Fic: Three Diamonds
Title: Three Diamonds
Rating: PG
Pairing: Sam/Cam
Warnings: None
Words: 5,700 ish
...
Chapter 1 - Three Diamonds
Cam sat in the chair next to the hospital bed. The room was surprisingly tranquil bearing in mind where it was. He sat there silently watching Sam’s chest rise and fall softly under the blanket as she slept.
He could have sat there watching forever, but there was something else demanding his attention. His right arm was resting on the rim of the plastic cot to the side of Sam’s bed, his fingers gently stroking the soft, warm skin peeking out of the bundle of blankets that lay there. Even the smell was warm, a smell he had never come across before, but was strangely recognisable and comforting.
Cam let his eyes leave the form of Sam on the bed and turned his attention to his son. Yes, his son. As he looked at the scrunched-up face he still couldn’t believe it. Not only was he a father, but the mother of his child was none other than Lt. Col. Samantha Carter, his second-in-command, his teammate, his best friend. Nestling beside the baby was a fluffy toy aeroplane with a happy face stitched to the front. Cameron had bought it a few weeks ago and kept it with him, ready for the birth.
Cam remembered when she’d told him she was pregnant. She’d been shaking, terrified and he’d held her for hours as she cried and they tried to work out what they were going to do.
He’d gone with her to General Landry’s office, professionally explaining to him the situation. He’d held her hand when her voice cracked with tears at the thought of them both losing their jobs, and more. He’d even shared her shock and relief when Landry had explained the loophole in the frat. regs.
They’d kept it low profile in the beginning, telling only General Landry, the others in SG-1 and, of course, Jack O’Neill. But as time went on, the evidence got harder to miss. Not that they were necessarily hiding it, but the secret was out and soon the whole mountain knew.
And so here he was. Sitting in a darkened hospital maternity ward staring in amazement at the tiny body before him. His own flesh and blood. His new responsibility.
“He’s so beautiful,” Cam breathed, thinking out loud.
“Would you expect any less?” Cam jumped slightly at the sound of Sam’s sleep-filled voice. He hadn’t noticed her wake up, and he studied her face and smiled. Twelve hours of labour and she still looked as amazing as ever.
“With you as his mother, I would expect nothing but perfection,” he winked at her as she smiled back at him.
“Could say the same about you,” she grinned, her eyes still half-closed. Cam huffed out a laugh.
“Now that’s the pain-pills talking,” he replied with a raised eyebrow, “Get some sleep. The nurse said we could probably take you two home in a day or so. Teal’c and Daniel are finishing the room at your house-”
“Cam,” Sam interrupted.
“Yes, Sam?”
“What are we going to do?” Cam took her hand in his, avoiding the IV with a deftness he’d developed only since joining SG-1.
“Sam, baby, I thought we decided to take this as it came. You know, day by day.”
“But now he’s here,” she nodded weakly at the sleeping infant beside her, “And now I’ve realised what I really want…what I want for the baby…”
Her blue eyes were fixed on his, and his heart beat fast and his mind raced. What was she going to say? Was it what he hoped it was going to be? Was he going to be ready for it if it was?
“Cam? Are you OK?” Cam refocused. His palms were sweaty and his breathing had become a little heavy.
“Sam-”
“I want you to move in with me,” She interrupted quickly. There was a silence that stretched on, and Cameron could hear is heart beating in his ears. Then Cam sighed and lowered his eyes to the ground and let his hands fall away from hers.
“Cam, I’m sorry. If you think it’s too soon - or you don’t want to at all, I understand. I-”
She cut her sentence off when she caught sight of the gold band nestled in the folds of a red velvet-lined box Cam was holding out in front if her. Her eyes widened when the light reflected off the three cut diamonds set into the metal. There were two medium-sized stones with a smaller one lying between them. She tore her eyes off it and met Cam’s again, speechless.
“Sam,” he started, “when you first told me you were carrying our child, I bought this ring. It was originally going to be a commitment ring, you know, promising I’d always be there to support you,” he took the ring out and ran a finger over the stones, “These two are us. And this little one - that’s the baby,” he smiled up into her face. He cleared his throat, “Over these last months I finally realised that only my biggest commitment is good enough for you.”
“Cam-” Sam’s eyes were glossy and a single tear rolled lazily down her cheek. Cam reached up to her face with his hand to cup her cheek as he brushed the tear away with his thumb. She reached up a hand and covered his.
“Samantha Carter. Would you do me the honour of accepting my proposal?” Cam’s voice cracked a little. Sam didn’t say a word, she looked a little unsure, but she leaned her face more into Cam’s hand and squeezed it gently, “Will you marry me, Sam?”
“Yes,” Sam nodded. This time there was no pause, and no doubt in her mind that this was the right thing to do, and what she wanted.
..//..
Chapter 2 - The Godfather
“How are they?” General Jack O’Neill asked as soon as the door opened.
“They’re doing great,” Cameron replied with a smile. They were both in casual clothes, out of uniform so there was no need for formality. He took the flowers Jack was holding out to him and stepped aside to let him step into the hallway of Sam’s house. Cameron gestured to the sitting room, more out of politeness than necessity, and wandered off to find a spare vase.
Jack took a small step into the room and watched Sam quietly as she sat on the sofa, holding her sleeping baby in her arms, a fine fluff of white-blond hair sticking out of the fleece blanket. He smiled and stepped in a little further so she could see him and her face lit up.
“Sir!” she said with a smile, “Glad you could make it,”
Jack scowled, “Remember, Sam, it’s Jack on personal visits,” he paused, “Sorry I couldn’t make it any sooner, it’s just-”
“It’s ok, Jack,” Sam interrupted. She yawned and Jack suddenly realised how exhausted she looked. He’d almost forgotten that part of parenting.
Cameron returned with the flowers arranged in a vase and set it down on the window ledge, amidst the cards and presents from their friends. One of Cam’s old flying buddies had sent a little musical toy plane on hearing they’d had a boy, much to Cam’s delight.
Smiling at mother and child, Cameron perched on the arm of the other chair in the room. Jack sat gently down close to Sam and leant over to brush the child’s soft cheek.
“He’s so beautiful,” he said in an uncharacteristically wistful voice. Noticing this, he coughed to clear his throat, “You should both be proud,” he smiled as the little boy made a quiet sound under his touch, “Have you thought of a name yet? I heard you were still deciding,”
Sam exchanged a look with Cameron across the small room and he smiled and straightened his arms on his thighs in anticipation. He nodded and Sam smiled back at him, “Well, we were thinking of naming him after his godfather,” Jack looked up at her with his eyebrows raised questioningly, “So we were thinking - Jonathan,”
Jack smiled and leaned back, “Jonathan. Jonny,” he said thoughtfully and looked down at the baby boy and nodded, “Suits him,”
“So you’ll do it?” Cam asked, leaning forward on the chair arm.
