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am evil. sugary sap.
This is, technically, an unfinished fic. But my brain has stopped working and there isn't anything more to stick in here. Maybe on the drive down to St. Louis I'll think of more (and be able to talk it out with myself, yay)
So. SAP WARNING: Very sappy. Very. Probably implausible, too. And you've seen some of this.
Ryuu is to blame for the two ficlets in the first place.
Katcorvi is to blame for linking the original two ficlets together.
Elly is gracious and never gets irritated when I steal her name.
Warning: MASSIVE SAP AHEAD. And some sex.
After really good sex, Sam Carter likes to wake up gradually, as if the effect of orgasm makes even HER mind relax. So, really, it wasn't a surprise that she took her time waking up. As she did, her mind and body replayed the pleasant imagery (and twinges and aches) of rather athletic and orgasmic sex.
Very orgasmic.
Pete, she decided fuzzily, had been really on form. He'd outdone himself the night before.
He was also being cute and groping her, one hand casually laying on a breast, his arm draped over her somewhat possessively. It was kind of nice. And strange, since Pete generally didn't like cuddling. Snuggling closer, she let out a soft sigh.
Another breath, and something registered.
This was... wrong.
Dreading the result, Sam slowly opened her eyes.
Well. While the man cuddling her was gloriously nude (and for that, she was thankful, because it was a lovely view), he was not her boyfriend.
And just as that thought hit her, he opened his eyes.
They stared at each other for at least a good minute before she finally managed, "General..."
"Colonel..."
More silence.
He still hadn't removed his hand from her breast.
Of course, she still hadn't removed her breast from under his hand. So they were even.
She didn't want to move.
This was bad.
It was probably more a reflex, but his fingers twitched, caressing her nipple. The movement sent sparks shooting down her spine.
Damn.
This was *very* bad.
"Alien influence."
"Too much alcohol." She countered.
"Carter? Where the hell are we?"
She looked around at what she could see -- without moving, because she still hadn't managed it, and she was beginning to think that she really didn't want to. "I don't know. It's not my bedroom."
"Or mine." He confirmed.
The hand twitched again, and she couldn't completely stop the soft moan from escaping.
"Ah!" He yanked his hand away. "Sorry, Carter --"
She wanted to demand he put it back. It had been... nice. And his fingers were obviously subconsciously talented (not to mention that if it was him who'd made her so exhausted and sated the night before there was no point in modesty). Instead, she shifted and dragged herself into a sitting position. Her hips protested mildly.
The room wasn't exactly plain, but it wasn't decadent, either. And studying the clock on the wall made her recognize it. She'd bought it last year, as a gag Christmas present. She sighed, "Daniel's spare room, sir."
"Ah."
She looked down, "So. Too much alcohol."
"Right."
Probably. She didn't *feel* hungover. Before she could get into any sort of guilty feeling over sleeping with her commanding officer while she was dating another man, the door swung inwards, and Daniel peered in. "Oh, good, you're up."
Grabbing the sheet, Sam dragged it up over her breasts. Funny, she hadn't minded being naked with Jack there. The General. Damnit. "Daniel!"
"That's my name, don't wear it out."
"Daniel."
"Jack."
Irritated, she glared at him, "Daniel, how did we get here?"
"You walked." The archeologist replied mildly.
The General snorted, "We did, huh?"
His hand was idly stroking the skin of her back, and she wondered if he even noticed it. She hoped he didn't, because then he would stop. And there was that guilt again. "Daniel..."
A chuckle escaped the man in the doorway, and it was positively evil. "I don't think I should tell you."
"Daniel," Jack shifted, waggling a finger at him. "Tell us, or I'll let Feretti rearrange your hard drive."
"Gosh, Jack, I feel so threatened."
"Daniel," lifting her eyes, Sam glared at her best friend. "If you don't explain why we can't remember anything about last night --"
"Except the good sex," interrupted Daniel.
Ignoring the blush, Sam continued, almost growling, "I will kill you. No ascending, no nothing. Just *dead*."
"Thor." Daniel pulled off his glasses and fiddled with them.
"What does my little buddy have to do with waking up next to Carter, Daniel?"
"In his own words, Jack, he decided that it was an important issue to be resolved in both your lives. He... brought some friends along for the conversation."
"Friends?" Sam was trying, she was really trying, but she was failing to grasp what an Asgard had to do with her sleeping with Jack O'Neill. And loving every second of it, and wanting to do it again. She had a boyfriend, she reminded herself forcefully.
"Thor made a deal with Hammond and the US Air Force. No regulations, no stipulations, no recriminations, no repercussions. You're allowed to be together." A handwave, "There was some other stuff, too, but I'm sure you'll remember it eventually."
Dead silence filled the bedroom. Sam was doing her best not to look at Jack. And the General was... pretending not to notice that his fingers were still stroking the back of one of his senior officers. Daniel eyed the two of them, then nodded, turned, and left.
Abandoned. With Jack O'Neill stroking her back and a hundred questions she couldn't decide the answer to.
The hand stilled. "Carter?"
"Yes?"
Silence rushed in, and they sat there for what felt like eons. Sam finally turned and looked at him. "I don't remember what happened."
"Neither do I."
Hell, she couldn't remember anything except the way he felt and tasted and moved. Sense memory skittered along her nerves and her eyes fastened on his mouth.
"Carter?"
The query in his voice dragged her out of her memories. But it couldn't move her eyes from his lips. Too late, she realized she was leaning towards him, the sheet forgotten. The hand that had been stroking her back slid along her waist.
And then she was kissing Jack O'Neill. A stark-naked Jack O'Neill whose skin she wanted against hers.
She pulled back from him a moment later and sighed. "I wish I could remember."
"Yeah." The hand at her waist stroked gently.
And then there *was* memory. Crashing against her brain like Jack's lips and tongue and hands and body had crashed against hers.
"Thor called a conference, and told us..." She frowned, "Pete asked me to marry him last week." That much she could remember, there had been a discussion about its effect on, on... on something. Something her brain wasn't remembering yet.
He stared up at her, "Yeah." A finger trailed across her cheek. "No regrets."
"None." She held his gaze and kissed him again. "What the hell am I going to tell him?"
The arm around her waist tightened, "You think I'm going to let you talk to that idiot again?"
"General."
"Colonel."
A smirk touched her lips, "I can't just have Daniel break up with him for me. Or Thor." Break up... It sounded so high school.
"No, no, you could. That could work, Carter. Thor could beam him up, wipe his memory..."
"Jack." She blinked, marveling at the taste of his name in her mouth. She half-smiled. "Jack, I can't be that cruel."
"Yes you can." His gaze was hooded again, his eyes watching her.
"I needed to find out if I could be me with someone else." The words seemed inadequate, but they were all she had.
"Yeah. Got that." The finger brushed across her cheek again, and she turned and kissed it, then bit it. "Hey!"
"It was there."
"Carter, that hurt."
She met his eyes, "Breakfast?"
A smirk touched his lips. "In a bit." And then his hand, which had been idly playing with the skin at her waist, slid down to cup her ass.
"General." The hand slid further down, and he shifted, dragging her against him. She spread her legs, feeling the hair on his scrape the insides of her thighs. "This isn't going to get us breakfast."
"No." The free hand slid between her legs from the front, and he slipped a finger into her. "But I think I need to work up an appetite."
She shivered, her hips protesting the stretching, but it was a good stretching.
And then she remembered the rest of it. She froze, staring at him, eyes wide in shock. "Did we really agree...?"
"To --" the memory apparently broke in his brain, too. The finger inside of her stilled, and for just a moment, Sam thought Jack was going to leap from the bed and run for the hills never looking back. Then he settled, a strangely smug look in his eyes. "So. Mrs. O'Neill, feel like having your brains fucked out?"
"Again?" She smirked, "I thought you'd never ask, Mr. Carter."
-=-
20-some-odd Hours Ago
If Thor could look shifty, the little grey alien would have been exactly that.
Sam eyed him, then looked at Jack. "Did he say what I think he said, sir?"
