AUTHORS NOTES: Well this is it, the final chapter. When I started the series, I didn’t think it would turn out to be quite so big, thanks for reading it! Huge thanks to my two beta gal's, Kes and Jenn, and Sue for her medical input.
DEDICATION: To Kes and Jenn for sticking with me and beta’ing every part as well as giving me encouragement and honest opinions. To Sue for ensuring that the series was medically sound. Last, but by no means least, to everyone who sent feedback. I never would have got this finished without your constant support. A special thanks to Tan for pushing me to get this part finished.
FEEDBACK: Very much appreciated and cherished.
~~o0o~~
Jack walked along the sand, enjoying the sights and sounds of the ocean. He hadn’t been to the beach in years. It was great to have some time off to just relax. He looked further up the beach and saw his wife and son building a sand castle. It had been Sam’s idea to go on vacation. He’d finished the physiotherapy on his leg, had all the neurological exams they could think of and was clear to go on active duty as soon as he wanted to, but Jack had asked for some leave so he could spend some time with his family.
It still caused his heart to constrict painfully when he thought of
all he’d almost missed out on. All of Adam’s ‘firsts’. The
chance of having another baby with Sam, something they’d talked a lot about
since he’d been injured. He would have missed Janet and Daniel’s
upcoming wedding; missed out on being there for his friend like Daniel
had been there for him on his own wedding day.
He picked up a stick and threw it into the surf, watching as Jerry
bounded in after it. Stick firmly between his teeth, Jerry left the
water and ran ahead of Jack to where Sam and Adam sat. Jack heard
a squeal and looked up to see the dog was shaking water all over them.
Jack grinned, picking up the pace so he could reach his family.
“What are you two up to?” he asked, sitting down in the sand.
Adam promptly crawled over to him, babbling away.
“Hi, Adam. Are you building sandcastles with Mommy?”
The little boy giggled, crawling back over to Sam and destroying the castle she was building. The sand building collapsed, making the little boy squeal.
“I see he’s got my destructive nature already,” Jack quipped, obviously proud of his son.
"And you're obviously worried about that," Sam replied, grinning.
Jack chuckled, grabbing Adam's hand just before he put a handful of sand in his mouth. "No, Adam."
Sam grimaced. "He's been trying to put everything in his mouth all afternoon. I think he might be teething."
Jack lifted Adam up to eye level. "Are you getting a tooth, little man?" he asked.
The baby squealed, blowing raspberries in reply. "He's not grumpy enough to be teething," Jack told his wife. "Charlie was unbearable every time he cut a new tooth."
"Something else to look forward to, huh?"
He laughed. "Come on. It's almost time for this little man's dinner and then I'm having an evening in with a beautiful woman."
Sam started gathering their things together. "Is that so? I guess that means you and I are being kicked out for the night, Adam."
"Your mom thinks she's funny, doesn't she?" he asked his son, getting to his feet. "You wanna go play in the water on the way back?"
"Jack," Sam warned. "I don't like him being near the surf."
"We're just going to put a toe in, aren't we Adam. He likes it." He gave Sam a reassuring smile and headed toward the water.
Sam watched, a little unsure as Jack took Adam down to the water's edge. He lowered his son so that his feet were touching the sand and then waited as the wave broke and the water came toward them. As soon as the water touched Adam's feet he squealed, kicking as hard as he could so the water splashed everywhere.
The water receded and Adam looked up at his father, as if to ask where it went. Then another wave broke and he laughed again, kicking the water with all his might. They played for a few more minutes, before Sam told them it was time to head back to the beach house.
They wandered back along the beach, taking their time so they could enjoy the fresh air and warmth of the late afternoon sun. Once they got back to the house, Sam decided that Adam needed a bath before he had dinner. That in itself turned out to be an experience.
"What's going on in here?" Jack asked, having heard squealing, laughing and grumbling from down the stairs.
"Who taught him to splash in the water?" Sam asked, looking down at her saturated shirt. She looked back to her son who was laughing, kicking his feet in the bath and splashing water everywhere.
"How come it's always my fault?" Jack asked, feigning innocence.
"Because it usually is," she returned, giving up on trying to bathe her son. She lifted him out of the water, much to his displeasure. Jack was ready with a towel and she handed him over before she started the task of cleaning up the bathroom.
"Did you have fun splashing Mommy?" Jack asked his son, wiping him dry.
