For a while they just stood there, outside on her back porch, hugging, intimately intertwined and kissing. When they separated her tongue slid over her lips as if she wanted to make sure his lips had just been there.

"So, what do we do now?"

He looked at her with his chocolate brown eyes, that now were nearly black.

"Live happily ever after?" It sounded more like a suggestion than a question.

"Be serious, Jack! This is still forbidden." Sam sighed.

"No it's not, we're not in the same chain of command anymore."

"Yeah, but this baby was conceived before. And I have a feeling that you will want to acknowledge paternity."

"Of course I want to. I will love it anyway, but when this is my child then it will have my name from the start."

"What? I... I think that's something we should discuss too. I mean, it's still also my child and I always thought that he or she would be a Carter."

Jack smiled at her. He didn't consider that she could take it the wrong way. She's smart, but she still can't read his mind.

"I'm pretty sure you'll always be Carter to me, Carter. But I never said that you should have a different last name than our child."

Confusion was written all over her face.

"What are you saying, Jack? Maybe it's my messed up brain or you're just not making any sense right now."

"First of all I think we should have a talk with Hammond. He indicated that the President is a fan of us and that there won't be consequences. Let's see what this means, okay? He should still be at the mountain, so let's go."

Jack grabbed her hand and after closing up the house he led her to his car. Their two cups were still on the railing outside.

Sam got in the car and buckled up, she neatly placed the belt around her belly. When Jack didn't start the car she looked up to him and saw him staring at her in awe. It was still difficult for him to grasp this miracle. Sam took her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed on it to stifle a smile. He reached out his right, warm hand to touch her rounded belly, lovingly stroking it. And when she put her hand over his, both in contact with the baby he took her chin up with his other hand so she would look at him.

With a hoarse voice he said, "I think I have missed telling you that I love you, just want to make sure you know. You mean the world to me, Sam. You and the baby."

She couldn't help that her eyes teared up, but she smiled, an honest smile.

"I love you, too!"

The entire drive Jack's hand was on her belly, he refused to cut the contact. Only when they drove up to the first checkpoint he placed both hands on the wheel to avoid suspicions.

The ride down to level 27 was slow and sure didn't help with their nervousness.

He took Sam's hand in his before he knocked on Hammond's office.

He called them in and had to hide a chuckle when he saw how tense they both were, knowing for sure why they were there.

"Major, Colonel, come on in and have a seat. What can I do for you?"

"Well, Sir, this might be a little complicated." Jack began.

"Maybe not." The General murmured and immediately Sam and Jack looked at each other. "Go on, Colonel. I didn't want to interrupt you."

"We wanted to talk to you about something, let's say hypothetically?"

"Hypothetically? Dear God, Jack, just spit it out so we're all at the same page here."

"As the regs won't forbid a personal relationship to the Major anymore we will pursue said relationship. Nevertheless we wanted to inform you that I will acknowledge paternity of this child."

"I figured that much. So that was all you wanted to tell me?" He teased them.

Both were stunned by Hammonds reaction, they had expected more yelling.

"Yes Sir, that was it." Sam said, "You are aware that he's not only acknowledging it? He really is the father, that means we did break the frat regs."

"I know. You two, let me say that nothing of this comes as a surprise for me. What a commanding officer would I be if I hadn't recognized the chemistry between you. I know you acted professionally all the way. With maybe one weak moment?" He asked and they nodded. "So let me put you out of your misery." He said and handed them the letter from the President. One for each of them.

Hesitantly they began to read. Sam was a quicker reader than Jack so he was still trying to understand what the letter meant when Sam already got it.

"But… How?... I mean… Why?"

She looked up to see the smile on the General's face.

"Because we owe you! Both of you. You dedicated your life to this program and were ready to do everything within your duty to protect not only this country but the whole planet. I've seen your love for each other from the beginning, but you never gave me a reason to think you didn't act professional. When you told me you were pregnant Sam, I put two and two together. Realizing how desperately you worked to get him home. I talked to the President about this and surprisingly he really quickly came up with this. Don't question it, just be happy that nothing is standing in your way of happiness."

To Hammonds amusement both officers were stunned. While Jack O'Neill was known to usually have a joke on his lips no matter the situation, he didn't say a word.

"Oh come on. You could at least smile about it. I expected a lot, but silence was not it."

"Wow, that's hard to believe, Sir. That finally something is easy for us." She told him.

"You deserve it, Sam. May I suggest that you limit your showing of affection on base? I'm not saying you're not allowed to, just only the necessary."

"So you're saying that if I want to kiss my… girlfriend in her lab or the mess hall there's no problem? Just no long making out sessions in the corridor?"

"That's pretty much it. And with Walter pretending to clean the briefing room I'm sure everyone on base will hear the rumor by the end of the day."

Two pairs of eyes flew to the window in this office, revealing the Master Sergeant, who was casually tidying up the room behind the window to Hammond's office.

"Colonel, I promised you all the time you would need to get your team to trust you again. I assume with Teal'c and Doctor Jackson everything is sorted out?"