"Indeed, Colonel Carter." The little grey alien tilted his head. "The Asgard apologize for the unorthodox method we have used to procure the future of the human race, however, we were not certain that it would ever occur naturally."
"Unorthodox doesn't even begin to cover it, Thor."
"Thor," General Hammond interrupted, "Just how does the human race's future depend on General O'Neill and Colonel Carter producing offspring?" He sounded skeptical.
Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter really couldn't blame him. After all, *she* was skeptical. And disturbed. Not that, in her wildest, delusional, lonely fantasies (back before she had Pete) that Sam hadn't, maybe, considered the idea. Briefly. Of having kids with Jack O'Neill.
But that had nothing to do with her life now. She was considering getting engaged, damnit. She didn't need more complications!
"Our analysts," And Thor (if you could call it that) settled smugly into his chair, "Have done projections into the far future of the human race. And they have determined that without vital components produced in Colonel Carter and General O'Neill's dna matrices that the descendants will falter and fail and eventually fade out. There will then be no Fifth Race."
"Analysts." Jack's voice was dry, "Gotta love 'em."
"So, this means what?"
"That the Asgard cloning techniques have produced three children over the last five years."
Sam knew she was gaping. But the idea of three children stunned and angered her. Three children that the Asgard had created as casually as they breathed. "Thor," she said, her voice carefully controlled, "Where have these children been living?"
"We placed them as foundlings with three families here on Earth." Tilting his head slightly, Thor considered the two somewhat stunned and agitated officers, "Do you wish to meet them?"
"Yes."
"No."
Sam looked at Jack and grinned weakly, "Maybe?"
"They're ours, Carter."
"We didn't do anything to get them. Sir." She suddenly wanted to call him Jack. Formality was pointless at a time like this.
"No." His eyes darkened slightly and he looked away. "No we didn't."
"O'Neill, Colonel Carter, there was a purpose to my informing you of these children." Thor looked almost uncomfortable. "Our reports regarding the children and their foster parents show that the parents are disturbed. The two older children are highly intelligent and frequently 'in trouble' as you humans say."
"Gosh, Carter, now I know why your dad is bald."
"Jack, your father went grey before you were ten," she countered, then blushed. "Sir."
"No, no," he waved a hand, "Our children share genes, calling me 'sir' and 'General' seems pointless and formal, at this point."
She narrowed her eyes at him, then looked at Thor, "Are you saying the parents want to get rid of them?"
Thor inclined his head. "It is a sad fact, Colonel Carter, but the children are considered too difficult. I believe it is partially because they do not have the unconditional love that you and O'Neill would have provided."
"I've always thought that was a myth." It was a mild statement, and the first thing Dr. Daniel Jackson had said since the briefing had begun. "Biological parents don't always love unconditionally. And non-biological parents are sometimes the far better care-takers."
"This is true, Dr. Jackson," Thor admitted, "But through observation of the two, I believe that Colonel Carter and General O'Neill would love any child unconditionally."
"So, what you're saying, Thor, buddy, is that you want us to take them."
Sometimes, Sam thought, Jack stopped pretending he was stupid. This was one of those times she wasn't sure whether she was happy about that fact or not.
"Precisely, O'Neill. I believe that with the stability the two of you would provide, the children would grow and prosper to become all that they can be."
"Get ahead on life," Jack muttered.
"What stability?" Glancing between herself and the General, Sam tried to figure out what Thor was saying.
Side-stepping the question (which was interesting to watch since Thor didn't actually *move* as such), the Asgard turned to Daniel. "Dr. Jackson, I wonder --"
"Thor!" The General interrupted. "What about the kids?"
"I was hoping to ask you and Colonel Carter to take them in." replied the Asgard Commander calmly.
"But, Thor," Sam said, "Uh... we're not married." And there was the whole thing where she was almost engaged to another man. Which didn't mean anything, she knew. But Pete was, Pete was... Ok. So she could admit to herself that there were doubts, but not in the middle of something like this.
A sigh came from the small body, "This I know for true, Samantha Carter. And I am at a loss to understand why it is so when you two clearly react as a partnership. Two halves of a whole, yin and yang, chocolate and --"
"Ok. We get the point." Now Jack was fidgeting with his pen, "But that doesn't mean -- well, that Carter and I. That we're..."
"We get the idea, Jack," Hammond said mildly, stopping him from further inserting his foot into his mouth.
Thor blinked, "I have seen you both care for each other, I find it sad that there is no deeper emotion."
Deeper emotion. Right. Sam fought against the sudden onslaught of memories that flickered through her mind. Injuries and arguments, forcefields, za'tarc detectors, and stupid conversations in elevators. Not to mention conversations with hallucinations. "Thor, are you saying you're going to bring the children here?"
"Precisely, Colonel Carter."
She shifted in her seat, "And place them, where?"
"With your permission, unless you take them, I believe they would possibly be well-cared for by The Nox."
"Those tree-huggers?"
"Jack."
"Daniel, they're passive and sweet, and I adore the hell out of Lya, but they're not -- the kids would be bored."
Sam had to agree on that one. But she wasn't sure *what* she thought about anything else. She wasn't supposed to think about anything like that. No pondering the future, past and present that could belong to Jack O'Neill.
"Regardless of your decision, O'Neill, the children will be removed from their current locations."
Before anyone could say anything else, there was a bright flash, and three small children appeared in the briefing room. The assembled adults quickly stood, eyeing the newcomers. The oldest was a little girl with blonde hair who bounced up to Thor and hugged the Asgard. Next in line was a little boy with dirty blond hair who eyed the assembled crowd and toddled over to lean against Daniel's legs. The third child was sitting, one small fist stuck in her mouth. She eyed the assembled crowd, pulled the fist out and gave a toothless grin.
The little girl stopped bugging Thor and eyed the assembled members of SG-1 and General Hammond. Then she walked over to look up at Sam. "Hello, mama."
"Uh... Kiddo, I'm not..." Well, technically, she was. But she hadn't raised her or given birth to her. Sam felt even more confused than before.
The sprite giggled, then pointed at Sam's head and said solemnly, "You have my hair."
Sam reached up and touched the blonde hair that the child -- her daughter -- had inherited, and half-smiled. "Guess you're right."
"And Drew has daddy's hair." This time, she was pointing at the General.
The General stared at his child and her mother with something close to fright. Catching her gaze, he half-smiled. "She looks just like you."
"She has your eyes. And your lips."
"Oh?"
Sam tipped her head sideways, "Although I think I see dad's chin." Reaching down an almost trembling hand, Sam touched the little girl. "What's your name?"
"Eleanor." A face. "It's stuffy."
Understanding, Sam echoed the face, "Like being named Samantha."
"Yes."
"Then I suppose your mother and I will have to call you Ellie."
Sam blinked up at Jack O'Neill, disturbed to notice that he was now standing in front of her. "Say that again."
"Ellie."
The now-named girl giggled.
"Not that bit, Jack."
"Which?" But his lips were twitching, that smirk she was used to sliding slowly up one half of them. "Your mother?"
"I'm a mother."
"Yeah." He reached out and brushed a finger across her cheek. "Boggles the mind, Carter."
"I'm not giving up gate travel. Or the Air Force." Sam announced abruptly.
"Like I'd ever ask you to."
"And you're not resigning, either."
"I'm not?"
"No." Grabbing the hand still hovering in front of her face, Sam shook it. "And you don't get to tell Pete. I do."
"Your mother," Jack said, looking down at Ellie, "Is a very demanding and bossy woman."
"That's because your father's an idiot," she growled.
Dragging her hand to his mouth, Jack kissed the knuckles, "Only sometimes."
"All the time," she insisted, moving closer, her eyes distracted by the way his lips were curving.
"Hey, is that any way--"
The statement ended because her lips were on his. Samantha Carter was kissing Jack O'Neill. It was like waiting for the world to end, winning the lottery and being shot out a cannon all at once. Then his arms were dragging her against him and it was so much better than she'd expected it to be. Someone, she realized hazily an eternity later, was clapping. She reluctantly seperated her lips from Jack's and gazed down at their daughter.