"Not just Mommy," Sam grumbled. "I only cleaned this bathroom this morning. Doing it again wasn't exactly on my list of things to do on our last night here."
"I'll clean it up. You take him and get him dressed. His dinner's in the microwave."
A little dubious of her husband's cleaning skills, Sam nonetheless did as he said and took her son into the nursery to dress him. She chose his 'Daddy's Little Fisherman' playsuit, knowing how much Jack loved it. Then she left Jack to his chore and headed down the stairs.
"What do you want for dinner, little man?" she asked her son, placing him in his highchair.
She walked over to the microwave, pulling out the bowl of pureed potato and pumpkin. "Oh, look, Adam. Daddy made your favorite."
Adam squealed, banging on the top of his highchair in delight. Sam smiled, wondering if he actually understood any of what she was saying. She knew that he wasn't supposed to associate words yet, but sometimes she wondered if her son was indeed gifted.
"Okay," she said, pulling up a chair to sit in front of him. "Here we go."
*****
"The fresh air obviously worked wonders," Jack told his wife as he walked down the stairs. "He's out like a light."
Sam looked up from her book and smiled. "With all the energy he burned today, I'm not surprised." She smiled as Jack sat beside her, her eyes automatically eying his bare chest. She loved it when he walked around with his shirt unbuttoned and, if the little grin he wore was anything to go by, he knew it as well.
He moved so he could lie on the sofa and she moved her book so he could rest his head in her lap. He didn't say anything, so she started reading again. As much as she tried though, she could no longer concentrate. She put her book aside and looked down at him as he let out a long sigh.
"What's on your mind?" she asked, raking her fingers though his hair.
He sighed again, rolling onto his back so he could look up at her. "I guess I'm a little worried about going back to work," he told her.
"That's to be expected after what happened to you," she assured him, stroking his forehead.
"It's more than that, Sam. I don't know if I want to keep going out there."
Her eyes widened in shock. "You want to quit?"
He looked away from her. "I don't know. It's just... I don't know if I can keep going out there and risking myself. I don't know if I can handle losing another team member." He looked back up at her. "I don't know if I can handle the thought of you going through this again."
They were silent for a while, each lost in there own thoughts. Finally, Jack reached up and grasped the hand that was stroking his forehead. "You haven't told me what you think I should do."
Sam sighed. “I love you, Jack, and I don’t ever want to see you hurt, you know that. But I also don’t want to see you resenting me for making you stop something that you love doing. That would probably hurt me more.”
“What are you saying, Sam? You want me to keep going out there?”
“I want it to be your decision. I’ll support you either way, Jack. It has to be up to you.”
He nodded, opening her hand and kissing the palm. Of course he'd known that she would support any decision he made, but it was still reassuring to hear it.
Sam sighed, running a hand over his chest, playing with the fine hair she found there. "I wish we didn't have to go back."
"We could retire and move here," he suggested, moving to kiss her wrist. "You could become a professional sandcastle builder."
Sam chuckled quietly, shivering slightly when Jack kissed the sensitive skin on the inside of her arm, flicking his tongue out to taste her flesh. "We're going to bed soon, right?" she murmured.
Jack chuckled. "Didn't think you'd cave this easily."
"They never covered this form of torture in basic training," she replied.
He sat up. "Go on then, I'll lock up and be right behind you."
*****
It was a reluctant family that returned to Colorado Springs the next afternoon. Even Adam seemed disappointed and fussed the whole way home. Sam was more than a little relieved when he finally went down for a nap. Walking quietly out of the nursery, she entered her bedroom and got to work unpacking her bags. Most of the clothes went into the hamper and her toiletries went into the bathroom. She grabbed one of the satin negligees she hadn't worn long enough to dirty, placing it in her underwear drawer. It was then that she spotted the rectangle pack peaking out from under her panties. She paused, having forgotten that it was there.
"Sam?" Jack called from the door, and she jumped.
"What's up?" she asked, quickly closing the drawer and turning to look at him.
"Just wanted to ask what you want to do about dinner," he told her, looking at her closely. "Are you okay?"
She nodded quickly, reaching for her bag and stashing it in the closet. "I guess I'm tired from all the traveling."
He nodded. "I know the feeling. Why don't I just get some take-out for dinner?"
