With the first rays of sunshine the boys were awake. Cassie was prepared for an early start of the day, so when she felt movement next to her she turned around to greet the boys.

"Good morning you two, slept well?"

"Very!" confirmed Alex.

"Cassie? Do you think the baby is here already?" Ben wanted to know.

"She is!"Cassie told them with a big grin on her face. "Jack called me late tonight to tell me that Charlotte was born and she and your mother are fine."

"Yeah!!" Ben and Alex cheered.

"I thought that we could have breakfast first and then I'm driving you to the hospital. I'm as excited as you to get to meet her."

After breakfast Cassie called Jack to ask if they were up for a visit. Sam and Jack were desperately waiting for the boys, they could hardly wait to show them their new baby sister. So when there was a knock on the door he got up to let them in.

Alex was the first one to step in, followed by Cassie, because Ben was standing in the doorway, unable to move. He was just too excited and didn't know how to express himself, so Jack kneeled down in front of him and held out his hand to him. Alex had turned around to wait for him, they wanted to see their sister together.

Sam shared a quick look with Cassie, both amazed by the scene in front of them.

"Do you trust me, Ben?" Jack asked quietly and got only a nod.

"Good, then take my hand. We can do this together. There is someone waiting to meet you." His smile was infectious.

Ben took a small step towards him and laid his small hand in Jack's big hand. He drew him closer and hugged him. Looking back at Alex he motioned for him to come over. So there was Jack, kneeling on the floor, a boy in each arm, hugging them lovingly.

"Let's do this together, yeah?" Both boys nodded in agreement, Jack got up and together they stepped forward towards the hospital crib next to Sam's bed.

Carefully they took one step after the other. They were just big enough to be able to look into the crib. A pair of blue eyes was staring back at the.

"She's so tiny!" Ben was fascinated.

"And so cute!" Alex added.

They took their time to watch her. Cassie had waited to give the family a little time, but she was too curious to wait any longer. She stepped behind the boys to take a look at the baby herself. She first hugged Jack as he was closer and then moved around the bed to hug and congratulate Sam.

"Congratulations, Sam. She's just perfect."

"Thank you Cass! And thanks for watching the boys, that meant a lot."

"Any time Sam!"

Alex was the first one to reach out for Charlotte to caress her. Ben on the other hand climbed up the bed to snuggle up to his mom.

"So, what do you say, do you like her?" Sam wanted to know.

"She's cute!"

"Do you want to hold her?"

"Can I?" He asked in awe.

"Of course you can, is this okay, Alex? You're the next to hold her, I promise." Sam asked.

"Sure, I was the first one to hold Ben. So now it's his turn being first."

She explained to Ben how to sit and hold her while Jack took the baby to place it into Ben's waiting arms. He was seated next to Sam, one arm of her was around his shoulders, supporting him and Charlotte.

He didn't dare to breathe, but he loved every second he got to hold his sister, his grip firmly around her, making sure not to drop her. Alex had moved closer to get a better look at her, caressing her head full of blond hair.

"Did it hurt?" He asked a bit concerned, watching Sam when she answered him.

"Yeah, a little, but it was worth it and as soon as she was born the pain was forgotten."

She grinned and watched Jack who was absentmindedly rubbing his hand, still sore from Sam's grip.

After a while the boys changed so it was Alex's turn to hold the baby and enjoy the nearness of his mom. As he was about to hand her back Charlotte demonstrated how well her lungs were working. She was hungry. Ben and Alex were amazed when they saw her mother breastfeed her and had tons of questions about it.

Cassie had moved towards Jack and embraced him.

"Congratulations Jack," She whispered, "to all of this. You deserve that and a lot more! Are you happy?"

She felt him nod. "I am, I couldn't imagine before being this happy again. And no matter if these are my biological children or not, they are my family and I'll give my best to be a father for them." He whispered back.

After a while he took Alex and Ben down to the cafeteria. He had promised them cake and that was a good opportunity to give Sam and Cassie some time of their own. Jack knew Cassie longed to hold the baby.

"Hell, she's so cute, Sam! You did very well!"

"I'm not sure I could have done this without Jack. He was my rock. Honestly, he was there when I needed him and he stepped back when he sensed that I needed space. I don't know how he did it, but he knew the whole time what to do to make me feel safe, make me feel better."

"He'll be a good father." Cassie said.

"He already is!" Sam told her. "Alex and Ben trust him and he puts their needs already before his own. I'm not sure that I deserve him, but I'm beyond grateful that he wants to be in this mess together."

