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"But it's two months, Janet. I'm going to go out of my head." Saying that in a steady tone probably wasn't going to prove her point, but she was furious with the circumstance anyway.
Her fainting spell, elevated blood pressure and other minor problems were restricting her to absolutely nothing until birth.
Nothing.
She looked pleadingly at her friend and doctor and then capitulated under the unwavering gaze that Janet had cast on her. She sighed, positive that Janet would want to keep her in the infirmary, but was pleasantly surprised to see Janet put the board away and look down on her with compassion.
"The Colonel isn't going to be doing anything for at least that long. He can't stand on that knee for more than five minutes without falling over with pain."
"Pain?" Sam asked in disbelief.
"Just because he doesn't admit to it hurting, doesn't mean that I don't know what it is that's holding him down." Janet rolled her eyes.
"True…" Sam's voice was barely above a whisper as she watched Janet exit her curtained area. Two months of downtime, restricted to a bed. She couldn't imagine anything worse. Usually, she would go nuts in the infirmary after a few days. Even at home two months would be total and utter anguish.
"Mind if I come in?" Her father's voice floated in through the haze of her thoughts.
"Of course not," she replied, smiling.
He approached her cautiously, shaking his head. "I still can't get over this image of you, Sam. You look so much like your mother."
Feeling the light heat rush to her cheeks, she looked down at her hands idly toying with the blanket. "How long before you have to head out, Dad?"
"I leave in two hours. Figured I'd head down here and see you for a while. Then, I need to look up a certain Colonel to have a little chat with."
"That shouldn't be hard. He's at his physical therapy right now, will be back in about an hour, and that," she pointed to the bed next to hers, "is his current residence. That is until we get released."
Jacob smiled, "Then maybe I should go hunt him down now? Not exactly the type of conversation I want to have with the man in front of you, Sammy."
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Dad?"
Sam swallowed a smile as Jacob put on an innocent face and shook his head. "Anyway," he started again, hope for the misdirection shining in his eyes. "I might not be able to stay now, but I should be able to come for a few weeks after this little guy comes out." He laid a warm gentle hand on her stomach and rubbed his thumb back and forth.
Sam rolled her eyes, but allowed the change in topic to continue. "That would be great, Dad. I'm sure Jack wouldn't mind either."
Jacob cocked his head in the direction that Janet had taken off and smiled. "She says that he's going to be off his feet for a while still. And he'll be whining like a baby about how annoying it is."
Sam smiled and put her own hand over her father's. "Daniel and Teal'c are going to be moving in to Jack's spare bedrooms to make sure that he doesn't over do it and put himself further behind recovery."
Jacob shook his head and then teased her with a coy smile. "And you?"
Sam blushed slightly and then shrugged. "We're not hiding it anymore…"
Her father's eyes seemed to bulge. "Are you sure that's wise?"
Rolling her eyes slightly, she took a deep breath before responding, "It's not like we're going to flaunt it or anything, Dad. It's just… well, Janet and Teal'c apparently had us figured out for a while. Although, Janet admits that I had her a little confused for a while. She claims Cassie was the one who really insisted. I'm sure Daniel had a clue, the man might be a bit changed since his ascension, but he's not blind. As for the General, I think he knew that something has been between us much longer than either of us were willing to admit."
Jacob smiled at her, "George isn't blind, either. Anyone who knows the two of you could tell that there was a special 'bond' between the two of you, it was just a matter of when, or if you would give in to it."
She looked at her hands again, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I guess. It should have hit me a bit after I'd had the meeting with him explaining my condition. He gave me the whole disappointed speech, then turned and said he was happy for me. That part I hadn't been expecting."
"George has a way of doing the unexpected, Sam. He's human, too." Jacob kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Still, I have to go find the Colonel and have a little chat with him."
"Dad…" she warned, shifting uncomfortably on the bed.
"No worries. No maiming or other forms of pain involved. I think he already knows what I want to say anyway." He graced her with another tender kiss and then softly slipped out from the curtain and left her line of sight.
Her head slumped against the pillow and despite her best intentions to stay awake until Jack came back from therapy, her eyes closed and she slipped into slumber.
((**<<***>>**))
"You're recovery is going well, O'Neill." Teal'c's soft words weren't the first she'd heard, but they were the first that she'd understood as she ascended from the realm of sleep.