She was giggling, bouncing, and clapping.
Daniel was snickering at them, Teal'c looked smug. And General Hammond looked, well, disturbed. Thor was nowhere to be seen.
"Uh, Carter, does this mean you agree to be the mother of my children?"
She eyed him, "I don't recall you asking."
"Oh."
"Jack, will you be the father of my children?"
"Aren't I already?"
"No." She shook her head, suddenly disturbed at her own ability to throw everything to the wind and hope for the best. But the children needed stability, and she'd be damned if she let the Nox have them. "Will you marry me?"
"General Hammond," Jack called, "If I could impose on you for a favor, sir?"
"Anything, son," And Hammond was looking particularly genial as he looked between the two of them. "Thor has made the US Air Force an offer it can't refuse."
"Will you marry us, sir?"
Sam smiled up at him, "You haven't said yes, yet."
"Oh. Right." He bent forward, lips brushing hers. "Yes."
-=-
Now.
Married. Hitched. Lock, stock, and barrel. Sam stared down at Jack as he slid another finger into her. "Don't stop."
"Wasn't," he shifted and grunted, free hand dragging her into a better position. "Planning to."
"Good." She assisted in the movement, and made a low sound of protest when his fingers were removed. They were quickly replaced by something just as nice. A moan made its way out of her mouth as he thrust upwards, seating himself deeper inside of her.
"You know, Mrs. O'Neill," he said between thrusts and breaths.
"Hrm?" Her hand was on his chest for balance as she rolled her hips, grinding down onto him.
"You are damn hot."
"Thank you." She bent forward and kissed him, "So're you."
An extra hard thrust, and there were no more words, just the touch, taste, scent, feel and grunts of Jack O'Neill. Her own wordless exclamations mixed in with his until she was lost to everything but the sensations he was producing.
When she recovered, he rolled them and continued, his eyes boring into hers. She twined her arms around his neck, wrapped her legs around his waist, and then bit his shoulder when he was close.
"Mine."
She wasn't sure which of them had said it, and didn't really care, because he was arching one last time, crying out and falling onto her seconds later.
They lay in the aftermath, the air cooling the sweat on their skins until Sam shifted and poked his shoulder, "You're heavy."
"You weren't complaining last night." He pointed out, shifting so she could slide out from under him.
"I wasn't hungry last night."
His arm draped across her waist, the hand cupping her breast. "Ooo. Food."
"Food is important, Jack."
"Yup." He leaned in and kissed the breast he was fondling, then her jaw.
"This isn't helping."
"No?" He smirked and kissed her cheek.
"No." And Sam sat up, a bit regretful, but determined. "There are --"
A knock on the door interrupted her, and Daniel's voice called through the door. "Hey, if you two are done having sex, there are some people who want to see you."
Sam looked down at the two of them and chuckled softly. "We should probably get dressed."
"Damn." He reached out and stroked her thigh. "Ya sure?"
"Jack. Why is it so fascinating for you to touch every inch of my body?"
"Because it's Carter skin," he explained.
"Ah." She leaned over and kissed his nose. "Up, Mr. Carter."
"Yes, Mrs. O'Neill."
-=-
Three Weeks Later.
Sam didn't stop going through the gate. Jack didn't resign. Daniel and Teal'c mocked them daily. The SGC as a whole was disturbed by the suddenly snarky duo it had obtained. Back when she wasn't allowed to answer back, they'd all assumed Lieutenant Colonel Carter was simply too boring (and polite).
Now they knew better.
General Hammond and the USAF and the President all signed off on the affadavit allowing the two officers to fraternise. After all, they did kind of need the Asgard as allies.
And SG-1 gained a fourth member as the SGC reclaimed Jonas Quinn from the Kelownans.
There were arguments.
The Kelownans were certain that the SGC couldn't *possibly* need Jonas as much as they did. The SGC made it a stipulation: no new contracts, no help, no disclosures, no defense against the Goa'uld. Jonas was returned to his former team.
-=-
The Day After The Sex.
"Pete."
"Hey, Sam." He was smiling.
They'd arranged to meet in the park, she couldn't really remember why anymore. Of all the things she had done in the past 48 hours, this was going to be the hardest. Which was funny, she thought whimsically, she used to think this would be easy.
"Buy you an ice cream?"
"Nah."
He blinked, "Watching your figure?" His eyes traveled up and down her body.
It was funny, but she used to like being looked at by Pete. Now, well... Now it was just kind of irritating. Definitely Jack's fault. "No. I just. Pete." Oh so difficult. "You're a really nice guy --"
"Oooh." He held up a hand. "I've heard this one before. It's not me, it's you, right?"
"What?"
"You are breaking up with me, right?"
"Yes." The truth might hurt, but it was easier than lying. Besides, she was a married woman now. And wasn't *that* disturbing?
His face fell.
She wanted to tell him she was sorry, but there really wasn't anything to apologize for. It wasn't her fault he hadn't been the father of her children. The thought made her vaguely hysterical, but she didn't dwell on it. "Pete, I didn't want to hurt you. I'm sorry."
What a cliche.
"Yeah." He looked at her, "Just tell me one thing. Does he make you happy?"
"Who?"
"O'Neill."
She blushed at the certainty in his voice. "Am I that transparent?"
"No." He reached out and touched her cheek. "I'm a detective, Sam. I study human nature. And I might have wanted to ignore it, but it doesn't mean I didn't see it. You're both opaque, intensely opaque. And Dr. Jackson said something once about you two being complicated."
"Ah." Reaching up her hand, she caught his. "I think he can make me happy."
"Good." He kissed her gently, a bittersweet touch of lips. "We could have been good."
"I know." But she didn't say it until he was gone, and the sky was fading towards sunset. And there was dinner to get back to make, and children to put to bed. And a hundred responsibilities she didn't want.
But would shoulder, as she always shouldered them.
-=-
Three Weeks On.
Actually, the first three weeks were a nightmare. Sam and Jack argued constantly over whose house the kids would stay at, where they would live, everything down to who got to pay the electric bill (they chopped it in half, but Jack insisted on paying the gas, because Sam used so much damn water when she took a shower). It ended up being his, since he had more room. The kids seemed to think they were highly amusing when they argued, although sometimes they got very quiet.
Half the time there were emergencies and Sam had to stay on base. Jack was more glad than ever that Cassandra was home for break, since she seemed to take to the kids without a problem (they got an earful about getting married without her, but she let it slide. Mostly). And he tried to be there to tuck them into bed at night.
During week three, the children were officially acknowledged as the adoptive children of General O'Neill and Lieutenant Colonel Carter. Their names went down into the SGC database as Eleanor, Andrew and Isabel. Or, as they quickly became known to the entire base as a whole, Ellie, Drew and Izzy.
Jonas readily fell into the scheme of part-time kid-sitter, especially since he could use the computer in the house to work on his equations and ideas. And the novel he was writing about life on Kelowna (three publishing companies were interested in his 'researched culture' novel).
SG-1 stayed on their light-duty mission roster, both the General and the Colonel agreeing that (for now) the children needed the stability of both of them being on Earth.
Not that they weren't sometimes needed.
Once the formalities were finished, the kids would be added to the roster of the SGC's day care (a thriviing facility). But until then, they were stuck with baby-sitting duty, and a never-ending roster of volunteers.
-=-
After one particularly boring mission, Dr. Brightman, the new SGC Chief Medical Officer, discovered an anomaly in the Colonel's blood. Since the woman had been just a little snippy for the past two or three weeks, she briefly considered *not* testing further. But then, the scientist in Brightman took hold. (also a sneaking suspicion that Nurse Rush had mumbled about at one point, but Brightman would never admit to that).
The results sent her off to the Colonel's lab, where she knocked on the door.
"Colonel?" Dr. Brightman looked hesitant.
Looking up from her experiment, Sam smiled softly, "What is it, doctor?"
