The second time I saw Jack it wasn't really Jack, it was something very different.

He had come back to the house, talked about Charlie if he was only just realizing what had happened almost two years ago. I was worried that he was suffering some kind of mental break down but I truly feared for his life when he started having electric tremors.

It got worse after I had rushed him to the hospital. I hadn't expected to be as shaken as I was; we may not have been close lately but I had barely survived Charlie's death, I realized I couldn't deal with losing Jack so soon.

But then HE arrived – as if part of a dream- he was in uniform, barking out orders, confident and strong. In that moment I briefly wondered how I could have believed that thing had been Jack.

Jack, the REAL Jack, stopped briefly, eagerly asking if I was alright but I urged him to go down the hall because I didn't know what else to say and I knew that he was the only one who could fix what ever was going on.

A short time later I assumed I was hallucinating; there was Jack, walking down the hall, hand in hand with Charlie.

The image of Jack and Charlie walking together was so familiar and comforting that I questioned my own reality. I didn't know what to say or think, the only thing I knew was that when Jack and I embraced before he left it was so safe and right feeling that I didn't want him to leave.

But just as I knew that Charlie wasn't my Charlie I knew this wasn't my Jack - not like the thing that had looked like Jack earlier in the day - I knew this man was Jack O'Neill but I just knew he wasn't MY Jack. I watched him as he left with his team and felt like I was really saying good-bye.

The next day I sat on Charlie's bed, wanting to say something that would help explain my emotions over the last 24 hours but I found myself at a loss for words. Dad had left for the weekend and I was feeling more alone than ever before when then the doorbell rang.

I opened the door to reveal an Air Force Lieutenant and a casually dressed Jack.

"Hi Sara" He shuffled and took off his sunglasses. His eyes darted from my face to the hallway behind me. He seemed so uncomfortable that it was hard to believe that this was the same man who led a rescue team last night. The thought made me pause from inviting him in.

"How do I know you're you?"

"Sara..." He sighed and rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. I just crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows, waiting.

"Look, Sara, that's what I came to talk about. Can I come in please?" I paused as if I were actually considering not letting him in to the house. The truth was I was working hard keeping myself from launching myself into his arms and resuming the embrace we broke off the night before. I nodded and left the door open as I walked back to the kitchen.

"Uh, that's a good then?" I heard my husband, EX-husband, ask hesitantly. When I didn't reply I heard him step forward and quietly but firmly order, "Airman, this is where you stop."

"Sir?" The young man questioned.

"Don't. Come. In. The. House. Go for a drive or something. Just don't come in." Jack's words weren't cruel but they were laced with a serious insitance.

"I'm sorry sir but my orders are to..."

"To what, Airman? Eavesdrop on a conversation between a Colonel and his ex-wife? Between grieving parents? If I'm correct, your ORDERS, were to come with me. This you have done. I'm not going anywhere. Now shoo."

I almost felt bad for the young man as he sat there stammering as Jack slowly shut the door in his face.

I watched as Jack peered out the door window then took a deep breath before turning around and coming to join me in the kitchen.

"Why are you here Jack?" I asked in a hopefully casual tone. He looked at me as if he were puzzled at my inquiry.

"Umm, well...yesterday with the, you know. Me...and you know...with...the...I mean...Charlie...don't you?...aren't you?...I just thought..."

"They already talked to us all about that. Said there was a chemical thing, hallucinations and all that. We signed non-disclosure forms and everything."

If it was at all possible Jack seemed even more uncomfortable while I spoke.

"And you buy that?" He asked patiently.

I was not feeling so patient.

"What am I supposed to think Jack?" I nearly shouted in exasperation. "I know it must be a cover story for something but what other explanation is there for seeing two of you? And Charlie?! Jack, really."

"Aliens...?" He shrugged his shoulders and smirked.

The light, almost pleading way that he offered his explanation reminded me of him in a way I had nearly forgotten. I smiled and sighed, ready to ask him to move on until his smile faded and he took on a decidedly more serious expression.

"Jack? What-"

"Look, Sara, I know that that...me, well not me...whatever. I know that yesterday you must have had some conversations. You need to know that...whatever I or He or whatever- whatever was said, is from me, it did know exactly what it is I feel...He was just able to tell you what I'm not strong enough to say myself. I do hate that and I'm sorry. At the very least I feel like I do owe you an explanation of what happened yesterday."

