Monday morning they managed to eat breakfast together before Sam had to drop off Cassandra at the airport.
"I know it's over two months away, but what would you say if Ben was coming with me for Christmas this year? We haven't talked about what to do, I just assumed that we'll celebrate here as a family. Little Janet's first Christmas and all. You don't want to go to the cabin, do you?"
"You're very welcome to spend the holidays with us. I told you yesterday we'd love to meet Ben and I think Christmas is perfect for that. He can meet the whole family. Daniel, Teal'c and Cam will also be there. Sam's brother and family will only come for new year's eve. We wouldn't want to overwhelm Ben. Sam and I are going up to the cabin in two weeks. She's got two weeks left of work and when her maternity leave starts we want to spend a few weeks together, just us two."
"Great, I'll tell Ben. You're going up to the cabin in two weeks?" she asked, astonished.
"Sure, why not?"
"It will be the end of October when you get there. Won't there be a lot of snow?"
"Yes, most likely. We can go for a walk in the snow or make ourselves comfortable in front of the fireplace. That's perfect for some adult time."
"But what will you do if the snow gets too much and you aren't able to leave? Do you think it's safe?"
"Cassie, I have got 5 weeks to go when we'll be going up to the cabin. We're planning to stay for two weeks, so that leaves me with still 3 weeks to go when we come back. And first time pregnancies are mostly late. So don't worry." Sam stepped in.
"I'm just saying. Because you guys don't do normal. But I'm happy for you, you deserve some alone time."
They engaged in a big family hug and said goodbye. The next time they would see each other there will be a new family member present.
Tuesday was their first birthing class together. Jack was tense the whole day. He did this for Sam, because he loved her beyond compare, but this really wasn't something he was looking forward to.
He knows how to change diapers, how to hold a newborn, how to care for someone so small. He did this before.
And he wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about the glory details of actually giving birth. A few hints how he could support his wife during labor couldn't be wrong, he missed it the first time and he knew Sam was nervous about the birth herself. She would never say so, but he knew his wife.
He was quiet on the drive and Sam knew better than to try to engage him in a conversation. She could do with silence, no problem.
When they arrived and entered the room Jack breathed in relief, there were some men much younger than him, but quite a few around his age. Sam laid her hand on his forearm and whispered "I told you so! Try to relax." And he nodded. They were waiting for two other couples as he heard someone call his name.
"O'Neill? Jack O'Neill?" He and Sam turned around and spotted a little woman with brown long hair, obviously as pregnant as Sam.
"Annie? Wow, congratulations. You look great."
"Hi Jack! Thanks. It's been a few years. I can't believe to meet you here. Is this your wife?" She asked and extended her hand to greet Sam. "Hello, I'm Annie." Then she turned to Jack and hugged him tightly. "I can't believe that you again found a woman who's willing to be married to you." She said jokingly, pointing at Sam's finger where she obviously was wearing her wedding ring.
"Well, I can't believe it either. I'm a lucky man."
"That you are O'Neill."
Annie knew about his past and was delighted to see that he found happiness again.
"So, you're not here alone, are you?" Jack asked.
"No, of course not. Bob's just parking the car, he'll be here in a few."
"Bob?"
"Yes, we'll... What do you want me to say? You knew about our feelings back then. When we came back from Iraq I started to teach at the academy, Bob continued in black ops and we were able to start a family. This little one will be baby number five." She smiled and rubbed over her belly.
"Five? Holy Hannah, Annie!"
"Don't say it Jack. I know the last time we talked I said I couldn't ever imagine a life as a mom. Things change with the right person at your side."
"Yes, they do." He answered and pulled Sam closer to him.
"So you two served together?" Sam asked curiously.
"Right. We were a team. Jack, Bob, Frank Cromwell and I."
