DISCLAIMER: The story, characters and everything regarding SG-1 and the SGC belong to MGM, Gekko, Secret Productions etc. They are not mine and never will be. The original characters are all mine, and you can't have them!

ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author. Already on P&P.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: First of all I've tried to stay as true to the series as I can. There's a few things I've changed from about season 7 onwards, such as Janet not dying in 'Heroes' (because that never should have happened), and 'Unending' never happened so the Asguard survived. You'll find out specifically why I needed to change these things when you read my story. Plus, I miss Thor too much to let him die again. Oh, and that thing with Pete never got a chance to frustrate us, so don't worry about that either. There are a few technological liberties I have taken, so for the sake of the story just go with them.
THANK YOU: Thank you to my beta-readers: Gina D, Ella, Greg, and mainly my mum. Focusing on mum now: Thank you for helping me and supporting me. My great mum helped beta-read, encourage, entice, question, support, listen, brainstorm, and love. Without her this story may never have been finished, and certainly wouldn't be this awesome (her words, not mine *wink*).
SPOILERS: For 'Window of Opportunity' and 'Watergate' in season 4. Some other bits and pieces too.

…In Time

She came flying through the gate and landed hard, rolling onto the concrete floor. Guns aimed but she didn't notice them. She wouldn't have even cared after what she'd just been through. Her whole body ached, not that that mattered either. She had a mission; she just hoped she came through at the right place…

Voices, distant, movement around her. Someone grabbed her, pain intensifying. She struggled to see. She needed to know where she was…

"What's the date?" She heard herself whisper. Hearing her own voice, clear, helped her regain a little focus. Her eyes opened to see a familiar blue, and as her vision cleared, the blonde strands that framed the blue.

"October the 13th," came the echoing reply. Her head felt like a cavern, every word resounding within the expanse.

"What year?" She emphasised the question by grabbing the jacket of the person holding her.

"2000."

She sighed in relief. "I made it mum… I made it…"

PART 1

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The first thing she noticed was the consistent beep of the machine beside her, and then the pain. She wasn't sure what hurt more; her ribs, her shoulder or her head. She tried to open her eyes but they wouldn't obey her. Even if they did, she knew how bright the room would be and the idea of it didn't sit well with her. Next thing was to try and move her right arm; it didn't seem to hurt so far. One finger twitched, and then another, until she eventually balled her hand into a fist and relaxed it again.

She continued this movement until she was confident she could give someone the finger if provoked, not that she would. She tried to twist her wrist in a circular motion, and once that too was mastered, moved on to bending her elbow.

Someone must have noticed the movement because she heard footsteps approach her. She felt a warm hand hold her wrist, checking her pulse. She tried to grab the hand, as she felt the need for reassurance.

"Mum…" She whispered hoarsely.

"It's ok; you're safe. Just relax and try not to move." She heard a soft but commanding voice say. "You've still got a nasty concussion, among other things."

"What's the date?" She asked again. She didn't know how long she'd been out, nor did she remember the first answer.

"The 15th of October, 2000."

"How long was I…?" She tried to lift her head but was overwhelmed with a throbbing pain.

She felt a hand gently hold her down, and heard the owner whisper, "2 days."

She tried to swallow, but her mouth was too dry. "How badly am I hurt?"

"Two cracked ribs, severe concussion, and your shoulder was dislocated."

"That would explain the pain…" She said cynically as she struggled to open her eyes again. One opened slightly, and then the other, slowly coming into focus. She scanned the room gradually and then looked at the woman beside her bed.

"I'm Doctor Janet Fraiser," the woman smiled warmly. "And you are?"

"Kerry." She looked around the room again, searching for any other listeners.

"Do you have a last name Kerry?" Janet asked.

"Yes…" Kerry faltered, "but I can't tell you…" Kerry knew it was pathetic, but it was the truth. Just being there was breaking the law, let alone telling them anything.

"Why is that?"

Kerry looked at the Doctor again, "I'm not allowed to. I'm, um, from the future…"

"From the future?" Janet asked sceptically.

"Yes." Kerry said, instead of nodding.

Janet frowned, "How far in the future?"

"Well… I'm 20, so at least 20 years." Kerry smiled. If she wasn't in so much pain, or was on a mission to save the fate of the entire world, then she would have thought the scene to be rather amusing.

"Right…"

"Look, I know it's hard to believe, and I know that the General is going to want proof, but surprisingly enough you already have it."

Janet raised her eyebrows, "We do?"

"You've taken a sample of my blood, right?"

"Yes." Janet frowned in confusion.