"You two have waited so long for this. Yes it's so sad that Pete will never meet his daughter, but he couldn't have asked for a better man to take his place. Jack loves you so much."

A tear ran down Sam's cheek, overwhelmed by Cassie's words and her own emotions.

"I know, I feel slightly guilty for being this happy again, but when he's with me it just feels so right."

Cassie shifted the baby so that she could hold her in one arm and was able to wrap the other one around Sam.

"And you're allowed to feel this way. I'm always here for you to remind you that you deserve to be happy. And being lucky to have someone as hot as Jack. So when Charlotte is a little older and you're ready to let her go for a night I'm willing to take them all so you can have hot, passionate sex again."

"Cassie!" Sam laughed a little shocked. "I'll take you up on this. Thank you very much! Though it will take some time for me to be ready to do this again."

"Yeah, but everything is okay, right? No complications?"

"No, just a little sore. But I think it has helped that I had delivered two babies before. They said that I could go home tomorrow, I'm looking forward to that."

"That's great, you know the boys are welcome to stay with me as long as it takes. I can get a few days off if need be, I cleared that with my boss before."

"Jack said he could take the boys tonight. We didn't want to assume." Sam explained, and Cassie knew that Sam would be okay staying the night alone with her baby. That's how she did it the last time. But Cassie also knew how much Jack wanted to be here with her.

"No, that's not necessary. I can take them. If you feel better, let's ask the boys what they want. Maybe they want another night with aunty Cassie."

Meanwhile in the cafeteria Jack and the boys found a piece of chocolate cake for everyone. They sat at a table next to the window, the sun was warming Jack's face.

For anyone else he looked relaxed, a man watching his kids. But if you knew Jack O'Neill, you would see that he was nervous. He was totally calm, no move of his fingers, no bobbing his knee.

When he was really relaxed he could hardly sit still and was fidgeting constantly, keeping his hands busy. But now? Now he felt like going into battle. Contemplating how to approach the boys he cleared his throat.

"Guys, can I have your attention for a second?"

"Sure Jack." Alex answered, putting the fork down next to his cake. Ben took a little longer to respond, not ready to abandon the cake right now. But when two pairs of eyes were watching him all he could do was to stare back.

"What?" Ben was the first to break the silence.

"Look, I've got a question, but first I wanted to say how much you two mean to me. You and now Charlotte too. I love you very much."

"We love you too, Jack."

"Thank you! And you know I love your mommy, right?"

"Yeah, we know! That's why we moved in with you, because we all love each other. And we're a family now." Alex told him.

"Right, a family! And that's why I wanted to hear your thoughts on something. I really would like to marry your mom, but I'll only propose with your permission. If you don't like that thought and say no I'll not mention it again."

After a while it was Ben who spoke first. "You wanna marry her?"

"Yeah, I'd love nothing more."

"And what about us?"

"You? I guess you're a package deal." Jack smiled. "I know I'll get all of you forever if she says yes."

"Will mom change her last name? When you marry, the woman usually gets the last name from her husband." Ben was still the one having this conversation with Jack, Alex just sat there watching them.

"She might, but she wouldn't have to. That's her decision."

"But that's what you do when you agree to marry someone. Would we be able to change our last names too? So that everyone can see that we're a family and that we belong together?" This was the first time Alex took part in the conversation. It was his concern that despite choosing to be a family there would still be an obvious sign that they're not.

"I haven't talked to you mother yet, but let's pretend she would say yes, I'd love to adopt you. If you want to, that is. I want you to know that under no circumstances I want to replace your father. Pete will always be your father, but maybe you'll give me a chance to be your daddy. I promise I'll give my best to be the dad you deserve."

Alex looked at Ben, both boys were smiling, they seemed to have a silent conversation before they turned back and Alex spoke again.

"You have our permission to ask mom to marry you and we would love for you to adopt us, dad. We want to be O'Neills too. "

With watery eyes Jack got up and rounded the table to hug them as tight as possible.

"Do you have a ring?"

"I do, but I want to wait for the right moment to ask her. So please don't say anything to her, alright?"

"You can count on us, dad!"

Hearing Alex call I'm dad twice in such a short time he knew his decision to talk to them first was right. He needed them on his side and the thought about a bunch of O'Neills made him happy. Now he just had to figure out the right moment to ask her.

It turned out that Cassie was right, they wanted to stay another night with her. So they agreed that Jack would call tomorrow as soon as they were heading home so Cass could bring them over. But before they left Alex and Ben took the opportunity to cuddle their sister for a while.

