The Cradle Will Fall
The Cradle Will Fall
by Samantha
Title: The Cradle Will Fall
Author: Samantha
Email: Gater_Sam@hotmail.com
Category: Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Season: any Season
Pairing: Daniel/Janet, other pairing, Sam/Jack
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: character death, minor language
Summary: Just as they try to put their life back together, more things start to go just a little wrong.
Sequel to: When the Bough Breaks
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Fear plagued Sam's mind as she tried to think of the best way to tell him. It had been a year and a half since Anna Sophia had been kidnapped. They had spent the better part of a year searching frantically for her. There had never been any sign, no suspects and no evidence and no motive. The police had concluded that she had met a stranger when she had gone to the bathroom alone. The stranger was probably a young woman who had somehow gained the child's trust very quickly. After that they must have left the state before the police had been informed, most likely driving into Kansas or New Mexico and then getting plane out of the country. If they had been quick enough, timed it right and had gained Anna Sophia's trust enough to leave immediately, then there was, according to the police, a remote possibility that they could of flown out of Colorado Springs on a cash paid flight within minutes of her disappearance. There was never any clue as to where they may have flown to or whom the child was with. With so few leads to go on the search had been in vain. The widely accepted theory was that she would have been killed shortly afterwards and that one day she would be just another set of unidentified bones on an autopsy table. It had taken Sam months to accept it and reach a point where just the thought didn't make her cry. Now she had to find a way to tell Jack that they were having another baby and she wasn't sure if he was ready. 'Jack, there's something I've been meaning to tell you,' Sam finally informed her husband. Jack brushed her top up a little and placed a kiss on her stomach. 'Do I get to chose a name this time?' he asked innocently. 'You knew? How long have you known?' Sam said in surprise. 'Probably longer than you have.'
'How?'
'Because you said exactly the same thing as last time.' Jack thought back to the beginning of Sam's first pregnancy and a conversation that had taken place in Janet's backyard.
* Sam put her beer down on the table and pulled a face. 'That tastes really weird.' Daniel picked up the bottle, took a swig and placed it back where Sam had left it. 'Ugh,' Daniel screwed his face up. 'See?' Sam asked. 'No,' Daniel told her, 'It tastes normal, I just really can't stand the stuff.'*
3 weeks ago the same conversation was almost repeated in their backyard.
* Sam put her beer down on the table and pulled a face. 'That tastes really weird.' Daniel picked up the bottle, took a swig and placed it back where Sam had left it. 'Hmm,' Daniel screwed his face up in thought. 'See?' Sam asked. 'No,' Daniel told her. 'It tastes great. I love that stuff.' Jack laughed, realizing immediately why Sam had that reaction. Daniel proceeded to finish Sam's beer.*
Ok, so it hadn't been quite the same conversation, but it was close. In the five years that had passed since then, Daniel had done the unthinkable. He had started liking beer. 'Jack?' Sam interrupted his thoughts. 'What did I say?' 'You said that your beer tasted weird.' 'I did didn't I?'
'Yep.'
'And you just knew? From that?'
'Yep.'
Sam smiled. 'I love you Jack.'
'I love you too.' Jack's grin turned into a huge smile that threatened to split his cheeks. 'I think Janet has some news too.' 'What?' Sam asked, suddenly suspicious. 'She's not...? Is she?' Jack nodded. 'Daniel let it slip. Act surprised.' Sam's smile grew wider. 'This is going to be perfect.' 'Perfect,' Jack repeated.
Jack and Sam walked the isles of the pharmacy looking for a pregnancy test. 'I can't believe you didn't do one already,' Jack complained as Sam led him towards the feminine hygiene section. 'I thought you'd want to be there,' Sam insisted as they past through feminine hygiene and into the next isle. They stopped by the shelf that contained numerous different types of tests. Family planning; Jack thought it was a little ironic. Positioned opposite contraception, just to add to the irony. The two of them stood, looking at all the different boxes. 'Which one?' Jack asked impatiently.
'I don't know,' Sam replied, she paused and then picked up a pale yellow box. 'This one.' 'Why?' Jack asked, suddenly apprehensive. 'Because all the other boxes are pink or blue and it seems like a bad place to start.' She told him. Jack laughed at her reasoning. Typical Sam, he thought to himself.
They got home and stood in the bathroom looking at the box. Sam opened it and pulled out the test kit. 'This is it,' she said taking a deep breath. 'Go for it,' Jack replied.
Sam paused.
'What's wrong?' Jack asked.
'I can't pee with you in here. You'll have to go outside.' Jack looked at her as if to say, you're kidding right. But Sam just stood and waited until he had left. Jack waited outside the door impatiently. The kitten they had gotten recently began to rub itself against Jack's legs. The poor animal didn't understand why he was so distracted. Sam had thought it would be nice to let Janet and Daniel's son, Mel, name the cat. As a result it had a typical, clichd, household pet name. 'Hey Crackers,' Jack cooed bending down to stroke the kitten. As usual, the second he touched her Crackers ran away. The only person she would let near her was Sam. Jack didn't really care though, he much preferred spending time with Sam than with a ball of fluff. 'Are you done yet?' He called out after about 30 seconds. 'Give me a minute,' Sam called back, a hint of amusement in her voice. There was a long silence, followed by the sound of a flushing toilet. Jack didn't wait any longer. He entered the room and walked to Sam's side. 'A man must have invented that,' Sam told him. 'What makes you say that?' Jack asked with a frown. 'Only a man could have thought it was a good idea to have to pee on something that requires the target skills of a sniper,' she complained. Jack laughed; it was such a Sam thing to say. Despite them both knowing that she could probably have been a superb sniper. 'How long do we have to wait?' Jack asked. Sam checked the box, even though she knew that Jack knew she already knew. '3 minutes,' she replied.
'That leaves about two and a half,' Jack said. He took the stick out of Sam's hand and placed it on the windowsill. He pulled Sam out of the bathroom and into the bedroom where they both waited by the door, looking at their watches and counting down the seconds. When the time was up they both bolted towards the bathroom. Sam got there first and picked up the test. 'What does it say?' Jack asked, getting impatient again. 'It's official,' Sam told him with a huge smile. 'I knew it! I knew it!' Jack cried pulling Sam into his arms and kissing her.
2 months later
'Hey sexy.'
Sam turned sharply when she heard the voice. 'What the hell are you doing here?' She asked McKay. 'I'm here to help,' he told her with a patronizing smile. Sam glared at him. 'We actually have everything under control.' 'I know you're attracted to me,' he informed her. 'It's pointless denying it.' 'I'm married,' Sam told him in no uncertain terms. 'Just adds to the fun.' McKay leered before turning and leaving Sam's lab.
Sam walked into the infirmary in a blazing anger. 'He's back,' she announced to Janet.
'I know,' Janet sympathized. 'But I have something to tell you that will make it all worthwhile.' 'It'll have to be good,' Sam insisted.
'It is,' Janet assured her. 'But you mustn't let on that I told you. It's that whole doctor/patient thing.' 'I promise,' Sam said excitedly.
Janet cleared her throat. 'I had to do a full physical and medical history on him when he arrived at the base.' Janet paused for dramatic effect and to try and figure out how to say the next part. 'And?' Sam urged her.
'Let's just say that he's an olive short of a martini, so to speak.' Sam thought for a moment before grasping what Janet was saying. A grin spread over Sam's face and her and Janet both collapsed in hysteria. 'H...h...how?' Sam asked breathlessly when she could finally speak again. 'I believe it had something to do with Tennis and a biro. I didn't ask for any further details.' Sam laughed again. Janet tried not to but failed miserably. 'I have to go,' Sam said finally.
'Wait.' Janet pulled herself together. 'I thought we had an appointment.' 'Janet, I told you. I'm not having you as my obstetrician.' 'Why?' Janet said with a huge, faked pout. 'Because you're not one,' Sam insisted. Janet's pout grew bigger. 'Tell you what,' Sam suggested. 'You can be mine, if I can be yours.' 'You're not a doctor Sam,' Janet argued. 'Yes I am,' Sam reminded her.
'Of Astrophysics,' Janet pointed out.
'Exactly,' Sam proved her point. 'I'm no more an obstetrician than you are. So we'll both go to other people. Besides...' an evil grin spread over her face. 'I have someone to see.' 'You didn't hear it from me,' Janet reminded her, switching her mind back to their earlier conversation. 'It's ok. If any questions are asked then I'll blame a nameless and recently fired, untraceable, actually nonexistent, although he won't know that nurse.' Janet laughed and nodded, pretending that she understood Sam's last sentence. Sam left.
'McKay!' Sam called out as she saw him ahead of her in the corridor. 'Change your mind did you?' He leered again. 'No,' Sam replied bluntly. 'But I realize now that your obnoxious behavior is simply a way of making up for what you're lacking in other areas.' Sam eyes looked down at the area in question. McKay froze. 'What are you talking about?' He asked defensively. 'I think you know.'
'How did you...it was that...aghh,' McKay argued feebly. 'Of course.' Sam continued, knowing when she had the upper hand. 'If you were a nicer person then people would have no reason to think that you were overcompensating for...umm...well I think you get my point.' Sam walked away with a smile plastered across her face. She guessed that McKay would be out of the mountain by that afternoon, and he probably wouldn't think it was safe to come back for at least a year.
1 month later
'So?' Janet asked impatiently as Sam took a seat in the infirmary. 'What did the doctor say?' 'He had to cancel. Appendicitis.' Sam sighed. 'I don't suppose you could...?' 'I thought you didn't want me to be your doctor,' Janet replied stubbornly. 'Just this once,' Sam pleaded. 'I haven't had a scan yet.' Half an hour later Janet, Sam and Jack were gathered in the infirmary watching the ultrasound. 'There's the heartbeat,' Janet said pointing to a pumping area on the screen. Jack beamed at Sam, squeezing her hand excitedly. Daniel walked into the room. 'Sorry,' he said turning to leave again. 'It's ok, Daniel. Come have a look,' Sam insisted. Daniel walked over to look at the screen. 'Look, there's the heartbeat,' he said pointing to the opposite side than Janet had. 'Janet already showed us the heartbeat,' Sam informed him. 'He's right,' Janet interrupted. 'There are two of them.' 'Twins?' Sam spluttered. 'Again?'
'Congratulations,' Janet and Daniel enthused simultaneously. Jack beamed again. 'Perfect,' he whispered so that only Sam could hear. 'Perfect,' Sam replied, kissing him.
Sam pulled on her dress uniform. She couldn't believe that they were having to do this today of all days. That would be another doctor's appointment she'd have to reschedule. Sam was just glad that her pregnancy didn't really show yet. An hour later SG1 were lined up on the ramp, the rest of the SG teams standing below them at the base of the ramp. They were receiving a pep talk from the president himself this time. Telling them how well they had been doing and congratulating them on their most recent victory against Geb and Nut. The rather nasty duo had risen back to the level of System lord after Anubis had been killed three years earlier. Janet had been involved in a lot of off world work during that war and Sam knew that she was going to be promoted today. Despite having been sworn to secrecy by Jack she had been bursting to tell Janet. A part of her suspected that the Doctor already knew, she kept grinning at Sam and from her position next to Daniel in the line she kept glancing at Sam. 'In addition,' the President's voice broke into Sam's thoughts. 'I'd like to congratulate two of the officers here for their major contribution to the success of this fight, although I've been informed that both of them may be taking some time off soon.' Sam's head snapped around to look at Jack, who was fighting not to smile. 'Major O'Neill and Major Jackson please step up.' Janet and Sam both looked at each other, realizing that the other had known not about their own promotion but about the other's and that was why they had both been grinning so much. Neither of them could stop smiling as their silver oak leaves were clipped on. Jack waited until the gate room had cleared before kissing Sam firmly on the mouth, apparently oblivious to the fact that the President was still in the room. Sam blushed when she realized that he had seen them and buried her face in Jack's blazer. Jack looked around the room for their other new light colonel. After watching her and Daniel for a moment he was amazed that Daniel didn't have a bad back from the number of times he bent down to give her tiny kisses between every sentence. Briefly catching the President's eye Jack would have sworn that the man winked at him. A self-satisfied grin spread over Jack's face as he tangled his fingers in Sam's long blonde hair. He absolutely had to be the luckiest man alive.
2 months later
Sam stood at the front of the briefing room with a white board behind her and a dry-wipe marker in her hand. 'Early MALP readings suggested that P4R 669 was an extremely dense planet. We have also received readings that show it orbiting two stars.' Sam turned around and drew two large circles on the board. She then drew a figure of eight around them. 'The planet's orbit is highly atypical, moving around the two stars in a variety of paths, depending on the gravitational pull of each at any one time. From MALP readings throughout the six-month observation of this world we have determined that time actually travels slower, relatively speaking. In six months, only two weeks worth of data have been collected.' Sam kept closing her eyes momentarily and flinching, trying not to make it obvious. Sam drew a smaller dot near the mid point of the figure of eight. 'P4R 669 will reach this point in it's orbit in about 3 years, our time. At that point, due to the equal and opposing forces of the two stars, it will be flung out of orbit and into deep space. Fortunately there is no sign of life on this planet at all. I wouldn't recommend any human recon with this world at any time. The orbital risks and the time lag, in my opinion, make it too problematic.' 'Thank you Major,' General Hammond said as Sam put the marker pen down. 'Does anybody have any questions?' 'What did you say caused the time lag?' a young lieutenant asked shyly. 'The density of the planet and the composition of the atmosphere gives it a stronger gravitational field than Earth. The size and proximity of the two suns also increases the gravity of the planet. Much like we experienced with a black hole in the past, only not to such an extreme. As far as we've been able to tell, the increased gravity and time lag isn't enough to interfere with gate travel.' Everyone in the room looked at Sam in silence. 'That's it,' she told them after a few moments. 'Dismissed,' General Hammond announced, causing everyone to begin filtering out of the room. 'Fascinating,' Jack lied as he approached Sam at the front of the room. 'Are you ok?' 'I'm fine,' Sam insisted 'Why?'
