A/N: This is my first Stargate fan fiction, so please help if you feel the need. Constructive criticism is welcome! i also want to thank all of you for reading and most imprtantly, I want to thank my one reviewer so far. Thank you for the questions, but I can't answer them right now.

Just a few points: I am leaving out Continuum for a twist to the story. Col. Mitchell is not part of the SGC and may not even appear in the story. And obviously, neither Sam nor Jack got their promotions. I just think it will work better with my story if that s the way it is. Thank you for your patience, and on with the story!

P.S.: I did do a few changes to answer some of the questions in reviews I got, like the time line thing.

Chapter 1: Briefing

Jack found himself once again thinking of Carter. She had left without anything but the letter. And it was his fault. The letter may tell him not to blame himself, but he knew she left because of him. And there was no way to find her. After he had spoken to the other members of his team, he had gone to see General Hammond.

Flashback:

Jack read the letter in his hands and then went to find the other members of his team. He knew that she wouldn t be on the base anymore. She would have sent the letters and left. They would have gone after her, and she knew it. Which was exactly what Jack intended to do. He called a meeting for SG-1 in his office. Daniel was the last one in saying, "Sorry I m late guys, I was caught up in translation of the Goa uld temple on the planet-"

"Yeah, yeah, Daniel. We know," Jack interrupted. "We're not here to talk about your little Goa'uld thingy. We're here to talk about Carter."

Daniel looked around the room and then asked, "Where is Sam?"

"I take it you didn t read the little note she sent you yet," Jack asked sarcastically.

"No. I didn't know I got one."

"It is most likely on the floor of your office, Daniel Jackson," Teal c said.

They followed Daniel to his office where he read his note and caught up with what she had done. Vala was the first to speak when he was done. "Well, obviously Sam needs our help with something but refuses to ask. So here's what we need to do. Find her, get whatever information we can out of her and go blow someone up for whatever they did to her."

Jack was silent, not knowing what Carter had tol any of the others. Or if they would want to know that he was the reason she had left.

"Vala," Daniel said. "We can't just go blowing someone up every time you feel the urge to do it."

"Well, why not? It's a good idea. Besides, this isn't for me, this is for Sam."

"No, I think we all know that this is for you and your sense of need to blow people up."

Vala opened her mouth, but was cut off by Jack. "Enough. No one is blowing anyone up. What we need to do is find out what Hammond knows and then decide to go from there. He's the one who sent in her early retirement form, so he has to know something. Now let's go."

"Is it not General Hammond's choice to inform us of this, O'neill?"

Jack turned around at the door to look at Teal'c, shook his finger and said, "Don't push me Teal'c."

Daniel, Vala, and Teal'c all looked at each other. Vala looked confused, Daniel had both eyebrows raised and Teal'c had hhis head cocked to the side with one eyebrow raised in question. "Is it just me, or does Jack seem a bit more upset about this than he normally would be," Daniel asked the others.

"Ineed," Teal'c answered.

Jack entered Hammond's office at his answer to enter, and stood in front of him at ease.

"What can I do for you, Jack?"

"Well, sir, you can tell me why you let Carter leave the SGC."

"Jack, close the door." Jack did as the General said and then turned back to him. "Sit down." Jack then sat and waited for General Hammond's answer. "Jack, there is no easy way to say this, but I didn't have a choice but to let her go. When she handed her form for early retirment, I told her I couldn't accept it. She then told me that she would give it to the president if she had to. She refused to tell me why it was so important that she retired early, but made me promise that I could make it happen. Then, just this week, the president himself came to see me and told me that if Major Carter wanted to retire, there would be no objections from anyone. When I asked him why, he simply said that she had served her country well and she deserved to live a small, happy life without interference from the government."

"So that's it, sir. You don't know anything else?"

"I'm sorry Jack, but no, I do not have any more information for you. And frankly, if I did, I would be inclined to give it to you, despite the president's orders."

"Sir?"

"The president told me to keep whatever Carter told me about her retirement to myself. And that if I informed anyone of what I knew, I would also be looking at early retirement."

"Sir, the president threatened you?"

"It was more of a warning than a threat, Jack. And anyway, I believe he had good reasons for it. He's not a man to say things like that lightly."

End Flashback

So, here Jack was, ten years later, walking to the breifing room where Hammond had called SG-1 to at 0900 hours; ten minutes ago. When he entered the room, others were already there. He noticed the blinds for Hammond's office were closed, as was the door. Which made him wary. If it was the IOA again, he was going to be pissed. He was not in a good mood today. If he was being honest with himself, he hadn't been in a good mood since Carter had left.

Jack and the others sat around the breifing table, waiting for General Hammond to enter. He exited his office a moment later and sat in his chair, speaking before the others could ask what the meeting was about.

"We've recieved intelligence that Ba'al is on Earth again. He's kidnapped a young girl by the name of Sabrina."

Daniel was the first to recover. "Who gave you this information?"

"Jacob Carter."

"Umm...General, with all due respect, sir, have you gone wacko?"

"No, Jack I haven't gone wacko, as you put it. Jacob Carter is here to explain what happend and why he's been away this long."

"Sir, General Carter is dead."

"No, Jack, I'm not." The room turned it's heads to see Jacob Carter exit General Hammond's office and walk toward them.

A/N: YAY! Another chapter finished, and I will either already have the next chapter up while you read this, or will be in the process of writing it. I hope you enjoyed it! please R&R! I have never cranked out a story this fast without it being written down and I'd like to know what you think, please.