Author's Note: So here is my next offering to you all. This one is a long one and I'm not sure how fast I will be able to get it up for you all to enjoy. I will do so as fast as I can. I hope to be able to post once a week but I'm not promising anything. ;)

I would like thank SirenBunny and KEF for their help and suggestion with this story and for ShadowChaser for betaing it. You all helped me immensely and you helped make this what it is with your help.

That is all I have to say and now on with the show.

Okay folks I have gone over this chapter and hope to get to the rest soon. Feb 2010.

Major Samantha Carter stood shoulder to shoulder with her CO, Colonel Jack O'Neill. They worked together seamlessly cleaning up her home after a team get together celebrating her return to duty after three weeks of leave due to the concussion she sustained while on the Prometheus.

There was much fun and cake for all.

Ever since she woke up, calling her CO Jack, he hadn't been far away. He seemed to know that she needed him, just like her delusion had promised he would be. In the last few weeks, she had struggled to understand just what her mind was trying to tell her when it showed her all those images and to understand just who Grace was.

In Sam's mind, the girl was either herself, or the child Sam longed for. The only problem is if she was the embodiment of that longing, why did Grace remind her of Jack, the one man she could never have a child with? There were two problems with even the thought of children with Jack O'Neill: one they were officers in the Air Force and he was her CO, two no matter where she transferred in the SGC, she would still be under his command because he was the 2IC of the base. It just wasn't possible unless one of them left the SGC and at this point, neither of them was willing to risk the planet to be together, the stakes were just too high.

She had loved him for a long time, so long that she was not sure just when it happened. It was sometime between Antarctica, the first time, and when he almost died from that alien virus that pinned him to the gate room wall. Knowing that nothing could come of her feelings, she buried them deep, with only a few eruptions to the surface.

The first time when he was trapped on Edora, and until those stupid armbands and her almost dying trapped by a force shield, she had convinced herself it was all one sided. Standing there with that field between them she knew he felt the same way and there was nothing they could do about, even when they escaped. Then a month later, the two of them had to admit their feelings in public when they had been accused of being a Za'tarc.

That had been four years ago and Sam wasn't sure he still felt the same way. Jack O'Neill was a complex man, no matter what her delusion said. He buried his emotions deep; rarely letting them show for anyone, even Daniel.

His shoulder brushed her as he reached up to put away a glass. Shivers ran down her spine, but she stamped them down. Thoughts like that could lead both of them into trouble, where neither of them wanted to go. Maybe it was time to move on and find someone else. She had to believe that she could love someone other than Jack O'Neill, or she would always be alone.

Mark had been bugging her to meet his friend, who was coming to town next week. She looked over at Jack and he smiled at her. She wanted to get lost in the smile and keep dreaming, but the more practical part of her said that she was getting older and if she really wanted to hold Grace in her arms, she needed to move on. Jack O'Neill was a dead end as far as children were concerned, no matter what her heart said.

They put away the last dishes and then he picked up his coat, she could tell he wanted to linger by the way he played with the leather in his hands. He opened his mouth to say something, but changed his mind shaking his head. With a wave of his hand, he vanished into the night, the only sound was the noise of his truck heading down the street. Sam watched him go thinking if only....

After Jack's tail lights disappeared, Sam turned away from the window and made a call. Five minutes later, she had set up a time to meet Mark's friend, Pete when he came to town, but her heart wasn't really in it. Hanging up the phone, she turned back to the window watching the spot where Jack's taillights had vanished, her heart had left with Jack O'Neill, no matter what she told herself.

Deciding this train of thought had no point or solution, she turned her mind to the mission the next day. It was a simple mission that they hoped would end with something to help them save the world. This planet looked like most of the other planets, trees, rocks and water. There were no signs of recent human activity and it was an easy, no risk mission for SG-1 to get back into the swing of things. The MALP showed all the regular things but the UAV had found interesting ruins that Daniel really wanted to check out. They were scheduled to stay the night and return home by 1500 the next afternoon.

Taking one last look around the room, Sam decided that it was clean enough and she needed to get to sleep. Tossing the cloth in the direction of the sink, she headed off to her bedroom and never noticed the little girl standing in the corner of the dining area.

The girl in a white dress spun around blowing bubbles, "We'll meet soon Mommy. I know you're finally ready and so is Daddy." She tugged at the hand of the man standing beside her. "Come on, it's time, it's time."

The man nodded and they disappeared.

So what do you all think? Let me know. As for who the man is I'd love to hear from you. ~Kelleth~