"Okay," she said warmly, but there was already a hint of wariness in her expression. "What's up? You look… off."

Jack stood in the doorway to the kitchen, watching Sam as she sipped from her cup of tea, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside him. His mind was a tangled mess of words—none of them good. The assignment that had landed on his desk today was what he had been dreading, and now, he had to find a way to tell her.

How do you even begin to tell the woman you love that she's being sent back into space?

"Sam…" Jack's voice came out again rougher than he intended. He shifted his weight, feeling like an intruder in his own home. The words he needed to say sat like lead in his throat.

Sam looked up from her cup, her eyes brightening briefly.

Jack swallowed hard and stepped forward, his hands awkwardly fidgeting with the brim of his hat. He opened his mouth to speak but found himself hesitating again. Just say it, he urged himself. She needs to know.

But Sam's smile faded as the silence stretched between them, and the tension in the room became palpable.

"Jack, what's going on?" she asked, her voice now edged with concern.

He sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I, uh... I got something today. Something about your next assignment."

Sam straightened in her chair, immediately on alert.

"My next assignment? Have they already decided? So soon?"

Jack licked his lips, his eyes darting away as if he could avoid the inevitable.

"The George Hammond," he said slowly, each word feeling heavier than the last. "They want you to command her once the repairs are complete."

Sam stared at him, blinking once, twice, as if she hadn't quite heard him correctly.

"The George Hammond?" she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. "As in… the ship?"

Jack nodded, feeling the weight of his admission sink into the air between them.

"Yeah. Commander of the George Hammond. Into space. Again."

The silence that followed was suffocating. Sam set her cup down with a trembling hand, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"You've got to be kidding me," she muttered, more to herself than to Jack.

"I wish I were," Jack replied, his voice low. "But it's real. They want you back up there. The paperwork is already on my desk. It's considered a big deal, a promotion."

Sam shook her head, her heart racing as the news crashed over her. This wasn't what she had expected. She had braced for something—maybe another project, something on Earth, or even a lab assignment. Research. But this? Being sent into space to command a ship? It felt like a slap to the face.

"Jack, no," she said, her voice rising with anxiety. "I'm not—this can't be happening. Not now. Not after everything we've been through."

Jack stepped closer, trying to keep his voice calm, even though he could feel the panic rising in his chest.

"Sam, I tried to stop it, I swear. I pulled every string I could, but this is what they decided. You're the best for the job."

"The best for the job?" she snapped, her eyes narrowing as frustration bubbled. "Is that supposed to make me feel better? Because it doesn't! I'm pregnant, Jack. Pregnant! And now they want to send me into space?"

"I know," Jack said, his voice strained. "I know, Sam. But I don't control this—"

"You're a three-star general!" she shouted, rising from her seat, her emotions boiling. "You're Head of goddamn Homeworld Security! You could've done something! You could've stopped them!"

Jack's eyes flashed angrily, the guilt he had been carrying all day twisting into something sharper.

"I did try, Sam! But I can't just snap my fingers and make everything disappear! I would be accused of favoritism, and you know damn well."

Sam threw her hands up in frustration, pacing the kitchen as her thoughts raced.

"This is ridiculous. I'm not going! I can't! I'm done with space, with the endless missions—how the hell am I supposed to do that and be a mom at 38?"

Her words hit Jack like a sledgehammer. The realization that they hadn't fully discussed what being parents together would look like settled in his gut like lead. They had been so caught up in the whirlwind of her return, the pregnancy, and now this—everything was crashing down at once.

"You don't have to decide right now," Jack said, his voice softer, but the tension still simmered below the surface.

Sam spun around to face him, her eyes blazing.

"Decide? Decide?" Her voice cracked with emotion. "There's nothing to decide, Jack. This is my life we're talking about! I don't want to be sent off on another mission. I don't want to be away again!"

"I don't want you away either!" Jack shot back, his frustration boiling over. "But this is what we signed up for, Sam! You know how this works."

Sam let out a harsh laugh, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Don't you dare pull that card on me, Jack. I know what we signed up for. But I'm not being sent into space because some idiots in Washington think I'm the only one who can handle it. First, they throw me away from Atlantis, and now they offer me a ship as a…reward candy? Fuck NO!"

They stared at each other, the air thick with anger, frustration, and years of unresolved tension. The pregnancy. Atlantis. Their careers. Everything collided in this one explosive moment, and neither knew how to stop it.

