Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1

It’s been two days since the funeral, and all Mark can think about is that talk with Jack out at the gazebo. He’s been nearly silent since that night. The way Jack knew exactly what he was thinking and feeling was just unreal, he didn’t even know he was thinking those things. He looks around the room, Sam is on the couch with Aubry, the little girl that was once so bubbly and full of life hasn’t even cracked a smile since her mom died. His dad, Jacob, is in the recliner reading a book, and Luke, the boy that could talk your ear off if you didn’t stop him, has been silent and staring off into space. His family, or what’s left of it, is falling apart around him, and for the past few weeks, he really hasn’t cared. Sam and their dad don’t even bother trying to talk to him anymore, his kids don’t try either.

Jack’s words ring loudly in his ears, “if you push everyone away, there won’t be anyone left to help you. It only gets darker and darker from here, and you don’t want to be all alone when you hit the bottom, believe me.”

What really got to him was when Jack said, “I had no one to turn to, I thought that’s how I wanted it, but I was wrong. I allowed that self-hatred to consume me, and I sunk deeper and deeper into that dark hole, and I had no idea how to get out. I tried to get out the only way I could think of, so I put a gun to my head.”

How could such a strong and confident man allow that to happen? Mark realizes that he absolutely does NOT want that to happen to him. “Can I have a moment alone with my children please?” He says out of the blue, startling all 4 of them.

Sam and Jacob look at each other with uncertainty. Mark notices his dad giving Sam a slight nod, then she says something to Aubry before getting up off the couch, Jacob following right behind her.

Mark gets up and sits down on the couch between his kids. He looks back and forth at both of them, then he opens his arms and both children lean into him. Mark feels overcome with emotions and cries, “I’m so sorry I haven’t been here for you. That will change starting now. I’ll do better, I promise.” And he kisses the tops of each of their heads.

“I love you, daddy,” Aubry says between sniffles.

Luke doesn’t say anything but wraps his arms around his father and squeezes as tight as he can.

They sit there for a while longer embracing each other before Mark says, “Now, I need to go talk to Auntie Sam and Grandpa, I’ll be back.”

_____________________________________________________________________

As Sam and Jacob enter the kitchen, Sam turns to her father and asks, “What do you think he’s doing out there?”

“I don’t know, I’m just glad he’s not yelling,” Jacob replies.

Sam huffs and says, “Yeah, though he’s been distant.”

“Speaking of, there seemed to be an entire universe between you and Jack, and that’s quite a feat being as you were in the same room,” Jacob says, looking at Sam pointedly.

“Dad,” Sam starts.

“Sam, what happened? I traveled here with Jack and of course he didn’t say much, but I got the distinct impression that there’s more to your guy’s breakup than just the fact that he was engaged to Onica a long time ago,” Jacob says.

Sam closes her eyes, this is the last thing she wants to talk about, let alone with her father. Breaking up with Jack was one of the hardest decisions she’s ever made, and she’d be lying if she said she hasn’t thought about calling him and talking things out. She just can’t get past the fact that he kissed another woman. Yeah the situation was bizarre but that’s not an excuse.

“I’d rather not get into that right now, dad,” she replies.

“Just answer me this, is there any way the two of you will work things out?” Jacob asks, looking Sam in the eye.

Sam returns his stare for a moment, then looks away and says, “I don’t know, dad, I don’t know.”

Jacob feels pity for his daughter, he knows how much she and Jack love each other. He wasn’t all that happy about the relationship at first, though he didn’t tell Sam that, but he really likes Jack. He really liked how happy Sam always seemed to be. The bright smile she always carried, the light that shined in her eyes, a light that hadn’t been there since her mother died.

Before Jacob can respond, Mark enters the kitchen. He and Sam both stand straighter and after a moment Jacob asks, concern evident in his voice “Is everything alright, son?”

“Yeah, I just wanted to apologize to both of you for my behavior. I shouldn’t have yelled at you so much, or at all really. I also really appreciate you both being here and helping the way you have,” he pauses to collect himself a moment, “I just promised the kids that I would do better and I want to make the same promise to the both of you, I’ll do better.”

“Mark,” Sam says with sympathy, as she and their father engulf him in a huge hug.

After the embrace, Jacob says, “We’re here for you, son, whatever you need.”

“Yeah, whatever you need,” Sam repeats.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

6 weeks later

Mark sits in his car after dropping his kids off at their new school, he cannot believe what all has happened in the last few weeks. He buried his wife, turned down his big job promotion, moved to Colorado, and found out about The Stargate Program. His head is still spinning after that one.

After he made the decision to move to Colorado to be closer to Sam, she got permission to give him limited information about it. She reasoned that seems as though Mark and his kids would be living with her for the time being, it would help if he knew at least a little about it. Plus, after everything that happened with Onica and Jack, they were both tired of keeping secrets. The biggest secret of all was finding out that his father has an alien living inside his head!

Mark thinks about Jack, the man who had literally changed his life and helped him to see that what happened was just a tragic accident. Mark will always feel guilty, he never should’ve left his wife to travel home alone, and he wishes he could have made things right with her. Made sure that she knew he loved her and was willing to put everything that had happened behind them.

He also thinks about the fact that Sam and Jack are no longer together. He can’t help but to think that it’s all his fault. Sam hasn’t said much about it, just that things were complicated. Mark has taken Jack up on his offer to talk and has called him a couple times. Jack didn’t say much about Sam either.

Mark thinks about the heart-shaped emerald necklace that was in his wife’s purse when the police returned her possessions. He had demanded that she give it back, she obviously hadn’t done that, and now he wonders what that means. He still has it, he’s not sure why though. He had gone to throw it away but couldn’t do it.

Mark has decided that there are some questions that need to be answered. He knows Sam will never talk, so he’s hoping that Jack will. Jack has shared a few more details of his past with Mark and, in a way, the two men have bonded. He’s hoping their bond is strong enough to withstand direct questions about what happened with Onica on her last night in Colorado. Mark doesn’t actually know if he really wants to know, but he feels like he needs to know.

Sam had told him that her team had the day off, she of course, went to the base anyways to check on some experiment she was working on. Mark, himself, doesn’t have work today either. He was fortunate enough that he was able to find a job pretty quickly after moving here. He’s not making as much money, but he has more free time to spend with his children.

Mark takes a deep breath and puts the car in drive and heads towards Jack’s house. He tries to stamp down the nerves that keep threatening to rise to the surface. He wonders what he’s more nervous about, Jack’s reaction to the questions that he’s going to ask, or the answers to those questions.

When Mark arrives at Jack’s house, he sees a new black Chevy Silverado sitting in the driveway. He feels bad about Onica wrecking his other one, but glad he was able to get Pete to pull some strings and get Jack’s license reinstated.

Before he can talk himself out of this, Mark gets out of the car, walks up to the door, and knocks.

After a brief moment, Jack answers the door, “Mark, hey, I wasn’t expecting you. What’s up?”

“Yeah, I know, I should have called first,” Mark replies with a slight smile.

“That’s alright, uh, what brings you by?” Jack asks.

Mark looks down, then back up, and says, “I was hoping we could talk for a little bit.”

“Yeah, sure.” Jack replies, nodding his head.

After they stare at each other for a moment Mark asks, “Are you going to let me in?”

“Yes, of course. Come on in.” Jack answers and steps back from the door to allow Mark entry, then adds, “Make yourself at home, can I get you a drink?”

“No thanks, I’m fine,’’ Mark replies.

“Well, have a seat,” Jack says, gesturing to the living room. After they both take a seat Jack asks, “So, how’s the new job treating you?”

“It’s going alright, not as much money as I’d like, but it’s something.” Mark answers.

“How are the kids?” Jack asks next.

“They’re doing as well as can be expected,” Mark replies.

“That’s good.” Jack says with a small smile, then asks, “And you? How are you doing?”

Mark did call Jack a couple times when he was feeling particularly lost. It helped to talk to someone who truly understood. Though he could have just spoken to his father, for some reason, speaking to Jack was easier. Maybe because they weren’t overly familiar with each other.

Mark sighs heavily and says, “My whole life got turned upside down, and I still feel so much guilt.”

Jack nods, “Unfortunately the guilt never goes away.”

Mark nods and says, “I’m finding that out.”

Jack looks at him for a moment then asks, “So, what did you really come over here to talk about?”

This is it Mark thinks, it’s now or never. “I wanted to ask you a question,” he pauses to think about exactly what he wants to say, “I want to know exactly what happened between you and Onica.”

Jack stiffens at the request, he really doesn’t want to talk about her but he’s not all that surprised that Mark is asking.

“What is it you want to know?” Jack asks.

“The night she spent here,” he waves his hands back and forth to stall Jack’s comment, “I’m not making accusations, I just know something happened. Forgive me for being blount, but Sam never would have broken up with you just because I told her to. I’m just wondering exactly how far things went,” Mark says, looking directly at Jack.

Jack considers Mark for a moment. He thinks about telling him that nothing happened, technically, that is true, nothing did happen that night. He also thinks about what finding out about the airport kiss could do to Mark. He’s finally in a better place and Jack doesn’t want to do or say anything that could undermine that.

Finally deciding that Mark deserves the truth, he says, “Things went further than they should have, but not that night,” he pauses briefly then finishes, “She kissed me at the airport and I kissed her back. That’s why Sam broke up with me. I never intended for that to happen, Mark, and it meant nothing. I’m sorry.”

Mark nods, “Well, now I understand why Sam is acting the way she is,” then as an afterthought, “Though, I’ll admit, I’m a little surprised by her reaction. She’s never acted like this with any other guy. She must really love you.”

Jack looks at Mark dumbfounded, “You’re not mad?”

“Surprisingly, no. I probably should be but I’m not. Besides, if you really think about it, I’m to blame.” Mark replies thoughtfully.

“Wait, what? How are you to blame?” Jack asks, confused.

Mark smiles a little and says, “If I hadn’t been acting like such a jerk, I never would have left. The opportunity wouldn’t have presented itself.”

“Mark, you’re not responsible for my actions, or Onica’s,” Jack replies, and he thinks about how strange it is to call her that.

“I overreacted to all of it. I see that now. The situation was awkward enough without me manufacturing more drama by my reactions,” he says, nodding his head.

“I think we all overreacted a bit,” Jack says by way of reply.

“I guess that’s what happens when you find out your wife has been keeping such a huge secret. Some of my friends back in San Diego didn’t understand that, they actually called my life a soap opera,” he laughs bitterly, “I guess they just didn’t understand that a person doesn’t know how they’ll react to something like this until they’re put in that situation.”

Jack nods in agreement, “That’s true. So how about we do better from here on out?”

“Sounds good to me. I’ve got two kids and I need to be better for them. I need a more positive outlook period,” Mark says, then adds, “Now if only Sam will come around.”

“She just needs time,” Jack says with false confidence.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

1 week later

Sam is irritated. She’s watching the Colonel and Daniel engage in one of their back and forth banters as they get ready for their mission, and she’s not being included. She knows she told the Colonel not to speak to her, but she honestly didn’t think he’d actually not speak to her. She sighs inwardly because she knows she only has herself to blame.

She thinks back to the day they broke up. She believes she had reason to be upset, but she also thinks that she may have overreacted just a little. After all, Jack didn’t have to tell her about the kiss he shared with Onica, but he did, he was honest. Even Mark has told her that it would be alright with him if she wanted to get back together with Jack.

Sam thinks about her brother now. She thinks about how much he’s changed since his wife died. Right after the accident, Mark became really insufferable to be around, but then something changed. The night of the funeral, she saw Jack outside talking to Mark. She has no idea what got said, Mark has never told her, but after that night, he changed. Changed for the better. She should be thanking the Colonel.

She knows she’s just being stubborn and she should talk to him, if he’s willing that is. She makes the decision right then and there that after this mission she will talk to Jack in the hopes of starting over.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was just a routine exploratory mission, how could things have gone so wrong? They met what appeared to be a primitive culture, everyone seemed nice. Sam now realizes that that should have been a warning.

They were standing around the DHD as Daniel was dialing when Sam heard two shots in quick succession. Almost simultaneously, she heard the Colonel grunt and fall to the ground. More shots rang out as they all dove for cover, but the Colonel lay still where he fell. Sam was trying to see if he was breathing but there was too much commotion and dust in the air, and he had fallen just out of her reach.

Everything happened so fast after that. Teal’c was firing staff blast after staff blast and she, herself, was firing rapidly trying to give Daniel enough cover to finish dialing the gate.

She glances over to where the Colonel lay, he is wearing protective gear that should stop most projecties, but she would have thought that he would have moved by now. The fact that he hasn’t has her worried. She can’t quite tell through the dust, but she thinks she might see blood starting to saturate the ground around the Colonel. This worries her even more.

Daniel finally gets the gate open and Sam quickly refocuses her attention and starts shouting out orders. She then radios the SGC calling for a medical team to be standing by. She and Teal’c let off a few more rounds until finally there’s a lull in the fire fight. Sam quickly orders Teal’c to get the Colonel through the gate while she and Daniel cover them. She hears the event horizon fluctuate as Teal’c enters, more projectiles come flying their way as she and Daniel jump through.

Once she’s standing on the ramp at the SGC, Sam orders the iris closed. At the sound of Janet Fraiser’s voice, Sam turns around and sees the room in chaos. Airmen are quickly trying to get out of the way, as are Daniel and Teal’c. The medical staff are all moving at the speed of light at the Dr’s orders. General Hammond is in the middle of it, ordering all unnecessary personnel out of the room, all while trying to stay out of the way himself.

Sam moves closer, she needs to see him. She finds herself frozen when she finally gets a glimpse through the nurses. A tube has been inserted down the Colonel’s throat, and a nurse is rhythmically squeezing the bag attached to the other end in order to force air into the Colonel’s lungs. His tack vest and t-shirt have been cut open, while Janet tries to slow the bleeding. The blood, there’s so much blood.

Another medical technician has attached an IV and a portable heart monitor to the Colonel. Sam watches in morbid fascination, until suddenly she hears a series of beeps and sees the medical team move more frantically. Somewhere in the chaos, Sam hears Janet call for the portable defibrillator. The Dr. places the pads on the Colonel’s chest and the next thing Sam knows, his whole body spasms. Once, twice, three times until Janet declares there to be a pulse.

Sam next hears Janet order the Colonel to be placed on the waiting gurney. She then watches as the medical team rushes out of the room, but they aren’t moving away. She doesn’t even remember squeezing herself into the corner of the elevator, and she barely remembers hearing the General ask her how this had happened.

As the doors of the elevator open on level 21 the Colonel begins to convulse. A moment later Sam hears a steady, non stop beep emanating from the heart monitor. Despite the voices and the shuffling around, that beep drowns out everything and is deafening. The next thing she knows, Janet is straddling the Colonel’s waist performing chest compressions as her team rushes the gurney down the hallway.

Sam enters the infirmary a couple seconds behind the medical entourage, only to be stopped by a nurse. Janet no doubt ordered the nurse not to let her pass as she rolled the Colonel into the surgical bay. How Janet can be covered in blood doing chest compressions, giving instructions to her team, and find an opportunity to have someone stop Sam, she will never know.

Sam thinks she could go up to the viewing lounge but, as quickly as that thought enters her mind, that same nurse tells her to take a seat on one of the other beds for her post op check up. A moment later Daniel and Teal’c enter the infirmary too, and again, that same nurse orders them to do the same.

Sam barely registers that Daniel and Teal’c take a seat on a bed near her. Neither of them says anything, there’s nothing to say. All they can do now is wait and hope.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

Sam, Daniel, and Teal’c are all sitting silently in the hallway outside the infirmary, waiting for news on their commander and friend. General Hammond has been down a few times to check on his status. They were able to give the General a brief synopsis of what occurred on the planet, but were grateful when he said a full debrief could wait until they know more about Jack.

It seems as though Janet has been in that room working on Jack forever. No one says anything, no one needs to.

That means he’s still alive, Sam reasons to herself. As long as Janet is in there working, he’s still alive and there’s hope.

Sam straightens up when she sees General Hammond appear around the corner, no doubt coming to check in again.

“Any word?” The General asks.

“None,” Teal’c says in his calm soothing voice.

“They’ve been in there for a long time,” Daniel adds quietly.

Before anyone can say anything more, Janet Fraiser comes through the doors. The three team members all stand automatically, while General Hammond takes a few steps closer and asks, “Dr.?”

“He’s alive,” Janet says, giving them the most important information first.

“Thank goodness,” Daniel says, breathing a sigh of relief.

Janet looks at them seriously and adds, “He’s not out of the woods yet. There was a lot of internal damage and substantial blood loss. There were two entry wounds, one in his chest, the other in his abdomen. The one in his abdomen thankfully didn’t hit anything major, just caused a lot of bleeding. The one in his chest, however, punctured his left lung. By the time we got to him, he’d already lost a lot of blood and wasn't breathing and had no pulse. I have no way of knowing how long he was like that. Right now, he’s on life support and that’s keeping him alive, and will hopefully give his body time to heal.”

“Is... is he going to be alright?” Sam asks, finally finding her voice.

Janet looks at Sam with sympathy, she knows that things between the two of them haven’t been the best, but she also knows that Sam still cares about him deeply.

“I can’t answer that question, all I can say is that he’s stable for now,” Janet says kindly, then adds, “He coded a number of times, and each time it was harder to get him back. All we can really do is hope for the best.”

“I’ll reach out to our allies, maybe the Tok’ra could come with a healing device,” Hammond says, then adds sarcastically, “If they respond that is. Keep me posted Dr.,” Hammond orders as he turns to head back to the control room.

“Can we see him?” Daniel asks.

“Only for a moment,” Janet responds as they follow her into the Colonel’s room.

When they enter the room, Sam is shocked by what she sees. She’s not sure why she’s so shocked, she’s seen people after a major injury like this before. Sam reasons that it’s because this isn’t just some person, this is Jack, her Jack.

She sees him lying still on the bed, too still. There’s all kinds of tubes and machines connected to him, sustaining his life. Sam hears Daniel and Teal’c say something but she’s not sure what, she can’t hear anything over the beeps of the machines.

After a few minutes, “General Hammond wants you all for the debrief now. Besides, Jack needs to heal and the medical staff needs space to work,” Janet says in a tone that brokers no argument.

There wasn’t much to say in the debrief other than what they had already said. They went through the gate, met locals that seemed friendly, and then they were attacked by the same locals at the stargate. They have no idea why, or where the weapons came from as they hadn’t seen anything on the planet to give them the impression they had advanced weapons.

“Seems how they have advanced weaponry, they might have communication equipment,” Daniel says.

“We could send a probe,” Teal’c suggests.

“Do it,” General Hammond orders.

