I'm giving you an advanced warning here. Herein you will find a boat load of fluff and sap. Oh... and you will most likely need a tissue or two! Happy endings! Hope you all enjoy it!

I'd like to thank all of you who have ever reviewed this story, and for making it extra special for me by your wonderful comments. Thank you!

So here is the very last chapter. And, no I wasn't thinking of writing a sequel.

Title: Unity.

Author: LetitiaRichards.

Previously:

Teal'c pushed him from the room before he could ask any questions. He sighed and sat quietly, pensive even, as he rode the elevator to the locker room, wondering what Sam was up to.

Chapter 39

Neither Jack nor Sam spoke much on the way home; the tension inside the car was thick with apprehension. They were alone for the journey as Daniel had kept Teal'c at the mountain with a nod and wink so that Jack and Sam could talk in private; he was happy for his friends, thinking it was about time they sorted themselves out. Teal'c had approved his actions too with a rare smile.

Sam wondered how she could tell Jack her news, and he was wondering if she was mad at him for leaving the Air Force. But, this way, he could still do the job he wanted, and be with her; he saw no other way round the regulations, and the state of his feet had more or less dictated his motives.

"Jack?" Sam called softly as he entered the house behind her and headed for the lounge.

He stopped in his tracks and turned round carefully towards her, trying not to overbalance on his crutches.

"What?" he answered gently, wondering what was wrong with her. She'd been a bit quiet and tense all the way home.

"I need to talk to you. Please can we sit down so that I can explain something to you."

Jack looked both puzzled and worried for a moment, before she smiled sweetly and kissed him briefly on the lips in passing.

"It's okay. It's not that bad honestly," she assured him.

Jack shrugged, followed her and sat down heavily, thankful to be off his sore feet. He pulled of his sneakers with a deep sigh and wriggled his toes, urging the blood supply back into them. They tingled with tenderness still, and he wondered if they would ever feel right again.

Sam stood over him with an indulgent smile of her own as she watched him, knowing that it would be a while still before he would be able to walk any distance on his feet. He'd done well today, but now he was paying for it. It's a good job he was going to be flying a desk from now on. She understood why he had done it, but she was still worried about him, though he wouldn't be in any direct danger now and that suited her just fine.

Jack sighed heavily, blowing out a protracted breath and looked up at her.

"Aren't you gonna sit down too? Or is this lecture time?" he grumbled, thinking that she was about to read him the riot act about giving up his commission.

Sam winced at his tone, he was a little ratty after the hectic day he'd had, but she knew it was only from tiredness and wasn't directed at her.

"Jack, please."

Jack threw a hand into the air, indicating that he would shut up and that she should proceed and get it over and done with.

"I'm all ears."

He sat sprawled on the sofa, one arm resting along the back; his head cocked and those dark hooded eyes were watching her intently.

"Jack, I wanted to be the one to tell you of my decision. I had a talk with General Hammond, before I knew anything about your new position or his retirement. He never said a word about it, by the way. It was one hell of a surprise to all of us."

Jack kept his eyes on her, waiting patiently, keeping quiet for now.

Sam hesitated briefly, feeling the weight of that intense look he was giving her. Swallowing her nerves, she continued.

"With all you've been through and the fact that our feelings have changed lately with our growing relationship, I've put in for a transfer," she gasped out quickly, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

"You what?" Jack almost leapt from the sofa in surprise, but for Sam's hand preventing him. "Why Sam? I thought we should be okay now. This change of mine should be enough to warrant us being a couple. It shouldn't interfere with our plans!"

"I know Jack," she sighed, casting her eyes to the floor and biting on her bottom lip. "And it won't! I promise."

"So you decided that you can't work with me any more, even as a civilian is that it? Okay. Fine! If that's what you want…" he ranted angrily. Had he given up the Air Force for nothing? Not only did those bastards screw with his head and his body, but also with his love life. He didn't want to lose Sam from the SGC, but he would have to learn to live without her there. Maybe he should have given up altogether, then they wouldn't have to lose her at all. He sat, breathing heavily, simmering in anger at how much his life sucked. He thought he'd done the right thing for them to be together and both work at the SGC.

"Jack," she cried, squatting down on the corner of the coffee table so that she was eye to eye with him. She stared at him closely, making him want to avoid her gaze. "It's not what you think..."

"How do you know what I'm thinking...?" he said grumpily, giving her a little pout.

"Because I know you Jack. I understand how you would draw that conclusion from what I just said, and if you'd let me finish...that isn't why I want to go. I'm looking forward to being CO of SG-1, but...I can't. Not yet, and Hammond agrees, he has a temporary CO all lined up."

Jack looked up her frowning, tilting his head to one side, wondering what was going on inside that super sized brain of hers.