"I'm just trying to make this work," Jack said through clenched teeth, his voice shaking with frustration. "I've been trying, Sam. I don't want to lose you to this job—again. But we have to face it. We both do."

Sam was about to fire back, the words already forming on her tongue, when her stomach suddenly twisted. The nausea hit her like a wave, her vision blurring as the room spun around her.

"I—" She clamped a hand over her mouth, her breath coming in short gasps. "I can't—"

Without another word, she turned and bolted for the bathroom, slamming the door behind her just in time before the contents of her stomach emptied into the toilet. She retched, her body trembling from the force of it. Her head pounded, the heat of the argument mixing with the sickness of the pregnancy.

Jack stood frozen momentarily, his anger dissolving into something more primal—fear and concern.

"Sam?" he called out, his voice thick with worry.

He rushed toward the bathroom, pushing the door open to find her hunched over the toilet, her body trembling. Without hesitation, he knelt beside her, his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back as she continued to retch.

"Sam," he murmured, his voice soft now, all the fight gone from him. "It's okay. Just breathe."

Sam groaned, her body feeling weak and exhausted from both the argument and the nausea. She leaned against Jack, too tired to push him away, too drained to keep fighting.

"I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely, her eyes closed. "I just... I can't do this."

Jack's heart clenched as he held her close, pressing a soft kiss to her temple.

"I'm sorry too," he whispered. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm just scared of losing you."

They stayed like that for a while, the anger and tension slowly melting away, replaced by the quiet intimacy of shared vulnerability. Eventually, Jack helped her upas she brushed her teeth. After washing her face, he guided her back to the bed, where she collapsed, utterly spent.

He crawled into bed beside her, pulling her into his arms. His fingers gently traced circles on her back as he murmured soft words of reassurance.

"We'll figure this out," he whispered, his lips brushing against her hair. "We always do."

But Sam was still tense, her body stiff against his.

"I don't know if we can," she admitted quietly. "Not this time."

Jack's heart twisted at her words, but he refused to let them settle. He tightened his hold on her, his voice growing more insistent.

"Yes, we can, Sam. We've been through worse than this. And we've always come out the other side."

Sam shook her head, her body still rigid, but Jack wasn't ready to give up. He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze, filled with determination bordering on desperation.

"I'm not letting this—any of this—come between us," he said, his voice low and firm. "I love you, Sam. And I'm not going to stop fighting for us. The three of us."

Sam's breath hitched at the intensity of his words, and slowly, ever so slowly, the tension began to ease from her body. She leaned into him, her head resting against his chest as the storm inside her calmed.

"I love you too," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I just don't know how to make this work."

Jack kissed her softly, his hand running down her side.

"We'll figure it out," he repeated, his touch growing more insistent. "Together."

And then, just like that, the fire between them reignited—not with anger this time, but with need. The need to reconnect, to find solace in each other's touch after the storm of emotions ripped through them.

Sam's hands found their way to Jack's chest, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as she kissed him fiercely. Jack responded immediately, his hands sliding under her shirt, pulling her closer until their bodies were pressed together, all the space between them disappearing.

They moved with a desperation born of fear and love, their kisses turning heated and urgent as they stripped away the layers of tension that had built between them. Jack's hands roamed over her body, his touch both soothing and electrifying, as if he were grounding her and igniting her all at once.

Sam gasped against his lips, her body arching into his as the need for him overwhelmed her. They had fought so fiercely, but now, they move together just as fiercely, their bodies seeking the comfort and connection they had both craved for so long.

Their lovemaking was intense, a release of all the emotions that had been building between them—anger, fear, love, longing. It was as though they were pouring everything into each other, trying to make up for all the time and distance that had kept them apart.

Sam's mind drifted into a haze, her body tingling as waves of pleasure overtook her senses. It was as though she had ascended to an unreachable height, a place where nothing else mattered but the feel of him—Jack, her anchor to reality. Her legs tensed, toes curling as every nerve in her body sang eagerly. She clung to him as though he were her lifeline, grounding her amid overwhelming sensation.

And then, like a dam breaking, everything came crashing down. Her body trembled, convulsing with an orgasm so powerful it felt otherworldly, as if she had left herself behind and slipped into another dimension. The pleasure surged through her, and for a moment, she couldn't think, couldn't breathe—could only feel. It was bliss so consuming that it made her feel almost reverent as if she were worshipping the very man who had brought her to this peak.

Jack O'Neill.