“Have the Tok’ra responded sir?” Sam asks.

“No, not yet, we’ll keep trying though,” Hammond reassures them all.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Sam races down to the infirmary after receiving word that Colonel O’Neill’s condition has deteriorated. Daniel, Teal’c and General Hammond are already there.

“What happened?” Sam asks as soon as she enters the room.

“I don’t know. I was just sitting with him when the machines went haywire,” Daniel says, clearly worried.

“O’Neill is strong, he will prevail,” Teal’c says with confidence.

After what feels like forever, Janet emerges from the Colonel’s room and says, “He’s stable, for now. I’m not sure how long he’ll stay that way though.”

“Dr., what happened?” Hammond asks.

“He’s developed some sort of an infection that seems to be causing his internal organs to fail. I’ve got him on antibiotics attempting to slow the deterioration and it seems to be helping, but it won’t for long. This infection is spreading at an alarming rate, I’ve never seen anything like it.” Janet answers, clearly winded from working so hard.

“What could have caused this?” Hammond intones.

“My guess is that it has something to do with the alien bullets. I have a team examining them right now but I’m afraid that at the rate of deterioration, Colonel O’Neill will need another surgery,” Janet responds, then matter-of -factly states, “and I don’t think he would survive it.”

“I’ll send another message to the Tok’ra, I’ll message them every 5 minutes if I have to. After everything we’ve done for them, they owe us,” Hammonds says as he turns on his heel and walks out.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Janet was right. The infection was caused by the alien bullet. They found a compound in it that they can only guess was designed to do just this. Even a flesh wound could be deadly. A very effective and barbaric weapon.

Within 6 hours of the onset of the infection, Colonel O’Neill was suffering complete organ failure. Janet and her team were working as fast as they could to try and stop the infection, but to no avail.

Sam has been working with Janet, trying to combine medicine with science, to find a cure. That too has led to failure. They are yet to hear back from the Tok’ra or the Asgard, their most powerful allies, the ones that might actually be able to save the Colonel.

Sam is now sitting with the Colonel, he looks so pale, so close to death. They tried everything they could think of to find a cure, if they had more time they might succeed. Time, though, is something they do not have.

The antibiotics have slowed the infection but haven't stopped it. Janet said that she would keep working to find a cure but that they should prepare themselves. Daniel and Teal’c spent some time with Jack and now it’s Sam’s turn and she finds that she has no idea what to say.

She stares at him, he looks so pale laying there in his hospital bed. She opens her mouth to say something just as her phone vibrates in her pocket. She pulls it out irritated, knowing that it’s Mark again. He’s been calling her for hours now.

Before she can give her brother anymore thought, all the machines in the room start sounding off. Next thing Sam knows Janet and the rest of the medical team are running over and Janet starts giving orders.

Sam suddenly feels like she did when they were on the planet and she saw the Colonel get shot. Things start happening fast but yet seem to slow down at the same time. A nurse administers another injection, the Colonel’s body starts to convulse, Janet yells for the crash cart as the heart monitor displays a steady line.

Sam stands there, unable to move, yet unable to look away. The Colonel jerks with every shock but the line never changes. Sam loses count of how many times the eclectic current pulses through the Colonel’s body. She feels her own heart stop when the paddles are hovering over his chest and Janet looks over at her with an expression that she can’t quiet place.

The room is eerily silent as the nurses turn off all the machines. Janet makes a note on the Colonel’s chart and Sam feels numb. Jack O’Neill is dead.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

The next few days were a whirlwind of events. Sam can hardly believe everything that’s happened, and that’s saying a lot considering what all she’s seen since working at the SGC.

So explaining to Mark how Jack is back from the dead is proving to be a challenge.

“You mean he was near death?” Mark asks for the umteenth time from his spot on the couch in the house he’s sharing with his sister.

“No, Mark, I mean he was dead dead,” Sam explains. She can’t really blame Mark for not understanding, if she’s being honest, it’s a little over her head too.

“I’ll try and explain this as simply as possible,” Sam starts, trying to find just the right words, then continues, “Jack was dead, however brain function doesn’t stop immediately. Dad came, intending to use an alien healing device, but was too late. Selmak, the alien that I told you about, the one that lives in dad’s head, acted quickly and left dad and went into Jack. Somehow or another he was able to stimulate the residual brain activity and reactivate Jack’s body. Don’t ask me exactly how, I’m not sure I quite understand. So, Jack is alive and Selmak is continuing to heal and strengthen him.”

Mark stares at her blankly, if he didn’t know any better he would think this story to be complete fiction. Learning of the existence of the Stargate was a shock, but learning that his own father has an alien in his head was the icing on top. And now, apparently, that same alien is living in Jack’s head.

“Mark?” Sam asks.

“I’m alright,” he says, waving off her concern.

“I know this is a lot. I was there when Jack got shot, I saw him die. It’s a lot for me to take in too,” she says, holding back tears as images assault her mind,

“Are they going to be alright? Dad and Jack I mean?” Mark asks.

“Yes, dad is a little lost right now, he wasn’t prepared to lose Selmak. Jack is still unconscious so Selmak has been in control and keeping us updated,” she explains.

“Is Selmak going to stay in Jack or just what?” Mark asks, trying to comprehend all of this.

“No, as soon as Jack is strong enough Selmak is planning to go back with dad,” she answers.

Mark nods his head, he randomly thinks that he’s glad he doesn't have to try to explain all of this to his kids. His limited clearance didn’t extend to them.

He takes a deep breath and asks, “What about you, are you alright?”

“Me? I’m fine,” Sam replies, sounding confused.

“I can’t imagine this is easy for you. After all, you just said you were there.”

“Yeah I was there but I wasn’t injured,” she says.

“Maybe not, but you saw the man you love die and then come back to life, that has to affect you,” Mark says bluntly.

“Mark,” Sam starts.

“Sam it’s time to talk to him and work things out,” Mark tells her.

Sam looks away for a moment and sighs, “It’s not that simple, Mark.”

She really thought he had let this drop. He hasn’t said anything about it in weeks. Besides, she had already decided she wanted to talk to Jack all on her own, she certainly doesn’t need her brother telling her to do so. She feels herself getting angry, Mark telling her to go talk to Jack makes her not want to anymore, just to spite him. That’s irrational she thinks, and not fair to anyone. She really needs to get a hold of herself.

Before she can think more about it, Mark starts talking again, “It is that simple, you love him, he loves you, and you’re both miserable without each other.”

Sam starts pacing back and forth in her living room and sighs, “There’s a little more to it than that.”

“Oh, you mean the fact that he kissed my wife at the airport?” Mark asks like it’s no big deal.

Sam stops in her tracks, her eyes go wide as she says, “You know about that?”

“Yeah, I know about that,”

“How?” Sam asks, dumbfounded.

“Jack told me a couple of weeks ago,” Mark replies.

Sam cannot believe what she’s hearing. When had her brother spoken to Jack? Why would Jack tell him something like that?

Sam shakes her head and asks, “And you’re not angry?”

Mark stands and walks over in front of her and replies, “Well, I can’t say that I was thrilled, but no, I’m not angry.”

“How are you not angry?” Sam asks, clearly confused.

“Why should I be?” Mark asks, turning his palms upward.

“Why should you be? I can’t believe I’m hearing this.” Sam says, feeling irritated.

Sam is beside herself, she just can’t understand how her brother isn’t angry. When she found out, she was mad, or perhaps more hurt than mad. She just couldn’t comprehend Jack doing something like that. In fact, he was the last person in the world she thought would ever do something like that.

Mark shakes his head and sighs, “Because, it was my fault, or at least partly.”

“What? How in the world do you figure that?” Sam shouts. She wonders if maybe her brother is having a stroke or hit his head on something. She can’t come up with another explanation as to why he would say that Jack and Onica’s kiss was his fault.

“Think about it Sam, when Onica told me the truth, what did I do?” He pauses, then without waiting for an answer, he says, “I left. I left Sam.”

“That doesn’t make it right,” Sam says.

“Maybe not, but you also can’t ignore the fact that if I hadn’t left, that kiss never would have happened,” Mark explains.

“I can’t believe you’re defending them. What they did was wrong, Mark,” Sam says.

Mark shakes his head and says, “Stop acting like you’re innocent in all of this Sam, you’re just as guilty as the rest of us.”

Sam is really angry now as she says, “Excuse me?”

Mark takes a breath, this is not how he was hoping to have this conversation. He feels like he’s going about it all wrong. Probably from years of arguing with his sister.

“Look, Sam, let’s just calm down and start over,” he says, then adds, “What I meant is that we have to acknowledge the role we played in all of this.”

“What are you talking about?” Sam huffs.

Mark sighs and says, “You are the stupidest smart person I know. You and I are more alike than you think. I already told you that when I found out the truth, my reaction was to leave. What did you do?” Without waiting for a reply he says, “You left too, Sam. I’m not saying that that makes it alright for what they did, but if you and I had been there, it never would have happened.”

Sam stands there silently. Mark is right, they both left, she even refused to speak to Jack. Now she’s wondering why. It wasn’t his fault that his ex fiancée showed up. Why did she blame him for all of it?

“If I’ve learned anything, it’s that we can’t waste time on worrying about things that just don’t matter,” Mark says, unaware of his sister’s inner thoughts.

“How can you say that this doesn’t matter?” Sam asks, she’s beyond angry now.

Mark takes a breath and reasons, “I think we got a little off track here. We’re focusing on the kiss and that’s not what’s really important,” he holds up his finger to stall any comment his sister was about to make.

Mark collects himself before saying, “We should be focusing on the fact that, from what I understand, Jack died Sam. He died and was only saved because of some miraculous alien ability. My point is that you get the chance to argue with him about kissing my wife. I don’t get that chance,” he says, then adds in a broken voice, “I would give anything to have this argument with Onica.”

Mark’s words hit Sam like a ton of bricks and she feels about a centimeter tall. He’s right, about all of it. She didn’t wait to let Jack explain, she left. She is partly to blame for this whole mess.

“Mark, I,” she starts.

“I have to live with the fact that my wife died and I never got to make things right with her. There wasn’t an alien around to save her,” he pauses, then continues, “I’m not bitter, what I’m trying to say is that, don’t make my same mistake Sam. Stop being stupid and get out of your own way and go make things right with Jack. You might not get another chance.”

Sam stands there in shock as Mark walks out of the room. He’s right, she’s been a complete idiot, only thinking of herself. She loves Jack and has been miserable since they broke up. If it hadn’t been for her dad and Selmak coming when they did, Jack would have died and she would have lost her chance to tell him how she feels. She makes a resolve to talk to Jack as soon as he’s himself again, she can’t waste anymore time.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6

Jack blinks as he slowly comes back into the waking world. His mind is foggy and he has no idea where he is or why he’s there. The room is bright, too bright, so he covers his eyes with his hands only to see wires attached to his arms. He feels panic start to rise as different scenarios filter through his mind.

“Stay calm Colonel O’Neill,” a voice says.

“Where am I?” Jack demands.

“You are in the infirmary at the SGC,” the voice tells him.

“Then why are there wires coming out of me?” Jack all but screams.

“Please, Colonel, remain calm,”

“Don’t tell me to be calm, I want answers!”

“I will be happy to give you answers if you remain calm,” the voice soothes.

“Fine,” Jack says, feeling anything but calm. He’s down right angry, this person that he’s talking to says that he’s at the SGC but yet he doesn’t see anyone. Surely ole Doc. Frasier is around here somewhere. Besides that, he doesn’t remember coming back to the SGC at all. The last thing he remembers is being on planet P3X whatever it was.

“You can start by telling me where everyone is,” Jack says, attempting to sound calmer.

“Everyone is here, I am sure Doctor Fraiser will be along shortly,” the voice answers.

As if on cue, Dr. Janet Frasier comes over and stands at the side of the bed. She looks down at a clipboard for a moment and then turns her full attention to Jack.

“Colonel, it’s good to see you awake, how are you feeling?” She asks.

“I feel fine. What’s going on?” Jack asks.

By this time, Sam, Daniel, Teal’c, Jacob, and General Hammond have all gathered around the hospital bed. Concern is etched on each of their faces. Jack is worried, he’s not sure why he’s even in the infirmary but the fact that he said he feels fine should be a relief to his friends.

“Colonel? Can you hear me?” Janet asks.

“Yes, yes I hear you. What’s going on?”

“Why isn’t he saying anything?” Hammond asks, looking directly at Dr. Frasier.

Jack is thoroughly confused now. He wonders how they didn’t hear him. Then he wonders about that person he was talking to when he first woke up. Where is he anyways?

“Colonel, you must open your mouth if you wish to speak,” the voice says.

“I am speaking, why can’t anyone but you hear me?” Jack asks, then after a moment, “And just who are you anyways?”

“All of your questions will be answered, but first you must speak aloud,” the voice soothes.

“Speak aloud? What does that mean?” Jack says, more confused than ever.

He closes his eyes, trying to get his bearings. He reaches his hands up to his face again and is startled to feel that his mouth is closed. Maybe he didn’t speak out loud like he thought he had.

Jack makes a conscious effort to open his mouth and asks in a rough voice, “Can you hear me now?”

Janet smiles and Jack feels, rather than sees, the relief from his friends.
“Yes, Colonel, we can hear you. How are you feeling?” Janet asks, clearly relieved.

“Confused,” is all Jack says.

“That’s to be expected, we’re just glad to have you back,” Janet replies.

Jack looks around and sees everyone smiling, even Teal’c, who rarely smiles. Jack continues his perusal of his friends and lands on Sam. She’s actually looking at him like she’s happy to see him. He should look away before things become awkward but he just can’t stop looking at her. His heart skips a beat, she’s so beautiful. She’s his favorite thing in the whole world, even if he isn’t her’s.

He hears someone clear their throat and he looks away from Sam. Then a sudden thought ripples through him and he asks, “Hey, who was that person that was talking to me when I first woke up?”

“What do you mean?” Janet asks.

“No one’s been in here but us,” Daniel adds.

“Someone was talking to me...or I thought so,” Jack says quietly. Maybe he imagined the whole thing. It had seemed so real though.

“That may have been Selmak,” Jacob says, looking directly at Jack. Where did he come from? Jack hadn’t seen him.

Jack squints his eyes and says, “No, I don’t think so, the voice was different, almost like a faint whisper, besides, I didn’t see you Jacob.”

Everyone shares a look and Jack starts to wonder what’s going on. He’s not sure what, but they are definitely keeping something from him.

“Jacob, maybe you should explain this,” Hammond suggests.

“Explain what?” Jack says, trying to sit up. Teal’c reaches out and helps him into a full sitting position with his feet hanging off the bed, he starts swinging them in a gentle rhythmic motion.

Jacob makes his way over and stands directly in front of Jack and says, “I’m not sure how best to say this so I’ll just say it. When I got here, you were dead, Selmak thought he could still save you so he left me and went into you.”

Jack’s legs stop their swing and he stares at Jacob. He’s pretty sure he heard wrong.

“Jack?” Daniel asks.

Jack looks over at Daniel and sees concern on his friend’s face again, he sees concern on all their faces. He locks eyes with Sam again and he sees the truth of Jacob’s words reflected on her face.

Jack next turns his attention to the floor, then in a very calm tone asks, “Are you telling that Selmak is in my head?”

“Yes,” Jacob answers.

In a blaze of movement, Jack jumps up and grabs the nearest thing that looks like a knife with one hand and tries to cut the back of his neck. Simultaneously, he coughs and tries to make himself vomit while screaming, “Get it out!”

Just as Teal’c grabs his friend to try and calm him, Jack’s whole demeanor changes. Jack looks up and his eyes flash and a deep baritone voice sounds, “I apologize, Colonel O’Neill is taking the news of my presence as we expected. Though I must say his metaphors are a bit more, descriptive than yours Jacob.”

“Is he alright though?” Janet asks, ever the physician, always thinking of her patient.

“Yes, though he is not fully recovered as of yet, but as you’ve seen he is well on his way,” Selmak explains.

Hammond steps forward and asks, “Not that we aren’t grateful for what you’ve done Selmak, but when will Colonel O’Neill be able to,” he pauses for a moment, searching for the right phrase, “be on his own?”

“I believe another day or two and he will be sufficiently strong,” Selmak declares, then adds, “He is already weakening, he must rest now.”

“Alright, you heard him, everyone out, you can visit again tomorrow,” Janet says and ushers everyone out.

Jack feels himself speaking but it’s not him doing the talking. It’s the strangest sensation. He’s not sure how Jacob can deal with this on a daily basis.

He thinks back to what Jacob said, “When I got here, you were dead, Selmak thought he could still save you so he left me and went into you.” What did he mean dead? He doesn’t remember dying. He thinks back, the last thing he remembers is walking to the stargate on that planet with the primitive culture. They had a great time, everyone was really nice, in fact it was one of the best missions they have been on in a while. He had planned to put exactly that in his mission report. He suddenly doesn’t remember writing a mission report. Come to think of it, he doesn’t even remember walking through the gate back to earth.

He thinks about Jacob’s words again, had he actually died on that planet?

“Yes, Colonel O’Neill, according to human standards you were dead,” the voice he now knows to be Selmak says.

“What?”

“Forgive the intuition into your subconscious thoughts, however, I am hopeful that having answers to your questions will make my presence more bearable to you,”

Jack listens as Selmak explains the entire story. Unfortunately, Selmak’s knowledge of exactly what transpired on the planet is a bit sketchy as he only got part of the story while being rushed to the infirmary in hopes of saving Jack.

After hearing what happened, Jack is speechless. How could things have gone so wrong after having such a good time on that planet? He wishes he could remember the name of the planet, after all, he got fatally wounded there, he should know the name of the stupid place where it happened.

He feels his mind getting tired and knows he needs to sleep, but there is one more thing he needs to say, “Look, Selmak, I’m sorry for how I reacted. You saved my life and I tried to cut you out of me.”

“No apology is necessary Colonel. It is in fact I who should apologize, I violated one of the Tok’ra’s most sacred laws of never invading an unwilling host. However, there was little time and I could feel Jacob’s great sadness of losing a close friend and his desire to save you and so I acted,” Selmak explains.

“You did an amazing thing, I’m grateful,” Jack responds as his mind drifts off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7

Jack feels like a free man. It’s been nearly two days since he officially woke up (though apparently he spent a good couple of weeks unconscious) and Janet has finally allowed him to leave the infirmary as long as he stays on base. So here he stands in his base quarters, it’s not home but it’s also not the infirmary. He is feeling much better and stronger, though Selmak has suggested that, to be safe, the two should stay blended for one more day.

Jack has to admit that Selmak has been a nice houseguest. He stays quiet and doesn't try to take over, in fact if it weren’t for the increased energy, Jack wouldn’t even know Selmak is there.