'You looked a little uncomfortable up there.' Sam smiled at how observant he was of every move she made. 'You're kids decided to become acrobats for the afternoon,' she informed him. 'I think they were competing to see who could cause me the most discomfort.' Jack laughed and laid a hand on Sam's stomach, feeling one of the twins kick again. Janet walked over to join them. 'Active bunch aren't they,' she said with a smile. 'Mine must be paying too much attention to yours already. He didn't sit still the whole time you were talking.' Daniel wrapped his arms around Janet's waist. 'She.' 'What?' Janet asked.
'It's a girl. I can feel it.'
Janet laughed. 'Ok baby, whatever you say.' 'I was right about Mel...and Anna Sophia.' Daniel argued. Janet swatted him playfully on the arm. 'Give me a break,' she muttered.
'It is so unfair.' Sam complained. 'I'm almost twice the size of you and you're a month further gone than I am.' Janet laughed. 'I'm glad that twins don't run in my family.'
1 year 5 months later
Sam walked in to the wing of level 21 that had been turned into a crche. She stood at the door watching as Jack crawled around on his knees with their twin 1 year olds on his back. Sam walked over to him, knelt down and pushed a kiss onto his mouth. 'Hey baby,' she whispered.
'Hey Angel,' Jack replied. 'What ya doin'?' 'We ship out in 10 minutes,' Sam told him sulkily. 'What's the problem?'
'This is going to be such a boring mission,' she moaned. 'Eight hours of mineral surveys.' Jack laughed. 'You have been spending way too much time with me.' Sam lifted her daughter, Jaime and her son, Alex off Jack's back and they both stood up. Jaime hugged her mother and gave her a kiss. 'Bye Honey,' Sam cooed. 'I'll be back for bedtime. Ok?' Jack took the small brown eyed brunette out of Sam's arms. 'Say bye bye to mommy,' Sam told Alex.
'Bye bye,' he said sweetly before giving Sam a kiss. Alex laid his blonde head on Sam's shoulder and closed his blue eyes. 'No champ, come on,' Jack insisted, prying him from his mother's arms. 'Mommy has to go. You'll see her later.' Sam kissed both the children once more and pulled Jack's head down to meet her own. The kiss broke and Sam turned to leave. 'I'll see you later,' she said flirtatiously before walking out of the room. As Sam made her way down the corridor she almost stepped on another child. 'Hey Brie,' she said picking up the other 1 year old brunette. The little girl's blue eyes met hers. 'Where's mommy huh?' Sam continued to walk down the corridor towards Janet's office. 'Are you missing a daughter?' she asked from the door. 'Cassie's not home until next week,' Janet replied distractedly. Sam walked over and sat Brie on the desk in front of Janet. 'Oh. Her.' Was Janet's only reply. 'Where's Daniel?' Sam asked.
'With Mel in 19A.' Janet referred to a room at the far end of the wing. A place that father, and son often escaped to. Three years earlier Anna Sophia had also often disappeared with the two of them. Sam still felt sad when she thought of all the things Anna Sophia had missed out on. 'It will always hurt that she isn't here,' Janet sighed, picking up on Sam's thoughts. 'It's made stranger by the fact that every time I look at Jaime I see her,' Sam replied. 'She'll probably grow out of it though.' Janet wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. 'Ok. Enough,' Sam stated trying to lift their spirits. 'I gotta get going. See you this evening.'
Sam, Daniel and Teal'c had been walking and surveying P7Y 00L for 2 hours. They were bored. 'We should head back,' Sam suggested. 'This is pointless.' 'Good idea,' Daniel agreed, pulling himself up off the ground where he had been sitting. 'I just have to use the ladies room,' Sam joked and headed into the nearby forest. Daniel and Teal'c waited where they were for 5 minutes before they started to wonder where Sam was. Daniel walked towards the point she had disappeared to and called out her name. 'Sam?' There was no reply. Teal'c caught up with Daniel and the two of them walked deeper into the forest calling for her.
A hand clamped around Sam's mouth and an arm wrapped around her waist. Sam kicked her legs out, fighting to free herself. 'Stay still,' a threatening voice hissed in her ear. Sam stopped kicking and remained still for a few moments before twisting her head and biting the hand that had been over her mouth. The hand pulled away in surprise. 'Daniel! Help! Daniel!' she screamed at the top of her lungs and began kicking again. A knife pressed against her throat and Sam froze. 'Stay still or I'll bleed you dry,' the same voice hissed again.
Daniel emerged first from the forest. Coming to a sharp halt when he saw a pool of blood on the ground by his feet. The Stargate was about 50 feet ahead and disengaged just as Daniel saw it. 'We must have walked in a circle,' Daniel told Teal'c when he stepped up beside him. 'It appears there was a recent killing,' Teal'c observed. Daniel tried to raise Sam over the radio. The thought of doing so not had crossed his mind until that moment. There was no reply. Daniel collected a sample of the blood for Janet to test. He already knew that it was bad news. No one could lose that much blood and live, and if it was Sam's blood...
Dorchester, England. 3 minutes earlier
She was sitting quietly at the bus stop with her mum. A well-behaved little girl, who appeared not to have a care in the world. She swung her legs as she sat on the bench, with Iceland shopping bags around her feet. The 6 year old suddenly took a sharp breath in and began kicking frantically at nothing. Her mother grabbed hold of her tightly, trying to calm the child whilst other shoppers stared with distain. The girl froze for a moment and then began screaming. 'Daniel! Help! Daniel!' She began kicking again. Her mother only just managing to hold her. Then she froze once more. Her body went limp for a moment and then she began to cry. 'Annie? Honey are you ok?' the mother, Sophie asked her daughter. 'We're going home now. Come on.' She held the child close to her and rocked her gently. Satisfying the onlookers that everything was now fine. They boarded the bus with their shopping and went home.
Cheyenne Mountain
Janet walked straight out of the lab and into Daniel's arms. Tears streamed down her cheeks, confirming all their fears. 'There's no doubt,' she sobbed.
Jack's clenched his teeth to stop his bottom lip quivering. His whole body began to shiver so he folded his arms tightly. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to stay composed much longer Jack turned to leave. 'Jack,' Daniel called out. He released Janet, who stood where he left her and hugged herself. Daniel walked over to Jack and pulled him into a hug. 'You can cry, you know,' he told him. 'She's worth it.' Tears began to fall down Daniel's cheeks as he said it. Jack pulled away, nodded his head slightly and left without a word. Wanting to be alone before he lost control. Years of training made that just about possible. Janet walked back into Daniel's arms and they stood together, mourning a fallen friend.
3 hours later
'Colonel O'Neill,' McKay greeted Jack with a smile, oblivious to the day's events. 'It looks like your having a bit of trouble with that.' 'And your cry-baby, whiny-assed opinion on it would be...?' Jack snapped. 'You'll never make friends with an attitude like that,' McKay responded unfazed. 'Do I look like a people person?' Jack wasn't about to let it go. 'You're being a bit rude.' McKay was still smiling. 'I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant,' Jack retorted. 'So how's the facility these days.' McKay decided to change the subject. 'This isn't a facility. It's hell with fluorescent lighting.' Jack glared at the other man. 'Glad to see you still have your sense of humor.' McKay was starting to wonder why he was so hostile. 'Oh yes,' Jack replied bitterly. 'Along with premature death, sarcasm is just one more service we offer.' McKay had no reply for that. Jack took a deep breath, trying to calm down. 'What are you doing here, McKay?' He asked, trying to be civil. 'Apparently I'm just the general dog's body for today.' McKay was grinning again and Jack couldn't take it. 'Oh good,' he replied through gritted teeth. 'If I throw a stick, will you leave?' McKay realized that the encounter was only getting worse and so he hurriedly left. Bumping into Daniel on his way out. 'Colonel O'Neill seems tense,' he pointed out to Daniel. Daniel stared at him as if he had two heads. 'His wife was just killed in action. What do you expect?' Daniel asked in disgust. 'Oh, well see, I didn't know that.' McKay defended himself. Previously unaware that Jack had even been married. 'I guess I'll go see Major Carter then.' Daniel had already entered the control room and therefore didn't hear McKay's last comment in order to set him straight. He did however make a mental note to get McKay transferred again, as soon as possible, and permanently this time.
Jack had gone into autopilot after he was told the news about Sam. Other than a small outburst in McKay's direction he had been fairly calm. After finishing up at work and having brought the kids home to bed, he had just sat down when the doorbell rang. Clambering to his feet and slowly walking to the door he let Daniel in and returned to where he had been sitting. The two men sat across from each other in silence for a moment before Jack finally spoke. 'What did you see?' he asked barely above a whisper. 'We went through this already Jack,' Daniel reminded him calmly. 'So lets go through it again,' Jack replied stubbornly. 'She was taken through the gate. They probably slit her throat. There was so much blood...' Daniel trailed off, not knowing what to say that hadn't been said already. Tears glistened painfully in his eyes as the memory came back to him in perfect clarity. 'Maybe you're wrong,' Jack insisted sedately. 'What?' Daniel barely had time to reply before Jack continued. 'Maybe you just saw what you wanted to see.' 'What?' Daniel spluttered, louder this time. 'Oh my god.' Daniel covered his face with his hands briefly before rubbing them down his cheeks. 'What could possibly make you think that I wanted to see that?' Angry tears ran down Daniel's cheeks. 'I would never...' The tears turned to tears of sorrow. 'I'm sorry I couldn't save her Jack. You'll never know how sorry. But I never want to see anything like that ever again.' Jack had begun to rock back and forward. He was staring straight ahead at the wall, his eyes unblinking. 'I'm sorry,' Jack muttered very quietly as the first few tears cascaded down from his eyes. 'I don't think I can live without her, Daniel. How can I ever...?' The tears came in more force, cutting off Jack's words. His whole body began to shake violently. One of Sam's sweaters had been lying on the back of the couch; Jack pulled it to him and buried his face in it. Sam's cat, Crackers, stood by the front door mewing sadly. She butted her head against the door in the hope that it would somehow make Sam appear. Still she didn't come. Crackers ran and jumped onto Jack's lap, allowing him to stroke her and hold her against him like she never had before, as if somehow sensing that they shared a loss. Daniel moved to Jack's side and pulled his friend into a hug. As heartbroken sobs racked through Jack's body Daniel began to cry again and he wondered if any of them would ever stop.
5 years later
Daniel and Jack were sat in the briefing room, waiting for General Hammond. 'There's a phone call for you, sir,' an airman announced. 'It's the school.' Daniel walked over to the phone and connected the outside line. 'Hello.'
'Hello, this is the school office. I'm calling in regards to your son.' 'What's he done this time?'
'Dr Jackson?'
'Yes.'
'I didn't realize it was you. Of course, I phone you on this number often enough to know.' 'Tally? Hi. I'm not going to like this am I?' 'Actually, I'm calling for Alex's dad. Does he work with you?' 'Yes I'll get him.'
'Thank you. Hopefully we'll have no reason to speak again soon.' Daniel placed the phone on the surface of the table. 'It's for you,' he told Jack. Daniel had assumed it was for him because Tally, the school receptionist had been calling him practically every other week to let him know of something that Mel had been up to. At only 8 years old he had gotten in more trouble than Daniel had through his entire school life. Jack picked up the receiver. 'Hello?'
'Mr. O'Neill?'
'Colonel.' Jack automatically corrected her. 'Colonel O'Neill, I'm phoning about Alex.' 'Is he Ok?'
'Yes, he's fine. Unfortunately there was an incident with one of his classmates and I'm going to have to ask you to come and collect him.' Jack sighed. He knew the routine from all the times Daniel had had to collect Mel. 'I'll be right there,' he replied.
'Colonel O'Neill.' The receptionist, Tally, greeted him when he entered the office. 'Hi.' Jack smiled.
'Nice to see you instead of Dr Jackson,' she told him. 'Yeah. I just hope Alex hasn't been up to any of Mel's tricks,' Jack laughed. 'You can go straight in,' she said, her way of showing that she couldn't talk about it until the principal had discussed the situation. Jack nodded and headed through the door. 'Mr. O'Neill.' Faye Snow shook his hand. 'Colonel,' Jack repeated.
'Daddy?' A sad little voice said from behind him. Alex was sat there with tears in his eyes. 'Hey champ,' Jack walked over and lifted the boy onto his lap as he took a seat. 'Mr. O'Neill, Alex hit one of the little girls in his class earlier during sharing.' Jack gave up on correcting her and asked instead. 'Sharing?' 'When the class sits down and shares memories and stories of their families.' 'Oh,' Jack replied. 'What did she do?'
'Excuse me?' Faye Snow asked.
'What did the girl do that made him hit her?' 'Nothing,' she snapped as if the idea was absurd. 'He wouldn't have hit her without a reason,' Jack insisted. 'Not that I'm condoning his actions, but they must have been provoked. Alex is a very kind child.' 'When we manage to reach her parents then we will find out how they want this dealt with. Until then I'm going to have to exclude Alex from school for the rest of the week.' Jack's eyes widened. 'You're suspending him?' 'Yes,' she told him bluntly.