"Yeah, Teal'c, it is. Doc says that I should be getting home by the end of the week."
Sam blinked and opened her eyes to see Jack lying on his bed, his knee back in the sling and one hand idly scratching the cuts on his face.
"It is good to see you awake, MajorCarter."
Smiling she responded sleepily, "Thanks, Teal'c. How long was I out?"
Jack made a show of checking his watch and looked over, "I've only been back from therapy for about two hours, so not too long. Besides, you could use it. Doc says you need to rest, it will help make things easier on them and help you feel better."
Sam rolled her eyes and groaned softly. "He gave you the whole 'look after her and make sure her and my grandchild are healthy' talk, didn't he?" Teal'c's inclined head and Jack's smirk was the only answer she needed. "I think I'll shoot him the next time he comes through the Stargate…"
"I believe that would be rather unwise."
She shot Teal'c a look that would have brought most of the men on base to their knees, while Jack cleared his throat. "Come on, Sam, he's your Dad. Trust me, it was a whole lot easier than the first 'chat' we had."
That brought out a laugh and she could only imagine what it was that her father had said to him all those months ago. "I still wish he'd butt out." She grumbled, her gaze darting from Jack to Teal'c and then back again.
Jack broke the mood by cracking a grin. "On the bright side, I'm out of here by the end of the week."
She smiled back. "So I heard." As tempted as she was to reach out across the space between their beds, she tucked her fingers under herself and clutched the sheet. She saw a small wrinkle form in his brow as her hand clutched the fabric instead of his hand and felt guilty for not taking advantage of their proximity. Her hand was just stealing out from under herself when another voice announced itself.
"Colonel. Major."
Her heart fell. She had known that this was coming as soon as she had woken up beside Jack after his return. Having let go of the ghost and told the truth, she felt even worse for having lied to the General in the first place.
Jack's eyes flitted away from her to look over her shoulder to the man she knew to be standing behind her. She listened to his footsteps and soon saw him enter her vision down by her feet.
"General." They both greeted him.
"It's good to see the both of you recouping quite nicely." His words were caring, yet stern. Sam swallowed heavily and silently wished she could go back to sleep. She wasn't one to turn away from things, but at the same time she wasn't sure that she was ready for this just yet.
The General nodded in Teal'c's direction and received a nod in return. Teal'c then stood. "I should be returning to assist Daniel Jackson, I will return to check on both of you later."
Sam and Jack both nodded in Teal'c direction. "Thanks for stopping by, T." Jack replied as their friend walked through the ever-present curtain.
Briefly closing her eyes, Sam attempted to calculate the chances of Janet coming in because she'd set off some damned monitor as her blood pressure continued to rise. Somehow she knew her luck would not work out that way. This was not a conversation she was looking forward to - even less so than the original conversation she had had with the man about four months ago in his office.
The General paused and Sam watched his jaws clench for a moment before he turned aside and pulled one of the uncomfortable chairs out of the corner. He set it in between their beds so that he could see both of them equally.
"I'm not exactly sure what it is that I can say to either of you at this moment."
He stopped and Sam opened her mouth to say something – though she didn't know what – before she was waved into silence as the General continued.
"I've put a lot of trust in both of you over the years. You are two of my finest officers, and I've depended on both of your actions quite a lot. For good reason." The General paused and looked down to his folded hands before pinning both of them with a stern glare again. "I've tried to go by a 'don't-ask, don't-tell' mentality, because it allows for a lot of leeway."
Sam met Jack's eyes briefly, noting that he was hearing the disappointment in the General's tone as clearly as she was. Her stomach clenched in anxiety, her dislike of having lied to him with the distinct knowledge that he would one day learn the truth bursting like hot liquid in her gut.
"The regulations, all of them, exist for very good reasons that I'm sure I do not need to explain to either one of you. Whenever there is a blatant disregard for any of the regulations serious action must be taken. In a command structure no other course of action can be tolerated."
Sam swallowed uncomfortably. Somehow she had known things would come to this, she could hear herself trying to come up with an explanation for the court-martial now. She was almost surprised that it had taken the General this long to come to them.
Looking over at Jack with sad eyes, she saw her own sadness reflected in his expression. They would be together, their child - maybe one day, children - would grow to know and love their parents. Yet, their military careers were most likely over.