He’s talked to Daniel and Teal’c and read mission reports, he even read Janet’s medical report. He died, he actually died. This should come as no surprise to him as he’s died before, but for some reason, this feels different.

He thinks back to the mission and can’t figure out why the inhabitants would open fire on them, or where they got the weapons from for that matter. The people were peaceful and friendly. Normally his instincts are pretty good, he wonders if he’s losing his touch. Those people were clearly dangerous and he missed all the signs. His whole team could have been killed.

“It was not your fault Colonel O’Neill,” Selmak says.

“Yes, it was my fault,” Jack says internally. It kind of scares him how easily he can go from speaking aloud to speaking mentally with Selmak.

“There was no way you could have known.”

“I’m the leader of the team, it’s my job to know,” Jack counters.

“I know the people you speak of, they are called the Kleindols,” Selmak says quietly.

“You’ve encountered them before?” Jack asks.

“Yes, many years ago and like you, I was taken in by their kindness and generosity. They had a feast in honor of our visit, the evening was very pleasant. They appeared to be a source of willing hosts for the Tok’ra,” Selmak explains.

“What happened?”

“We left the next morning to share the news of our potential ally with the rest of the Tok’ra. However, as we reached the Stargate, we were attacked much like you and your team. It was the same villagers from the night before. Three Tok’ra were killed,” Selmak says, then adds sadly, “Including my mate.”

“Oh geez, Selmak, I’m sorry,” Jack says. A moment later images flood his mind as Selmak’s memories from that fateful day come crashing to the fore. Jack feels a deep intense grief as he sees his friends, his brothers fall to the ground. The grief intensifies as he sees a beautiful redheaded woman with curly locks fall into a pool of blood. Tym’ar is her name, he watches as her eyes flash and then go dim, her body unmoving. He wants to rush to her side, to get her through the Stargate and into safety, but he knows it’s already too late, Tym’ar is dead.

The images stop and Jack has to grab the side of the bed to keep from falling over. He feels as though he’s been sucker punched in the stomach a million times. He clutches his chest as he tries to catch his breath. Tears fall freely as the intensity of the moment is just too much to handle.

“Why, why did you show me that?” Jack chokes out.

“I am sorry Colonel, I did not intend to reveal all of that to you. I only meant to convey my understanding of what happened and why I went to such drastic measures to prevent your death. I, however, got swept up in the moment, as Jacob would say,” Selmak says.

“Tym’ar, you loved her, a lot,” Jack states.

Selmak is silent for a moment then answers, “Yes, my host was so saddened by Tym’ar’s death, and that of her host, that he could no longer go on. It was as if I had lost two mates. That is when I blended with Saroosh. She helped me to regain a little of what I had lost.”

“I didn’t know any of that,” Jack says. He has never been a big fan of the Tok’ra, but he has always liked Selmak. For a long time he thought that it was only because he had blended with Jacob, and he liked Jacob. Now, however, he has a newfound respect for Selmak and all that he’s been through. He never realized all the pain Selmak has endured during his unnaturally long life.

“I did not want Samantha to endure the same pain I felt when I lost Tym’ar.”

“Thank you,” Jack replies.

“Jack?” A voice from behind him says.

Jack jumps as he turns around, startled to see Mark Carter standing a few feet away. He self-consciously turns away and wipes away the tears before facing Mark once more. He was so caught up in the emotions Selmak had shared that he hadn’t heard anyone enter the room. Jack closes his eyes and wills his heartbeat to slow down to a normal pace.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Mark says, then adds awkwardly, “I knocked and when you didn’t answer, Dr. Jackson, who was escorting me, said I should just go in.”

“No, it’s alright,” Jack says, then after a moment asks, “I did say that out loud right?”

Mark looks at him a little amused and a little confused and feels relieved at the lighthearted question, and replies, “Yes.”

Jack nods his head, sometimes he gets so confused as to whether or not he’s spoken aloud. Selmak has had to tell him on more than one occasion that he needs to open his mouth to speak to his friends, as they can’t read his thoughts like Selmak can.

Jack notices Mark’s concerned look and says, “I’m fine, really, I just get mixed up as to who I’m talking to.” Jack points to his head and moves his finger in a circular motion.

Mark smiles a little at that and says, “I guess that would be a bit confusing.”

“Yeah,” then after a beat, “So, what brings you by?”

Taking the cue on the change of subject, Mark replies, “Sam said dad will be leaving soon, plus I wanted to see you and see how you’re doing. I can’t even imagine what you’ve been through.”

Jack smiles softly, he’s touched by the man’s concern. It’s almost hard to believe that only a couple months ago, Mark was someone Jack only tolerated for Sam’s sake. Now he actually likes him and considers him a friend. He does wonder what their relationship would be like had Ronnie survived the car accident. Not that he’s glad she’s dead but he is glad he and Mark have found peace with each other.

“I won’t lie, waking up with a snake in my head was not what I expected.” Jack says.
Jack feels a less than gentle nudge in his mind and says, “Sorry.”

Mark frowns at him and Jack explains, “Selmak doesn’t like being called a snake.”

“Oh,” is all Mark says, then adds, “I guess that would be pretty strange.”

Jack nods and says, “Yeah, though considering the alternative…”

Jack shudders to think about what could have happened, or actually, what did happen. He read the reports, talked to his friends, heard Selmak’s version of things, he knows he died. Not just died and got resuscitated, he actually died. Doc. Frasier had recorded a time of death in his chart.

“Well, I’m really glad you’re alright,” Mark says, pulling Jack out of his thoughts, then after a moment asks, ‘You are alright aren’t you?”

Jack looks at Mark and smiles softly and replies, “Yeah, I’m alright.”

Mark nods and says, “Good, and, uh, look, if you find that you aren’t, ya know, alright, I’m here.”

Once again Jack is touched by Mark’s concern. The man started out hating him and now they’ve forged a friendship because both have experienced a loss they will never get over. Jack for his son and Mark for his wife.

Jack wonders if Mark and Ronnie would have worked things out or not. He would like to think so, but at the same time, it’s hard to imagine, He wonders if she would have told Mark all the things that she had said to him the night before she died, could he have ever looked Mark in the eye?

He replays that weekend in his mind quite often, wondering if he could have done anything differently. He huffs to himself, of course he could have done things differently.

He suddenly remembers that Mark is still in the room, “So, where’s the kids?”

“They’re here, well, up on the surface. Dad and Sam are watching them. Speaking of Sam, how are things on that front?” Mark asks, smiling.

Jack feels a little awkward and he’s not sure how to answer that question, or even if he wants to. Though, he wonders what Mark is smiling about. A small glimmer of hope starts to bubble forth. However, Jack doesn’t want to get his hopes up so he says instead, “I think that ship has sailed.”

Mark pulls a face and says, “I wouldn’t be too sure.”

“Mark, she hasn’t been to see me, except for when I first woke up. I haven’t seen her since, even Jacob has visited, though he may have just come to see Selmak,” Jack says rolling his eyes at the last part.

Jack watches Mark, and at this moment, he can see how similar Mark and Sam really are. Mark bites his bottom lip the same way Sam does when she’s unsure of something, or when she’s trying to make a decision. Jack can tell the moment Mark gets it figured out.

“She nearly lost you for good Jack, I don’t think even Sam is stubborn enough to let a second chance like this go.”

“Thanks, Mark,” Jack says as he pats the younger man on the shoulder. He’s sure that no matter what happens with Sam, he’s got a friend in Mark.

Chapter Text

Chapter 8

The time has come for Jack to say goodbye to Selmak, and to his surprise, he has mixed feelings about it. On one hand, he’s looking forward to having his mind and body to himself, but on the other hand, he’s going to miss the comfort Selmak has brought.

Doc. Fraiser asked that the transfer take place in the infirmary in case there are complications. Jack arrived a few minutes ago, as did General Hammond, Daniel, and Teal’c. Jacob comes in a moment later and Jack has to hide his disappointment that Sam isn’t with him. He really thought she would be here, but it’s just as well.

“So are we ready?” Jacob asks, cheerfully.

Jack picks up on his tone and figures that Jacob must be excited to get Selmak back. The two have been together for a while now. He can only imagine how Jacob must have felt after Selmak left him. Both Jacob and Selmak have shared their version of that story. It’s a doozy no matter who tells it.

“Colonel, are you ready?” Janet asks, looking at him with concern.

He frowns at her, why is she concerned? The plan was always for Selmak to go back to Jacob.

“You have not said a word and you are staring at the floor,” Selmak tells him

Jack clears his throat awkwardly and looks up, “Yeah, I’m ready,” then to Jacob, “How, uh, how do we do this?”

“Just let Selmak guide you,” Jacob replies.

“Right,” Jack says as he steps closer to Jacob, then suddenly backs away.

Everyone at once asks if he’s alright, it’s almost overwhelming to him. Jack closes his eyes and holds up his hand to stall all the voices, “I’m alright,” he says and takes another step towards Jacob.

He feels Selmak instructing him on what to do. He takes another step forward and stops. He is keenly aware of everyone staring at him now, wondering what is going on. Just as suddenly as the last time, Jack backs up, hits the bed behind him and runs his hands through his hair.

When he opens his eyes he’s surrounded. He feels trapped, he wants to scream. Suddenly he feels his mind recede as Selmak comes forth, “I am sorry, Colonel O’Neill is having some trouble, perhaps it would be best to do this transfer more privately.”

“Is the Colonel alright?” Janet asks, her instincts as a doctor taking precedent.

“He is fine, just overwhelmed,”

“How about we step out,” Hammond suggests, though it was more of an order.

Jack thanks Selmak as he takes back over. He watches his friends file out the door one by one. All that’s left in the room is Doc. Frasier and Jacob.

“Are you ready now Colonel?” Janet asks gently.

Jack nods, “I think so.”

Jacob steps in front of Jack and asks quietly, “Are you sure you’re ready?”

Jack looks back at him, he has so much respect for this man. The man that was dying of cancer and bravely travelled to another world and invited an alien to share his body, all on short notice. Jack is sure that he could not have done that. Jacob has been such an asset to the SGC and to SG-1 in particular.

Jack was sure his relationship with Jacob would come to a screeching halt when he and Sam broke up. To his surprise though, Jacob has been nothing short of friendly and supportive towards him. Jacob even called him a couple times while he was still in San DIego with Mark, just to check on him to see how he was handling things. He offered some encouraging words and even called him ‘son’ a time or two. He wonders if Sam knows about the phone calls.

“Actually I think I need a minute,” Jack says quietly. He’s so mad at himself, why is he having such a hard time letting go of Selmak? Then it hits him, he’s afraid. Afraid that his injuries will come back once Selmak is gone. He knows that’s absurd, that he’s healed and will be fine. He’s being irrational. Now he can’t breathe and Janet and Jacob are looking at him strangely.

Jack stands straight and his eyes flash, “May I have a moment alone with Colonel O’Neill?”

“Selmak? Is the Colonel alright?” Janet asks again, her voice heavy with concern.

“Selmak?” Jacob asks when he doesn’t reply right away.

“I believe Colonel O’Neill is experiencing what you would call a panic attack,” Selmak explains.

“Is he alright?” Janet asks again, then adds, “Maybe I should give him a sedative.”

“You cannot, my natural healing ability would counteract any sedative. Colonel O’Neill is fine, he is already calming.”

“I don’t understand, I thought he was looking forward to this,” Jacob says, clearly confused.

“If I may have a moment alone to speak with the Colonel I believe all will be alright,” Selmak says.

After the two leave the room Selmak asks, “Colonel?”

“I’m fine,” Jack says immediately.

“I feel what you feel, you are not alright. You are greatly disturbed,” Selmak counters.

Jack huffs to himself, it’s no use trying to keep anything concealed when you have an alien in your head that can hear your thoughts and read your feelings. Jack lets out a deep breath and says quietly, “I’m scared.”

“I know, though there is no reason to be.”

“What if,” he pauses, he knows how ridiculous this sounds, “What if I’m not fine after you’re gone?”

“Your injuries are healed, Colonel. I would not leave you if I thought otherwise,” Selmak soothes.

“I know, it’s just...I don’t know,” Jack says, getting frustrated with himself.

“We have been together for a few weeks, you know I would not deceive you. Take my word, Colonel, you will be just fine,” Selmak says, patiently.

Jack mentally nods his head and says a quiet “Ok” before Selmak suggests, “Perhaps I should be in control for the transfer.”

Jack silently agrees and with Selmak in control he walks to the door and invites Doctor Fraiser and Jacob back in. Without going into detail, Selmak tells them that everything is under control and that they are ready.

Selmak walks Jack’s body over to stand in front of Jacob and after making sure the other man is ready to receive him back, he leans in close. With their mouths no more than an inch apart, Selmak says a quiet, “Goodbye Colonel,” and as gently as he can, he releases his hold on Jack and exits through his mouth and into Jacob.

Jack’s eyes go wide as he coughs and doubles over, Janet is quickly at his side.

“Colonel? Are you alright?” She asks.

Jack is on his knees at this point, leaning heavily on his hands with his head bent towards the floor. He hears Janet call his name a few more times, he just can’t seem to answer her. Instead he reaches over and touches one of her hands with his, hoping she understands that he is alright.

“Colonel O’Neill?” Selmak asks, kneeling down to be face to face with him.

Jack looks up, it’s so strange to hear Selmak talking to him through the body of someone else. Which is just stupid he thinks. When he first met Selmak he was inside an old dying woman. He doesn’t remember ever talking to her, so he’s really only gotten to know Selmak since his blending with Jacob.

“The shock will subside shortly,” Selmak explains gently.

Jack shakes his head slowly, still unable to speak, as he’s helped to the bed nearby. He lays back and covers his eyes with his arm.

Janet walks over with a syringe and gently says, “I’ll give you something to help you sleep,”

Jack peeks at Janet from under his arm and quietly says, “No, I wanna feel it.”

Janet looks at Jacob/Selmak with a confused expression, after stepping over to him she asks, “What exactly is he feeling?”

“Loss, emptiness, it’s like losing your soulmate,” Jacob says with sympathy. Just a few weeks ago, Jacob felt that same way.

“How long will it last?” Janet asks, now really concerned about the Colonel.

“That depends, they weren’t blended that long but Selmak is the reason Jack is still alive, they had a unique bond,” Jacob says quietly.

About thirty minutes after Selmak left, Jack made his way to his base quarters to be alone. Janet had protested, but Selmak had assured her that he was in no danger. He was glad to have some peace and quiet. He tried to sleep but it was so quiet without Selmak, he ended up tossing and turning and only dozing off here and there.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The time came to say goodbye to Jacob and Selmak and Jack manages to muster enough strength to get up and say goodbye to them, though he really wants to go back to bed. Which is precisely what he plans to do after he finishes his goodbyes.

“Jack, I’m glad you’re alright, really,” Jacob says, looking Jack in the eyes, then adds, “I also hope things work out between you and Sam, the two of you are good together,” he places his hand on Jack’s shoulder.

Jack just shakes his head and says a quiet thanks, then in a louder voice, “Uh, Jacob, would you mind if I spoke to Selmak for a minute?”

By way of response, Jacob bows his head and allows Selmak to come forward, “Colonel O’Neill, I too am pleased that I was able to restore your life. You are a valued ally of the Tok’ra and a close friend of Jacob, and if I may be so bold, of myself as well,” he bows forward, showing respect.

Jack looks down for a moment, then looks Selmak in the eyes and says, “I don’t know how to thank you for what you did.”

Jack clears his throat and before he can talk himself out of it says, “If, uh, if something ever happens and you find yourself needing a host, I’ll volunteer.” Suddenly feeling emotional, Jack adds, “Not that I hope to make good on the offer, don’t want anything happening to Jacob, but just in case, you have a home with me.”

“That is a most generous offer, Colonel, thank you. Though, I too hope nothing happens to Jacob, I would like to stay with him a while longer.”

Selmak bows his head one last time and Jacob resumes control, “That’s a very touching offer Jack, it’s comforting to know that Selmak will stay in the family.”

Jack gives him a soft smile and the two men hug. Jacob then makes his way out of Jack’s base quarters, and up to the gate room, no doubt to say goodbye to everyone else. Jack is grateful to have had a quiet moment to say goodbye to the Tok’ra that saved his life and to the man he still hopes will one day be his father-in-law. He tries not to dwell on that for too long, he still hasn’t seen Sam since he first woke up. Janet told him that he can probably go home in the next day or so, so he’s going to try to focus on that. It will be nice to sleep in his own bed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9

After Sam says a tearful goodbye to her father she makes her way to her lab where she intends to work on some of her experiments for the next few hours. She stares at the results of one experiment but can’t seem to concentrate.

She feels as though she’s been going nonstop since their run-in with the Kleindols. She was worried sick about Jack, that was enough on its own to wear her out. She was also worried about her father after Selmak left him, then her brother. She feels exhausted.

She thinks about Jack and how close she came to losing him for good. She looks at her watch, 0217, she rolls her eyes, she had come to her lab just after 2100. She can’t believe she’s been sitting here for that long, essentially doing nothing. She supposes that she’ll have to wait until morning to go talk to Jack, he’s probably asleep by now anyways.

She sighs in frustration, mostly frustrated with herself for waiting so long. After everything that’s happened she won’t blame Jack if he doesn’t want to try again. She realizes now how much of an idiot she’s been. She blamed Jack for his past with Onica, a past he can’t change. It certainly wasn’t his fault that she married Mark and never said anything. Though she wonders why Jack never told her that he had been engaged before his marriage to Sara. That’s not important right now.

Really, the only thing she had the right to be upset about is the fact that Jack kissed Onica. Did she really need to break up with him over it though? Of course at the time, she thought Onica and Mark would work things out. That would have made things uncomfortable for her and Jack to stay together. That’s not to say she’s happy that Onica died, of course she’s not. No matter what she did, she didn’t deserve to die. Though after Onica died Sam wanted nothing more than to run to Jack and let him hold her, but Mark and the kids needed her. Plus she would have felt so guilty if she was happy after such a tragedy.

Now she thinks about Mark. She wonders what exactly happened to make him change his opinion of Jack so drastically. She knows it had something to do with whatever the two of them were talking about the night of the funeral. She had seen them together but then had to tend to the guests and the kids so she has no idea how long they were out there.

Sam decides she’ll go to her base quarters and get some rest and talk to Jack first thing in the morning.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sam wakes up at 0800, she can’t believe she slept so long. She quickly gets dressed and heads out the door in search of Colonel O’Neill.

She knocks on the door to his base quarters, no answer. She next heads to the infirmary, he’s nowhere to be found. She decides she’ll try the commissary, and when she gets there, she finds Daniel and Teal’c.

