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Sam sat curled up on the bed, looking down at the phone that Jack had placed in front of her. All she had to do was pick up the phone, dial the SGC, and type in Janet's extension. That was it. Of course that wasn't the hard part. The hard part would be opening her mouth and having the words that she needed come out of it after Janet picked up.
"You haven't made the call yet, have you?"
Jack's voice was soft and calming. Her eyes looked up at him from under her thick lashes and she shook her head ever so slightly. "No, not yet."
He handed her the small tray of crackers and two pieces of dry toast that he'd prepared for her. She accepted it and leaned forward, kissing him gently on the lips, "I love you…"
He smiled against her, "You might not after this."
He took the phone and dialed the number for the SGC.
"Jack, no!"
He easily avoided her grasp, typing in the additional few numbers before handing the receiver back to her as the phone began to ring.
"Doctor Fraiser." Janet's voice rang through clearly.
Her glare was venomous but Jack could only smile at her, his boyish charm unraveling the irritation she had felt at his actions. He just shrugged and left the room, with one last glance from the door and then disappeared.
"Hello?"
Sam's attention was brought back at the soft, muffled voice of her friend coming through the line.
"Janet? Sorry."
"Sam? Good morning. What're you calling for?"
"Uhm, do you have time for a," she took a deep breath and then continued, "a physical anytime in the near future?"
"A physical, Sam? Uhm… I suppose so, but I don't see why." Sam could hear Janet moving through her book and papers rustling as she checked her timer. Sam looked up from her examination of the bedsheets to see Jack standing, leaning on the doorjamb; and while she took comfort in his presence he was just making sure that she didn't back out.
"There's just something that I need you to… check out," she said in a rush, her eyes closing and she fervently hoped that Janet would just let it be and say yes.
"Alright. Okay." She accepted and then she cleared her throat. "I can take you this afternoon. Will that work?"
Her eyes opened wide and stared deeply into Jack's. "This afternoon?" He nodded for her to take it and she was mildly annoyed. "Sure. I can make it this afternoon. What time?"
Janet rustled a few more papers before replying, "Is two o'clock good for you?"
Sam closed her eyes, at least that gave her time for a shower and to properly clean herself up. "Two o'clock sounds good. I'll see you then."
She replaced the receiver on the phone and Jack sat before her. "See? It wasn't that hard."
She glared in his direction. "I need to get into some comfortable clothes and get cleaned up. Somehow I think Janet would notice if I wore your bathrobe in for the physical."
He smiled, "Oh, I don't know… I think you look quite good in my bathrobe."
She smiled, "Do you think I could borrow a pair of your sweats?"
Jack looked aback. "You don't think she'll notice that?"
Sam thought for a moment. "Three-sizes-to-large USAF sweatpants? Uhm, yeah, maybe." Sam shifted out of the bed and began to shift through her clothes. "I don't have anything. Can you drop me home before going in this morning?"
Jack's footsteps echoes down the hall and she heard mugs tinkling in the kitchen. "No problem. Till then you can borrow a pair of those sweats."
Gratefully, she slipped on one of his pairs and tied the string tightly around her abdomen, noticing the bag around the waist wasn't what she was expecting. She was already beginning to show.
Relaxing her tense shoulders, she headed out into the house and gratefully took the mug of coffee before taking a sip and nearly spitting it out again.
"Tea?"
Jack cocked an eyebrow at her. "Tea, Sam. And we'd better get going."
She grimaced slightly before taking another sip. "Okay, I think I'm ready. I need to shower and stuff before I head to the base. Are you heading in?"
He downed his cup in three more sips, and grabbed his keys. "Your chariot awaits, my dear."
Sam's eyes rolled as he walked towards the door. "Please, don't start that, Jack."
He smiled before placing his hand on the doorknob. "Sorry." He gently pulled her to him, "I'm not going to be able to do this for a while, Sam, so forgive me for taking full advantage of this situation."
Jack leaned forward kissing her fully, completely. Holding her close to him, letting his hands run up and down her arms, gently tracing the outline of her stomach with his thumbs. When they broke she was breathless and gently leaned her forehead against his.
"Somehow, I don't think that's going to hold me over." She smiled, "We'd better get going."
(( ))
She felt nervous. She couldn't stand it when she felt nervous; her heart rate fluctuated, her brow released just the tiniest amounts of sweat and her thumbs twitched.