"Sir, if I may…" Jack started, Sam's shocked expression stopping him at roughly the same time the General's eyes shot up.
"No, you may not, son."
Jack fell into a subdued silence and Sam mentally felt for him. She had wanted to say something in that same moment, but with the mood that the General was in, she hadn't been willing to risk an even greater dose of disappointment.
The General sighed. "It's difficult to see this in any situation, you know? Especially when those involved have proven over and over again, that the military and their role in this program is worth more than most anything else on Earth." Obtusely, the General was trying to tell them something, and Sam was trying to think of it as he continued to talk. "I have to say that professionally, I'm surprised at your actions and slightly disappointed in the same respect."
His head lifted and he swept over them with a firm, yet gentle gaze. "However, on a personal level, I don't think that I could be happier for either of you. You've both sacrificed so much for this world – this life – that it's about time that it gave you something back."
Sam heart skipped a beat and her mouth opened slightly. With a small, quick glance over at Jack, she turned her entire attention back to the General, hanging on to his next few words.
The General seemed to take a few silent moments before he looked up, meeting both of their gazes. "As of right now you've both been relieved of active duty. A full review will be made during that time. Some action will need to be taken, but I think your futures with the SGC are fairly safe - if that's what you want."
Sam swallowed and smiled weakly, "Yes, Sir."
Jack nodded.
General Hammond stood from his seat, and moved toward the head of Sam's bed. "I'm very glad to see that you're doing better, Sam. Take care of yourself, and leave the rest to us."
"Thank you, Sir."
Turning to Jack, he extended his hand. "I don't believe I ever got the opportunity to wish you congratulations, Colonel."
"No, Sir, you didn't." Jack accepted his hand and winked at Sam from his bed.
"I'll expect to be seeing you back here soon, Colonel. And should all go well, I'll be expecting you to make an honest woman of our prized astrophysicist."
Sam could have sworn that his statement brought a flush to Jack's cheeks, but the Colonel would never have admitted to it. Sam bit her lips as she tried to hold in her laughter and as the General turned the corner out of the infirmary, she allowed her chuckle to be released.
"What?" Jack asked, indignant.
"Nothing." She smirked, reaching out to take his hand. She looked at him affectionately and saw his own gaze soften. "Nothing at all."
And really, there wasn't anything bothering her. They had both known coming in to this that there would be repercussions; had even thought that one or the other of them – more likely Jack – would have been court martialed.
But nothing. An official reprimand – docked pay – maybe, but given the return?
Sam bit her lip, acknowledging the strings that the General may have to pull to bring off his promise, but more grateful to him than she had ever felt under his command.
"We get to go home in a week, Sam." Jack voice was soft breaking into her thoughts.
"Yes, we do."
((**<<***>>**))
Sam looked out the window and observed Jack's front lawn as the car pulled up. Daniel's driving had been way too slow for her liking. Jack and Janet had probably made it to his house almost a half an hour before now.
The car stopped and Daniel quickly ran out to open her door, Teal'c exiting from the back. If one of them pulled out the wheelchair or offered to carry her she was going to scream. She was pregnant and on bed-rest, but she wasn't confined. She just needed to stay off of her feet when she could.
"Sam, I would really prefer it if…"
"Muzzle it, Daniel, I've heard enough. I'm walking in. If Janet doesn't like it she can come out here and order me into the chair herself, okay?"
Daniel gave her a hurt and dejected look, then headed to the back of the car to grab her bags.
That she would allow him to do. In fact, it probably would have been easier on the man to allow Teal'c to do it, but she wasn't going to say anything.
Served him right, she thought.
And immediately felt guilty. He loved her enough to do this for her, she shouldn't be griping about it.
She couldn't help but feel smothered and fussed over, even though she wasn't an invalid, like Daniel apparently thought her to be.
"Let me assist you, Daniel Jackson."
Daniel grunted as he hauled one of the bags out. "Thanks, Teal'c," he said, allowing the Jaffa to pick up the bag and easily towed it into the house. Daniel turned a glare at Sam, and she could feel a slight blush in her cheeks. He cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Sorry," she shrugged, feeling the apology only slightly.
Daniel shrugged. "I'm worried." He said simply.
