Tangled Threads (Ch 9-11)

CHAPTER NINE

She watched him make his way over to her, a sympathetic smile already fixed on his face. He pulled her into his arms and planted a kiss on her lips.

"I'm so sorry Sam."

Fearing her voice would betray her if she tried to answer, she just nodded against his chest. He started to run his hands up and down her back in circular motions, in an attempt to soothe her, but it only served to enhance her unease. Sam closed her eyes and tried to get her breathing under control, suddenly feeling overwhelmed, and it wasn't to do with her father's passing.

It was because she knew what a big mistake she was making. Standing in Pete's arms, she wanted nothing more than to pull away. She knew he loved her and was just trying to comfort her, but he wasn't comforting. She felt like she was being suffocated by his overbearing need to show her was there for her, and it was now acceptable for her to cry in his arms so he could hold her.

Her guilt came in waves, tandem with her mind which ebbed and flowed between thoughts of the two men currently breaking down the barriers she had constructed for herself over the years.

She felt Pete press another kiss on her forehead. Nothing. She felt nothing. It was only then she realized her hands were resting on his chest. Again, nothing. She pulled back from him slightly, observing him as if he was one of her latest scientific finds and she was trying to decide exactly what it was. Seeing her confusion, Pete tried to follow her gaze. He looked down at her hands, then her eyes, which were focusing on anything but his face.

Placing one of his hands on the side of her face, he searched her eyes before speaking quietly.

"Sam?"

His voice jerked her out of her reverie.

He had just held her in his arms and kissed her, but she felt nothing stirring inside her. No passion, no excitement. Yet, she only had to think back to being in the General's arms in the Isolation Room and she felt warm and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on, but she had never experienced with anyone else.

With Pete, she thought she was comfortable, content, satisfied; with Jack, she felt comforted, safe, alive.

As the thought ran through her mind, she felt like she had just been slapped across the face. Hard. How had she not realized this sooner? She then admitted to herself she knew all along, but tried so hard to deny it that she thought she was over it. Over him.

Oh, was she wrong.

Swallowing hard, Sam pulled out of Pete's arms and took a step back, letting his arms fall to his sides.

"I'm sorry, Pete."

Thinking she was talking about the bleak greeting he was met with, he just shrugged.

"It's okay babe, you're still in shock."

He went to put his arm around her shoulders, but she shook her head.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure."

He watched her closely as she turned and walked slowly back towards the bench. The atmosphere became very heavy, very quickly and Pete knew that whatever she wanted to talk to him about, wouldn't be good. Exhaling softly, he followed his fiancé and sat down carefully beside her, as she cast her gaze around the garden again. He stole a glance at her out of the corner of his eye. Sam was looking at the flowers, but found herself not actually paying attention to them.

"Did Mark and the family get in okay?"

She was so busy trying to formulate her thoughts that she didn't notice Pete was talking to her until she saw a hand waving in front of her face.

"I'm sorry... What?"

Pete shot her another confused look. She was far too distant this morning for his liking. He tried to reason with himself, saying it was understandable as her father had just died, but something in his gut was niggling away at him, and he couldn't help but think there was something else contributing to her behavior.

"Did Mark and the family get in okay?"

"Oh. Eh, yeah. Yeah, they arrived this morning. They're at the base."

"The base? As in, your work?"

"Cheyenne Mountain, yes."

"Why? How? Why are they there? Did they get clearance? Why do they get to go there and I can't? Does Mark know what you do for a job?"

Sam felt dizzy with the sudden onslaught of questions hurtled towards her.

"Pete!" She winced, not intending to sound as harsh as she did. "Pete, please. This isn't the right time or place, but we've been over this before, you know I can't tell you about my job."

Pete sighed before responding, not even bothering to hide his disappointment.

"I know, I'm sorry, it's just... do you have any idea how hard it is for me? There's a whole side to you I don't know Sam, and it kills me that you can't tell me about your work."

He paused for a beat before continuing.

"I know he's your brother, but Mark doesn't even approve of you being in the Air Force. How does he get access into the mountain and I can't?"

Sensing she was about to rhyme off her usual answer, he cut in.

"And don't give me the whole 'It's classified' crap, Sam. I don't know what you do under that mountain, but I know it's something big. I saw that woman's eyes glow. You can deny it, as can your boss and teammates, and swear you saw nothing, but I know what I saw. I'm a cop, I'm trained to pay attention to my surroundings, and glowing eyes is something you can't miss."

Taking his silence as a cue that he'd finished, Sam tried to hide her annoyance at the petulant whinge lacing his voice.

"If it was up to me, Mark wouldn't be at my work right now, but it wasn't my decision to make, so can we leave it at that? I didn't ask you to meet me to talk about work."

"Alright, fine. So, how are you feeling?"

"Confused, upset, guilty, angry. Pick one," Sam answered, surprising herself with her honesty - and shortness.

"Sorry Sam. I'm... I'm not very good at this. I only met your dad a couple of days ago... and now he's dead. It's... weird."

Sam couldn't help the look of incredulousness that she threw at Pete, and felt justified in her stance when he shifted under her glare.

"That didn't come out right. I'll try again," he stuttered. "Your dad has just died Sam, it's natural to feel like that. Look, I'm not very good at all this emotional stuff, but I'm here now. I'll help you through this," he finished, shifting forward on the bench to grab her hands, satisfied he'd given a better answer.

Sam felt the suffocating feeling encase her again at his overprotective stance and assuredness in himself that he would be the one to help her through her loss. She tried to calm down and force herself to be civil to him. It wasn't his fault after all. He was being genuine and fulfilling the role of caring fiancé to the letter. But he was right. He wasn't any good at the whole emotion thing, mainly because he was always too emotional.