"That'll be fine," she agreed. "I think it'll be an early night. Especially since you have to report for duty in the morning."
He grimaced. "Don't remind me."
She smiled, holding out a hand to him. "Come on, let's order dinner and then we can relax."
He took her hand and led her out of the room.
*****
As tired as she was, Sam hardly slept that night. She couldn't stop thinking about the package in her underwear drawer. She'd put it from her mind during their vacation, sure that stress had been the cause of her symptoms, but now she wasn't so sure.
The next morning she rose feeling more tired than when she'd gone to bed. Jack was already coming out of the bathroom, giving her a good morning kiss, before he started to dress. She decided that a shower was the only way she was going to feel remotely human, and headed into the bathroom. When she got out of the bathroom, Jack was on his way out of the room and she could here Adam crying through the baby monitor.
"I'll grab him," he assured her, and left to get his son.
Sam watched him leave before looking over to her underwear drawer. She knew she'd have at least a few minutes while Jack tended to Adam, so she hurried over and rummaged around for the package. She hurried back into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, before emptying the contents. Grabbing the instructions, she read them carefully, wanting to ensure that she did this properly. Once she was sure she knew what she was doing, she took a deep breath and did as the instructions said.
“Sam?” Jack called as he walked into the bedroom.
Sam’s head shot up and she raced out of the bathroom, pulling the door closed behind her. “Hey! What’s up?” she asked.
“I’m gonna head off to work now.” He looked at her for a moment, taking in her flushed face and the fact that she wouldn’t look him in the eye. “You okay?”
She nodded. “You’re going in early,” she replied, trying not to look nervous.
“I thought I might have a talk with Hammond, just see what he has to say.” He wrapped his arms around her. “You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine,” she replied, moving to kiss him goodbye. “I’m going into work for a couple of hours later, so I’ll probably see you.”
“Okay, bye,” he replied and left the room.
Sam let out the breath she’d been holding and raced back into the bathroom. She looked at her watch and saw she had twenty seconds to go. She watched the stick, praying for it to hurry up and do its thing. Then she watched as the blue dot appeared and she grinned in delight.
*****
Jack went straight to the General’s office when he got to the Base, knocking on the open door to announce his presence. “Ah, General? Could I talk to you?”
“Certainly, Colonel. Take a seat.” He waited for the younger man to lower himself into the chair on the opposite side of his desk. "How was your vacation?"
"It was great, Sir, thanks for asking."
Hammond nodded, noticing that Jack seemed to want to get to the point. “What’s on your mind?”
“My career, Sir.” Jack sighed. “I’m not sure I can do this anymore. I’m not sure I can put my family through it.”
“Are you saying you want out, Jack?”
“I don’t know, Sir. I guess I just want to know what my options are.”
“Have you talked to Sam?”
Jack nodded. “Yeah. She said that it has to be up to me. She doesn’t want me to quit for her.” He looked at the older man in front of him. “Sir, I’m too worried about getting hurt now. That’s not an acceptable feeling to have out in the field. I don’t want my son to grow up without a father and I don’t want Sam to have to go through the pain of losing me. If I keep going like this, then it’ll get either myself or a member of my team killed.”
Hammond was silent for a few moments, considering what to tell the man before him. “You know, Jack. I’ve been thinking about my career lately as well. I’ve gotten to the age where I should be taking it easy; spending time with my grandchildren, not holed up twenty eight floors under a mountain. I’ve seriously been considering retirement. The only thing stopping me was the thought of who would take over command. Now, if I knew that someone who could be trusted would take over here, I think I’d do it.”
“What are you saying, Sir?” Jack asked, hardly believing his ears.
“I guess I’m asking if you’d be interested in taking command of the SGC. It would mean you could still be involved, but you wouldn’t be putting yourself in the front-line.”
Jack stared at him for a moment. “But who takes over isn’t your decision.”
Hammond smiled. “Don’t you worry about that, son. Just think about what you want to do and let me know.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Jack replied, getting to his feet. He had a lot to think about, but he felt better knowing that he had another option to retiring. 'Base Commander?' he thought to himself, and couldn't help but grin at the thought.
*****
Sam poked her head around the door into the infirmary, seeing that Janet was alone. “Janet?”
Janet looked up and noticed her friend. “Hey, Sam. How was your trip?"
"It was great, thanks."
Janet frowned. "Okay, so you obviously didn't come to see me to talk about that. What can I do for you?”