Straightening as if for a firing squad, the doctor stepped into her lab and held out a folder. "I took the liberty of running this twice, once I noticed the anomaly and ran it the first time."
Accepting the folder, Sam stared at the paper for a moment before her mind caught up with her eyes. Then she reread it.
"He is SO dead."
Various people dodged out of her way as she stalked through the base. By the time she hit the floor the General's office was on, word had gone ahead. There was no one in the way, and Walter held the door open for her, then shut it softly.
The General was on the red phone, talking jovially. "Why, no Mr. President, I didn't know that."
Sam reached across the desk, snagged the phone and said calmly, "I'm sorry, Mr. President, General O'Neill is going to have to call you back." Then she hung it up.
"Carter--"
A piece of paper was shoved in his face. "This is your fault."
"What --" his voice stopped, and he stared. "This is... Well, it explains why you've been so cranky lately."
"Cranky?"
"Well, yeah." He leaned back in his chair and eyed her, "And irritated and annnoyed and --"
"If you want to live, Jack O'Neill, you won't say another word."
"And leave your children fatherless?"
"I'm told three-quarters of the men on this planet want to date me, I'm sure one of them would work." She tilted her head, considering, "Feretti, for instance."
He glared. "Carter, Feretti is NOT raising my children."
She crossed her arms and glared back, "Did you think three kids wasn't enough, Jack?"
"Hey, there were *two* of us involved here." He pointed out.
"So there were." For just a moment, she remenisced on the activities which had caused her current predicament. Then she glared at him.
They were interrupted by the red phone ringing. "I have to take this, Carter."
"Fine."
"Hello?" The General listened for a moment, then smiled weakly, "Yes, Mr. President, I'm aware of that."
"Give me that," She snatched the phone away again. "Mr. President, hi."
"Colonel Carter, you are aware that this leniency of the regulations regarding --"
"Mr. President." Her voice was calm. Really. "I appreciate your thoughtful words, but right at the moment, Earth is not at stake, and I don't give a damn. Now, if you want to talk to me about an impending court-martial tomorrow, feel free to do so."
She handed the phone back to Jack and turned, "You're sleeping on the couch tonight."
"What, but --"
At the door she turned and looked at him. "I'm aware I'm acting irrationally, Jack. But this... this is just too fucking much."
-=-
"Mama?" The soft voice dragged Sam from her dreams, and she opened her eyes to find Ellie standing next to her side of the bed.
"What is it?"
"Had a nightmare." The little girl looked at her with wide eyes, "Uncle Danny and Teal'c were bein' chased by ghouls. And then, and then..." She trailed off and blinked. "Where's daddy?"
"Aw, baby," Sam dragged herself up and reached over to hug her daughter. "I'm sorry you got scared by the stories Uncle Danny's been telling you." For which a certain archeologist would be so dead. "And, uh, your father's asleep on the couch."
"Oh." Small arms came around her neck, "Won't he be lonely and scared there?"
I hope so, she thought uncharitably. But if she were being truthful, she'd been lonely in the big empty bed. She sighed, "Maybe he is. You want to check?"
"Drew's gone, too."
He was? For just a moment, Sam considered the hundred thousand possibilities. NID, any enemies either of them had made, CIA, FBI... half a dozen world governments who would love to have the children of the Asgard (not that anyone knew). Then she throttled the paranoia down. "Maybe he's with daddy?" They'd put the kids in the spare room, with Isabel in the master bedroom. Until they found a house that was big enough. They needed to expand their search now.
"Maybe."
Sam stood then scooped up the four-year-old. A sound from Isabel's crib made them stop and she eyed the awake child who stared at them. "You too, huh?"
Izzy gurgled and held out her arms to be picked up.
Shifting Ellie to one hip, Sam reached in and scooped up the toddler. Then with both girls in her arms she headed out for the living room.
The sight in the living room made her lips curve into a smile. Jack had evidently remembered that his couch was a horrible place to sleep and had piled the cushions on the floor, added some blankets, and bunked down. Drew had apparently decided to join him at some point, but he wasn't asleep. He was very carefully poking Jack in the nose. Every so often, the rhythm of Jack's snoring would halt, his nose would twitch, and he'd shift. Apparently, Drew thought it was the funniest thing ever because he would wait until the rhythm was established again, and then poke. And then giggle softly, bouncing on a cushion.
As if their appearance was a cue, Drew poked Jack's nose extra hard.
"Ow. What the --" The sleepy murmur paused as Jack's eyes opened. He stared up at his son. "Hey, you."
Grinning widely, the kid reached out and grabbed Jack's nose. "Honk." He announced.
"Yeah. Real cute, kid."
Unable to stop her chuckle, Sam saw him tense, then his gaze shifted to her. "Hi."
"Hi."
"I had a nightmare," Ellie announced.
"Oh?" Raising an eyebrow, Jack reached for Drew, tickling him gently.
"Uncle Danny has been telling her about adventures against the ghoul," Sam informed him, stepping around the couch.
"Really."
"Yes."
"Ghouls are evil." Ellie said firmly. She didn't protest when Sam set her down, a yawn sneaking its way out.
"Yes they are. Smart kid, Carter. She must get that from you."
"Mm. Maybe." Sam carefully got onto her knees and off-loaded Isabel into Jack's arms then settled Drew on his side and grabbed another blanket.
"This mean you're not angry anymore?" His arm snaked around her, pulling her against him.
Sam leaned her head against his shoulder, chuckling as Isabel slid a bit before falling asleep on both of them. Ellie snuggled into her side. "I'm angry at both of us."
"Ah." His hold tightened.
"We should have used protection."
"Hindsight, Carter."
"I know." She grumbled, "This floor is cold."
"Hey, did I demand you sleep on it?"
"The kids are asleep, we can't move or they'll never go back to it."
"Guess you're stuck, then."
"Yeah." She turned her face so she could almost see his. "I love you."
"This fast?"
"No." She closed her eyes. "Go to sleep, you ass."
"Yes, ma'am."
There was little movement for a time, and then suddenly, "You, too."
Smiling slightly at the strangely serious tone of his voice, Sam rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. "Good night, Jack."
So. SAP WARNING: Very sappy. Very. Probably implausible, too. And you've seen some of this.
Ryuu is to blame for the two ficlets in the first place.
Katcorvi is to blame for linking the original two ficlets together.
Elly is gracious and never gets irritated when I steal her name.
Warning: MASSIVE SAP AHEAD. And some sex.
After really good sex, Sam Carter likes to wake up gradually, as if the effect of orgasm makes even HER mind relax. So, really, it wasn't a surprise that she took her time waking up. As she did, her mind and body replayed the pleasant imagery (and twinges and aches) of rather athletic and orgasmic sex.
Very orgasmic.
Pete, she decided fuzzily, had been really on form. He'd outdone himself the night before.
He was also being cute and groping her, one hand casually laying on a breast, his arm draped over her somewhat possessively. It was kind of nice. And strange, since Pete generally didn't like cuddling. Snuggling closer, she let out a soft sigh.
Another breath, and something registered.
This was... wrong.
Dreading the result, Sam slowly opened her eyes.
Well. While the man cuddling her was gloriously nude (and for that, she was thankful, because it was a lovely view), he was not her boyfriend.
And just as that thought hit her, he opened his eyes.
They stared at each other for at least a good minute before she finally managed, "General..."
"Colonel..."
More silence.
He still hadn't removed his hand from her breast.
Of course, she still hadn't removed her breast from under his hand. So they were even.
She didn't want to move.
This was bad.
It was probably more a reflex, but his fingers twitched, caressing her nipple. The movement sent sparks shooting down her spine.
Damn.
This was *very* bad.
"Alien influence."
"Too much alcohol." She countered.
"Carter? Where the hell are we?"
She looked around at what she could see -- without moving, because she still hadn't managed it, and she was beginning to think that she really didn't want to. "I don't know. It's not my bedroom."
"Or mine." He confirmed.
The hand twitched again, and she couldn't completely stop the soft moan from escaping.
