Fraiser Residence
Colorado Springs, CO
November 25, 1999

Jack was grateful that Teal'c and the Doc had managed to change the topic of conversation into something harmless after Daniel and Nyan's insistent questions of Sam's time off-world. He'd tried to get the two to shut up and had even given Daniel a swift kick under the table, but to no avail.

Sam finally seemed to have relaxed a bit, although he was pretty sure half a glass of wine had helped. She was still rather quiet, though. He'd noticed her becoming more withdrawn during the questions but even now she mostly kept to herself. She'd look up, smile a bit and make an appropriate noise every now and then, but that was it. The rest of the time she played with her food and kept Ife entertained.

He poured himself another glass of wine and looked to Sam, only for her to decline. "Sure?"

She glanced down at Ife in her lap. "Alcohol passes through the breastmilk and I don't want to get her drunk."

"Right. Sorry."

"It's okay," Sam said, shrugging.

Ife suddenly started squirming and twisting in Sam's lap, "Teak!"

Jack saw a rare smile appearing on Teal'c's face as the little girl reached out her arms in his direction. As far as he was aware, the Jaffa and Ife hadn't really spent any time together so he was surprised, too.

"Do you mind?" Sam asked.

"I do not, Captain Carter." Teal'c pushed his chair away from the table to make room.

She shot the Jaffa a small smile and got up, somehow managing to keep hold of her wriggling daughter and deposited the girl in Teal'c's arms. Sam looked at the other occupants of the table and gestured to the patio, "If you could all excuse me for a moment…"

The Doc got up too, "Of course. We need to clear the table for dessert anyway."

"Need a hand?"

"No, that's fine. Daniel and Nyan can help me," Fraiser said.

Jack was pretty sure that was their punishment for making Sam uncomfortable and he was fine with that. Sam had already slipped from the room and the two men got up to help the Doc, leaving just Cassie, him and Teal'c with Ife at the table. He had to admit Teal'c was pretty good with the little girl, talking to her in a soft voice and making her giggle. "I think she likes you, T."

Teal'c smiled proudly when Ife plopped down in his lap and rested her head against his chest. "Indeed," he said. "It appears Ife Carter is most comfortable."

"Maybe it's because of the naquadah," Cassie said. "I can sense it in them and Sam, too."

"Good point." Jack felt himself relax at the suggestion because, even though he knew it was ridiculous, he felt a little jilted by Ife's easy acceptance of Teal'c. Sam had only really introduced Ife to everyone – aside from Jack and Fraiser – when they arrived at the house and now Ife was already asking for Teal'c by name. It had taken Jack longer than that to gain her affection and he couldn't recall her ever asking for him…

Daniel came back to the dining room to collect the remaining plates. "Janet is asking if everyone is ready for dessert or if we should wait a bit longer."

"I'm stuffed," Cassie moaned, rubbing her stomach. "Can we wait? It's not a race."

Jack shrugged. "I can wait. Sam probably can too, although I don't know if she even wants dessert."

"More drinks then?" Daniel asked, before dashing off for the kitchen.

A few minutes later everyone except for Sam was back at the table, enjoying their drinks and making small talk.

Ife was the one breaking the silence with loud giggles when Teal'c tickled her tummy.

"You know," Nyan said with a smile, "she looks just like her mother."

"Yeah, spitting image of Sam," Daniel said.

Jack felt the same way. He'd noticed the eyes first, of course. But Ife had the same beaming smile as her mother, although Sam didn't show it often. The nose and dimples was all Sam, too. Once again he thought how strange it was. Skaara's coloring was much darker and aside from brown hair, Ife was much lighter. Her skin was a little darker than Sam's but nowhere near Skaara's Abydonian skin. Although he supposed it was possible that Skaara's skin had been lighter as a kid too and that growing up in the desert had made him tan even more.

"I think we can all agree that's a good thing," the Doc said quietly.

"Indeed."

Ife had quieted down and was playing with a napkin, a small smile tugging at her lips. That wasn't Sam but the almost smile was very familiar to Jack. He just couldn't place it. The only images of Skaara that popped into his head were of him smiling widely or the smug smirk of Klorel. Neither of which resembled Ife's little cheeky smile…

"So, Nyan," Fraiser said, clearly trying to change the topic of conversation again, "how are you adjusting to Earth?"

"Yes, do you like it? I remember when I first got here it was so different from Hanka…"

Jack checked the clock on the wall and realized it had been quite a while since Sam stepped outside to get some fresh air. He pushed his chair backwards and got up, stretching his legs. "I think I'll go check on Sam," he said to Teal'c.

The Jaffa raised a brow when Ife started getting fussy, "Wait, O'Neill. Perhaps it would be best if I go, while you take care of Ife Carter."

"Um, okay," he said, after a moment's hesitation. He wanted to check on Sam but he didn't want to abandon Ife either. "She's probably just tired."

"Perhaps."

