Jack closed his eyes tightly, a single tear making its way down his cheek atGrace's words and a smile lighting his face. He returned the hug with renewed fervor, cradling the back of her small head in his large hand. He pulled back when he felt her arms loosen from around him. They looked at each other in silent understanding for a few moments before Grace raised her hand to his face to brush away the tear. Jack covered her hand with his, turned her palm and kissed it softly. "I'll be waiting for you, Grace."

Chapter 17 – Worth Fighting For

Jack continued to stare out beyond the curve of the cliff long after Grace had disappeared from view. His mind was working hard to accept the things his heart, and Grace, had told him; namely that the father of that rather precocious child was none other than yours truly. He shook his head ruefully, a rather smug grin crossing his features. He was going to be a father…again. With both Cater and himself as her parents, people wouldn't stand a chance against one Grace O'Neill. Or would she be Grace Carter-O'Neill?

At the thought of Carter, the grin was wiped from his face to be replaced by one almost bordering on fear. While he had been thrilled beyond belief to learn he was Grace's father, he hadn't taken the time to think about her mother, and the rather obvious, huge changes that would have to come about in their relationship to make this all possible. As he stood there deep in thought, the ramifications beginning to overwhelm him, he felt rather than heard the woman of his thoughts come up and stand beside him.

"She's gone, isn't she?" came the quietly voiced question. Jack glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, saw the tracks of tears on her cheek, and quickly shot his eyes forward. He really wasn't good at this talking stuff, especially when the other person was in tears.

"Yep," he confirmed, unsure what else to say. Did he attempt to reveal what he had just learned? Did Carter already know? If she didn't, was it his place to tell her…and when? Part of him wanted to take her in his arms and hold her close, the other part wanted to revert to military mode and put everything out of his mind until he had time to think things through.

Unbeknownst to Jack, Sam was having the exact same thoughts; namely if she should tell him what she suspected, how much, and when. It just didn't seem appropriate to discuss right now. But if not now, when? And where? Would he even accept what she said, or would he brush her aside? Unknowingly, Sam sighed heavily, the deeply instilled military protocol warring heavily with her personal feelings at the moment.

Thinking the sigh was one of sadness at Grace's departure, Jack turned to her automatically. "Hey, you'll see her again one day, Carter. You do believe that, don't you?"

Sam turned to him, brushing absently at the last tear to trickle down her cheek, then folded her arms protectively across her chest. "Yes, I believe it; I believe Grace. It's just…hard," she said, looking into his eyes. "So much of this is really…hard," she reiterated.

Jack returned her gaze, searching her eyes for something, anything, that would tell him how to proceed. "No one ever said life would be easy, Carter. But you just keep fighting for what you know is right; for what you truly believe in." His eyes bored into hers and Sam felt something flutter to life within her. In his eyes, she saw a spark of knowledge; this man in front of her knew how much he would factor into her future and that of her daughter.

"Do you…do you know what's worth fighting for?" She asked tentatively.

It didn't escape Jack's notice that she had refrained from addressing him as "Sir" these last few minutes, and that simple act told him more than words ever could. He smiled softly before he answered her question. "Yeah, I know what's worth fighting for. Have in fact recently been informed of something that I would go to the ends of the galaxy and back to find. Actually," he chuckled gently, "I think I just have."

Sam smiled in dawning understanding, then looked down, her cheeks flushing lightly. Jack stepped closer to her and did something he rarely had the chance to do; he placed his hand under her chin and drew her face up so that she was once again looking into his eyes. "Are you willing to fight for it?" he asked, the question a light breeze that caressed her face. He held his breath as he waited for her answer.

Her eyes filled with trepidation, yet she nodded her head once in response, then added so quietly he could barely hear her, "Yes, Jack. I'm willing to fight for it."

His eyes and his heart lit up at the sound of his name on her lips; not Sir, not Colonel. Just plain old Jack. And it had never sounded better. He felt like he was flying and was amazed that something so simple as his name being uttered from her lips could make him feel this way. Jack came crashing back to reality with her next softly uttered words.