A weak smile tugged at her lips as she instinctively spread her legs wider, inviting him deeper. Jack moved inside her, his body gliding smoothly, yet she could still feel the delicious pressure as her inner muscles clenched around him. His movements were steady but growing more urgent, his breath ragged as he chased his release. Sam, still riding the aftershocks of her orgasm, felt the heat pooling low in her belly again, the sensitive ache returning with every thrust.

"More, Jack," she moaned.

Jack lowered his head, his lips brushing hers in a teasing swipe before his mouth captured hers fully. Sam parted her lips, surrendering to his kiss, their tongues tangling in a slow, sensual dance. His kiss was intoxicating, drawing her deeper into him, making her forget everything but the feel of him—his body, his breath, his heart beating against hers. One of his hands slipped to her neck, holding her gently but firmly as if he needed her just as much as she needed him.

A soft moan escaped her lips as her body began to stir again, the exhaustion that had threatened to overwhelm her now overshadowed by the renewed fire igniting between them. Jack's kiss was deepandinsistent, and his movements inside her matched that intensity. The rhythm of his thrusts quickened his need to bring them both to the edge unmistakable.

Sam's body responded instinctively, tightening around him with each push, her breath coming in shallow gasps. The sounds of their bodies moving together, the heated whispers, the breathless gasps filled the air as they lost themselves in each other. Her mind spun, breaking apart with every thrust, the tension inside her building once more. She was on the brink of losing herself again, teetering on the edge of madness, and the way Jack moved—the way he fucked her with such intensity, such purpose—pushed her closer and closer.

She could feel him nearing his release, his movements becoming erratic, his breath harsh in her ear. She tightened around him, drawing him deeper, their bodies ideally attuned as they moved together toward the same inevitable end. Sam's nails dug into his back as the pleasure crested again, her moans turning into desperate cries as her second orgasm tore through her, pulling him with her into the abyss.

"Oh…god."

Jack groaned, his body tensing as his climax hit him hard. His movements stilled, and for a long moment, they were both lost in the overwhelming flood of pleasure. Sam's body trembled beneath him, her breath coming in short, labored pants as the last of her strength slipped away.

When it was over, they lay tangled together, their bodies pressed close, still trembling from the intensity of their connection. Sam could feel Jack's heartbeat thudding fast against her chest, and a soft giggle escaped her lips despite the exhaustion weighing her down.

Jack shifted, his breath warm against her skin as he smiled at her.

"What's so funny?" he asked, his voice rough with the remnants of their passion.

Sam grinned weakly, running her fingers through his damp hair.

"Your heart… it's going faster than mine."

Jack chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"You have that effect on me, Colonel."

They lay there in the quiet aftermath, their bodies still buzzing with the afterglow of their shared intimacy. The fight, the tension, everything that had weighed them down earlier—it all seemed so distant now. All that mattered was this—being together, holding each other close, and knowing that no matter what came next, they would face it together.

After their intense lovemaking, Sam lay in Jack's arms, her body still warm from the heat of their intimacy. The room was quiet, the night pressing in around them, but despite the stillness, Sam's mind was anything but. Her thoughts swirled the weight of everything they had just gone through, slowly returning as the euphoria faded. She couldn't escape it now—their reality. The baby. The Hammond. The future.

She shifted slightly in Jack's arms, her fingers idly tracing patterns on his chest, feeling the rough texture of his chest hair beneath her fingertips. Jack had one arm tucked behind his head, staring up at the ceiling, his thoughts undoubtedly tangled like hers. The silence between them was comfortable but heavy, filled with the words that needed to be said but had yet to surface.

"I don't want to fight, Jack," Sam finally said, her voice soft but firm, breaking the quiet. "But we need to talk about this. About the baby… and the Hammond."

Jack's eyes flickered, his face still turned upward as though the ceiling could offer him answers. He let out a long breath, his fingers brushing against her arm as he turned to face her.

"I know," he said, his voice low, the gravity of the conversation pulling at him.

Sam's fingers paused on his chest, her heart beating a little faster, knowing where the conversation was headed. But she wasn't prepared for Jack's next question.

"Do... do you want this baby, Sam?" Jack asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

His eyes were filled with fear, fear he couldn't hide even if he tried. It wasn't just about the baby—it was about everything that came with it. The unknowns. The responsibilities. The shift in their already complicated lives.

Sam swallowed hard, feeling the intensity of his gaze. Her fingers stopped moving, and she turned to look at him, seeing the vulnerability written all over his face. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions that threatened to rise within her.

"Yes, Jack," she said, her voice firm but filled with emotion. "I want this baby. Very much. More than anything. More than any assignment."