Jack took a seat next to Sam, watching the boys. "She has them already wrapped around her little finger."

"You're one to talk. You obviously were her first victim."

"Guilty as charged." He agreed with her. "But she's just so damn cute. And it doesn't help that she is the spitting image of you, Carter. You know I'm a sucker for those blue eyes."

"And you know that they might change later, right?"

He was aware that all babies were born with blue eyes, but he was very sure they would remain like this.

"No, they won't, these are your eyes."

When they were alone again the day passed with feeding, changing diapers and watching the baby. Jack watched over Charlotte while Sam took a shower, the first one after giving birth was always the hardest. On one hand she longed to feel thoroughly clean, not just using a washcloth. On the other hand she was sore and hurt in so many places and it didn't help to have water running along those places. But when she stepped out of the shower, fresh hair and all she felt so much better.

Jack had finally fallen asleep on her bed. The night was short and he hadn't slept for more than half an hour. Too excited to sleep. Charlotte was also peacefully asleep, nestled securely against his chest. The gentle rise and fall of his chest seemed to settle her into the warmth in the depths of slumber, he instinctively held her tightly, ensuring that she was safe and sound, cocooned in a protective embrace. The rhythm of his heartbeat provided a soothing lullaby, wrapping her in a blanket of comfort. The world around them faded away, leaving only the two of them in their serene little bubble.

Sam took a photo of them and knew already that she would put it up in a frame on her nightstand.

She took her time to eat something while Charlotte was asleep, enjoying the calm moment before she would wake up and demanded to be fed. About an hour later Jack was the first one to open his eyes. He caught Sam staring at him, with a smile on her face, but miles away with her thoughts.

"Hey!" He whispered carefully not to wake the baby.

"Hi, have you slept well?"

Sam got up to sit next to him on the bed.

"Yeah, like a…" he smirked at the thought of what he wanted to say, but it was the perfect reference, "like a baby! Did you get some sleep?"

His eyes darted towards the bed next to him that was obviously still made and he reached out to touch her, his other hand still protectively securing Charlotte.

"No, I had preferred to eat in peace and watch you guys. I'm not that tired, might still be adrenaline."

Charlotte was not fully awake, but her tiny lips had already begun to pucker, clearly searching for milk. The little mouth instinctively made sucking motions, seeking the warmth and comfort of her mother's breast. A soft whimper escaped her when she didn't immediately find what she was searching for.

"Shh honey, it's alright. Mommy is right here. Let her get comfortable and then it's feeding time for you, okay?"

Jack tried to keep her calm till Sam was settled onto the bed and was ready to take her. But she was not fast enough for the little girl's liking, so the whimper became a wail.

"I know the feeling," He reassured her, "I too get cranky when I'm hungry."

Sam snorted, trying to cover a laugh. "She already got that from you!"

He gently handed the baby to her, and as soon as Charlotte was nestled in her mother's arms, she instinctively latched onto Sam's breast. With a soft sigh Charlotte's tiny mouth enveloped the nipple, and she began to suckle with an innate ease that spoke to the bond they shared. Her delicate fingers curled and uncurled against her mother's warm skin, seeking both comfort and connection as she instinctively grasped in the simple joy of nursing. The rhythmic sound of her soft suckling filled the air, creating a serene atmosphere that wrapped them both in warmth and love.

Jack was mesmerized and could hardly tear his eyes away from her long enough to look up at Sam. She also was watching Charlotte, but when she sensed that Jack was watching her she looked up and motioned him to come closer. He took a seat beside her and she leaned in for a kiss.

It didn't take long for Charlotte to finish so the three of them were soon cuddled up together.

"I can't wait to bring her home tomorrow."

"I love you so much! Thank you for giving me that second chance. For trusting me with your kids. That means the world to me, Sam. You mean the world to me."

"Oh Jack, I trust you with my life, so I trust you with the kids, our kids. If you'll have us."

"Why Samantha, was that a proposal? Cause it sounded suspiciously like one."

"That depends on your answer."

By now Sam was chewing her bottom lip so hard she nearly drew blood.

His eyes found her lips before his hand dove into her hair, drawing her closer, he nibbled slightly on her lower lip, pulling it out from between her teeth before his tongue searched for entry, deepening the kiss.

As they came up for air she tried to slow her breathing. "So, is this a 'yes'?"

"That, Carter, is definitely a yes!" He told her, his eyes never leaving hers as he pushed the ring onto her finger which he has had in his pocket the whole time.