"But I'm afraid, too," she admitted. "I feel like…this all happened so suddenly. Neither one of us has had a chance to really…I don't know…think very deeply about it." She gazed at him with a stricken expression, then whispered, "What if you find out, you don't want to…be a father again? I'd never forgive myself if I found out you felt pushed into this by…what was she - a visitor from the future? A figment of both our imaginations?"

Jack hands moved to cup her cheeks and hold her steady. "Sam, stop it OK? Just stop it." His thumbs brushed at the errant tears that had escaped her eyes. "Yes, this happened rather suddenly, but it's not unwelcome. Far from it! Hell, it's something that I've dreamed about, but never imagined coming true. The chance of that was remote at best. And there is no doubt in my mind that she was real…will in fact be real again, in hopefully a few short years." He sighed deeply, then continued, his expression earnest as he finally came out and said what they had been dancing around. "When I found out she was yours… God Sam! I was beside myself with jealousy, thinking about someone else being such an important part of your life and creating Grace with you. And when I though I wasn't even considered an honorary uncle, well, it tore me up inside," he admitted a bit shamefully.

Sam reached up and put her hands over his. She had never heard him talk so much at one time and was floored by his admissions. "I never would have shut you out, even if you weren't," she looked down, then back in his eyes. "Even if you weren't her father. You mean too much to me to just shut you out of my life," she stated vehemently.

Jack closed his eyes and leaned his head against hers. "Thank God we don't have to worry about that now. I was just so worried that…well," he pulled away and looked her in the eyes once again. "That Grace's father was going to be a cop from Denver," he winced even as he said it. Admitting to jealousy was so not his thing!

"Pete's not…was never someone I could imagine spending my life with. I thought maybe, at first. I had fun; he made me happy. But he's not…you," she admitted quietly as she gave him a tremulous smile.

He smiled back and they studied each other in quiet contemplation for several minutes before Sam's face creased in a telltale sign that Jack knew all too well – she was thinking again. Sure enough: "But what about the regulations? Our positions within the SGC? What's going to happen when…"

"Sam," he interrupted her sternly. "Stop thinking so much, OK? It's not like we're going jump in bed together the minute we get back, and try to conceive Grace. Although I certainly wouldn't argue if we did," he added with a smirk and a rather rakish waggling of his eyebrows. Sam swatted his shoulder in reprimand, but her eyes lit with laughter. "We'll take some time, a lot of time, and figure things out. Together. OK?"

Sam smiled softly at him, then nodded her head. "And no more thinking. That's an order," he added for good measure.

The smile remained as she replied, "I'll try not to." But she purposefully left of the "sir".

Jack studied her again carefully, then pulled her forward as he whispered, "Come 'ere." Sam went willingly into his arms, amazed to finally be in the place she had wanted to be for so long. Jack cupped her head in one hand, his other snaked around her waist to hold her close. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, taking in the scent that was uniquely Samantha Carter. "You are going to make one hell of a mother, you know that?" he whispered into her hair.

Sam chuckled into his neck, her arms tightening around his shoulders. "And you're going to make a wonderful father for Grace. I think she'll know everything there is to know about The Wizard of Oz by the time she's five."

"Don't forget about the Simpsons. She'll know even more about them," Jack replied adamantly.

"God help us all," Sam muttered in reply, rolling her eyes for good measure.

Jack pulled back and held her by the shoulders, looking into her eyes. "So, what do we tell the boys when we get back?" he asked, his eyebrows rising with a quirk. "Do we tell them, 'We met a little girl on this planet who helped us more than I let on. Oh, and by the way, you'll be her uncles one day'?"

Sam laughed at his choice of phrasing. "Well, I don't think we should go quite that far. Let's play it by ear, shall we? Just let them know enough to answer their questions. I mean, we really can't explain her, can we? Not without sounding…"

"Crazy? Loco? A few fries short of a happy meal?" Jack supplied helpfully.

"Yeah, something like that," Sam agreed with a grin. Jack's smiled died on his face as he looked at this beautiful woman. And though he was teetering on a fine line with the regs, he did something else that he had waited a long time to do; he pulled her close for a soft, gentle kiss that was filled, not with passion, but with promise, longing, and love. Sam returned the kiss, hesitantly at first but then she finally let her feelings show in her response.