She rolled her eyes as she looked at the clock a final time before locking down her laptop and heading out of the lab towards the infirmary. Sam didn't know what she was going to say to Janet to get her to do the pregnancy test.
As she moved through the halls, she could picture it: 'So, Janet. A couple of weeks ago… actually 80 days ago I had a clandestine moment and I really, really need you to check out if I'm pregnant.'
Sam sighed.
"You alright, Major?" asked a passing airman.
She forced a smile and nodded as she continued moving, her hand drifting to her belly. She took a deep breath and turned in to Janet's office.
She took a seat, leaning her elbows on her knees and resting her head in her hands. She was here, that was the hard part, all Janet would have to do was look at her, her clothes were too tight, her small belly was beginning to show. If she wore baggy clothes she would have been able to hide it a little longer, but not forever.
The door opened and she didn't even bother lifting her head to greet Janet as she entered the room. She didn't need to look up to feel Janet watching her.
"Sam, is everything okay?"
Sam looked up and forced a smile, "I guess that depends on how you look at things…"
Janet looked up from the folder she held in her hands and cocked an eyebrow in Sam's direction. "Oh?"
Running a hand over her face, she took a deep breath. "I'm fairly certain that I'm pregnant, Jan."
Sam watched as Janet froze, her head cocked to the side. Then the folder snapped shut and she put her hands on her hips.
"Sam?"
Sam couldn't think of anything to say to defend herself and just shrugged, her head bowed to look at the floor. She knew that Janet would be thinking through the usual questions, but discarding them as she went. She waited several moments and then looked up at her friend.
"You're not going to tell me anything?" Janet asked, and Sam was relieved to hear a hint of concern in her voice.
Sam took a deep breath and shook her head, now refusing to relinquish her gaze. She had no qualms about this pregnancy and wouldn't deny its importance to her - and silently its importance to Jack.
"Can you just make sure?"
"Of course I can, Sam." With one last lingering glance to Sam, Janet moved about her office and then gestured that Sam follow her into the infirmary. "Sam, I know…" she caught Sam's pleading gaze and dropped her train of thought.
Janet lead Sam over to a private room, where she first asked her to step on the scale.
Janet examined the scale closely and Sam swore she gave her two or three good once-overs. "Well, one thing's for sure. You've put on that ten pounds that I've been asking you to."
Sam huffed and stepped off the scale walking over to the hospital-styled bed. Lifting her shirt slightly she looked down, then over at Janet. "I hadn't noticed."
Janet's eyes widened seeing the already showing bulge to Sam's stomach. "Sam…"
Sighing, she looked her friend in the eye, "Yes?"
"Why are you just coming to see me now?"
She took a deep breath, tried to organize her thoughts, then decided to give Janet as much of the truth as she was able. "At first I wasn't sure. Some of the indicators were there, but not all of them. It was odd. And we both know how messed up my physiology has been since Jolinar. I guess I kind of dismissed it."
Janet was jotting things down in the chart, listening intently, in full doctor mode.
"Then, I was in the supermarket picking up a few things, and I found myself picking up a test. Those results are what finally started to make it sink in…."
Sam sighed heavily and leaned back against the bed, crossing her arms in front of her. "And then this morning…" she rolled her eyes in memory of the morning sickness that had rocked her back on her heels. Thank God for Jack O'Neill. "Let's just say, one never wants to bow to the porcelain god that early."
Janet eyed her for a moment, seeming to read something in her thoughts and Sam barely held on to the telling blush that would have brightened her cheeks. She had known that Janet would be perceptive to her pauses and looks when she finally learned Sam's secret.
"Well," Janet started, holding out a sample cup and arching an eyebrow, "you know the drill."
Sam sighed and took the cup, watching as Janet left again and she heard some soft voices as she fulfilled Janet's wishes.
"Sam?" Came the soft voice followed by a gentle scratching against the rough curtain.
"Yeah, Janet, I'm done."
Janet took the cup and again, eyeing her friend left the room to process the results.
(( ))
Sam sat in her lab staring at the blank computer screen in front of her and the clock in the bottom right corner. It had been three hours, forty-five minutes and twenty-six seconds since her 'examination' in the infirmary. How long would it take for Janet to get the results to a question she already knew the answer to?
"I heard that you were here. Seriously, Carter, we've still got another day left to our downtime. Can't you think of anything more fun to do then spend time here playing with your doohickeys?"
It was impossible for her to suppress the small smile that washed over her face. "I could say the same for you, Sir. What are you doing back here? No fish biting in Minnesota?"