“Of course I will,” Jack said, his wide grin
So it was settled. Jack O’Neill became the godfather of the son of Sam and Cameron’s son. The christening ceremony was a continuation of the wedding, a small affair taking place a week or so later. The congregation consisted of family and close friends, with proud parents and grinning godfather looking on as the child was officially christened Jonathan Mitchell.
After a period of maternity leave, Sam left the SGC to retake her post at Research and Development. It gave her much more free time to look after Jonny than if she continued at Stargate Command. Cameron, however, stayed at the mountain. The distance was tough on both of them to start with, but both Sam and Cam had grown up with a father in the Air Force and learnt to work around it, making the most of all the time they could get to be together. Fortunately this time was becoming more frequent as the changes in the Stargate Program after the downfall of the Ori gave him more and more opportunities to be with his new family.
..//..
Chapter 3 - Going Down
Over a year later and the Stargate Program was almost entirely devoted to exploration. Colonel Cameron Mitchell was now the leader of a squadron of modified F-302 fighters, able to use the Stargate system for travel. The squadron was currently on their final mission before returning to Earth.
“Ok boys, let’s make this a good one,” Cameron said into his mask radio, “We’re heading bearing - 200, hostility ahead, ETA - 0940, Earth time. That’s half an hour. Roll call then radio silence. Wolf Leader out,” he listened to the six calls then there was silence. He had 13 men out today, under his command, against an unknown enemy with very little intel. Cam silently prayed to his grandma’s God that they’d all get back, ending their six month tour with a no fatalities.
Cam unclipped his mask, “How’s it going back there, Filson?” he called back to his navigator.
“Everything’s check, Colonel, we’re ready,” Captain Phil Wilson, or ‘Filson’, was the youngest member of Wolf Squadron, on his first stint off-world.
“Good,” Cam said and settled back for the flight, “So, Filson,” he started conversationally, “Anyone waiting on you getting home?”
“Uh, yes, sir. My fiancée, Janey. We’ve been together for two years,” Cam smiled to himself when he heard the smile in Wilson’s voice, “And you sir?”
“A wife and son,” he replied, “he’s 18 months now. Looks just like his mother,” he laughed, “With the attitude to match,” Cameron smiled down at the small wallet-sized photo of the three of them he had stuck to his cockpit controls.
“Well I have to say, sir,” Wilson replied, “It’s great to have someone to get back home to,”
“Yes it is,” Cam said with a wide grin.
…..
“Watch out, Biter! There’s one on your tail,”
“I’m on him,”
“Good shot, thanks Skip,”
“My God, there’s so many of them. They just keep coming!”
“Concentrate, Brains! No time for sight-seeing,”
“Two on your left wing, Fry, watch it,”
“Got one!”
“Boom, head shot!”
“Thanks, Biter. I owe you one,”
“Shit!…I’m hit!”
“Hang on, Woody…How bad is it?”
“Uh, bad…we’re going down. Bailing out…”
“Shit…ok, eyes open, boys. Don’t let them get a clear shot!”
“One coming right at you, Shaft,”
“I see him,”
“Watch out, looks like he’s going for a collision,”
There was a massive crash and the 302 shuddered and lurched. Sparks flew from the controls.
“Shit! Bastard clipped my wing…losing stability - Filson?!”
“Uh…we’ve lost - approximately half the right wing and - 2 engines,”
“Shaft! You’re leaking hydraulic oil!”
“Affirmative hydraulics loss, Colonel. It’s bad,”
“I’m holding it,”
“No, sir, systems are shutting down all over the shop. ”
Cameron continued struggling against the deteriorating controls.
“Sir!” Wilson sounded a little panicked
Cam threw his head back in his chair, “Nearest clear landing site?”
“Approximately - 50 clicks, sir. There’s no chance we’d make it,”
Cam clenched his jaw and took a deep breath, “Ok, listen up, Wolf Squadron, I’m going down, repeat, going down. These guys are no match for us. Eyes open and watch each others’ six. I’m bailing out,” he paused, “It was a pleasure flying with you, gentlemen,”
There were no replies, but he wasn’t expecting any, “Ready to eject, Captain,” He pulled the levers above his head but all it caused was a muffled pop and a little puff of smoke. “Oh you have got to be kidding me. Eject failure, Filson. Any luck on your end?”
There was a pause and Cam heard a second ejection launch failure and closed his eyes.
“No, sir,” came Wilson’s small reply.
“Looks like we’re going down with the ship,”
There was a short hesitation, “Yes, sir,”
Cam closed his eyes again, “There might be a small chance, Filson,” he opened his eyes and raised his eyebrows doubtfully at the jagged mountains all around them, “Send a mayday signal. They’ll find the wreck afterwards,”
“Yes sir,” he hesitated, “It was an honour serving with you, Colonel,”
“You too, Captain,” Cam spent his last minutes staring at the three faces smiling out at him from the controls, trying to ignore the grey rock he was aiming helplessly at.
..//..
Chapter 4 - Memories
It had been a miracle last time, and Cameron somehow managed to cheat death once again. His 302 had crash-landed into a mountain at high speed, shattering the plane, as well as the bodies of both men. Shrapnel and bone had sliced through Cameron’s spine, paralysing him with no chance of ever walking again. Not this time. Captain Wilson hadn’t been so lucky.
But that was a year ago now. A year of hospitalisation, unconsciousness and morphine-induced comas as Cam’s body pieced itself slowly and painfully back together.
A year of Sam visiting him, looking into his pale, gaunt face, never getting much, if any, response. She watched as his visible wounds healed and scarred, but knowing the internal damage was too great, and the legs lying under the blanket would never move again.
A year of Sam having to avoid their son asking for his daddy. Jack had been a pillar of support, spending all his available time with her, being her shoulder to cry on and helping her look after Jonny. Daniel even managed to get away from his home at Atlantis for a while to do his part to help her through her depression.
Cameron had been awake now for the last two months, staring blankly ahead, never talking or even smiling. He sometimes looked into Sam’s eyes but when he did, his were filled with sorrow and pain, fear and despair.
He wasn’t sure why he didn’t speak. He thought maybe it was knowing that his men had died when he’d managed to hold on once more. Although he knew the mission had been a success, he also knew that too many men had died that day. He thought it might be the realisation that, even if he had that slight chance of walking again, he didn’t feel he would have had the drive to go through it all again, with no fancy job offers at the end. Maybe it was that; the knowledge that he’d be forced to retire, a lifetime of service ended prematurely. To stay at home, alone, and still never be the kind of husband he wanted to be, the husband that Sam deserved.
But Cam was beginning to realise it wasn’t any of these guilts producing that frustrating niggle that had been growing in his mind every waking moment of the last year. He couldn’t work out what was causing it, but he could feel it as an empty feeling deep in his chest and stomach. It made him nauseous and it got worse when Sam visited, but only when he looked at her face. There was something there, and it made him feel awful. And he could see the hurt in Sam’s face when he refused to look at her.
Then, one day, Cam was woken by the carefree laughter of a young child down the hall. He opened his eyes and looked curiously at the doorway. After a moment, Sam turned into the room and that old familiar nauseating feeling started in his belly as he stared into her face. He was about to turn away when a small boy appeared at her side, reaching to hold her hand.
