Saturday morning started early for them as they both weren't able to sleep in, never have been. Jack had pancakes ready when she got up and they sat across from each other, each with a part of the daily newspaper in their hands.

"So, what do you want to do today? Have you thought about it?" Jack asked.

"I'd love to go to Great Falls Park. It's been a long time since I've been there."

"Hiking?" To say that Jack was surprised would be an understatement.

"Yeah, why not? We were inside all day yesterday. Fresh air will do us good. Unless you don't want to?"

"No, you know I love a good hike, but…"

"But what, Jack? You think I shouldn't do this while pregnant?"

"No! Ahm, yes, I mean… Argh, I don't know what I mean… Sorry."

"It's okay. It's nice of you to think about it, but I do a lot of hiking at home. That's the only exercise I can get. Sitting in a lab all day is tiring. I was so used to going off world on a regular basis, I didn't need to think about extra weight I could gain."

He smirked, "You do realize that extra weight is actually your baby, right?"

"Some of it." She said, giggling. "In the early days of pregnancy I did a long run everyday, but with the added weight it just isn't that comfortable. I don't want to go to the gym at base, not just because of the prying eyes, I also miss being outside."

"I can totally understand that. I haven't been outside in the woods since I moved here. I would gladly take a hike with you. We should take something for lunch with us, I'll go and pack some food and water for both of us. You can go and get dressed, let's say we leave in twenty? Then we'll still be there before the tourists."

"Sounds like a plan."

They needed barely fifteen minutes; their military background had trained them to dress swiftly and gear up with efficiency.

Jack loaded his truck while she got in and they drove out of town. His F250 actually didn't suit Washington but for everything official he had his driver and for everything else he could never imagine driving another car. For a short moment he wondered what Sam would do with her vintage Volvo. This car would fit in a city like this but was hardly a family car.

"I can hear you thinking, Jack! What is it?" He had his gaze fixed on the street, hardly noticing anything else, when she knew he's deep in thought.

"Nothing serious, sorry. My mind was wandering."

And when her gaze never left hers he spoke again. "I was just thinking about your car."

"My car?"

"Yes, you know, wondering what you're going to do about it.. I mean it's far from a family car."

She sighed, a sign that she had thought about that too.

"Yeah, I might have bought a van. I'm definitely keeping the Volvo and my bikes, but you know that I don't let anyone drive my baby, so I needed another car. Luckily the garage is big enough to fit them all in."

"Wow, I never imagined you with a van."

"I can't believe it either." Sam laughed.

They continued the journey in silence, a comfortable kind of quiet that allowed their thoughts to drift freely without discomfort. The streets were nearly empty at that time of the day and they got a parking spot right at the entrance of the trail.

When he rounded the car he watched Sam straighten her shirt over her protruding belly. A simple white shirt that was as tight as her black yoga pants. She adjusted her socks again inside her well worn hiking boots. There really was not too much added weight, she gained it in all the right places. He loved seeing her like that, totally relaxed. And when she looked up she blushed at the thought of him observing her.

They made their way along the stream over rocky paths and wooden bridges. The sun was slowly rising, dispelling the fog, already promising that it's going to be a hot day. Jack let Sam lead the way and followed her willingly.

As the path became more challenging, leading them to a series of large rocks, Jack however took the lead. With a smile, he carefully navigated the rocky terrain, extending his hand to help her. He guided her step by step, showing her where to place her foot on stable ledges as they climbed together, ensuring she felt secure with each ascent. The air was filled with a sense of trust, as they both focused on the climb ahead.

Around lunchtime they reached the perfect spot to stop and eat, with a view over the beautiful raging river. Both reached for their water bottle, downing half of it in one go. Sam observed him silently while he took a look around and pondered where to sit when she had already reached for the blanket and put it on the ground.

"Come on, sit with me. I love this spot." And when she saw his slightly bemused facial expression she giggled. "You will have to help me get up later, but I'm perfectly capable of sitting on the ground. And I'm hungry! What's for lunch?"