He entertwined his fingers with hers, giving them a tight squeeze. Slowly, she pulled her hands away, resting them in her lap.

"We need to talk, Pete."

"Oh-kay.. You didn't call me here to break it off, did you?" he joked, trying desperately to lighten the mood. However, when he saw Sam close her eyes and take a deep breath, Pete swallowed his laughter.

"Sam?"

"Pete, I need you to just listen for a few minutes, okay?"

"Sam, I -"

"Please?"

Greeted with silence, she sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"You're a great, fun guy, Pete. When I'm with you I'm happy, you make me laugh, you make me feel like a woman, which is usually something I don't feel like since I'm in the military," she allowed herself a small smile, before realizing she was starting to ramble.

"But I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry," she whispered.

"What do you mean you can't do it anymore? Can't do what?" he asked, praying she wouldn't say the words he was dreading.

"This. Us," she gestured, her hands waving between the two of them.

"I love you Pete, really I do, but I don't love you the same way you love me. I can't give... can't promise you the unconditional love that you deserve. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but you deserve to be happy with someone who can return that feeling. I know I should have said something sooner, but I just put it down to wedding jitters, you know... but it's not. I... I'm sorry," she feebly trailed off. Silent tears filled her eyes. She hated herself for hurting the man who now sat beside her.

Minutes passed in silence when her head snapped up and she met his eyes. He was talking, his voice quiet, but eerily calm.

"What made you realize it wasn't just wedding jitters?"

She looked back down at her hands, fidgeting in her lap.

"Something my dad said," she replied, just as quietly.

Pete closed his eyes heavily. He knew his first - and only - meeting with Jacob didn't go well and he disapproved of their upcoming nuptials, but he was surprised that her father felt so strongly about it, that Sam would call everything off, even when he wasn't here any longer.

Feeling her fingers grace the palm of his hand, he opened his eyes to see a small, black velvet box staring back at him. He flicked the lid open and saw her engagement ring sitting inside. He hadn't even noticed it was missing from her finger when he arrived.

Looking to her left hand just to double check, he saw it was bare and snapped the box closed, the noise echoing loudly across the silence.

"What did he say?"

"It doesn't matter."

"The hell it doesn't Sam!" he snapped, making her jump slightly. "We're supposed to be getting married in a week and now you tell me you can't go through with it... and you won't even tell me why?"

Silence engulfed the couple as Pete continued to scrutinize the tiny box held in his fingers, now weighing a ton weight, while Sam fixed her eyes on the 'Sold' sign at the bottom of the lawn, not rushing to give him an answer, because she didn't know what to say.

"Was it something to do with General O'Neill?"

"What? No! He-"

"Save it, Sam. Like I said, I'm a cop. I interrogate people for a living - I know when someone's lying to me."

"Is that what this is? An interrogation?"

"No, of course not. And stop changing the subject."

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

Pete set the box down on the bench between them and turned towards Sam to look at her. Daring to meet his eyes, Sam gasped at the pain she saw there, but forced herself not to look away as he studied her face.

He had only met her team a couple of times, but each time he felt like the outsider and considerably unwelcome in their company.

He remembered back to their first introduction. He was looking forward to showing Sam off in front of them, despite knowing they'd all worked together for seven years, and was confident they would like him. Yet he realized very quickly that he was wrong, and if anything, they were the ones showing her off.

He was bemused at the three men Sam introduced as her 'team'. You couldn't get more different characters for a military unit if you tried, but they were all united by their job and their unwavering care and admiration for Sam. They were also united in their disapproval of her engagement, Pete mused.

He hadn't been sure if it was because he was the new guy in Sam's life or not, so he put their obvious hostility towards him down to jealousy. As they sat at her kitchen table, eating pizza, downing beer and sharing stories, he threw the notion out. They way they talked, joked and interacted with each other told Pete they weren't just co-workers, they were a family.

He had initially labeled Daniel as a geek, but he turned out a decent guy and out of the three men, he was the most amiable, trying his best to include him in their conversations. Murray, well he was very quiet, very big, scary as hell and Pete decided very quickly that he would never like to have to interrogate the man over anything. And General O'Neill? Well, what was there to say?

The man had this aura about him. He was someone who commanded respect, and there was no doubt in Pete's mind that he got it. He was military through and through, and his lack of effort to even acknowledge Pete's presence rattled him. Sam was always 'the General this' and 'the General that' and Pete admitted he was jealous of her obvious admiration of the guy, but also excited to finally meet the man who appointed her his 2IC.

However, the second they met, he didn't like him. And he knew the feeling was mutual. It didn't take a cop to know there was more than just professional feelings between the General and his fiancé; the man may have worked hard to perfect his unintelligible exterior, but his eyes betrayed him when he thought no-one was looking. Pete knew then that he would never have a chance with the brilliant, blonde astrophysicist as long as O'Neill was in the picture.

Pete knew he was the reason she waited two weeks until she agreed to his proposal, and whilst she claimed she'd a heavy workload over the last couple of weeks, he had a pretty good idea her lack of enthusiasm for planning the wedding was because

of him.

"I knew from the beginning," Pete began, quietly. "Guess I just thought when you said yes that..." he sighed. "You were worth the risk."

Sam was about to interrupt him, but he forged on. He really didn't want to hear the whole clichéd 'it's not you, it's me' speech.

"Don't say I deserve better. Can't get much better than you," he finished, looking her in the eyes.

"That's not true."

Pete could feel his despair and anger growing with each second that passed. She wasn't making this any easier for him, but he desperately tried to keep his emotions in check.