Cameron’s eyes locked on the boy and they widened as memories and emotions flooded into his mind. The white-blond hair. The bright blue eyes. The shape of his face. He looked so much like Sam, it was incredible. A lump formed in Cam’s throat and he choked on it, the first sound he’d made since the crash. Memories of the boy, his son, poured into the void in his mind from behind some impenetrable dam.
“Jonathan?” he choked through a dry throat and mouth, and a tear rolled down Sam’s face as it crumpled into that weak smile that is only possible when crying with joy. Cameron turned his gaze to his wife’s face, and saw the beauty of it for the first time in too long. He smiled and raised an arm out to her.
She ran towards him and they embraced with longing and love, laughing and crying together.
“Cam,” Sam breathed into his shoulder as she buried her face deeper into his skin, “God, Cam, you scared us all so much. You scared me,”
“I’m so sorry, Sam, I really am,” he pulled away from her and looked into her eyes, then took in her whole face, the arms around his shoulders, her body. He’d missed that body. He returned his gaze to the boy standing next to the bed, “Jonny?”
The boy smiled, “Yes, Daddy,” he said and climbed onto the bed-side chair where he leaned over to wrap his little arms around Cameron’s neck.
..//..
Chapter 5 - A Good Day
“Nee-yorrrr!” Cameron was rolling his wheelchair fast around the small sitting room, with a very happy blond-haired little boy on his lap, knee either side of Cam’s thighs with his arms stuck out sideways.
“Quick! They’re on our tail, Jonny!” Cam shouted, “Evasive manoeuvres!” He zig zagged the chair, jerking Jonny’s head from side to side, then span 180˚, “He’s in our sights!”
“Dugga dugga dugga!” Jonny shouted, jabbing his fingers forwards, “Got ‘em, Dad!”
“Nice shot, airman,” Cam said, slowing the chair and stopping, “Celebratory high-five,” there was a loud snap as their palms connected.
Cameron collapsed back in the chair to get his breath back and Jonny fell back against his chest. This was Jonny’s favourite game, and Cam made no secret of how happy he was with how much his son was into planes and flying. They usually played outside, but when Sam wasn’t around they brought it indoors. Jonny had turned into a mischievous four-year-old, still learning the limits of what he could get away with, but he already knew he could go further with his dad than his mom.
At first, Cameron thought he’d hate to be at home, out of action, but Jonny made life just as good, if not better, than service life. And he felt that being with him now helped to start to make up for the time he missed at the beginning of his life.
“I’m home!” Sam called from the front door. Jonny pointed towards the door and Cam rolled his eyes and rolled forwards, making Jonny laugh with his exaggerated sigh.
They rounded the corner and Sam shook her head at the sight, “What have I told you about sitting on Daddy all the time?” Jonny spun his head round to look at Cameron and gave him that mischievous grin that made him look even more like Sam.
“We’re goin’ down!” he whispered, “Eject! Eject!”
He grinned even wider when Cam moved his finger towards the red button painted on to the arm of the chair. Jonny watched intently and as soon as Cam’s finger hit the circle he somehow uncoiled himself, thrusting himself forward and using his arms for momentum. He landed on his feet on the floor just in front of the wheelchair.
“Nice landing, airman,” Cam said and ruffled the mass of fine blond hair before Jonny ran off. He rolled slowly towards Sam, “Good day, Honey?” he asked up at her with a loving smile. It always struck Sam how different her Cameron was from the wheelchair-bound Mitchell in the alternate reality. That man was miserable, living alone in a dank flat in some rough neighbourhood. This man was happy, embracing his new life and loving his family with every ounce of his heart.
She bent down and gave him a long kiss before turning to hang her coat up and sitting lightly on his lap where he was patting his thigh with his hand.
“Very productive,” she smiled and kissed him again as he started rubbing her thigh, and sliding round to her ass, “We landed an alliance with the people of Enova, and my team made a breakthrough on some Del’Sha technology. And what did you do today?”
Cam smiled widely, “Well first we breakfasted with the legendary Fruit-Loop tribe and their neighbours the friendly Chocolate Milk clan. Then we did a little recon at the park, sampling the local ice-cream delicassy,” Sam laughed as Cam did an appreciative thumbs-up, “Then we had a little down time and we watched TV, and we just defeated the last of the Dark Flyers, single-handed I might add, then you came home and we - crashed,” he finished with a smile and leaned up to kiss Sam again, “It’s a good life,”
Sam frowned, “What on Earth are you going to do when he starts school?”
Cameron glanced sideways. He hadn’t really thought about that, “Uhh…” He hesitated, then a grin spread across his face and he looked her dead in the eye, “Well. We could work on another reason for me to stay home,” he said slowly and placed a hand on Sam’s belly.
She studied him quietly for a moment, “Ok,” she said seriously, then smiled to match Cam’s whole-face grin.
..//..
Chapter 6 - Photograph
“Well, I never thought I’d be here again,” Jack O’Neill said from an armchair in the Mitchell family house. He had the newest member lying in his arms, staring up at him with wide blue eyes, “Another boy, huh? You’re gonna have your hands full,”
Before anyone could respond, and as if to emphasise the words, a loud crashing sound came from another room in the house. Sam and Cameron exchanged worried looks then a slightly nervous; “Shit!” could be heard.
Jack fought back a laugh but couldn’t help smile at Cam’s face, “He did not learn that from me!” he argued in response to Sam’s glare.
“Jonny!” Cam called as he wheeled quickly out of the room. Jack let out his laugh and Sam shook her head with resignation.
“Let’s just hope he can handle this on his own,” she said with a slight sigh as she watched Jack look adoringly down at her baby, curling his fingers gently through the soft wisps of dark hair.
He looked back at Sam and tilted his head to one side, “You know, I would’ve expected you to name your first child after your father,”
Sam narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, “I guess I just had different priorities,” she said with a small smile.
“Go tell your mother what you just did while I find you a band-aid,” Cameron’s disappointed, almost angry rough voice could be heard from the hall and Jonny appeared looking very sorry for himself with a finger stuck in his mouth. Sam raised her eyebrows expectantly at him.
“I broke the picture frame,” he said and bowed his head. Jack looked at Sam with a confused look on his face, but Sam quickly figured out which frame it must have been to get Cam to react like this.
She sighed, “Come here,” she said and held her arms out to her son. He ran forward and wrapped his arms around her. When she pulled away from him she reached down for his finger to examine it. It was only a small cut with no glass remaining in it.
When Cameron came back into the room he had a long band-aid in between his teeth and a photo print on his lap. He motioned his head to Jonny and he came to him, head bowed and bottom lip sticking out.
“Finger,” Cam said and Jonny held his cut finger out to him and he wrapped it in the sticky strip. When this was done, Cameron rested his hands on the boy’s shoulders, looking at him with raised eyebrows.