'There's still no answer at the number you gave me. Ma'am,' the receptionist said poking her head through the door. 'Look up Jaime's file and find a different number then,' the principal snapped. 'Jaime?' Tally obviously hadn't been given many details. 'O'Neill,' the head snapped again.
'You mean Alex's sister,' Tally pointed out nervously. 'Of course not.' Snow glared at her.
'Jaime is my daughter,' Jack interrupted. 'Alex's twin. If you could bring her in,' he asked Tally kindly; 'then we'll sort this out at home.' Before Faye could reply, Tally had left and returned with Jaime in toe. 'Daddy!' The little girl smiled and ran to her father. 'We'll be leaving now,' Jack told the principal. 'And I'll have to take Mel and Brie Jackson with me because they all get collected together.' Jack reached the door and before Faye could voice any objections he added. 'I'll be having a word with your superiors as well.' 'What?' she asked shocked by his military vocabulary and his implications. 'The fact that my physically wounded daughter came in here smiling, and my son, who should have been fine, was crying in your care, leads me to believe that you are not the right person for this position in a school. Thank you and good day.' Jack pushed the door closed behind him. 'Thank you,' Tally said gratefully. 'She's always been a bully. I'm glad someone is going to give her what she deserves.' Jack smiled. 'You're welcome. Good bye.' After collecting the other two children. They headed back to the mountain.
Jack sat by the bed in Alex's quarters. 'How you feeling champ?' He asked his son. 'I shouldn't have hit her. I'm sorry Daddy,' Alex replied, seeing where Jack was going with the conversation. 'I don't think it's me that you need to say sorry to,' Jack told him. 'I said I was sorry to Jaime. She was sorry too.' 'What was she sorry for?' Jack inquired, realizing that he had never found out why they got in a fight. Alex drew his fingers over his lips like a zip, indicating that he couldn't say. 'I promised I wouldn't tell,' he said sincerely. Alex paused for a moment, looking into Jack's eyes. 'Is Mommy in heaven?' 'Maybe,' Jack replied. 'If you believe in heaven. I like to think that she's somewhere nice.' Jack couldn't pin point the exact time when he had started talking to his children about their mother. The day after she had died Jack had put a picture of her by each of their beds, both at home and at the base, in the hope that it would help them to remember her. Every night, at least once he found he could mention her without breaking down, he had told them both something about her. How her smile lit up the room, how smart she was or even just how much she loved them. One day during Jack's ritual of memories Alex had asked him if Sam was an Angel now. Ever since then both the children had been asking questions non stop. 'If I believe, but she didn't, would she be there?' he asked, bring Jack back to reality. 'I don't know,' Jack told him truthfully. 'If she believed, but I don't, would she be there?' he pressed further. 'If you don't believe, then you wouldn't believe that there was a 'there' there, would you?' Jack threw back. Alex looked at him in confusion. 'Is Mommy with Anna Sophia?' 'I hope so,' Jack said softly.
Alex looked at the picture of his mother and his older sister that sat next to his bed. 'She looked a lot like Jaime, didn't she?' 'Yes,' Jack told him. 'Surprisingly so.' 'I love them Daddy. I wish they were here.' 'So do I, champ. So do I.' Jack kissed his son goodnight and went to leave the room. He paused at the door, hearing Alex say. 'As I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Gods my soul to keep, and if I die before I wake, I pray the Gods my soul do take. Keep me safe and keep me warm, return me to my Mommy's arms. If I shall breathe another day, look after her anyway.' Tears touched Jack's eyes as he quietly closed the door behind him. He wished to all the God's Alex had been praying to, that somehow he would survive the next 12 years without screwing up their lives.
Jack sat on the bed in Jaime's quarters, with his daughter in his arms and a book in his lap. He was reading Sam's favorite books to her. An eleven book crime thriller series, by Patricia Cornwall. Sam had read them to Anna Sophia when she was only three. Jack had waited until Jaime was six before reading them to her. And only then because she found one and was going to read it to herself. Jack decided that if he read it to her then he could skip the worst bits. 'Daddy? Do you miss her?' Jaime asked out of the blue. 'Very much,' Jack replied. He was used to these sorts of questions by now. Alex and Jaime both had inquisitive minds, like their sister had. Ever since they could talk and think independently they had been asking about Sam and Anna Sophia. Jack had started off being very truthful. As time went by though, the stories became a little more inventive. Jack knew that he was making Sam out to be Wonder Woman, but he couldn't help it. He wanted their children to be proud of her and not to blame her for not being there. He didn't really know how to raise two children on his own. 'I think she's still here,' Jaime announced. 'I don't mean here. But she's around.' 'Like in heaven?' Jack tried to connect the two conversations with his children together. 'No. I don't believe in heaven. I think she's thinking about us. I can feel it,' Jaime told him. Jack stayed silent for a while to see if she wanted to continue before he changed the subject. 'What did you do that made Alex hit you?' He kept his voice steady so that she didn't think he was angry. 'I said something very bad,' she whispered, tears suddenly appearing on her cheeks. 'What did you say?' Jack asked, wiping her tears away gently and pulling her closer to him. 'I said that Mommy wouldn't have left if she loved us,' Jaime sobbed. 'I didn't mean it, Daddy. Really. I want my Mommy.' She buried her face in Jack's chest and cried her little heart out. Jack didn't know what to say, so he held her and rocked her back and forth until the sobbing stopped. 'Your Mommy loves you very much,' Jack told her, looking straight into her brown eyes. 'She always will.' 'I know,' Jaime assured him. 'I just get sad sometimes.' Jack kissed Jaime and tucked her in. 'Sweet dreams Honey.' 'Night Night Daddy.'
Jack paused at Jaime's door to see if she had any bedtime rituals like her brother. Jamie turned to look at the photo on her nightstand. 'I'm sorry Mommy,' she said barely audibly before turning over and going to sleep.
Jack walked into the commissary for a snack. He picked up his Jell-O and headed towards the table that Jacob was occupying. 'Jack.' Jacob greeted him.
'Dad,' Jack replied. 'How are you?'
'Good,' Jacob told him. 'And you?'
'Not bad. How's Selmak?'
'Putting up with me,' Jacob said with a laugh. Jack smiled. 'The kids will be sad that they missed you.' 'I only stopped by for the evening,' Jacob apologized. 'I probably won't see them at all. I had to have a word with George. I'll come and see them soon though.' 'They miss you,' Jack told him sincerely. 'I miss them,' Jacob insisted. 'This Tok'ra stuff isn't as easy as it looks.' 'I'm not sure I can do this,' Jack sighed. The same phrase he said every time he saw Jacob. 'Of course you can. You're their father.' 'How did you do it?'
'Badly,' Jacob recalled sadly. 'I could have done better.' 'She turned out pretty good if you ask me.' Jack smiled. He sat for a moment. 'Can I ask you something?' 'Sure,' Jacob said. 'Go ahead.'
'What did you do when Sam started having sex?' Jack asked in a hushed voice. 'I don't think you need to worry about that for a few years yet,' Jacob pointed out. When Jack had started asking parenting question he had started at the wrong end of time. Asking first about marriage, then leaving home, then college and now sex. 'I know. I just want to be prepared. What did you do?' 'Sam never had sex,' Jacob replied in a convinced tone. 'Never?' Jack raised his eyebrows.
'Never,' Jacob repeated.
'She had three kids,' Jack reminded him. 'What are you implying?' Jacob asked, keeping a perfectly straight face. Jack laughed and started to eat.
'Seriously Jack. In thirty years when you let Jaime near men. Get Janet to talk to her.' Jack laughed again. 'When she hates me for sending her to a convent, I'll tell her that it was all your idea.' 'Thanks.' Jacob laughed. 'I'll be the only person in the world who's hated by a nun.' 'I'll ruin her life,' Jack sighed.
'I'll make you a bet,' Jacob suggested. 'By the time she's old enough to be dating boys, she'll know more about love than either of us.' 'Deal.' Jack shook Jacob's hand. 'But if I send her to that convent then she'll never know.' Jacob laughed. 'Works for me.'
Sam's hands ran along the far wall of her new cell. There had to be something. Her fingers wrapped around a slat of wood. Sam pulled it away, ignoring the pain that cut through her hands. Light began to filter into the small space so Sam kept going. Less than ten minutes later the hole was large enough for Sam to fit through. She hauled herself out of the cell and stumbled towards the 'gate that she could see in the distance. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to get back to Earth without a GDO, Sam tried the next best thing. She dialed Abydos, praying that the extended recon MALP would still be there. Stumbling towards the Abydos DHD Sam fell forward, landing on her hands and knees. Sand got in her wounds and made them sting. She hammered Earth's glyphs into the DHD and waited for the gate to engage.
'Unscheduled off world activation,' a computerized voice informed the entire base. 'It's coming from Abydos,' a technician added. 'Do we still have a MALP there?' Jack asked Daniel. 'Display MALP telemetry,' Daniel told the technician. No one bothered to look at Colonel O'Neill for confirmation. SG1 had all been around long enough for their word to be taken as lore. A face appeared on the screen, dirty and bleeding but neither Jack or Daniel was in any doubt when they heard her speak. 'Jack?' She called shakily. 'Jack, please come and help me.' The screen went fuzzy for a moment before the image was displayed again, just in time for them to see Sam pass out, fall sideways and strike her head on the DHD. 'Dial up Abydos,' Jack ordered as soon as the 'gate disengaged. He was in the gate room and through the Stargate before anyone had time to question it or inform General Hammond.
Dorchester, England, 5 minutes earlier
Annie Sheridan sat on the floor of the hut where their drama lesson was being held. The chairs and tables had been pushed to the sides of the room and thirty 11 year olds waited for their turn to perform. The class had been set the task of solo improvisation based on emotion. Annie hated it. She was a scientist and the last thing she wanted to do was act like she was happy, or sad, or anything else for that matter. Drama sucked. At least they were doing solo work though. Annie never had a partner for Drama because everyone knew how much she hated it, what made it even worse for the other children was that when she tried she was very good at it. 'Annie, lets see what you've got for us,' Mr. Wadley asked. 'Class,' he continued. 'See if you can guess what Annie's emotion is.' 'Boredom?' One boy called out immediately. Annie shot a glare in his direction. This was the worst part. Everyone could watch her make a fool out of herself. 'When ever you're ready.' Mr. Wadley indicated that she should begin. Annie stood and thought for a moment. It was only 1500 so there was no chance of the bell saving her. Annie suddenly took a sharp breath in and stumbled forwards. She fell to her hands and knees, crying out as a stinging pain shot through her hands. She knelt up, reached into the air and began miming pressing buttons. She paused momentarily before climbing to her feet and walking towards the center of the room. She stood still, breathing heavily. 'Jack?' She called out shakily. 'Jack, please come and help me.' She sobbed once before her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed sideways onto the floor. She didn't move. The class broke out into the obligatory applause, still Annie didn't move. Mr. Wadley walked over and helped her sit up. 'Are you ok?' He asked with concern.
Annie looked down at her hands, which had some how come to be covered with sand. She touched her left eyebrow, her fingers coming away covered in blood. Annie was shaking and crying with no idea why. Mr. Wadley led her out to the cloakroom and made her sit down. 'What happened?' he asked her.
'I don't know.' Annie shivered.
'Has anything like this happened to you before?' 'Once. About five years ago.' Annie couldn't stop shaking. 'Passing out can be a sign of illness. You should go and see your doctor,' he informed her. Annie breathed a sigh of relief. He thought that she had been acting. The only part he was concerned about was the fact that she fainted. After all the fuss her mother had made when she'd had her last 'funny turn'. Annie decided to keep this to herself. 'That was a very good example of fear and desperation. Is that what you were aiming for?' 'Yes,' Annie replied distractedly. 'That's exactly what I was going for.'
Cheyenne Mountain, 1 hour later
'She seems surprisingly well, considering.' Janet told the group waiting outside the infirmary. 'She is alert and aware and really wants a shower. I've bathed the cuts on her hands and face, other than a little dehydration she is fine physically.' 'What about mentally?' Cassie asked without hesitation. 'What about emotionally?' Daniel added. 'I don't know,' Janet admitted. 'She seems fine, but, five years is a long time. We'll have to wait and see.' Jack's patience wore out and he pushed past Janet and into Sam's room. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her fragile frame. 'Are you ok?' He asked through tears. 'Oh Angel. I thought we'd lost you.' He whispered. 'I'm home,' Sam sighed wrapping her arms around him. 'I didn't think we'd ever see you again,' Jack sobbed, rocking her where they sat. 'I didn't give up,' Sam insisted. 'I didn't stop fighting.' I did though, Jack though to himself. A part of him wondered how she could still be 'Sam' after five years; another part of him wondered how much of it she had blocked from her memory in order to stay sane. She was so thin, so much more fragile than he had ever thought possible, and yet she was her. 'I love you,' Jack whispered into her shoulder, where his face was buried. 'I know.' Sam relaxed into his arms, allowing him to take most of her weight. 'I love you too.' Sam leant closer into Jack and breathed in the familiar scent before pulling away. 'I really need a shower,' she said nervously.