"I know. I'm sorry." She said again, turning to follow him up the walk. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He stepped back and looked at her, surprised; she'd never kissed him – even on the cheek – before. She smiled tenderly and nodded. "I'm sorry."
She continued on up the walk and followed Teal'c through the open door. Jack was already comfortably positioned on the couch with Cassie sitting in the recliner watching a hockey game that she'd apparently taped for him.
Janet came walking out from the kitchen with a plate of sandwiches that she'd either prepared or bought. Placing the tray on the coffee table she motioned for Sam to come over.
"Come on, Cass, up," She said, tapping the girl's knee. "Let Sam sit."
"Sure thing." Cassie popped up and stepped toward Sam, hugging her before letting her take the seat. "It's good to see both of you feeling better." Her grin would have shattered glass if it were possible.
Sam sat down carefully and exhaled deeply. "You would never think that a walk from the car to the house would be so exhausting."
Janet grinned. "You're carrying an extra 25 pounds, Sam. That would tire most people out."
Sam rolled her eyes and allowed them to close with the sound of the game in the background. She blinked herself awake again.
"Eat something," Janet ordered, her tone friendly. Sam eyed the sandwich distastefully, suddenly wishing for pizza.
Jack smirked, reading her mind. "I ordered some fifteen minutes ago, while she was in the kitchen. Should be here soon."
Sam chuckled and looked at Janet, who was frowning. "Com'on. I'll start healthy tomorrow. I haven't bugged you with my cravings, have I?"
Janet rolled her eyes in surrender. "No arguing with a pregnant woman."
Jack was fast-forwarding through the second intermission when the doorbell rang. Jack looked to Daniel and smiled teasingly. "You get that, Daniel? There's money by the door."
Daniel re-entered the room carrying three pizzas and a packet of cheese-covered garlic bread. "Jack, I seriously doubt that we'll eat all of this… besides, who the heck eats pizza with everything except mushrooms and anchovies?"
Sam's eyes widened and a smile graced her face. "That would be mine, Daniel." Turning to Jack, her smile widened, "I'm flattered that you remembered."
"Hey, the brain does retain some information that spurts out of your mouth."
Sam reached forward for the plate that Daniel was preparing for her, complete with a piece of the bread. Janet brought her a glass of water and asked her if she wanted a small glass of caffeine free diet soda. She nodded filling her mouth with the loaded piece of pizza.
"That's just nasty," Cassie commented, making a face and grabbing one of the sandwiches.
Sam smirked at the younger girl and continued to devour the food. "You wait till you're seven months pregnant… then you'll understand."
"Not for many years," Janet stated, pinning both women with a stare as she handed the drink to Sam. Cassie just cocked her head to the side and shook her head.
"Maybe it'll be you first," she shot back, gracing her mother with a teasing grin. Janet, shocked with the comeback, didn't know what to say.
Sam snorted, still intent on the pizza within her fingers. Jack, Daniel and Teal'c all dug into the remaining two pizzas and turned back to the game.
Sam had just leaned back into the recliner, satisfied with the food when the doorbell rang again. On instinct, Jack started to rise, but froze before his leg could take the whole pressure. His brow furrowed and Sam put out a hand to stay him. She turned to Daniel.
The archaeologist just nodded and disappeared into the foyer. Sam listened with half an ear to the ensuing conversation.
"Hello?"
"Uhm… Is Jonathan O'Neill here?"
Daniel paused and Sam threw Jack an interested look only to see a small look of horrified realization dawn on his features.
"Jonathan… Jack? Jack O'Neill?" Sam heard Daniel shuffle and then another set of footsteps in the hallway.
"Let her in, Daniel." Jack yelled from the couch, causing him to get looks of raised eyebrows from all in the room, not just Teal'c.
A tall woman, approximately late thirties to early forties in age – very attractive in Sam's opinion – entered the room behind Daniel. Her reddish-brown hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and her clothing and make-up was a classy-casual. Sam silently breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed the wedding ring on the woman's finger. At least it wouldn't wind up being someone from Jack's past, before the two of them had gotten involved.
The woman scanned the room, her eyes widening slightly upon taking in Sam's condition. Then, she turned to the couch and Jack, a very O'Neill-like smile lighting up her eyes.
