2: The Awakening

Jack froze and stared at the girl.

"I'm your…daddy?" The girl laughed.

"Don't be silly daddy." She hopped down and ran to the other bed. "Grace! Grace, wake up! I found daddy!" She shook the other girl. Jack had been right the blond one was Grace. Grace sat up slowly but had pretty much the same reaction as Evelyn. Jack just sat there stumped, he hadn't had any kids with Carter, and hell would he have remembered it if he had! Suddenly Grace reached into her pocket.

"Mummy said show." The girl looked confused but held the photo up for Jack to see. His throat constricted. The picture had been taken at his cabin, at a party if the lights in the trees and tables had anything to show. Evelyn and Grace were in the foreground, running from Cassie, obviously in a game of chase. But what caught his attention most was the couple in the background obviously swaying to a song. It was him and Sam. She was wearing a long, navy blue, silk skirt with a matching strapless top. Jack was wearing a casual tux. A ring twinkled in the photograph.

That explained the fierce protection he felt towards them. Grace was squirming so Jack put her down stood up, still staring at the photo. He recognised other people in the picture. There was Jacob, Hammond, Janet, Daniel, hell even Jonas! There were more but he didn't recognise them and also noticed that Teal'c wasn't present. He turned the photo over but it was blank. Ok, Jack don't panic. There has to be an explanation. What was that alternate universe thing Carter had talked about a few years ago? Sam stirred and Jack looked over at her, but she didn't wake. Sam-the mother of his children. Suddenly he saw her as a whole new woman and an overwhelming sense of love flooded through Jack. The emotion wasn't new, but the strength was. She stirred again and he hurried over to her, shoving the picture in his pocket.

Sam could feel the darkness pulling her back, she fought it, had too. Suddenly she was on solid ground, running, as weapon fire flew around her. The smell of smoke and burning flesh filled her nostrils and she threw up, stumbling to the ground.

She cried out and Jack reached out a hand and smoothed her forehead. Sam tossed and turned in her sleep, despite her injuries.

"Sam, come on Sam, wake up. You're safe, you're home." Jack said it over and over again but to no avail.

Suddenly she became aware of something else. A pain in her side, she looked and saw Evelyn clinging to her, she panicked. Where was Grace! Sam struggled back to her feet and turned around to see Grace lying about 50ft back. "GRACE!" She ran as fast as she could, dodging staff blasts and threw Grace over her shoulder. Sam could feel her legs giving out as she saw the gate come into view. She looked at the girl clinging to her side. She had to make it; the children depended on her.

Jack called for Janet when Sam started yelling incoherently, afraid she would do more injury. Janet checked the monitors, but shook her head.

"She's already had the safe amount of morphine and sedative, I can't give her any more. We'll just have to wait till this passes." He nodded and looked down at the girls. He lifted them onto the chair and pushed it near Sam. Maybe their nearness would help. Grace and Evelyn watched cautiously but stayed.

Suddenly she felt a hand lifting her elbow and looked to see Jack urging her on. Together they ran, Jack practically carrying her. Sam saw the gate engage and started to cry, she was almost there. A strangled cry and Jack lay dead. She didn't stop, barely looked back. Suddenly she was through, standing on the ramp "Delete the address!" And everything went black.

Jack was getting more and more worried as Sam continued to moan and mumble incoherently, ok so at least she wasn't yelling anymore. Still. He tried again.

"Sam, come on, ya gotta wake up. We're as confused as hell on this side. Grace and Evelyn are still here with me. I haven't let anyone touch them. They're safe, you can wake up now." Jack was desperate. He almost fell over when he saw Sam's eyelids flutter open. She seemed confused but reality hit home fast.

"Evelyn! Grace!" She tried to sit up and howled in agony. Jack quickly picked up the girls and brought them to the bed,

"Sam, it's ok, they're right here. Look." She was breathing heavily and hugged them to her tightly as he placed one on each side, smiling slightly as they curled into Sam. She stroked their hair and cried as she kissed them. "They're ok, a bit beat up, but fine. Janet wants to take some blood samples and get them cleaned up. But I said we'd wait until you were awake." Jack stated, feeling somewhat awkward witnessing this display of affection. He was relieved when Teal'c and Daniel came in.

"You're awake!" "Are you well Colonel Carter?" Were their questions. Sam nodded, grimacing at the pain.

"You can take them for a bath now, oh and Janet will need to look over them." She said hoarsely her eyes already starting to roll, the others looked at her strangely.

"Are you sure Sam? You were kinda…well you didn't…" Daniel touched his nose as he fumbled.

"What Danny boy is trying to say is that you were really, uh agro, earlier when anyone came anywhere near the girls. You wouldn't let anyone touch them, and it took a bit of convincing just for you to give them to me." Jack felt a twinge of worry as Sam averted her eyes, suddenly finding her hands very interesting.

"You must take them, protect them, YOU must look after them…"

"Earth to Carter," Jack waved his hand and Sam jolted out of her daze.

"Don't… don't really… remember." Her voice was shaky, and he hoped they'd find out exactly what happened soon. It had seriously affected Sam.

"Hey, don't worry. You were pretty traumatized. That's what happens. Whatever you got, you don't let go of it. I've been there myself." A shadow flashed across Jack's eyes. It was brief and Jack was immediately his old self again

"Evelyn, Grace. We're ok now; you have no need to be afraid anymore. This is Daniel and Teal'c and…Jack." Grace quickly butted in.

"No he's-"

"They will look after you while I get better. They're my friends and you don't have to be scared." She had gone a little pink when Grace had butted in. Jack knew exactly what she was going to say, but he wasn't ready to confront that either.

"But mummy, he was the one you told us to-" They were eyeing Teal'c very cautiously. Sam was half asleep as she replied softly,

"He is good, the other one you remember is different." The other one. The words echoed and Jack desperately wanted to call a briefing then and there. What the hell was going on?

Daniel clapped his hands together.

"Well, kids lets go find Janet and get you cleaned up." The girls gingerly walked towards him, their feet numb no longer, small dots of blood dotted the floor where they walked. Daniel and Jack each picked up one, but the girls smiled brightly and continued as if there was no pain. "Bubble bath! Mummy has us bubble bath. I'm hungry!" Was the chorus of questions as Janet came out to see what all the fuss was about. After checking over Sam and then the children, she took them to the infirmary bathroom, preparing for the long job of cleaning them, wounds and all. One of the worst things about her job was having to hear the vocalised pain. And 3yr olds would surely scream. Daniel had wanted to help, but Janet looked aghast and ordered him out, girls only! The company chuckled, especially when Daniel was hit by a flying soap bar, after commenting-

"Only practising for our kids!" He and Janet had been dating a while and the banter was common.

The mood however, turned solemn as the bathroom door drowned out the chatter of the children. They all stared at the now sleeping Sam.

"The other one?" Daniel whispered. He looked nervously at Teal'c, trying to gauge his emotion.

"I have not been in the service of Apohis for many years. I am unclear as to what Lt. Colonel Carter is referring to." Sam stirred again.

"Well, I'm as confused as hell." Jack stated bluntly; unsure of out to broach the information he already knew.

"What if it's an alternate Sam? That's happened before. But then where's the real Sam? Or maybe she got sent to an alternate reality. What if something happened? That, that system shutdown while she was in the gate? Maybe it did something, like, I don't know… made it act like a quantum mirror." Jack was pointedly looking anywhere but Daniel. The photo was starting making a whole lot of sense that he wished it wasn't.