Teal'c chose that moment to make contact with the other half of his team. "O'Neill. We have safely reached the gate. What is your position?"

Jack pulled back from Sam and whispered with a grin, "Should I tell him my position is currently pressed up against my 2IC?" Sam blushed and pushed him away, her voice a mixture of embarrassment and admonition as she replied, "Colonel!" Jack chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement, before he reached up to his radio to answer Teal'c.

"We're still in the cave, T. Everything OK on your little jaunt through the woods?"

"Indeed, O'Neill. We did not encounter any Jaffa patrols and the gate was unobstructed. I have sent Daniel Jackson through and am waiting for SG-3 to return. I shall return with them to the cave and assist you and Major Carter back to the gate, if you so desire."

Jack looked at Sam briefly at the word desire, then forced himself to look away. Must stay focused, he told himself. Sam didn't miss the look and glanced away as her blush deepened. "Everything's been clear here for a while, T. We'll start heading back and meet you halfway. I'll let you know if anything…unexpected happens." He shot a grin across to where Sam was now leaning against the cliff wall.

"Will Major Carter be able to make the hike back unaided, O'Neill?" Jack and Sam could both hear the concern in the man's voice. Sam nodded reassuringly at him before he answered.

"Yeah, Teal'c. Carter's going to be just fine," he assured his friend. "See you in a while. O'Neill out." Jack clicked off the radio and looked her up and down, no longer smiling but studying her with concern. "You sure you're going to be OK Carter? It's a long way back." Although he had fallen back to their military forms of address, the tone of his voice conveyed more intimacy than he had ever allowed before.

Sam smiled back. "I'll be fine, Sir. Maybe a bit slower, but fine." She grinned now. "The slow pace will give me lots of time to think."

"Augh! What did I just say about thinking Carter?"

----

The hike back was long and arduous; Jack made sure to take many stops and insisted on taking most of the items out of Sam's pack and placing them in his own. He stayed close to her side, but tried not to overdo the protective thing. It wasn't easy but he managed. Jack also made sure that the conversation was kept light; he didn't want either of them to try and figure out the future quite yet. There'd be plenty of time for that later.

They had just emerged from the copse of trees and begun their trek into the more swampy area of the planet, when they met up with Teal'c and half of SG-3. The other two members of the team had been left back to guard the gate, just in case.

"T! Buddy! Good to see you again!" Jack exclaimed as they neared each other.

Teal'c bowed, a small smile gracing his normally impassive features. "O'Neill. It is good to see you once again." He turned to Sam. "Major Carter, you are looking well. Are you injuries bothering you?"

"Not too much, Teal'c. My side's a bit sore, but otherwise I'm OK. Colonel O'Neill has been making sure I don't overdo it this time around," she replied with a smile. "He won't even let me think."

"And look at the good it's done you, Carter. You're not so pale, not breathing hard, and you're smiling. See, thinking's not all it's cracked up to be." Sam shook her head but refrained from offering a comeback.

Teal'c glanced at Jack out of the corner of his eye, wondering at the change he felt flowing between the two of them. He cocked his head in thought before returning to the present. Disregarding the changed atmosphere for the moment, he stated, "Daniel Jackson is most anxious for your return. He did not wish to leave this planet not knowing when you would arrive safely at the gate." He straightened up slightly. "I was able to persuade him otherwise."

Jack's eyebrows rose at that comment and he shared an amused glance with Sam before returning his attention to Teal'c. "You can be real persuasive when you put your mind to it, big guy."

Teal'c looked the other man over carefully, before cryptically replying, "Indeed." Jack gulped; he had a feeling Teal'c would be 'persuading' him to reveal more about this mission than he had originally intended.

Inwardly shuddering at the thought, Jack turned to SG-3. "Nice of you to join us, guys. But I think we're ready to head home." He swatted at the bugs that began to congregate around his head. "And the sooner the better. It's feeding time and I don't think we want to be the main course." He looked around, noticing no one else was being bothered by the incessant insects. "Well, at least I don't want to be the main course," he amended.