He lowered himself carefully, but couldn't stop his knees from cracking. Bending forward to rummage in his backpack.

"We've got sandwiches, apple slices, granola bars, chocolate cookies and bananas."

A joyful laugh escaped her lips, resonating with the warmth of the moment. He had clearly taken her recent cravings for bananas to heart, and with a grin, he offered her one along with a delicious sandwich. The simple gesture filled her with appreciation, a reminder of how well he understood her.

They sat against the sturdy trunk of a tree that generously cast its shadow over them, providing a cool refuge from the sun's radiant embrace. As they relaxed, their eyes wandered to the nearby water, where the gentle stream danced playfully over smooth stones. Sunlight sparkled off the surface, creating a mesmerizing display of glimmering waves that reflected the beauty of the day. In this peaceful setting, surrounded by the sounds of nature, they found comfort in each other's company.

When Jack looked at her he knew she was miles away with her thoughts.

"A penny for your thoughts!"

"It's just so peaceful out here, it's like my thoughts are free to run. As much as I'm looking forward to it, I don't think I'm ready to be a mom, Jack!"

"Sam, no one is! In your wildest dreams you can't imagine what it's going to be. You're not prepared for the nights full of screaming, long walks through the neighborhood to get them to sleep, constantly feeding and surely not for all the worries. You worry if they are happy, if they are fed up, you worry when they are ill with fever and don't drink, if they will find friends, the first day at preschool, you worry all the time. But that is all worth it because you always remember the exact moment you fell in love with this tiny human being, promising them you'll always do your best to keep them safe."

A single tear ran down his cheek at the painful memory that no matter how much he tried, he couldn't keep his promise to keep son safe. Sam instantly reached out and took his hand in hers, a silent support that told him it wasn't his fault. Even if he will blame himself for the rest of his life, it felt good that his friends thought otherwise.

"You love them at the first sight and they love you back without ulterior motives. Their trust, it's everything, Sam! You will be a great mother, I know. Alex is the luckiest child to have you as his mom."

"Thank you!" She whispered, deeply touched by his words.

For a while they just sat there, but Sam became restless, and Jack knew why. He could feel the little kicks in Sam's belly where his forearm rested against her stomach.

"I think it's time to keep going."

"Yes, I think Alex is awake now. The movements will calm him."

He stood up first and held out his hand to her to help her up. It took another two hours to finish their hike and when they arrived at Jack's home both felt pleasantly spent.

"You can take a bath if you want to, I'll shower quickly and then I start dinner. Pasta okay for you today?"

"It would be lovely, thank you, both, the bath and the pasta."

And so when she got out of the bathroom the house was filled with the scent of tomato sauce and garlic.

She took a deep breath and stepped into the kitchen towards him.

"That smells really great."

"Thanks, as soon as I put it in I realized I hadn't asked you about garlic. Is that something you can eat at the moment?"

"That's alright, no aversion to garlic."

Again they sat down on the couch watching another movie and chatting about everything and nothing. Their weekend together flew by too quickly and Monday morning Jack took her to the military airport and made sure she got her flight back to Colorado before he returned to work.

The next months were also so busy that he managed to visit only once. And it was late at night when he got a call from Pete.

"O'Neill!" Jack responded, his voice a blend of drowsiness and alertness, recognizing the number as the Shanahans.

"Jack, it's Pete!"

"Pete, what's wrong? It's the middle of the night. Something up with Carter?" He sat up in bed, fully awake by now, fearing the worst.

"Sorry, I didn't want to scare you. I just wanted to tell you that Alexander was born a few hours ago. I just came home now. Sam was going to sleep when I left and I felt I should tell you that your godson is here."

A wave of emotions crashed in on Jack, remembering that he had made the exact same call to Kawalsky when Charlie had been born, he was home alone after hours of excitement, reality sinking in, so he wanted to share his joy with his friend. That must be how Pete was feeling now, excited to share the good news. And Jack was also eager to finally meet the baby he was already in love with.

"Congratulations Pete! Are they alright? How's Sam doing?"

