Hello my beloved readers! I'm back with a new story. YAY! For all of you who hate Maybourne (which should be about everyone) you'll love this story. A warning to you, my muse has been picking random and short times to arrive. This story is coming along slowly but surely. Please have patience with me!

Sorry everyone! I forgot part of the story. haha. My bad. Ok, you can enjoy now! lol

"SG-1, you're dismissed. You depart for P3X-245 at 0900." General Hammond announced to his best, and favorite, team.

The team stood, showing their respect, but the second Hammond entered his office, Jack was off down the hall. Teal'c took his time leaving. Daniel and Sam, being the last ones in the room, began gathering their papers.

Daniel glanced at Sam. "Why is it that we're the only ones that pay attention during briefings?"

Sam laughed. "Because we're the nerds."

Daniel raised an eyebrow.

"That's a good thing, remember. We're the ones that get to save the day when the Colonel's plan of blowing everything up doesn't work."

Daniel nodded. "Too true."

Sam picked up an atmospheric chart and hurried to catch up to Daniel who had begun to leave. "So what do you think we're going to find?"

Daniel glanced at the folder in his hands. "Well, according to the information SG-11 brought back, there isn't much on P3X-245. There are some ruins on the outskirts of town that I'd like to take a look at but nothing really of scientific value."

Sam frowned in disappointment.

"I have been known to be wrong." He looked at Sam hopefully and her face brightened a bit, satisfying him.

Sam stopped in the doorway of her lab. "Well, one can always hope."

Daniel smiled, then made his way to his lab.

--

As 0900 approached, the team gathered in the gate room. Jack was the last one to arrive. As he entered, Daniel and Sam had just finished checking each other's backpacks. Teal'c stood to the side with a stern face and staff weapon.

General Hammond called from the control room. "Glad you could make it Colonel."

Jack looked up at him and patted his stomach. "No problem General. And by the way, excellent pie."

The general rolled his eyes and signaled to Walter to start dialing the gate.

Sam glanced at Jack and shook her head.

Noticing his action, Jack asked defensively, "What?"

"Nothing sir."

He peered at her.

"Pie, sir?"

"Hey, a man's entitled to his pie! I would have been here sooner but—"

"SG-1, you have a go." Came the general.

"Alright campers, you heard him. Let's go!" Jack said as he dramatically marched toward the gate.

As they walked up the ramp, Daniel whispered into Sam's ear. "What's gotten into him?"

She shrugged and stepped through the shimmering event horizon.

--

Singing birds and green pastures greeted them on the other side of the gate. The tall grasses swayed in the sweet smelling breeze. Off in the distance, a large lake sparkled under the midday sun.

As the rest of his team looked around, Jack took in a deep breath. "Now this is what I'm talking about!"

"Wow." Daniel gapped.

"It's beautiful." Sam added.

"Indeed."

Jack put his sunglasses on and began toward the lake. "Shall we?"

The rest of the team followed close behind.

Daniel adjusted his glasses. "According to SG-11, the village should be about a mile from the other side of the lake."

"I wonder if there are any fish in there?" As if in response to Jack's question, a large fish leapt from the water and splashed back into its clear depths.

"Nice."

--

An hour later, the team arrived at a small, but busy village. Sunlight filtered in through the roofs of straw huts. Crumbling mud brick buildings dotted the area. Tan, smiling people busily went about their work of cooking, cleaning and selling their homemade goods. Booths were set up along the center of the village, selling everything from food to jewelry.

A young girl looked up from the pile of fruit she was selling. Seeing SG-1 approaching, she ran away yelling "They come! They come! The new people come!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at their visitors. Some soon went back to work but most of the villagers formed a circle around the explorers.

"Well hello folks." Jack greeted them.

They just stared at him.

"Ah, Daniel? Did SG-11 say anything about them speaking another language or something 'cuz they don't seem to understand the words that are coming out of my mouth."

Daniel rolled his eyes at the lame movie reference. "No, they didn't, so I would assume they speak English."

