Colonel Jack O'Neill stuck his head into Dr. Daniel Jackson's office. "Hey."
"Hey, yourself." The Archeologist continued to work, staring at the piece of pottery shard he was holding in his one hand and writing on his notepad with the other.
"Got a minute?"
The young man sat the piece down carefully on his desk, put the pencil down and looked at his team chief and best friend. "What's up?"
Jack took the invitation and came into the office. He closed the door behind himself. "Look, I had a thought last night." The Colonel looked a little embarrassed to be there but he plowed on. "It's none of my business, and I may be totally wrong..."
"Yes, Jack."
"Yes what?" O'Neill looked confused now. "It's none of..."
Daniel smiled shyly at him. "No. Yes to your question that you were about to ask. Oh, and thanks for the champagne. It was a very good year."
The Colonel relaxed a little, this was going to be easier than he'd thought. At least Daniel was admitting that it had occurred. "Oh, well. You're welcome and I'm glad." He wandered over to the desk, pulled up a stool and settled his long lean frame on it. "Everything...?"
"Fine Jack. It went uh, fine." Daniel looked at him steadily. "It just proves that you have really good ideas once in a while."
"Good, I'm glad for both of you." He sat there for several minutes as Daniel picked the clay vessel up again and started back to his translation. "Daniel, I think we need to tell Hammond."
Jackson looked up again and considered Jack's words. "Yes, you're probably right. It will cause a shake up in the team's dynamic. Sam and I have talked, and when she does get pregnant, she'll have to stay on base and not go through the Gate with us."
O'Neill nodded. "And when I put my retirement papers in it'll leave him high and dry. We can't do that to George."
"I agree, but are you still going to retire right away?" Daniel looked at him curiously. "I thought you were going to wait as long as you could."
Jack nodded. "It will take some time to find a qualified person to take over here, both as team leader and as Vice Commander." He continued on thoughtfully. "Not that I'll be hard to replace, but George needs to be able to pick and choose." The Colonel looked at his friend. "Are you going to propose?"
"All ready did." Daniel assured him. "But she won't commit to me...I don't know if its me or her experiences with her fianc'ee." He shook his head. "We all have our ghosts, Jack, you know that."
His friend nodded at him. "Yea, I know. She may have been a golden girl in school, but her life wasn't all that easy." Jack shook his head. "I knew a bit about that character, he was an accident waiting to happen and he almost happened to us."
Daniel nodded, playing with the writing utensil.
"When are you going to know?"
"She went to Janet this morning." Daniel replied. "I guess we'll get the test results back in a few days."
Jack nodded. "Just let me know...and if you want, I'll talk to George."
Daniel slipped off his stool and walked over to the coffeepot pouring himself another cup. "I'll ask Sam, since it's her career we're talking about here." He looked at Jack. "She may want to tell him herself." He looked thoughtfully at his Team Chief. "Do you think he'll be upset?"
A light tap on Daniel's door alerted them both to someone wanting admittance. Carter peeked in. "Hi."
"Oh hi. Come on in, Sam. We were just talking..."
She looked at him sideways. "Um hum. And they say women gossip."
Daniel blushed a vivid color. "I'm sorry, Sam..."
"It was my fault, Carter..." Jack jumped in.
"Will you two guys stop all ready!" She shook her head. "It's not a secret here now is it?" Both men shook their heads in silence. Sam laughed. "Holy Hanna, don't look so guilty. It was my idea too, Ya know."
"No," Jack began. "It was my lame idea."
"It isn't a lame idea, and no one talked me into anything I didn't want so stop it both of you." She walked over to the coffeepot and helped herself to a cup. "What were you saying anyway?"
Daniel looked up at her and smiled. "It is a good idea...that's not the problem. Jack thinks we should tell the General so that we can start making plans while you're on restricted duty and then when Jack retires."
"You're right of course. I was thinking of that last night when I got home. Of course, I could not be pregnant or even be able to get pregnant for a while." She shrugged. "I've been on the pill for a long time, after all."
Jack nodded. "Yea, sometimes it takes a while." At the looks the two younger people gave him, he shrugged. "Well, it took Sara and me two years and we were trying...not that you're not trying, but we were trying every night...but you don't have to try...that often...Ya know...if you don't want to, or if you do it's okay, I mean, know what I mean...you do know what I mean... don't Ya?" O'Neill was beginning to develop a glazed expression as he talked himself deeper and deeper into the hole. Sam and Daniel were watching in amusement. He finally stopped when he ran out of breath. "Ya know?"
Sam smiled at her C.O. "Yes, sir. We know."
Daniel looked at him with pity. "Jack, sit down. Have a cup of coffee, for crying out...for Pete's sake." He moved over to the coffeepot and poured two cups then balanced them back to the tabletop he was working at and handed one to Jack and sat the other down by his notebook. He returned to the almost empty Mr. Coffee and started another pot brewing.
"I'll tell him." Carter looked at the two men. "I'm the one who's going to affect the team first." She took a sip of her coffee. "I'm sure he won't take it badly." She smiled fondly, thinking of their General.