“Hey guys.”

Daniel looks up, “Hey Sam.”

“Major Carter,” Teal’c says and slightly bows his head.

“Where’s Colonel O’Neill? I can’t find him anywhere,” Sam says as she tries not to see quizzical looks on her friend’s faces. She hasn’t asked either of them about Jack since the two of them broke up and she always changes the subject when they mentioned him. She is such a fool.

“Uhhh, Jack went home last night,” Daniel says slowly.

“Last night?” Sam questions, frowning, then adds, “I thought he wasn’t leaving until later today, or even tomorrow.”

“O’Neill convinced Dr. Fraiser that he would rest better in his own home,” Teal’c tells her.

“Oh, I didn’t realize,” Sam replies. Of course she didn’t realize, Sam chastises herself, she hasn’t been to see him since he woke up. She gives herself a mental slap in the face.

“He’s home, I just talked to him,” Daniel says, hoping she picks up on his subtle hint.

Sam nods her head, she knows Daniel is trying to tell her to go talk to him now, but for some reason she finds herself resisting. She’s afraid he’ll turn her away. She wouldn’t blame him after the way she’s acted.

“He’ll be happy to see you, Sam,” Daniel says as if reading her mind and hearing her fears.

She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, “I’m not so sure about that.”

Reaching across the table and putting his hand on hers, Daniel says, “I am.”

Sam looks up and sees the sincerity in her friend’s eyes. She almost feels overcome with emotions.

“I agree with Daniel Jackson, O’Nell will be most pleased to see you,” Teal’c says.

Sam smiles, she’s so grateful to have friends like them. They give her confidence when she feels like she has none. She nods once more before getting up and walking to the elevator to head to the surface.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jack sits on the couch with his cup of coffee, he was so glad when Doc let him go home. Though if he is being honest, he was also a little scared. This is the first time he’s been truly alone since he died. He really didn’t sleep much, he tired but his mind was racing.

He takes a sip of his coffee and nearly spits it out on the couch, but manages to get it back in the cup. It doesn’t taste right, or smell right for that matter. He gets up and walks to the kitchen to get a fresh cup and sees an open bottle of vegetable oil sitting on the counter. Did he fill the coffee maker with oil instead of water? He pulls the pot out and sniffs it, sure enough, it smells like brewed oil. How had he missed the smell? He doesn’t remember opening the oil, or why he would have in the first place. He wonders if Selmak may have taken a few brain cells on his way out.

Perhaps he’s more bothered by his whole death experience than he realizes.

He doesn't have long to ponder that when there’s a knock at the door. He looks down at himself and figures he’s decent enough. He’s wearing sweatpants and an old shirt. He runs his hands through his hair in a futile attempt to make it look decent.

He pulls the door open and immediately says, “Carter.” He is shocked to see her standing at his door. She is the absolute last person he expected to see standing here. He was sure it was Doc. Fraiser, or Daniel, even General Hammond, or Mark, but not her.

“I, uh, I wasn’t expecting you,” he says lamely. He wonders what she’s even doing here.

Sam looks down and then back up and says, “I know. Can I come in?”

“Oh, uh, yeah, sure,” Jack stammers, he didn’t even realize they were still standing at the door. He moves aside so she can step in. He notices the way she slightly glances at him as she walks by. His heart flutters, it feels like it’s been a long time since she’s been in his house.

Jack watches as she sniffs the air and crinkles her nose a bit, then she asks with a question in her voice, “Is that coffee I smell?”

“Uh, no, it’s...something else. I was just about to make a fresh pot. Why don’t you have a seat,” Jack says, indicating she should go to the living room, then finishes lamely, “while I do that.”

He doesn’t wait to see if she complies as he sidesteps her and makes his way to the kitchen. He makes sure he puts water in the pot this time. He puts a new filter in and pours the coffee beans and pushes start. After the coffee pot declares itself done, he pours two cups. He puts cream and sugar in Sam’s cup and hands it to her as he takes his seat on the couch.

She sits down without a word, though she looks at him over the rim of her cup.

Jack glances at Sam and asks carefully, “So, what are you doing here?”

Sam brings her cup back down to her lap and answers, “I came to see how you’re doing.”

Jack is silent for a moment. He can’t figure her out. That was always part of her appeal, she kept him guessing, he liked that. Now, though, he finds it confusing, and down right annoying. She could have asked him how he was doing when he was still in the mountain, but she never came to see him.

Feeling frustrated, Jack says, “I didn’t think you cared.”

Sam looks at him as though she’s hurt, “Why would you say that?”

“You never came to see,” Jack says, looking right at her.

Sam looks him in the eye and states, “That’s not true.”

Jack rolls his eyes and says, “Fine, you were there when I first woke up. After that, I never saw you again.”

Sam looks away at that, “I didn’t think you’d want to see me.”

“I’m not the one who decided to walk out of your life, Sam,” Jack says quietly.

Sam opens her mouth to say something but finds she has no words, instead she says, “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

They sit in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes before Jack speaks, “I’m fine by the way.”

Taking the change in subject as an olive branch, Sam says, “I’m really glad.”

“It’s not everyday someone wakes up from the dead with your friendly neighborhood Tok’ra in their head,” Jack says with false humor, then adds, “Though he did fix my knees while he was in there,” he points to his head.

“That’s great, it’s good he was able to help.”

Sam looks at him closely, she knows him very well and knows when he’s holding back, “How are you doing for real though?”

“I told you, I’m fine,” Jack says, hoping he sounds confident.

When Sam just stares at him he says, “It’s not like this type of thing hasn’t happened to us before.”

“Jack,” she whispers.

Jack closes his eyes, there is something that happens whenever she says his name. He can’t figure out what exactly it is, but it causes him to want to give her everything she asks for. He’s never been able to resist this particular phenomena. And it appears that today is no exception because he finds himself talking before he can stop himself.

“I guess I have to admit, this time does feel different. Maybe because I didn’t see it coming, and I don’t remember it happening. I’m not really sure,” he says honestly.

“When you didn’t get up,” she starts, as her voice breaks.

“I heard you took charge, got everyone home. Including me,” Jack says trying to lighten the mood.

“It was almost too late,” Sam says, then adds, “It was too late.”

“From what I understand it wasn’t the actual injury from the shot that was the problem. Well, it was a problem just not the main one. Doc said there was something laced through the bullets. If not for that, I probably would've survived the shot,” Jack says trying to make her feel better. He hates when she blames herself for these things. It wasn't her fault that he got shot.

“I was there when Janet recorded your time of death,” Sam whispers.

Jack is shocked. He had no idea she had been there. He has an idea of how he would have felt had their rolls been reversed. No matter the status of their personal relationship, he’s still in love with her and would have been deeply pained seeing her die.

“I didn’t realize that,” he says quietly.

“That’s what made me realize I was being such a fool,” at Jack’s confused look she continues, “Mark told me I was being stubborn and that I should get over myself and talk to you. Before the mission I had decided to do just that. When you went down,” she pauses to collect herself, “And then in the infirmary,” she can’t stop the sob that chokes out, “For a minute there I thought I had lost my chance. I thought I had lost you forever.”

Jack is beside her in an instant. He puts one arm around her and pulls her close. She melts into his side, her whole body shaking as she sobs. Jack brings his other arm up and holds her tighter and nudges her head with his. When she looks up, his face is only inches away from her’s. Jack isn’t sure who leaned in first but before he knows it, their lips meet and they are locked in a battle for dominance.

When things start to get a bit more intense, Jack pulls back about an inch away from Sam. She leans forward to close the distance again and Jack pulls back a little further and says, “Sam,” as he puts a hand on her shoulder.

Realization dawns on Sam and she looks embarrassed as she says, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”

Jack shakes his head, “It’s fine, I’m just not sure what we’re doing.”

At his words Sam scoots away a few inches, and Jack immediately misses her closeness. He wants her back next to him. He wants to kiss her again.

Sam looks down at her hands and says with uncertainty, “I was hoping we could talk about that.”

“Exactly what do you want to talk about?” He asks carefully.

Sam takes a deep breath and after letting it out slowly says, “I realized that I made a mistake. I was too quick to walk away,” she pauses, then adds, “I want to start over.”

Jack sits frozen in his spot on the couch as chills run down his whole body. She is suggesting the very thing he’s been hoping for. He still loves her, he knows that for a fact. He wants nothing more than to say yes and put the past behind them, but he finds that he can’t.

He feels hollow as he says, “I’m not sure that would be a good idea.”

Sam’s heart falls to her feet and a tear escapes and rolls down her cheek, “Jack.”

He closes his eyes and shakes his head, “I lost you once, Sam, I don’t think I can handle losing you again.”

“You wouldn’t,” she says immediately.

“One mistake,” he says holding up a finger, “One mistake is all it took. One mistake I told you about right away. I get that it was a fairly big mistake, one I never intend to make again. But you couldn’t find it within yourself to forgive me.”

“I should have,” Sam says, hoping Jack can hear the sincerity in her voice.

“I know what I did was wrong, I’m not trying to justify anything and I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have been upset. But you know me, Sam. You know the kind of man I am. I told you everything, I tried to be honest with you,” Jack says looking at her.

Sam thinks for a moment, then says, “I also have to admit my part in it,” at Jack’s confused look she adds, “I walked away, things got complicated and instead of sticking around to hear the whole story, I left. If I hadn’t maybe some of this wouldn’t have happened.”

Jack looks at her with a hard stare and says, “Don’t do that.”

Sam is confused now, “Don’t do what?”

“Don’t blame yourself for what I did,” he says sharply.

Sam looks down at her hands in her lap then back up at Jack and says, “I wasn’t. I was simply acknowledging that if I hadn’t walked away you and Onica never would have been in that kind of position.”

Jack lets out a loud sigh, “That’s not the point. The point is, it shouldn’t have mattered whether you were there or not. I never should have let it happen. I’ve never in my life cheated on a woman.”

“You didn’t cheat,” Sam says quickly.

Jack looks at her, “Yes, Sam, I did. I may not have meant for anything like that to happen and it certainly never crossed my mind to do it, but it did happen and I didn’t stop it. That was my choice, and that choice had consequences.”

Sam sits there quietly for a moment before saying, “I think we can work things out.”

Jack whispers bitterly, “Well I don’t.”

He sees the tears rolling down her cheek and hates the fact that he’s the cause. He loves her more than anything, and wants nothing more than to be with her again.

“Sam, I just don’t think it’s a good idea,” he says.

“Why?” Sam chokes out, then adds, “If you’re really saying no, then I think you own me an explanation.”

Jack gets up and starts pacing. It’s not that he wants to say no, he just feels like he has to. This whole situation is a disaster. That weekend never should have turned out the way it did. He blew it when he let Ronnie get too close.

Jack finally stops his pacing and turns to face Sam, but finds that he can’t look her in the eye. He finds a spot on the floor instead as he says, “This is going to sound really cliché, and I swore to myself that I would never use this particular one but, it’s not you, it’s me.”

When Sam opens her mouth to respond, Jack says, “I don’t trust myself. You said that if you had been there then some of this wouldn't have happened. That may be true, but Sam, you can’t be with me every minute of every day. There’s bound to be a time when I’m in close quarters with an attractive woman. What if I make the same mistake, or worse?” After a brief moment of silence, Jack adds quietly, “I shouldn’t need you to babysit me to make sure I control myself. You deserve better than that. You deserve someone you can trust, without question or worry.”

Jack turns his back to her and stands facing the fireplace. The fireplace that is never lit because he’s never home long enough to enjoy a fire, and when he is, he can’t be bothered to build one.

Jack tenses as he hears the soft pads of her feet make their way over to him. He flinches a little when she puts a hand on his shoulder. He tries to resist as she applies gentle pressure to get him to face her. He gives in and turns. He keeps his face steadfast on the floor, he can’t bear to look at her. He sees her hand come into view as she places it gently on his cheek. She carefully nudges his face up. When he finally does look at her, all he sees in love and understanding in her eyes. He expected disdain, or hurt, anything but this.

He tries to look away but she doesn't let him. In a soft voice she says, “Jack, we all make mistakes, but this feeling you have, this fear, it will help you to not make this particular one again.” He nearly loses it when she steps closer, now with both arms around him as she whispers in his ear, “I trust you.”

Jack puts his arms around her and buries his face in her neck. He does not deserve this woman, her love, or her forgiveness.

“I’m sorry, I really am,” he says as he finally looks her in the eyes.

Sam smiles softly, “We can get through this, together.”

Sam pulls Jack back into a warm embrace. Jack clings on to her as tightly as he can without hurting her.

They finally break apart and Jack looks at her and says, “I think I owe you an explanation.”

Jack proceeds to tell her all about his past relationship with Ronnie. All the ups and downs, from the arguments they had to the love they shared. He explained that he was heartbroken when she left him.

Jack heard Sam gasp when he told her that Ronnie had thrown the ring in his face and said some really horrible things. He tells her about how he ended up with Sara shortly thereafter and how that brought on it’s own set of problems.

When he’s finally done, he says, “I’m telling you this to try and help you to understand that when she showed up, all of those old feelings came back. Not necessarily love or anything but, mostly it was failure. I wanted to know what I did to make her leave. It wasn’t until after you left that I realized it didn’t really matter.”

She looks at him quizzically, “What do you mean?”

Jack looks Sam directly in the eyes and says, “She was never the one I was going to be with for the rest of my life, whether we had actually gotten married or not,” then he adds ironically, “Neither was Sara for that matter. Though she and I gave it a good try.”

Sam looks at him, she wants to say something but she doesn’t want to interrupt. After a moment he continues, “I kept them both at arm’s length. The sad truth is, is that I was never one hundred percent invested in either of those relationships,” he pauses, “Though with Sara I thought I was for a while. There’s only one person that I’ve ever truly been myself with.”

Tears start falling down Sam’s cheeks when he says, “That’s you, Sam. You are the one I was looking for my whole life. Everything that happened in my life was leading me to you.”

“I'm sorry I walked away. Emotions were high that weekend and I overreacted to a lot of things. I was hurt when you told me about the kiss, and that you might still have feelings for her,” Sam says, trying to get him to understand her point of view.

He nods, “I get it, Sam. But if this is going to work,” he gestures between them, “then we have to talk things out. We have to be open and honest. Walking away can’t be an option, at least not until we’ve tried everything else.”

Now it’s Sam’s turn to nod, “I agree.” Hope is starting to flutter in her chest. She’s not sure if he’s saying he wants to try again or just what.

Jack looks at her again and says, “And after we’ve settled a matter we can’t throw it in the other’s face again in the future.”

“That makes sense,” Sam nods.

“So, do you think we’ve settled this matter? Is this something you can move past? ” Jack asks.

Sam takes a breath and says, “Yes, can you?.”

Jack takes a breath. He wants to say yes, he wants nothing more than to say yes. He’s scared though, scared that he will screw up again and lose her forever.

He looks her in the eye and what he sees nearly causes his undoing. Patience, love, and understanding are all cascading from her eyes and he has no choice but to say, “Yes.”

The smile she gives him is reward enough. He leans in to kiss her when another thought strikes him, “Uh, if we’re going to do this, there’s something else you should know.”

Sam looks at him confused, “Um, okay.”

Jack steps back a little and rocks back on his heels. He’s not sure how Sam will react to this news.

“I, uh, I kind of offered to be a host for Selmak if he ever needs one,” Jack says.

Sam looks at him with huge eyes and says, “Wow, I mean, that’s, wow, unexpected.”

“He saved my life,” Jack explains quickly.

“Yeah, no, I get it. I get it,” Sam says as she blows out a breath.

He can’t tell if she’s okay with this or not. He hopes she is, of course, he also hopes he never has to actually follow through on his offer to Selmak.

“It’s just without him, I wouldn’t be here,” Jack explains, then adds, “I mean, hopefully it doesn’t come to that. That would mean that something happened to Dad and we don’t want that,” Jack says. He knows he’s over explaining but he can’t seem to stop himself from speaking. “I just felt like I owed him and offering him a place to go is really the only thing I could do,” he adds.

Sam smiles and a small giggle escapes.

“Are you giggling at me?” Jack asks, looking perturbed.

“You’re cute,”

“I’m cute?” Jack parrot, looking even more perturbed.

Sam steps up and wraps her arms around him and says, “I never in a million years would have imagined that you would offer to be a host.”

Jack pulls her closer to him and asks, “So, you’re alright with that?”

“It’s nice to know that if something happens to Dad, Selmak will stay in the family,” she says as she reaches up and kisses him.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10

3 weeks later

Jack arrives in the infirmary for another check up. He starts to wonder how many more check ups he’s going to need. Every time he gets one, it’s the same thing. All the tests come back good and Fraiser tells him that he’s in good shape but yet she still wants to see him the following week.

General Hammond has also requested to see him while he’s here. No doubt to check in and see how he’s doing. So far Hammond has been patient and lenient, but Jack knows that he’s eager to put SG-1 back on the mission rotation schedule.

Jack isn’t sure he wants to go back into the field though. This is something he’s been kicking around since his whole ordeal happened. He hasn’t mentioned it to Sam yet, he knows he needs to though. The thought of Sam brings a smile to his face. He’s so glad they are working things out. So is everyone else, in fact. Their friends and family were ecstatic when they learned that the two of them decided to try again.

They have, however, decided to take things a little more slowly. They both realized that they have issues to work through. Personal issues, and issues with each other. They make a point to talk openly for at least thirty minutes everyday, more if they can manage it. Sam is still busy working on her various projects, while Jack is usually home, so time isn’t always something they have a lot of.

He knows that Hammond wanted him to come back to work already but Fraiser decided that he needed more time. Not to heal physically, Selmak took care of that, but to heal mentally and emotionally. Jack hates to admit it though, but what happened was traumatic. He still has no memory of the event, but the reports he read and the things his friends told him paint a pretty clear picture.

Sam told him her version of that day, chills ran down his spine the more she spoke. He’s also had several nightmares. He’s lost count of how many times he’s woken up in the night breathing hard and sweating. Though it’s not just what happened to him that he sees in his dreams, it’s what Selmak shared with him.

Jack has since shared that intel with Hammond who then had the address to that planet locked out of the dialing computer. Daniel also recommended that they make some sort of buoy to warn others of traveling to that planet.

What bothers Jack most about this whole thing, isn’t getting shot, or dying, but that he was completely caught off guard. He trusted those people on the planet, he remembers feeling at ease there. His entire team could have been killed, not just him. If it hadn’t been for Sam’s quick reaction then they might all have died that day.