Jack took Ife from him and started rubbing circles on her back, which usually calmed her down before bed. "It's been a long day, huh munchkin?" Teal'c went out to the patio and the others were talking with Nyan, so Jack went into the kitchen. Stretching his legs was nice but mostly he did it because he knew the movement was soothing to Ife. Probably because Sam had done a lot of walking with Ife in her arms before they came to Earth.

He walked in circles around the kitchen, speaking nonsense to Ife in low tones. After a few minutes she snuggled closer to him, her face pressing against his neck eliciting a smile from him. It didn't take long after that for Ife's breathing to even out. Jack continued walking and talking, not wanting her to wake up the moment he stopped.

Maybe ten minutes later, he heard the telltale sound of clicking heels.

"You like her."

He turned around at the accusation but the denial died on his tongue at the look on the Doc's face. If he'd learned anything about Fraiser over the years it was to never underestimate or bullshit her, so instead he just raised an eyebrow.

"Captain Carter," she said, before correcting herself, "Sam."

"Doc?"

The petite woman crossed her arms, mildly exasperated. "I see the way you look at her - and Ife. Before, when they were in quarantine, I didn't say anything because Sam seemed to enjoy your visits and quite frankly, it was none of my business. But now..."

Jack narrowed his eyes, "Now what?"

"Now I've seen you with her and the baby without a plastic bubble separating you."

"So?"

Fraiser tipped her chin up to look him in the eye. "You've been hovering around Sam all evening, making sure she's comfortable and sending Daniel death glares for asking too many questions."

Jack was only mildly embarrassed at the observation and mostly because he got caught - he used to be better at hiding his thoughts and feelings - not because he'd been protecting Sam. He stilled his hand movements on Ife's back and sighed. "Daniel should mind his own business. You'd think someone with his background would know better when it comes to dealing with sensitive matters. Speaking of which-"

"Look," the Doctor interrupted, concern on her face, "It's obvious you care about Sam and Ife. That's good, they need all the support they can get. It is, however, important to remember that physically it may appear Sam returned unscathed, but she went through something very traumatic."

"I know, Doc. I'm not a complete idiot."

"Oh, I'm well aware that your dumb act is precisely that; an act, and that underneath all the sarcasm is actually a very intelligent and caring man."

He made a face, feeling uncomfortable with the assessment. "So, what exactly is the problem?"

Fraiser sighed, "You offering Sam a place to stay and taking care of any finances is great and rather admirable, but I think it's important to keep in mind that Sam is still emotionally vulnerable despite outwards appearances. A romantic entanglement is probably the last thing she needs, especially considering she has a young child."

"A romantic entanglement?"

"She and Ife need stability and a safe place to deal with what happened before either of them can really start living a normal life on Earth."

Jack wondered what the hell she thought he was up to with Sam. "That's exactly why they're staying at my place and not some hotel, Doc. Geez, you think I'd force myself on her or something? I'm just trying to give them what they need and since we're being so honest right now, whatever is or isn't between Sam and me still isn't any of your business."

Fraiser grabbed his arm when he brushed past her. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt here, Jack."

"Trust me," he said, one hand still protectively on Ife's back. "Neither do I, Doc."

Sam shivered and rubbed her bare arms. The snow had disappeared but it was still freezing and she'd been out there for a while now… She was getting cold. The dress Janet had gotten for her fit okay, it wasn't the best or most beautiful dress she'd even worn but it was fine. Its sleeves only reached halfway down her upper arms and the fabric wasn't exactly winter proof.

However, going back inside didn't appeal to her either. Not after all the questions about her time off-world. She'd already given Daniel a bunch of her journals – the ones with information about the different planets and cultures – and that was as much as she was willing to share.

She tensed when she sensed naquadah which didn't belong to her daughter but a second later she relaxed, recognizing it as a Jaffa's naquadah – and on Earth, that could only mean Teal'c. They'd officially met when he and Jack met with her and Bra'tac to introduce them to the young Rebel Jaffa warriors they'd come across and aside from Utcha, she hadn't seen him since. Yet, it felt like she knew him already. She trusted him enough to leave Ife with him while she went outside, although that was probably also in part because Jack stayed indoors.

"Will you grant me permission to join you, Captain Carter?"

"Of course, Teal'c," she said, glancing over her shoulder. "And it's just Sam, please."

The Jaffa came up next to her, an eyebrow raised high. "Very well… Sam."

"Did they send you to come and get me?"

"They did not."

It was her turn to lift an eyebrow. "Really?"

He clasped his hands behind his back and turned to look out over the yard. "Perhaps O'Neill wished to ensure you were doing well."

"Ah," she said, nodding to herself. That sounded like Jack. "But you came instead."

"I felt it prudent to leave your daughter in O'Neill's capable care."

"He's good with her."

Teal'c turned to her, a strange look on his face that disappeared before she could identify it. "Indeed."

