I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Warning – brief, but possibly disturbing description of hard labor, especially if you've never been there. There's also a small amount of rough language in this one—but let's not forget, Sam's in labor! It's section 127—you can skip it without really missing anything if you want to.

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WELCOME TO THE WORLD, BEANIE!

126

Jack is sitting on the side of the bed when Teal'c enters the room Dr. Pat indicated. It is clear that he is still in distress.

"O'Neill."

"I have to go back."

Jack starts to slide off the bed, but Teal'c stops him. "Dr. Ferenc instructed me to make certain the medicine has taken effect before you return."

"Come on, T. It's better. Okay, so it's not much better—but that's something at least. I can't sit in here—Sam's just getting to the worst part."

"How long have you been in this room, O'Neill?"

"Ten minutes or so. Maybe less."

"And you say the pain is somewhat better?"

Jack groans. "Yeah. Somewhat."

"Then we will wait for ten more minutes. You will lie down and rest. There should be more improvement by then."

Jack eyes his friend, deciding he is in no shape to argue. He eases back on the pillow. "Okay. But in ten minutes, I'm going back."

"Indeed. And I shall assist you, if need be." Teal'c seats himself on a nearby chair as Jack closes his eyes.

Several minutes pass in silence, then Jack begins to talk.

"T, I thought I was gonna to pass out, it hurt so bad. And I'm not the one in labor! I left the room. I abandoned her. But I couldn't have her see me collapse, could I? Dr. Pat told me earlier that I'd have to leave if it got too bad. Probably shoulda told her how bad it was hours ago. Damn it, T! I feel like I ran out on Sam! I should've been able to take it! I've been shot with bullets, stabbed with knives, zatted, impaled with that damn creepy orb-thing, even killed by a staff blast! And I swear to you, T—this hurt damn near as much as the worst of them! How could I admit to that?" He is half sitting up by this time, braced on one elbow. "I mean, here Sam is, carrying on like a trooper. She has to go through this. It's the only way. And I'm whining and acting like a baby..."

"I did not hear you whining, O'Neill."

"Well, maybe not—but you know. That's what it feels like. Every time I turn around someone's asking how I'm holding up. Crap! I feel like a wimp! There's no reason why I should have the pains or the morning sickness or the fainting spells. I'm not the one who's pregnant! Dr. Pat says it happens, but I'm the worst case she's ever seen. I wonder why it's happening like that to me..." He swings his legs off the side of the bed. "Don't you think that's odd, T?"

"What is odd, O'Neill, is that you appear to be babbling."

"What? What are you talking about?" Jack stares at him, uncomprehending.

"I refer to your unusual tendency to share your feelings with me. Perhaps it is the result of the injection Dr. Pat has given you."

"Huh?"

Teal'c regards him for a moment. "How do you feel now, O'Neill?"

"What?" A surprised look makes its way across Jack's face. He realizes that the pain is now so much less that he can almost ignore it. "Teal'c, I feel better! Not even half as bad! I feel relaxed, even! The damn medicine worked! Sweet! I gotta find out what that stuff is!"

He gets off the bed and heads for the door, followed by Teal'c. As he emerges into the corridor, the door to Sam's room down the hall opens and a nurse exits quickly. Through the open door Jack clearly hears Sam scream.

"Oh, crap!" he exclaims as he sprints toward her door, all pleasure in his own improvement submerged in concern for Sam.

127

Sam is on her hands and knees on the bed, trying to ease the pain that fills her entire universe at the moment. Daniel and Janet are on either side of her, helping to stabilize her.

"Jack!" she screams. "Oh, God... Janet, I have to push... Where's Jack? Goddammit, where is he... I'm gonna kill him!"

"Not yet, Sam," Janet is saying. "You can't push yet. Just a little while longer..."

"Jack!" Sam screams. "Get me Jack! Tell him... to get his worthless ass in here! Now!"

"I'm here, sweetheart," Jack says, taking Daniel's place at the side of the bed. "I'm right here..."

She breaks down into sobs at the sight of him, clutching at his shoulders. "Where the fuck were you?! There's no time... to breathe in between... it doesn't stop!" She cocks a fist and hits him in the chest. "Make it stop, goddammit! Make it stop, Jack! Please!" She is in full-blown panic by now.

"Sam! Samantha! Look at me... it's not long now..." Kneeling on the bed facing her, he takes her face in his hands, and forces her to look at him. "You can do it, Sam! You can do this! Breathe with me! Breathe..."

She struggles to obey... and through the haze of pain and fear she hears his voice and hangs on to the sound; "That's it, Sam... You can do it. Just keep breathing... stay with me..."

128

"We're almost there," Dr. Pat says calmly. "Everybody, except for Jack and Janet, I need you out of here. Terri," she says to the nurse beside her, "Call Dr. Sharrow down..."