She paused, her eyes searching his for understanding.

"Please understand that. At my age and with what my body went through, I probably won't get another chance," she added quietly, her heart clenching as she waited for his response.

Jack's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, the weight of her words settling between them. He closed his eyes briefly, letting her answer sink in before he turned back to her. His expression softened, and without a word, he leaned in and kissed her gently, his lips brushing against hers with a tenderness that spoke of everything he felt.

"Okay," he whispered against her lips, his voice thick with emotion. "We still have time to work around project 'baby O'Neill.' The ship is being repaired, and no one knows you're pregnant yet." He kissed her again, softly, reassuringly. "You're not alone, Sam. I'm with you every step of the way—married or not married."

Baby O'Neill. She hadn't time to think about the baby on those terms, but…

Sam bit her lip, the mention of marriage tugging at her thoughts again. She turned her gaze downward, feeling the familiar knot of uncertainty tightening in her chest.

"Do you think it would make any difference?" she asked in a low voice, almost as if she were afraid of the answer. "If we were married?"

Jack turned his face toward her again, his eyes searching hers with that straightforward honesty that was uniquely him.

"Honestly? I don't know," he admitted, his voice steady but thoughtful. "Maybe it would to some people. Maybe not. But that's not the point."

Sam blinked, trying to push past the lump in her throat.

Jack continued, his tone firmer now. "We're not getting married because of this baby. That's not how it works. Like I said, I want to marry you because I love you, Sam. Because I've wanted to for years. And I hope—" he paused, his gaze unwavering, "—I hope the same applies to you."

Sam shut her eyes, trying to block out the emotions inside her. Why does everything have to be so damn complicated? She took a deep breath, the question burning in her chest before she finally voiced it aloud.

"Why do our lives have to be so complicated, Jack? Why?"

Jack let out a chuckle, and before she knew it, he grabbed her, pulling her against him in a bear hug. His arms wrapped around her like a protective shield, as though he could squeeze the complexity out of their situation through sheer force of will.

"Because otherwise, it wouldn't be fun, Carter," he teased, his voice light though the tension still hung between them. "Complicated is our middle name. It's been that way since the day you walked into that briefing room at the SGC, talking about female anatomy and dolls… or whatever the hell that speech was."

Sam blinked in surprise before a reluctant laugh bubbled up from her chest.

"God, you're never going to let me live that down, are you?" she muttered, burying her face in the crook of his neck, her body shaking with laughter.

The tension between them dissipated, replaced by the warmth of shared memories.

Jack grinned, kissing the top of her head.

"Never," he said firmly, his voice filled with amusement. "For as long as I live, Captain Smartass Carter."

Sam let out a groan, her face still pressed against his skin.

"I wasn't that bad."

"The name fits," Jack replied with a smirk. "And admit it—you love it."

Sam pulled back slightly, meeting his gaze with a playful glare.

"You're impossible."

"And you love me for it," Jack quipped, the grin on his face widening.

She rolled her eyes, but the affection between them was undeniable. He was right, and she knew it. As much as their lives were a mess of tangled emotions and military protocols, they had always found a way to laugh through it. To make sense of the madness. And right now, more than anything, Sam needed that levity.

As her laughter subsided, she settled back against Jack, her hand resting on his chest again. The quiet returned, but it was different now—softer, lighter. Sam felt the weight of their earlier argument slipping away, replaced by the comfort of his presence.

But even as the laughter faded, the reality of their situation remained. The baby. The George Hammond. Their future together. It wasn't going to be easy, and there were still so many decisions to be madeandso many uncertainties ahead. But as Jack's fingers gently stroked her back, she knew they would face it together. No matter how complicated it got.

Sam let out a small sigh, her fingers playing with the hairs on Jack's chest.

"Do you ever wonder… what it would have been like if things had been simpler? If we didn't have all these rules, all this red tape?"

Jack thought for a moment, his expression softening.

"Sometimes," he admitted. "But then again, I think it's the mess that makes us work. It's how we've always been, Carter. We don't do simple. We're military."

Sam smiled at that, the truth of his words settling in. No, they didn't do simple. But that didn't mean they couldn't do this. Complicated or not, they had always found a way through the chaos. And they would again.

As Jack's hand continued its soothing motion along her back, she felt herself relax further into his embrace. The future was still uncertain, but she felt like they could handle anything. Together.

Jack kissed her forehead, his lips lingering there for a moment.

"We'll figure it out, Sam. We always do."