His eyes were open and sad, but he was him and wanting to talk but saying he can't at the same time. It was typical Jack O'Neill. I was tempted to be frustrated but I found myself unable to be angry and his words did intrigue me. Yesterday felt too real to have been a hallucination and I did want to know but at the same time I worried for him.

"Jack, I'd love to hear about some crazy experiment the military is doing which makes clones or something but I don't want you to get in trouble for sharing classified information."

He looked at me with a small smile and sighed deeply.

"Sometimes I have to weigh personal risk against...other stuff... This is one of those times."

He was too serious to be joking but there was a hint of humor to his statement.

"Okay Jack, fine. If you want to tell me, go ahead. I'm listening."

He smirked and sat back.

"Aliens." This time he said it with strong confidence. His smile was smug and his arms swept wide.

"Jack, seriously."

"No, really."

His face again turned stonily serious and was so insistent I realized it was one of those times I should shut up and listen.

"Yeah...I'm serious. I'm not going to tell you everything because I'm already treading on dangerous ground but I'll tell you this much. We've acquired technology which allows us to travel to other plants and communicate with alien life forms..."

He was being serious.

Jack was being serious about aliens.

I had no reason not to trust him implicitly so I sat back in stunned silence, waiting for him to continue talking.

"Yeah. Ahem. So that's what I've been up to since, well, since last we talked. The other day an Alien came back disguised as me after reading my mind. He can take any form he wants and he thought he was helping me by...y'know...coming here."

He looked at me awkwardly before continuing his story, eyes focused on his fingers.

"He couldn't really survive in our atmosphere so he began to break down in to energy. Kind of like radiation. So that's why he was here, and what was going on with...it."

I shook my head in an effort to try and clarify the information he provided me.

"So...Why did he look like Charlie?"

Jack sharply looked up at me.

His eyes stared unblinkingly at mine for what seemed like forever before he once again broke eye contact, first looking at his fingers, then gazing up the stairs and back to his clasped hands again. He cleared his throat and again looked up intensely.

"He...umm...was helping me." Jack shrugged his shoulders and looked at me as if asking permission. He suddenly seemed a lot younger. I couldn't stop myself from raising my hand and stroking the side of his face. He immediately dropped his gaze back down to the table.

"Jack?"

"Hrm?"

"How are you?" I dropped my hand to his shoulder and felt him take a deep breath. When he looked up again it was without the awkward trepidation that he had been exhibiting and there was a small but genuine smile on his face. He didn't say anything but his eyes were distant and I knew he was thinking.

"So you met my team last night. Whadda you think?"

I was caught off guard by the question and removed my hand from his shoulder.

"That was your team? Even the geeky guy?"

That brought a full Jack O'Neill smile.

"Yeah. Danny and Carter are both science geeks."

"Carter's the woman?" He nodded

"She's military, though, right? The guy with the glasses doesn't seem military..."

"He's not. But he's a good guy. He puts up with me, I put up with him. We look out for one another."

It was then I realized that Jack was happy. He still had issues to work out and was still grieving, if anything, yesterday was a clear indication of that. But he was happy, with people to care about and who seem to care about him. That realization released a burden I hadn't even realized I carried.

We continued to talk, alternating between times of awkward silence and times that reflected the comfort of our previous years together.

When it came time to go I asked him to wait in the hall for a moment.

"Here..." He looked at me confused as I bungled some small items into his hands.

"Sara...?"

"I just thought you should have something...you know, of his, for you..." He looked down at the few photos, baseball glove and ball I had put in his hands. He stood there for a long moment breathing heavily and I hardly believed it when I realized he was crying.

"Sara..." he breathed quietly, "Thank you...and...I'm sorry."

I felt my breath catch in my chest. I didn't think before I reached out and hugged him. It was awkward with his hands full but the contact helped ease whatever it was that I was feeling.

I pulled away as I felt Jack compose himself.

"Hey Jack...this year...on the anniversary, maybe we could not do it alone?"

He looked at me for a moment before nodding his head and barely whispered the word "Okay."

Then he was out the door and getting in to the waiting Air Force vehicle.

I watched him go and felt better than I had in a long time.