"I wish I could believe this had something to do with your father - you needed some time to just work things out. I guess all I can say is... I hope you get what you want."

It was true. He wanted her to be happy; it was the least she deserved, and as much as it tore him apart, right now, he wasn't the one who could bring her that happiness. The sound of Sam's voice broke him out of his self-wallowing.

"That's it?"

His anger was re-ignited and this time he couldn't hide it from his voice. She had just ended their relationship and because he hadn't caused a scene she was, what, disappointed?

"What do you want? You want me to get down on my knees and beg?"

"God, no! Of course not! I just... I thought you would react differently."

His vision suddenly blurred, the tears in his eyes softening the outline of the woman sitting beside him, also with unshed tears.

"Goodbye, Sam."

He stood and began walking back towards his truck when Sam called after him.

"Pete..."

He didn't turn around as he wiped the tears from his eyes. As he reached the bottom of the garden he stopped at the sign to peel off the 'Sold' sticker, revealing the 'For Sale' one underneath.

He slid into the drivers' seat, slamming the door behind him and gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white.

He was devastated, but not totally surprised by her decision to call off the wedding, but Pete was damned if he was going to let her go without a fight.

Sam watched her ex drive away before she angrily swiped at the tears falling down her face.

"God, how did I get myself into this mess," she muttered into her hands.

She sat for another ten minutes, pulling herself together before she checked her watch. 1220. She needed to get back to the base before her brother started asking too many questions as to where she was.

Her brother.

She had totally forgotten about her brother and was in no doubt that he would have heard all about the break up from Pete by the end of the day. Crap.

"Could this day get any worse?" she grimaced as she made her way towards Cheyenne Mountain.

***

CHAPTER TEN

***

True to her word, Sam was back on base an hour later but her mind was in turmoil. She had finally let Pete go, and whilst she felt guilty for causing him so much hurt, she realized she felt very little guilt towards actually ending the engagement. Deep down, she knew it was the right decision to make - it wouldn't have been a happy marriage for either of them.

No, the turmoil she was experiencing revolved around the other men in her life. Namely, her brother Mark. She could just picture his reaction to the news that she wasn't getting married anymore.

He'd initially be shocked by her revelation, asking the automatic 'what, when, why?', and then he'd be disappointed at her failure to make yet another relationship work. Finally, he'd be angry; not just because Pete was one of his best friends, but because Mark would see through her excuses for calling off the wedding and blame her work as the main factor for ending the relationship. Cue another full-scale argument between the two regarding the Air Force, something Sam really didn't want to get into again with her brother.

Shaking her head to try and forget the inevitable argument that awaited her, Sam thought of the other men in her life.

Daniel and Teal'c would be supportive of her decision; whilst they never said to her personally, she knew they weren't overly fond of Pete. Despite that, they did try their best with him, for her sake.

And then there was General O'Neill. Oh boy, she thought, feeling a headache starting to form as she wondered how he would react to the news, and she realized that this was unnerving her more than anything else.

If she were honest with herself, it was because something had changed in their relationship - if you could call it that - when her father was dying. She had tried to talk to the General before she learnt of her father's ill health, but was interrupted by Agent Johnson, and as upsetting as the whole situation was, Sam knew deep down that it was the death of her father which propelled and intensified the change between her and Jack in the end.

No words had been spoken and no action had been taken to define the change between the two officers, but they both knew it happened that moment in the Observation Room when he promised her 'Always'. Yet her tumultuous emotions allowed a tiny doubt to niggle away at the back of her mind. What if they had missed their chance and it wouldn't work?

Growling in frustration, Sam jumped up from the bench in the locker room and slammed the door to her locker shut. Leaning her head against the cool metal, she closed her eyes for a few minutes before standing tall, straightening out her BDUs. As she turned to head out of the locker room, she heard her dad's words, 'Don't let rules stand in your way,' resonate around her. She suddenly felt more confident that this was the right thing to do and strode purposefully out of the locker room.

"To hell with it, it's now or never," she murmured.

***

As she waited for the elevator to arrive, Sam knew Daniel and Teal'c would be humoring her brother until she returned. Whilst he had been granted clearance to know about the SGC and the Stargate Program, he didn't have carte blanch to walk around the base, so the most logical place to find them was the Commissary.

With every intention of heading there, Sam was surprised when she got off the elevator and found herself standing outside the General's office instead. Sitting at his desk, he looked up from his paperwork, just as her hand was poised to knock on doorframe. Surprise flitted past his eyes before he carefully schooled his features.

"Carter! C'mon in," he offered, gesturing to the empty seats.

"Thank you, Sir. I'm sorry to bother you..." she trailed off, not quite knowing what to say, especially as she hadn't actually planned a visit.

"You? Bothering me? Never!" he mocked, smiling slightly when it emanated a small smile from the woman herself.

As she slowly walked over to the vacant chairs, she missed the General's frown when he noticed she was unusually quiet.

"Everything okay, Carter?"

Her head snapped up, eyes meeting his before quickly looking away. She had been crying again; it wouldn't be immediately obvious to most people, but considering Jack had spent the last eight years not-so-discreetly studying her and knowing her every move and trait, he knew whatever she had left to deal with had upset her.

"Get everything sorted? You know, your... personal stuff?" he asked, waving his hand in front of him and trying to pretend her unease wasn't bothering him.

"Yes, Sir."

She looked as if she wanted to say something else, but suddenly thought better of it. It was then that Jack remembered her conversation with Pete over the phone last night, and why she had asked for time away from the mountain.