“Do you think you could, ah... give me a blood test?” Sam asked.
Janet frowned at this. “A blood test? Is something wrong?”
“No, not wrong. It’s just... the stick went blue.”
Janet’s brows knitted in confusion. “The stick...” Suddenly realization dawned. “You’re pregnant!”
“Shh! Not so loud,” Sam chastised, looking around. “I think I might be. I've missed a couple of periods and the home pregnancy test was positive.”
Janet grinned. “This is so exciting!” She paused, looking at Sam. “It is, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is,” Sam assured her, grinning.
"Well, let's draw some blood and I'll put a rush on it. There's not much going on so I should have the results this afternoon."
"Great!"
*****
"Hey, Baby," Jack greeted, as he stood at the door of her lab.
She looked up and smiled when she spotted him, putting what she was working on down and getting to her feet. "Hi there. How's your day been?"
He rolled his eyes. "All I've done is paperwork. That and going through personnel records to find..."
Her eyes softened and she reached out to squeeze his hand. "How's it going?"
He shrugged. "Most of the candidates are too green for my liking. I'd forgotten how lucky I was getting Brett after you had to stop going through the 'Gate."
Her smile was compassionate. She knew that finding a replacement for Brett would take its toll on Jack. He would be reliving the incident time and again, probably wondering how he could have done things differently. They'd been over it and he knew that there had been nothing he could have done, but Sam knew that Jack was a master at self-blame.
"Why don't we go to the commissary?" she suggested. "We could get some cake."
He smiled, squeezing her fingers. "Let's go then."
*****
They sat in the corner of the commissary, talking quietly as they ate their cake. "Adam kicked up the biggest fuss when I left him with Jocelyn this morning," Sam told her husband. "I felt horrible leaving him when he was so upset."
Jack smiled, reaching out and squeezing her hand. "He's just used to having you all to himself over the last few weeks. He'll soon get used to you leaving him again."
She closed her eyes as a wave of nausea rolled over her suddenly. She took a deep breath as it subsided. If she was pregnant, then one good thing was the morning sickness was nowhere near as bad.
"Hey," Jack murmured, squeezing her hand again. "He'll be okay, Baby, don't worry."
Sam opened her eyes, confused for a moment. Then she realized he thought she was upset over leaving Adam. She smiled, squeezing his hand back. "I know."
Jack smiled back at her before glancing at his watch. "I better get back to it," he told her with a grimace. "Come on, I'll walk you back to your lab."
*****
Sam was hard at work later that afternoon, trying to dismantle a gadget that SG-7 had retrieved. Concentrating hard, she jumped when the phone in her lab rang, her heart skipping a beat before it began racing. She reached across and grabbed the receiver. "Carter."
"Hey, Sam, it's me," Janet's voice sounded. "Wanna come to my office?"
"I'm on my way." She replaced the receiver and just sat there for a moment, taking a few deep breaths. Her emotions were all over the place. She was nervous at the possibility of being pregnant, after all that had happened with Adam. But at the same time she knew she'd be devastated if she wasn't.
Getting to her feet, she made herself walk out of the lab and down the corridor to the infirmary. She paused once more outside Janet's office before walking in and closing the door behind her. She sat down before looking up at her friend and the look on Janet's face gave her the results. "Really?"
Janet nodded, smiling widely. "Congratulations."
“How far?” Sam asked, beaming.
“Twelve weeks.” She gave Sam a pointed look. “I did the math, Sam. That was when Jack was injured. Tell me you didn’t do anything while he was in the hospital?”
Sam thought hard for a moment and then grinned. “We didn’t!” she promised. “It was before he went on that mission. About thirty minutes before,” she added, giggling as she remembered seducing him in the living room.
“How do you know exactly when?” Janet asked, curious.
Sam raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Janet. Adam was five months old. We weren’t exactly jumping each other every minute of the day.” She grinned. “Besides, it was so amazing. Kinda stuck in my head.”
Janet grinned. "I'm so happy for you, for both of you. You guys deserve it after the last couple of months."
Sam smiled. "I think it's just what we need."
"Well, since you have good news, I guess I should tell you mine."
"You're pregnant?!" Sam asked, thinking how great it would be to be able to share that time with her friend.
"Well, no, but Daniel and I have decided to start trying."
"That's great, Janet! I take it you talked to Cassie?"