"Ah!" He yanked his hand away. "Sorry, Carter --"
She wanted to demand he put it back. It had been... nice. And his fingers were obviously subconsciously talented (not to mention that if it was him who'd made her so exhausted and sated the night before there was no point in modesty). Instead, she shifted and dragged herself into a sitting position. Her hips protested mildly.
The room wasn't exactly plain, but it wasn't decadent, either. And studying the clock on the wall made her recognize it. She'd bought it last year, as a gag Christmas present. She sighed, "Daniel's spare room, sir."
"Ah."
She looked down, "So. Too much alcohol."
"Right."
Probably. She didn't *feel* hungover. Before she could get into any sort of guilty feeling over sleeping with her commanding officer while she was dating another man, the door swung inwards, and Daniel peered in. "Oh, good, you're up."
Grabbing the sheet, Sam dragged it up over her breasts. Funny, she hadn't minded being naked with Jack there. The General. Damnit. "Daniel!"
"That's my name, don't wear it out."
"Daniel."
"Jack."
Irritated, she glared at him, "Daniel, how did we get here?"
"You walked." The archeologist replied mildly.
The General snorted, "We did, huh?"
His hand was idly stroking the skin of her back, and she wondered if he even noticed it. She hoped he didn't, because then he would stop. And there was that guilt again. "Daniel..."
A chuckle escaped the man in the doorway, and it was positively evil. "I don't think I should tell you."
"Daniel," Jack shifted, waggling a finger at him. "Tell us, or I'll let Feretti rearrange your hard drive."
"Gosh, Jack, I feel so threatened."
"Daniel," lifting her eyes, Sam glared at her best friend. "If you don't explain why we can't remember anything about last night --"
"Except the good sex," interrupted Daniel.
Ignoring the blush, Sam continued, almost growling, "I will kill you. No ascending, no nothing. Just *dead*."
"Thor." Daniel pulled off his glasses and fiddled with them.
"What does my little buddy have to do with waking up next to Carter, Daniel?"
"In his own words, Jack, he decided that it was an important issue to be resolved in both your lives. He... brought some friends along for the conversation."
"Friends?" Sam was trying, she was really trying, but she was failing to grasp what an Asgard had to do with her sleeping with Jack O'Neill. And loving every second of it, and wanting to do it again. She had a boyfriend, she reminded herself forcefully.
"Thor made a deal with Hammond and the US Air Force. No regulations, no stipulations, no recriminations, no repercussions. You're allowed to be together." A handwave, "There was some other stuff, too, but I'm sure you'll remember it eventually."
Dead silence filled the bedroom. Sam was doing her best not to look at Jack. And the General was... pretending not to notice that his fingers were still stroking the back of one of his senior officers. Daniel eyed the two of them, then nodded, turned, and left.
Abandoned. With Jack O'Neill stroking her back and a hundred questions she couldn't decide the answer to.
The hand stilled. "Carter?"
"Yes?"
Silence rushed in, and they sat there for what felt like eons. Sam finally turned and looked at him. "I don't remember what happened."
"Neither do I."
Hell, she couldn't remember anything except the way he felt and tasted and moved. Sense memory skittered along her nerves and her eyes fastened on his mouth.
"Carter?"
The query in his voice dragged her out of her memories. But it couldn't move her eyes from his lips. Too late, she realized she was leaning towards him, the sheet forgotten. The hand that had been stroking her back slid along her waist.
And then she was kissing Jack O'Neill. A stark-naked Jack O'Neill whose skin she wanted against hers.
She pulled back from him a moment later and sighed. "I wish I could remember."
"Yeah." The hand at her waist stroked gently.
And then there *was* memory. Crashing against her brain like Jack's lips and tongue and hands and body had crashed against hers.
"Thor called a conference, and told us..." She frowned, "Pete asked me to marry him last week." That much she could remember, there had been a discussion about its effect on, on... on something. Something her brain wasn't remembering yet.
He stared up at her, "Yeah." A finger trailed across her cheek. "No regrets."
"None." She held his gaze and kissed him again. "What the hell am I going to tell him?"
The arm around her waist tightened, "You think I'm going to let you talk to that idiot again?"
"General."
"Colonel."
A smirk touched her lips, "I can't just have Daniel break up with him for me. Or Thor." Break up... It sounded so high school.
"No, no, you could. That could work, Carter. Thor could beam him up, wipe his memory..."
"Jack." She blinked, marveling at the taste of his name in her mouth. She half-smiled. "Jack, I can't be that cruel."
"Yes you can." His gaze was hooded again, his eyes watching her.
"I needed to find out if I could be me with someone else." The words seemed inadequate, but they were all she had.
"Yeah. Got that." The finger brushed across her cheek again, and she turned and kissed it, then bit it. "Hey!"
"It was there."
"Carter, that hurt."
She met his eyes, "Breakfast?"
A smirk touched his lips. "In a bit." And then his hand, which had been idly playing with the skin at her waist, slid down to cup her ass.
"General." The hand slid further down, and he shifted, dragging her against him. She spread her legs, feeling the hair on his scrape the insides of her thighs. "This isn't going to get us breakfast."
"No." The free hand slid between her legs from the front, and he slipped a finger into her. "But I think I need to work up an appetite."
She shivered, her hips protesting the stretching, but it was a good stretching.
And then she remembered the rest of it. She froze, staring at him, eyes wide in shock. "Did we really agree...?"
"To --" the memory apparently broke in his brain, too. The finger inside of her stilled, and for just a moment, Sam thought Jack was going to leap from the bed and run for the hills never looking back. Then he settled, a strangely smug look in his eyes. "So. Mrs. O'Neill, feel like having your brains fucked out?"
"Again?" She smirked, "I thought you'd never ask, Mr. Carter."
-=-
20-some-odd Hours Ago
If Thor could look shifty, the little grey alien would have been exactly that.
Sam eyed him, then looked at Jack. "Did he say what I think he said, sir?"
"Indeed, Colonel Carter." The little grey alien tilted his head. "The Asgard apologize for the unorthodox method we have used to procure the future of the human race, however, we were not certain that it would ever occur naturally."
"Unorthodox doesn't even begin to cover it, Thor."
"Thor," General Hammond interrupted, "Just how does the human race's future depend on General O'Neill and Colonel Carter producing offspring?" He sounded skeptical.
Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter really couldn't blame him. After all, *she* was skeptical. And disturbed. Not that, in her wildest, delusional, lonely fantasies (back before she had Pete) that Sam hadn't, maybe, considered the idea. Briefly. Of having kids with Jack O'Neill.
But that had nothing to do with her life now. She was considering getting engaged, damnit. She didn't need more complications!
"Our analysts," And Thor (if you could call it that) settled smugly into his chair, "Have done projections into the far future of the human race. And they have determined that without vital components produced in Colonel Carter and General O'Neill's dna matrices that the descendants will falter and fail and eventually fade out. There will then be no Fifth Race."
"Analysts." Jack's voice was dry, "Gotta love 'em."
"So, this means what?"
"That the Asgard cloning techniques have produced three children over the last five years."
Sam knew she was gaping. But the idea of three children stunned and angered her. Three children that the Asgard had created as casually as they breathed. "Thor," she said, her voice carefully controlled, "Where have these children been living?"
"We placed them as foundlings with three families here on Earth." Tilting his head slightly, Thor considered the two somewhat stunned and agitated officers, "Do you wish to meet them?"
"Yes."
"No."
Sam looked at Jack and grinned weakly, "Maybe?"
"They're ours, Carter."
"We didn't do anything to get them. Sir." She suddenly wanted to call him Jack. Formality was pointless at a time like this.
"No." His eyes darkened slightly and he looked away. "No we didn't."
"O'Neill, Colonel Carter, there was a purpose to my informing you of these children." Thor looked almost uncomfortable. "Our reports regarding the children and their foster parents show that the parents are disturbed. The two older children are highly intelligent and frequently 'in trouble' as you humans say."
"Gosh, Carter, now I know why your dad is bald."
"Jack, your father went grey before you were ten," she countered, then blushed. "Sir."