He’s so proud of her for the way she handled herself. He may not remember it, but Daniel and Teal’c were quick to say how she took charge and got everyone home. Sam herself is too modest to make such a claim. Jack wonders if he would have been able to handle the situation if it had been her that went down. And it’s that thought that’s made him question whether or not he should even be in the field anymore.

It’s not just the thought of something happening to his girlfriend, but to any member of his team. As the leader, Jack is responsible for all of their safety. He feels as though he let them down. It’s his job to look out for any potential danger, and he blew it on that mission.

Jack has actually been kicking around retiring. Sam, will tell him not to, but will also respect whatever he decides. He appreciates that about her. She has always been supportive. If he’s honest with himself, he wants to retire not because he’s done with the action, but because he’s terrified that he will make another bad judgment call. Next time it could be someone else who gets hurt.

“Um, Sir, are you getting off the elevator?” Some airman says, pulling Jack out of his thoughts.

Jack looks up, startled, he was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the elevator had stopped on sublevel 27. “Uh yeah, thanks airman,” Jack says as he collects himself and exits the elevator.

A moment later he’s knocking on Hammond’s door. After hearing the ‘Come,’ Jack enters the small office and takes a seat opposite General Hammond.

Jack watches as Hammond moves some papers around on his desk before the older man looks up, “How are you doing Colonel?”

“I’m fine,” comes Jack’s automatic response.

Hammond nods, “Yes, according to Doctor Fraiser, you’re completely healed.”

Now Jack nods his head and says, “Yep, ole Selmak did a pretty good job.”

Hammond studies Jack, narrows his eyes and asks again, “So, how are you?”

Jack arches an eyebrow and replies, “I’m fine.”

Hammond folds his hands on the desk, looks down, then looks at Jack with a slight smile and says, “That may work on someone else, but it won’t work on me. I know you too well Jack.”

Jack sighs, he should have known Hammond wouldn’t fall for that. Sam didn’t either. Come to think of it, neither did Daniel and Teal’c, though neither of them called him on it. Jack knows that Hammond isn’t trying to put him on the spot, he’s just doing his job, and being a friend.

Hammond is responsible for this entire base, and Jack is his second in command and leader of the flagship team. Hammond needs to know if Jack can still handle those responsibilities or not.

Jack also knows that Hammond isn’t a beat around the bush kind of person. That’s actually something they both have in common. Though Jack realizes right now that he’s only direct and down to business when it comes to work, his personal life is another matter.

“Colonel?” Hammond questions.

Jack looks up, Hammond is now looking at him with concern. He must have sat there for too long without saying anything. “Um, I’m uh…” Jack stammers, he’s not actually sure what to say.

“Take your time, son,” Hammond says kindly.

Jack sits there for a moment longer, trying to think of something to say. He’s had a hard time staying focused lately. On more than one occasion he’s spaced out while talking to Sam. He’s not sure if this is an effect of his blending with Selmak or the entire situation.

He thinks back to a few weeks ago when he told Sam that this time things feel different. He wasn’t really sure what he meant by that. He’s been injured on missions before, he’s even died on a mission before, they all have. So why does this feel so different?

“Jack, are you alright?” Jack looks up sharply to see Hammond staring back at him. The man looks really concerned now.

Jack clears his throat, “Sorry, Sir.”

“Maybe you should consider talking to someone,” Hammond suggests.

“You mean a shrink, Sir? No thanks,” Jack retorts.

“Jack, you’re going to have to have a psych evaluation if you want to return to active duty. It’s standard procedure,” Hammond says, patiently.

Jack almost says that he’s not sure he wants to return, but refrains. He probably shouldn’t say anything until he’s sure of what he wants to do.

“Yes Sir,” is all Jack says.

“Have you at least spoken to Major Carter about things?” Hammond asks.

Hammond is not the type of man to intrude into the personal lives of his subordinates, or his friends, so for him to ask such a thing shows how much he does care.

“Yes Sir,” Jack replies.

Hammond nods, “Good,” he takes a breath and Jack knows what’s coming next, “I need to get SG-1 back on the mission rotation. I need you to tell me if you’re going to be joining them. If not, I’ll have to find a replacement.”

Yep, there it is. Jack knew that was coming, he’s known for a while now. He’s actually surprised that Hammond hasn’t brought it up before today. Especially since Doc Frasier has declared him medically fit for duty. Hammond gave him a couple weeks off to recoup and sort things out, but now that time appears to be up.

Jack doesn’t really want to go on a mission. He also doesn’t really want his team to go on a mission without him. He groans to himself, if he tells Hammond he’s done, he’s probably going to regret it. If he tells Hammond he wants back in, he’ll have to go get that psych evaluation. He’s not worried about failing the evaluation, he knows what to say to pass, he’s done that enough times. No, his real fear is that he’ll make a bad decision and get his team killed.

“I’ll be with them Sir,” Jack says before he can fully talk himself out of it. He also doesn’t want to quit because he’s scared. If he does that, he will risk losing all confidence.

Hammond, unaware of Jack’s inner conflict, just nods and says, “Good. I’ll set up an appointment with Doctor Mackenzie for you.”

“Yes Sir,” Jack says.

“Dismissed,” Hammond replies.

Jack nods once more, then gets up and leaves Hammond’s office. He finds himself heading towards Sam’s lab, seeing her will make all his fears go away.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jack passed his psych evaluation, he knew he would. He’s always passed them. So now here he is gearing up for his first official mission since getting shot and dying. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous, though he keeps that information to himself. He figures the nerves will wear off once he’s out in the action, or at least that’s what he hopes.

Jack notices Daniel and Teal’c quietly leave the room. He can feel Sam watching him so he sighs and says, “I’m fine.”

Sam sighs and walks over to stand beside him, “You’ve been really quiet ever since we got this mission. If you aren’t ready, that’s alright.”

“I am ready,” Jack says, turning around and trying not to get frustrated.

“What I’m trying to say is that if you need more time, it’s alright. You have nothing to prove,” Sam says, consolingly.

“I have something to prove to myself,” he replies, turning back around and fiddling with his jacket that is still hanging up.

“What do you mean?” Sam asks.

“Nothing,” Jack says. He knows she won’t let that go but he tries anyways.

“Jack, we’re supposed to be honest with each other.”

Jack hangs his head, turns around, and looks her in the eye for the first time, “You’re right.”

Sam cups his face with her hand and asks, “What’s really going on?”

Jack leans into her hand then reaches up and takes her hand in his, “I just, I just think that if I don’t get out there now then I never will. I need to prove to myself that I still can.”

Sam smiles and nods, “I understand.”

“What if it happens again?” Jack asks.

“What if you get injured again?”

“No, what if I trust someone I shouldn’t again and you, or Daniel, or Teal’c get killed because of it?” Now he is frustrated, frustrated with himself. He sees understanding dawn on Sam. He hasn’t actually expressed this to her before. They’ve talked about all kinds of things and both have learned a lot about the other, but he’s still working on being more open about the here and now.

“Jack, the people who,” she gestures, unable to finish the sentence, “They fooled all of us, not just you. No one saw it coming, and we still don’t know why they did it. Though apparently from what you said Selmak told you, they’ve been doing this for a long time.”

Jack looks down to the floor. He knows he’s being irrational, he knows that what happened wasn’t his fault, but as leader, he is responsible. He’s responsible for everything that happens when they’re on a mission. Decisions he makes affect the lives of those with him. If one of them gets hurt or killed, it’s on him.

“Jack, look at me,” Sam says. When he finally looks at her she adds, “All four of us talked about how nice those people seemed. I know Daniel trusts everyone, and I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. But you and Teal’c, Jack, it’s hard for anyone to earn your trust. The mere fact that both you and Teal’c trusted those people, tells me something. It wasn’t a failure on your part. They were just really good at hiding their true nature.”

“I know you’re right, but,” he trails off, unsure of what he’s trying to say. He supposes that he’s afraid of getting duped like that again. He’s always had good instincts, and his distrust of people has saved his butt on more than one occasion.

Sam tips his chin up with her finger and says kindly, “We trust you. I trust you.”

Those simple words fill him with confidence. Just like they did when she said those same words to him a few weeks ago. If his team can trust him, then maybe he can trust himself too. He really wants to kiss her right now but knows it would be inappropriate. Oh who cares, he grabs her face, leans in, and captures her lips. He is rewarded by her enthusiastic response.

After their lips part ways, Sam says, “You should probably know that General Hammond ordered me to take command if…”

“I know,” he says, cutting off the rest of what she was about to say.

She frowns, “You know?”

“Yeah, I figured it out when he said, ‘Major Carter will take over in the event that you are unable to carry on as mission commander,’” Jack says using air quotes.

At her dumbfounded look he leans over and pecks her lips once more. Then with an air of levity that he hasn’t felt in what seems like forever, he walks out of the gear up room, bound for the gate room. He hears Sam close on his heels. He can do this, with her by his side, and the rest of his team, he can do this.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

What was he thinking, he can’t do this. Jack curses himself as he hides behind a rock getting pounded by staff blast after staff blast. Daniel is to his right, crouched behind another rock, Sam is to this left, and Teal’c is behind a tree a few feet away.

Sam and Daniel fire their weapons, and Teal’c is firing a steady stream of blasts from his staff weapon. Jack knows he should be firing back too but he feels frozen. Is he afraid of getting shot again? Or is he afraid of someone on his team getting shot? Jack suddenly realizes that his inaction could result in the very thing he’s hoping to avoid.

Jack knows he has to get out of his head and start taking action. He no sooner finishes that thought when he sees an enemy Jaffa approaching, closing in on Daniel’s position. He somehow managed to sneak around their defenses. Without further thought, Jack opens fire, downing the approaching Jaffa.

Daniel wizzes around, startled by the sudden gunfire from his left. He gives Jack a grateful nod and continues his assault.

After a few more minutes of back and forth, SG-1 finally somewhat gains the upper hand. Teal’s has maneuvered himself closer to the rest of them and is continuing to fire, Sam is still behind her rock doing the same. Jack orders Daniel to dial the gate and lays down cover fire.

After Daniel gets the gate dialed and sends the iris code, Jack orders him and Sam through while he and Teal’c cover them. Jack keeps one eye on the offending Jaffa and one eye on his team running through the gate. Knowing their advantage has reached its end, Jack shouts to Teal’c that it’s their turn. Teal’c fires several more staff blasts and Jack an innumerable amount of rounds before they both get up and run to the waiting stargate.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

After getting their medicals, SG-1 heads to the briefing room for their debrief. There wasn’t much to tell. They went to the planet, looked around, found an army of Jaffa, and fought their way back through the gate. Pretty much how all of their missions go.

Hammond was satisfied with their account of the events and reminded them to get their reports ready.

After being dismissed, Teal’c goes to his room to Kelno’reem, Daniel goes to look at some translations, and Jack finds himself in Sam’s lab.

“You alright?” Sam asks.

“Yeah,” Jack responds. He wants to ask her her opinion on how things went on their mission, but he can’t seem to figure out how to bring it up.

“You did a great job out there,” Sam says as if reading his thoughts. He cannot figure out how she does that.

Jack just looks at her, she’s truly amazing.

“I think you handled yourself exceptionally well,” she says as she starts tinkering with some doohickey.

“You think so?” Jack asks, then adds, “You never thought about taking command?”

Sam stops and looks him in the eye, “Not once.”

“I was scared,” Jack says before he can stop himself. He hadn’t meant to say that. Now she’s gonna think he’s an idiot.

“So was I,” she says, completely surprising him, then adds, “Every time we encounter an enemy I get scared, or anytime we get captured, or shot at.”

“You do?” Jack asks. He himself always feels a sense of trepidation, but he wouldn’t have called it fear. Today he was scared out of his mind.

“Of course I do. I never know if that’s going to be the mission I don’t come back from. Or if one of you guys doesn't come back,” Sam tells him, then adds, “That’s how I felt a few weeks ago too.”

“Sam,”

“I always thought I had to be tough, that fear wasn’t an option. I thought that if I were scared then I didn’t belong out there,” she pauses to make sure he’s listening, when she’s satisfied, she continues, “Long story short, Teal’c set me straight.”

“Teal’c?” Jack says, surprised.

“Yeah, he told me that if I didn’t have fear, then I would be reckless and that I would be sure to get myself or others killed. Having fear isn’t the problem, it’s normal to be scared when you’re being shot at, or in some other dangerous situation. He also said that fear can be a tool, a tool that helps you make good decisions. A true warrior is one who uses his fear to his advantage. Ever since he told me that, I didn’t feel so bad for being afraid, and you shouldn’t either. You may have been afraid, but it didn’t stop you from doing what needed to be done.”

Jack thinks about that for a moment. He can’t imagine Teal’c being afraid, ever. What he said makes sense though, a person is more reckless without fear. It’s not even really fear of dying that bothers him, it’s the fear of getting his team killed. Making a bad call in the field is the quickest way to do just that.

He thinks about fear being a tool. He has never thought of it like that before, but it makes sense. Now Jack thinks back to a conversation he had with Sam a couple weeks ago about yet another kind of fear. She told him that that fear would help prevent him from making the same mistake again. Fear in the field is no different. If he uses it, then maybe he’ll keep his team safe. He will also have to thank Teal’c for being so wise.

“Marry me,” Jack freezes as the words leave his mouth. He can’t believe he just said that. He wasn’t planning on it right at this moment. He’s not even sure where it came from.

Sam’s eyes also go big, “What?”

Jack looks at her, he may not have meant to ask her that question right now, but he means it. He’s wanted to ask her this for a long time. He’s not sure why he picked right now, in her lab to ask, but something just felt right so the words came out. He supposes he could back track and say he didn’t mean to say that or something but he doesn’t want to. Now that the words have been said, he wants an answer, and he’s pretty confident in what it’ll be so he says again, “I said, marry me.”

“Jack, I,” she stammers.

Jack grabs her hand, “I know we said we were going to take things slow, but I didn’t ask you this when I first wanted to and look what happened. My ex came to town and we broke up, then I died and came back,” he pauses, then finishes, “I think we both know that this is inevitable, so why wait any longer? How many more chances will we get? You were right, the next mission could be the last one. The last one nearly was, if it hadn’t been for Selmak, that would have been the mission I didn’t come back from. I don’t want to wait any longer, so marry me, please,” Jack says and waits nervously for her answer.

Jack can see Sam taking in everything he said. He knows he caught her off guard by asking now, he caught himself off guard too. He has no idea how a conversation about fear led to a marriage proposal, he hadn’t even been thinking about it when the words popped out. He knows the moment he has his answer, and his heart nearly bursts before she even says the word.

Her lips turn upward in a sly smile, and her eyes glisten with unshed tears as she says, “Yes.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 11

Everyone was excited about the news of Jack and Sam’s engagement. Daniel and Teal’c were all smiles, Janet and Cassie were beaming, even General Hammond seemed excited. Though no one was more excited than Mark. Not just because his sister was finally finding happiness, but because for the first time in months, his kids had genuine smiles on their faces.

They were so excited when Sam asked Aubry to be a bridesmaid and Jack asked Luke to be a groomsman and escort her as well as be the ring bearer. Of course Luke tries to hide his excitement, but he doesn’t do a very good job. He’s been telling everyone that he is going to be in his aunt’s wedding. He thinks he’s going to look really cool in his wedding suit.

Yes, Mark could not be happier as he sits on the couch in the home he’s been sharing with Sam. In fact, Sam told him that after the wedding she would be moving into Jack’s house so Mark and the kids could just stay here if they wanted. The kids were happy about that too, none of them relished the thought of packing everything again.

Mark watches as Aubry excitedly waits for Sam to come out of her room. She is going dress shopping with Janet and Cassie and told Aubry that she could come and help, and they could pick out her flower girl dress too.

Luke will go with Mark and the rest of the guys. Mark knows that Jack has opted to wear his dress blues, though he’s not too sure if that was his idea or Sam’s. Daniel and Teal’c will both require new suits, as well as Mark himself, so they’ve all planned to go together. Mark also knows that Jack and Sam do not want a long engagement.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Sam feels as though she’s floating as she looks at herself in the mirror. She cannot believe this is actually happening. In just a few minutes, she’s going to marry Jack O’Neill.

She thinks back to everything they’ve gone through to get here. She loves that man with every fiber of her being. She smiles as she thinks about a few nights ago when he told her everything about his past. He said she should know before they actually get married in case she wanted to change her mind.

She could tell he was nervous as he started. By the end of the conversation, she was in tears. She had no idea that his mother abandoned him and left him with his abusive father. Jack hadn’t gone into specific details about his time with his dad, but Sam could tell it was bad. She shuddered when he told her that he had found his mother when he was a teenager and she turned him away. That’s when he learned he had a sister, whole or half he still doesn’t know, but a sister still the same. A sister he will probably never know.

Jack also told her all about how he met Sara pretty quickly after his break up with Ronnie. He told her how he proposed to Sara after they had an argument. He didn’t want another failed relationship within a year so he went for it.

He told her about how they had a hard time in the beginning, and how they nearly divorced after only 6 months of marriage. Neither of them really wanted to get divorced so they worked it out. She got pregnant in time and Charlie was born.

The only thing about his past that worried her was his suicide attmept. She had known he had suicidal thoughts after his son died but she didn’t know that he had actually taken it that far.

Sam cried when he told her what it was like to lose his child. He wanted her to know that he wasn’t a suicidal person, but the grief and guilt he carried made something inside flip. He told her that he used to put one bullet in his gun and play Russian Roulette once everyday. He did it for 3 days, that’s when the Air Force came calling. He decided to take the mission, figuring that dying on a mission might be a little more meaningful. Sam had a chill when he told her that he had looked in his gun chamber, and found the bullet in the firing slot. That would have been the day.

After the mission he felt better, but when he got home, Sara had left and he found a message on his answering machine from his father. He had no idea how he had gotten his number as the two hadn’t had any communication in years. On the message his dad congratulated him for doing what he himself had failed to do all those years ago, and he laughed.

Jack’s whole world shattered again at his father’s cruel words. All the grief and guilt came back and without thinking he mixed alcohol with a whole bottle of pain meds he found in the cabinet. The next thing he knew he woke up in the hospital, doctors and nurses telling him that it was close. They placed him on sucide watch.

He told Sam how he had tried to tell the doctors that it was an accident, No one believed him. He didn’t even believe him. Eventually he was released after he passed a psych evaluation, after all, he did know just what to say.

He told Sam that he finally admitted to needing help when Sara found him in his apartment unconscious and unresponsive. He hadn’t overdosed again, but it was close. He decided that he couldn’t do that to her, she’d already lost enough. That’s when he got himself straight. He talked with a grief therapist, bought his house, and took up star gazing with his telescope.

