"Turn and Face the Strain" by Syxp (R)
Rec Category: Sam Carter
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Category: Sam/Jack, Sam Carter, Jack O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, Cameron Mitchell, angst, character study
Warning: Het, pregnancy
Author on LJ: syxp
Author's Website: here
Link: On website: Turn and Face the Strain
On Livejournal: Turn and Face the Strain
Why This Must Be Read:
A lot of fans steer clear of pregnancy or baby!fic, but if you ever are willing to give one story a chance, make it this one. After a one night stand with Jack before he leaves for D.C., Sam finds herself pregnant with his child. syxp pulls no punches as we watch Sam slowly adjust to her situation, from denial to resentment to acceptance, as she finds herself dealing with a part of life she'd resigned herself to never experience.
There is nothing neat and tidy about Sam adjusting to balance the coming changes with a career she is dedicated to, or to Sam and Jack messily trying to figure out how to deal with each other and the coming child. Along the way we get some wonderful friendship moments with Daniel (her early confidant) and Cameron (who knows more about baby supplies than she does). Mostly, I love the exploration we get of Sam, matured and much more confident after her years of experience, dealing with her life changing yet again and the way it changes her relationships with people and work.
“I’m forty-one years old, Daniel. I travel to other planets for a living and things tend to blow up when I’m around. Having a baby isn’t exactly on the top of my to-do list.” It wasn’t last either but that wasn’t the point; babies weren’t supposed to be accidental by-products. “And Jack-.” Might not want daily visits from the Ghost of Dead Sons Past. “Jack will be lucky to be alive when the kid graduates.”
Daniel winced, but didn’t try to argue with her. Because he couldn’t. Her argument was solid if not complete and Daniel would understand that aspect better than most of the others running around in her mind. He stood up and put his hands on her shoulders to keep her from stalking around the room again. “Just tell him, Sam. Do you really think he’ll be anything less than thrilled?”
Jacob Carter didn’t stop living when his wife died and he’d had one serious relationship before Sam left home. Her father had good taste in women and Sam had no reason to dislike her. But she had all the same. Sam could never see her as anything more than a cheap imitation, a placeholder in her father’s life. She had tried to like her, to accept her, and it had made her sick. She’d had migraines until her dad was transferred and his girlfriend hadn’t been willing to follow.
Just remembering it now made her stomach twist and her eyes burn.
So yeah, she did think it was possible Jack might be slightly less than thrilled.
Knowing she wouldn’t be able to make Daniel understand, she gave in and told him what he wanted to hear.
“I will, Daniel.”
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Category: Sam/Jack, Sam Carter, Jack O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, Cameron Mitchell, angst, character study
Warning: Het, pregnancy
Author on LJ: syxp
Author's Website: here
Link: On website: Turn and Face the Strain
On Livejournal: Turn and Face the Strain
Why This Must Be Read:
A lot of fans steer clear of pregnancy or baby!fic, but if you ever are willing to give one story a chance, make it this one. After a one night stand with Jack before he leaves for D.C., Sam finds herself pregnant with his child. syxp pulls no punches as we watch Sam slowly adjust to her situation, from denial to resentment to acceptance, as she finds herself dealing with a part of life she'd resigned herself to never experience.
There is nothing neat and tidy about Sam adjusting to balance the coming changes with a career she is dedicated to, or to Sam and Jack messily trying to figure out how to deal with each other and the coming child. Along the way we get some wonderful friendship moments with Daniel (her early confidant) and Cameron (who knows more about baby supplies than she does). Mostly, I love the exploration we get of Sam, matured and much more confident after her years of experience, dealing with her life changing yet again and the way it changes her relationships with people and work.
“I’m forty-one years old, Daniel. I travel to other planets for a living and things tend to blow up when I’m around. Having a baby isn’t exactly on the top of my to-do list.” It wasn’t last either but that wasn’t the point; babies weren’t supposed to be accidental by-products. “And Jack-.” Might not want daily visits from the Ghost of Dead Sons Past. “Jack will be lucky to be alive when the kid graduates.”
Daniel winced, but didn’t try to argue with her. Because he couldn’t. Her argument was solid if not complete and Daniel would understand that aspect better than most of the others running around in her mind. He stood up and put his hands on her shoulders to keep her from stalking around the room again. “Just tell him, Sam. Do you really think he’ll be anything less than thrilled?”
Jacob Carter didn’t stop living when his wife died and he’d had one serious relationship before Sam left home. Her father had good taste in women and Sam had no reason to dislike her. But she had all the same. Sam could never see her as anything more than a cheap imitation, a placeholder in her father’s life. She had tried to like her, to accept her, and it had made her sick. She’d had migraines until her dad was transferred and his girlfriend hadn’t been willing to follow.
Just remembering it now made her stomach twist and her eyes burn.
So yeah, she did think it was possible Jack might be slightly less than thrilled.
Knowing she wouldn’t be able to make Daniel understand, she gave in and told him what he wanted to hear.
“I will, Daniel.”