"Well, when you run a DNA test on it, it will be the proof." Kerry's throat constricted. "And it may be a little… troubling, and I won't be able to explain the details of it. You can run the test as many times as you want, but it will reveal the same thing."

"What will the results be?"

"I can't tell you that either. You're not even supposed to run the test, but I couldn't exactly stop you. Plus, I need you to run it to prove who I am. But you mustn't show anyone the test results except for General Hammond. Only you and he can know."

"Right," Janet frowned again. "So, let me get this straight; you're from the future, your name's Kerry, you can't tell us any more than that, but a DNA test on your blood, that we aren't even supposed to run, will reveal who you are, but you can't tell us any more than that either?"

Kerry thought for a moment. "Yes. Although there are things that I have to tell you, whether I'm allowed to or not."

"And that would be…?"

Kerry sighed and closed her eyes. "The reason I'm here… is to stop a very terrible thing from happening."

Janet's expression softened when she saw a few stray tears roll down Kerry's cheeks. "What happened?" she asked softly.

Kerry lifted her right arm and wiped the tears away. "They die… everyone, the whole world…" More tears fell. "And we, they came, and…" Kerry began to cry. "They killed everyone, my friends, my family… I watched you all die…"

Janet's heart broke at the despair in Kerry's voice. She could tell that this girl had experienced something horrible. She stroked Kerry's hair gently with one hand, while her other held Kerry's firmly.

"It will be ok. We'll help you fix it. No one will die." Janet said soothingly.

For some reason Janet felt a strange bond with the stranger in her care. The cause puzzled her, and she thought that it may have been her maternal instincts, or perhaps even her doctor 'do no harm, heal all wounds' attitude, but there was something oddly familiar about this girl.

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She could hear muffled voices as she slowly awoke. It wasn't the first time she had woken up in the infirmary to those muffled voices, nor would it be the last she hoped. But this time was different. Same place, same people, different time.

She grunted in pain as she tried to sit up. That was a big mistake, she commented dryly to herself.

"Lie down!" She heard Janet order, and then felt her hand checking her pulse. That simple action, so comforting, that she actually complied despite the seriousness of the situation.

She heard movement around her and slowly opened her eyes. There they were; her family and friends, yet strangers in some way. They all looked at her, a few flashes of curiosity, some scepticism, and some worry.

"Hi there," Daniel smiled.

"Hi." Kerry replied.

"Kerry, SG-1 wanted to see you and ask some questions about why you're here. I told them that they'd have to be quick, because you're in no state for anything more than that." Janet explained, for the benefit of Kerry and the fidgeting team at her sides.

Kerry grimaced, "Ok, but I can't promise I can answer everything."

"This is Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c." Janet pointed to each one in turn. "And this is Kerry."

"So you've come back in time, huh?" Jack began.

"Yes."

"Why?" Daniel asked.

Kerry sighed; she would have preferred to do this at another time. She clenched her teeth and right fist and prepared for the heartbreak. "Our enemy sent someone back in time, roughly a few months from now, and they kill you, SG-1. Consequently, all the good you did never happened, and Earth was not as it should have been."

"And you came back to warn us?" Daniel assumed.

"Yes and no. I came back to save you."

"You?" Jack raised his eyebrow.

"Yes. Me." Kerry said with an air of dignity that the seemingly frail and injured body didn't appear to posses.

"Hang on, how did you know that Earth's history had been altered?" Sam cut in.

"The SGC and its personnel have been fitted with a device that protects it and them from unnatural ripples in the time continuum. Unnatural being any changes that were made after the devices were activated."

"Kinda like a shield from time?" Jack asked.

"No. It would be more like a shield from changes in time."

"How? I mean, we don't even understand time travel, let alone how to be aware of the ramifications." Sam's mind whirled through all her knowledge about time travel.

"I can't give any specifics. All I can say is: we knew something was changed, we worked out what happened, and now I'm here to stop it." Kerry lifted her right arm and held her hand to her head.

"Right, that's it. You lot are gonna have to continue this another time." Janet said sternly. Jack opened his mouth to protest but Janet subdued that quickly with a long-honed glare.

"We'll see you later. I hope you feel better." Daniel smiled.

SG-1 was herded out by Janet, and Kerry was sad to see them go. Although she didn't want to answer their questions she still wanted some company. Not that it would have mattered for long as she soon fell asleep again.

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The male members of SG-1 sauntered off in various directions, but Sam stayed back to talk to Janet.

"Do you believe her?" Sam asked quietly.