The five members of the SGC turned and began the trek to the gate, Teal'c taking Sam's pack without a word and leading the way. Sam looked at Jack, shrugged her shoulders, and followed the large man through the high grasses. She smiled to herself as they walked and worked hard not to laugh at the slapping noises that were coming from directly behind her. It seemed as if the insects had started the first course of their meal! Without a word, Teal'c reached into his vest, pulled out a can of insect repellant, and tossed it back to the complaining Colonel. Sam had to cough to cover a laugh as Jack grumbled about man-eating bugs while he liberally sprayed himself with repellant.

After a rather slow and uneventful walk, they finally came within sight of the Stargate. The other two members of SG-3 stood on either side of the gate, both still alertly guarding the gate. They greeted the returning members, then turned to dial up the gate when Colonel Reynolds gave the command.

The long walk in the heat had started to get to Sam and she was showing definite signs of weariness. Her features had begun to pale and her face dripped with sweat. Though she hadn't complained, Jack knew she was wiped out and didn't want to waste any time; he just wanted to get through the gate and get her to the infirmary. But he felt he should say something to her before they left…he just didn't know what exactly.

Jack nodded to SG-3, who stood waiting for his signal, to go ahead of them once the gate had been activated and the code had been sent through. He and Sam followed Teal'c up the stones steps to the gate's entrance. Teal's turned around to look at Jack, noticing the man's hesitation and the look of indecision on his face. The Jaffa was certain something had happened between the warriors and as such, was willing to give them a few moments of privacy. "I will go ahead and ensure the medical team has arrived for Major Carter, O'Neill."

Jack gave him a grateful smile and returned the slight nod Teal'c directed his way. When Teal'c had disappeared through the event horizon, Sam turned to face Jack, a question lighting her eyes.

Looking away for a moment trying to gather his thoughts, Jack turned back to her and gave her a soft smile. "I just wanted to say, however strange this whole thing has been," he waved his hand around to encompass their surroundings, "Well, I think everything's going to turn out OK, Carter. It might take a while, but…well; I think it's going to be worth the wait."

He waited anxiously for a response from her, his heart speeding up in the process. He wanted nothing more than to take her back in his arms, but he wouldn't. As long as they were still on the same team, he would not cross that line again. It would be enough for him to know that she was willing to wait as long as he was to have Grace in their lives again…for good this time.

After a momentary pause in which Sam took in his words, she smiled softly and replied, "So do I, Sir. I'm willing to wait however long it takes…but hopefully not too long. Neither one of us is getting any younger, you know," she added with an impish grin that reminded him so much of Grace.

"Don't worry, Carter. I have no intention of waiting too long!" he replied with a chuckle. He brushed a stray lock of hair off her face before straightening up. "Well, Danny's waiting on the other end; with endless questions, no doubt. We'd better head back."

"Yes, sir," Sam agreed. As she was about to turn and enter the Stargate, something caught her eye at the edge of the clearing. Turning, she looked back and a gentle smile graced her features. Jack, seeing the direction her eyes had gone, followed suit and smiled as well.

For standing at the edge of the clearing, her white dress billowing in the slight breeze, stood Grace. She pushed away the stray stands of curly hair that blew across her face and tucked them behind her ear, then raised her hand and waved. When Jack and Sam responded in kind, her face broke into a huge grin. Then she turned and skipped off into the woods, her voice carrying across the clearing as she sang, "Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue…"

Jack and Sam lowered their hands at the same time and turned to look at each other, smiles of love and promise lighting their features. As they turned to enter the Stargate, Jack let Sam proceed him, then turned back to gaze once more to where the child had disappeared. He put his hand into his pocket and pulled out the white satin ribbon, caressing it gently before carefully putting it back.

As he entered the gate, he could be heard whispering to himself, "Definitely worth fighting for."

The End

Well, this got much more shippy than I had originally intended but, where the muse goes, one must follow! I wanted to thank everyone once again for all of the wonderful reviews...they really keep me inspired and writing! I know several of you will ask for an epilogue but I strongly feel that this is a good place to end it...with you imagining when and how they finally have Grace in their lives. Besides, I need to visit Jack, Sam, JJ and Grace from A Mother's Love and A Father's Determination and see how they are faring! So many people have asked for a glimpse back into their lives that I feel compelled to write about them!

Thanks again and please let me know what you thought of the ending! God Bless - Janissima