"My brother wasn't too much bother while I was gone was he, Sir?" her question pulling his thoughts back to the present.

"Your brother? Nope, he was very quiet actually and just seemed to be taking everything in. Liz was very friendly and finds the whole thing fascinating. No," he paused, a smirk quickly forming on his lips, "It was the kids that were the bother. The youngest one in particular. She's the one you gotta watch, Carter."

Sam groaned, not wanting to know what kind of bother Jo had fallen in to with her new audience.

"What did she do, Sir? And who will I need to apologize to?" she reluctantly questioned.

"Well, I don't think you'll need to apologize to anyone per se," he trailed off. "But I did have to leave early. However in the 20 minutes I was there... Who knew those kids had such a cool aunt?"

Sam's wide, horror-filled eyes locked onto his, while he stared back with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face. She internally kicked herself as her voice faltered at his words.

"What?"

"I thought of you more like Wonder Woman myself," he answered cryptically, leaning back in his chair, throwing his pen down on the desk, as he enjoyed her ever-growing discomfort.

"Sir?"

"Oh yes, Samantha... Jo informed us all about your exploits last Halloween when you visited them. Something about a Superwoman costume and lots of candy."

"Oh God," she grimaced, her face turning beet red as she desperately tried to think of an explanation.

"It was Halloween, Sir," she began meekly, and winced at how pathetic it sounded, even to her ears. "I promised I would take them Trick or Treating - I didn't know they'd make me wear a costume!"

She tried to ignore the whining tone lacing her voice, shuddering as memories of said night came flooding back.

"They're kids, Carter. It's what they do!"

"I was never so glad to get home that night. It took all my strength not to wipe the smirk off Mark's face as well."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep. It was remarkably like the one you're sporting now, so I'd watch if it I were you... Sir," she added quickly, noticing his eyebrows go up a notch.

Surprisingly, he didn't seem annoyed by her insubordination, if anything, it just stemmed his good mood further as he let out a small chuckle.

After a few hesitant seconds, Sam spoke up again.

"What else did Jo tell you, Sir?"

"Now, that would be telling Carter."

Seeing her physically pale in the chair made his grin even wider, but decided to put her at ease, at least for a little while.

"Nothing too damning, I swear."

At her dubious look, he threw his hands up in surrender, an innocent look appearing on his face.

"It was nothing. By the time she finished the Superwoman story I had to get back here, but she did promise she'd tell me more about her 'cool Auntie Sam' later."

Sam tilted her head at his final words. "Later, Sir?"

Jack leaned forward in his chair again and began to fidget with the pen on the desk.

"We made a deal," he stated coolly.

"A deal? You made a deal with my five-year-old niece?"

"She's a cute kid, what can I say? Look, you're taking your family back to your place to stay, right?"

Seeing her nod in agreement, he continued. "So how do you expect to fit them all in your car without making more than one trip?"

He could see her brain ticking over as to how she would be able to fit all six of them in her Volvo. She had just opened her mouth to speak, when Jack answered for her.

"Exactly! You can't. So... I thought I could maybe take the kids in my truck and you could take Mark and Liz with you. I mentioned it to them both in passing earlier, but the kids kinda answered for them."

He could see the toying emotions playing across Sam's eyes as she studied him closely, and for a few moments he worried about overstepping the mark.

"I don't have to stay or anything," he offered. "I can just drop them off. You'll probably want some family time together, but this way you'll not need to spend too long making more than one trip."

He shrugged a shoulder, but was still met by silence from his 2IC.

"Look Carter -"

"That would be great Sir. Thank you," she replied, a genuine smile brightening her eyes and Jack was sure he felt his chest tighten at her response.

He cleared his throat and nodded in agreement, only to realize he wasn't quite sure as to what part of his offer she was thanking him for. As if reading his thoughts, she added, "You can invite Daniel and Teal'c over too. It'd be nice for us to hang out again now there's no real threat or danger lurking over us."

"And your family won't mind us intruding? They'll have spent most of the day with the guys after all."

"The kids will certainly not mind, and probably not Liz either," Sam mused. "Mark might, but if I'm honest, I'm not if I'm ready to face him on my own yet. Not with all his questions about dad and the Air Force, and..."

"Personal things?" Jack supplied quietly, noticing her solemn mood again.

"Yeah," she answered just as quietly.

Jack studied her for a few moments, not failing to miss the lack of honorifics in their last exchange.

"Besides," Sam added with a wry grin, "They're here for a week. That's plenty of time for Mark and I to butt heads."

"Alright then. You and Mark still need to sort out the final arrangements, so go and do that and I'll pass the details through to the relevant people. Then, unless there is a really important experiment in your lab, i.e. world-changing stuff, you're to shut down your lab and take the week off."

Sensing she was about to protest, he forged on.

"I mean it Carter. As you said, there's no imminent threat waiting for us at this moment in time. We could all do with the break, especially you. I want you to take the downtime and use it as such. That means nothing work-related - even at home. I'll search your bags before you leave if I have to."

"But Sir -"

"Ah ah! Sam. Don't make me make it an order."

Sighing deeply, she closed her eyes. Knowing this was one argument she was never going to win, she reluctantly nodded her agreement.

"Great!" his amusement evident in his voice. "Let me know when you're ready to leave and I'll inform the guys of the plans," he finished as he scrawled his signature along the bottom of a requisite form.

Taking that as the end of their conversation, Sam stood and began to make her way out of the office. As she reached the doorway, she turned slowly back to the General.

"Sir? Do you -"

"I left them in the Commissary," he answered, glancing up from his paperwork.

Smiling her thanks, she nodded once and left to find her brother.