A rap on the door caught all of their attentions. General Hammond and Teal'c entered the office. "Good morning people. I was looking for the Colonel and Teal'c thought he might be here." He glanced warmly around at his first team. "You were right again son."
"O'Neill and Majorcarter often both come here first in the morning to get their 'fix'." The big man replied. The Colonel choked on his coffee and Carter thumped him on his back to help him get over the hot liquid's incursion down his esophagus.
Daniel went back to the pot without saying a word and poured another cup. Then he handed it to Hammond. "Your hit, Sir."
The General accepted the cup of coffee with and amused smile. "Thank you, Doctor Jackson. I appreciate it. You all right Colonel?"
"Fine sir," He wheezed. "Just peachy. You wanted to see me sir?"
"Whenever it's convenient, Jack. We just have to discuss replacement personnel for some of the teams." He shook his head sadly. "SG5 and 7 have taken some casualties." He glanced at Daniel. "And we need to consider recruiting some more social scientists. At the rate your department is growing, Doctor Jackson we may need a full time administrator. I don't want to lose you in the field but your responsibilities are growing rapidly here on the base.
Daniel nodded. "I know, it seems I do more paperwork on personnel than I do actual archeological analysis and linguistic translations."
Carter glanced at Daniel and then Jack, then plunged ahead. "General Hammond, I need to speak to you about something also."
Hammond looked at her curiously. "My door is always open to you Major. Would you like to retire to my office...or yours?"
"No Sir. That won't be necessary. My team is aware of the uh, situation and I, I mean well, we..."
Daniel moved over the few steps to stand next to her. She felt him touch her encouragingly on the back but stood silently supportive. He knew she wanted to tell Hammond herself. O'Neill nodded his support from the stool across the table from the young couple.
"Yes Major." Hammond prompted.
"Sir, I just wanted you to know, well, I'm trying to have a baby." There she had said it. The rest just sort of rushed out. "I know it's not quite regular...and I'm probably not even pregnant yet...but, I know you'll need to replace me on the team in due course and I'd like to stay with the SGC in my capacity as a scientist."
Hammond turned to O'Neill, "Colonel?"
"Sir?"
"I assume you already knew about this?" He looked seriously at O'Neill.
"Well, I was aware of the plan." He tried to look innocent and failed miserably.
Hammond glanced around the room as if weighing each man separately. "Then I assume you are willing to accept a substitute. Do you have someone in mind?"
"Oh, yes Sir. Carter has my full support. I mean, well, whatever she wants and of course, what's best for her and the baby." He didn't like the way Hammond was eyeing him. "I didn't have anyone in mind, well...I mean...she kinda decided on her own, but maybe I did suggest.... someone but she...."
"No Colonel, I meant as a replacement on your team." Now, the General was looking at Jack strangely.
"Oh, the team...No, Sir! I mean not yet Sir, but I'm sure we'll select the proper donor...uh, replacement Sir, of course...." Daniel was trying very hard to keep a straight face, Carter was looking at him with a very strange expression and even Teal'c was...well, smiling.
Hammond nodded. "Well, when you decide on a candidate for a temporary replacement let me know so I can take the proper steps to reassign them." He finished the cup of coffee. "Thanks for the 'fix', Doctor Jackson." He turned to go and stopped, looking at Carter. "Major, at your convenience could you come to my office."
"Sir, if you're free now it's very convenient for me." She smiled at the men and sat her coffee cup down by the coffee maker. Sam then joined the General and they left the office library together.
Daniel looked after them worriedly. "That went well...not."
O'Neill nodded at him as he stared at the door. "She couldn't wait for a better moment? Honestly, that girl...uh, woman...whatever."
"You don't think he'll give her a hard time do you?" The younger man frowned with worry. Maybe I should go with them."
"No, Daniel. He won't give her a bad time; he may just ask some questions...which she doesn't have to answer if she doesn't want to. And no, you shouldn't go with them." Jack shook his head firmly. "He's known Carter a long time, since she was a little girl from what I gather. George wouldn't do anything to hurt her, you know that."
Daniel sighed and nodded. "No, he wouldn't. It's just that...."
"Danny, if she doesn't want him to know who the father is, you'll give it away for sure." Jack grinned at him. "In fact, if you're not careful about the way you look at her and treat her, everyone will know anyway. Right now I'll get as many odd looks as you will if not more."
Teal'c had been standing quietly throughout the whole conversation. "I do not understand your culture enough yet, O'Neill. Will this cause trouble for Majorcarter?"
"No, not trouble...though they may be comments made about her and all of us as well." Jack looked over at the big Jaffa. "Most women are usually married when they have a baby; there will be some questions over the paternity of the child."
"That is why you should have been present." Teal'c said firmly. "Then there would have been no doubt."
Daniel looked confused. Jack twitched. "No, Teal'c. There is no doubt, we all know that"
Jackson determined that he would ask Jack later about Teal'c's comment. Then he looked over at his friend. "Just for the record Teal'c, I did ask her to marry me. She refused."
"I see no reason for her refusal Danieljackson." The big man intoned "I find it to be a very suitable match."
"Well, it is up to Sam in the long run." Daniel went back over to pour another cup of coffee.