“I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to. I - was playing airplane,”
Cam sighed slowly through his nose, “It’s ok, son. Maybe you’re getting a little too big to play inside now, so just in the yard from now on, right?”
Jonny looked up and smiled that smile he most definitely had learnt from his dad, “Right,” he said with a nod.
“Ok,” Cameron ruffled the boy’s hair and he ran off out the front door.
Sam and Jack had been watching this little scene and Sam gave him a big smile when he looked at her. He wheeled further into the room, stopping equidistant between the others.
“What’s in the photo, Mitchell?” Jack asked curiously as the baby squirmed slightly in his arms.
Cam held the photo up and looked at it with a clenched jaw before handing it to Jack. It was the larger print of the family shot Cameron had had in his cockpit on his last flight, with that smaller print paper-clipped to the bottom right-hand corner with charred edges and sellotaped together.
Jack looked at the happy faces in the photo and nodded, “Nice photograph,” he said with a small smile.
..//..
Chapter 7 - Promotion
Cameron hadn’t been surrounded by so many service men and women since before his accident, and it brought back memories as he sat at a table by the wall. He was sitting on the edge of a reception dinner party after a promotion ceremony, with little Jacob sitting quietly on his lap. Unlike his brother, Jacob was a quiet child, even at the young age of one year. He had a small mass of untidy brown hair and had freckles on his cheeks.
With Jacob being so quiet and still, Cameron had zoned out and was only dragged back by Jonny tugging on his sleeve. Cam looked down at him and was shocked, as he often was, at how tall the boy was getting. It wouldn’t be long until Jonny was taller than him sitting in the chair.
“Dad,” he moaned, “Mommy wants you to join in more,” Cam smiled. He should have known the scowl on Jonny’s face was because Sam had made him do something. He looked up to see Sam looking at him with her hands on her hips.
Cam grinned, “Come on, Jakey. Mommy wants us. Orders from the General,” He rolled the short distance towards the newly promoted officer, his very own General Samantha Mitchell. He stopped in front of her and smiled sheepishly up at her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head but leant down to kiss him none-the-less.
“You need to talk to people, Cam,” she said quietly.
“Mommy!” Jacob stood up on Cam’s thighs and threw his arms up to Sam who scooped him up onto her hip.
“I know,” Cameron replied as he brushed the tiny footprints off his dress blues and looked around doubtfully, “It’s just weird, you know,”
“I know how difficult you find this, but you know most of these people, you just need to talkt to - no you don’t, Mister!” The last part was aimed at Jonny, who was trying to climb up onto Cam’s lap, which he really was getting too big to do.
Jonny’s head snapped round to look at her, “Why not? It’s not like he can feel it,” he said with a little too much attitude.
“That is no way to talk to your mother, young man!” Cam barked, surprising Jonny who slid off and ran to the buffet table. The shout had brought attention to the family and Sam and Cameron put on smiles as they looked around.
“Where on Earth is he learning language like that?” Cam asked in wonder, “‘Cause it most definitely isn’t coming from me,”
“No,” Sam shook her head and looked for Jonny, “But it might be him,” she said with a sigh.
Cam followed her eyes to see Jack O’Neill laughing as he ruffled the boy’s hair, “Well that would explain a lot,”
..//..
Chapter 8 - Flying
“Battle stations!” Jonny’s young voice called out through the house.
“Comiiiiing!” Jacob was a blur as he jumped off the sofa from between his parents and ran out of the room.
“Quick, Jake! They’re coming!” Jonny yelled hurriedly as little Jacob ran into the hall, arms stretched out, “They’re on your tail! I’m on it!”
“Quick!” Jacob shouted and Jonny jumped off the chair he’d been standing on in the kitchen and launched himself down the hall towards his brother.
“Bank left, Jakey! Bank left!”
“What way’s left?” Jacob asked, panic in his voice as Jonny hurtled towards him.
“Towards the wall!”
“What wall?!”
“Scratch that! Dive dive dive!”
At the last moment Jacob crouched on the floor and tucked his head in. Jonny leaped up on long legs, clearing Jacob with plenty of room to spare and landed gracefully just beyond him.
“No playing aeroplanes in the house!” Sam’s voice called from the sitting room on hearing the thud of the landing.
“Ok, I’m on your bogie!” Jonny yelled as he span round.
“Bogie!” Jacob shouted and laughed as he ran through the kitchen door, followed by Jonny.
Cam could hear the distant ‘dugga dugga dugga’ as the boys destroyed the enemy. It seemed just a blink of an eye since he played airplanes alone with Jonny. Now his youngest son was over 3 years old and was able to play it with his older brother.
“I wonder if they’ll be so into planes and flying once they know that’s how you had the accident,” Sam said quietly as she moved to snuggle up to Cam and he wrapped an arm around her.
He was silent for a moment then breathed out slowly, “When my father lost his legs in his crash, my mother told me never to become a pilot, even though she knew it was my dream,” he paused, “and my dad told me I could be whatever I wanted to be,”
“And was it a good choice?”
“Are you kidding?” Cam laughed, “I would trade nothing for another life,” he turned his head to kiss Sam and winced a little, “but it is a good thing the boys don’t need me to play so much anymore,”
Sam gave him a small smile and rested back against him. The shrapnel remaining in Cam’s body was beginning to become a problem, and he now spent most of his time in the wheelchair, only getting onto the sofa if Sam or Jonny was there to help him.
There was a banging of doors and two red-faced boys appeared in front of them, out of breath and wide-eyed.
“Dad! Tell us another flying story!” Jonny said excitedly. Cam smiled. He knew the boys tried to re-enact his stories, and the more real-life ones brought back good memories of his old flying days, and of his old friends.
Jacob nodded vigorously, “Tell us this one,” he said and patted Cam’s leg. Jonny span round and glared at his little brother.
“You can’t ask him that!” he said angrily, “That’s a bad story!”
Cam chuckled, “It’s ok, Jonny, I can tell the story if Jake wants to hear it,” Jonny looked a little unsure but when he saw Jacob sitting down cross legged on the carpet in front of their parents he smiled and joined him. Sam smiled to herself at the sight of her sons with eager faces as they listened to the story of Cameron’s last flight.
..//..
Chapter 9 - First Day
“How was the first day, Honey?” Cameron asked with a weary smile as Sam came through the door. They’d recently moved back to Colorado Springs so Sam could start her new post as commander of the SGC.
“Weird,” she replied with a smile, “It’s odd being back there. It’s been so long. And there’s a lot more paperwork,” They moved into the sitting room, “Are the boys in bed?”
“Safe and sound,” Cam replied, fetching two beers and twisting the tops off as Sam slumped onto the old worn sofa.
“How’s Jake?” she asked, accepting the bottle.
“Nervous,” he replied, “But I don’t think he really knows how to feel,” he took a sip of his beer and settled into his chair next to the sofa, “He’ll be alright,” They were silent for a moment and Cam gently squeezed Sam’s thigh.
“I can’t believe Jake’s starting school already,” Sam said quietly.