Janet glanced at Sam as she led them back to her office. "Yes. I see no reason for her to lie, especially in her condition."

"She'll be right in a couple of weeks though, won't she?"

"Yes. For the most part, at least. She's been through a traumatic event, and it's still playing havoc on her mind."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked as she sat in the chair opposite Janet's desk.

Janet sat in her own chair. "Most of the times she's been asleep she's been having nightmares. She hasn't said anything, because she has only woken up a few times, but whenever I check on her she looks frightened and mumbles 'no' and such."

Sam frowned with concern and said, "What do you think happened?"

Janet paused. She had some idea, from what Kerry had told her when she had that minor break-down, but she also knew that what was said was strictly confidential, and no matter how much she trusted Sam, she couldn't answer her friend.

"I'm not sure," she said neutrally.

Janet watched as Sam bit her lip, a common occurrence when she was trying to work something out, or if something was troubling her. She wondered which it was, or if it was both. It wouldn't be the first time. All Janet had to do was sit and wait, and Sam would say something soon enough, or have one of her eureka moments and sprint off to solve the world's mysteries.

"She called me 'mum'."

"When?" Janet asked. As far as she knew she'd been there both times Kerry had woken up.

"When she first came through the gate. She said 'I made it mum' and then passed out. I just assumed she was delusional."

Janet frowned, distracted. "She called me 'mum' too."

"She did?" Sam looked up for the first time in minutes.

"Yeah, when she first woke up."

"Well, we can't both be her mother, so she must have been out of it."

Janet nodded, "Must have."

Sam stood up and straightened her jacket, "I guess I should let you get some work done. I'll see you later Janet"

"Ok. I'll see you later." Janet waved absently.

Sam waved in return and then walked back out into the infirmary. She was walking past the beds, so she glanced up at Kerry's sleeping form. She was twitching, and her face was contorted with horror. Sam changed directions and headed straight for the bedside.

"No, no, no, no, no, oh God no, please no." The words escaped Kerry's lips, barely a whisper.

"Shhh, it's ok. You're safe." Sam said self-consciously. She had never been any good with comforting people and felt rather inadequate.

Sam took Kerry's hand into her own and held it firmly, as her other hand stroked the girl's hair back. Something must have worked, because within moments Kerry's face relaxed to a frown, and her body stilled.

When Kerry seemed to relax more, Sam looked around for a chair. There was one next to the bed beside Kerry so she picked it up and placed it where she was previously standing. She sat in the chair and held Kerry's hand again.

She still felt uncomfortable, but somehow her presence helped the troubled girl, and that was enough to get her to bear it.

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It was dark. And cold. She could feel sharp, hot pain coursing through her limbs, as if she was being pulled in every direction. Maybe she was?

A searing light invaded her vision. After the initial shock subsided the chamber could finally be seen. The walls consisted of large stone blocks adorned with the scariest and sharpest surgical instruments she'd ever seen. Only one door was visible from her detained position. A hideous and terrifying face filled her vision and hovered above her. Green scales; half dry and falling off, half forming and slime-covered. The sneer grew with her cries of pain. And the eyes! Cold. Evil. And hungry.

They were going to kill her.

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Sam sat there, staring into space. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there; she was lost in the recesses of her mind. She was trying to figure out how it was possible to have a device that shielded someone, or something, from changes in time. She would say it was impossible, but she had learnt not to use that word. Improbable was more suitable in her line of work.

She looked back to the sleeping form on the bed. Kerry's hair was similar in colour to Janet's, perhaps a little lighter, and came to sit just above her shoulders. She was sure that normally the girl kept quite fit, although her injured state currently seemed to hide that fact. When Kerry had been awake, Sam had noticed that her eyes were an even brighter blue than her own. There was something peculiar about this stranger from the future.

Sam looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Janet quickly removed her hand and stood beside her.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Hey," Janet returned. She looked at Kerry with a frown.

"Is something wrong with her?" Sam asked with concern.

Janet closed her eyes briefly. "No. She's fine."

"Ok…" Sam felt a little confused. Janet was acting strangely. "What's that?"

Janet looked at the folder in her hand and then at Kerry again. "It's nothing. I'm off to report to General Hammond. See you later."

Sam watched as Janet walked off. She didn't even wave when Sam had said goodbye. Something was definitely wrong, she could at least tell that about her friend. But what was it? Sam had no idea.

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Janet knocked on General Hammond's door softly. She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to be doing this. She didn't even know how she felt about what she had to tell the General. Everything seemed so complicated and confusing right now. She had just put together a report on the results of the DNA tests on Kerry's blood, and the earlier description of 'troubling' just didn't cut it; it was downright impossible!