***

The lunchtime service was just getting underway in the Commissary when Sam entered and she scanned the busy room, spotting her teammates and family almost immediately. They were sitting in the far right corner of the room, out of the way of everyone, and had pulled a few tables together so they could all fit around comfortably.

Ignoring the occasional stares and whispers from some of the staff around, Sam made her way over to the table, reaching it just as Daniel spotted her.

"Hey guys!"

"Auntie Sam!" Jo squealed, getting off her seat and flinging herself into her aunt's arms. As Mark moved across to Jo's chair, Sam ruffled the little girl's hair and slid into Mark's seat, pulling Jo into her lap.

"When'd you get back?" Daniel asked, smiling at the sight before him.

"Not that long ago. I called in to see the General first and he said you were here."

"Where'd you go?" came Mark's voice from her left. She turned her attention to him, pretending she hadn't heard his question.

"Hmm?"

"Where'd you go? General O'Neill just said you needed to leave the mountain for something."

"Yeah, but it's nothing to worry about. It's all sorted now," the forced smile accompanying her words, doing nothing to convince her brother.

"You know, you always were a terrible liar, Sam."

Knowing better than to answer, she quickly decided to change the subject.

"So, what have you been up to," she asked, tickling Jo's sides. After letting out a squeal, the little girl took it as her chance to speak on behalf of everyone sitting around.

"General Jack brought us down here for lunch and stayed with us a while. I had to eat some sandwiches first, but then he picked me, Beth and Ben a slice of chocolate cake. He had some too, but he didn't have lunch first. When I asked him why he didn't need to eat a sandwich, he just laughed and said not to tell you," Jo said, scrunching her nose up as she turned to look at her aunt, confusion clearly written across her small face.

"He then told us some jokes. They were funny," she giggled, eliciting a bemused grin from Sam, and out of the corner of her eye, she could make out Daniel shaking his head slightly and Teal'c eyebrows quirking in slight disagreement to her niece's definition of funny.

"Daniel and Teal'c also said you were cool and very good at your job, so I told them what a cool auntie you are too!"

"So I've heard," Sam muttered, throwing Daniel a warning look as he snorted. Undaunted by the comments, Jo continued her running commentary and Sam wondered when she took time to breathe.

"...and then he looked funny when I said about you dressing up for Halloween and I had to hit him on the back because he choked on his cake. Daddy told me off for hitting him, but General Jack said it was okay. Then he had to leave and do some work but promised we'd talk more later," she finished with a traditional Carter grin.

Satisfied that her aunt was now up to date on their happenings, Jo nodded her head once and reached across the table for the remainder of her chocolate cake.

Seeing the ground wasn't going to open up and swallow her whole, Sam tried to ignore the flush rapidly spreading across her face. They all chatted for another ten minutes before Sam suggested her and Mark should really finish the memorial arrangements in her lab, while Liz and the kids would stay with Daniel and Teal'c.

***

Mark let out a low whistle when he stepped inside his sister's lab, doing a slow 360 as he took it all in.

"Holy Hannah! This is your lab? What are half of these machines? They're safe, right?" he queried, a look of worry in his eyes.

A hint of a smile touched Sam's lips at her brother's reaction.

"Yes, they're perfectly safe. Unless you decide to break one of them and then you'll owe the American government a few hundred thousand dollars."

"Ah," Mark replied, the hand that was hovering just in front of one of the machines, quickly falling by his side.

"So," he paused, looking around her lab once again as Sam sat down on one of the stools. "What do all these machines do?"

"I wouldn't ask those sorts of questions, unless you really want to know the answer," a voice answered from the doorway.

Spinning around, Mark saw the General leaning casually against the doorframe, one hand stuffed in the pocket of his BDUs and the other holding a tray of food. Glancing back at Sam, Mark just caught her rolling her eyes at the man's comment and frowned.

"What did I say?"

"Nothing, but once Carter starts on about her doohickeys, there's no stopping her," Jack finished as he reached her lab bench, setting the tray of food down gently. Taking in its contents - chicken and salad sandwiches, a slice of carrot cake, a glass of blue Jell-O and a can of diet soda - Sam looked up at the General, quirking an eyebrow.

"Sir?"

"I know you haven't had anything to eat today," he offered with a shrug, pushing the tray towards her.

Mark watched their interaction with interest, but decided against saying anything for the time being.

"And I expect you to make an effort with the food, Carter. Start with the sandwiches, before you hit the Jell-O. Mark will tell me if you don't, won't you, Mark?" Jack challenged, pinning the younger man to the spot with a look.

Knowing his sister's tendencies to forget about eating and sleeping at regular intervals from their teenage years, Mark decided he didn't want to get on the man's bad side, so agreed. Seeming to be content at his answer, Jack smiled.

"Good, thanks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a briefing with SG-12 in ten," he explained, backing out of the lab. Sam could still hear the smile in his voice as he spoke from down the corridor, "And remember Carter, absolutely no work! Mark will tell me about that too."

Sighing, she pushed the tray away from her and moved to get up.

"Nuh uh, no way," Mark spoke up. "Did you see the look he gave me there? You're eating this food sis. End of," he argued, pushing the tray back to her.

"Since when do you follow orders from anyone? Especially from someone in the Air Force?"

"Since I realized I don't want to find out what will happen to me if I don't. Now, eat."

"Fine! I'll eat."

"Good."

After eating one of the sandwiches and the glass of Jell-O, Mark was satisfied that she had ate enough to spare him Jack's wrath. He set the tray to one side as Sam pulled out a folder containing the funeral arrangements and had started talking when she noticed his distant look.

"What's up?"

"Does he always do that?"