Cam huffed out a laugh, “Time flies, I guess,”
-END-
Rating: PG
Pairing: Sam/Cam
Warnings: None
Words: 5,700 ish
...
Chapter 1 - Three Diamonds
Cam sat in the chair next to the hospital bed. The room was surprisingly tranquil bearing in mind where it was. He sat there silently watching Sam’s chest rise and fall softly under the blanket as she slept.
He could have sat there watching forever, but there was something else demanding his attention. His right arm was resting on the rim of the plastic cot to the side of Sam’s bed, his fingers gently stroking the soft, warm skin peeking out of the bundle of blankets that lay there. Even the smell was warm, a smell he had never come across before, but was strangely recognisable and comforting.
Cam let his eyes leave the form of Sam on the bed and turned his attention to his son. Yes, his son. As he looked at the scrunched-up face he still couldn’t believe it. Not only was he a father, but the mother of his child was none other than Lt. Col. Samantha Carter, his second-in-command, his teammate, his best friend. Nestling beside the baby was a fluffy toy aeroplane with a happy face stitched to the front. Cameron had bought it a few weeks ago and kept it with him, ready for the birth.
Cam remembered when she’d told him she was pregnant. She’d been shaking, terrified and he’d held her for hours as she cried and they tried to work out what they were going to do.
He’d gone with her to General Landry’s office, professionally explaining to him the situation. He’d held her hand when her voice cracked with tears at the thought of them both losing their jobs, and more. He’d even shared her shock and relief when Landry had explained the loophole in the frat. regs.
They’d kept it low profile in the beginning, telling only General Landry, the others in SG-1 and, of course, Jack O’Neill. But as time went on, the evidence got harder to miss. Not that they were necessarily hiding it, but the secret was out and soon the whole mountain knew.
And so here he was. Sitting in a darkened hospital maternity ward staring in amazement at the tiny body before him. His own flesh and blood. His new responsibility.
“He’s so beautiful,” Cam breathed, thinking out loud.
“Would you expect any less?” Cam jumped slightly at the sound of Sam’s sleep-filled voice. He hadn’t noticed her wake up, and he studied her face and smiled. Twelve hours of labour and she still looked as amazing as ever.
“With you as his mother, I would expect nothing but perfection,” he winked at her as she smiled back at him.
“Could say the same about you,” she grinned, her eyes still half-closed. Cam huffed out a laugh.
“Now that’s the pain-pills talking,” he replied with a raised eyebrow, “Get some sleep. The nurse said we could probably take you two home in a day or so. Teal’c and Daniel are finishing the room at your house-”
“Cam,” Sam interrupted.
“Yes, Sam?”
“What are we going to do?” Cam took her hand in his, avoiding the IV with a deftness he’d developed only since joining SG-1.
“Sam, baby, I thought we decided to take this as it came. You know, day by day.”
“But now he’s here,” she nodded weakly at the sleeping infant beside her, “And now I’ve realised what I really want…what I want for the baby…”
Her blue eyes were fixed on his, and his heart beat fast and his mind raced. What was she going to say? Was it what he hoped it was going to be? Was he going to be ready for it if it was?
“Cam? Are you OK?” Cam refocused. His palms were sweaty and his breathing had become a little heavy.
“Sam-”
“I want you to move in with me,” She interrupted quickly. There was a silence that stretched on, and Cameron could hear is heart beating in his ears. Then Cam sighed and lowered his eyes to the ground and let his hands fall away from hers.
“Cam, I’m sorry. If you think it’s too soon - or you don’t want to at all, I understand. I-”
She cut her sentence off when she caught sight of the gold band nestled in the folds of a red velvet-lined box Cam was holding out in front if her. Her eyes widened when the light reflected off the three cut diamonds set into the metal. There were two medium-sized stones with a smaller one lying between them. She tore her eyes off it and met Cam’s again, speechless.
“Sam,” he started, “when you first told me you were carrying our child, I bought this ring. It was originally going to be a commitment ring, you know, promising I’d always be there to support you,” he took the ring out and ran a finger over the stones, “These two are us. And this little one - that’s the baby,” he smiled up into her face. He cleared his throat, “Over these last months I finally realised that only my biggest commitment is good enough for you.”
“Cam-” Sam’s eyes were glossy and a single tear rolled lazily down her cheek. Cam reached up to her face with his hand to cup her cheek as he brushed the tear away with his thumb. She reached up a hand and covered his.
“Samantha Carter. Would you do me the honour of accepting my proposal?” Cam’s voice cracked a little. Sam didn’t say a word, she looked a little unsure, but she leaned her face more into Cam’s hand and squeezed it gently, “Will you marry me, Sam?”
“Yes,” Sam nodded. This time there was no pause, and no doubt in her mind that this was the right thing to do, and what she wanted.
..//..
Chapter 2 - The Godfather
“How are they?” General Jack O’Neill asked as soon as the door opened.
“They’re doing great,” Cameron replied with a smile. They were both in casual clothes, out of uniform so there was no need for formality. He took the flowers Jack was holding out to him and stepped aside to let him step into the hallway of Sam’s house. Cameron gestured to the sitting room, more out of politeness than necessity, and wandered off to find a spare vase.
Jack took a small step into the room and watched Sam quietly as she sat on the sofa, holding her sleeping baby in her arms, a fine fluff of white-blond hair sticking out of the fleece blanket. He smiled and stepped in a little further so she could see him and her face lit up.
“Sir!” she said with a smile, “Glad you could make it,”
Jack scowled, “Remember, Sam, it’s Jack on personal visits,” he paused, “Sorry I couldn’t make it any sooner, it’s just-”
“It’s ok, Jack,” Sam interrupted. She yawned and Jack suddenly realised how exhausted she looked. He’d almost forgotten that part of parenting.
Cameron returned with the flowers arranged in a vase and set it down on the window ledge, amidst the cards and presents from their friends. One of Cam’s old flying buddies had sent a little musical toy plane on hearing they’d had a boy, much to Cam’s delight.
Smiling at mother and child, Cameron perched on the arm of the other chair in the room. Jack sat gently down close to Sam and leant over to brush the child’s soft cheek.
“He’s so beautiful,” he said in an uncharacteristically wistful voice. Noticing this, he coughed to clear his throat, “You should both be proud,” he smiled as the little boy made a quiet sound under his touch, “Have you thought of a name yet? I heard you were still deciding,”
Sam exchanged a look with Cameron across the small room and he smiled and straightened his arms on his thighs in anticipation. He nodded and Sam smiled back at him, “Well, we were thinking of naming him after his godfather,” Jack looked up at her with his eyebrows raised questioningly, “So we were thinking - Jonathan,”
Jack smiled and leaned back, “Jonathan. Jonny,” he said thoughtfully and looked down at the baby boy and nodded, “Suits him,”
“So you’ll do it?” Cam asked, leaning forward on the chair arm.