"I'm here," says a tall, dark-haired young woman who is entering the door, as Daniel and Teal'c usher Jacob out. She reaches for gloves and snaps them on.

"Oh, good," Pat says, helping Sam to reposition herself on the bed. "We're about to have a new patient for you, Nelle. Full term, no complications."

"Sounds wonderful," the pediatrician says with a brilliant smile.

Jack is on the bed behind Sam, supporting her, and whispering in her ear. "Almost there, Love. Just a couple more pushes..."

Sam is fighting too hard for breath to answer him. Her hands are clamped on his thighs.

"All right, Sam," Pat says. "It's time for this baby to be born. Deep breath, and push... Bear down..."

Sam sucks in as much air as she can find and strains for all she's worth.

"Aaarrrgggghhhh!" Her hands clench harder as she puts all her strength into the push. Jack is sure to have bruises on his legs for a week. With another scream, she bears down hard again.

"Again..." Pat instructs. "Here comes the baby's head—hold off a second... Good... good. Okay, Sam. One more time... Well, hi there, kiddo! Welcome to the world!"

The doctor's words are followed immediately by a shriek of indignation, and the squalling, wet, small body is set on Sam's stomach. "Sam and Jack, say hello to your son!"

Their vision tunnels down to the small, screaming bundle of life on Sam's abdomen. Sam is reaching for the baby, but Jack's hand is there even before hers, fingers spread across the little chest, and she feels, rather than hears, him sob against her shoulder. Her hand joins his on the child's stomach. They both strain forward to see him better. The tiny red face is scrunched up tight as he wails, and it is impossible to tell anything about his features. His head is plastered with wet, brown hair. Hands and feet are waving angrily in protest to the abrupt change in his environment. Dr. Pat's hands come into view as she ties and severs the umbilicus. And then another pair of hands is there, with a small blanket to wrap around him, and Dr. Sharrow turns with a smile and places the baby in Sam's arms.

For the next few moments CJ screams and Sam and Jack cry, and the three attending doctors grin widely.

"Okay, Sam" Dr. Pat says. "We need a little bit more here. To get the afterbirth delivered. Give the baby to Dr. Sharrow."

The young woman with the brilliant smile leans over Sam and gently reaches for the baby. "I need to just check him out. Weigh him. That stuff. I know it's hard to let go... but Jack can come with me if you want."

"Yes..." Sam nods over her shoulder at Jack. "Go with him..."

Dropping a kiss on her cheek, he disengages himself carefully from behind Sam, as Janet slips in place to support her. He follows the baby across the room, where Dr. Sharrow lets him assist her in measuring and weighing after she has done the routine exam. "Got a perfect 10 here!" she says, referring to the Apgar score. She dries and cleans up the child quickly, then sets him on the scale.

Jack reads the scale. "Seven pounds, thirteen ounces." And the tape measure. "Twenty-two and a quarter inches."

"Okay, Dad," Dr. Sharrow says, wrapping the still screaming baby boy in his blanket, and handing him to Jack. "Here you go."

Jack stares down into the face of his son. His eyes are squeezed shut, and his mouth wide open as he wails. Now that it is dry, the baby's hair appears much lighter brown and is trying to go in all directions at once. It is the most wonderful thing Jack as ever seen. The feeling in his chest is pure, unbridled joy.

He cradles the small body close, unaware of Dr. Sharrow watching him closely. "Oh, Beanie, what are you crying about?" His voice is soft and deep. "You made it! You're here with Mommy and Daddy. Hey, I know it was a trip! I know it musta hurt a bit. But it's over now. Everything's fine. We're gonna have so much fun, Beanie! Oh, yeah... that's right. Not Beanie anymore. Do you remember what I told you your name is? You're CJ now. Charles Jacob Carter O'Neill. That's after your big brother—" His voice falters, but goes on. "And your Grandpa Jacob. And Carter for your Mom..." As he is talking, the baby's crying slows, and fades away. CJ's mouth puckers, and his eyes, which Jack can see now are bright blue, dart about as if searching for the source of a familiar voice. His eyebrows flex up and down, almost in rhythm to his Daddy's words. Jack pulls the baby up closer to his own face, hoping to get within his visual range.

Nelle Sharrow watches all this in fascination, her smile growing even wider.

"...I think there's a swing set in the works," Jack is saying. "And a treehouse. Mommy says she used to have a treehouse..."

"Jack," Janet calls from Sam's bed. He is so absorbed that he does not hear her.

Dr. Sharrow touches his arm, and only after a couple of seconds does he raise his head and look at her. She gestures toward Sam's bed. He gives the doctor a rueful smile, and crosses the room to where Sam is lying down now, covered with a sheet, and looking impossibly beautiful and utterly exhausted. He perches on the edge of the bed and lays CJ in the crook of her arm. She turns to look at the baby, a weary smile on her face. The three doctors have moved a short distance away to give them privacy.

