Hey! Another long wait for you, the end is near ?

Enjoy!

M.

Chapter Twenty- Seven

She stretched in bed feeling the cold sheet against her skin and the warm body beside her and a lazy smile draw itself in herself. It was still dark, and she searched around to check if it was as early as she thought it might be. Once she checked she pressed herself against him and his arm snaked around her waist, and his hand sprayed itself between her breast. He inhaled deeply and nuzzled her neck raising goosebumps all over her body. She felt him grin sleepily.

"Go back to sleep, Jack. It's too early." She whispered, she felt him kiss her neck and soon his breath was evened out again.

She thought about getting back to sleep, but she soon noticed she couldn't. She had her quarantine process to try and recover her sleep patterns to what they were, but she was kept inside, and lights were on all the time, making it impossible for her to figure out if it was night or day.

The few days at the SGC infirmary hadn't proven of much help, either. Although, they did diminish the amount of light when the night was settling. She knew that only happened at the infirmary, to help the wounded and sick to keep track of the time without going insane. Not that it helped her.

The weird sleep pattern she had acquired during the time in Semayati was proving extremely difficult to get rid of and her eating habits were also creating havoc on her Earth life. Yes, she felt asleep easily the first night, when she recognized the walls at the SGC, and she had sleep as she hadn't in a long time since she had returned home to Jack. But she knew that his skills on tiring her out were marvelous and they had always managed to make her rest. However, she also knew there will be a time in which the novelty of being together again would wore off and the routine would start to settle.

She sighed. No, she hadn't married Jack because of how good they were at nights. But because how good they were to each other. And she hoped she hadn't changed as much during her time out. She hoped he hadn't changed that much. It scared the hell out of her… after so long wanting to be home.

"I can hear you think, Sam," he whispered to her ear startling her out of her reverie. He moved, to check the clock she figured. "It's still early, are you sure you don't want to sleep some more?" She smiled at the worry in her voice.

"No," she whispered turning her head around to try to see him.

"Okay, I would advise you to do it. I don't know how long today will be." She opened her mouth to speak, but he didn't give her time. "However, if you find you can't sleep or you simply won't sleep… then let's go. I will make some coffee or tea, and we can talk."

"We were never that good at talking," she chuckled.

"That's what they always thought, yes." He added, embracing her tightly. "Come on; I know you need to get it out, whatever it is, Sam. I'm a big boy; I can take it." She turned around in his arms and placed herself to try and listen to his heart.

"I know, Jack. I just don't know if I can."

"Why wouldn't you?"

"I don't know… I'm scared."

"Of what might happen today?" He asked, and he felt her shake her head no, "of what might happen to Naysa?" Again she did the same, "Sam, there's only one option left, and I'm not sure I can voice it. Why would you be worrying about…" he stopped, and sighed, "us?"

"I… I might need the coffee after all," she added tracing a pattern against his skin with a finger.

"Then, come up sleepy head." He said untangling himself from her and raising. He walked towards the bathroom, and soon she felt a bathrobe thrown over her head. "I don't know what they taught you on that planet of yours, but I'm quite sure that's not the way of using it." He chuckled making her giggle.

They moved stealthily around the house careful not to wake the girl sleeping in the guest room they had yet to make a room for her.

He didn't even turn the lights on while moving to make them the coffee. She smiled she used to be the one able to do it. Now, she was the one moving slowly and sitting on the breakfast table unable to do anything to help but stay still.

"Where are you, Sam?" he whispered, sitting in front of her after turning on the coffee maker. She sighed.

"Everywhere it seems," she sighed. He fell silent, giving her time to put some order into her mind.

"Should I start?" He asked after a while. She smiled.

"Oh well, I can keep beating around the bushes and try to pretend everything is alright, yet that won't lead us anywhere," he sighed. "I'm scared, Sam. Hell, I wanted you to return that much that I've prayed, yes… prayed for you to come home safe and sound. And, I forgot how time and distance could change us. I know how things you've gone through must have left a dent on you. I know that I've not gone anywhere, and yet, this time without you has tortured me and maybe changed me a little too," she placed a hand over his and gave it a little press.