Major General Hammond and Major Carter entered the General's office. He shut the door after they had both entered. He walked over the couch and indicated she should sit there too. Then he looked at her solemnly. "Samantha..."
"General?"
"Sammi, I hope you know what you're doing."
She had to smile at him. "I know you're concerned for my welfare, General but...sir really it's..."
"None of my damned business." He sighed and sat back. "And you are exactly right. But you're more than just another officer under my command; I'm just a little...apprehensive on your behalf."
"And I appreciate that, sir." She nodded her acceptance of his feelings for her.
"May I ask what precipitated this for you?"
"Yes, sir. I do feel I owe you an explanation." She sat for a moment and gathered her thoughts. "As you know sir, I'll be thirty-nine in a few more months. My biological clock is ticking louder than it used to and well; I've always wanted to have a family." She shrugged. "My career is everything I've always dreamed it would be, I have a fabulous job, wonderful co-workers, a great boss but my personal life is not ...well, what I had hoped. The few relationships I've had, if you could even call them that, have been cut short one way or another." She shook her head sadly. "If I want to have a child of my own, I needed to do it or forget it. I've chosen to go ahead and do it, sir."
"I assume you chose someone to father this child based on..."
She had to laugh. "I think I found the best possible candidate. He's a smart, good looking, nice, presently unattached, human." She added with a grin, "He lives on this planet and has actually proposed marriage to me...and does so at least once a week."
Hammond had to smile. "Then why won't you marry this paragon of virtue?"
"Because he's not over the death of his wife."
"Ah. Daniel Jackson?"
"Daniel." She nodded.
"Well, that's a relief. I was afraid..."
She looked at him quizzically. "That it was Colonel O'Neill? He wouldn't, Sir. Not Colonel O'Neill. He takes his responsibilities to the SGC and us too seriously. No, he took himself out of the running very early... said 'his kid wouldn't be smart enough' or some silly thing." She shook her head, then grinned up at the general. "Though he did say if I wanted to marry him instead of Daniel, he would...for the baby's sake of course." She had to laugh at Hammond's expression.
"So everyone has been, shall we say...involved with this from the first?" He asked in amazement.
"More or less. You are talking about SG1, sir."
"Yes, and wherever SG1 is involved, it's going to get complicated. I know. I know." He smiled at her. "So, when is all this going to take place?"
"After I get pregnant." She blushed, her professionalism broke at last and the woman came to the forefront. "Janet says it could happen the first time or the fiftieth, just whenever it happens." She resumed her professionalism. "We don't do anything when we're on a mission. We maintain our professionalism here on base. And even though we aren't married, Daniel and I have cared a great deal for each other for a long time. That hasn't changed. As soon as I become pregnant, I'll stop going through the Stargate so as not to risk the baby." She shrugged. "That's all I can do for now."
Hammond nodded. While he understood Carter's desire to have a child, and he had to say he did approve of her 'selection' of the father, he was old fashioned enough to wish the two young folks had gone ahead and tied the knot. But...it wasn't his business; other than if and when she did get pregnant, he'd have to replace her on SG1 temporarily. Certainly having her here on base would be beneficial to the program and probably push their development of naquada based power utilization way ahead of schedule.
"Well, Sammi, as usual I see you've done everything according to Hoyle and have it well planned out." Hammond smiled at the young woman. "If you need anything after or before, you know you can always come to me for assistance...or advice."
She smiled at him as they both got up from the couch. "Thank you, General. Just, well maybe when I talk to Dad..."
"Of course, you can count on me. I'll protect you and Colonel O'Neill can defend Doctor Jackson." The two laughed as she went to the door to leave. "And you needn't worry. Your secret is safe with me as long as it's a secret."
Major Carter smiled at her childhood friend and leaned over for a quick kiss on Hammond's cheek. He blushed and pulled her into a quick hug. "Take care of yourself, Sammi."
"You got it Uncle George."
He harrumphed and opened the door. "Keep me apprised of the situation, Major Carter."
"Of course, General." She turned and marched out of his office. Once in the hall she slowed her pace and walked bemusedly back to her office.
She opened the door and found three pairs of worried eyes waiting for her. Well, one pair worried eyes, one pair apprehensive eyes and one pair Jaffa eyes. She had to giggle.
"Well?" Two voices and a questioning look demanded.
"Piece o' cake, Gentlemen. Piece o' cake." And she looked around their small semi-circle. "Speaking of which, I didn't get breakfast, and I'm starved."
Jack smiled in relief. "Good, so am I. I know this great Waffle Hut, and Danny's buying!"
"Jack!"
"Daniel"
"Jack."
"Coffee, Daniel."
"No Jack, not-coffee!"
"Snob!"
"Philistine!"
"Majorcarter, what is a 'philistine'?"
"Biblical, Teal'c. It was an ancient tribe mentioned in the Bible."
"Ah, yes. The worship of the coffee god!"
"Probably, Teal'c."
"See what you've done, Jack."
"It's your big word."
"Shut up Jack!"
"Coffee-snob!"
"Jack!"
"Daniel."
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What do You Do When All Is Said And Done? (11)
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