"Does who do what?"

"The General. Does he always bring you lunch?"

Mark didn't miss the slight flush in her cheeks as she squared her shoulders.

"Not usually, no."

"So, usually...?"

"Usually him, Daniel or Teal'c have to drag me from the lab to get something to eat."

She had the decency to look embarrassed at her confession, and was surprised, yet relieved, to see a smile on her brother's face, rather than the disapproving look she envisaged.

"After all this time, you still forget you need to eat and sleep," he grinned, before turning serious as he looked at the papers in front of him.

Sam was focused on looking for one page in particular, so missed her brother's glance and muttered words, "At least they look after you."

***

Two hours and a handful of phonecalls later and the arrangements had been finalized. It was decided that a memorial service with full military honors would be held for Jacob at Fort Lyons on Thursday, three days away.

A few personnel from the SGC would attend the service alongside the family and SG-1, as well as a few Tok'ra members who were close to Selmak and a representative from the Joint Chiefs. After, there would be a wake at Jack's house for a more informal celebration of Jacob's life where other SGC personnel could come and pay their respects.

Sam left the arrangements with the General as he requested and they were just discussing the plans for later that evening when Daniel and Teal'c arrived in the Briefing Room along with everyone else.

Daniel entered the room first with Liz on one side and Beth on the other, all deep in conversation. He was about to enquire as to the nature of their discussion, but upon hearing the words 'Egypt' and '3000BC', decided against it. He then saw Ben emerge from behind the archaeologist with a grin on his face, as he pulled on something behind him. When Jack moved his head slightly, he couldn't help but laugh at the scene which greeted him, as Teal'c stood tall; a bemused look on his face and one five-year-old girl hanging onto his shoulders, giggling in delight at her piggy-back ride.

"Having fun there, T?"

"Indeed O'Neill. Miss Carter has been informing me of a number of traditions and customs regarding the young children of this planet. I felt it only appropriate that I attend to these issues."

Glancing at Carter, who was trying desperately not to laugh, Jack just shrugged before clapping his hands together and regarded what he should say in front of the kids, not wanting to upset them when he didn't need to. Speaking slowly, he decided not to go into too many details, figuring he could always do it later at Carter's house.

"Carter and Mark have finished the arrangements for Jacob's memorial, but we'll talk about it later, if that's alright," he asked, looking between Liz and Mark, before nodding at the kids. Seeing they were in agreement, he continued.

"I have a few more things to tidy up here and Carter has to go lock up her lab," he risked a glance over at his 2IC. "After that, we can get out of here for the day."

***

CHAPTER 11

"Umm... blue!"

"Blue?! How can you say blue is better? Green is way nicer!"

"Green is icky!"

"Icky, huh? Alright... You know blue is Carter's favorite too?"

"Yep!"

Hearing the light giggles coming from the back of the truck, Jack risked a look in his rearview mirror at the source and couldn't help but grin. Jo, who was sitting behind his seat, was sporting the 100-watt Carter smile he knew all too well, as the two of them playfully argued over the finer points of Jell-O.

Focusing back on the road, Jack thought about how similar Jo and Carter were. All three kids seemed to have some of the 'Carter gene' in them - well, obviously - he chided himself, but Jo was definitely more like his 2IC than the other two kids.

Her sandy blonde hair was the first giveaway, falling to her shoulders in loose ringlets that bounced around wildly whenever she moved. She also had the wide, piercing blue eyes which he had long associated with his Carter. Ben and Beth on the other hand were blessed with mousy brown hair, like their father, with Beth having blue eyes and Ben green, taking after Liz.

As Jack paid attention to the road he just turned onto, he knew he was nearing Carter's house. She had left the base with Mark and Liz about 40 minutes beforehand to organize the house for their stay. Daniel and Teal'c had left about ten minutes after Carter, offering to pick up a few groceries to carry the family over until the morning; leaving Jack in control of the three young Carter kids. Something he wasn't complaining about.

He had finished his paperwork at record speed, stopped off at the base gym and changed into his civvies before locating Jo, Beth and Ben in the Rec Room. After playing - and losing - a game of ice hockey to Ben on the PlayStation, Jo said she wanted to 'compare rides', and Jack quickly found himself complying to her request for a piggyback. His knees and back were just starting to protest when he decided they had best get going to Carter's.

As he left the base, flanked by Ben on one side, Beth on the other and Jo still perched on his back, Jack made a mental note of the Airmen sporting amused smirks as he passed them and made his way towards his truck. Making sure they were all belted in safely, they were soon past the security checkpoints and had started an amusing game of '20 Questions', enabling Jack to get know the kids better.

Ben, he discovered, was a Freshman, having turned 15, and was big into his sports, being part of the hockey, football and track teams at school. He also followed the San Francisco Giants and San Jose Sharks religiously, prompting a detailed discussion as to their favourite team for the MLB title this season; and how, if they could go back in time, they'd travel to 1908 to watch the Cubs win the World Series.

Beth was 12, enrolled in seventh grade at the local Science Academy, and for all intents and purposes, was very, very smart for her age. She wasn't into sports or boys - despite her brother's teasing - and when she wasn't studying, she spent her time outdoors reading.

And then there was Jo, the youngest Carter kid at 5, who liked to talk for America. She attended kindergarten and enjoyed drawing and playing either in the sandbox or the playground with her 'bestest friends in the world', Gracie, Sasha and Emmy. She also loved pizza with tater tots and ketchup and her favorite dessert - aside from chocolate cake - was blue Jell-O.

"Why do you call her Carter?" Ben asked from the front passenger seat, catching Jack's attention as he turned onto the final road before Sam's house.