“Of course I will,” Jack said, his wide grin
So it was settled. Jack O’Neill became the godfather of the son of Sam and Cameron’s son. The christening ceremony was a continuation of the wedding, a small affair taking place a week or so later. The congregation consisted of family and close friends, with proud parents and grinning godfather looking on as the child was officially christened Jonathan Mitchell.
After a period of maternity leave, Sam left the SGC to retake her post at Research and Development. It gave her much more free time to look after Jonny than if she continued at Stargate Command. Cameron, however, stayed at the mountain. The distance was tough on both of them to start with, but both Sam and Cam had grown up with a father in the Air Force and learnt to work around it, making the most of all the time they could get to be together. Fortunately this time was becoming more frequent as the changes in the Stargate Program after the downfall of the Ori gave him more and more opportunities to be with his new family.
..//..
Chapter 3 - Going Down
Over a year later and the Stargate Program was almost entirely devoted to exploration. Colonel Cameron Mitchell was now the leader of a squadron of modified F-302 fighters, able to use the Stargate system for travel. The squadron was currently on their final mission before returning to Earth.
“Ok boys, let’s make this a good one,” Cameron said into his mask radio, “We’re heading bearing - 200, hostility ahead, ETA - 0940, Earth time. That’s half an hour. Roll call then radio silence. Wolf Leader out,” he listened to the six calls then there was silence. He had 13 men out today, under his command, against an unknown enemy with very little intel. Cam silently prayed to his grandma’s God that they’d all get back, ending their six month tour with a no fatalities.
Cam unclipped his mask, “How’s it going back there, Filson?” he called back to his navigator.
“Everything’s check, Colonel, we’re ready,” Captain Phil Wilson, or ‘Filson’, was the youngest member of Wolf Squadron, on his first stint off-world.
“Good,” Cam said and settled back for the flight, “So, Filson,” he started conversationally, “Anyone waiting on you getting home?”
“Uh, yes, sir. My fiancée, Janey. We’ve been together for two years,” Cam smiled to himself when he heard the smile in Wilson’s voice, “And you sir?”
“A wife and son,” he replied, “he’s 18 months now. Looks just like his mother,” he laughed, “With the attitude to match,” Cameron smiled down at the small wallet-sized photo of the three of them he had stuck to his cockpit controls.
“Well I have to say, sir,” Wilson replied, “It’s great to have someone to get back home to,”
“Yes it is,” Cam said with a wide grin.
…..
“Watch out, Biter! There’s one on your tail,”
“I’m on him,”
“Good shot, thanks Skip,”
“My God, there’s so many of them. They just keep coming!”
“Concentrate, Brains! No time for sight-seeing,”
“Two on your left wing, Fry, watch it,”
“Got one!”
“Boom, head shot!”
“Thanks, Biter. I owe you one,”
“Shit!…I’m hit!”
“Hang on, Woody…How bad is it?”
“Uh, bad…we’re going down. Bailing out…”
“Shit…ok, eyes open, boys. Don’t let them get a clear shot!”
“One coming right at you, Shaft,”
“I see him,”
“Watch out, looks like he’s going for a collision,”
There was a massive crash and the 302 shuddered and lurched. Sparks flew from the controls.
“Shit! Bastard clipped my wing…losing stability - Filson?!”
“Uh…we’ve lost - approximately half the right wing and - 2 engines,”
“Shaft! You’re leaking hydraulic oil!”
“Affirmative hydraulics loss, Colonel. It’s bad,”
“I’m holding it,”
“No, sir, systems are shutting down all over the shop. ”
Cameron continued struggling against the deteriorating controls.
“Sir!” Wilson sounded a little panicked
Cam threw his head back in his chair, “Nearest clear landing site?”
“Approximately - 50 clicks, sir. There’s no chance we’d make it,”
Cam clenched his jaw and took a deep breath, “Ok, listen up, Wolf Squadron, I’m going down, repeat, going down. These guys are no match for us. Eyes open and watch each others’ six. I’m bailing out,” he paused, “It was a pleasure flying with you, gentlemen,”
There were no replies, but he wasn’t expecting any, “Ready to eject, Captain,” He pulled the levers above his head but all it caused was a muffled pop and a little puff of smoke. “Oh you have got to be kidding me. Eject failure, Filson. Any luck on your end?”
There was a pause and Cam heard a second ejection launch failure and closed his eyes.
“No, sir,” came Wilson’s small reply.
“Looks like we’re going down with the ship,”
There was a short hesitation, “Yes, sir,”
Cam closed his eyes again, “There might be a small chance, Filson,” he opened his eyes and raised his eyebrows doubtfully at the jagged mountains all around them, “Send a mayday signal. They’ll find the wreck afterwards,”
“Yes sir,” he hesitated, “It was an honour serving with you, Colonel,”
“You too, Captain,” Cam spent his last minutes staring at the three faces smiling out at him from the controls, trying to ignore the grey rock he was aiming helplessly at.
..//..
Chapter 4 - Memories
It had been a miracle last time, and Cameron somehow managed to cheat death once again. His 302 had crash-landed into a mountain at high speed, shattering the plane, as well as the bodies of both men. Shrapnel and bone had sliced through Cameron’s spine, paralysing him with no chance of ever walking again. Not this time. Captain Wilson hadn’t been so lucky.
But that was a year ago now. A year of hospitalisation, unconsciousness and morphine-induced comas as Cam’s body pieced itself slowly and painfully back together.
A year of Sam visiting him, looking into his pale, gaunt face, never getting much, if any, response. She watched as his visible wounds healed and scarred, but knowing the internal damage was too great, and the legs lying under the blanket would never move again.
A year of Sam having to avoid their son asking for his daddy. Jack had been a pillar of support, spending all his available time with her, being her shoulder to cry on and helping her look after Jonny. Daniel even managed to get away from his home at Atlantis for a while to do his part to help her through her depression.
Cameron had been awake now for the last two months, staring blankly ahead, never talking or even smiling. He sometimes looked into Sam’s eyes but when he did, his were filled with sorrow and pain, fear and despair.
He wasn’t sure why he didn’t speak. He thought maybe it was knowing that his men had died when he’d managed to hold on once more. Although he knew the mission had been a success, he also knew that too many men had died that day. He thought it might be the realisation that, even if he had that slight chance of walking again, he didn’t feel he would have had the drive to go through it all again, with no fancy job offers at the end. Maybe it was that; the knowledge that he’d be forced to retire, a lifetime of service ended prematurely. To stay at home, alone, and still never be the kind of husband he wanted to be, the husband that Sam deserved.
But Cam was beginning to realise it wasn’t any of these guilts producing that frustrating niggle that had been growing in his mind every waking moment of the last year. He couldn’t work out what was causing it, but he could feel it as an empty feeling deep in his chest and stomach. It made him nauseous and it got worse when Sam visited, but only when he looked at her face. There was something there, and it made him feel awful. And he could see the hurt in Sam’s face when he refused to look at her.
Then, one day, Cam was woken by the carefree laughter of a young child down the hall. He opened his eyes and looked curiously at the doorway. After a moment, Sam turned into the room and that old familiar nauseating feeling started in his belly as he stared into her face. He was about to turn away when a small boy appeared at her side, reaching to hold her hand.