"I get it, Jack," she gave him a small smile. "And you are on the right track here; I'm scared of the same thing. I'm afraid that the time I was gone changed you and me too much to pick it up from where we left it. I fear that this these two days were nothing but a state in which we are too overwhelmed by my return, and that makes us unable to measure this right." She frowned, he could see the unshed tears in her eyes, the ones she would only leave out in front of him before. "We were good together, right? We worked through hell and beyond even when we weren't together per se, and we still made it. Can we achieve it again?" She held his eyes, and he smiled making her grin. She started to laugh after a while, and he followed. "Aren't we dumb?" She asked between fits of laughter.

"That's what the Asgards believed, right?" He managed to say.

"Oh God, Jack. How can we be so fearful when we have each other? We've been through worse, and now we are afraid of change? That's so funny." She snorted.

They laughed a little more until it didn't make sense to be doing it, the coffee long forgotten. She stood up and walked around and embraced him.

"You still care about me, Jack?" she whispered against his chest, and he sighed happily relying on the sensation of having her in his arms once more.

"More than I'm supposed to, as always." He whispered against her hair.

"Good. Then how about that coffee now?" He chuckled.

"First, answer me something, Samantha Carter."

"Yes?" She frowned at the mention of her name.

"Do you still care about me?" She looked at him straight into his soul; she noticed he not only wanted to know. He needed the reassurance.

"Always, Jack."

"Then, Mrs. Carter-O'Neill… I see no reason for you to worry. At least not until we are back to the Pentagon."

She untangled herself from him, and he walked to bring them the coffee, she watched him move, relearning the way he moved silently around the kitchen. She walked towards him and jumped to sit on the kitchen worktop beside the coffee maker.

"Leaving us behind, Jack. What is the thing that's bothering you?" She asked, his eyes found hers as he gave her the warm mug. She sighed, "Naysa." He nodded once. "You are going to be an excellent father, Jack. But we have to take it one day at the time. I know you, and you are great with kids, you always were. And she… she loves you."

"She doesn't know me, Sam," he added, the frustration seeping through his words.

"Jack, she is thirteen months old. She won't remember she didn't know you until now. She won't remember being born abroad or how small she was for her age. Nor how she spoke a language that sounds like gibberish."
"I will."

"I won't ask you to forget all about this period. Nor I can promise I will not remember it myself, but bear in mind you have all her life to give her what you couldn't on her first thirteen months of life. You can make it up, even if you weren't the one who messed it all up, to begin with."

"Don't do that, Sam. Don't put the blame on you," he told her raising her chin.

"Why not? I'm the guilty party in this situation. It was my choice, and I know I hurt you when I said that I'd repeat it if I had to," she whispered, and he caressed her cheek.

"I believe I never told you, I probably never said this to anyone," he gulped. "When I was about to join my father stopped me. He rarely spoke with me, you know? He was all day gone, from work to bed and from bed to work. I waited for him that night, to let him know I was going to join, he looked at me, proudly. And he told me, that everyone faces impossible choices. He confessed he had to choose between his dreams and me and he chose me. He decided to stay around and give me the best he could provide. As the years passed by I finally understood what he meant that night. I faced impossible choices, but that's life. We need to pick one; there's no way to cheat it."

"I.."

"No, listen to me, Sam." He placed a finger over her mouth, "every choice we make has a path. If you became an MD, then you would've faced daily decisions about your patients like Janet did with us. She chose many times and it not always with the best outcome, or she would've been here. Daniel, he wanted to publish his book, and then he opted to stay. Teal'c decided to join us. However, when you are in command, you must choose for other people, and you picked the one you thought would bring the best possible outcome, even if the cost was you and I admire you for that. Not everyone, in command or not, would've chosen the sacrifice, even if they knew they might get a chance."

She placed her mug down and grabbed his wrist with her now free hand, and he joined their hands as best as the awkward position would allow them.

"Thank you, Jack. I guess that was what I needed to hear. Now listen to me, trust me. Everything will be alright. And soon we will be able to be a family as we should've been."

"I hope so, I really do."

"Then, let's not hope it. Let's make it happen. We both are more action than words if someone can make it…"

"We will."