Janet nodded. "She was really excited about the idea. I guess I should have listened to you in the first place."
Sam's grin widened. "And I bet Daniel's thrilled with the prospect."
"He's already planning on how we're going to convert the study into a nursery," Janet replied, with a chuckle.
Sam sighed in content. "Things are really looking up again, aren't they?"
"We deserve it, Sam. Everyone here could use some happiness."
Sam only nodded her agreement, her thoughts immediately going to Lucy. "Have you heard from her?" she asked, sure that Janet would know who she was talking about.
"Not for a few weeks."
"I wish I'd been able to support her more," Sam admitted.
"Sam, you were trying to deal with the possibility your husband was going to die. I'm sure she understood that."
"I hope so."
*****
Both Sam and Jack were pensive later that evening. They were both preoccupied with their own news and how they were going to broach the subject with their spouse. It wasn't until they'd put Adam down for the evening that Sam decided to find out what had happened.
"You haven't said how your meeting with General Hammond went," she prompted, while they were cleaning up in the kitchen.
Jack sighed, throwing the dishcloth in the sink and turning to look at her. "It was kinda weird, actually."
"Weird how?"
"He asked me how I felt about taking over command."
Sam's eyes widened. "Of the SGC?"
He nodded. "Yeah. He's been thinking about retiring and wanted to know if I'd want to take his place."
"What did you say?" she asked.
He nodded toward the living room. Once they were comfortably seated on the sofa he spoke again. "I told him I'd think about it," he eventually answered.
"And have you?"
He nodded. "A little. I'm just not sure I'm commander material."
She smiled at him. "Yes, you are, Jack. Admittedly, your diplomacy is sometimes a little..."
"Non-existent?" he questioned with a grin.
"Rusty," she countered, with a smile of her own. "But you care about the people under your command and you're not out to screw over everyone we meet."
"You really think I can do this?" he asked.
"I know you can, Jack. The only thing you need to ask yourself is if you think you can handle not being on the frontline."
"I think I can," he told her. "A year ago, I'd have said there was no way, but things have changed." He shrugged. "Maybe I've finally grown up."
Sam chuckled and hugged him tight. "Does this mean you've decided?"
"I think I have. As long as you're gonna be okay with it."
"Of course I am, Jack. I have to admit that I'll find it easier not having to worry if you're gonna come home or not."
"I love you, Sam. You and Adam are the most important things in my life and I can't keep risking that."
She shook her head. "Don't do it for us, Jack. You have to do it for yourself."
He gave her a squeeze. "I am," he assured her. "I'll be able to watch my son grow, spend more time with my wife." He grinned. "Maybe make another baby with her..."
Sam grinned back at him and opened her mouth to tell him the news. Then she closed it again. She knew the perfect time to give him that piece of information.
*****
Hammond stood in front of the Stargate, behind the lectern that had been placed there for the ceremony. He looked out over the sea of faces that had been under his command for over six and a half years. It wasn't how it was supposed to be. He had been told that his last command would be a short one, babysitting a top secret artifact until they could figure out what to do with it. Then he'd retire. Even though it didn't go to plan, Hammond certainly didn't regret his time commanding the SGC. He was certain that he'd commanded the nation's best men and women and he was proud of them all. They'd had hard times, sure, but the way they always banded together was something he was proud of.
His eyes moved to where SG-1, in its original form, stood and his smile widened. They were a special group within a special group, he decided. Perhaps the uniqueness of their make-up was what held them apart from all of the other teams, he wasn't sure. But it couldn't be denied that they were special to him, both professionally and personally.
"In conclusion," he continued through his speech. "It has been an honor to work with each and every one of you and I am sure you will make your new commanding officer as proud as you have me." He looked toward his aide and she nodded that she was ready. "I do have one last item of business before I hand over command. Could Colonel O'Neill please step forward?"
Jack moved from his position next to his wife, to walk up the ramp and stand beside the General. He looked back toward Sam, who was smiling proudly.
Hammond held up a letter and read from it. "From the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, in recognition of Colonel Jonathon O'Neill's continued and outstanding dedication to his nation and Earth, I hereby authorize his immediate promotion to the rank of Brigadier General."
There were several murmurs as people realized what this may mean. It was confirmed after Hammond pinned the gold star on each of Jack's shoulders. He turned back to the Base personnel and smiled. "I would like to introduce my successor and your new Commanding Officer, General O'Neill."