Janet returned with Sam an hour later. She was washed and dressed in some of Cassie's clothes. Janet had washed and trimmed her hair, combing it and drying it so that it shined. All her wounds had been dressed and her broken fingers bound. Cassie had gone one step further and plucked her eyebrows, cut and filed her nails and helped her shave her legs. Sam sat on the infirmary bed looking fresh and awake. The IV drip that was re-hydrating her was on a stand beside her. 'How are you feeling?' Daniel asked, hugging her tightly. 'I'm fine, now,' Sam replied with a smile. Every one shared hugs and kind words before departing, leaving Jack and Sam alone. The way that Jack fussed around her and the way he spoke gave Sam an odd feeling. 'When can I see my babies?' She asked, pushing away the doubt that sat in the pit of her stomach. 'They're with a sitter,' Jack told her carefully. 'Besides. You'll be home before you know it.' Sam sighed; everyone was acting strangely around her and she hated it. 'What's gotten in to you?' Sam asked as Jack smoothed the bed sheets for the millionth time. 'Nothing,' Jack laughed.
'You've lost it,' she told him.
'Excuse me?' Jack raised an eyebrow.
'When did you become 'Mr. Feelings'?' Sam referred to his constant fussing. 'I'm trying to be nice,' Jack defended himself. 'Well don't,' Sam snapped.
Jack stood and walked out of the room. Sam grabbed her IV bag and followed him. 'Don't walk away from me,' she yelled after him. 'I've been alone for five years, Sam. I don't want to do this. I want my wife back.' Jack continued walking until he was out of sight. Sam couldn't believe he had waited until now to bring it up. She had left him five years ago out of fear and confusion. In fact, she reasoned, it must be over six years now. When she had returned with Anna Sophia he had avoided talking about it. Now, after she had been MIA for two months, he wanted to talk about being alone. Sam wanted to scream. Five hours of IV later Janet let Sam leave the infirmary. She was really angry. Everyone was looking at her as if she was going to sprout another head and treating her like a stranger. Especially Jack. He had changed; he wasn't who she remembered.
'She's not the same,' Jack informed Janet having discovered that Sam had left the infirmary. 'She's acting like a stranger.' 'She's been god knows where, living with god knows what for five years Jack. Of course she's changed.' 'It's not like that.' Jack shook his head trying to put his finger on the problem. 'She's...exactly the same,' he finished. Janet looked at him in confusion. 'What?' 'I don't know,' Jack told her. 'I really don't know.'
Jack found Sam in the gym, giving a punch bag a pretty rough time. Jack walked around it and held the punch bag still for her. 'We need to talk,' he said.
'I'm not ready to talk,' Sam told him, hitting the bag with more force with her good hand. 'And if you value your life I'd leave now.' 'You want to fight?' Jack asked in amazement. 'Fine, hit me.' He moved to stand to the side of her. Sam looked at him, standing with his arms out waiting for her to strike. She stepped around him and started to walk away. Jack grabbed her arm. 'Angel. Please.' Jack pulled Sam towards him and held her face in his hands. 'I don't want us to do this.' 'It's too late, Jack. If we can't even survive this then what's the point?' 'The point is that we love each other,' Jack insisted. 'Love isn't always enough,' Sam informed him sadly. 'Yes, yes it is.' Jack took another step towards her. 'You live without it long enough and you realize it's everything.' 'I feel like I don't know you anymore. You've changed.' Sam ignored the tears that started coursing down her cheeks. 'If we end up so distant after only two months then how can we hope to survive?' 'Two months?' Jack was bewildered. 'Sam, you've been gone five years.' 'Six by now actually.' Sam corrected him. 'But we're not talking about that.' Jack shook his head. 'Five years ago you went to P7Y 00L for a mineral survey. Someone there killed you. Don't you remember?' 'Of course I remember,' Sam half laughed. 'They had technology; it brought me back to life. But it was only two months ago.' Jack shook his head again. 'We should go talk to Janet,' he insisted. 'Why?' Sam asked.
'Because she might be able to help us figure out what's going on, she has your watch complete with date logging and you probably shouldn't have been down here with the punch bag,' Jack listed. 'I didn't use the hand with the broken fingers,' Sam argued. 'I was thinking more about dehydration and fatigue,' Jack countered. As they turned to walk back to the infirmary Jack stopped. He pulled Sam into his arms and held her close. 'Promise me that we'll be ok,' he pleaded. 'That we will survive this.' 'I'll do my best,' Sam promised before kissing him the same way she had five years earlier. 'I love you,' Jack reminded her. 'That's all that matters.'
'Janet, where's the watch I was wearing when I got back?' Sam asked urgently. 'Hi Janet, how was your day? Hello Sam, it was good, how about yours?' Janet pointed out that Sam had failed to say hello. 'Sorry. Hi Janet,' Sam corrected herself as Janet handed over the digital watch. Sam handed it to Jack, pointing at the date display. 'Two months,' Jack muttered, more to himself than anyone else. 'Yes,' Sam agreed. 'And it's still running.' 'What?' Janet looked between the two of them in confusion. 'She was only gone two months,' Jack told Janet. 'Five years,' Janet corrected him.
'Five years to you,' Sam pointed out. 'Two months to me, relatively speaking.' 'I don't understand,' Janet said, shaking her head. 'Are we talking about time travel again?' 'Maybe,' Sam said shaking her head. 'But time travel causes you to be sent back to the planet that you started on, like a round trip. That didn't happen to me.' 'Gravity!' Jack blurted out suddenly.
'What?' Sam and Janet asked in unison.
Jack began to bounce on the soles of his feet, like Daniel had a habit of, as he tried to recall the example. 'Remember that briefing you did when you were pregnant with the twins?' 'I did a lot of briefings.' Sam reminded him. 'The one about that planet.' Jack prompted impatiently. 'There were a lot of planets.' Sam told him calmly. 'P4...P4C... P4R 669.' Jack remembered suddenly. Janet looked at him in shock that he had remembered the name. 'The dense one, where time went slower,' Jack said slowly as if talking to children. 'Why didn't you just say that?' Sam asked with a laugh, 'I'd have know what you were talking about.' 'What about it?' Janet inquired getting back to the matter at hand. 'Time...went...slower,' Jack repeated, opening his eyes wide and lifting his eyebrows, waiting for Janet to catch on. 'P4R669 would have been thrown out of orbit years ago.' Sam recalled the details of the briefing. 'Relatively speaking,' she added just for emphasis. 'I don't mean that planet in particular,' Jack argued. 'Just a planet like it. So that only two months passed there while we lived five years here.' 'It sounds like the most likely theory,' Sam admitted. 'Even if it was Jack that came up with it,' she added playfully. Jack turned his back to Janet and stuck out his tongue at Sam, causing her to giggle. Janet rolled her eyes. 'Children, can we focus?' She scolded them. Sam laughed. 'Sorry Janet. We should talk to the General. I want to go home to my babies.' Jack and Janet both look awkwardly at Sam. 'Angel,' Jack started. 'They're six years old now.' 'I know,' Sam nodded. 'And it's about time they had a mother.'
'Major Carter, how are you feeling?' General Hammond asked as the trio entered him office. 'Better, thank you,' Sam replied with a smile. She proceeded to explain the situation to the General. 'I see,' he said when Sam had finished. 'I knew I didn't like relativity.' Sam smiled. 'I'd like to go home, sir.' 'Of course,' General Hammond agreed. 'Take care Sam.' Sam, Jack and Janet all turned to leave. 'Major?' The General called after them. 'Sir?' Sam responded.
'Your father has been sent a message, he's on a mission but I'm sure he'll be here soon.' Before Sam could respond she began to sway, her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed. Jack caught her before she hit the floor and scooped her into his arms.
Sam came around ten minutes later, back in the infirmary in the bed where she had spent the morning. 'Sam?' Janet alerted her to her presence. 'What happened?' Sam asked.
'You passed out.'
'Oh.'
'Sam, what did you eat when I sent you to the commissary earlier?' Janet inquired. 'Oops,' was Sam's only reply.
'What do you mean, oops?' Janet pressed. 'I didn't quite get to the commissary,' Sam admitted. 'Then where were you before Jack found you?' Janet sounded angry. 'In the gym,' Sam replied quietly, biting her lip. Janet shook her head. 'When did you last eat?' 'I don't know,' Sam told her guiltily. 'It's been a while, I just don't feel hungry.' Janet sighed in frustration. 'Sam, you'll make yourself ill. How can I even consider letting you home if you won't look after yourself.' 'Sorry,' Sam feebly apologized.
'Janet?' Jack appeared at the door.
'Jack. How can I help?' Janet gave Sam one more icy look before walking to the door. Once they were outside Jack explained what he had planned. 'I'm not sure that's such a good idea, Jack. What have you told them?' 'Nothing yet,' Jack assured her. 'But their Mom's home, I have to tell them and I have to bring them to see her.' 'Ok,' Janet relented. 'But explain it to them first, then if they're comfortable with seeing her in here, we'll bring them in. Don't mention it to Sam until then. She thinks they're at home so until I can let her out it shouldn't be a problem.' Jack nodded his agreement and went to the crche/playroom on the other side of level 21 to find his children.
'Alex, Jaime, I need to talk to you.' Jack sat the six year olds down. 'Do you remember when you asked me if Mommy was in heaven?' Jack asked Alex. Alex nodded his head, wondering why his Dad was bringing it up now. Conversations like this were usually saved for bedtime. 'Well,' Jack continued, not quite sure what to say. 'She's not.' Jaime looked unimpressed with Jack's revelation, but Alex looked crushed. 'What I mean,' Jack hastened to add; 'is that she's back.' Both the children continued to stare at him. 'You know the holding cells, where we put bad people until we can let them go?' Jack tried another way of explaining. They nodded again. 'Well, Mommy was kind of in one of them. Only in a different place, and she only just managed to get out.' 'Is Mommy a bad person then?' Jaime asked in confusion. 'No, no.' Jack rubbed his hand over his face, realizing that he'd picked a bad example. 'The people who had her were bad people, so they locked her up.' 'I thought you said Mommy was dead,' Alex pointed out. 'We thought she was, but she isn't. She's here and she'd like to see you.' Jack looked in to each of their eyes in turn, trying to gauge a reaction. 'Would you like to come and see her?'
Jack held both of their hands as they approached the infirmary. 'Remember,' he told them; 'She's just as nervous about this as you are.' They nodded solemnly and walked through the door behind Jack. Tears pricked up in Sam's eyes as she looked at the children. She hated the thought that they had grown up without her when she had been fighting for months so that they didn't have to. Immediately upon seeing Sam Jaime ran over, climbed up next to her and cuddled up beside her. Sam ran her hands through Jaime's long brown hair and kissed her forehead. 'Hello sweetie,' Sam whispered, only loud enough for the little girl to hear. Jaime snuggled even closer to Sam, holding on to her tightly and burying her head in Sam's shirt. Alex clung to Jack, still standing by the door. He watched his sister as she ran to the stranger on the bed. Sure, his dad said that the woman was his mother and she looked exactly the same as in the photo he had held so dear for so long but he didn't know her. All the children at school knew their mothers completely, everything about them. Alex couldn't even remember what Sam smelt like, or what she sounded like, so he held on to his father, watching from a distance.
'Jack?' Sam asked her husband hesitantly. They had gone home a few hours earlier. Sam had tucked Jaime up in bed, though Alex still wouldn't come near her. Now Jack and Sam were curled up together on the couch, half watching an old movie that neither of them could remember the name of. 'What's up?' Jack mumbled into her hair as he held her close. 'Do they tell you everything?' Sam was on a quest to find out everything that a mother should know about her children. 'I think so.'
'Do you know what's happening at school tomorrow?' Sam pressed. 'Nothing special is it?' Jack had received a call from their tutor, Miss Shaw, that afternoon. The Principle that had suspended Alex had been fired and Miss Shaw wanted both of them to be in school the next day. Having discussed the problem with Jack she had decided that exclusion was not the best option for any of them. Jack had agreed and assured her that both of the children would be at school as normal the following day. He had chosen not to tell Sam about the fight. She already blamed herself for not being there and he didn't want to make it any worse. 'I heard Brie talking to Janet before we left the base,' Sam admitted. 'And?' Jack hadn't heard about anything happening at school. 'It's Mother's day,' Sam informed him.
'Mother's day is on a Sunday in May,' Jack reminded her. 'It's mother's day at school. All the children are supposed to take their mother's in with them.' 'Oh,' Jack sighed. 'I guess they didn't tell me then.' Sam was chewing her bottom lip. 'Should I go?' She asked nervously. 'Do you want to go?'
'I talked to Janet. I said I did and that's why she let me out today. But what if they don't want me there?' Things began to click into place for Jack. Neither of the children had wanted to tell him about Mother's day for fear of upsetting him and neither of them wanted to go to school alone on that day. The argument they had had about Sam had no doubt sprung for discussions about the Friday in question. Suspension had assured them that Alex wouldn't be allowed to go in on that day and Jack was willing to bet that come the morning Jaime would have refused to go to school without her brother. 'I've missed so much already,' Sam continued. Jack kissed Sam's hair. 'I'm sure they want you there.'
Jack watched silently from the doorway as Sam made a fuss of Crackers. Sam was sat on the floor with one hand resting on the couch and her head lying on the hand in question. She rhythmically ran her other hand down the cat's back, talking in whispers that Jack couldn't hear. The animal was completely content, a state that he hadn't seen since Sam had failed to come home five years earlier. Instead of it annoying him, like the cat's love of Sam had slightly when they first bought her together, it gave him a sense of hope. If a seven year old cat could still remember her after all this time then with any luck Alex would come round too.