They both remained quiet, absorbing the night's silence, and she could feel her frazzled nerves ease as they stood there. It shouldn't have surprised her to learn his presence had a similar effect on her as Bra'tac's used to. Both men were strong and silent Jaffa warriors, after all. Bra'tac had been Teal'c's mentor and he'd told her a lot about his former apprentice.

"It was not Daniel Jackson's intention to make matters difficult for you tonight."

"I know."

His brown eyes found hers, understanding visible in the look he gave her. "The time you spent away from your home irrevocably changed you."

She couldn't deny the truth in his statement. "I guess you know what it's like."

"The events you lived through prevent you from going back to the person you were before."

"Coming back home isn't as easy as I thought it would be," she confessed.

Teal'c gently placed his hand on her shoulder and said in a grave tone, "It never is."

Sam wondered if he was talking in general or specifically about her or him. He'd been First Prime to Apophis for close to a decade, he had to know what life as host to Klorel's mate entailed for her. But Bra'tac had also confided in her about Teal'c's own life, she'd met both his wife Drey'auc and former love Shan'auc, and knew the sacrifices he'd made to join the SGC.

"Come," he said, "let us join our friends for the final course of Doctor Fraiser's Thanksgiving's dinner."

They said their goodbyes earlier than Jack's friends would have liked but much later than Sam would have preferred. But she'd agreed to come along and if she wanted everyone, including Jack, to believe she was doing fine then she had to play along. The moment the front door closed behind them she felt the tension fall away and took a deep breath of cold evening air.

Without a word, Jack took the car seat from her and handed her the box of leftovers Doctor Fraiser had given him. He gave her a concerned look, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Sam said, snuggling deeper into her borrowed coat. "Let's go home."

His face lit up when he smiled and placed his hand in the small of her back. "Sounds good to me."

She let him guide her to the truck but took over securing the car seat while he turned on the engine and heating in the cab. Ife was fast asleep and Sam was envious of her daughter's ability to just tune everything out and take a nap.

"Ife still asleep?" Jack asked as she buckled up in the passenger seat.

"It takes a lot more than a change in location to wake her once she's out."

He cast a look at the backseat before pulling out of the driveway. They drove in silence but Jack shot her a look every now and then. When he stopped for a red light, he turned to her. "I know tonight didn't go as planned, but I'm glad you came, Sam."

She gave him a small smile and nodded. "I think it went fine… I'm just really tired."

"Nothing wrong with an early night."

"I think Ife and I'll just go straight to bed when we get home," she said.

Jack nodded in understand before turning his attention back to the road. Twenty minutes later, he parked the truck at his house and carried Ife inside.

Sam placed the leftover food in the fridge before making her way to the bedroom, where he'd changed Ife into pajamas. "Thank you."

"G'night," Jack said, before leaving the room.

After double-checking on Ife, Sam went into the ensuite bathroom and took off her dress. The thing was kind of shapeless but it'd covered her up and didn't show too much leg or any décolletage, for which she was grateful.

She caught sight of her body in the floor-length mirror off to the left as she finished brushing her teeth and turned to get a good look. Teal'c had been right in that she was not the same person as the Sam Carter who'd left Earth. Not just mentally but physically, too. Her ribs were protruding more than before, or even back when she'd been a gangly teenager. Doctor Fraiser's assessment of little body fat seemed correct.

Sam titled her head and took in her scarily thin frame. Her hip bones were razor sharp and her collar bones and shoulders were far more visible than ever. There was no trace of her pregnancy on her belly, aside from a few stretch marks. Her abdomen was flat but toned. The muscles in her arms and legs were toned too, which wasn't surprising considering the life she'd lived off-world. Her breasts were the only parts of her that were fuller than before she left but she figured that would change soon enough, considering she was trying to wean Ife off.

Hesitantly, she reached up and cupped her breasts. They were more than a handful now and less firm than she remembered, but they were full and heavy.

The memory of Jack staring at her while breastfeeding Ife earlier that day flashed through her mind and she bit her lip. She'd meant it when she told him she hadn't avoided doing so in front of him, because she'd fed her daughter in front of others before. But she couldn't deny she'd felt something when he'd looked at her – and it wasn't disgust.

It had been a long time since she'd wanted a man to look at her and it surprised her, even though she knew she found him attractive. She'd felt his attention low in her belly and it felt… nice. Not at all awkward or uncomfortable. The last time anyone had looked at her with unbridled lust it'd been Klorel and that made her sick to her stomach.

But just thinking of Jack that way made her feel an unexpected yet pleasant buzz of arousal.

She wasn't sure what that meant yet but for now, it was a good feeling. With a final smile at her reflection, she turned around and went back into the bedroom. There, she got one of Jack's button-up shirts from the dresser and slipped it over her head. The fabric smelled like him and that put another smile on her face.

Maybe tonight hadn't been all bad, she thought as she crawled into bed.