"No, no," he waved a hand, "Our children share genes, calling me 'sir' and 'General' seems pointless and formal, at this point."
She narrowed her eyes at him, then looked at Thor, "Are you saying the parents want to get rid of them?"
Thor inclined his head. "It is a sad fact, Colonel Carter, but the children are considered too difficult. I believe it is partially because they do not have the unconditional love that you and O'Neill would have provided."
"I've always thought that was a myth." It was a mild statement, and the first thing Dr. Daniel Jackson had said since the briefing had begun. "Biological parents don't always love unconditionally. And non-biological parents are sometimes the far better care-takers."
"This is true, Dr. Jackson," Thor admitted, "But through observation of the two, I believe that Colonel Carter and General O'Neill would love any child unconditionally."
"So, what you're saying, Thor, buddy, is that you want us to take them."
Sometimes, Sam thought, Jack stopped pretending he was stupid. This was one of those times she wasn't sure whether she was happy about that fact or not.
"Precisely, O'Neill. I believe that with the stability the two of you would provide, the children would grow and prosper to become all that they can be."
"Get ahead on life," Jack muttered.
"What stability?" Glancing between herself and the General, Sam tried to figure out what Thor was saying.
Side-stepping the question (which was interesting to watch since Thor didn't actually *move* as such), the Asgard turned to Daniel. "Dr. Jackson, I wonder --"
"Thor!" The General interrupted. "What about the kids?"
"I was hoping to ask you and Colonel Carter to take them in." replied the Asgard Commander calmly.
"But, Thor," Sam said, "Uh... we're not married." And there was the whole thing where she was almost engaged to another man. Which didn't mean anything, she knew. But Pete was, Pete was... Ok. So she could admit to herself that there were doubts, but not in the middle of something like this.
A sigh came from the small body, "This I know for true, Samantha Carter. And I am at a loss to understand why it is so when you two clearly react as a partnership. Two halves of a whole, yin and yang, chocolate and --"
"Ok. We get the point." Now Jack was fidgeting with his pen, "But that doesn't mean -- well, that Carter and I. That we're..."
"We get the idea, Jack," Hammond said mildly, stopping him from further inserting his foot into his mouth.
Thor blinked, "I have seen you both care for each other, I find it sad that there is no deeper emotion."
Deeper emotion. Right. Sam fought against the sudden onslaught of memories that flickered through her mind. Injuries and arguments, forcefields, za'tarc detectors, and stupid conversations in elevators. Not to mention conversations with hallucinations. "Thor, are you saying you're going to bring the children here?"
"Precisely, Colonel Carter."
She shifted in her seat, "And place them, where?"
"With your permission, unless you take them, I believe they would possibly be well-cared for by The Nox."
"Those tree-huggers?"
"Jack."
"Daniel, they're passive and sweet, and I adore the hell out of Lya, but they're not -- the kids would be bored."
Sam had to agree on that one. But she wasn't sure *what* she thought about anything else. She wasn't supposed to think about anything like that. No pondering the future, past and present that could belong to Jack O'Neill.
"Regardless of your decision, O'Neill, the children will be removed from their current locations."
Before anyone could say anything else, there was a bright flash, and three small children appeared in the briefing room. The assembled adults quickly stood, eyeing the newcomers. The oldest was a little girl with blonde hair who bounced up to Thor and hugged the Asgard. Next in line was a little boy with dirty blond hair who eyed the assembled crowd and toddled over to lean against Daniel's legs. The third child was sitting, one small fist stuck in her mouth. She eyed the assembled crowd, pulled the fist out and gave a toothless grin.
The little girl stopped bugging Thor and eyed the assembled members of SG-1 and General Hammond. Then she walked over to look up at Sam. "Hello, mama."
"Uh... Kiddo, I'm not..." Well, technically, she was. But she hadn't raised her or given birth to her. Sam felt even more confused than before.
The sprite giggled, then pointed at Sam's head and said solemnly, "You have my hair."
Sam reached up and touched the blonde hair that the child -- her daughter -- had inherited, and half-smiled. "Guess you're right."
"And Drew has daddy's hair." This time, she was pointing at the General.
The General stared at his child and her mother with something close to fright. Catching her gaze, he half-smiled. "She looks just like you."
"She has your eyes. And your lips."
"Oh?"
Sam tipped her head sideways, "Although I think I see dad's chin." Reaching down an almost trembling hand, Sam touched the little girl. "What's your name?"
"Eleanor." A face. "It's stuffy."
Understanding, Sam echoed the face, "Like being named Samantha."
"Yes."
"Then I suppose your mother and I will have to call you Ellie."
Sam blinked up at Jack O'Neill, disturbed to notice that he was now standing in front of her. "Say that again."
"Ellie."
The now-named girl giggled.
"Not that bit, Jack."
"Which?" But his lips were twitching, that smirk she was used to sliding slowly up one half of them. "Your mother?"
"I'm a mother."
"Yeah." He reached out and brushed a finger across her cheek. "Boggles the mind, Carter."
"I'm not giving up gate travel. Or the Air Force." Sam announced abruptly.
"Like I'd ever ask you to."
"And you're not resigning, either."
"I'm not?"
"No." Grabbing the hand still hovering in front of her face, Sam shook it. "And you don't get to tell Pete. I do."
"Your mother," Jack said, looking down at Ellie, "Is a very demanding and bossy woman."
"That's because your father's an idiot," she growled.
Dragging her hand to his mouth, Jack kissed the knuckles, "Only sometimes."
"All the time," she insisted, moving closer, her eyes distracted by the way his lips were curving.
"Hey, is that any way--"
The statement ended because her lips were on his. Samantha Carter was kissing Jack O'Neill. It was like waiting for the world to end, winning the lottery and being shot out a cannon all at once. Then his arms were dragging her against him and it was so much better than she'd expected it to be. Someone, she realized hazily an eternity later, was clapping. She reluctantly seperated her lips from Jack's and gazed down at their daughter.
She was giggling, bouncing, and clapping.
Daniel was snickering at them, Teal'c looked smug. And General Hammond looked, well, disturbed. Thor was nowhere to be seen.
"Uh, Carter, does this mean you agree to be the mother of my children?"
She eyed him, "I don't recall you asking."
"Oh."
"Jack, will you be the father of my children?"
"Aren't I already?"
"No." She shook her head, suddenly disturbed at her own ability to throw everything to the wind and hope for the best. But the children needed stability, and she'd be damned if she let the Nox have them. "Will you marry me?"
"General Hammond," Jack called, "If I could impose on you for a favor, sir?"
"Anything, son," And Hammond was looking particularly genial as he looked between the two of them. "Thor has made the US Air Force an offer it can't refuse."
"Will you marry us, sir?"
Sam smiled up at him, "You haven't said yes, yet."
"Oh. Right." He bent forward, lips brushing hers. "Yes."
-=-
Now.
Married. Hitched. Lock, stock, and barrel. Sam stared down at Jack as he slid another finger into her. "Don't stop."
"Wasn't," he shifted and grunted, free hand dragging her into a better position. "Planning to."
"Good." She assisted in the movement, and made a low sound of protest when his fingers were removed. They were quickly replaced by something just as nice. A moan made its way out of her mouth as he thrust upwards, seating himself deeper inside of her.
"You know, Mrs. O'Neill," he said between thrusts and breaths.
"Hrm?" Her hand was on his chest for balance as she rolled her hips, grinding down onto him.
"You are damn hot."
"Thank you." She bent forward and kissed him, "So're you."
An extra hard thrust, and there were no more words, just the touch, taste, scent, feel and grunts of Jack O'Neill. Her own wordless exclamations mixed in with his until she was lost to everything but the sensations he was producing.
When she recovered, he rolled them and continued, his eyes boring into hers. She twined her arms around his neck, wrapped her legs around his waist, and then bit his shoulder when he was close.
"Mine."
She wasn't sure which of them had said it, and didn't really care, because he was arching one last time, crying out and falling onto her seconds later.
They lay in the aftermath, the air cooling the sweat on their skins until Sam shifted and poked his shoulder, "You're heavy."