Sam and Jack lay side by side in bed, neither of them sure what to do, both secretly hoping that the other was asleep already. Sam turned on her side with a sigh, her back to Jack. Tears began coursing silently down her cheeks for what she thought must have been the millionth time since she had gotten back. 'Angel, what's the matter?' Jack had turned to face Sam's shaking form, silhouetted in the dark. 'I fought so hard to get back,' Sam spoke barely above a whisper. 'And now I don't know where I belong.' Jack reached out and hesitantly touched Sam's bare arm, she flinched a little on contact but Jack didn't let it defer him. Laying his hand on her shoulder he began to rub her arm. 'You belong here. With me,' he whispered back, drawing her into his arms. Sam hesitated for only a second before turning into Jack's embrace. 'This is what I was fighting for,' Sam muttered into his chest, inhaling a smell that hadn't changed since she'd been gone. 'This is what I'd thought I'd lost,' Jack told her, resting his head against her hair and pulling her even closer. 'Please don't ever let me go,' Sam pleaded with him, a few stray tears falling onto his chest where her head lay. 'Never,' Jack promised.
Sam woke up and looked at her husband. She couldn't remember how long she'd spent wishing he was lying next to her, now she was back and he was, life was back the way it should be. Sam rolled over so that she was lying on top of Jack, waking him up with kisses. 'Welcome back Angel,' Jack whispered as his eyes opened and met hers. 'Hey,' Sam replied kissing him again.
'Are we going soon Daddy?' Jaime entered her parent's bedroom quietly. 'Where are you going?' Sam asked quickly rolling back on to her back beside Jack, she looked at the clock. 'What time does school start?' 'We're going to the shops before school,' Jack told her. 'We'll meet you and Alex there.' 'No.' Sam looked at Jack in horror. 'You can't leave me here alone with him.' 'It's only for an hour, he's six years old. I don't think he can hurt you,' Jack reassured her. 'He hates me,' Sam hissed at Jack, trying to avoid Jaime hearing. Jack disappeared into the bathroom and came out seconds later fully dressed. He walked over and sat on the bed beside Sam. 'Play a game with him,' he suggested.
'You're doing this on purpose aren't you?' Sam accused. 'Yes,' Jack admitted. 'And it'll work. I'll see you later.' Jaime climbed onto the bed to say good-bye to her Mother. Kissing Sam first she then climbed onto Jack's lap. 'Come on Daddy,' Jaime said sweetly. She stood up and was about to walk away when Jack grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into a hug. 'Oh no you don't,' he said holding onto her like a baby. The child giggled and tried to wriggle out of Jack's grasp. 'I'm not a baby,' She argued. Jack and Sam froze, staring at the little girl. In her father's hesitation Jaime escaped and ran to the door, not knowing why her parents looked so shocked. 'Dj vu,' Sam offered shakily.
'Something like that,' Jack agreed, leaning over and kissing Sam before following his daughter out of the door. 'There's always going to similarities, Angel,' Jack reminded her. 'I think it's a good thing. It keeps her here.' Sam nodded and climbed out of bed to get dressed herself. 'I'll meet you at school at 0830, Ok?' Jack called back as he reached the door. 'See you there,' Sam called after him. Taking a deep breath to prepare for the hour that lay ahead.
Sam was sat on the couch when she heard Alex coming down the stairs. He paused about three feet from the door before asking quietly, 'Where's Daddy?' 'Him and Jaime have gone to the shops,' Sam explained. 'Oh,' Alex replied before turning to leave. 'Alex,' Sam called after him. 'Why don't you come and sit down?' 'No thank you,' Alex said with a politeness reserved only for strangers that made Sam want to cry. Jack had said to play with him, Sam racked her brain for a game that she could convince him to participate in. 'Why don't we play a game?' Sam suggested. 'Have you ever seen Sixth Sense?' Alex shook his head. Of course not Sam berated herself he was only six years old. 'I'll tell you what I think you're thinking and if I'm right then you take a step towards me. If I'm wrong then you take a step back. You reach the chair and you come and sit with me. If you reach the door then you can leave.' Sam prayed that this would work.
Alex slowly nodded his head.
'You don't want to go to school today,' Sam tried. Alex took a small step forwards. 'You wish you hadn't hit Jaime.' Another step towards her. If Alex was surprised that she knew he didn't show it. She knew that Jack hadn't wanted her to know about the fight, and she didn't blame him for not telling her but when she had overheard Janet and Brie talking, the fact that Alex had hit his sister had also been mentioned. 'You agreed with what Jaime said.' He took a larger step backwards than he'd been taking forwards. 'You hate me for being away so long.' Another stretched step back. 'You wish I hadn't come back.' Sam was grasping to understand how he was feeling. Alex stepped away from her again. Sam knew that if she were wrong again then he would be gone. 'You don't understand why I was away.' It was the only reason she could think of to explain why he didn't hate her. Alex took a final step back, bumping into the doorframe. He turned and looked at his escape route. Sam sighed knowing that she'd blown it. Alex stood still, in thought for a moment. Instead of leaving he walked over at sat beside Sam on the couch. Sam stared at him, trying to think of an explanation for his change of heart. Finally deciding that she couldn't hope to get inside a six year olds mind she spoke. 'I'm sorry.' She knew it would never be enough but there was nothing else she could offer him. 'I don't hate you,' Alex assured her, laying a tiny hand on her knee. 'I'm glad you came home.' Sam looked at the little hand where it lay before placing hers over the top. 'I love you Alex.' Sam smiled sadly at him. 'Don't ever doubt that.' 'Please don't go away again,' Alex pleaded fearfully, tears in his eyes. Sam slipped her arm around his shoulders and pulled him towards her. 'Never,' she promised, rocking him back and forth. Relieved tears streaming down her cheeks as she felt her son wrap his arms around her waist. Finally she was home and her family was back together. Sam vowed to herself that she would never let anything break that up again.
Janet watched as Sam walked into the classroom holding the hands of both of her children. Jack had gone to work, leaving the three of them alone. Janet was relieved to see that they all appeared happy and comfortable with each other. 'Hey Janet,' Lucy Shaw greeted her. Janet and Daniel had both become good friends with their daughter's tutor, after all the trouble Mel had caused in the four years he had spent with his tutor they had decided that it would be best to have a good relationship with Lucy in case Brie followed in her brother's footsteps. 'Lucy.' Janet turned away from the direction that Sam was in. 'How's it going so far?' 'I think it's working. You know, when I started teaching I knew all the children's mothers. These days most of them work more than the fathers. I don't know half of the people here.' Lucy said. 'I know what you mean.' Janet agreed. 'Not that it's a bad thing.' She defended her own workaholic tendencies. 'Of course not.' Lucy laughed. 'I've been wanting to ask...who's the woman with the O'Neill twins? I didn't give it a second thought when I asked Jack to send them back today. Then this morning I remembered and I felt awful that they might come in on their own.' 'That's their Mom,' Janet informed her. 'I though she...' Lucy trailed off, looking at Brie. 'Brie, honey, why don't you go and see if you can get us some seats near Alex and Jaime,' Janet suggested. Brie rolled her eyes and Janet's attempt to be discreet about the fact that she didn't want her to hear the conversation. She walked away anyway. 'I thought she was killed in action five years ago,' Lucy inquired. 'We thought she was.' Janet knew she had to be a little creative with the truth. 'Turns out she was POW. She only just got back.' 'For five years?' Lucy asked in a surprised whisper. 'That must take its toal.' 'She doesn't remember much of it,' Janet assured her. 'Amnesia?' Lucy wondered.
'Something like that.' Janet hated having to make up stories. 'There's no chance of her ever remembering though. So we've just got to get on with it now.' 'Can you introduce us?' Lucy apparently forgot that she was the teacher and was supposed to introduce herself to all the mothers anyway. 'Of course.' Janet laughed. Leading them over to where Sam and the twins sat. 'Sam, this is Lucy Shaw, the first grade teacher. Lucy this is Sam O'Neill.' Janet introduced them and then stepped back to allow them to talk. 'You have two wonderful children Mrs. O'Neill,' Lucy gushed, unsure of how to talk to someone who had been a prisoner for so long. 'It's Lieutenant Colonel actu...' Sam laughed a little. 'Just call me Sam.' 'They truly are a credit to you and your husband,' she continued. 'More him than me.' Sam admitted without sounding at all bitter or disappointed, more proud than anything else. 'Alex looks a lot like you. I always wondered where he got his blonde hair and blue eyes,' Lucy rambled, deciding that talking about the children would be safe but not quite knowing when to stop. 'I should go. I'm sure I'll see you later.' Sam chuckled, shaking her head. 'Is it me or did she seem nervous?' 'Of course she was,' Janet told her. 'You're infamous.' 'What?' Sam looked at her friend in confusion. 'Everyone who's ever known you has spent the last five years building your pedestal higher and higher. Us mere mortals aren't worthy.' 'Janet!' Sam hissed 'I'm nothing like that. You know I'm not.' Janet laughed. 'Relax Sam. Now that you're here you can make some mistakes like the rest of us and everyone will start to see you as human again.' Sam dropped her head into her hands. This was just what she needed.
10 years later
'Alex, honey. It's for you.' Sam walked into Alex's bedroom with the phone in her hand. 'Mom!' Alex screamed at her, causing Sam to stop dead in her track. She surveyed the candles and incense in the room before backing back into the doorway. Alex walked about a foot closer to her, stopped, swept his hands through the air as if parting a curtain and then stepped forwards. He turned around and reversed the sweeping motion before joining Sam in the doorway. 'It's Brie,' Sam told him.
'Thanks,' Alex stood with the phone in his hand, staring at Sam. 'Oh, right,' Sam apologized. 'I'll go now.' She left him room, closing the door behind her before joining Jack in the living room. 'I think I just interrupted another one of Alex's rituals,' Sam accused herself. 'Whoops,' Jack sympathized, having done the same thing countless times himself. 'Maybe we should put a lock on the inside of his door.' 'Not gonna happen,' Sam insisted.
'Why?' Jack thought it would solve all their problems. 'Because if Alex has one then Jaime will want one,' Sam stated simply. 'Good point,' Jack agreed. 'I won't mention it again.' Sam rubbed the bridge of her nose. 'One of these days he's not going to forgive me.' Jack laughed. 'Of course he will. He's a Mommy's boy.' Sam laughed with him. 'Great, so I'll screw up the life of our Mommy's boy. So long as you deal with the horrors caused by the Daddy's girl upstairs.' Jack pushed a kiss against Sam's temple. 'Deal,' he agreed.
Sam knocked on Alex's door and waited for an answer. 'Yeah,' came the muffled yell from inside. Sam opened the door and stuck her head in. 'If I come in now, I'm not going to dissipate any energy am I?' She asked apologetically. Alex smiled. 'No. Come in.'
Sam walked over and sat on the bed beside her son. 'I'm sorry about earlier.' 'It's ok,' Alex assured her.
'What was Brie up to?' Sam changed the subject. 'Just deciding when we'll next work on our project,' Alex told her. 'Ah,' Sam replied. The two of them lapsed into silence for a moment. 'I wish you understood,' Alex said out of the blue. 'Understood what?' Sam asked with concern. 'Why I have religion,' Alex stated bluntly. 'I try,' was all Sam could say.
'I know. But you don't really get it,' he told her. 'Science is my religion, Alex. It's all I've ever really believed in,' Sam argued. Alex nodded. 'I know,' he repeated. 'I just wish we had more in common.' Sam looked surprised by his statement. 'We have lots in common.' Alex shook his head. 'Only on the surface. We can hardly even hold a conversation without running out of things to say.' 'Well you won't let me anywhere near your Physics projects,' Sam defended herself. 'That's because you're brilliant.' He rolled his eyes. 'Brie and I are making things that you figured out over twenty years ago.' 'You should go to the hockey with your Dad,' Sam insisted. 'I hate hockey,' Alex pointed out.
'Yeah, me too,' Sam sighed. 'I think that's more Jaime's thing.' 'Exactly,' Alex erupted. 'Dad and Jaime have all these 'things' that they do. We should have one.' Sam hugged Alex, leaning her cheek against his spiky blonde hair. 'You name it we'll do it. Ok?' Sam offered. 'Anything. Dinner's in half an hour.' Sam got up and walked to the door. 'Love you,' she called over her shoulder. 'I love you too,' Alex replied as the door closed behind her.
Jaime heard a tapping on her window and climbed out of bed. Pulling the drapes she saw her boyfriend, Jobe, hanging onto the top of the trellis. 'What are you doing?' Jaime hissed as she pulled open the window. 'My dad'll kill you.' Jobe climbed in the window and kissed Jaime gently. 'I just came to tell you that I love you,' he whispered. Jaime smiled, her eyes lighting up. 'Really?' she asked. 'Helplessly, hopelessly and recklessly,' he told her. Jaime blushed, looking at the floor for a moment before recovering her composure. 'I love you too,' she whispered sincerely. 'Totally, completely and defenselessly.' Jobe grinned and leant forwards. Capturing her mouth in another sweet kiss. 'Jaime? What's...?' Jack opened the door, catching the couple mid kiss. 'What the hell do you think you're playing at young lady?' He scolded her instantly. 'Dad,' Jaime mumbled.
