Set during Season 5, between Threshold and Ascension. General knowledge up to Season 5 is helpful. There is some language and adult content, but nothing to graphic.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters, places, and situations belong to MGM, Sci-Fi, and a bunch of other creative people. I'm just doing this for fun. I promise I'll put them back when I'm done playing.

Authors Notes: This is the third and final part of my 'Family' series. The first two parts, 'The Family I Found' and 'Lost and Found and…' can be found here. If you can't find them, let me know and I'll send you a copy. This will make no sense unless you have read the first two stories. This story is complete. I will be posting a new chapter every night until it is all online.

Enjoy.

Can You Come Home Again

We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. I could see the fear and doubt in her eyes. It probably mirrored the surprise and shock in mine. "Sam?" I said again, wondering if my eyes were playing tricks on me.

"I'm sorry," she whispered so softly I was surprised I heard her. She finally broke our stare, turning her eyes down in shame as she turned to leave. Unwilling to let her get away again, I quickly reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders. A second later, I realized my mistake. Sam immediately tensed, spinning around and landing a punch on my jaw hard enough to knock me off my feet. I stared in shock at my sister, a matching shocked expression on her face. Her hands were covering her open mouth in horror. She turned to leave, and I quickly got to my feet. Learning from my mistake, I called out to her as I approached.

"Sam wait." To my surprise, she stopped and turned back to me. I could see the tears in her eyes even though she hadn't shed them. "C'me here." I held my arms open and after a second, she flung herself in them just as my kids did after I got back from my adventure. She let the tears fall then, clinging onto me like a lifeline. I whispered comforting words as she cried. What could possibly have happened to make her break down like that? As she let it all out, I decided I didn't want to know.

Slowly her sobs subsided and she regained the control I normally associated with my sister. "Feel any better?" I cautiously asked. She nodded.

"Thank you," she said.

"Anytime. Wanna come in?" I asked. I mean, she had come to my house for a reason, even if I'm not entirely sure what it is yet. She nods and I lead her into the house. She sits on the couch and I head over to the recliner. Spying the telephone I think about the last conversation I just had with dad. Was he lying to me when he said they weren't able to rescue her? Maybe the military was trying to keep her locked up and she escaped. But then dad wouldn't help them capture his own daughter, would he? Were they trying to experiment with Sam and she escaped? I looked up, realizing I was getting lost in my own musings. I realized that Sam was just as lost as I was.

"So are the guys around?" I didn't think they would just let her go without them. That was one thing I learned in my brief stay at the SGC. Those three men would do anything for her.

"No," she said distractedly before realizing what I asked. When she did she started panicking, looking around her as if trying to find hidden dangers in my house. "They don't know do they?"

"Know?"

"Please don't tell them. I can't…" she trailed off, but the panic in her face told me all I needed to know. For whatever reason, she didn't want them here. And even though I had grown to like and respect them, I had to put my sister first.

"I won't tell anybody. I promise." She calmed down instantly. I stared at her again, but she either didn't mind or didn't notice. I suspected the latter, but it gave me time to really study her. She looked like shit. Dark circles under her eyes. I could tell she hadn't bathed for a while, and her clothes were hanging off her. Was that a price tag sticking out from her collar?

"You hungry?" She looked up at me and gave a small nod. "I'll tell you what. Why don't you go take a shower and I'll cook us up something to eat."

"Sounds perfect." It was the first time she sounded like herself. She started heading for the bathroom when she turned to me. "Do you have any clothes I can borrow?"

"Sure." I give her an old pair of sweats and made sure she knew where everything was before I went down and started making a gourmet dinner of scrambled eggs and toast. Suddenly having an epiphany I grabbed the phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?"

"Sally," I say with relief. Hearing my wife's voice grounds me to reality.

"Everything okay Mark?" she asks with concern. I thought I kept my voice natural, but apparently my wife knows me to well.

"Not really," I tell her. Before she can ask another question I speak up again. "I need you to take the kids to your mother's house. Plan on spending some time there."

"What's going on?"