Jack smiled, "Nah, didn't head out to the cabin. Had a few things that I needed to take care of at home. Things crop up when you spend more time several miles below the surface of the Earth rather than on it."
Her eyebrow cocked in his direction. "I see." She wanted to get up and walk over to him. Wanted him to wrap his arms around her and sit here with her till the results came in. Wanted to tell Janet that Jack needed to be there for their talk. Wanted to tell Janet why Jack needed to be there.
They were on base though, and they must stay within the dictates of decorum on base. There were certain expected behaviors and procedures according to the code of military conduct – and those would be followed to the letter.
"Sam, I have those results for you…oh, Colonel… sorry, I didn't see you there." Janet seemed to almost blush slightly.
"Results?" Jack asked, completely legitimately.
Sam looked him in the eye and brushed him off. "Really, Sir. Could I talk with Janet?" She hoped that by not dismissing him as intruding, he would leave gracefully, even though she could tell so many other things from just his forlorn look.
Jack paused for a moment, returning her gaze and she saw his desire to remain. "Sure, Carter," he tipped his head and stuffed his hands in his pocket. "Doc."
Then he was gone.
And Sam fought the urge to burst into tears.
She barely avoided Janet's inquiring gaze, asking questions that Sam desperately wanted to answer, but couldn't bring herself to.
"Janet?" She asked, hoping that the answers would distract her to questions that she almost felt ready to tackle. She tried to calm the erratic thudding of her heart as she waited for Janet to open her folder and say those two words.
"Well, Sam…" she trailed off.
Sam sighed. Not those two words.
Her eyes closed as she tried to fight back the growing annoyance. Really, somewhere she knew that she shouldn't be as irritated as she was. After all, if Janet had just dropped this bombshell on her she'd be firing off questions like crazy, the least of which being 'who's the father?'.
"Janet, please…" she hoped that the annoyance that leaked into her voice would be enough to curb some of the questions for the moment.
"Well," Janet took a seat in one of the lab stools, "your suspicions were correct. You're definitely pregnant. I'll have to do a more thorough exam to be sure, but I would say about twelve weeks along."
"Eleven and a half…" It was whispered so quietly that Sam never expected Janet to hear.
Her eyebrow cocked, "You can pinpoint it that precisely?"
Sam knew there was no way to keep back the blush, both from the whole situation and from Janet's reaction. "Well, it's not like my job leaves a whole lot of room for 'other' things, Jan."
"Ah, right," Janet hesitated, "which does bring to mind another question, Sam…"
Sam's hand shot up, "No, Janet, please, don't even ask." Her eyes closed and she felt the sting of the tears that she'd really wanted to shed when Jack had turned and left. "He's not in the picture, Janet. I don't really see that it can be any other way."
It wasn't a lie, really. He couldn't be in the picture. At least not the way that she would have liked, the way that he would have liked. Not the way things stood right now.
Sam cleared her throat nervously and allowed her eyes to dance around her lab. God, all she had to do was say one word and things would be out in the open. Just saying 'Jack' would solve all of her present problems.
And create a whole mountain of new ones.
No. No, this was how they'd decided and right now, when she couldn't look Jack in the eye, she had to be strong for him. And her resolve had to last for the both of them.
"So," Janet broke the uncomfortable silence and when Sam looked at her, she could see that her friend was holding back on a lot of questions that desperately needed to be answered.
"Janet, please try to understand. It was one night," - and it had been then, even if there had been more recently - "one of those times where it just all got to be too much." She buried her face in her hands and shook her head. "Of all the stupid…" but she couldn't bring herself to say mistake… cause this child was a miracle, and no small miracle at that.
"Sam," Janet stepped forward and dragged her into a hug. "Sam, it wasn't a mistake. We're all human. And… a child!" While her voice still held an edge of worry, Sam could see that Janet was excited for her chance; blossoming in the ability to carry a new life.
It was something that bolstered Sam's quickly deteriorating strength.
Sam felt her tears from earlier try to well up again and fought them down with everything she could, holding tight to Janet. "Thanks, Jan."
"Sam, as long as you're sure that this is what you want, I'll support you one-hundred percent. I will admit that there are several other questions that I have and many of them may need to be answered, but I will do my best to abide by your wishes."
Janet took a step back, releasing Sam from her embrace a bit. "We will have to meet with the General, I'll want to do a full physical. You've been through the Gate in this condition, we're still unsure about the effects that can have on a fetus. I'll want to do a full amnio and I'll have to sign your care over to another doctor."