"Why not?" Real mature answer, O'Neill.

"Why don't you call her Sam?"

Jack winced, wondering how he could get himself out of this one without saying anything damaging.

"In our jobs, it's easier to refer to each other by our surnames."

"But you call Daniel and Teal'c by their names."

Damn, this kid is smart too, O'Neill mused.

"Ah, but they aren't in the Air Force like your aunt is."

This seemed to satisfy Ben for the time being and Jack silently patted himself on the back as he pulled his truck up outside Carter's house.

He watched Ben and Beth carefully get out of the truck before jumping out himself and moving to the back to help Jo out of her seat. Closing the door after her, he went to the trunk and pulled out the small duffle bag he had taken from the base gym earlier. The older siblings were making their way slowly up the path to Carter's front door and when he locked his truck he noticed Jo standing waiting for him, impatiently hopping from one foot to the other, curls bouncing wildly over her shoulders.

"Come on, General Jack!"

Hiding his grin, Jack immediately had to take a large step forward as Jo grabbed his hand and started skipping along the front path. At the front door, Jack came face to face with Daniel looking far too smug for his liking.

"You should try skipping sometime Jack. I'd think it'd suit you," the younger man smirked, heading back into the house.

"Watch it Danny," he warned.

***

"What's in the bag, Sir?" Sam asked, nodding to the worktop where he'd set it down after entering the kitchen.

"Ah! Top secret stuff, Carter."

"Sir -"

"It's fine, Carter. Relax. It's just something to keep the kids out of the way until you've finished your... house arrangements," he finished, looking around the cramped space.

Eyeing him suspiciously, he held his hands up in a defensive position.

"General Jack promised to play with us," Jo smiled from her spot on her mom's lap.

"Did he now?" Mark piped up from his position beside her, earning an elbow in the ribs from Liz.

"That's great honey," Liz answered, before turning towards the General. "He doesn't have to though if he doesn't want to," she smiled, offering him a way out. He didn't seem to want it though, dismissing her offer with a wave of his hand.

"Nah, it's fine. Just don't tell the Doc," he half joked.

***

As the adults talked over a cup of coffee a short time later, Mark watched his sister and her teammates, noticing just how familiar they were with each other. He felt a slight pang of jealousy when he saw Sam with Daniel, as he realized the archeologist was the brother he had failed to be for so long. Yes, he was making up for lost time now certainly, but that didn't lessen the guilt he felt having wasted so many years because of his own selfish pride.

Then there was Teal'c. He was like a much older brother to Sam, but there was no jealousy there, and not just because of the guys intimidating size, Mark told himself. No, he was incredibly strong, and scary, but Mark was also baffled by the gentle nature the man - or alien - also had about him. Whilst he hadn't spoken to Mark that much, he knew that whenever Sam was in his company, he would do anything and everything in his power to keep her safe.

And then there was the General. Mark couldn't put his finger on what his relationship with Sam was. He was her Commanding Officer, but there was more to it than that. Something other than their professional duties. He chastised himself, knowing that she was currently engaged to Pete; yet there was something that unnerved him about his sister's relationship with her boss. He had only seen them together a few times during the day, but each time he had noticed something between them. It was little things; a look here, a small gesture there - like bringing her lunch to the lab - but it was enough for Mark to speculate.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts he didn't realize everyone around him was starting to move from the kitchen. Draining the last of his coffee, Mark glanced over at the sound of Jack's voice.

"Alright. Up and at 'em, soldiers!" He called, picking up the small duffle bag and making his way out to the back yard.

Three small bodies, as well as an archeologist, a Jaffa and a curious scientist followed him and watched as he pulled out the contents of the duffle and went about setting everything up. Eventually satisfied with his handiwork, he beckoned them over to explain the game and left them in Teal'c's charge as he walked over to Carter, standing by her back door.

"Sir, is that Whiffle Ball?"

Jack didn't even bother hiding his surprise at her question, causing her to laugh.

"Don't look so surprised, Sir!"

"I'm just surprised you know what it is, what with you being a geek growing up and all."

"Very funny, Sir. Believe it or not, I did lift my head from a book every once in a while and enjoy my childhood - Whiffle Ball was actually one of my favorite past times. And I wasn't a geek," she added, slightly more forcefully.

"Sure, Carter," he chuckled.

"Where'd you get it from?" She asked, nodding towards the markers placed around her garden.

When she didn't immediately receive an answer she noticed the General had started to fidget.

"Sir?"

"I picked it up from the base gym earlier."

"The base gym?" she repeated disbelievingly. "Why does the gym have Whiffle Ball?"

"Eh, that was my idea," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

Sam turned back to the yard as Ben seemed to be re-explaining something to Daniel.

"Please don't tell me you actually play this on the base, Sir."

"No! No, I play it on the surface," he added after a beat. "Every Wednesday afternoon, along with Teal'c, Reynolds, Dixon and Bosworth. A few of the marines also join in. You have to watch those jarheads y'know - they're bad losers," he finished with a smirk.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Since my promotion."

Sam rolled her eyes. "You're incorrigible."

"Yes, ma'am," he drawled with a sloppy salute and a lopsided grin. He tilted his head sideways as he looked at her. "You up for a game?"

He could see her hesitating, torn between playing and remaining inside to help Liz and Mark, and he knew it wouldn't take much to convince her, if the glint in her eye was any indication.

"Come on Carter. You know you want to," he teased.

"As fun as it'd be Sir, I really can't leave Liz and Mark to fend for themselves."

"Spoil sport."

She watched him walk over to her teammates and couldn't help but match his smirk as she made her way indoors.