He admitted that he still struggles with dark thoughts. Nothing he would act on, but sometimes the thoughts creep back in. He told Sam that he knows this is a lot to take in and that he comes with a lot of baggage. He also said that he should have told her all this from the beginning and that he would understand if she didn’t want to marry him.

She had felt a little overwhelmed with all the information. She did not expect to hear all of that. She had always known that there was more to him than met the eye, but she didn’t know how much. She also appreciated his honesty. Normally finding out things like this would make her think twice, but with him, it made her respect him even more.

The man she knows is kind, decent, dependable, and will do anything for his friends. After everything that he went through, he easily could have gone the other way and been cruel and mean. And he did have a lot of stumbling blocks, but he overcame them, and is a better man for it. He knows what it’s like to hit rock bottom, and she knows that he has no intention of ever going there again.

So here she stands, looking at herself in a beautiful white wedding gown. The dress is simple in design, nothing too flashy or frilly. It has off the shoulder straps and hugs her waist in all the right places. The top is modest, not too revealing. There’s a line of jewels wrapping around the whole dress. The bottom flows easily so she can walk without feeling restricted. She’s also chosen to wear a tiara veil that goes down to her mid back.

“You look beautiful,” Jacob Carter tells his daughter.

“Dad, you made it,” Sam says, trying not to cry. She really doesn’t want to have to redo her makeup.

“You didn’t really think I would miss my only daughter’s wedding did you?”

“The Tok’ra said you were on an assignment,” Sam says quickly, trying to contain her emotions.

“Once I got the message about this, I did what I had to do to finish the assignment and get back here. After all, it’s the father’s job to give the bride away,” Jacob says, smiling.

“Mark was going to do it if you didn’t make it,” Sam says. Mark would have been more than happy to walk his sister down the aisle, but he knew it wouldn't have been the same. Instead, he gets to be a groomsman.

“Jack is a good man, I don’t think I could have asked for anyone better for you,” Jacob says.

Sam is surprised by that. Jacob and Jack have always gotten along, but she’s pretty sure Jack was not his ideal candidate for a son-in-law. Her dad has always been supportive of her relationship with Jack, but he’s never openly praised him like that before.

“Selmak told me that when he was blended with Jack he could feel his love for you. He said it was the most intense thing he’s ever felt. And the two of you weren't’ even together at the time. Jack may be irritating, but I know without a doubt that he loves you and will always take care of you,” Jacob says with a soft smile.

Sam gives up and lets the tears flow, she’ll just have to redo her makeup. She steps into her dad’s open arms and holds him tight. This day could not be more perfect. She’s going to marry the man she loves with her friends and family all around.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Jack could not be more nervous as he stands in his backyard waiting for the ceremony to begin. Janet became the unofficial wedding planner and roped Cassie and Siler into decorating. Jack has no idea when they found the time, they always seemed to be busy doing other things for the wedding.

He can’t believe how his yard looks. Lights are strewn about, as well as a nice arch where he and Sam are to stand. Chairs have been brought and neatly placed. There’s a simple but elegant walkway for Sam to walk down. Everything is fairly simple, but beautiful.

Neither Jack or Sam wanted a big wedding, hence the reason they are getting married in his yard. Only close friends and Sam’s family are present.

They wanted to get married sooner, but got delayed when the dress that Aubry really wanted had to be special ordered. This is the first time she’s acted like her old self since her mom died that they decided to just wait and let her get the dress she wanted. So here they are, a month later, and Jack has to admit that Aubry does look rather cute in her frilly white princess dress, complete with a crown. She’s been grinning ear to ear the entire day.

Jack himself is dressed in his dress blues. He picked them up from the cleaners just this morning. They are neatly pressed, not a wrinkle in sight. He would have preferred to just wear a tux, but Sam insisted that he wear his uniform. She claims that he looks rather good in it.

Jack looks at his watch, the wedding is set to start in 5 minutes. He feels a new wave of nerves wash over him. He’s also nervous because a couple weeks ago, Sam handed him a small piece of paper with an address written on it. His mother’s address. Sam told him that he could do with it what he wanted and she would support him.

At first he wasn’t planning on doing anything with it, other than throwing it away. But for some reason, a reason he can’t explain, he found himself mailing her an invitation to his wedding along with a brief note and his phone number. He never heard from her and he doesn’t actually expect her to show up. He’s not sure he would want her to anyways, though he’s not sure he doesn’t want her to either.

He thinks about his mom. He only has vague memories of her from his childhood, before she left. He saw her once when he was 15, he tried to explain that he didn’t want to go back home, but she sent him away. Didn’t even let him inside her house.

He supposed that it was his near death experience...or death experience, he’s not sure how to categorize it...that made him send the invitation. Life is too short to hold on to the past. He’s decided that if his mother shows up, he’ll welcome her. Maybe then she would see that he is nothing like his father.

“Uh, Jack?” Daniel asks, coming up behind his friend.

“Yeah, Daniel what is it?” Jack asks.

“Sam is ready,” Daniel states.

Jack freezes, this is the moment he’s been waiting for. He’s about to marry the woman of his dreams. She’s the most amazing person he’s ever met in his life. He told her all about his life, he held nothing back, except graphic details. It was the most open he’s ever been with someone. He expected her to change her mind on marrying him, deeming him a lost cause, but she didn’t. Instead she embraced him and said she loves him and can’t wait to be his wife.

Jack makes his way to the spot Janet has indicated he should stand. He looks at General Hammond, who is officiating the day’s ceremony, and couldn’t be more honored. There wasn’t a wedding official available so General Hammond offered to perform the ceremony. Neither Jack nor Sam had any idea that he was ordained. It couldn’t have been more perfect. Jack couldn’t decide between Daniel or Teal’c for best man so he decided that they would both fulfil that role, with Mark as a groomsman.

On Sam’s side will be Cassie and Janet as duel maids of honor and Aubry as bridesmaid.

The music starts and Jack’s stomach flips. He feels like a big ball of raw nerves. Just before the wedding procession begins, Jack notices a woman he doesn’t recognize take a seat in the back row. He reckons that the woman is a few years younger than him, so definitely not his mother. He doesn’t have time to think about it any further as Luke and Aubry make their way down the aisle.

Aubry is beaming with delight, and Luke looks so proud. They walk down the aisle with arms linked and Aubry carries her flower bouquet. Jack smiles as he watches them. They’ve been through so much in the all too recent past, but to see them right now, you’d never know.

Cassie comes next. Jack cannot believe how the scared little girl that he met a few years ago has grown into this beautiful young lady. She looks gorgeous in her gown. It’s a light blue and has straps that cover both shoulders. The neckline of the dress has a very modest dip, it’s all very tasteful. Jack also notes the huge smile on the girl’s face, it makes him smile too.

Next is Janet, she looks stunning in a light blue strapless gown. The dress flows elegantly as she strides down the aisle. Her hair is up with just a few strands framing her face. In front of her, she holds a nice bouquet of fresh flowers. Jack has no idea what kind they are, and quite frankly, doesn’t care. He’s more interested in the woman that will be coming down the aisle next. Though Jack can’t help but notice that Daniel is staring. In fact, if his mouth hangs open any longer drool may start to drop.

The music suddenly changes and Jack stands straight. Sam appears with her arm linked with her father’s and Jack nearly embarrasses himself as he looks at her with googly eyes. He feels a whole range of emotions. Proud that he’s marrying the most beautiful creature to ever exist, scared that she will realize that she’s way out of his league, and so much more.

The closer she gets, the more Jack thinks he’s dreaming. Or maybe he really did die and is living out some postmortem fantasy. He shakes that ridiculous thought from his head and just enjoys the moment. He can’t believe that out of all the men in the world, she chose him. He locks eyes with her and she smiles that big beautiful smile that makes him weak in the knees. She is everything he’s ever wanted, and everything he never knew he needed.

Jack feels a sense of calm wash over him as Sam approaches. She looks absolutely beautiful in this dress, then again, she looks beautiful in anything.

Jack watches as Jacob kisses her on the cheek and smiles at her before handing her over to him. As he does so, Jacob’s eyes ever so subtly flash and Jack knows that Selmak is having a share in giving the bride away too. It makes the moment all the more special, as without Selmak, he wouldn’t be standing here.

Jack accepts Sam’s arm gratefully, the two share a look as they stand before General Hammond. The General says some really nice things but is careful to not reveal any classified details, as some have brought their families who are not cleared to know.

“Now, I understand the two of you have your own vows you wish to say?” Hammond inquires.

“Yes, Sir,” Sam answers.

“Please,” Hammond says as he gestures for her to begin when ready.

Sam takes a deep breath, Jack can tell she’s nervous, so is he. His heart flutters when she grabs his hand and looks at him and says, “Jack, you are the kindest most honest man I’ve ever known and I am so happy to be standing here with you today. Without you I’d probably be in my lab all day everyday,” she chuckles, “You bring adventure into my life, and everyday with you is a new and better one. I love you so much and I can’t wait to be your wife,” she breathes nervously trying to hold back tears.

“Colonel?” Hammond prods.

He slightly panics when she finishes because now it’s his turn to talk. He’s thought about what to say, but nothing seems good enough. He decides to breathe and just say what feels right.

All Jack can think is that he can’t believe he’s standing here with this woman. He can’t believe that she is saying all these things to him. He has done nothing in his life to deserve someone like her, yet here she stands declaring her love for him.

Jack gives her hand a tiny squeeze and says, “Sam, from the day we met, I knew you were special and would play a huge role in my life. I didn’t know back then just how big,” now it’s his turn to chuckle, then he says more seriously, “I was in a pretty dark place back then and you were the light at the end of the tunnel. You’ve never given up on me, even though I’ve given you plenty of reasons to. You’re my best friend and I can’t imagine a single day without you in it,” he pauses, “I love you more than I ever thought possible. In fact, I’ve loved you for a lot longer than I should probably admit to in present company,” he glances at General Hammond who just laughs.

Jack gives a crooked smile and continues, “Though I’m fairly certain that was a poorly hidden secret,” the crowd laughs and Jack hears someone say ‘You got that right!’ He laughs nervously and takes a deep breath, “We’ve been through a lot, and we lost each other for a time, but we found our way back,” then more nervously, “I have no idea why you picked me but I’m thankful you did. I hope I can keep doing whatever I’ve done to earn you.”

Jack exhales slowly, he hadn’t meant to ramble on like that but he couldn’t stop himself. The more he spoke the more he had to say, the more he wanted to say. He knows he’s going to be made fun of for being a lovesick fool but he doesn’t care. The tears of happiness that are streaming down his soon-to-be wife’s face and the love he sees reflecting in her eyes is enough for him.

“If that’s all then,” Hammond says as he steps forward. After receiving a nod from both Jack and Sam, he says, “Let’s have the rings.”

At the prompt, Luke proudly steps forward and hands Jack two rings. Jack gives a sly smile when Sam looks a little confused. Jack had the kids tell her that they would each handle a ring.

“Go ahead Colonel, you know what to say,” Hammond says knowingly.

Jack can tell Sam is about to burst wanting to know what’s going on and why he’s holding both rings. Jack takes Sam’s left hand and says, “I didn’t have an engagement ring when I proposed, so I figured I should give you one first,” he slips the ring on her finger and Sam stares at it in amazement, while the crowd says a collective ‘awww.’

The ring has a white gold band with three diamonds and a baguette lining each side. In the middle is a beautiful diamond that stands out.

Sam continues to stare, it’s the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen.

“And now for the wedding band,” Hammond instructs.

Sam is so caught up in receiving her engagement ring that she nearly forgot about the wedding bands. Jack takes hold of her hand again and says, “With this ring I thee wed.”

Sam’s wedding band is another white gold ring with several diamonds lining it. The two rings aren’t a matching set, but they go together perfectly.

Now Aubry steps forward and hands Sam a ring. It’s a simple titanium band. It’s smooth and nice to look at, Sam takes Jack’s left hand and slips it on and says, “With this ring I thee wed.”

They share a smile and Jack steps forward and is just about to kiss her when Hammond says, “Hold on there, son.”

Jack freezes and looks at Hammond who says, “You’re getting ahead of yourself.” The crowd shares another laugh.

Jack and Sam give the General a sheepish look. Sam’s cheeks are a brilliant red and Jack just shrugs.

Hammond laughs and says, “By the power vested in me by the state of Colorado, I pronounce you husband and wife,” after a beat, “Now you can kiss her.”

Jack hears the crowd chuckle as he leans in and kisses his wife. He hears some hoops and hollers as he grabs Sam’s face and deepens the kiss.

The next thing Jack knows, General Hammond is patting him on the shoulder and saying “Alright, son, save it for tonight.”

Jack steps back and sees that Sam’s face is all red again. She looks adorable. As for him, he completely forgot that he was making out with her in front of everyone. He could have stood there kissing her forever.

The laughing dies down when General Hammond clears his throat, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Jack O’Neill.”

Everyone is on their feet whistling and making other sounds of good cheer as they make their way up to congratulate the newly married couple.

Most of the men tell Jack that it’s about time, or that they knew this day was coming. Whereas the women tell Sam that she has her hands full with that one.

Jacob comes over and hugs his daughter and tells Jack ‘welcome to the family.’

Mark comes over next and hugs Sam so tight she thinks she might break. Tears of joy are flowing down both of their faces. Mark gives Jack a hug too and tells him that he’s always wanted for a brother.

Sam and Jacob have their father daughter dance, which makes everyone cry.

When the song is over, Jack comes over and he and Sam have their first dance.

As the evening goes on and people start leaving, Jack pulls Jacob aside and glances around to make sure they aren’t overheard before he asks, “Could I speak to Selmak for a moment?”

Jacob bows his head and Selmak comes forth, “What can do for you Colonel O’Neill?”

Jack takes a deep breath and says, “I just want to say that this,” he gestures all around him, “is because of you. Because of you I got to marry my best friend. I just wanted you to know how grateful I am.”

“It is I who am grateful,” Selmak says humbly, “ Since my time with Jacob I’ve come to think of Samantha as my own daughter. The two of you could not be more suited for each other.”

“Thank you,” Jack says sincerely as a woman approaches. Selmak quickly retreats as Jacob takes back control. Jack notes that she is the same woman who came in as the wedding started and sat in the back. He figured she was with one of the other guests.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry to interrupt,” the woman says, then adds looking directly at Jack, “I just wondered if I could have a moment of your time.”

“I was just leaving, “ Jacob says as he nods to Jack. No doubt he picked up on the hint that the women wanted to talk to Jack alone.

“What can I do for you?” Jack asks, looking at her.

Jack can tell that the woman is nervous and looks apprehensive, almost as though she’s not sure she should be here.

“My name is Angela Scott,” she says, seeming to find her confidence, she takes a deep breath and adds, “I’m here because my mother received an invitation, her name is Julia Bivens.”

A chill runs down his spine and he has no idea what to say. He looks at the woman in front of him trying to figure out if he heard her right.

He must have starred for too long because she starts to squirm. Jack refocuses his attention as Angela asks quietly, “Do you know who I am?”

Jack knows he should say something but words just aren't coming out. Finally he manages, “I’ve known about you for a long time, I just never knew your name.”

Angela starts to tear up as she says, “I never knew about you, not until I saw the invitation and your note,” she wipes her eyes and adds, “I hope it’s alright that I came. I just wanted to meet you.”

Still stunned, Jack says, “Of course it’s alright you came.”

Jack is so caught up with what’s going on in front of him that he jumps a little as Sam touches his shoulder. He hadn’t even seen her come over. He grabs her hand and says, “This is my wife, Sam,” Jack off-handedly realizes that this is the first time he’s introduced her like that. A swell of pride rises in his chest.

Sam nods at the introduction but Jack can tell she’s confused, so he adds, “Sam, this is Angela Scott, my sister.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 12

“Wow, I mean, wow, it’s nice to meet you,” Sam says, extending her hand.

Jack is usually naturally suspicious of people, but for some reason with this woman, he’s not. He completely believes her. That puts him on edge as the last time he believed a stranger, he wound up dying.

“I brought the note you wrote to my mom, as well as other proof that I am who I say I am,“ Angela says as if reading Jack’s mind, then adds, “In the note you said you were willing to help with travel expenses and with all the scammers that are out there, I didn’t want you to think I was trying to take advantage.”

She hands him the note that says…

Dear Claudia Bivens,

I wasn’t sure exactly how to address you. I thought about using a salutation, then I realized that I don’t know if you’re married or not. Using just your first name seemed too personal. Calling you mom didn’t feel appropriate as you haven’t been my mother in nearly 40 years.

I’m writing to you because, as you can see, I’m getting married. My fiancée is actually the one who found your address and encouraged me to invite you. You’d probably actually really like her, everyone does. She’s very hard not to like, believe me I tried, but that’s a story for another day.

Anyways, the other reason I’m reaching out to you is because I learned recently that things can change really fast. Life is too short to hold on to the past. Whatever your reasons were for leaving me with my father are in the past, and that’s where it should stay. Besides, it’s experiences like that that lead me to meet Sam, (my soon to be wife) and I can’t imagine a single day without her.

So if you decide to come, you’ll be welcomed. I know the trip from Minnisota to here is a long one, I’ve made the trip enough times. I also know this is short notice, so I’m willing to help with travel expenses. Just let me know, here’s my number ### ### ####.

Sincerely, Jonathan (Jack) O’Neill

“I found it when I went to my mom’s house to do some cleaning, she moved into a care facility recently,” Angela says, looking guilty.

Jack wonders why she looks guilty over that. He also thinks he should be more affected by this news. Living in a care facility means that for whatever the reason, she cannot live on her own. He finds himself having a hard time feeling any sort of personal connection. It’s probably because he hasn’t had any type of meaningful relationship with his mother since he was six years old. In fact, he has to keep reminding himself that Angela’s mother is his mother too.

“My mother has dementia, it’s steadily gotten worse over time. She was living with me for a while, but she got to the point where she needed more help than I could provide,” Angela explains.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Jack replies. He does feel bad for Angela, having to deal with such a tough situation.

“I’ve always had a great relationship with my mom. So it was especially surprising to find out that she’s been lying to me my whole life. I wanted to ask her about it, but she doesn’t always know who I am anymore. I was afraid of making her worse, so I was hoping maybe you could answer some of my questions,” Angela says, hopefully.

Jack shakes his head, “I don’t know, I was only six when she left. Honestly my memories of her are really vague.” He tried to hold on to his memories, but his father beat them out of him over time. He has very vivid memories of that. When he thinks about his mother he has trouble picturing her face, he can’t even remember what color her hair was.

He’s not actually sure he would recognize his mother if she were to come up to him. He suddenly wonders if Angela looks like her, she certainly doesn’t look like his father. He wonders if they even have the same father.

“Anything you could tell me would be helpful. My mom told me my father died, is that true?” Angela asks.