For several minutes they do what new parents always do, they look and touch, count fingers and toes, and oooh, and aaah. Sam puts the baby to her breast and he suckles for a few minutes, then seems to lose interest.

"Guess he's not hungry yet," Jack says.

"His eyes are blue," Sam says softly.

"As blue as yours," Jack replies. CJ starts to whimper and he lays his hand on the little chest. "It's okay, buddy. You're safe here." The blue eyes immediately turn toward his voice.

"He's looking for you," Sam says. She strokes the baby's head.

"I don't think he can really see much yet," Jack says. He rubs CJ's tummy gently. "But he can hear us and feel us." He leans down and kisses her softly on the mouth. "He's beautiful," he whispers. "Thank you."

Sam's eyes are getting heavy. "We did this together," she murmurs.

"But you did the work." He kisses her again. "Get some sleep. I'm going to take CJ to meet the rest of his family."

She nods and closes her eyes.

Jack scoops up the baby again and turns toward where Janet is standing with the other doctors. She grins as he comes over. "He's beautiful, Jack," she says, looking down into the tiny face.

"Yes, he is," he says. "Thank you for all your help, Janet." He turns to Dr. Ferenc. "And thank you, Dr. Pat. And you, too," he adds to Dr. Sharrow.

"This is the best part of our jobs, believe me," Dr. Pat tells him.

129

Cassie sees Jack first as he approaches the common room, and she jumps up, squealing with delight...

"Sshhh," Jack warns, grinning. "Softly." He holds the baby down so she can see him. By then Daniel, Teal'c and Jacob are all on their feet and crowded around. He adjusts CJ so they can all see him. "Meet Charles Jacob Carter O'Neill. Henceforth to be known as CJ."

"He's amazing!" Cassie exclaims as CJ gives her the benefit of his blue eyes.

"How's Sam?" Daniel asks.

"Exhausted right now. But she's fine."

"How large is young CJ, O'Neill?"

"Seven pounds, thirteen ounces. Twenty-two inches long. I got to weigh him myself."

"Can we see Sam?" Cassie asks.

"She was just falling asleep when I left. Let's give her a while to rest." Jack turns to Jacob, who has been silent up until now. "Dad, would you like to hold your grandson?"

Jacob's face breaks into a smile. "I really would like that, Jack."

A moment later little CJ has been transferred to his grandfather's arms. The movement causes some squirming and whimpering.

"Just talk to him for a minute," Jack suggests. "He likes to be talked to."

Jacob's voice is warm and deep as he speaks to CJ. "You're such a handsome boy. Got your good looks from your mother, I can tell. Couldn't of been from this ugly galoot of a dad you're stuck with here..."

Even Jack chuckles as Jacob rambles on. CJ quiets down and seems as soothed by Jacob's voice as he was by Jack's.

Cassie hugs Jack and gives him a kiss on the cheek. "I like the name you picked," she says. "And the nickname CJ is cute. I'm sure he'll like it."

The baby gets passed around, and everyone holds him for a while. Daniel is the most uncomfortable with the little boy. And Cassie is surprisingly confident. "I held babies a lot before I came to live here," she explains.

Eventually CJ becomes fussy, and even Jack cannot settle him down completely. "I guess I'd better take him back and see if Sam is awake to feed him now." He heads back to the room, with the infant cradled against his chest.

130

He finds Sam sleeping peacefully. Instead of disturbing her, he pulls a chair over beside the bed and sits down where he can see her face. In his arms, CJ is squirming and making small unhappy noises. Jack readjusts his position so the baby is facing toward Sam.

"See that beautiful lady sleeping there, CJ?" His voice is very soft, meant only for his son to hear. "That's your mama, little guy. The smartest, prettiest, most wonderful woman in the whole world. The whole universe, in fact. And she loves you so, so much, CJ. Just like I do and just like I love her. That's what makes us a family, baby boy. And we're gonna love you and take care of you the very best we can. You're so lucky to have her as your mom. Just like I'm lucky to have both of you..." He talks on for a while, watching CJ's expression change in response to the rhythm of his voice, glancing up now and then at Sam's face, until at last he looks up and sees her eyes are open and she is smiling at them.

Without breaking the cadence of his speech, he leans forward and gently transfers the baby to the bed beside Sam, and then helps her position herself to nurse, finally easing CJ over into the crook of her arm. Grinning, he watches as she encourages the baby by stroking his cheek so he turns toward her. She winces a little as the tiny mouth latches on firmly and begins to suckle, but her expression alters to a smile as she watches her child's face. Jack is mesmerized as he leans his elbows on the bed, his eyes filled with the most beautiful sight he has ever seen.

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Thank you to all you great readers!