***

It turned out Jack made a good choice. Even Daniel had started to get the hang of the game and was no longer in any danger of being hit in the face with the ball.

"General Jack, can you teach me to play?"

"Sure kiddo. C'mere."

Bored of having to sit and watch, Jo grinned as she made her way over to Jack, the bat already in his hands. After showing her how to stand, he knelt behind her and put his arms over hers as he guided her hands on the bat.

"So when Daniel throws, you keep your eye on the ball, and swing the bat like this," Jack demonstrated with her carefully. "Okay?"

"Yep!"

"Excellent! Alright Danny, you're up!" he called, stepping away from Jo.

She missed the first two balls, and was starting to get slightly frustrated when Jack shifted his stance and moved to kneel behind her once again.

"Okay, I've gotcha. You just need to stand sideways a bit more," he assured her quietly as he covered her hands with his.

"Just keep your eye on the ball and I'll tell you when to swing the bat, understood?"

"Yes, Sir!"

Casting a glance at Jo, Jack smiled. Her brows were furrowed in concentration, her tongue poking out the side of her mouth as she watched Daniel intently. Yep, definitely a miniature Carter, Jack decided.

He watched the ball sail slowly through the air and as it came closer, he whispered instructions to Jo, helping her swing the bat around and hit the ball so it landed just past Daniel's feet.

"Yay! I did it General Jack!" she squealed before propelling herself into his arms. She pulled back slightly, unaware of his surprise by her actions, and planted a slobbery kiss on his right cheek.

"Thank you, General Jack!"

Jack's brain had no sooner caught up with what had just happened, when Jo jumped out of his arms and ran towards the house.

"I'm going to go tell mommy and daddy I hit the ball!" she grinned.

"Well, it seems like you've got yourself another admirer," Daniel laughed, stooping to help Jack up from the ground.

"Indeed, O'Neill. Young Miss Carter appears most taken with you," Teal'c added, joining his two friends.

Before he could respond however, Sam's voice from the doorway told them it was time to order dinner.

***

Everyone was crowded in the kitchen happily making conversation over the assortment of pizzas on offer. Liz, Mark and their two eldest were seated at the table, while Jo sat precariously on one of the stools situated at the breakfast bar. Sam was on her right and Daniel on her left, with Jack and Teal'c sitting on the kitchen worktops.

"Auntie Sam?"

"Yes, Jo?"

"Where's your ring?"

Silence suddenly descended in the kitchen at the little girl's question, broken only by the sound of Sam choking on the mouthful of pizza she had just taken. Pulling herself together, Sam glanced at the others in the room and felt her face flush under their intense stares.

She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Umm, I don't wear my ring when I'm at work, sweetie."

"But you aren't at work anymore."

"No, I guess I just forgot," she mumbled, getting up from her stool and throwing the remains of her dinner in the bin.

She ignored the suspicious look Mark threw her and sighed when he picked up where her niece left off.

"Speaking of Pete... Isn't he supposed to be joining us this week? When I spoke to him, he was hoping to visit and spend a couple of days with you."

"He might be at the funeral," she offered noncommittally.

Seeing her brother was about to respond, she continued.

"Can we talk about this later, Mark?" Her tone leaving him in no doubt that the conversation was over.

***

The kids were sitting on the floor, playing Go Fish around the coffee table when the adults joined them in the front room after dinner. Teal'c effortlessly took up a spot on the floor beside the children, leaving the couch to Sam, Jack and Daniel; while Liz and Mark occupied the armchairs on the opposite side of the coffee table.

After Daniel's amusing attempts to explain the game to Teal'c, the Jaffa seemed to have a natural flair for the game, despite listening to the General's incessant offerings of 'help'.

The sound of a phone ringing cut through the light chatter, and as everyone looked for the source, Mark was found fidgeting in his pocket.

"Sorry Sam, I thought I'd switched it off. Is there -"

"You can use my room. You remember where it is?" she called to his retreating back.

"Yeah, thanks!"

The guys had been keeping the kids occupied with their card game, while Liz and Sam had been discussing various trivial issues when Sam looked at her watch, noticing Mark had been gone for almost 20 minutes. She was just about to excuse herself and check on him when he rounded the corner, stopping just inside the doorway.

He looked agitated and tense, nothing like how he had left the room, and she swallowed hard. She suddenly had a horrible feeling as to who was on the phone and the reason behind Mark's sour mood. Before she could say anything however, Liz beat her to it.

"Mark, is everything okay?"

Ignoring his wife's question, he looked at Sam.

"Sam, can I see you for a minute?"

Oh yeah. She was in for it. She was sure everyone saw her grimace as she closed her eyes. Opening them slowly, she forced a smile and got up from her seat.

"Sure," she mumbled, pointing towards the kitchen.

"Maybe we should go..." Daniel trailed off, sensing the change in mood and throwing uncomfortable glances at Jack and Teal'c.

"No, you're fine," Sam smiled, her eyes almost pleading with them to stay put.

When she entered the kitchen, Mark was pacing up and down, his hands made into fists as they rested by his sides. Not wanting to be the one to initiate the conversation, Sam stayed silent as Mark swung around to face her.

"Do you feel like telling me what's going on?" he demanded, his voice low and angry.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb Sam. You're too smart for that."

She sighed, but knew she could be just as stubborn as her brother, and wasn't willing to give him an inch.

"Do you know who that was on the phone?"

Not waiting for an answer, he continued, casting a quick glance over Sam's shoulder into the front room to make sure they couldn't be overheard.

"Pete. That's who."

***

A/N: For Chapters 12 – 16, please click here. Thank you!