'Young man?' Jack turned his attention to Jobe. 'Uh...umm...sir,' Jobe stumbled, not sure what to say. 'Get the hell out of my house,' Jack hissed angrily at the sixteen year old. Jobe was back out of the widow and on the ground before anyone could even suggest that he use the door. 'Dad? How could you?' Jaime tearfully accused him. 'You're sixteen years old. You should not have boys in your bedroom,' Jack argued. 'One boy,' Jaime informed him. 'My boyfriend.' 'Exactly,' Jack hissed.
'What's going on?' Alex asked appearing at the door. Sam was right behind him. 'Go back to bed champ,' Jack told him calmly, turning round slightly and seeing Sam too. 'I promised you I'd deal with this Angel,' he reminded her. 'I'll be in in a minute.' Sam squeezed Alex's shoulders and led him from the room. 'If he says something stupid, she'll hate him,' Alex whispered to Sam when they were far enough away. 'She's very stubborn, it'll be hell for us to live with them.' 'Give them a chance,' Sam insisted, kissing him good night.
'Come on Dad,' Jaime pleaded. 'If you had met Mom when you were my age tell me that you wouldn't have wanted to spend every minute with her.' 'We're not talking about me,' Jack stated, keeping his voice level. 'You're not to have him in your room.' 'Would you have rather he rang the door bell and woke everyone up?' 'He did wake everyone up.'
'You woke everyone up,' Jaime countered 'I don't have justify myself to you.'
'Yes you do. Because this is my life that you're ruining.' 'You're doing a perfectly good job of that yourself.' 'We weren't doing anything! Why are you so quick to assume that we're in the wrong?' 'I know what boys are like at his age. I was one, remember.' 'Times change Dad. Guys aren't like that anymore. If anything it's the girls who are only after one thing. And I don't mean me.' 'This is not a debate. You'll do as you're told.' 'He came round to tell me that he loves me.' Tears sprang into Jaime's eyes. 'I love him too Dad, please don't do this.' Jack was speechless. The sight of his daughter in her pajamas, kissing her boyfriend had shut of his rational mind. 'If there'd been nothing in the way of you and Mom when you met, wouldn't you have gone for it? Wouldn't you have crept around there in the middle of the night just to see her? Woken her up at the crack of dawn just to speak to her? Fought with everything you had to spend every waking second with her? And would you have listened to Grandpa if he'd told you to stay away?' Jack saw his little girl in a new light in that moment. She wasn't a child anymore and she was speaking with wisdom far beyond her years. 'When did my baby girl get all grown up?' Jack lowered his voice and smiled a little. 'I don't intend on doing anything I'd be ashamed of,' Jaime assured him. 'And if I'm not ashamed of something then it means that I'd tell you about it.' 'I may not always want to know,' Jack pointed out. Jaime smiled. 'I love you Dad.'
'And him,' Jack said bitterly.
'His name is Jobe. And yes I love him too.' 'I owe your grandpa $20 now you know.'
Jaime raised an eyebrow. 'Why?'
'Because you're too smart for my own good.' 'You mean, I'm too smart for my own good,' Jaime corrected him. 'No, I mean that you're too smart for my own good. It's me that's $20 short here.' Jaime kissed her Father goodnight. 'And you can apologize to Jobe tomorrow,' she called after him as he left the room.
'Mom?' Jaime called as she walked down the passageway at 0700 on Saturday morning, past her own bedroom and towards the room where she knew she would find her mother. 'Do you want pancakes for breakfast?' she asked, sticking her head into Anna Sophia's room. The room hadn't been changed since Anna Sophia's abduction eighteen years earlier. It was still pink and purple with cuddly toys and pictures drawn by the three year old all around the room. Sam often went in and sat on the floor to work. Jack was often found sitting in there and looking out of the window. Even Jaime and Alex sometimes escaped into the comfort of it. It was the only thing in the house that never changed, proving to be a comfort when other things did. 'I've got to finish up this report,' Sam replied, not really answering the question. 'Our new lieutenant's coming today.' 'Just the one?' Jaime thought they usually came from special training in fours. 'What was wrong with the other three?' 'No, this is the one I was telling you about. The one that was promised to us from the second he stepped into the academy. It's been a long time since we heard anything, I was starting to think that he bailed.' 'What's his name?' Jaime inquired.
'Can't remember. Not sure I ever knew,' Sam replied distractedly. 'Oh, the one who was only ever known as 'more like you than you', wasn't it?' Jaime laughed, trying to imagine someone more like her mother than her mother was. 'Yeah. It's got me a little nervous actually.' 'Better have some breakfast then,' Jaime piped in. She took the opportunity to look at what Sam was doing. 'I thought you said you were doing a report.' Jaime pushed the closed file folder to the side, revealing a spread of photos. 'She was so beautiful.' Jaime sat next to Sam and picked up a picture of Anna Sophia. Sam picked up another photo and held it close for comparison. 'That must have been taken about the same time,' Jaime commented. 'Actually,' Sam told her. 'That's you.' Jaime smiled. 'Wow. I'd love to know what she looked like now.' Jaime picked up another photo. 'Who's that?' She asked. 'Charlie.' Sam smiled softly. 'He looked so much like your Dad didn't he.' 'I knew it was him. I mean who's that with him?' 'Sara,' Sam replied without hesitation. 'We have photos of Dad's ex-wife? Is that a little weird?' Jaime turned the picture at an angle and looked at it again. 'She was Charlie's mother. A big part of Jack's life for a long time. We don't pretend that she doesn't exist. There's no reason to,' Sam pointed out. Jaime pulled out a photo of Sam. 'That's before isn't it?' Sam didn't need to ask what it was before. 'Yes. Is it really that obvious?' 'You didn't smile quite like that for a while after you came back,' Jaime informed her. Jaime kissed Sam's cheek. 'Pancakes?' She asked again. 'Yes please.' Sam gathered the pictures back into one pile. 'Let's go before your Dad destroys them.'
'Alex will you tidy up today, before your Grandpa gets here please?' Sam asked her son at the breakfast table. 'Can't,' Alex replied without missing a beat. 'I've got a dress rehearsal today. Starts in an hour.' 'Jaime?' Sam pleaded with her daughter. 'Ok,' Jaime sighed, digging into her pancakes. 'Damn it,' Jack said loudly as he entered the room. 'I don't have time to take the dogs out.' 'Don't look at me,' Alex spoke up before anyone else could. 'Drama rehearsal.' 'Jaime?' Jack pleaded with his daughter. 'Ok,' Jaime sighed again, putting more sugar on the stack. They had a two-year-old Labrador and a three-year-old Dachshund-terrier cross. Both of which had loads of energy and demanded two walks a day to stop them from tearing up the house. Breakfast was cleared away and everyone was preparing to leave when Sam remembered to arrange lifts. 'Jaime? Do you want to get a lift to the mountain with Janet at lunch time?' Jaime shook her head. 'I've got cheerleading practice.' I'll be late now as it is. We won't be finished until this afternoon.' 'Ok, I'll pick you and Alex up from school at 1500 then.' Sam arranged her children like it was a military excursion. 'Ok,' Jaime and Alex replied in unison, exchanging a look with each other. 'Brie needs the plans for our project.' Alex suddenly remembered. He ran upstairs to retrieve them. 'Alex! We'll be late,' Sam called after him. 'She needs them before she goes up to the mountain...' Alex thought for a moment. 'Jaime?' He pleaded with his sister.
'Why does everyone always Jaime me?' Jaime burst out in frustration. 'Yes. Ok. I'll take them round to Aunt Janet's and be even later for practice. I'm only head cheerleader and we only have a pep rally next week. Nothing important. No big deal. Go, rehearse, perform, don't mind me...' Jaime's voice got quieter and quieter as she walked towards the back of the house to get the dogs, until it faded out all together. 'I guess we all owe her one now,' Jack groaned as they headed towards their respective vehicles. 'You owe her two after last night,' Sam reminded him. 'Well if that Job guy insists...'
'Jobe,' Sam corrected him.
'Whatever,' Jack mumbled before closing the car door. As he pulled out of the drive he rolled down the window and called back. 'To Oz.'
Annie Sheridan pushed open the door of the school gymnasium. She was hoping that she would find a pay phone and get some directions to Cheyenne Mountain. She wished that she had been able to make the trip the previous day to ensure that she could find her way. Unfortunately she had only arrived in Colorado Springs an hour earlier and was now completely lost. Fast dance music was the first thing that greeted Annie as she entered the building. Then she saw the pyramid of six cheerleaders on mats in the center of the room. The cheerleader on the top graciously dismounted and ran over to where Annie stood. She stopped the music and turned to greet her. 'Hi. Can I help you?'
'I'm looking for a pay phone,' Annie replied. 'There's one right behind the auditorium. If you go out of there, take a left, walk about three...you know what, it would probably be quicker if I just took you through.' 'Thanks,' Annie smiled.
'I'm Jaime,' the cheerleader introduced herself. 'Annie,' she replied, shaking Jaime's outstretched hand. Jaime led Annie through a maze of corridors before they came out into the auditorium. 'Hey Romeo?' Jaime shouted at the stage. The guy on the stage glared at her and continued wooing his Juliet. 'Alex!' Jaime yelled again.
With an exasperated sigh Alex jogged over to join them. 'What?' he asked testily. 'Can you show Annie where the pay phone is please.' Jaime smiled sweetly. Alex rolled his eyes by way of an answer, awarding him with a kiss on the cheek Jaime ran back to her cheerleading practice. 'Is that your girlfriend?' Annie asked, intrigued by the pair's behavior. Alex snorted in an attempt not to laugh. 'Sister,' he told her. 'Oh. Sorry.' Annie blushed.
'No problem,' Alex assured her. 'There's the phone.' He pointed to the corner of the room they had entered. 'Dial and then put a quarter in.' 'Thank you,' Annie called after him as he headed back to his rehearsal. Watching the teenagers doing things that they loved almost made Annie wish that she had been more adventurous in school. Dialing up the number on the bottom of the letter she had received a couple of weeks previously Annie set about trying not to be too late for her first day.
'Is Lieutenant Sheridan here yet?' Jack asked the airman at the door. 'Just arriving Sir,' he informed the General. 'I wonder what he'll be like,' Sam mentioned casually to Jack. 'She'll be very sorry that she's late.' A feminine voice came from the door. 'Lieutenant Sheridan reporting for Duty Ma'am.' The young woman snapped a salute. 'Ooh, Dj vu,' Jack whispered to Sam with a smile. Sam chuckled in reply, remembering vividly her own entrance 26 years earlier. 'At ease.' Sam casually saluted the new comer. 'Nice to have you joining us, Sheridan.' Jack nodded at her to sit down. 'Thank you General O'Neill.' She sat down in the vacant seat next to Sam. 'It's an honor to be working with you Colonel.' Annie addressed Sam. 'I've read your work.' 'And I've read yours,' Sam replied.
'Excuse me?' Annie asked politely, knowing that she hadn't had any work published. 'The paper you wrote at the academy on temporal cascade failure in the tenth dimension.' 'Oh that.' Annie tried to brush the comment away. 'It was just a wild idea.' 'A very accurate wild idea as it turns out,' Sam informed her. 'Don't underestimate yourself.' Annie forced a smile, obviously used to and yet uncomfortable with such praise. 'Dr Jackson.' Annie changed the focus of topic. 'It's wonderful to meet you, my mother had all of your books.' 'Poor woman,' Daniel laughed.
'I was intrigued by your theory about the cross pollination of ancient cultures. Of course having read some of the SGC's mission reports I now understand.' 'We're quite busy around here today,' Jack spoke up, cutting off the archeological banter before it had a chance to begin. 'We'd better get on with things. Lieutenant, someone will show you around. Welcome to SG1, any problems and Colonel Sam O'Neill is your direct superior officer. Be ready for your first briefing on Monday morning 0800. Dismissed,' he added just for effect despite knowing that all bar Annie would have left without hesitation anyway.
'This is Cassie Healy.' Brie introduced Annie to yet another person. 'My sister,' she added. 'You're married,' Annie concluded.
'Yeah,' Cassie replied, a little distracted by the tiny baby in her arms. 'That's Ben,' Brie continued. 'Cassie's second child, he's three months old. Madison's four, she's around here somewhere.' 'Madison? That's an unusual name,' Annie commented 'It was my Mother's,' Cassie told her.
'I thought you're Mum was called Janet.' Annie looked confused. 'Janet adopted me,' Cassie said without hesitation, apparently not considering that it was really none of Annie's business. 'After my planet was wiped out.' 'Your planet...? You're an alien?' Annie was getting more surprised by the second. 'In a manner of speaking,' Cassie laughed. 'So are you...?' Annie turned to Brie.
'I'm human,' Brie assured her. 'Born and bred earth side. As was Mel.' 'Mel?' Annie asked, half thinking that she'd heard him mentioned before. 'Our brother,' Brie filled. 'I have to go talk to Alex. Can you show her level 21 Cass?' 'Alex?' Annie probed.
'O'Neill,' Brie said 'Jack and Sam's son.' 'Jack and Sam O'Neill? That's the General and the Colonel right?' 'Yep. And Jaime, their daughter. Alex's twin,' Brie continued as she left. 'The plot thickens,' Annie mumbled.
'It's a bit like that around here,' Cassie sympathized. 'You'll get used to it. Everyone knows everyone else, completely. We practically live in this mountain.' Annie rubbed the bridge of her nose. 'I'm going to get more confused before I start to understand aren't I?' 'Yep,' Cassie replied, almost gleefully. 'We're one huge family. Even more so these days.' 'How do you mean?' Annie pushed.
