sure it is but you're driving me nuts."

"Oh, sorry." Jack slid off the ball and came over to sit on the arm of her chair. "Is the book any good?"

Sam laid the book down. "It is but I can't concentrate."

"After today it might be years before you can sit and read again." Sam was about to agree when the next contraction started. She closed her eyes and let out a slow breath through pursed lips. She took in another large breath and let it out slowly. Jack rubbed her shoulder.

When Leila came back she found Sam pacing the room. "How long between contractions?"

"We have finally reached five minutes apart."

"Then it's time for me to check your progress. Would you rather lie down or sit here?" Leila pointed to the odd chair to the right side of the room.

"I'll go for the bed." Jack helped Sam get down on the bed. Leila checked and declared Sam dilated to four centimeters. It took another four hours that included a lot of pacing but Sam was finally in active labor. She chose to lie on the bed as she labored. Leila brought in two attendants. Jack sat at the head of the bed and Sam put her head in his lap. When it was time to push Sam curled up and put her head to her chest.

"I can see a head." Leila held the top of the baby's head as Sam pushed again. Once the shoulders were out the baby slid into Leila's hands. "It's a girl." Leila wiped the baby off, wrapped it in a thin blanket, and laid the baby on Sam's chest. Sam and Jack gazed down at her.

"Is she ok?"

Leila nodded. "Yes. I'll do a more thorough check in a few minutes but her color is good, she's breathing, and she has all of her fingers and toes."

Jack used his index finger to massage the hair on Cassandra's head. Her little eyes opened and looked at Sam. Sam and Jack beamed at their daughter. "She's gorgeous Sam. You did a great job."

Sam's smile faded as her eyes closed. The contractions had returned quickly.

"Looks like it's time to do this again. Let Sanalli take your daughter so we can have her brother joins us too." The assistant came over and took the baby. Jack moved Sam's hair off her forehead as the contraction finished.

"He's moving down quickly. A couple more pushes and he'll be here." Leila wasn't kidding, Jacob arrived quickly. Leila placed him on Sam's chest.

Jack's eyes roved from his son to Sam. "I love you, Sam."

Sam glanced up at Jack. "I love you too Jack."

Jack leaned down and kissed Sam. Midst the kiss Sam stopped kissing back and she went limp. Jack lifted his head and opened his eyes. Sam's face was pale and slack. Jack knew Leila was talking but her words weren't penetrating his brain.

"Jack, take the baby."

Jack looked over at Leila and saw the blood covering her hands and arms, Sam's blood.

"Jack, pick up the baby." Jack lifted his son off of Sam's chest. "I have to get this bleeding stopped. I'm taking her to surgery."

Jack just nodded. The other assistant, Marsille, pulled down a gurney that had been hanging on the wall and brought it over beside the bed. Leila lifted Sam's feet and Marsille lifted her shoulders. A huge lump formed in Jack's throat as he watched them wheel Sam out of the room.

Sanalli came over the Jack. "Let me get your son cleaned up." Jack looked up at her. "Why don't you sit over there and I'll bring your daughter to you?"

Jack handed his son to her and slowly got up and went to the chair she had pointed him towards. His movements were slow and he felt numb. He kept glancing back at the door.

Sanalli looked at him over her shoulder. "Leila will take good care of her." Jack just nodded. Sanalli brought Cassandra to Jack. Sanalli had given his daughter a bath and wrapped her in a fresh blanket. While Jack was holding his daughter another woman came in and started collecting the bloody sheets off the bed. He averted his eyes from the bloody mess and looked down at his beautiful daughter.

The woman left with the bedding and returned a few minutes later with a small cart. "Leila has asked me to get some blood from you. It is for Samantha."

"Of course. Absolutely. You can have it all."

Sanalli came over and took Cassandra. Jack put his arm out and the woman took a bag of blood. "You can have more. I'll be fine."

"This is actually more than we usually take but you'll be fine."

"How is Sam doing?"

"Leila has her in surgery now. I'm not sure what is going on in there. I was just told to come get some blood from you."

"Oh, thanks anyway." Sanilla came over and brought Jacob to Jack. "Your son has had his first bath." Jack took his small son from her and rocked him. He kept glancing at the door. The longer Leila was away the more anxious he grew.

Jack was rocking a sleeping Cassandra when Leila came into the room. Leila pulled up a chair. She looked down at Cassandra and caressed her head.

Jack tried to read Leila's face and was dismayed at the sorrow he saw. "How is Sam doing?"

Leila locked eyes with him. "One of the placentas detached and she lost a lot of blood. I had no choice but remove her uterus to stop the bleeding."

"Ok. So that means she'll be fine now?"

"She lost a lot of blood."

"But you gave her mine, right?"

"Yes, and it has helped but her blood volume is still very low and it will take time for her body to build it back up."

"Take more."

"Not right now."

"I'll do anything to save her."

"I know and I promise if it looks like another transfusion will save her I'll authorize it. For now we just have to wait and see what happens. Sam has been moved to a room where I can better monitor her. I'm going to have the babies moved there too so you can be with all of them. That will also give me a chance to give them both a good exam too."

"Ok. So I can see her now?"

"Yes. Let's take the babies and go down to her room."

Jack carried Jacob and Leila carried Cassandra. Leila led Jack to a room down the hall where Sam was already situated in bed. Two bassinets had been placed in the room. Jack placed Jacob in a bassinet and went over to Sam. He picked up her limp hand. She was still too pale. Leila gave each of the babies an exam while Jack sat with Sam.

"They are both healthy. It's time for them to eat. Would you like to give them their first bottles?"

"Sam wants to breastfeed."

"One bottle won't disrupt those plans."

Jack glanced from Sam to the bassinets. "Ok, I'd like to feed them." After the babies had been fed, changed, and put back to sleep in the bassinets Sanilla rolled another bed into the room.

"Leila wanted you to have somewhere to sleep. You've had a long day."

Jack thanked her but he had no intention of going to sleep. He had moved the bassinets so he could see his children sleeping and still hold Sam's hand. Leila checked on them again and recommended he try to get a nap while the babies were sleeping. He thanked her but ignored her advice. Exhaustion took him a couple hours later and he woke to the sound of Jacob crying.

"I'm sorry he woke you." Jack didn't know the young man who was changing Jacob. Jack looked over at Sam and found she was just as pale and still asleep.

"Has Leila been in while I was asleep?"

"No. She should be back soon though. Is there anything I can get you, something to eat or drink perhaps?"

Jack was about to say no but his stomach growled. "I guess that would be a good idea."

He had some cereal and fruit with juice for breakfast, wishing there was coffee. Leila was glad to see him eating when she came in to check on Sam.

"Morning, Jack."

"Leila." Jack nodded. "There hasn't been any change."

Leila leaned over Sam, checking her pulse and breathing. "She's stable right now. Her blood work doesn't show any signs of organ impairment. This is still a wait and watch situation."

"I want her to wake up."

"I know. It's time to feed the babies again." Jack glanced over at the bassinets. "Would you mind if I feed Jacob while you feed Cassandra? It's been years since I've gotten to feed a baby and I miss it a little, not enough to have another one but enough to want to live vicariously through your son for a bit."

"I'd appreciate the help." Leila mixed up two bottles and brought one to Jack who had already gotten Cassandra out of her bassinet. Leila got Jacob and sat down in a chair on the opposite side of Sam. When she finished feeding Jacob she laid the baby beside Sam.

"I don't know if she can tell Jacob's lying beside her but it can't hurt."

Jack placed Cassandra on Sam's other side. "I need her to get better."

"I know Jack. She's strong. She can do this."