“Uhh,” Jack says. He really doesn’t know what to say.

Angela shakes her head, “I’m sorry, this is not the appropriate time for this. The two of you just got married, you should be celebrating.”

“It’s alright. I’ll answer the questions that I can, but I might not have the answers you want,” Jack answers.

“I just can’t believe you travelled all this way,” Sam says, completely astonished.

“How long will you be in town?” Jack asks.

“I’m not sure. I visit my mom every couple of days and because of the dementia, I try to keep that schedule as regular as possible. I flew down here on a whim,” she says, starting to feel stressed out.

“How’s this, Sam and I are heading up to Minnisota for our honeymoon, why don’t we swing by your place on our way back and we can talk some then,” Jack suggests looking at both women.

Sam nods in agreement, “That sounds fine to me.”

“That would be good, except in my haste to come down here I only bought a one way ticket. I’ve never bought a plane ticket before.” Angela says, looking as though she wants to cry.

“I’m sure we can take care of that,” Jack says reassuringly. Jack looks over at Sam and she just nods her head and walks off. A moment later she returns followed closely by Walter Harriman.

“Walter, I need you to find Angela here, a flight back to...St. Cloud?” Jack looks at Angela
for confirmation. He assumes she lives in the same area that he sent the card to. After she nods, Jack continues, “St. Cloud Minnesota.”

“Yes Sir, I’ll see what I can do,” Walter says, then address Angela directly, “When are you looking to leave ma’am?”

“Oh, um, I suppose as soon as possible,” Angela answers.

Walter nods then politely excuses himself. Jack and Sam take the time to introduce Angela to their friends. Everyone is surprised, but they welcome her.

Jack and Sam excuse themselves from the conversation to say goodbye to some guests, leaving Angela with their friends.

As the night goes on, more and more guests are leaving and that suits Jack and Sam just fine. They love their friends, but they are ready for everyone to leave. Besides, they are leaving early in the morning to head up to the cabin for a nice relaxing honeymoon.

Sam hugs her father goodbye, he has to get back to the Tok’ra as soon as possible. General Hammond also excuses himself from the festivities to drive his old friend back to Cheyenne Mountain.

Daniel and Teal’c bid them a farewell and a safe and fun trip. Daniel winks, Sam blushes, Jack rolls his eyes, and Teal’c says, ‘indeed.’

Just as the last of the guests leave, Walter approaches, “Colonel, Major?”

“Sargent, did you find a flight out?” Jack asks.

Walter nods, “Yes, Sir. It took some doing but I found one for the day after tomorrow. Here’s the information,” he says, as he hands Jack the flight information.

“Thanks, Walter.” Jack says as he takes the paper.

“Of course, Sir, ma’am,” Walter says and nods courteously, then adds, “I wasn’t sure who to bill it too so it’s not been paid for yet. They will only hold the flight for a couple of hours.”

“Just bill it to me,” Jack says. He can’t believe that his long lost sister actually came, besides, he said in the note that he would help with travel expenses and he meant that.

“Yes Sir. I’ll call them back and get that taken care of right away,” Walter says.

Jack and Sam thank him again and bid him a goodnight.

When they return to the backyard they see Mark and Angela playing tag with Luke and Aubry. Jack and Sam look at each other and share a sly smile.

Mark catches sight of them and says, “I guess you want us to get out of here too then huh.”

“You can stay as long as you want, just don’t come in the house,” Jack says, coyly, then walks over to Angela and hands her a piece of paper and says, “This is for you.”

She takes it, looks at it, and says, “I don’t see where to pay for this.”

“It’s taken care of,” Jack tells her.

“I don’t know what to say, thank you,” Angela replies.

“It’s not until the day after tomorrow so you’ll need a place to stay,” Sam informs her as she steps forward and takes Jack’s hand in hers.

“I can help you find a hotel...if you’d like that is,” Mark says as he steps closer to the others, then adds, “I’m sure my kids wouldn’t mind driving around a little.”

“Thank you, I’d appreciate that,” Angela says, gratefully.

After a few more minutes of idle chit chat, Mark wrangles his kids up and puts them in the car. Jack and Sam hug Angela as she too gets in. As they say a quick goodbye to Mark, Jack discreetly slips him a credit card and tells Mark to use it for Angela’s hotel room and anything else she might need.

Jack and Sam wave goodbye as Mark backs out of the driveway. Once they’re out of sight, they both heave a sigh of relief as all the excitement of the day starts wearing on them. They look at each other as another kind of excitement takes hold.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

After spending a glorious week up at the cabin, Sam and Jack make their way to St. Cloud to meet up with Angela. Sam can tell Jack is a bit nervous about it, which is understandable.

They will stay for two days before heading back to Colorado. Daniel, Teal’c, and Mark had offered to move what little Sam was taking with her from her house over to Jack’s. She is grateful for that, it might only be a handful of boxes, but it’s one less thing they have to do when they get home. They both would like a couple days to settle in before heading back to work.

Sam glances over at her husband, she smiles at that. She can’t believe that she’s married, and to Jack O’Neill no less. If someone would have told her a few years ago when they met that they would be married one day, she would have laughed in their face.

Sam has never been the type to fall for a superior officer. She always made sure that she conducted herself very professionally, especially when the superior officer was attractive. She’s worked with and for some rather good looking men in her time with the Air Force, but she’s never developed an actual crush on one.

She figured Jack would have been no different, he was handsome, funny, and a lot smarter than he lets on. The more she got to know him, the more she appreciated those qualities, Before she knew it, she was crushing hard.

She hadn’t realized it, or at least refused to admit it, until he was stranded on Edora. She missed him like crazy and worked round the clock to find a way to bring him home. Her heart nearly broke when it seemed like he had given his heart to Laira. It was in that moment that she knew for sure that she had more than just a simple crush, it was something a whole lot deeper.

They talked about that incident. She was surprised when Jack told her that he wasn’t in love with Laira. He had told her that he genuinely thought he was never getting back home. There was no way he was ever going to dig the stargate out and fix it. Sam shed a few tears when he said that he liked Laira but his heart already belonged to someone else. That made Sam blush. He was only settling for Laira because he couldn’t have the one he really wanted. Jack had told her that he only asked Laira to come back with him because he felt it was the right thing to do, but that he felt relieved when she declined.

Getting back to her original thoughts, Sam thinks about some of the other men she’s known. Good looking, smart men that made it obvious they were interested. She had never been tempted before, not until she met Jack.

This man was different from all the others. Sure he flirted with her from time to time, but it was always in a tasteful, friendly way. He never acted as though he was trying to win her over. She realizes now that that was part of his appeal. He was just himself, never trying to be something he wasn’t, not trying to impress her.

Sam smiles as she looks at her husband, she is happier than she ever thought she could be. She knows they are bound to have their ups and down, that’s already been proven. She also knows that they will work everything out. She’s never felt more content and secure in a relationship.

“What’s up?” Jack asks, pulling Sam out of her musings.

“What?”

“You’re staring at me smiling,” Jack says, with a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Sorry,” Sam replies.

“Hey, I’m not complaining,” he says as he reaches over and grabs her hand.

Sam smiles contentedly and sighs, “I just can’t believe we’re here, after everything we’ve been through. I’m so happy.”

Jack leans over and kisses her hand, “I know, I’m happy too.”

A little while later they pull into Angela’s driveway. She offered to let them stay with her but they decided to stay in a hotel instead. She had been slightly disappointed but understood. After all, they were just starting to get to know each other. Not to mention the fact that Jack and Sam are on their honeymoon and want as much alone time as they can get.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Over the course of their stay in St. Cloud, Jack and Sam learn a lot about Angela. How she grew up with just her mom, having been told that her father had died. Never being aware of any siblings. She’s tried to get some information out of her mother on her more lucid days, but those are far and in between.

She was sick when Jack told her how abusive his father was, he didn’t go into details but she could tell that things were bad. Angela now understands why her mother left, and if she and Jack share a father also, she can understand her mother not wanting him to know about her. What she can’t understand is why her mother would leave Jack with a man like that.

She admires Jack. The way he carries himself. He doesn’t act like a victim and seems to have made peace with the whole thing. Jack told her that he hasn’t been in contact with his father since he left home at 18 and joined the AIr Force. Other than that horrible message he left after Charlie died. A message he never returned. That was a few years ago now though, he has no idea if his father is still alive or not, and quite frankly, doesn’t care.

As for Angela, Jack and Sam learn that she was a smart kid growing up. She excelled in math and actually works as a school teacher, teaching the subject. She was married to a wonderful man until he died of cancer 3 years ago. They had wanted children, but due to some fertility issues, they weren’t able. They couldn’t afford specialized treatments so considered adoption, but that went out the window when her husband got sick.

Shortly after her husband died, she noticed a change in her mother. She started forgetting things and repeating herself. Angela finally convinced her mom to go get checked after she was out for a walk and couldn’t remember how to get home. Someone called the police and they picked her up. All she kept saying was Angela’s name so the police were able to look up DMV records and found Angela’s number.

When Angela arrived at the police station, the officer told her where he picked her up at and a chill ran down Angela’s back when it was only 3 driveways away from her mom’s house. That’s when she convinced her mom that something was definitely wrong. They went to the doctor and found out that her mom was suffering from dementia. They were told that the symptoms were probably there for a while but could be hard to recognize.

Angela was forced to step back from her work as a teacher in order to be home more. She was able to find a part time teaching job from home where she teaches via video conference. Even that became pretty difficult as her mother’s condition worsened.

Eventually, her mother required more and more supervision and Angela wasn’t able to keep working at all. Angela did what she could, but her savings was dwindling and her mother needed constant help, she couldn’t keep up. She felt horrible putting her into a care facility, but also felt that she didn’t have a choice. She was exhausted all the time and if she didn’t start working soon, she was going to fall behind on all her bills.

She was fortunate that she found a nice facility nearby that accepted her mother’s social security checks as payment. She was able to go back to work teaching online, she found that she really liked that and could make more money with private sessions.

She is also in the process of preparing her mother’s house for sale, that’s how she found the letter and invitation that Jack had mailed.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

On the last day of their stay in St. Cloud, Angela invites them to do something that Jack hadn’t even considered. He can tell Angela is nervous and he has no idea what to say.

“Uh, I mean, I, uh,” Jack stammers.

“It’s alright, I shouldn’t have asked. I’m sorry,” Angela says, interrupting.

“No, it’s alright, I just hadn’t considered…” Jack says, leaving off the rest of the sentence.

“I didn’t know if I should even ask. I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it,” Angela says.

Jack looks over at Sam to try and gauge what she might be thinking. She bites her bottom lip and looks as though she’s thinking.

“Well, I have a few things I need to do before I head over to the care facility so why don’t the two of you think about it for a few minutes,” Angela says as she stands to leave, then looks back and adds, “I do understand if the answer is no, I just wanted you to know that you’d be welcome.

As she leaves the room, Jack turns to Sam once more, “What are you thinking?”

Sam looks down, then after a moment, looks at Jack and says, “I think this is a decision you have to make. I can help you reason it out, but the ultimate decision is yours.”

Jack leans forward and folds his hands under his chin, “You know, the last time I saw my mother I was 14. I found out where she was living and I ran away from home. I thought…,” he pauses, “It was dark and raining and she wouldn’t let me inside. She told me to go back home where I belonged. She said something about her keeping her daughter safe, that’s when I found out that I had a sister.”

Sam reaches out to hold his hand, “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Jack tilts his head and looks at her, “She left me with a monster and when I went to her for help, she turned me away. She didn’t want me, Sam,” he pauses, then adds, “Even if I do go see her, I can’t get any answers. I can’t tell her anything about life after she left. She probably won’t even know who I am.”

Sam nods, “All of that is true. Angela said with the dementia her mom doesn’t even know who she is at times. Pressing her for information could make her worse. But, Jack, think about this, Angela said that on top of the dementia, her mom has poor health, and it’s getting worse. This could be your last opportunity to see her. With our jobs, it could be awhile before you get to come back up here.”

“You think I should go see her?,” Jack asks, but says it more like a statement.

Sam squeezes his hand and smiles softly, “I’m not saying you should, or you shouldn’t. I just want you to think about everything so that you don’t have regrets later. I will support whatever you decide.”

Jack brings her hand up to his lips and gives it a gentle kiss. He’s so thankful to have Sam here. He never considered the possibility of seeing his mother while they were visiting with his sister.

On one hand, he kind of wants to see her. He wants to ask why she left him, but he can’t. She’s older and sick and she might not even remember that far back. He absolutely cannot go in and start demanding answers, Sam is right, that could make her condition worse.

His mother’s health is not good and if he gives her mental stress that could really make things worse. Angela said her mom probably doesn’t have that much time left, he doesn’t want to do anything that could speed that along. Angela has always had a good relationship with her mother, he doesn’t want to do anything that could rob them of the time they have left, however much it is.

On the other hand, Sam is right again. She seems to always be right. If he doesn’t go see her now, he might not get up here again any time soon. He wonders if he would regret not seeing her. He hasn’t had a mother since he was 6 years old, he has no relationship with this woman.

After that night he tried to see his mom, his father beat him senseless. He used to think that he never should have gone back home. He could have made do on the streets. He looks over at Sam. No, if he hadn’t returned home he never would’ve graduated high school, never would’ve joined the Air Force, never would have met her.

Everything he endured was worth it the day he met Sam. It wasn’t fun and he certainly wishes it had never happened, but it led him to her.

“I think I’ve made my decision,” Jack says.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13

Jack and Sam wait in the hallway while Angela goes in to see how her mother’s mood is today. They agreed that Angela would introduce them as friends, not revealing any more than that.

Angela comes out a few minutes later and says with a smile, “She’s having a good day today. I told her that I brought a couple friends by to say hello, she’s excited.”

Jack takes a deep breath, trying to shake off the nerves. Sam takes his hand in hers and gives it a squeeze for support. They follow Angela in and stand by the wall facing the bed.

“Mom, I want you to meet my friends. This is Jack and Sam,” she says, gesturing to each one in turn, then adds, “Jack, Sam, this is my mother, Claudia.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Claudia,” Sam says when Jack stays silent. She suddenly feels herself overcome with nerves having just realized that she just met her mother-in-law. She’s not sure why she didn’t make that connection before.

Claudia examines the two of them before getting a sly smile on her face. She turns to Angela and says, “Well, he’s mighty handson, is he your new boyfriend?”

Angela goes red in the face and looks down, “No, mom, no. Jack is married to Sam.”

Sam stands there looking amused and Jack just stares at the floor.

“I thought you said you were seeing someone,” Claudia says.

“Of course you’d remember that,” Angela says, hanging her head again, “And I didn’t say I was seeing someone, I said I was talking to someone, as a friend.”

Jack nudges Sam and she can tell that he’s now amused. Of course he thinks he knows who Angela might be seeing, or talking to. Sam thinks he’s crazy. It’s only been a matter of months since Onica died, there’s no way Mark would be moving on already.

“Oh, well, I suppose that’s alright,” Claudia says to Angela, then turns to Jack and Sam and asks, “So, where are you kids from?”

“Do you mean where we were born or where we live now?” Sam asks for clarification.

“Both,” Claudia replies.

“Oh, okay, I was born in California but my father is in the Air Force so we moved around a lot. Now I live in Colorado,” Sam answers.

Sam elbows Jack harder than she intended to and he glares at her. She glares back and motions with her head for him to answer the question.

He glares a moment longer and clears his throat, “I was born in Chicago but raised in Minnesota. Now I also live in Colorado.”

“Oh, how nice. Do the two of you know each other then?” Claudia asks, looking at Jack and Sam.

They look back at her and Angela pipes up, “Yes, mom, they know each other. They’re married, remember?”

“Oh, I thought he was the guy you were,” Angela starts.

“No, mom,” Angela says, cutting her mother off.

They stay for a couple of hours but Sam thinks they should leave when Claudia appears to get more and more confused. Sam lost count of how many times Claudia has had to be told that she and Jack are married and that he and Angela are not involved romantically.

Sam really appreciates how patient Angela is with her mother. She imagines that it’s not easy having to repeat yourself so many times. She also imagines that it has to be hard for Angela to be so patient after learning that her mother lied to her for so long.

Sam also noted that the longer they were there the less Jack spoke. He would smile from time to time and answer questions that he was asked, but nothing more.

Claudia didn’t seem to realize that she was speaking with her long lost son. A part of Sam thinks they should say something, but Angela and the doctors warned them about overwhelming Claudia’s mind.

As they say their goodbyes and turn to go, Claudia blurts out, “Jonathan.”

Jack freezes and looks over at Claudia. She has a very pensive expression.

“Mom?” Angela asks, also noting her mother’s expression.

“I don’t know, it’s probably nothing. For some reason that name popped into my mind,” she says, laughing and shaking her head.

Sam watches Jack closely to see what he might do, if he does anything. She can tell that he is caught off guard by hearing his given name.

Claudia suddenly gasps and covers her mouth with her hands, “No, no this can’t be. He’ll hurt him and then he’ll find me and hurt my baby.”

Claudia looks so distressed, like she’s going to start crying. Angela looks as though she doesn't know what to do, or what her mother is talking about.

“We have to get out of here,” Claudia says to her daughter.

“Mom, what are you talking about?” Angela asks, clearly concerned.

“You don’t understand,” Claudia shrieks, “We have to get out of here before it’s too late. Before the monster hurts him.”

“Who? Who are you talking about?” Angela asks, stepping closer to her mother.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________-

Jack stands there watching the scene unfold before his very eyes. Angela is worried, Sam is unsure of what to do, and Claudia is hysterical. Ever since she said his name, she’s been repeating the same thing over and over.

“He’ll hurt him and then he’ll find me and hurt my baby. He’ll hurt him and then he’ll find me and hurt my baby.”

Jack has always been a man of action. He runs through a battle field on a seemingly weekly basis. He always does what needs to be done, but right now, he feels frozen in place.

An icy chill runs down his spice when Claudia says his father’s name. It’s a fairly common name that he hears all the time, but in this context it’s rather disturbing

Something inside of Jack spurs him into motion and before he realizes it, he’s at his mother’s bedside holding her hand.

“Shhhh, it’s alright,” Jack soothes.

Claudia looks at him startled and replies, “No, it’s not alright. Roger will hurt him.”

Jack shakes his head and says gently, “Jonathan is fine.”

Saying those three words seems to calm Claudia a bit, though now she looks puzzled, “You know Jonathan?”

“Yeah, I know him, and he’s fine,” Jack reassures her.

“But, Roger said he would hurt him,” Claudia whimpers.

“Roger isn’t here and he can’t hurt anyone,” Jack replies. He feels like barfing after saying his father’s name. He’s said the name before, but it’s different when he’s actually talking about the man who tortured him for all those years.