"Enter," Hammond called.

Janet turned the knob and pushed the door open, entered, and closed it behind her. She placed the file on Hammond's desk and sat in the chair opposite in silence.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Kerry's DNA results," Janet answered quietly.

General Hammond opened the folder and scanned through the documents quickly. He shot a puzzled look at Janet and then took a more thorough examination of the papers in his hand. After several moments he looked up again.

"Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" he asked in confusion.

"Yes."

"But how?"

"I don't know, Sir. According to everything scientifically known to the human race, it is absolutely impossible. But I've run the test seven different times, using two different methods, and the results never changed."

"How do you feel about it?" He wasn't talking about it being impossible.

Janet stared blankly at the paper-weight on the desk in front of her, "I don't know, Sir. Confused as hell, to say the least."

"Should Major Carter be informed?"

"No!" Janet sat up straight. "No, Sir. Kerry said that no-one was to know, other than us. Plus, I'm not to sure how she'd handle it. She's still a little fragile after Martouf's death."

"What do you suggest then?" Hammond was concerned.

"Nothing, Sir." Janet stood. She had to get out of there. She needed… air? Something. She needed not to be here. "We know who she is, and that she must be telling the truth. It's now up to SG-1 to help her save the future."

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"Why didn't you tell me?" Janet asked quietly, aware of her staff puttering about.

"Would you have believed me if I did?"

Janet sighed, "Probably not."

Kerry stayed silent. She felt strangely awkward.

"So you weren't delusional when you called us both 'mum'…"

"What?" Kerry tried to sit up, but changed her mind as a painful reminder coursed through her body.

"Don't try and move," ordered Janet. "Sam said you called her 'mum' when you first came through the gate, and you called me 'mum' when you first came to. We both just thought you were too out of it to know who was who. I guess we were wrong."

Guilt overwhelmed Kerry, "Are you mad at me?"

"What?" Janet looked at Kerry. "No, of course not. Why would I be?"

Kerry was about to shrug, but thought better of it. "I don't know… For not telling you? For the results of the tests? For what's going to happen? For… I don't know…"

"Kerry, I'm not mad. I'm just a little… overwhelmed." Janet smiled reassuringly. "It's not every day you find out you have a daughter with someone you've secretly been in love with for years."

Kerry chuckled, "Yeah, about that… Now really isn't the time to tell her. You'll get together, but she's not in the right frame of mind at this point in time. She's still focused on solving all the technological mysteries of the universe so we can defeat the Goa'uld."

"Tell me about it," Janet grumbled. "I have to blackmail her into coming over for dinner these days."

"Really?" Kerry laughed, but stopped suddenly to clutch at her ribs.

"Easy…" Janet stroked Kerry's hair and she soon relaxed again. "I had to threaten to schedule more frequent and complicated physical examinations for SG-1 if she didn't come."

"I bet she would have loved that." Kerry said dryly.

Janet grinned, remembering the occasion. "She actually sounded frightened at the prospect."

"Probably more to do with Jack's response when he found out why it happened."

Now Janet laughed. "Wouldn't surprise me."

Kerry sighed gently, exhaustion taking over again, and then yawned. She closed her eyes and felt Janet step back.

"Wait," Kerry reached out her hand. "Stay, please… I don't want to be alone…"

"Ok." Janet took hold of Kerry's hand and sat in the seat Sam had left there. "I'm right here."

Kerry sighed again, and felt her body almost meld into the mattress beneath her. Her body felt so heavy and unnatural. She didn't know whether it was due to her injuries, or the pain medication slowly being released into her bloodstream.

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Muffled voices, again familiar tones. Flashes, explosions, blood…

"No!" Kerry cried out.

Janet rushed to her side, "Kerry, shhh, it's ok. I'm here."

Kerry gripped Janet's lab coat as if her life depended on it, and perhaps it did. Tears streaked down her face as her memories continued to flash through her mind. She felt a hand take hold of her other, and she looked up into Sam's eyes. She held onto the hand tightly as she sobbed through the painful images.

When the images finally stopped Kerry collapsed back onto the bed, tears still flowing. Janet and Sam shared a look of concern.

"Make it stop!" She begged. "Please, make it stop! It hurts so much…"

Janet gave Kerry with a higher dose of morphine, although she knew that it wasn't physical pain that she was referring to. Janet just hoped that if she could dull the lingering physical pain, then the girl would be able to deal with the emotional pain a bit better.