"Yes, we're all good, Sir."

"Great, you will need a fourth team member. I'm aware this could take some time. Major, I'm sure your lab work can wait another week. Why don't you two take the week off? I don't want to see you on base until after next weekend. And again, congratulations!"

He stood up to shake hands with Jack and embraced Sam.

"Your mother would be proud of you. She would have loved to be a grandma to this baby and I'm pretty sure she would be overjoyed with Jack as your partner."

"Thank you uncle George. That means a lot to me."

"Uncle George?" Jack asked astounded, raising one eyebrow. Sam blushed and buried her face in Hammonds chest.

"Long story. You two still have a lot to talk about."

"Yeah, and we have to tell Daniel and Teal'c… and Dad!" Sam said, a little bit frightened.

"Oh, Dad won't be a problem." Jack told her, "Let's say we had a talk earlier today. He encouraged me to talk to you. He knew from right after Netu and hasn't ripped my head off yet, so I'd say we're good."

"At least that's a relief. Get out of that mountain now and have a nice week."

"Thank you, Sir. I'm sure we will."

On their way to the elevator they ran into Daniel, who was shocked to see them holding hands on base. With a quick detour to his lab they told him and Teal'c the news before they finally made their way to Sam's home.

After dinner they sat down in her living room, cuddling up, ready to talk.

"That went better as expected." Not sure how to start this talk Sam felt the need to say at least something.

"Yeah!" Jack replied, similarly lost for words.

"So, Dad did talk to you?"

"He caught me on base. He knew that we slept with each other before your father-daughter trip after Netu. Strangely he was okay with it, even back then."

"He likes you a lot. Even if he doesn't say it out loud. You're like the son he always wanted. Don't get me wrong, I know he loves me and Mark the way we are, but from day one he treated you like a long lost son. I'm glad you get along."

"I like him a lot too. So, hm, uncle George?" Jack was curious about the story behind this.

"He's my godfather."

"What?"

"George Hammond and my Dad go way back. I think all the way back to the Air Force Academy. They fought side by side in Vietnam and when I was born he was the most logical person to be my godfather. When I was assigned to the SGC we kept it quiet and to this day I think nobody found out." A comfortable silence settled in and Sam reviewed the events of the day.

"So…"

"So?"

"Girlfriend, huh?"

"Hm?" He wasn't sure what she was implying.

"You called me girlfriend in the General's office."

"I did?"

"You did."

"Yeah, well, couldn't call you anything else as you haven't answered my question."

Again she was confused. "What question?"

"Okay, not exactly a question, more like a suggestion."

"Jack O'Neill. You're really not making any sense."

"I told you that this baby should be an O'Neill."

"And I'm pretty sure I told you that it's still my child too."

"Yep, but again I don't want you to have a different last name as well." He told her and waited for her brain to make the connection, but it didn't. She was silent and he decided to just tell her.

"Sam, I want you to be an O'Neill too. That's if you'll have me."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying? Are you asking me to marry you, Jack?"

Nervously he massaged his neck with his right hand, needing at least one hand to do something.

"Is this a yes?"

She was quiet for a long time and Jack was ready to retreat as she finally moved. Sam turned and straddled his lap, taking his face between her hands, kissing him passionately before she whispered in his ear.

"I'd like nothing more than to be your wife. Yes! That's a yes!"

The month flew by so quickly. When Jacob was back on earth Sam was already 8 months pregnant, but they didn't want to get married without her father. So they arranged for Mark and his family to come to Colorado while Dad was in town and surprised them with a wedding. It was only their closest friends, a trip to the courthouse and a barbecue in Jack's backyard. Sam decided to move in with him because she always liked his house way better than hers.

The last few weeks of pregnancy she didn't need to work anymore, but Sam still found ways and opportunities to sneak back into base and work in her lab for a few hours. Her favorite time of the day however was to go to bed and snuggle with her husband. She was lying with her back against his chest, one of his arms she used as a pillow and the other one was drawing circles on her belly. They knew it wouldn't be long until they would be able to hold the baby in their arms and finally know if it's a boy or a girl, as they wanted it to be a surprise. So they cherished every moment they had for themselves right now and Sam wasn't complaining at all when his hand moved up to cup her breast. She gasped with anticipation when he pinched her nipple.

"You know that this kind of activity can trigger labor at this stage?"

"Would it be that bad?" He asked before trailing his hand over her belly down to the spot between her thighs.

"No." She answered, "As much as I like being pregnant, I'm ready to meet this baby."

They made love that night, soft and tender. And still it took them by surprise when the next morning while eating breakfast Sam's water broke.

After 16 hours of labor they finally held their little baby girl in their arms and they couldn't be happier.

Sam sat in the hospital bed, nursing her daughter while Jack couldn't keep his eyes off them. He moved closer to her to be able to kiss her and not disturb his daughter.

"You did a great job Carter! She's so beautiful. I love you so much. Thanks for making me a father again."

Not able to reply because her eyes instantly filled with tears she reached to kiss him, showing him how much she loved him.