Cameron’s eyes locked on the boy and they widened as memories and emotions flooded into his mind. The white-blond hair. The bright blue eyes. The shape of his face. He looked so much like Sam, it was incredible. A lump formed in Cam’s throat and he choked on it, the first sound he’d made since the crash. Memories of the boy, his son, poured into the void in his mind from behind some impenetrable dam.
“Jonathan?” he choked through a dry throat and mouth, and a tear rolled down Sam’s face as it crumpled into that weak smile that is only possible when crying with joy. Cameron turned his gaze to his wife’s face, and saw the beauty of it for the first time in too long. He smiled and raised an arm out to her.
She ran towards him and they embraced with longing and love, laughing and crying together.
“Cam,” Sam breathed into his shoulder as she buried her face deeper into his skin, “God, Cam, you scared us all so much. You scared me,”
“I’m so sorry, Sam, I really am,” he pulled away from her and looked into her eyes, then took in her whole face, the arms around his shoulders, her body. He’d missed that body. He returned his gaze to the boy standing next to the bed, “Jonny?”
The boy smiled, “Yes, Daddy,” he said and climbed onto the bed-side chair where he leaned over to wrap his little arms around Cameron’s neck.
..//..
Chapter 5 - A Good Day
“Nee-yorrrr!” Cameron was rolling his wheelchair fast around the small sitting room, with a very happy blond-haired little boy on his lap, knee either side of Cam’s thighs with his arms stuck out sideways.
“Quick! They’re on our tail, Jonny!” Cam shouted, “Evasive manoeuvres!” He zig zagged the chair, jerking Jonny’s head from side to side, then span 180˚, “He’s in our sights!”
“Dugga dugga dugga!” Jonny shouted, jabbing his fingers forwards, “Got ‘em, Dad!”
“Nice shot, airman,” Cam said, slowing the chair and stopping, “Celebratory high-five,” there was a loud snap as their palms connected.
Cameron collapsed back in the chair to get his breath back and Jonny fell back against his chest. This was Jonny’s favourite game, and Cam made no secret of how happy he was with how much his son was into planes and flying. They usually played outside, but when Sam wasn’t around they brought it indoors. Jonny had turned into a mischievous four-year-old, still learning the limits of what he could get away with, but he already knew he could go further with his dad than his mom.
At first, Cameron thought he’d hate to be at home, out of action, but Jonny made life just as good, if not better, than service life. And he felt that being with him now helped to start to make up for the time he missed at the beginning of his life.
“I’m home!” Sam called from the front door. Jonny pointed towards the door and Cam rolled his eyes and rolled forwards, making Jonny laugh with his exaggerated sigh.
They rounded the corner and Sam shook her head at the sight, “What have I told you about sitting on Daddy all the time?” Jonny spun his head round to look at Cameron and gave him that mischievous grin that made him look even more like Sam.
“We’re goin’ down!” he whispered, “Eject! Eject!”
He grinned even wider when Cam moved his finger towards the red button painted on to the arm of the chair. Jonny watched intently and as soon as Cam’s finger hit the circle he somehow uncoiled himself, thrusting himself forward and using his arms for momentum. He landed on his feet on the floor just in front of the wheelchair.
“Nice landing, airman,” Cam said and ruffled the mass of fine blond hair before Jonny ran off. He rolled slowly towards Sam, “Good day, Honey?” he asked up at her with a loving smile. It always struck Sam how different her Cameron was from the wheelchair-bound Mitchell in the alternate reality. That man was miserable, living alone in a dank flat in some rough neighbourhood. This man was happy, embracing his new life and loving his family with every ounce of his heart.
She bent down and gave him a long kiss before turning to hang her coat up and sitting lightly on his lap where he was patting his thigh with his hand.
“Very productive,” she smiled and kissed him again as he started rubbing her thigh, and sliding round to her ass, “We landed an alliance with the people of Enova, and my team made a breakthrough on some Del’Sha technology. And what did you do today?”
Cam smiled widely, “Well first we breakfasted with the legendary Fruit-Loop tribe and their neighbours the friendly Chocolate Milk clan. Then we did a little recon at the park, sampling the local ice-cream delicassy,” Sam laughed as Cam did an appreciative thumbs-up, “Then we had a little down time and we watched TV, and we just defeated the last of the Dark Flyers, single-handed I might add, then you came home and we - crashed,” he finished with a smile and leaned up to kiss Sam again, “It’s a good life,”
Sam frowned, “What on Earth are you going to do when he starts school?”
Cameron glanced sideways. He hadn’t really thought about that, “Uhh…” He hesitated, then a grin spread across his face and he looked her dead in the eye, “Well. We could work on another reason for me to stay home,” he said slowly and placed a hand on Sam’s belly.
She studied him quietly for a moment, “Ok,” she said seriously, then smiled to match Cam’s whole-face grin.
..//..
Chapter 6 - Photograph
“Well, I never thought I’d be here again,” Jack O’Neill said from an armchair in the Mitchell family house. He had the newest member lying in his arms, staring up at him with wide blue eyes, “Another boy, huh? You’re gonna have your hands full,”
Before anyone could respond, and as if to emphasise the words, a loud crashing sound came from another room in the house. Sam and Cameron exchanged worried looks then a slightly nervous; “Shit!” could be heard.
Jack fought back a laugh but couldn’t help smile at Cam’s face, “He did not learn that from me!” he argued in response to Sam’s glare.
“Jonny!” Cam called as he wheeled quickly out of the room. Jack let out his laugh and Sam shook her head with resignation.
“Let’s just hope he can handle this on his own,” she said with a slight sigh as she watched Jack look adoringly down at her baby, curling his fingers gently through the soft wisps of dark hair.
He looked back at Sam and tilted his head to one side, “You know, I would’ve expected you to name your first child after your father,”
Sam narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, “I guess I just had different priorities,” she said with a small smile.
“Go tell your mother what you just did while I find you a band-aid,” Cameron’s disappointed, almost angry rough voice could be heard from the hall and Jonny appeared looking very sorry for himself with a finger stuck in his mouth. Sam raised her eyebrows expectantly at him.
“I broke the picture frame,” he said and bowed his head. Jack looked at Sam with a confused look on his face, but Sam quickly figured out which frame it must have been to get Cam to react like this.
She sighed, “Come here,” she said and held her arms out to her son. He ran forward and wrapped his arms around her. When she pulled away from him she reached down for his finger to examine it. It was only a small cut with no glass remaining in it.
When Cameron came back into the room he had a long band-aid in between his teeth and a photo print on his lap. He motioned his head to Jonny and he came to him, head bowed and bottom lip sticking out.
“Finger,” Cam said and Jonny held his cut finger out to him and he wrapped it in the sticky strip. When this was done, Cameron rested his hands on the boy’s shoulders, looking at him with raised eyebrows.