"It's been a while, Jonathan." She stepped around the assembled group and leaned down to hug him. "What the hell have you done to yourself this time?"
"Egh, the usual, Cait. How the hell are ya?" Jack asked, shifting over to make room for the woman on the couch. Patting the seat next to him he said, "Take a load off, and let me introduce everyone to my little sister."
Sam watched as she looked around at the assembled people, an open smile gracing her features and lighting her eyes. From the side, Sam could immediately see the family resemblance, and couldn't stop a smile from emerging even with her evident surprise at the existence of another O'Neill.
"Caitlyn Marshall, shall I introduce," Jack pointed to Daniel, "the stranger who opened the door, Daniel Jackson. Next to him is Murray," Jack didn't pause and moved straight to Janet. "My resident doctor," he said with a teasing lilt, "Janet Fraiser and her lovely daughter, Cassandra." Then Jack turned, as much as he could with his leg elevated, and picked up Sam's hand. "This is Samantha Carter."
There were a round of hello's and then Sam caught Caitlyn's gaze and *knew* that Caitlyn knew just who she was to her brother. A small, satisfied grin settled onto the younger O'Neill's face and Sam felt something shift, glad that she wasn't in trouble with the family.
Especially after just meeting her.
Daniel recovered first. "You have a sister?"
Caitlyn turned a shocked gaze to her brother. "They don't know about me? Are you serious?" She was well and truly indignant, though there was a note of mockery in her voice; something that only those close to an O'Neill would understand fully.
Jack noticeably blushed, opening his mouth to respond when Sam quirked a smile and decided to bail him out, or at least garner herself an ally.
"It seems that there are a list of things that Jack likes to keep a secret." Sam added with a wink.
A knowing smirk crossed Caitlyn's face as she turned toward Sam. "I would definitely have to agree with that assessment of my brother, Ms. Carter."
Janet promptly cleared her throat and stood, "Cassie, Daniel, and… Murray, I could use some help in the kitchen getting a few things set up if you wouldn't mind. "
Even to the newest addition to the get-together it was obvious what Janet was doing. After they exited the room, Jack looked up at Caitlyn. "So, how are Mom and Dad doing?"
Smiling, she nodded her head, recognizing his obvious tactic. "They're doing well, although they would like to see you a bit more often, but I guess we all would." She turned her gaze square to Sam and continued, "How about you? How is life treating you, big brother?"
"Subtlety was never your strong point, was it, Cait? Some things never change, I guess."
"Ah, but secrecy… now there's a real talent." She quirked an eyebrow and looked intentionally at Sam.
"It's not secrecy, Cait… it's just…" he trailed off, at a loss for words.
"Just?" She egged him.
Sam sat back, enthralled by the siblings exchange. She smiled with appreciation. "Caitlyn, I'm going to have to get some tips from you. I've yet to see many people who can put the Colonel in place."
"Ah yes, the elusive Colonel Jonathan O'Neill."
"It's Jack, Cait." He rolled his eyes, surrendering to her words.
"Mom and Dad named you Jonathan." She pinned him with a glare and shook her head. "So, you didn't answer. How're you doing?"
"Besides broken ribs, screwed knee and various cuts and bruises? I'm…" he paused, looking for the word. "Good."
Sam rolled her eyes and settled back into the lounger with her water. "You have such a way with words, Jack."
He grinned proudly at her. "Don't I?"
Caitlyn rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Sam. "So, Ms. Carter…"
"Actually, Cait that would be Major Doctor Samantha Carter." Jack said, leaning over to grab his soda.
Her eyebrows rose, "Very impressive. What do you practice?"
Sam smiled, her eyes glancing down before she responded. "I'm not that kind of doctor, that would be Janet's department. I'm a Doctor of Theoretical Astrophysics."
Jack smiled, gloatingly. "Which means…"
Caitlyn didn't let him finish. "Which means she's way too smart for you, *Jack.*"
Jack's jaw dropped in mock hurt. "That's it. Murray! I'm leaving. They've known each other for fifteen minutes and they're ganging up on me already."
Sam couldn't suppress her giggle, "Where are you going to go, Jack? This is your house."
"I know that. Don't you think I know that, Sam?"
Sam's giggling continued as Janet entered the room. "Colonel, what is all the yelling about? The two of you are supposed to be resting."