Sam's eyes widened, "Janet, why? I don't want another doctor."
"Thanks for the loyalty and vote of confidence, but I'm not an OBGyn and it's been ages since I even did a stint in obstetrics. With your physiology you need a specialist, especially now. Pregnancy messes with anyone's body chemistry, we have no idea what it could to yours. You're already experiencing morning sickness, I would suggest taking you off an active rotation…"
"Janet, no. Please no. You know that I'll go insane in the lab for the next seven months."
Janet looked at her skeptically and Sam could see her doctor's instincts warring over her desire to keep Sam's morale up. Sam pushed ahead.
"Restricted active duty." She compromised, her eyes flickering away.
Janet surrendered, nodding slightly as she jotted some notes down on her folder. She glanced up at Sam and sighed. "Sam, I wish you would tell me."
Something snapped in Sam and the tears didn't give her any warning as they appeared and tumbled down her cheek. What would her friend do if she told her that Jack was the father? Janet was obligated, as the base CMO, to report it to Hammond and that is exactly what Sam didn't want. But to tell her would relieve so much of Sam's stress and she could trust Janet not to tell anyone other than Hammond… and maybe not even Hammond if she asked and explained…
"Janet…" Sam began, feeling the words sitting on the back of her tongue, looking for one acceptable reason to spill her story.
"So," Janet jumped in before Sam could say anything, "when would you like to talk with Hammond?"
Sam took a deep breath, wiping the errant tear across her cheek with her hand. "I guess there's no time like the present," she shrugged, "then I have to tell the guys. Are Teal'c and Daniel back yet?"
"Daniel never left the base, as far as I know. Teal'c isn't due back on base until later tonight. Why don't you just take it one step at a time though, Sam?"
"Janet," her eyes looked at her disbelieving, "you don't think I'm going to be able to avoid telling them do you? I'm showing already, for crying out loud!"
As soon as it was out of her mouth, Sam silently cursed herself. Damn, she'd been spending way too much time around that man – and it was showing, literally.
Janet's eyebrow cocked a bit as she looked Sam over again. "You do have a point there…" She took a deep breath, "let's head down to my office. I'll call the General from there and we can see if he can see us right away."
Thankful that she had gotten away - to an extent - with her slip of the tongue, Sam followed Janet into her office and took a seat in front of her desk. She watched with vague fascination as Janet picked up the phone and dialed the General's extension. She caught Sam's gaze as she waited and then taking a breath, she spoke into the phone.
"Sir? Yes, sir." Janet paused for a moment and then continued, her eyes never leaving Sam's. "I was wondering if you had a free moment for Major Carter and I? Yes, now would be preferable." Sam couldn't take it and looked to the dull, grey walls to her left, feeling the stare of her friend. "Thank you, sir. We'll be there shortly."
The click of the phone drew Sam's eyes back to the desk and the slender hand that had just hung up on the call that would soon seal her future. Her hand errantly drifted to her abdomen, resting lightly. The chair grated against the floor and Sam looked up to see Janet moving from behind her desk.
"Come on, Sam. It'll be better when you get this out of the way, don't you think?"
Sam sighed in resignation and stood to follow her friend up to General Hammond's office.
She came to a dead stop about five feet from the General's door.
"Sam? Sam, are you okay?" Janet's voice was full of concern and Sam knew she must look white as a ghost.
She closed her eyes, balled her hands up into fists, and the exhaled the breath she'd been holding. "Let's get this over with…"
Approaching the door with a confidence in her stride that she did not feel, she knocked and opened the door upon hearing the General's response.
"General." She stood, not quite at full attention, before his desk.
"Have a seat, Major. Doctor." He indicated the second chair for her with a sweep of his hand. "I trust that everything is all right, Major? Nothing too serious to have pulled you back from another day of down-time?"
Sam tried to smile. She wasn't sure what was wrong with her. She was happy about this baby – ecstatic even – but the whole situation with having to lie to the people that she trusted most bothered her. "I guess that would be a matter of opinion, Sir."
Sam looked to Janet for a moment and caught the minute gesture to proceed as her hand flicked and her eyes darted to the General. Sam rolled her eyes and felt something heavy sitting in the bottom of her stomach as she steadied herself.
She took a deep breath and opened her mouth ready to tell the tale and then thought better of her words and closed her mouth.