"You weren't complaining last night." He pointed out, shifting so she could slide out from under him.
"I wasn't hungry last night."
His arm draped across her waist, the hand cupping her breast. "Ooo. Food."
"Food is important, Jack."
"Yup." He leaned in and kissed the breast he was fondling, then her jaw.
"This isn't helping."
"No?" He smirked and kissed her cheek.
"No." And Sam sat up, a bit regretful, but determined. "There are --"
A knock on the door interrupted her, and Daniel's voice called through the door. "Hey, if you two are done having sex, there are some people who want to see you."
Sam looked down at the two of them and chuckled softly. "We should probably get dressed."
"Damn." He reached out and stroked her thigh. "Ya sure?"
"Jack. Why is it so fascinating for you to touch every inch of my body?"
"Because it's Carter skin," he explained.
"Ah." She leaned over and kissed his nose. "Up, Mr. Carter."
"Yes, Mrs. O'Neill."
-=-
Three Weeks Later.
Sam didn't stop going through the gate. Jack didn't resign. Daniel and Teal'c mocked them daily. The SGC as a whole was disturbed by the suddenly snarky duo it had obtained. Back when she wasn't allowed to answer back, they'd all assumed Lieutenant Colonel Carter was simply too boring (and polite).
Now they knew better.
General Hammond and the USAF and the President all signed off on the affadavit allowing the two officers to fraternise. After all, they did kind of need the Asgard as allies.
And SG-1 gained a fourth member as the SGC reclaimed Jonas Quinn from the Kelownans.
There were arguments.
The Kelownans were certain that the SGC couldn't *possibly* need Jonas as much as they did. The SGC made it a stipulation: no new contracts, no help, no disclosures, no defense against the Goa'uld. Jonas was returned to his former team.
-=-
The Day After The Sex.
"Pete."
"Hey, Sam." He was smiling.
They'd arranged to meet in the park, she couldn't really remember why anymore. Of all the things she had done in the past 48 hours, this was going to be the hardest. Which was funny, she thought whimsically, she used to think this would be easy.
"Buy you an ice cream?"
"Nah."
He blinked, "Watching your figure?" His eyes traveled up and down her body.
It was funny, but she used to like being looked at by Pete. Now, well... Now it was just kind of irritating. Definitely Jack's fault. "No. I just. Pete." Oh so difficult. "You're a really nice guy --"
"Oooh." He held up a hand. "I've heard this one before. It's not me, it's you, right?"
"What?"
"You are breaking up with me, right?"
"Yes." The truth might hurt, but it was easier than lying. Besides, she was a married woman now. And wasn't *that* disturbing?
His face fell.
She wanted to tell him she was sorry, but there really wasn't anything to apologize for. It wasn't her fault he hadn't been the father of her children. The thought made her vaguely hysterical, but she didn't dwell on it. "Pete, I didn't want to hurt you. I'm sorry."
What a cliche.
"Yeah." He looked at her, "Just tell me one thing. Does he make you happy?"
"Who?"
"O'Neill."
She blushed at the certainty in his voice. "Am I that transparent?"
"No." He reached out and touched her cheek. "I'm a detective, Sam. I study human nature. And I might have wanted to ignore it, but it doesn't mean I didn't see it. You're both opaque, intensely opaque. And Dr. Jackson said something once about you two being complicated."
"Ah." Reaching up her hand, she caught his. "I think he can make me happy."
"Good." He kissed her gently, a bittersweet touch of lips. "We could have been good."
"I know." But she didn't say it until he was gone, and the sky was fading towards sunset. And there was dinner to get back to make, and children to put to bed. And a hundred responsibilities she didn't want.
But would shoulder, as she always shouldered them.
-=-
Three Weeks On.
Actually, the first three weeks were a nightmare. Sam and Jack argued constantly over whose house the kids would stay at, where they would live, everything down to who got to pay the electric bill (they chopped it in half, but Jack insisted on paying the gas, because Sam used so much damn water when she took a shower). It ended up being his, since he had more room. The kids seemed to think they were highly amusing when they argued, although sometimes they got very quiet.
Half the time there were emergencies and Sam had to stay on base. Jack was more glad than ever that Cassandra was home for break, since she seemed to take to the kids without a problem (they got an earful about getting married without her, but she let it slide. Mostly). And he tried to be there to tuck them into bed at night.
During week three, the children were officially acknowledged as the adoptive children of General O'Neill and Lieutenant Colonel Carter. Their names went down into the SGC database as Eleanor, Andrew and Isabel. Or, as they quickly became known to the entire base as a whole, Ellie, Drew and Izzy.
Jonas readily fell into the scheme of part-time kid-sitter, especially since he could use the computer in the house to work on his equations and ideas. And the novel he was writing about life on Kelowna (three publishing companies were interested in his 'researched culture' novel).
SG-1 stayed on their light-duty mission roster, both the General and the Colonel agreeing that (for now) the children needed the stability of both of them being on Earth.
Not that they weren't sometimes needed.
Once the formalities were finished, the kids would be added to the roster of the SGC's day care (a thriviing facility). But until then, they were stuck with baby-sitting duty, and a never-ending roster of volunteers.
-=-
After one particularly boring mission, Dr. Brightman, the new SGC Chief Medical Officer, discovered an anomaly in the Colonel's blood. Since the woman had been just a little snippy for the past two or three weeks, she briefly considered *not* testing further. But then, the scientist in Brightman took hold. (also a sneaking suspicion that Nurse Rush had mumbled about at one point, but Brightman would never admit to that).
The results sent her off to the Colonel's lab, where she knocked on the door.
"Colonel?" Dr. Brightman looked hesitant.
Looking up from her experiment, Sam smiled softly, "What is it, doctor?"
Straightening as if for a firing squad, the doctor stepped into her lab and held out a folder. "I took the liberty of running this twice, once I noticed the anomaly and ran it the first time."
Accepting the folder, Sam stared at the paper for a moment before her mind caught up with her eyes. Then she reread it.
"He is SO dead."
Various people dodged out of her way as she stalked through the base. By the time she hit the floor the General's office was on, word had gone ahead. There was no one in the way, and Walter held the door open for her, then shut it softly.
The General was on the red phone, talking jovially. "Why, no Mr. President, I didn't know that."
Sam reached across the desk, snagged the phone and said calmly, "I'm sorry, Mr. President, General O'Neill is going to have to call you back." Then she hung it up.
"Carter--"
A piece of paper was shoved in his face. "This is your fault."
"What --" his voice stopped, and he stared. "This is... Well, it explains why you've been so cranky lately."
"Cranky?"
"Well, yeah." He leaned back in his chair and eyed her, "And irritated and annnoyed and --"
"If you want to live, Jack O'Neill, you won't say another word."
"And leave your children fatherless?"
"I'm told three-quarters of the men on this planet want to date me, I'm sure one of them would work." She tilted her head, considering, "Feretti, for instance."
He glared. "Carter, Feretti is NOT raising my children."
She crossed her arms and glared back, "Did you think three kids wasn't enough, Jack?"
"Hey, there were *two* of us involved here." He pointed out.
"So there were." For just a moment, she remenisced on the activities which had caused her current predicament. Then she glared at him.
They were interrupted by the red phone ringing. "I have to take this, Carter."
"Fine."
"Hello?" The General listened for a moment, then smiled weakly, "Yes, Mr. President, I'm aware of that."
"Give me that," She snatched the phone away again. "Mr. President, hi."
"Colonel Carter, you are aware that this leniency of the regulations regarding --"
"Mr. President." Her voice was calm. Really. "I appreciate your thoughtful words, but right at the moment, Earth is not at stake, and I don't give a damn. Now, if you want to talk to me about an impending court-martial tomorrow, feel free to do so."
She handed the phone back to Jack and turned, "You're sleeping on the couch tonight."
"What, but --"
At the door she turned and looked at him. "I'm aware I'm acting irrationally, Jack. But this... this is just too fucking much."