“How do you...who are you?” Claudia asks, then she gasps and yanks her hand away from Jack and covers her mouth. Tears flow from her eyes when she asks, “Jonathan?”

Jack nods his head and says, “Yeah, it’s me.”

Claudia shrieks and wraps her arms around him, nearly pulling him down on top of her. She’s saying something in his ear but with all the sobs, he can’t quite make it out. She’s squeezing him a lot harder than he thought she would be capable of.

After Claudia finally releases him, Jack can see Angela and Sam wiping away tears and smiling big.

“How are you here?” Claudia asks.

“I sent you an invitation to my wedding. Angela came instead,” Jack briefly explains.

“You’re married?” Claudia asks with more tears in her eyes.

“Yeah,” Jack motions for Sam to step forward, “This is my wife, Samantha.”

“Oh, that’s what you told me earlier isn’t it Ange?”

“Yeah mom, it is,” Angela says, still smiling big.

“It’s nice to meet you, Samantha,” Claudia says.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Claudia,” Sam replies.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions, Ange,” Claudia says to her daughter.

“I do, I think we both do,” Angela says, motioning to Jack.

Jack watches his mother closely. He’s not exactly sure what’s happening right now. A few minutes ago they were having to repeat everything, now it seems as though Claudia is keeping up with the conversation. He’s not an expert on dementia, but he does know that sometimes a person suffering from it can have moments of clarity. He wonders if that’s what’s going on.

“I should have told you about him sooner, I was just so afraid,” Clauida says, sadly.

“Afraid of what Mom?” Angela asks.

“Of Him,” Claudia replies quietly.

“He can’t hurt you,” Jack assures her.

Claudia shakes her head, “It’s not me I’m worried about, it never was.”

“What do you mean?” Jack asks.

“I was worried about you,” Claudia says, looking directly at him.

Before Jack can say anything, Claudia continues, “Your father was a mean man, and he didn’t trust me. He was always accusing me of being unfaithful, I never was, but that didn’t matter,” she starts, lost in her memory from long ago, “When I found out I was pregnant, I knew he wouldn't believe it was his. I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t have much time to figure things out. I panicked and I left. I intended to come back for you after giving birth,” she says, looking at Jack, “and I did. Your father was home and got to me before I could get to you. He said I could leave if I wanted but he wasn’t going to let me take his son away. I begged him,” she sobs, “He slapped me across the face and said that if I ever came near you he would kill you. I believed him. So I left again, only this time I was trying to save your life.”

Jack feels numb. He can’t believe what he’s hearing. Is what she is saying actually true? If it is, that means his mother didn’t abandon him when he was 6 like he thought. His mind starts to spin with all this new information, but he focuses again on Claudia as she starts to speak.

“Turning you away that night was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she says.

Jack can’t speak and feels relieved when he hears his sister ask, “What night?”

“The night before we moved, when you were 7,” Claudia says to her daughter.

Angela gasps and covers her mouth with one hand, “I remember that night. I had bronchitis. It was raining and someone knocked on the door. You said it was a homeless beggar looking for money.”

Claudia drops her head in shame, “I wanted you to stay but I thought that if you found me then your father could too. I didn’t want him to hurt you, and I was afraid he would find out about Angela so I sent you back. I’m so sorry.”

Jack feels as though the wind has been sucked right out of him. All his life he thought his mother didn’t want him, didn’t love him. He’s been wrong all this time.

“A mother’s job is to take care of her children and ensure their safety. I had to do that for you by staying away. Look at you now all grown up and married. I’ve missed so much. Can you ever forgive me?” Claudia pleads.

Jack knows his father, and knows without a doubt that he would have made good on his threat to his mother. He now realizes that his mom did what she had to do to make sure he was safe, at least as safe as he could be.

“Yes, I forgive you,” Jack says and takes her hand.

“I didn’t want to leave you with that man. But he never hurt you before and I convinced myself that if I did what he said and stayed away then you would be alright,” Claudia says trying to smile.

Jack can tell she’s looking for assurance. He could tell her the truth and say that his father beat the life out of him nearly every day, but that would crush her. Plus he was told to not overload her mind, finding out the truth of his childhood could do just that. Besides, Angela said that their mother has other health problems that have been declining. He doesn’t want her to have to live the rest of her life knowing that she was wrong and his father did come after him.

“I was fine, he never hurt me,” Jack says. He’s gotten a little too good at lying.

He feels bad for lying like that but the way her face lights up makes it worth it.

Claudia smiles big and opens her arms for both of her children. Jack and Angela step up and embrace each other. Claudia calls for Sam to join them too. Jack sidesteps a little to make room for his wife and wraps an arm around her.

Jack and Sam stay for a little while longer. They are both enjoying getting to know his mother. Jack feels a bit sad when his mom looks at him and asks who he is. Her lucid moment is over he suspects. He tells her that he and Sam are friends of Angela’s and that they just stopped by to say hello.

Claudia thanks them for their visit and Angela walks out with them.

When they get to the hallway, Angela turns to Jack and Sam and says, “I can’t believe that just happened. She hasn’t been lucid like that in a while.”

“I learned a lot of things,” Jack says quietly.

Angela looks a little uncomfortable and says, “Jack, even though she was lucid, I can’t guarantee that everything she said was accurate.”

Jack nods his head. He thought about that but dismissed it, “I know, but I’m going to choose to believe it.”

Angela smiles and gives Jack and Sam a hug before she bids them farewell and heads back in the room with her mother

Jack takes Sam’s hand in his and they make their way out of the care facility. Jack feels more content than ever. He’s got the best wife ever, he got to know his sister, and his mother did love him. Yeah he’s got a pretty good life.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14

One year later

As Jack sits in the dark he thinks about the past year and how so many things have changed. In any other circumstance all the changes might be overwhelming, but in this case, it’s exciting.

After dying and being saved by Selmak, Jack married the woman of his dreams, met his sister, and found out that his mother didn’t actually abandon him like he thought. He thinks about his mother with a little bit of sadness. Angela called about three months ago to tell him that their mother had passed away. He wishes he could have gotten to know her better.

Angela told him that despite their mother’s dementia, she remembered Jack. She talked about him everyday. That thought made Jack happy. Unfortunately, Jack and Sam weren’t able to get back up to Minnisota before she died. They tried but it just didn’t work out. They were barely able to make the funeral.

Whereas he does feel sad that they didn’t get to spend more time with Claudia, he smiles when he looks down and sees the reason why.

This little girl is the biggest change of all. Sam transferred to the science department full time with the option to rejoin SG-1, but she’s leaning towards not. She hasn’t fully decided but has indicated that Jack should start looking for a replacement. Of course they’ll have to inform General Hammond as well.

Jack thinks about how he and Sam found out that she was pregnant. Sam hadn’t been feeling well and thought it was the flu that was going around. They weren’t planning to have kids right away so Sam was still taking birth control. Imagine their surprise. Jack looks at his sleeping little girl, she was the best surprise ever.

This baby is now 2 weeks old and they are learning to adapt to their new normal. Jack also thinks that it’s been nice having his sister around. After their mom passed away, Angela sold both her and her mom’s houses and moved to Colorado. Though Jack suspects that that had more to do with a certain someone rather than him and Sam.

Angela stayed with them for a couple weeks until she found a place of her own, fairly nearby. Jack and Sam are both grateful that she has offered to babysit when Sam goes back to work.

They were also given permission to read Angela in on the Stargate Program, limited information of course. Like Mark, Angela had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. This does make it easier to explain their long absences, especially Jack’s seems how he’s still going off-world with SG-1.

Jack finds that he wants to just finish each mission and get home to see his wife and baby. He’s actually been thinking about retiring again. Sam thinks he should hold off a bit longer but will support whatever he decides.

Jack looks at the sleeping little girl and smiles, he wants nothing more than to be with her all day everyday. He missed so much when Charlie was little, he doesn’t want that to happen again. That’s why anytime he’s home, he’s very hands on. He changes diapers and gets up in the night with her. He would feed her, but he doesn’t have the right equipment for that.

This little girl is so special, he’s even more grateful to Selmak for saving his life. Without him, little Selena Mackenzie O’Neill wouldn’t be here.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

3 years later

Sam sits on the back porch watching her husband run around with their daughter. She can’t believe the little girl is a toddler now. She also can’t believe how fulfilled her life is. She decided to stay in the science department full time. She thought she would miss going off-world with SG-1, and she does, but she loves having a regulated schedule and being more available for her daughter.

Sam also thinks about her husband. He’s such a wonderful man. She’s thankful for him everyday. She’s also very proud of him. He’s come a long way since she met him all those years ago. General Hammond retired a year ago and Jack was promoted to Brigadier General and took his place. Sam had a proud wife moment at that.

Sam turns when she hears footsteps approaching, “Mark, hey.”

“Hey sis,” Mark says as he leans down and kisses the top of Sam’s head, “How are you feeling?”

Sam runs her hand over her swollen belly and says, “Like this baby is going to fall out at any moment.”

“Well, you look beautiful,” Mark says as his kids run past him and join Jack and Selena in the backyard.

They share a laugh as the kids bulldoze into Jack, nearly knocking him over.

Sam sighs then says, “Well, I need to bring the food out.”

Mark stops her from getting up by saying, “I’ll get the food, you just sit there,” as he heads in the house, he turns back and says, “Besides I can get all the food and set the table before you even get up.”

Sam throws a peanut at her brother’s retreating back and rolls her eyes as he snickers.

Mark has also come a long way. Not so long ago, their relationship was very tense. Now though, they’re more like friends. Sam loves her brother and the man he’s become. He really stepped up after his wife died. Sam knows that they still have some harder days, but all in all, everyone is doing well.

Sam glances in the house when she hears voices. Angela has arrived. Angela has made such a wonderful addition to their family. She’s been really helpful with Selena and with Mark’s kids.

Sam smiles as she thinks about Angela and Mark. Jack had been right. He suspected that the two of them would hit it off, and they did. Claudia even said that Angela was dating someone, Jack told Sam that she was probably talking about Mark. Sam didn’t think so, after all, at the time it had only been a few months since Onica died.

Jack gloated about being right until he realized that Mark was dating his little sister. Sam had a good laugh at that realization.

Mark and Angela bring the food out as Daniel and Teal’c arrive and join them all in the yard. A few minutes after that General Hammond and her father show up, followed closely by Janet and Cassie.

Today, the gender of their baby is being revealed. Yes, Sam is a bit far into her pregnancy already and could actually go into labor any day, but this is the first time everyone’s schedules aligned. Sam and Jack don’t figure there’s any reason to have a reveal at this point, but all their friends really wanted to. Besides, it’s a nice excuse to have them all over.

Daniel and Teal’c help gather everyone around the table to eat. Laughs are shared, stories are told, it’s an all around good time.

“If I could have everyone’s attention,” Daniel says, standing up, “The time has come to find out the gender of the newest member of the O’Neill family. Selena, could you come here please?”

The little girl hops off her father’s lap and runs over to her uncle. Daniel whispers something in the girl’s ear and when she nods he says, “The gender is in this envelope, Selena will open it and tell you if she’s getting a little brother or sister.”

Daniel kneels down again and helps Selena open the envelope. After making sure she knows what to say, Daniel lifts her up so everyone can hear.

Sam watches as everyone has their eyes on her daughter, wondering what she’s gonna say. She grabs Jack’s hand, the two share a smile, as they await the announcement.

“I get a baby…” Selena pauses, no doubt directed to by Daniel to keep everyone in suspense, “Sister!” She screeches, then giggles as everyone hoops and hollers.

Sam looks over at Jack who has the biggest smile. It warms her heart that he’s so happy to be surrounded by girls. She thought for sure he would’ve preferred a boy, but he made it clear that he didn’t care so long as it was healthy.

Jack leans over and kisses her then kisses her stomach. Selena runs over to get in on the family hug, “I love all my girls,” Jack says, embracing them all.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Mark watches as Angela leaves to help Sam get Selena ready for bed. She’s an amazing woman, he’s known that from the day he met her. They became fast friends, but there was always a little something extra there. He really enjoyed talking to her and getting to know her better.

He was sad when she told him that her mother had passed, but he was also excited because she was able to move to Colorado. They have spent a lot of time together and with his kids.

He thinks about his kids. They really liked Angela as well, they just weren’t too keen on her being around all the time.

Mark talked to them both very openly and told them that he really likes Angela but that their opinions matter too. He also spoke with Angela about everything, she understood completely. Just another reason that she is amazing.

In the end, they agreed to stop pursuing a romantic relationship and just be friends with a view to be more later on. Luke and Aubry agreed to that as well.

So for the past couple years he and Angela have grown very close and he’s very happy to say that his kids have also begun to accept her.

They both felt that it was important for the kids to come around in their own time instead of being forced, that would only lead to resentment.

Slowly but surely, the kids both fell in love with Angela. They love spending time with her and ask about her when she’s not around. Aubry has opened up to her a lot too. It’s been good for her to have a woman around. Sam is great but she’s busy with her own child.

Mark’s heart nearly burst a couple weeks ago when his kids came to him and said that it would be alright with them if he married Angela. He loves those kids so much. He misses Onica, but he has grown a lot closer to his kids since she died.

Mark allows his mind to drift to his late wife. He still has trouble understanding why she did what she did. That was not the woman he knew. The woman he knew was level headed and sinceable. Never would he have imagined her keeping such a secret and causing all that drama that nearly broke everyone.

He thinks about that heart-shaped emerald necklace that Onica wore all the time, the one Jack gave her when they were together. He was livid when he found it in her purse after the accident. He had taken it as a sign that she was planning to leave him for Jack. He realizes now how ridiculous that was.

He still wonders if they would even be together now. He knows they would have been civil for the kids sake, but he really doesn’t know if their marriage would have survived. He doesn’t see how he could have kept his relationship with Onica and Sam, especially if she and Jack stayed together. Things would have been too awkward and uncomfortable.

He was going to throw the necklace out, but for some reason that he can’t explain, he found himself putting it in a box. He’s thought about it a lot and finally came to the conclusion that he kept it to remind himself of his failure. If he hadn’t left her to travel home alone, maybe she’d still be alive. No matter what may have happened witht the two of them, he didn’t want her to die.

Mark never thought he would get over that, and to an extent, he hasn’t. Jack was right, the guilt never goes away. He’s learned to live with it though.

He thinks about Angela again. He met her only a few months after his wife died and she captivated him. He thinks it’s a good thing that they took things slowly. Thinking about it now, he wasn’t ready to move on. Taking their time allowed him and his kids to fall in love with her and she with them.

Mark smiles when he thinks about the ring he bought. He hopes she loves it. Mark told Angela all about Onica and how that fateful weekend went. He left nothing out and he didn’t try to play the victim. He told her that he was a jerk and how he carries much of the blame. He figured that if they are going to be serious about each other, then she should know the whole truth. He doesn’t want to keep any secrets.

In turn she told him about everything from her past. The more they learned about each other the more they appreciated and respected each other.

Mark sighs contentedly about his life now. He has a great relationship with his sister and father. He has a brother-in-law that he respects, and a niece that he adores with another one on the way. He loves his kids and is really close with them and he has an amazing woman that he absolutely loves and that loves him.

A few days ago, Mark got out the box with the heart-shaped emerald necklace. He looked at it one last time and then threw it out. Symbolically closing that chapter in his life and ready to begin another one. There’s just one last thing he has to do.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

While Sam and Angela are getting Selena ready for bed, Jack decides to head outside to clean up. Thankfully there isn’t a huge mess so clean up won’t take very long.

Jack thinks about the day and finding out that he and Sam are having another girl. He could not be happier.

He thinks about how much things have changed in the last few years. He misses going off-world with SG-1, as he doesn't get to go off-world with them much since his promotion to Brigadier General. It was hard to name a new leader for the team, someone he trusted to watch out for Daniel and Teal’c. Not that they need it, they know what they’re doing.

He still can’t believe that he’s a General, he never thought he’d get that far up the ranks.

His thoughts are interrupted as he hears footsteps approaching. He turns to see Mark making his way over.

“Hey,” Jack says by way of greeting.

“Hey,” Mark replies, then asks, “Can I help?”

“I’m just about done,” Jack replies as he ties the trash bag closed.

Mark nods and kicks his foot over the grass in a circular pattern.

“What’s on your mind?” Jack asks.

“Hmm?” Mark says looking up at Jack, then after a moment he takes a breath and adds, “Oh, um I just wondered if we could talk for a moment.”

Jack raises an eyebrow and says, “Sure.”

“It’s about Angela, or well, me and Angela,” Mark says nervously.

“Okay,” Jack says, not really knowing where this is going. He already knows that Mark and Angela are involved, he’s known that for a long time now.

“I wondered, what you think, um or rather I suppose, how you’d feel if, uh, I ask her to marry me,” Mark stammers.

Jack raises an eyebrow again and asks, “Are you asking for my permission or my blessing?”

Mark cocks his head to the side and says, “Both I suppose.”

Jack looks at Mark seriously and says, “Uhh, well, Angela is a grown woman and I’ve only known her for a couple years so I’m not sure it’s my place to play the over protective big brother. But for what it’s worth, you have it, you have my permission and my blessing.”

“Thank you,” Mark says, clearly relieved.

Jack smiles, “You’re welcome.”

“She’s amazing and the kids love her,” Mark explains.

Jack nods, “That she is. I’m sure the two of you will be very happy. I’m actually surprised you haven’t already asked her.”

“If it were just me involved I would have, but the kids needed time,” Mark says.

Jack nods his understanding. He likes Mark, he’s a good man. He’s really glad they have become friends. Jack knows without a doubt that he and Angela will be very happy.

“You think she’ll say yes?” Mark asks.

“Of course she’ll say yes,” Jack says with certainty.

“And on the bright side, at least I know you haven’t dated her,” Mark says in a mocking tone.

Jack laughs, “Good one.”

The two of them stand there a moment longer before they decide to head back in.

Just before they reach the door, Mark puts an arm on Jack’s shoulder causing him to stop and look at him, “Thanks Jack, I really appreciate your support.”

“You’re welcome. I’m really happy for you Mark,” Jack says, then adds in a deadly voice, “But if you hurt my sister, I’ll hurt you.”

Mark gulps and Jack winks at him as he pats him on the shoulder and walks inside.

Jack glances back at Mark to see him smiling and shaking his head. He watches as Mark makes his way over to Angela and sits beside her.

Jack looks around the room and smiles to himself. He loves his life, and is once again thankful that he still has it.

The last few years have been wild and crazy. Filled with love and heartbreak, but in the end, they’re all right where they’re supposed to be.

The end