'The SGC has kind of become the family business, so to speak. Not many people get transferred in anymore. It's the children of the first generation who are expected to keep it going.' 'Why?' Annie was even more confused. 'Isn't this military? That seems a bit strange.' 'The SGC is a world of it's own. A certain level of everything is needed for someone to be assigned here. Apparently it's genetic.' Annie still looked confused.
'Take Alex and Jaime for example. Their parents have worked here from day one. They built this place. The twins were raised here. They have no reason to be any better than anyone else, but they both have the highest grade point average in their class. They're guaranteed to have SATs that are through the roof. Why? Who knows? It's just worked out like that. Same with Brie and Mel,' Cassie explained. 'Then how did I end up here?' Annie asked. 'You're brilliant. That's the only explanation. But you wouldn't be here if you weren't good enough, you'll soon be a part of the family too and you'll wonder what you ever did without us.' Cassie smiled. 'I need to go and catch Madison before she dismantles something. Would you watch Ben for me?' Cassie handed the baby over to Annie and left them standing alone in the room. Ben started to whimper. 'Please don't cry,' Annie pleaded, never having considered herself as good with children. Ben continued to get restless. Annie looked around to check there was no one there and then started to sing.
'Hush little baby don't say a word, Ra is dead or haven't you heard. After Ra Apophis rose up, D'you know how often they kicked his butt. Apophis wasn't dead but Hathor came along, She hardly had any clothes on. Nirti send Cassandra here with a bomb, that little plan went particularly wrong. Apophis came back to blow up the Earth, You should have heard my daddy curse. Hathor caught up and froze them a while, She was added to the...'
Annie broke of as she heard someone coming up behind her. 'Hey.' Brie smiled. 'What were you singing?' 'Nothing.' Annie blushed, handing the now sleeping child to his Aunt. 'I should go and check what's happening.' Annie hurried off in the direction of the control room. She couldn't even remember where she had heard that song. Pre-school she assumed, or during the Egyptian project they did in year 1 in first school.
Annie arrived in the control room just as the gate started to spin. She followed Sam, Jack, Daniel, Janet and Teal'c down into the gate room, gasping in wonder as the unstable vortex jumped forwards. 'It's amazing isn't it?' Daniel whispered, noticing her awe. 'It's more incredible than I ever imagined. We are actually looking at the event horizon of a wormhole,' Annie marveled. 'Don't suck the fun out of it,' Jack called over. 'Sam does that all the time.' 'On the contrary, Sir,' Annie couldn't take her eyes of the gate. 'I think I just found the meaning of life.' Jack chuckled. 'Been there, done that, right Daniel?' 'Actually Jack, we still haven't finished translating everything that we recovered from the Heliopolis. And even with all of that we only have a fraction of what was originally stored...' 'Whatever,' Jack cut him off. 'He's taking his time isn't he?' Jack turned his attention to the still empty ramp just as Jacob stepped through. 'Sammie,' Jacob greeted his Daughter first. Sam hugged her Father, kissing his cheek. 'Hey Dad. How are you?'
'Better now I'm here,' Jacob replied releasing Sam. 'How's Selmak?' Sam continued
'Perfect as always.' Jacob smiled. 'Jack, how are you?' 'Good thanks Dad.' Jack held out his hand to shake Jacobs just as Jacob held out his arms to hug Jack. Jack quickly held out his arms at the same time as Jacob held out his hand. They both laughed and Jacob gave Jack a fatherly hug. 'Daniel,' Jacob continued to greet the line of people. The two men hugged without hesitation. 'How are you?' 'Good,' Daniel replied with a smile.
'Good to see you Jacob.' Janet hugged him next. 'Janet, you look good. How's Cassie?' Jacob asked. 'She's fine. A healthy baby boy, Ben. 6lb 8oz. But he's three months old now,' Janet said the last part a little apologetically. 'That's what happens when you're gone for over six months I suppose,' Jacob replied sadly. 'I'll stop by and see her later.' Jacob looked at the next woman in the line. 'Jaime?' He asked quietly in disbelief. 'I haven't been gone that long have I?' 'No sir,' Annie replied just as quietly. 'I'm not Jaime.' 'Oh hell,' Jacob groaned. 'Now I feel like a bad grandfather.' 'I won't tell if you don't.' Annie smiled. 'Thank you,' Jacob said sincerely. He introduced himself. 'Jacob Carter.' 'Colonel O'Neill's Dad right?' Annie tried to fit Jacob into the vast network of people she had already met. 'Yep,' Jacob replied. 'And Selmak. The oldest and wisest of the Tok'ra.' 'You're an alien too?' Annie was amazed. 'These days I half am. Joined the Tok'ra about 25 years ago.' Jacob laughed. 'Grandpa!' Came a double shout from the door. 'Jaime!' Jacob caught the teenage girl as she threw herself into his arms. 'I missed you sweetheart.' 'I'm glad you're back. How long are you staying?' Jaime asked eagerly. 'As long as possible,' Jacob promised.
'Hey Alex.' Jacob turned to his Grandson. 'Hey Grandpa.' Alex grinned.
Jacob stood looking at him for a moment, trying to figure out if he should hug him or shake his hand. 'Are you too old for a hug?' He eventually asked. Alex answered by hugging Jacob. 'Never,' he assured him. 'Dad, are you coming?' Sam asked from the door as they all filed out of the gate room. Jacob glanced at where Annie still stood. 'In a minute,' he replied. Waiting until everyone had left Jacob approached Annie again. 'Have I seen you somewhere before?' he asked hesitantly. 'I was going to ask you the same thing.' Annie laughed. 'I suppose we've just seen each other around here somewhere before.' Jacob reasoned. 'I only arrived in the state this morning,' Annie pointed out. 'So it's unlikely.' 'Hmm.' Jacob shrugged it off. 'Who knows then?' They started walking out of the room. 'What's your name kid?' Jacob continued. 'Annie,' she replied.
'Where are you living now then?' Jacob tried to keep a conversation going. 'On base until I get sorted out,' Annie told him. 'Guess we'll be spending a lot of time together then,' Jacob informed her. 'Why?' Annie asked.
'I'll be staying here too.'
'Won't you stay with the O'Neill's?'
'I'm not fond of their couch.'
'Couldn't one of the twins give you their room? Sorry it's none of my business.' Annie quickly amended. 'Of course it is. Everything here is your business now. Just like everything about you is everyone else's business. So, tell me your story,' Jacob said decisively. 'What do you mean, my story?' Annie tried to dance around the subject. 'I mean everything that you've ever done and thought,' Jacob explained. Annie looked at him in disbelief before realizing that they had entered the commissary. 'We have all day.' Jacob smiled. Annie stared at him for a moment longer before deciding that he wasn't joking, so she began. 'We lived in the states until I was three years old. My father and my brothers died in a car accident so my mum and I moved to England. I grew up in a little town called Dorchester, went to First school, Middle school and High school all within a five-minute radius of my house. I skipped a few years so I did my GCSEs at fourteen. I did four A-levels in Physics, Math's, Chemistry and Psychology, which I finished at sixteen. Then I did a three-year Physics degree in two years at Leicester University. Mum and me moved back to the states when I was eighteen and I went to the Academy. When I was nineteen, my Mum died of a brain hemorrhage. I graduated from the academy and here I am. That's the thumbnail version.' Annie smiled a little. 'What's your story then?' 'What's there to say about an old retired General?' Jacob asked rhetorically. 'A lot I'd think,' Annie replied anyway. 'I was born and raised in California. Joined the air force at eighteen. Met my wife at twenty. We had our two children. She died when Sam was still a teenager, in a car accident. Mark moved away. Sam joined the air force. I got cancer and joined the Tok'ra. Then I spent 25 wonderful years with Selmak. And here I am.' 'That was even more vague than mine.' Annie laughed. 'I'm good at vague.' Jacob smiled. 'It's a Tok'ra thing, just ask Jack.' Annie smiled. 'Thank you.'
'For?' Jacob was honestly oblivious to why she'd be thanking him. 'For talking to me. I was a little overwhelmed and felt very out of place.' 'I guessed. When I first joined Sam in her little world that's locked inside this mountain I felt out of place, and I'm her father. You'll soon feel like this is home, then you'll wonder how you ever lived without us.' Annie smiled at how similar Jacobs comment was to Cassie's earlier. 'I should let you go,' Annie insisted. 'I think you and your family have a lot of catching up to do.' Jacob stood to leave. 'Catch you later.'
Sam woke that night to the sound of the phone ringing. It was 0100, which could only mean thing. There was an emergency. She grabbed the phone out of its cradle on the third ring. Not bothering with pleasantries. 'What's the problem?' She asked into the receiver. 'Uh huh,' she muttered.
'How long?'
'I'll be right there.'
Sam hung up the phone and climbed out of bed. 'What's up?' Jack asked concerned.
'SG7 is overdue by six hours, we just received a deep space communication that they are being held captive by a race that we haven't encountered before. The technology they possess looks very advanced. If we can solve this peacefully...' Sam didn't need to say anymore. Jack knew what she was talking about. 'SG1's going in to get them out,' Sam finished. 'Sam...you know what day it is today.' Jack reminded her. 'I know,' Sam sighed. 'If this could wait, then it would. If there was any other team available...but there's not. Tell them I'll be home as soon as I can.' Sam was completely ready already and kissed Jack briefly goodbye before driving up to the mountain for the rescue mission.
'I can't believe that she's missing our birthday again,' Jaime fumed. She was sitting on the table in the briefing room, repeating the same thing over and over again, like she had been all morning. This was the first time Alex had bothered to reply. 'She wouldn't have if it hadn't been important.' 'That's not the point,' Jaime snapped.
'She's never done it before, give her a break J.' Jaime's mouth dropped open. 'Never done it before? What about 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 and 12. She wasn't there for any of them.' '2 to 6 weren't her fault,' Alex argued. 'For 10 she was unconscious in the infirmary, I hardly think she planned it, and for 12 she was locked up being a Tok'ra guinea pig because of what she and Uncle Daniel caught on that planet, she didn't expect it to take that long.' 'Sweet sixteen,' Jaime sighed. 'It only happens once.' 'I'm going to see if Brie's in yet. You coming?' Alex changed the subject. 'I'll catch you up.' Jaime nodded, looking out of the window at the inactive Stargate. Jaime jumped off the table and walked closer to the observation window. A glint of silver under the table caught her eye. It was a charm bracelet; a slight tarnishing showed it's age. Jaime turned it over in her hands a few times before figuring from it's position in the room and the fact that she had never seen it before that it probably belonged to Annie. Jaime made a note to give it to her father when she next saw him.
It was 0900 when the gate spun to life. The two male members of SG1 and all of SG7 stepped through. Daniel explained to Jack without prompting that as soon as the race saw Sam they released SG7. Sam and Annie had then been engulfed in a red light and disappeared. The aliens had said something about having monitored her and needing to test the two that were of one. Teal'c had added that everything they had said had been in riddles and no one really knew what was going on. Jack sighed wondering how he was going to tell his children. This was one more complication their family didn't need.
Sam kicked the wall in frustration.
'What the hell do they think they're doing? It's my kid's birthdays today. They're gonna hate me. Why the hell did they put us in here?' Sam's rant carried on in a similar way for a while. Annie didn't dare try to answer any of the questions. The door at the far end of the room hissed open and a Gold skinned woman walked in. 'We greet you.' She half smiled. 'But we must insist that you return what is ours.' 'Huh?' Sam asked in a very 'Jack' way.
'The technology that your kind stole from us a millennia ago. We shall not release you until it is returned.' she stated as if Sam should know what she was talking about. 'My kind didn't exist a millennia ago,' Sam pointed out. 'Your host's forms may have changed but we have been watching your kind. And you yourself since our last encounter,' the woman insisted. 'We aren't hosts, we haven't stolen your technology and we've never met,' Sam assured her. 'You are not of the Goa'uld?' She seemed almost disappointed. 'No,' Sam stated.
'You are wrong on one account,' she continued. 'We have met. We did not realize at the time how long you were with us. It was intended to be weeks; it was not until we monitored your return to your people that we realized how many years your people had lived. For that we are sorry, more so as you are not who we were looking for.' 'You're the reason I missed out on five years of my life?' Sam fumed. 'We believed you were Goa'uld. We revived you with what the Goa'uld call a sarcophagus. This technology and most of what they started with was stolen from us when their numbers were few. It took us much time to find them and then we find that in fact we found you. Are your people of reason?' 'Huh?' Annie asked this time.
'Are you pure of heart?' She asked as if it was an obvious question. Sam disregarded it, telling her instead. 'The Goa'uld are dead, all of them. We killed them ourselves.' 'There will always be some,' she sighed. 'But they aren't a threat anymore. Are you the good guys then?' 'We do what we can and what we must. Stand,' she ordered. Sam and Annie climbed to their feet. She pointed a weapon at Annie. 'What are you doing?' Sam yelled.
'I either kill her or annihilate your world,' she replied calmly. 'Why?' Sam asked frantically.
'We wish to see if your kind places the life of their children above those of strangers.' 'She's not my child,' Sam insisted.
'We have been assured that this is your daughter.' The calm reply was becoming patronizing. 'Her daughter is sixteen and still on earth.' Annie reinforced Sam's statement. 'I'm not her daughter.'