At the mentioning of Frank Cromwell Sam's eyes shot up to search for Jack's, but his eyes didn't give anything away about how he felt hearing this name. She knows they made peace shortly before Cromwell sacrificed himself to rescue earth from being sucked into a black hole but the betrayal Jack felt as he was left behind and becoming a prisoner in that damn Iraqi prison stuck deep.
There was no time for further explanations because Annie's husband arrived and couldn't believe his eyes.
"Jack! Wow, good to see you. Here's the last place I imagined ever seeing you again. Congratulations."
"Congratulations to you too, Bob. I didn't know that Annie and you finally made it. That's great."
"Thanks, and who's your...?" He was asking for Jack's wife as he recognized the woman leaning into Jack. "Colonel Carter!!"
"Colonel Lockwood! Nice to see you again."
"You know each other?" Jack asked at the same time as Annie asked "Colonel?"
"I've met Colonel Lockwood a few times at Area 51, he's a consultant for one of my projects." She told Jack and turned back to the Colonel. "And it's now Carter-O'Neill, at least at work. Under the circumstances I would say you can call me Sam!"
"Then it's Bob to you, Sam." He turned towards his wife. "Yes Sam here is a Colonel, I don't know what they are doing down there in Cheyenne Mountain, but I do know she's very famous among the airmen. Jack, what in hell did you do to deserve a woman like her?"
"I don't know Bob. Maybe just that, we literally were in hell and back together. We served together for 8 years. I know how cliche that is, but she was my 2IC. And the best I ever had. We waited a long time to be able to be together."
They chatted until it was time to take a seat. Jack's knees were protesting about sitting on the floor, but at least he could lean his back against the wall. Sam sat down between his legs, leaning her back against Jack's chest. He groaned, having his wife between his tights like this normally led them towards something else. He had to make sure that this wasn't getting awkward for them by trying to shift his focus onto something safer than his gorgeous wife.
Sam sensing his turmoil had to suppress a giggle. "Really Jack?" She whispered.
"Wanna trade places? I'm a man, Sam. A man with a beautiful woman between my legs, what do you expect?"
"Hello everyone, my name is Sally. Nice to see so many men have accompanied their women. This is a crash course, so today we will learn everything you'll need to know. First of all I'll show you some techniques to massage your partner during labor. Most of the women do find it comfortable, it helps them to make it through contractions. But please be aware that some women don't. Listen to your wife, she'll tell you how you can help. It's not the same for every woman, it isn't even the same each birth. If you already have a child and appreciated the touch of your husband, it can be different this time around. Some women don't like to be touched at all. So just listen, support by bringing water or a washcloth, but most importantly just be there for her."
Sally instructed them how he should place his hands on her belly, slowly rubbing circles over it.
He was taught how to massage her during labor and how to support her. They learned how to breathe and were shown different positions for birth.
"And I thought I knew how to breathe. Done it for over fifty years now. I didn't know that you could do it wrong." Leave it to Jack to make snippy comments while feeling uncomfortable.
Annie told Sam that she has had two water births.
"Whatever you do Sam, do what you're feeling comfortable with. Listen to your body, it will tell you what to do."
"Yeah, I know and I will try. But as a scientist I always want to have a plan and be prepared for every scenario. I know in that case it won't be possible and that's what scares me the most."
"You will do great. If fighting in a war is no problem for you, then a birth won't be either."
When they had to watch a video that recorded a birth Jack lost it. He had to swallow a few times. He so wasn't prepared to see this. How the hell can a head this big fit through something so small?
"How is it even possible that women really consider doing this a second time? I'm so sorry Sam. What was I thinking? I know the baby had to come out at some point, but gosh... That's a bloody mess."
Sam giggled. "It's okay, Jack. I sort of knew what is going to happen. And they say that as soon as you hold the baby in your arms all the pain is forgotten. That's why they're so awfully cute in the beginning."
At the end some eager man asked a few questions, but Jack decided to only listen. He had indeed learned a lot in this class he didn't know before. He felt more prepared now to support Sam, but was glad that they would do it safely in the academy hospital with help from medical personnel.