"It's Sam." I tried to think of some grand cover story like they did, but I guess I don't have that kind of imagination. Thankfully my wife doesn't need to hear anymore.

"Okay. Call me as soon as you can. I love you."

"I love you too." She hung up. I stood there staring at the receiver. I'm not sure what I did to deserve a wife like Sally, but I thank God she puts up with me. The sound of the shower turning off spurs me out of my inaction. I throw some bread in the toaster as the eggs started cooking. I took a few minutes to grab Sam's clothes. As I thought, there was still a price tag on the shirt and the pants as well. I wondered what could've happened to leave Sam willing to steal. She was the last person I would've ever thought would be able to do something like that.

There was also another piece of clothing crumpled up in the corner. Shaking it out revealed a gorgeous gown. It was dirty and wrinkled, torn in some places, but I could see its inherent beauty. It was a gown fit for royalty. Looking a little closer, it didn't look like any material I knew of. Was it from another planet?

Hearing steps coming down, I quickly threw the clothes in a laundry bag and went back to the stove. Stirring the eggs I hear Sam come in and help herself to some freshly brewed coffee. "Dinner's almost ready," I say, forcing a smile on my face when I turned back to her. She was wearing my old sweat pants and a T-shirt. I took a minute to examine her, stopping dead in my tracks when I saw her arm.

"Great," she said, before she realized I was staring at something. "What?" I couldn't think of anything to say, so I just motioned with my hand. She self consciously started looking at herself, stopping when she got to the infuser. It almost seemed she forgot it was there, but how could you forget something like that? Her eyes clouded over and before I could stop her she grabs hold of the infuser and savagely rips it off her arm and flings it across the room.

"Sam!" I remember everyone trying to get the stupid thing off of her arm before. Jack said it went to deep and they'd have to wait for a doctor. Apparently they were right because blood started pouring from her arm. I quickly grab a towel and wrap it around the wound. If there was one good thing that came from my trip it would be my first aid knowledge. After I got back, I enrolled in several first aid classed and even upgraded my personal first aid kit. It's always good to know these things with kids around anyway. I move the towel away a little so I can get a better look at the cuts. It looks like she dragged sharp spikes through her arm. "This is bad." She doesn't respond to me, just stares at the blood flowing from her arm. "I think we need to go to the hospital." That gets a reaction.

"No," she practically yells again in a panic.

"You need stitches Sam." I'm beginning to wonder if I made a mistake when I promised not to tell anybody.

"I can't get stitches. They'll know." She's starting to hyperventilate. I've never known her to be so unstable.

"Okay. No hospital." She calms down right away. "But, if it's still bleeding in the morning we get some help." She glares at me for a minute, trying to get me to back down. I don't. Eventually she concedes. I move the towel back into place and put her other hand over it. She obediently held it firmly as I ran and got our first aid kit. Hopefully I have enough bandages and gauze to cover her whole arm. Thankfully I do.

I go back to the kitchen and clean and dress her arm as best I can. After I was done, I realized the eggs were turning to charcoal and the toast was hard as a rock. "Sorry about dinner."

"It's okay." She gives me a small shy smile. "Could we maybe order pizza?"

"Sure." We spend the rest of the afternoon eating pizza and watching movies. I really want to ask her what happened, but something tells me she isn't ready to talk yet. Instead I just try to be there for her. It's getting dark when I start to notice she's drifting off. She's fighting sleep though, reminding me of my kids again. I watch her for a few minutes until I'm sure she's asleep. Gently picking her up, I take her into my bedroom and carefully lay her on the bed and tuck her in. Her hand shooting out and grabbing mine makes me jump, but I try not to show how much she scared me.

"Please don't go." Her blue eyes are wide with fear and grip is strong with need.

"I won't," I promise. Grabbing a nearby chair, I sit next to the bed, her hand still in mine. She sighs comfortably and closes her eyes. Slowly her breathing evens out and I know she's asleep. I could probably leave now, but again I am uncomfortable letting her out of my sight. Closing my eyes, I let the events of the day wash over me.