-=-
"Mama?" The soft voice dragged Sam from her dreams, and she opened her eyes to find Ellie standing next to her side of the bed.
"What is it?"
"Had a nightmare." The little girl looked at her with wide eyes, "Uncle Danny and Teal'c were bein' chased by ghouls. And then, and then..." She trailed off and blinked. "Where's daddy?"
"Aw, baby," Sam dragged herself up and reached over to hug her daughter. "I'm sorry you got scared by the stories Uncle Danny's been telling you." For which a certain archeologist would be so dead. "And, uh, your father's asleep on the couch."
"Oh." Small arms came around her neck, "Won't he be lonely and scared there?"
I hope so, she thought uncharitably. But if she were being truthful, she'd been lonely in the big empty bed. She sighed, "Maybe he is. You want to check?"
"Drew's gone, too."
He was? For just a moment, Sam considered the hundred thousand possibilities. NID, any enemies either of them had made, CIA, FBI... half a dozen world governments who would love to have the children of the Asgard (not that anyone knew). Then she throttled the paranoia down. "Maybe he's with daddy?" They'd put the kids in the spare room, with Isabel in the master bedroom. Until they found a house that was big enough. They needed to expand their search now.
"Maybe."
Sam stood then scooped up the four-year-old. A sound from Isabel's crib made them stop and she eyed the awake child who stared at them. "You too, huh?"
Izzy gurgled and held out her arms to be picked up.
Shifting Ellie to one hip, Sam reached in and scooped up the toddler. Then with both girls in her arms she headed out for the living room.
The sight in the living room made her lips curve into a smile. Jack had evidently remembered that his couch was a horrible place to sleep and had piled the cushions on the floor, added some blankets, and bunked down. Drew had apparently decided to join him at some point, but he wasn't asleep. He was very carefully poking Jack in the nose. Every so often, the rhythm of Jack's snoring would halt, his nose would twitch, and he'd shift. Apparently, Drew thought it was the funniest thing ever because he would wait until the rhythm was established again, and then poke. And then giggle softly, bouncing on a cushion.
As if their appearance was a cue, Drew poked Jack's nose extra hard.
"Ow. What the --" The sleepy murmur paused as Jack's eyes opened. He stared up at his son. "Hey, you."
Grinning widely, the kid reached out and grabbed Jack's nose. "Honk." He announced.
"Yeah. Real cute, kid."
Unable to stop her chuckle, Sam saw him tense, then his gaze shifted to her. "Hi."
"Hi."
"I had a nightmare," Ellie announced.
"Oh?" Raising an eyebrow, Jack reached for Drew, tickling him gently.
"Uncle Danny has been telling her about adventures against the ghoul," Sam informed him, stepping around the couch.
"Really."
"Yes."
"Ghouls are evil." Ellie said firmly. She didn't protest when Sam set her down, a yawn sneaking its way out.
"Yes they are. Smart kid, Carter. She must get that from you."
"Mm. Maybe." Sam carefully got onto her knees and off-loaded Isabel into Jack's arms then settled Drew on his side and grabbed another blanket.
"This mean you're not angry anymore?" His arm snaked around her, pulling her against him.
Sam leaned her head against his shoulder, chuckling as Isabel slid a bit before falling asleep on both of them. Ellie snuggled into her side. "I'm angry at both of us."
"Ah." His hold tightened.
"We should have used protection."
"Hindsight, Carter."
"I know." She grumbled, "This floor is cold."
"Hey, did I demand you sleep on it?"
"The kids are asleep, we can't move or they'll never go back to it."
"Guess you're stuck, then."
"Yeah." She turned her face so she could almost see his. "I love you."
"This fast?"
"No." She closed her eyes. "Go to sleep, you ass."
"Yes, ma'am."
There was little movement for a time, and then suddenly, "You, too."
Smiling slightly at the strangely serious tone of his voice, Sam rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. "Good night, Jack."
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"The Asgard apologize for the unorthodox method we have used to procure the future of the human race, however, we were not certain that it would ever occur naturally."
Best line ever! The Asgard are snarky as.
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Awwwwwwwww man, too cute. *feels ashamed* But they're so cute! Hee! Hee!
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Hee! I always thought so!
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....CRAP!
....will return and ravish this fic with my eyes and then send you beautiful comments of omfg, i love you forever comments....probably tonight. :CRIZ:
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Thor is such the shipper. Go Thor!
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After spoilers and that damn post of EVILNESS at nos' journal....yes. This was needed with extra sugar and caffeine and snark. Yay.
Then he settled, a strangely smug look in his eyes. "So. Mrs. O'Neill, feel like having your brains fucked out?" "Again?" She smirked, "I thought you'd never ask, Mr. Carter."
BEST MOMENT EVER. Yay. That was ... yes. YAY. Hyper WONDERFULNESS. Mr. Carter. HEEE. "Mr. Turtle is My Father!"
Daniel was snickering at them, Teal'c looked smug. And General Hammond looked, well, disturbed. Thor was nowhere to be seen.
*dies of laugh*
"Uh, Carter, does this mean you agree to be the mother of my children?" She eyed him, "I don't recall you asking." "Oh." "Jack, will you be the father of my children?" "Aren't I already?" "No." She shook her head, suddenly disturbed at her own ability to throw everything to the wind and hope for the best. But the children needed stability, and she'd be damned if she let the Nox have them. "Will you marry me?"
Okay, it's sap but it's WONDERFUL BEAUTIFUL SAP. *licks it, makes it into syrup and eats it with waffles* HA! YAY.
Poor Lya. :giggles:
"Mine." She wasn't sure which of them had said it, and didn't really care, because he was arching one last time, crying out and falling onto her seconds later.
I have to say...possessively saying "mine" at any point in fluff, smut, angst, etc is my favorite fic cliche. It's just...Yes. Right. and Good. And a Joyful Thing. ;) Mmm. :grins widely:
JONAS! YOU SAVED HIM! :cuddles lyssie:
I love the children's names and they're cute as hell. But I'm glad that you're letting them have their own biological children too...eeep.
Thor, buddy, you're the man.
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Thor is a sneaky sneaky alien.
Thanks. :)
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But, but... it could happen, damnit... *scuffs toe*
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Indeed he is. *loves Thor* We should bribe him or something.
You're welcome. :)
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*snuggles*
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And, yes. More. Because I have that little bit with Ellie and the dead fish, and should probably do some more background bits. And maybe mention why the NID aren't interested in the new Children of the Asgard...
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And I like the idea of them not having a clear answer to "Are you Carter, O'Neill or Carter-O'Neill?"... because, uh... Carter and O'Neill shouldn't be hyphenated, yo.
Besides. If Jack can call her 'Mrs.' she can call him 'Mr.'... er.
And of course I saved Jonas. And Lya doesn't need the stress of three children with Sam and Jack's DNA. And Thor is so evil, dude. And, and...
Glad you liked it. ;)
*smoooochesnuggles*
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A Thor/Teal'c alliance would bring the ship to port in no time. *g*
I could read sap like that every day and still ask for more. Thank you. :)
Pour it on!
Hey, I went to Catholic highschool, so I'm all about accepting blame. Heap it on, 'cause I can take it. *eg* And we're not out of sweet potato casserole yet, so bring on the fluff.
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SO LOVED IT, you turkey. :)
*cuddlesback,omfg!*
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And. Dude. Am not a turkey.. am.. a sapsnake. Or. Something.
And I totally say omfg! all the time now. It disturbed my brother last night...
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Thor, by the way, is very damn hard to write. Because unlike a human, he has, y'know, logic... arrr!
But he likes classicotp. so. hrm.
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Sap + sex = "OMFG, this is so good" reaction from me.
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*pokes S/J* C'mon, you two. You need to be well-rested so I can talk out fic on the drive back...
Re: Pour it on!
I'll heap it on, never fear.
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I think I could just about die happy now. Gloriously sappy. And for some reason the implausibility didn't even occur to me.
Thanks for this. :)
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Thank you.
I'm still highly disturbed at writing this sap, but, er... sigh.
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