Sam's fit calmed a bit, "Janet, remind me what I got myself into if this child winds up to be as utterly intolerable as he can be."
Janet just smiled, shook her head, and went back into the kitchen.
Sam looked at Jack with a tender smile on her face. "You're not going to be moving very fast with those crutches, Jack and I'm sure Murray isn't into carrying you out of here."
Jack rolled his eyes. "But you're picking on me," he pouted, his forty-odd year old intelligence reverting to the tender mercies of two women.
"Oh, that's attractive, Jack." Sam smiled, taking a sip of her water and then looking at Caitlyn. She shook her head. "I work up at Cheyenne Mountain with Deep Space Radar Telemetry."
Caitlyn paused and then slowly nodded. "Sure, you do."
Damn, the woman's smart, Sam thought, holding her façade of calm indifference.
"But," she continued chirpily, "That aside, I guess I should explain my little surprise visit."
Grateful for the tactful change of subject, Sam felt her respect for the woman go up a notch. No O'Neill was slow on the uptake, no matter how much Jack liked to play the part, and it appeared that Caitlyn was no different.
"Yes, please do." Jack jumped in, casting a worried glance at Sam before turning a playful smile to his younger sister.
"Work," she sighed. "Which is the big reason for the no notice thing. I must say it was a little bit of a shock to see someone else open your door." She paused, "Actually, it was a bit of a shock seeing your door open at all, since every time I talk to you you're off on one mission or another."
Jack smiled. "Yeah, well, I'm a busy man…"
"Right, Jack, apparently too busy to let your family in on some of the big events in the world of Jonathan O'Neill. Speaking of which, when was the last time you even talked to Mom or Dad?"
"It's been a while, Cait. Probably about a month longer than the last time I spoke to you. But things have been a little hectic for the last few months."
"Yes." She paused and cast a glance in Sam's direction. "I can see that."
A period of slightly awkward silence stretched out before Caitlyn finally interrupted. "So, when would you have filled us in on this bit of news?" She nudged him in the arm playfully.
"Uhm… hopefully, never."
"Jack!" Sam shoved him, shocked with his answer.
"Hey! I was just joking." He sighed and melted back into the couch. "I don't know, Cait. Mom and Dad were totally at a loss as to what to do with me after Charlie's death. I was at a loss as to what to do with myself. And now?" He looked over at Sam with complete tenderness and admiration in his eyes. "I don't know how to tell them. I didn't know how to tell you, for that matter. You just took the situation out of my hands."
Caitlyn smiled and then turned to Sam. "When are you due?" She asked with a hint of excitement.
Sam grinned and a hand automatically settled on her stomach. "Two months."
"Seven weeks," Janet provided, the group re-emerging from the kitchen. "Seven weeks of bed-rest and limited activity."
Sam rolled her eyes and Caitlyn clucked her tongue. "High blood pressure?" She guessed, and Sam noticed her catch Janet's eyes and nod. "You've got to be careful with that. One of my friends lost her child due in large part to that."
Sam smiled, "I have no choice in the matter. If I try and do anything too strenuous - including walk from the car to the house - I have a group of mother hens running around behind me."
Janet looked over, "Did you want something to drink or anything, Cait? We have soda, juices, milk, water, your brother has his usual supply of beer?"
"Thanks, I'll take a soda." She glanced at her watch, "And then I have to head out. I have a meeting this afternoon. But I will insist that we get together again while I'm here, Jonathan."
"Cait, do you have arrangements already made?" Jack asked, stuffing a piece of the remaining pizza into his mouth.
"The company made all of the reservations and arrangements. I have a nice little suite awaiting me in town for the next four days. Then I figured I would see what you were up to, but apparently you'll be off your feet for a while."
Jack looked from his sister to his knee and then back again. "You think?"
"But that's alright," she waved off his sarcasm, "I'll bring supper over some night this week." Her eyes narrowed playfully in Sam's direction, "Then you can spill… on anything you're allowed to spill, that is."
Sam chuckled and then, suddenly felt the urge to use the bathroom. Daniel helped her to her feet and then chuckled as she stiffly moved away from him and deeper into the house.
On her way, back she heard Jack's laugh and the new sound of Caitlyn's chuckle. Her heart swelled with the ease with which Caitlyn had taken the news; even after such time spent away from Jack. She passed the phone and found herself picking it up and dialing a not-often called number.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Mark. It's Sam."