"Sam…"
"Major?" He asked again, his tone relaying, once again, that he desired to hear just what it was that she was in his office for. "I'm assuming that you came down here for a reason?"
"Sorry, sir. Yes, sir. It's just… It'll be a little shocking to you."
She could see a hundred possibilities leap into his eyes and she wondered just how close to the front lines her announcement was going to be.
General Hammond set his gaze sternly on her. "Major," he paused, "Sam, I've known you for years. Whatever it is, you can tell me."
Sam's eyes closed and she took a deep breath, wishing that Jack were here. Then she could squeeze his hand and offer him support as he continued with some sort of witty explanation like 'Well, Sir, what happened was, I kind of ordered Carter to get a life, and she did… with me… and it will be here in about six months.'
Slowly releasing her breath, she raised her eyes to meet the General's. "Sir, I'll be needing to put in for some maternity leave, starting in about six months. Until then, Doctor Fraiser has agreed that light active duty is alright. That is, as long as I'm cleared by the OBGyn that Janet chooses to send me to." She paused ever so slightly to take another breath. "I'll have to have a meeting with my team, Sir. Explain things to them the best that I can, and help them arrange for a replacement for the missions that I will not be able to accompany them on."
When she finished she noticed that both Janet and the General were staring at her, she must have rushed it out at about a mile a minute.
"I'm sorry, Major, but I thought you just said you would need maternity leave?"
"Uh," she thought back over her words. "That's right, sir."
"Maternity leave." He said as if it were a foreign concept. "For you?"
"Yes, sir." Sam said, finding a minute amount of amusement in the General's incomprehension of her words.
Hammond opened his mouth to ask another question and then thought better of it. He furrowed his brow and then bowed his head.
"You've thought this through." He said, knowing that she wouldn't be coming to him with this if she hadn't. She knew that he was an intuitive officer and he was stalling for time to come up with a fitting response. Sam opted to remain silent and cast a comforting glance to Janet who was also squirming in her seat. Sam felt a certain amount of compassion for Janet having to sit through this, but loved her for her s support. She smiled at Janet and it seemed to settle her a bit.
"Alright, Major." Hammond finally sighed, his hands still folded before him. "As your C.O., I guess I'm required to say that I'm a little disappointed in you, but as a friend I couldn't be happier for you. I know how much this work means to you and that there is little that would sacrifice it for, but I think that I can understand this." He shook his head. "I think that I'll be going under the Doctor's suggestion, since I haven't had to handle this specific situation yet. If she says that you're fit for restricted duty, you are. But the minute she says otherwise, you're off the list."
Sam silently nodded, a slight smile crossing her features. She had expected the disappointment, but she had never expected him to be happy for her. Heavily, she gave a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Sir. Of course I'll follow the doctor's orders and recommendations to the letter." She smiled shyly, "I'm sure I'll have several people looking after me to make sure of that."
Janet looked over at that, "Of that there is no doubt, Major. Don't think that just because I won't be your primary care physician for this matter that I'll let you slack off for one second. Not to mention a certain Colonel, an over-protective Jaffa, and a brotherly archeologist that I can think of."
The General smiled slightly, "I think you're going to have your hands full of 'mother hens', Major. Good luck." He looked down at his desk blotter. "As for meeting with your team, perhaps you should have a small meeting with Colonel O'Neill first. Something tells me he would like to have the head's up as to what is going on with his team before the 'office scuttlebutt' gets a hold of it."
Knowing that meeting was going to be one of the easiest of her life, she nodded without hesitation.
"Alright, fill me in. I'll make myself available whenever you can find the time for a meeting." Then with a small smile in Sam's direction he waved them off.
"Thank you, sir."
She stood and left with Janet on her heels. Once she had left the anteroom, she leaned against the wall and let out a breath of held air.
"Sam?" Janet sounded a tad distressed.
"Hmmm?" She asked, her head resting back with her eyes closed.
"How's the Colonel going to take it?"
She could feel her heart rate nearly skyrocket for a moment and grimaced. He'll take it pretty well, I think, considering he's known for nearly a week already. She sighed. "I don't know, Janet, but I do know that he'll support me with it 100 percent." She let her head drop and looked her worried friend in the eye. Sam knew that Janet knew of the feelings between the two of them, the times that had been especially trying on Sam had been cried out on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, please. You've been fantastic." Sam reached out a hand and rested it lightly on Janet's forearm. "I'll talk with the Colonel right now."