"They're both fine, we had a few long tiring hours, but so worth it. She did an amazing job. He weighs over 7 pounds and measures nearly 20 inches. And he looks a lot like Sam."

"Lucky guy!" Jack joked at the mention of Alex's looks. "Thanks for calling me. I can imagine you have a long list of people to call."

"For tonight it's only Mark. My parents already know. I will let you get back to sleep now. We'll keep in touch, I'm sure you'll get a photo as soon as Sam gets her hands on a computer."

"Yeah, probably."

They said goodnight and as soon as they hung up Jack took his phone and typed a message for Sam, guessing she wouldn't read it until later as she was asleep by now.

Hey Carter,

I heard congratulations are in order! Pete said you did a good job and Alex is cute as hell. To be honest, he said he looks so much like you, what's just the same, right? I hope you are well and not in too much pain. Although pain is a common feeling after all those years out in the field. I wish you all the best and I can't wait to meet him. Enjoy the first days, they're never coming back. Take your time to get to know this little miracle.

X Jack

Not a minute after he pushed the button to send the text his phone rang again. With a bright smile he picked up and answered the call.

"You should be sleeping, you know?"

"I most likely should, but I can't. I just can't take my eyes off him, Jack!" You could literally hear the smile in her voice.

"Congratulations, Sam!"

"Thank you!"

"So, no sleep?"

"No sleep. He is so sweet, Jack, I wish you could see him. He's so incredibly tiny."

"First thing in the morning I'm going to check my schedule and see when I can come to meet him. How are you doing? You feeling alright?"

"Is that an honest question or just something you feel you need to ask?" She giggled.

"I've been there, Carter, I know all the glory details that come with having a baby, Charlie's birth wasn't a walk in the park for Sara. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want an honest answer."

Contemplating on how to react to his statement or to just forgo the mention of his ex-wife she took the opportunity to talk about her well-being.

"God I'm so sore." She half laughed and half whined. "I hadn't thought that everything would be aching afterwards like this. I felt like I was tearing apart and at the moment I really can't imagine doing something that could lead to another pregnancy ever again."

His laughter reached her through the phone.

"Totally worth it, huh?"

"Totally!" Sam smiled and looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms. He had light blond hair, light like hers was as a child and the bluest eyes she'd ever seen, aware that this could change later on. And gosh he smelled so good. There's nothing like the scent of a newborn baby.

"That's by far the craziest you've ever done, Carter! Again congratulations!"

Touched by his words and still emotional with all those hormones messing up in her body tears were welling up in her eyes the thought of having Jack's baby if they waited just a little longer crept into her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Jack!" Her voice was barely audible, but he knew very well what she meant by it.

"I'm sorry too, Sam! But it doesn't diminish the love you have for your husband and surely not for Alex. You should never be sorry about that."

"I'm not, it's just…" She was trying to explain, but he interrupted her.

"I know!"

A timid cry brought their attention back to Alex.

"Sounds like someone is hungry!"

"I guess. That's the next challenge for me in the foreseeable future. Trying to figure out what he wants."

Sam reached for her top and lifted it so that the baby could latch onto her breast, the phone trapped between her head and the right shoulder. She hissed at the first contact the baby's mouth made with her sensitive nipple, he immediately began to suck and was silent again.

"Guess that one was easy!"

"Yeah, hungry!"

"It will get easier. Your body gets used to it."

"I hope so."

"I will let you focus on Alex now, this precious time shouldn't be interrupted. I will let you know when I can come to see you. Have a wonderful time and a good night's sleep, Sam!"

"Thank you for everything. And good night to you too. I love you!"

"Love you too! Good night."

After ending their call, Sam gazed at Alex for a long moment, until he finally seemed at ease and drifted back to sleep. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered closed, and she followed him into the tranquil embrace of slumber.

It was the opposite for Jack. As sleepy as he was when Pete first woke him, as wide awake he was now. His heart hammered in his chest, full of joy for his best friend mixed with a little remorse. He would make the best out of it and be the best godfather for this baby he could be. That's what he promised and that's how it would be.

Always!