Colonel Griff asked the rest of the Base to come to attention and ordered them to salute their commander. Jack returned the gesture and ordered them at ease.
"I really am a man of few words," he assured them. "And I am honored to be able to command such a dedicated group of people. I believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it and as such have no plans to turn this Base upside down. I would like to get together with each team leader at some stage, but you will be informed when I want to see you. I hope together we can continue to protect our country and our planet against those threats that are out there."
He stepped back from the lectern and the Base erupted into applause. He smiled and stepped forward once more. "There will be a party for those not on duty at O'Malley's to bid farewell to General Hammond. I hope you will all attend."
*****
Sam and Jack headed home to change out of their uniforms and get ready for the farewell party. They entered the house and Sam turned to Jack as he closed the door behind them. He smiled when he spotted her watching him, taking her in his arms and kissing her soundly.
Once they finally came up for air, Sam smiled and ran a finger over each star. “Congratulations, General.”
“Thank you, Major,” he replied, returning her grin.
Her smile softened as she looked up at him. “I’m so proud of you.”
Jack chuckled. “You might be singing a different tune when I’ve been on-world for a while.”
“I think I can handle it.” She gave him a quick kiss. “I’ve got a present for you.”
“Really? What is it?” He looked around the living room.
“Well you can’t actually have it for another six months. I have to keep it ‘til then.”
“Why?” he asked, confused.
Sam laughed. “Because a woman has to keep it for nine months before anyone else can see it.”
Jack’s brows furrowed together as he tried to work out what she was talking about. Suddenly his eyes widened and he looked at her. “Nine months... you’re pregnant?!”
She nodded, a smile threatening to split her face. “Yeah. You’re going to be a Daddy again.”
Jack pulled her close, hugging her tightly. "Thank you," he murmured.
They simply held each other for a few minutes, before Jack finally pulled away. He looked at her, taking in every detail of her face. "You're okay with this, right, Sam?" he eventually asked.
"I'll admit that I'm a little scared. I guess it's hard not to be after what happened with Adam." She smiled. "But if you're asking whether I want this baby, then the answer is definitely yes."
All Jack could do was smile harder in return.
*****
And I am blessed
Every time I look into my baby's eyes
I think of all the friends who have touched my life
I realize you've given me such peace and happiness
In this world where some have more and some have less
I am loved
And I am blessed
*****
The party had already started when Sam, Jack and Adam arrived. The Base had hired the whole bar for the night, so they'd decided to let Adam join the party as well. Daniel took him almost before they'd gotten in the door, so Sam and Jack were free to mingle with the crowd.
"Can I get my new boss and his wife a drink?" Griff asked them.
"Beer, please," Jack replied and turned to smile at Sam. "And you better get my wife an orange juice."
"Orange juice?" Hammond asked, having approached the couple. "I think there's a dozen bottles of champagne floating around, Sam."
"Sorry, Sir..." She paused at his stern look. "Sorry, it's going to take some time to get used to calling you George," she admitted. "Anyway, I'm not allowed to drink. Doctor's orders."
He smiled and noticed the way her hand had gravitated to her abdomen. "Congratulations."
"Huh?" Griff asked, confused. "What'd I miss?"
"I think you'll find that Major Carter's expecting," Ferretti piped up, slapping Jack on the back. "Well done, Buddy!"
"Hey!" Sam cried. "He got out of this easy! I'm the one who's got to go through that whole labor thing again."
Ferretti smiled and enveloped her in a hug. "Congratulations, Sam," he told her, sincerely.
Hammond stood back and watched as the news spread. The couple was popular with the Base personnel, so it was no surprise that people were lining up to congratulate them. He sighed, sad that this time in his life was now over.
If he'd been asked how he thought things would turn out when he'd first taken over Stargate Command, he'd never have guessed that his 2IC was going to fall in love with his own 2IC, or that the Base CMO would get engaged to their resident archeologist. He'd never have dreamed that they would all become family to him. He loved these people like they were his own children.
No, things certainly hadn't turned out the way he'd thought; they'd turned out better. He looked over at Sam and Jack, seeing the way their hands were joined over her stomach and couldn't help but grin. With another O’Neill on the way, life was going to get a whole lot more interesting and Grandpa George couldn't wait.
THE END