'Dad?' Brie hugged Daniel. 'Are you ok?' 'I'm fine.' Daniel smiled weakly at her. 'I'm worried about Sam and Annie.' 'You're gonna love Annie,' Brie insisted. 'What makes you say that?' Daniel asked curiously. 'I heard her singing to Ben earlier,' Brie recounted. 'A song all about the Egyptian Gods. Ra, Apophis, Hathor, Nirti. It was pretty good. I couldn't hear it very well, sounded kind of like 'Hush little baby' though.' Daniel narrowed his eyes a little. 'Are you sure?' he asked, suddenly starting to put lots of little pieces together. 'Positive.' Brie smiled. 'They'll be back before you know it. Don't worry.' Brie hugged her father again before going off to find Alex.
'Dad?' Jaime hugged Jack as she entered his office. 'She'll be ok.' 'I know,' Jack sighed. 'It's just SG1's luck to go on a rescue mission only to end up needing to be rescued themselves.' 'I found this.' Jaime handed the bracelet to Jack. 'I think its Annie's.' 'I'll get it to her when she comes back,' Jack assured her. Jaime nodded. 'I should go and...check on Alex,' Jaime decided, realizing that her father wanted to be alone. She kissed him on the cheek. 'I'll see you later.'
When Jaime had left Jack looked at the bracelet, recognizing it immediately. 'I think its Annie's.' Jaime's words echoed in Jack head as it hit him. It did belong to Annie. Just not as they thought they knew her.
Jaime opened the door of her quarters. Instead of stepping into the dull gray room she found herself bathed in a red light and stepping into a room with her mother directly in front of her. 'Mom?' Jaime asked half curious and half relieved. 'What's going on?' 'I'm not really sure, honey,' Sam replied. 'I think I know,' Annie spoke up. 'They want to see if you're willing to sacrifice someone you love for the sake of the planet. I'm sorry; I should have pretended that I was who they thought. I didn't mean to get Jaime involved.' 'No one is going to be sacrificed,' Sam insisted. 'Not if I have anything to do with it.' 'Then you have made your choice.' The gold woman appeared again. 'You will save your daughters instead of your world.' 'No one has to die,' Sam insisted. 'If there's a reason for this then maybe we can help. Of not then what is the point.' 'We need to know that you won't turn on us if we release you,' she answered dismissively. 'If you can so easily lie to us about having only one daughter then we can not trust your word.' 'Wait a minute,' Annie exploded. 'You had this all planned before anybody even mentioned who was who's daughter. Why are you really doing this?' 'Are you willing to rejoin them in your rightful place?' she asked cryptically. 'And are you willing to accept her as the one she is?' she addressed Sam. 'Huh?' Jaime asked, her face screwed up in confusion. 'All will become clear,' the woman assured them. 'We will do no harm.'
'Jack? Jack?' Daniel called out breathlessly as he ran into the infirmary, having already looked everywhere else for him. 'Annie...isn't...who...we...thought.' 'I know, Daniel,' Jack replied somberly, holding out the bracelet. 'Isn't that your grandmothers?' Daniel asked. 'Didn't you give that to...?' 'Anna Sophia before she went missing,' Jack finished. 'Jaime found it in the briefing room.' 'And she knows the lullaby,' Daniel added. 'What lullaby?' Jack held out his hands in an exaggerated shrug. 'Hush little baby,' Daniel reminded him impatiently. 'The one she used to sing to Mel.' 'Oh my god,' Jack breathed. 'Annie is Annie.' 'Sheridan, Jack. As in Sophie.' Daniel couldn't keep his hands still. 'Jack?' Sam's voice suddenly appeared out of nowhere. 'I don't know how this works so I just hope you can hear me. These aliens are really weird. First they capture SG7 and then let them go with no explanation. Then us. They thought we were Goa'uld and got obsessive over technology then all of a sudden changed their minds. They wanted to blow up Earth then decided it would be more fun to just kill one of us and now they aren't going to hurt anyone they just want Annie to remember something. I don't really think they're dangerous, just...weird. We're going along with it and hopefully they'll let us go. They've got her strapped up to a memory recall device now and...' The transmission, wherever it was coming from, cut off. 'She doesn't know,' Jack reminded everyone. Janet spoke up for the first time. 'She will soon.'
* A small brunette climbed onto the blonde woman's lap with a magazine. From her new height the child could see the mirror that was the window they were being observed through. 'Mommy and Anna Sophia.' She said pointing at the glass. She paused for a moment. 'Who's in there Mommy?' 'I don't know,' the woman told her. 'What's that?' The little girl asked turning her attention to the magazine. 'It's a llama.' 'What's a llama?'*
Annie gasped as she came back to reality. 'Wow, that's intense,' she muttered.
Jaime and Sam were both staring at the holographic screen that was now blank. 'Holy...' Sam breathed, shaking her head. 'That wasn't my memory,' Annie insisted. 'I'd never met you before yesterday.' Annie's head dropped back as another memory surfaced.
*'Mommy?' Anna Sophia asked as Sam tucked her up in bed that evening. 'Do we eat llamas?' the thoughtfulness in the child's voice suggested that it was a question that had been on her mind all day. 'No, sweetie, of course not,' Sam reassured her. 'What about cats and dogs?'
'No.'
'But we do eat cows and pigs and chickens and sheeps.' 'Yes we do eat cows, pigs, chickens and sheep.' 'Do the cows and the pigs and the chickens and the sheeps mind?' Sam paused for a moment trying to decide how to answer. 'I think that as long as they are looked after before we eat them then they don't mind,' Sam replied at last. 'Are they all looked after?'
'Yes,' Sam fibbed.*
'How did we not see it?' Jaime drew a conclusion. 'Annie. That name has been engraved on a plaque on the bedroom door down the hall from mine for my entire life. No one gets transferred to the mountain; if they do they don't end up on an SG team for months, years even. Nobody gets assigned to SG1 on their first day. Unless you're the prodigy. That perfect, child genius that everybody knew should have been here to keep the program alive.' Jaime's voice was soft, as if she was talking to herself. 'Anna Sophia O'Neill, Annie Sheridan, whatever you're called you still have the genes. You're still the oldest and the smartest. How did we not see it?' 'Sophie Sheridan,' Sam added.
'How did you know that my Mum was called Sophie?' Annie asked suspiciously. 'I never put the pieces together. She gets sick, something happened in the car accident that changed who she was and she goes missing on the same day as the kidnap. Nobody ever even imagined that Sophie was involved.' Tears sprung into Sam's eyes. 'I thought you were both dead,' Sam whispered to Annie. 'All the time you were growing up and calling someone else Mommy.' The entire room was bathed in the red light again and all three of them found themselves in the infirmary. Everyone began talking at once, the din only dying down when everyone was without doubt that Annie Sheridan was in fact Anna Sophia O'Neill. Even Annie had accepted the fact by then. 'Why, why would I go with her?' Annie obsessed. 'I know that I knew her, but why would I go and why would I start calling her Mom. Why would I forget everything that I had here?' 'Annie,' Janet laid a hand on her shoulder. 'Calm down. It doesn't matter.' 'It matters to me,' Annie insisted. 'Isn't there a way that I can remember? Like they did earlier?' 'Are you sure?' Sam asked kindly. 'No one is going to force you to do this.' 'I want to,' Annie assured her. 'I want to remember what I had and find out why I forgot that I had it.' The memory recall device was set up, complete with holographic screen at Annie's own insistence. Sam, Jack, Janet, Daniel, Teal'c, Jaime, Alex, Cassie, Brie, Mel and Jacob all watched as the perfectly ordered memories came flooding back, telling a story that no one would have imagined.
*'Aunt Janet, I need to go to the toilet.' Anna Sophia said quietly. 'Do you want me to come?' Janet asked the child, unsure of if she would find it on her own. 'I can manage.' She smiled, leaving the table and walking through the marked door near the entrance. When Anna Sophia had finished she reached up and realized that she couldn't reach the taps. Anna Sophia felt a pair of hands lift her up from behind so that she could reach. 'Aunt Sophie,' she squealed, seeing the woman's reflection in the mirror. Sophie hugged the child, keeping her in her arms. 'Mommy asked me to come and get,' Sophie insisted. 'Your Aunt had to run off to work in a hurry so I'm going to look after you ok?' 'Yay!' Anna Sophia squealed again. Sophie carried her out of the ladies room and out of the door at the front of the ice cream parlor. Anna Sophia craned her neck trying to look aback at the table where they had been sitting but Sophie blocked her view. The two of them got into a rental car and began to drive in silence. Anna Sophia looked out of the window for the whole journey. 'Look, planes!' she exclaimed as they approached the airport. 'We're going on a plane,' Sophie told the excited child. 'On holiday?' She asked eagerly.
'Yep. We're going to go to England,' Sophie replied.
They got through the checks with minimal problems. The man who checked their passports smiled at Anna Sophia the whole time, glancing briefly at Sophie's passport before letting them through. 'No, no I don't want to go,' Anna Sophia sobbed when they reached the gate. 'Where's my Daddy? I want my Daddy.' Anna Sophia's hand scraped along the rough, metal edge of the railings. A long, deep bleeding cut appeared across the back of her left hand, causing the child to cry more. 'Aww, honey.' Sophie cradled the little girl trying to think of a way to take her mind off of it. 'Why don't we play a game?' Sophie suggested when the bleeding had slowed down. 'What?' Anna Sophia asked with a sniffle. 'While we're on holiday why don't we pretend that I'm your Mommy? We can do lots of mother/daughter things until we get back.' 'Won't mommy mind?' She asked concerned. 'No, not at all. She thinks it's a great idea,' Sophie lied. 'Ok.' Anna Sophia perked up a bit.
'Great.' Sophie smiled.*
The holographic screen shut off. 'Oh my God.' Annie opened her eyes. Everyone was still staring at the screen, many of them with tears in their eyes. 'I'm so sorry,' Annie apologized.
'It's not your fault.' Sam slipped an arm around Annie's shoulders. With her other hand she traced the path of the scar across the back of Annie's hand. Annie noticed the matching scar on the back of Sam's hand and gave her a questioning look. 'I don't know how I got it,' Sam answered the unasked question. 'It just appeared.' The statement prompted Annie to touch a scar on her eyebrow. 'I don't know how I got that,' she informed Sam of the reason why she had suddenly turned her attention to the scar. The screen sprung back to life displaying a memory from Annie's childhood.
* Annie suddenly took a sharp breath in and stumbled forwards. She fell to her hands and knees, crying out as a stinging pain shot through her hands. She knelt up, reached into the air and began miming pressing buttons. She paused momentarily before climbing to her feet and walking towards the center of the room. She stood still, breathing heavily. 'Jack?' She called out shakily. 'Jack, please come and help me.' She sobbed once before her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed sideways onto the floor. She didn't move. The class broke out into the obligatory applause, still Annie didn't move. Mr. Wadley walked over and helped her sit up. 'Are you ok?' He asked with concern. Annie looked down at her hands, which had some how come to be covered with sand. She touched her left eyebrow, her fingers coming away covered in blood. Annie was shaking and crying with no idea why.*
Sam put the pieces together. Explaining to everyone how the two of them had experienced each other's most traumatic moments. Janet picked up the explanation, adding that it was quiet common to a lesser extreme. Janet also added, despite no one enquiring, that Annie probably forgot about the first three years of her life because there was no visual stimulation once they reached England. Annie stood up and hugged Sam tightly. 'I'm glad I'm back,' she whispered sincerely. Hugs and heartfelt words were exchanged between them all. After Sam she hugged Jack. 'Missed you princess,' he muttered. Then Janet, who could do nothing but cry, Daniel was also speechless and tearful. Teal'c and Jacob tried to be calm but emotion got the better of them both. When Annie hugged Mel they both cried, remembering how inseparable they had been. For a moment they were ting children again, meeting for the first time and feeling a connection immediately. Alex noticed that Jaime was staring at the floor; he slipped his arm around his sister and pulled her into a hug. This was going to change things for all of them. They both knew that and it was a little overwhelming. Annie hugged her siblings, promising them both that everything would be fine. She'd always wanted brothers and sisters and the two of them had always wanted to know their big sister. Only Jack, Sam, Annie, Jaime and Alex were left in the room when Cassie's husband, Dominic ran in after Madison. Madison hid behind Jack's legs with a laugh. 'I'm sorry,' Dominic apologized. The little girl stuck her head out and Jack grabbed her, swinging her up into his arms and cradling her. 'I'm not a baby,' she squealed, freeing herself and running from the room again. Dominic took off after her again. The screen began showing another memory, no one having remembered to turn it off.
* Anna Sophia giggled and tried to wriggle out of Jack's grasp. 'I'm not a baby.' 'Rock a bye baby on the tree top,' Jack began. Anna Sophia stopped fidgeting and listened. 'When the wind blows the cradle will rock, when the bough breaks...' Sam elbowed Jack in the ribs. 'You know I hate that rhyme,' she told him. 'It's the only one I know,' Jack defended himself. 'Tell me the rest Daddy,' Anna Sophia said impatiently. 'I haven't heard that one.' 'I'll finish it when you get home,' Jack teased. 'Now move it.'*
Jack looked at Annie. Annie looked back, both of them silent for a while. 'You never did tell me the end,' Annie reminded him. Jack sat down beside her, taking one of her hands in his own. 'The cradle will fall,' he continued quietly. 'But daddy will catch you, cradle and all.' Those few simple words brought tears to Jack and Annie's eyes. 'I've never heard it end like that before,' she admitted. 'I prefer that one.' All five members of the O'Neill family moved closer together, hugging one another. They had overcome everything that life had thrown at them and finally they were all back where they belonged.
The End
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