She headed toward the Colonel's office, trying her best to keep in the frame of mind where she called him 'Colonel' or 'Sir' and not 'Jack'. Arriving outside the door she gave a swift knock.
"Enter."
She walked into the office and closed the door behind her. "I was hoping that you had a few moments so that I could discuss something with you, Sir." She made sure she emphasized the term she used.
Jack was sitting at his desk, his yoyo rolling along the edge as he carefully 'walked the dog'. "Really, Carter? What do you need to chat with me about?"
His eyes met hers and he grabbed the yoyo up and threw it in his top draw. Standing, he walked over to where she stood, leaning against his door. "How'd things go?"
"The General is 'happy for me' and thinks I should give you a 'heads up' as to what's going on before we tell the guys."
"So," she began, forcing herself to step back from him, her eyes flashing him a warning. "I have to organize a meeting with the guys."
"Hmmm?" He asked, leaning back on his desk, folding his arms over his chest.
Sam hesitated, and cast him a worried glance. "You sure you can do this?"
"Sa…" he finished the word with a sigh. "When do you want to meet with the guys?"
Sam accepted his redirection and nodded. "Teal'c gets in this evening."
"Alright, we'll have the meeting, get everything out in the open, and then you'll probably get invited out for dinner with Janet." He smiled playfully, she knew that he would know and understand the friendship that they shared and Janet's unconditional support of Sam, but now he thought he could predict it too?
She smiled. "Almost everything…"
"Huh?"
"We'll get almost everything out in the open."
"Ah." He shoved his hand into his pockets. "Yeah, so… what did you tell them?"
She looked down. "The General really didn't ask any questions. I'm assuming Janet will have to put that in her report." Sighing slightly, she continued, "As for anything I told Janet, it was vague. He's not in the picture, he can't be and leave it at that."
Jack nodded silently. "Not a complete lie."
"No."
Her eyes darted away from him and danced along the walls.
"I need to go."
She knew that the longer she stayed in this office, she would want to stay there until Teal'c came in.
"Do you think that Janet'll believe that we had a talk like the one she's expecting in under ten minutes?"
Sam sighed, so close to caving in to her desires. "She will if I tell her it did."
Jack sighed and took a step closer to her. Instinctively, she stepped back from him, so used to needing to stay away from him in the past, that their relationship felt like it still dictated that type of action. Jack paused.
"Sam, if this is going to make you so skittish… if you're going to withdraw from me whenever I want to touch you, it's not going to work. You can't do this alone and I won't let you." He moved quickly to her, not allowing her a moment to move away and gently clasped her elbows. "If anything, everyone knows that you and I are the best of friends. They're not going to immediately suspect something if you come in here once in a while." He leaned down to look into her eyes.
Tears pricking her eyes, she nodded. "I know. I know that, but it's so hard… after so long…"
Jack nodded and led her over to the couch, gesturing for her to lay down and then took the initiative and put her head in his lap. His fingers gently rested on her hair and rubbed soothingly along her scalp.
"Just relax, Sam. You can't let yourself get worked up, it's not good for you, and it's really not good for you and the baby." He smiled, "You're going to have to try to keep your stress level down."
"Like that's possible at all…" she gave a short, somewhat bitter laugh. "The one place I feel relaxed, completely at ease and safe and like nothing can hurt me is the one place I really can't be right now, especially right now…."
"We could always re-evaluate things, Sam? It's all a matter of what you think is the best thing for you." He tilted her head slightly to look up into his face. "I've had a letter of resignation sitting in that top draw, probably longer than you'd like to know. Just say the word and it will be signed, dated, and hand delivered to the General in under five minutes flat."
Sam sat up so quickly she almost thought their heads would collide. "Jack, I can not and will not ask that of you. I know what your job means to you, I know what it's given you. I won't ever ask you to give all of that up, for me or for our child."
"Then I need you to trust me on this, alright? If you need to talk to me, talk to me. No one is going to stop you. And, anyway, anyone who thinks I'm the kid's father? They are right, but they're not going to say anything." He placed a gentle kiss on her lips and then urged her back down onto the couch.
Sighing, she responded to his pressure and lay back down, closing her eyes. "Wake me as soon as you hear Teal'c, alright?"
"Of course."
Her eyes settled and her breathing evened out, relaxed by his presence and confidence. His fingers resumed their wandering in her hair and she could feel the pull of unconsciousness calling to her.
She slept.