"I'm taking a teaching post at the Academy for a year, starting from Monday morning. I'll still be in the Air Force, and I will be returning to the SGC afterwards to take up a position in the labs rather than on the front line for a while before I take up my duties as CO of SG-1. But most importantly Jack, I'm not leaving you. I may not be at the SGC, but I'll still be here. If you want me, that is?"

Jack looked slightly mollified, but he was still pouting. Hammond had conveniently told him nothing of this and he was slightly miffed.

"Why Sam. I don't understand why. I thought we would always be together at the SGC. I can't have given everything up for you only to be told you won't be working there now? Hammond said it would be okay."

"There are some things that change Jack. You've changed; I've changed. It was inevitable after..."

"I don't want it to change; well, not after all we'd arranged," he interrupted. "I for one, was quite happy with the arrangements."

"Iraq changed things for us Jack whether we wanted it to or not."

At the mention of that place, he shuddered and scowled, feeling the anger spread up from his throbbing feet to the blossoming headache he knew was coming as it always did when he thought over all the crap he'd suffered at their hands and not just recently either.

"But why the Academy? Couldn't you just work in the labs instead of going off for a year to the Academy if you're only going to work there afterwards, why wait? Is it working with me as the commander? Is that the real problem here?"

"That's not part of the problem Jack. I don't want to go through the gate any more...I can't..."

His surprised gasp stopped her in mid sentence, but it brought a smile to her face.

"Why not?" he whined. Why couldn't he fall in love with someone who was his equal, intellectually wise? Sam was way over his head sometimes and it felt like that now. She wasn't making any sense at all.

"I don't want to go through the gate; I don't even want to go near the SGC..."

He stopped her short again and she frowned in frustration.

"What? That's...just ridiculous," he fumbled for the words to express his horror at her revelation. "You won't go there? Sam? You enjoyed the work we did there."

"Yes, and I do…but..."

He interrupted again, adding to her annoyance.

"So why do you want to give it up?"

"Oh Jack," she sighed in resignation. Sometimes he could behave with such child like innocence. "I love you, you know that don't you?" she said, sliding forward to brush a sweet kiss over his pouting lips. He couldn't help but respond to the sensations she was creating inside him.

He slipped a hand round the back of her neck and deepened their touch.

"I love you too!" he sighed, when he needed air.

She broke away with a grin.

"What?"

"You don't have any idea do you?" she giggled.

"About what?" The frown was back.

"Why I don't want to work in a dangerous environment for the next year Jack; when all that it means, is that I have to leave the SGC for a little while."

"But...why?"

"It's a dangerous place Jack. Anything could happen, you know that. And I have to stay away from there at least until after our child is born," she grinned.

Jack could hardly believe his ears. It took several moments for her words to sink in.

"Our...what? Our child? Sam?" he spluttered.

Laughing at his flustered features and floundering words, she pulled his hand to rest it on her gently rounded abdomen.

"Our child Jack. I don't want to expose him or her to any danger, and I can't guarantee that under Cheyenne Mountain. You know the risks there."

"Why didn't you say something?" he whispered almost reverently.

"I thought I just did. Well, I was trying to, but you kept jumping to all the wrong conclusions and interrupted me. Plus I only just found out."

Jack harrumphed, but grinned anyway. He closed his eyes and reached out with his mind to imagine touching her like this in a few months time and feeling the baby kick. It was unbelievable; amazing; miraculous even. That's when the questions came thick and fast.

"When is it due? From that one time? Does Hammond know? Does Dad? Oh God, he is sooo gonna kill me!" he paused for breath before the realisation dawned. "I'm gonna be a dad again!"

Sam sat and rolled up, giggling at the look of horror on his face at the prospect of her Dad and he coming face to face with the truth of their relationship.

"In seven months. Yes. Yes. Not yet. No he won't," she answered, trying to keep a straight face. "And yes you are!"

Suddenly he became all serious, taking her hands in his and staring intently into her startling blue eyes, alight with laughter and love.

"Sam...I...I wanna make it...em...him/her all legal...would you...oh god...would you consider marrying me? I'd be honoured if you would. I love you Sam. Always."

Sam felt the hot tears stinging the backs of her eyes as she gazed into the chocolate brown windows of his bared soul; and seeing only love and adoration in them, she couldn't refuse.

"I love you Jack O'Neill, and the honour would be all mine!"

"Yes!" he cried with unbridled glee.

Jack pulled her into a warm embrace and gave her a deep passionate kiss. Then regardless of his sore feet, he pulled her upright and towed her along the hallway towards the bedroom. With new memories to make he could push the bitterness of his imprisonment and torture in Iraq to the background to make it a thing of the past, along with his nightmares; and then he'd...no, they'd just live each day surrounded by an undying love for each other and with a brand new family. Yeah, he could do that.

The End.

Well? Loved it? Hated it? Please let me know what you thought about it.

I'm gonna take a break from writing for a little while so I can concentrate on getting my daughter sorted out. The Doctor thinks she may have Diabetes, so he's running a few tests. I'll be back though, that's a promise!