"Forgive them. Although they met your friends a few days ago, they're still not used to meeting travelers from the Standing Water." Came a voice from the back of the crowd. Upon hearing this voice, the group moved aside, making room for the speaker.

A young woman with curly red-brown hair approached and bowed. "My name is Rachel. I am the leader of this village." She held out a hand toward Jack. "Your friends said it is customary to shake hands at first meetings." She beamed.

Jack stared at her blankly.

"Did…did I say something wrong?" She frowned.

Daniel glanced at Jack and took Rachel's hand. "No. You did nothing wrong. I'm Daniel Jackson." He pointed to Teal'c and Sam. "That's Teal'c. This is Major Samantha Carter. And that…" He pointed to Jack who was beginning to come to his senses. "…is Colonel Jack O'Neill."

"O'Neill?" Her eyes froze on Jack for a few moments. "It is nice to meet you." She bowed again. "Shall we talk?"

Daniel nodded.

"Follow me."

Rachel led them the largest mud brick building. As they entered she pointed to two men carving wood at a small table. "This is Neal and Tork." The men nodded their greetings. "And they…" she indicated the several children running about the house. "…are their children: Nile, Celeste, Trinity, Driton, Ivan, and Elena. Their wives died from an illness that took many of our people." She looked down sadly at the children.

"We have medicine that can help your people." Sam said, her grip on her P-90 slackening as she realized more fully that these people meant no harm.

Rachel flashed a shockingly bright smile. "Thank you very much." She pointed to a doorway. "If you'll follow me, we can talk privately."

They followed her into a dark room. A small lamp burned in each corner of the room. A short, wooden table leaned against the far wall. Taking up the rest of the small space were several bedrolls.

"I'm sorry there isn't much room to sit. The children sleep in here." Rachel sat on the floor and invited her guests to do the same. "Now that we are settled, I understand you wish to negotiate a trade treaty."

Daniel nodded. "Yes. We would like our two worlds to be friends. Friends share knowledge and goods."

"We can help you defend yourselves against the Goa'uld as well." Teal'c added.

Rachel nodded but she was only half listening. She was too busy studying Jack, whose stare was fixed on her. She seemed familiar to him somehow. He was sure he had never met her before but he couldn't shake the feeling that he knew her.

Rachel, in return, felt a strange draw towards the man in front of her. His eyes were like mirrors, reflecting that of her own. And his smile, something about his smile seemed eerily familiar.

"Laira?" Jack's voice was barely audible, finally placing the face that she reminded him of.

"That was my mother's name." Rachel whispered back.

Daniel, Sam and Teal'c looked at the pair curiously. What the heck was going on?

"Your mother?" Jack didn't understand. She was the spitting image of a woman he had spent three serene months with.

"Yes."

"Where is she?"

Rachel's eyes moistened. "She died from the same illness as the others."

"No." He shook his head in disbelief as a tear slid down Rachel's tan cheek.

"Who—who is your father?"

Rachel stared into his eyes. She had never met her father but her mother had told her much about him, O'Neill. His graying hair, his infectious smile, his incredible devotion to return through the Standing Water to his people. "You."

"What?!" Daniel couldn't hold his tongue anymore. This was getting weird. Not only did Jack have a long lost daughter but this whole conversation was dripping with sentiment that he had never seen Jack display before. It was uncharacteristic, strange and down right creepy.

"How do you know it's me?" Jack asked.

"My mother spoke of a great warrior named O'Neill who left many years ago. She assured me that he was my father. He was only with my mother a short time but she loved him dearly." She gazed into Jack's eyes. "She loved you dearly. She said you had to leave to defend the helpless from the Goa'uld but that you'd come back one day." She turned away. "It has been many years. We feared you had been killed in battle."

"I'm so sorry, Rachel." She turned back to face him. "Really, I am. I wanted to come back. I just….I had no idea….I…"

"My mother's last wish was to see you once more." Rachel wiped away a tear that had escaped its moist prison.

She leaned forward into Jack's arms. He embraced her awkwardly. He couldn't believe he had a child, a daughter, but what felt worse than not knowing about his child was never keeping his promise to come back.

"I'm so sorry."