(( ))
She hadn't been this nervous talking to either Janet or the General. When Jack had woken her up nearly an hour ago, saying that Teal'c had just come in, he had suggested that he be the one to round up the other two members of SG1 and that she should meet them there.
She recognized the intelligence of the idea: Daniel would have been relentless in wanting to know what it was that they were meeting about and Jack had the greater talent at shutting him up. Teal'c would have been stoic in his response and it just may have collapsed Sam's defensive walls.
This had definitely been the best option. Of course, she wasn't at all surprised that Jack had known exactly how she would react, and how both of their teammates would react. Her head rested in her hands on the table in the briefing room.
This would be the easy part. After all of this came the virtual public announcement. Then the stares and whispers would start. She wouldn't be surprised if they took up a pool to decide who the father was. Was it a one night stand? Was it a boyfriend that freaked after she told him? Was it someone from the SGC? Then, more specifically, was it Jack?
"Sam? Are you okay?"
She looked up and smiled at Daniel. "Yeah, I guess. Just tired. I had been taking a bit of a nap before I came here."
He nodded in understanding and then moved aside as Janet came into the room from the General's office. Janet glanced at her with a smile of support and then took up a seat next to her.
"You alright?" she asked softly as she settled down.
Sam smiled gratefully. "I will be. I just want to… get on with things."
Then, Jack entered with Teal'c, talking softly with the Jaffa. He also cast her a reassuring glance and Sam nodded, hoping that their actions weren't speaking too loudly. Janet seemed to dismiss it and after a glance at the General, she saw that neither of them were showing signs of anything.
Maybe Jack was right about that. If nothing else, the rest of the base knew that they were best friends.
Jack took a seat directly across from her and Teal'c settled next to him. He greeted Sam with a polite bow of his head, to which she smiled in response. Would he still do that if he knew what he was here for?
The General took his seat and glanced around the table. "Okay, people, we have to make some changes and decisions here. Major Carter, I believe you have something to say."
Sam looked around the table. Talk about being put on the spot, she knew this would be tough, she had never thought that it would be this bad.
"Major, I think you have an announcement to make?"
Sam looked to Jack, the tone of his voice, everything about him oozed support for her. "Yes, sir,"
She looked to the guys, examining their expressions and wondering how exactly they would think of her after they heard what she had to say.
Her heart froze in her throat and she swallowed, but with one final look at the three people who knew her dilemma, Sam cleared her throat and plunged ahead.
"I'm pregnant."
Daniel blinked and then frowned. Sam just knew that he thought that he hadn't heard her right. "I'm sorry?" he asked.
Sam took a deep breath and said it again. "I'm pregnant."
Her eyes went from Daniel to Teal'c, sitting stoically behind Jack as he looked at her. She almost felt naked under his intense gaze and instantly Sam knew that if anyone was certain who the father was, it was Teal'c. She damned that Jaffa sense and waited for Teal'c to give an actual reaction.
She nearly missed the flicker of his eyes to the back of Jack's head before his solid and tender gaze rested upon her and he inclined his head once more. "A child is a wonderful gift, Major Carter. I am most happy for you."
Something within Sam snapped and threatened to escape in the form of tears, but she swallowed them and turned back to the man whom she thought of as her other brother. She furrowed her brow.
"Daniel?"
Daniel sat there, obviously unsure of what to do. "You're pregnant?"
She sat there and closed her eyes, "Yes, I'm pregnant. I'm going to have a baby."
Daniel's face showed his disbelief. "How? When? What are you going to do? Who's the father?"
The questions rushed out of his mouth quickly and Sam felt her face redden and her eyes sting as the tears welled up again.
Janet, thankfully, came to her rescue. "Daniel! Some of those are pretty personal questions, and I don't think Sam really needs to explain the 'how' to any of us, do you?"
His cheeks reddened slightly and he looked over at her. "Sorry, Sam. It's just a bit of a shock is all. If you're happy, I'm happy for you though."
"Daniel…" she began, knowing that the last sentence had seemed forced. She really did want him to be happy for her, not because she was happy.
He waved his hands. "Obviously I'm shocked, Sam." He cast a nearly subversive glance in Jack's direction, gauging his reaction and then turned back to Sam. "Really, I know what family means to you and I'm more than happy that you're going to have a chance at it."
Sam didn't seem too sure about his words, and her skepticism must have shown because he pushed on.
"I'm sorry I asked those questions. When you're ready to fill in the details, I…" he glanced around the table and corrected himself, "we're all here for you." Again, he sent a long glance in Jack's direction, wanting to know what it was that the Colonel felt about this situation.