There was a pause and then a happy sigh. "Sam, it's so good to hear from you. I was just thinking of phoning you the other day but I got the machine."
Sam smiled and tried to control the waver she knew would be riding her voice. "I know. I'm sorry, I was in the hospital."
"Are you okay? What's the matter?" His voice was full of concern. "Do you need me to come out there?"
"I'm doing alright now, although I do have some extended time off. You don't have to come out here, at least not right away, anyway. And, well, how do you feel about being an uncle?" She smiled through the last sentence, hoping it would seep into her voice.
The silence extended a little longer than she would have liked, then he responded. "An uncle? Did I hear you right, Sam?"
Her light giggle was her first response. "Yes, Mark, an uncle. I'm seven months pregnant."
"Seven months? Sam, when the hell were you going to get around to telling me? My god, I didn't even know you were seriously involved with anyone."
"Well, I am involved with someone, have been for about seven months." She blushed considerably, explaining this to her brother. "But we've been close and known each other for years."
"Ah, I see." He paused and she got the distinct impression that he knew more than he was letting on. "So, when are you going to tell Dad?"
"Um, he already knows." She paused, imagining the look on her brother's face. "We actually had him over for dinner not long after we found out." She knew that would have hurt him, but there was no use in lying to him. "Look, Mark, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. But I know what you think of the Air Force and… it just made it all the more difficult."
She waited as Mark fell into silence on the other end of the phone and pretty soon her nerves itched to know what it was that he was thinking.
"Mark?"
She heard him sigh and then a few childish screams echoed in the phone as her nieces ran past. "I know that, Sam. I just wish that you had felt comfortable in telling me, even with how I feel about your job. It doesn't change how I feel about you."
Tears pricked her eyes and she cursed her increased hormones on the pesky drop of water.
"I mean… an uncle! That's fantastic."
Sam chuckled slightly, leaning back against the counter and folding one arm over her stomach. She shifted the phone against her ear and pulled herself into a full, meaningful conversation with her brother.
"Look, I'm not allowed to do anything strenuous over the next couple of weeks, and once the baby's born… well, you know how that's going to go. But I would love it if you could find some time to come out. Dad should be home after the baby's born." She added as an extra incentive.
"That would be great, Sam. Especially since I've never even met this guy. I'll have to see what we can arrange here, but I'm sure we'll be able to take a vacation to come out and see you." He chuckled a bit and she could hear the smile in his voice, "Besides, you'll need all the baby advice you can get from the both of us. You have no idea what you just got yourself into, Ms. Theoretical Astrophysicist."
She laughed, "Oh, believe me, I already know I'm in way over my head - and that's just with the father. I'll be in loads of trouble if this child winds up being anything like him."
"Do you know what it is you're having, Sam? Am I going to be getting a neice or a nephew?"
"We decided we didn't want to know. Maybe as the day gets closer I'll change my mind, but for now I just want to stay off my feet and rested as much as possible so that everything goes as smoothly as can be expected."
"Yeah, especially since it's you, Sam. You always had the habit of falling in headfirst."
"That I do, don't I?" She smiled and looked up, seeing Jack glancing out from the couch and felt her smile widen as she met his eye. "I'm gonna let you go, but I want to keep in touch. I won't be staying at my place for a while, so let me give you the number here." She repeated Jack's number to her brother from memory and then said good-bye, promising to call him should her condition change at all.
After hanging up the phone, she moved back into her group of friends and took a spot next to Jack, one hand bravely seeking out his and twining their fingers.
"Who'd you phone?"
"Mark."
Jack eyebrows arched in surprise. "Really?" He pursed his lips and then looked at his sister who was frowning questionably. "Her brother. So you weren't the only one left out in the cold, you know."
Caitlyn just smiled to placate their guilt and took the last sip of her drink before glancing at her watch. "And I'm afraid that that's it for me." She stood and smoothed her skirt over her legs. She bent down and planted a kiss to her brother's forehead and then moved around the table to take a hug from Sam.
Sam returned the embrace from her awkward position, already feeling a sense of peace and acceptance from her demeanor. Caitlyn smiled down at her and nodded.
"Welcome to the family."