“I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to. I - was playing airplane,”
Cam sighed slowly through his nose, “It’s ok, son. Maybe you’re getting a little too big to play inside now, so just in the yard from now on, right?”
Jonny looked up and smiled that smile he most definitely had learnt from his dad, “Right,” he said with a nod.
“Ok,” Cameron ruffled the boy’s hair and he ran off out the front door.
Sam and Jack had been watching this little scene and Sam gave him a big smile when he looked at her. He wheeled further into the room, stopping equidistant between the others.
“What’s in the photo, Mitchell?” Jack asked curiously as the baby squirmed slightly in his arms.
Cam held the photo up and looked at it with a clenched jaw before handing it to Jack. It was the larger print of the family shot Cameron had had in his cockpit on his last flight, with that smaller print paper-clipped to the bottom right-hand corner with charred edges and sellotaped together.
Jack looked at the happy faces in the photo and nodded, “Nice photograph,” he said with a small smile.
..//..
Chapter 7 - Promotion
Cameron hadn’t been surrounded by so many service men and women since before his accident, and it brought back memories as he sat at a table by the wall. He was sitting on the edge of a reception dinner party after a promotion ceremony, with little Jacob sitting quietly on his lap. Unlike his brother, Jacob was a quiet child, even at the young age of one year. He had a small mass of untidy brown hair and had freckles on his cheeks.
With Jacob being so quiet and still, Cameron had zoned out and was only dragged back by Jonny tugging on his sleeve. Cam looked down at him and was shocked, as he often was, at how tall the boy was getting. It wouldn’t be long until Jonny was taller than him sitting in the chair.
“Dad,” he moaned, “Mommy wants you to join in more,” Cam smiled. He should have known the scowl on Jonny’s face was because Sam had made him do something. He looked up to see Sam looking at him with her hands on her hips.
Cam grinned, “Come on, Jakey. Mommy wants us. Orders from the General,” He rolled the short distance towards the newly promoted officer, his very own General Samantha Mitchell. He stopped in front of her and smiled sheepishly up at her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head but leant down to kiss him none-the-less.
“You need to talk to people, Cam,” she said quietly.
“Mommy!” Jacob stood up on Cam’s thighs and threw his arms up to Sam who scooped him up onto her hip.
“I know,” Cameron replied as he brushed the tiny footprints off his dress blues and looked around doubtfully, “It’s just weird, you know,”
“I know how difficult you find this, but you know most of these people, you just need to talkt to - no you don’t, Mister!” The last part was aimed at Jonny, who was trying to climb up onto Cam’s lap, which he really was getting too big to do.
Jonny’s head snapped round to look at her, “Why not? It’s not like he can feel it,” he said with a little too much attitude.
“That is no way to talk to your mother, young man!” Cam barked, surprising Jonny who slid off and ran to the buffet table. The shout had brought attention to the family and Sam and Cameron put on smiles as they looked around.
“Where on Earth is he learning language like that?” Cam asked in wonder, “‘Cause it most definitely isn’t coming from me,”
“No,” Sam shook her head and looked for Jonny, “But it might be him,” she said with a sigh.
Cam followed her eyes to see Jack O’Neill laughing as he ruffled the boy’s hair, “Well that would explain a lot,”
..//..
Chapter 8 - Flying
“Battle stations!” Jonny’s young voice called out through the house.
“Comiiiiing!” Jacob was a blur as he jumped off the sofa from between his parents and ran out of the room.
“Quick, Jake! They’re coming!” Jonny yelled hurriedly as little Jacob ran into the hall, arms stretched out, “They’re on your tail! I’m on it!”
“Quick!” Jacob shouted and Jonny jumped off the chair he’d been standing on in the kitchen and launched himself down the hall towards his brother.
“Bank left, Jakey! Bank left!”
“What way’s left?” Jacob asked, panic in his voice as Jonny hurtled towards him.
“Towards the wall!”
“What wall?!”
“Scratch that! Dive dive dive!”
At the last moment Jacob crouched on the floor and tucked his head in. Jonny leaped up on long legs, clearing Jacob with plenty of room to spare and landed gracefully just beyond him.
“No playing aeroplanes in the house!” Sam’s voice called from the sitting room on hearing the thud of the landing.
“Ok, I’m on your bogie!” Jonny yelled as he span round.
“Bogie!” Jacob shouted and laughed as he ran through the kitchen door, followed by Jonny.
Cam could hear the distant ‘dugga dugga dugga’ as the boys destroyed the enemy. It seemed just a blink of an eye since he played airplanes alone with Jonny. Now his youngest son was over 3 years old and was able to play it with his older brother.
“I wonder if they’ll be so into planes and flying once they know that’s how you had the accident,” Sam said quietly as she moved to snuggle up to Cam and he wrapped an arm around her.
He was silent for a moment then breathed out slowly, “When my father lost his legs in his crash, my mother told me never to become a pilot, even though she knew it was my dream,” he paused, “and my dad told me I could be whatever I wanted to be,”
“And was it a good choice?”
“Are you kidding?” Cam laughed, “I would trade nothing for another life,” he turned his head to kiss Sam and winced a little, “but it is a good thing the boys don’t need me to play so much anymore,”
Sam gave him a small smile and rested back against him. The shrapnel remaining in Cam’s body was beginning to become a problem, and he now spent most of his time in the wheelchair, only getting onto the sofa if Sam or Jonny was there to help him.
There was a banging of doors and two red-faced boys appeared in front of them, out of breath and wide-eyed.
“Dad! Tell us another flying story!” Jonny said excitedly. Cam smiled. He knew the boys tried to re-enact his stories, and the more real-life ones brought back good memories of his old flying days, and of his old friends.
Jacob nodded vigorously, “Tell us this one,” he said and patted Cam’s leg. Jonny span round and glared at his little brother.
“You can’t ask him that!” he said angrily, “That’s a bad story!”
Cam chuckled, “It’s ok, Jonny, I can tell the story if Jake wants to hear it,” Jonny looked a little unsure but when he saw Jacob sitting down cross legged on the carpet in front of their parents he smiled and joined him. Sam smiled to herself at the sight of her sons with eager faces as they listened to the story of Cameron’s last flight.
..//..
Chapter 9 - First Day
“How was the first day, Honey?” Cameron asked with a weary smile as Sam came through the door. They’d recently moved back to Colorado Springs so Sam could start her new post as commander of the SGC.
“Weird,” she replied with a smile, “It’s odd being back there. It’s been so long. And there’s a lot more paperwork,” They moved into the sitting room, “Are the boys in bed?”
“Safe and sound,” Cam replied, fetching two beers and twisting the tops off as Sam slumped onto the old worn sofa.
“How’s Jake?” she asked, accepting the bottle.
“Nervous,” he replied, “But I don’t think he really knows how to feel,” he took a sip of his beer and settled into his chair next to the sofa, “He’ll be alright,” They were silent for a moment and Cam gently squeezed Sam’s thigh.
“I can’t believe Jake’s starting school already,” Sam said quietly.
Cam huffed out a laugh, “Time flies, I guess,”
-END-