Sam risked a glance at him, also, and saw him relaxing into his chair, his pen lightly, noiselessly tapping against the wad of paper in front of him. He didn't appear to have any outward reaction to the news, something that she knew Daniel wouldn't fall for. She wondered if the historian would be going to have a… 'chat' with Jack later.
She gave Daniel a shy smile, "Thanks, Daniel, it means a lot. I know I'll need the help and support of all of my 'family', and I knew I could count on all of you. Unfortunately, I can't go on missions with the team as much now. So, I'll be working closely with Colonel O'Neill to help find a replacement, at least until after the baby is born and I can get adjusted to a schedule."
She paused and swallowed, hoping she could keep up the façade. "I will be staying on for some of the more routine missions and I'll be around as a scientific advisor as long as the doctor's agree that there is no reason for me to not be."
Janet smiled. "The obstetrician that takes over Sam's case and I will be in constant communication regarding her condition and the well-being of both her and the baby."
A steady silence settled over the room and as it drew out, Sam felt something tug at her heart. She desperately wanted to fill them in. She knew that they wanted to know, wanted to understand how she had come to this decision, but knowing that the consequences of her voice would be something neither she nor Jack were prepared for.
Still…
"Look, guys," she started, hoping to at least settle their nerves in relation to her 'condition.'
Teal'c waved her down, leaning towards her and cocking his head to the side. One look from him and she knew that he did understand her dilemma and knew without a doubt that Jack was the father. He spoke softly.
"Your reasons are your own, Major Carter. We are your friends - even more, we are your family. You will tell us in your own time."
She just knew that if she began to tear up anytime within the next few seconds, she wouldn't be able to stop them.
Weakly, she forced out a smile, "Thank you, Teal'c." Her voice had been barely above a whisper and she swore none of them had heard her, but the slight bow that Teal'c gave her indicated that he had.
General Hammond cleared his throat quietly, "All right, people. Your down-time ends at 0800. We'll postpone your briefing until noon. That will give Major Carter some time to meet with the Colonel to discuss possible candidates for her replacement and get checked out by the obstetrician Doctor Fraiser has contacted. You are dismissed until then. Major, everyone, I suggest you all get a good night's sleep."
Everyone, except Sam, stood as the General left the room. Janet placed a hand on her shoulder. "I have a few things to do in the infirmary and then I'll be ready to leave, would you like to head out for dinner? Relax a little?"
Sam smiled and reached up to squeeze Janet's hand gently. "Thanks, I'd like that. I have a few things to do too, I'll meet you in the infirmary?"
"Sounds good." Janet removed her hand and headed out of the room.
Daniel came up to her next and knelt down next to her, his eyes intense and full of emotion. "Really, Sam, I am happy for you. I'm sorry I was such an ass."
Sam couldn't help the watery smile that was produced and leaned forward to grace her friend with a hug.
"It's alright," she accepted, speaking into his neck. "It was a bit of a surprise."
He chuffed in amusement. "A little." He stood and allowed his hand to trail in hers for a moment. "I'll see you tomorrow, then." He bowed his head to the floor and left.
She looked between the two remaining members of SG1 and was overwhelmed with Teal'c's acceptance and Jack's love. She smiled, embarrassed at their attention and then stood, moving over to them. Teal'c looked her in the eye and then glanced at Jack for a moment, his gaze sweeping over his friend. An eyebrow arched minutely and Sam felt her heartbeat quicken.
"I am most pleased for you, Major Carter," he said, without taking his eyes off of Jack. Then he bowed to her and added, "I, too, will see you in the morning."
"'Night, T." Jack said, ripping his eyes off of Sam to bid farewell to the Jaffa.
Teal'c turned and left.
Sam's eyes followed him out the door, staying silent until the door had closed behind him and they were alone.
"You know that he knows don't you?" Her voice was quiet.
Jack's face turned to her, a boyish smile lighting his eyes. "Did you, for one second, think that he wouldn't?"
A soft smile crossed her face. "I guess I figured if anyone would figure it out, and let us know that they knew, it would be him." She felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she finished the sentence. "You don't think he suspected anything was really going on before this do you?"
Jack shrugged, "Does it matter?" His arm rose to grasp her shoulder in an affectionate squeeze. "Come on, let's go discuss some of your ideas for your replacement."
She smiled playfully. "Why, sir," she grinned. "We don't have to start that until tomorrow morning."