Sam shut her eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Yeah," she whispered, "we always do."

As the warmth of their shared laughter faded into the quiet night, Sam rested her head against Jack's chest, listening to the rhythmic beat of his heart beneath her ear. His hand traced soft patterns on her back, lulling her toward a sense of peace, but her mind was still busy, thoughts swirling around everything they had yet to figure out.

The room had grown darker, the soft light from the streetlamp outside casting faint shadows across the walls. Jack's breath was steady, and though his body was relaxed, Sam could feel the subtle tension in how his fingers occasionally stilled against her skin. He wasn't asleep either. They were both awake, pretending to rest, but neithercould let go of the weight of what lay ahead.

Sam stared into the shadows, her thoughts drifting back to the year she had spent in Atlantis. The quiet hum of the city had been so different from Earth. The vastness of spaceand the strange alien landscapes had all felt so far removed from the life she was now trying to rebuild here. After all that time living within the ancient city's walls, being back inside a house againfelt almost surreal. The solid walls, the warmth of the bed, the distant sound of traffic outside—it was all strange, foreign.

The noise from the street seemed constant, the hum of cars passing by, the occasional murmur of voices drifting up from the sidewalks below. The world was moving, alive with the energy of city life, and it felt oddly out of sync with the quiet she had grown accustomed to in Atlantis. She wondered if she would ever get used to it again—being back on Earth, in a house, surrounded by the familiar sounds of life. It felt strange and comforting simultaneously, like slipping back into something that no longer fit right.

She let out a small sigh, her mind circling back to the decisions they had to make. The world outside felt so real, so immediate, yet everything about her future seemed impossibly distant, like a problem she couldn't quite reach. She wasn't sure how they would figure it all out, but she knew one thing: she wouldn't face it alone. Jack was here with her, and they would find a way through. They always did.

Jack's fingers paused in their gentle rhythm, and Sam knew he was deep in his thoughts, likely running through the same questions she was. She shifted slightly, tilting her head to look up at him, catching the distant look in his eyes as he stared at the ceiling.

"You okay?" she asked softly.

Jack blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. He turned to look at her, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Yeah," he said quietly, though the weight in his voice told her otherwise. "Just… thinking."

Sam nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. She reached up, brushing a lock of hair away from his forehead.

"Me too."

Jack let out a soft chuckle, his breath warm against her hair.

"Don't worry, Sam. We'll figure it out."

"I know," she whispered, though the uncertainty still tugged at her. She believed him, but that didn't make the questions less daunting.

Jack shifted slightly, tightening his hold on her as they settled deeper into the bed. His hand found its way to hers, their fingers intertwining as if to anchor themselves to each other. The noise outside—the distant hum of the city—barely registered to him. He was used to it. The streets had always been a constant backdrop to his life, whether stationed in D.C., Colorado Springs, or elsewhere he had been deployed. Only in his old cabin was he surrounded by nature and silence. The traffic, the voices, the occasional siren—it was all white noise, part of the world he'd grown accustomed to over the years.

For Jack, the noise was almost comforting in its familiarity. It grounded him, reminding him that the world kept moving, no matter what personal storms they faced inside these walls. But he could feel Sam's unease, even in how her body remained tense against him. He knew it wasn't just the future that had her on edge—it was everything. The shift from Atlantis to here, the noise, the normalcy of life on Earth. She hadn't entirely adjusted yet.

"I miss the quiet," Sam murmured, her voice barely audible, as if she had read his thoughts.

Jack pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Yeah, I know," he said softly. "But you'll get used to it. In time."

She smiled faintly, closing her eyes and trying to let herself believe it. She wasn't sure when she would ever feel fully settled again, but being here with Jack was the closest thing to home she had felt in a long time.

The city sounds continued outside, a distant hum that faded in and out of her consciousness as the exhaustion from the day finally began to pull at her. Despite the noiseand uncertainty, Sam felt her body start to relax. Jack's warmth, his steady presence beside her, was enough for now. They didn't have all the answers, but they had each other. And that was a start.

As Sam's breathing slowed, Jack glanced down at her, watching as sleep finally began to claim her. He exhaled, letting his body sink into the mattress, his mind still restless. He couldn't shake the worry—the baby, the assignment, the choices they had to make. But for now, he could hold her. He could be here.

As the noise of the streets outside faded into the background, he finally let his eyes drift closed, holding Sam close as they both surrendered to sleep. Each of them silently wondered how they would find their way through the chaos of their livestogether.