Chapter 4
5 Minutes later Sam, Hammond and Lizzy were out of everyone's view and found themselves on Thor's ship
"Thank you Thor" Sam said giving Lizzy to Hammond and hugging the small alien who looked quite pleased,
"If there is ever anything I can do" She offered,
"I will ask if i need any more stupid ideas"
"Thanks Thor can you beam us to the SGC infirmary" Sam asked, Hammond looked at her, she went over taking Lizzy
"I just want to make sure he didn't do anything" Sam said the unspoken words passing between her and Hammond, the white light engulfed them and the next minute they were in Janet's infirmary,
"Hey Jan" Sam said smiling at everyone's shocked reactions she could see why, she was in her grey sweats, still with the dirt of the last mission, in the middle of the night holding a young girl with her commanding officer who she had last been seen leaving through the Stargate holding hands and now stood in dusty, torn dress blues armed with a Zat.
"General Hammond, Sam how did you get here?" She asked
"Dr it is a long story, can we go somewhere more private" he asked looking around all the personnel in the infirmary wondering what creative rumors there would be in about an hour, Janet nodded leading them to a private exam room, Hammond waited for Sam to begin
"I got a visit from the police, Mark, Lucy my sister in law and Greg are dead" Sam said with remarkable calmness stroking Lizzy's hair who had slept threw all the disturbance,
"Oh God Sam" Sam held up her hand to stop knowing if she was going to tell this she had to remain professional otherwise she would be a crying wreck, the alarms went overhead, Sam and Hammond both looked to each other,
"Stay it might be Jacob I'll inform him of the situation" he said Sam nodded a few tears trickling out, Janet carefully took Lizzy and out her on the bed, hugging Sam sitting her next to Lizzy,
"Lizzy was missing so I came to base to get time off, General Hammond offered to help, so we went to the Asguard Thor said he would help we found her and nailed him I just need to know he didn't do anything" Sam tried to explain while desperately trying not to cry, Janet nodded sympathetically
"Where are SG1?" Janet asked surprised they weren't with her. Sam blinked puzzled,
"I didn't have chance to tell them i came to tell dad about Mark and get the time off, then General Hammond suggested Thor and next thing i know were on an Asguard ship"
"Fair enough, shall i ring them" Janet offered, Sam nodded gazing worriedly at Lizzy she had never really thought of how this affected SG1 but now the events of the night were sinking in. Had it only been 3 hours since that knock on the door. Janet followed her gaze realizing that Lizzy was her priority now.
"Sam I would love to help but this is not my area of expertise, however I do have a friend who is a paediatrician she is the best," Sam nodded stroking Lizzy's face
"Do it" She decided Janet hugged her friend before leaving to arrange it, Sam spent the time just watching Lizzy glad she was ok and not having nightmares, it was about 30 minutes later when a lady with light brown hair tied up in a pony tail, her green eyes dancing with laughter, she wore a pale pink shirt which showed off her brown tan, seeing Sam she smiled politely holding out her hand a blue clipboard clutched in the other,
"Sam Carter I presume" she asked
"Yes you must be the paediatrician" she shook her hand
"Yes Dr Marlow but I prefer Jo" Sam gently shook Lizzy awake,
"Liz this is Dr Marlow," She said looking at Dr Marlow
"Please call me Jo" She smiled at Lizzy
"Ok why doesn't Auntie Sam wait outside" Sam nodded while she really didn't want to leave the request was more of a thinly disguised order not a suggestion,
"Auntie Sam" Lizzy called scared, Sam forced a smile onto her face walking back over kissing her forehead and smoothing her hair
"Liz honey, Jo is a doctor she just wants to make sure your ok and the bad man didn't hurt you,"
"He didn't" she replied firmly
"I believe you but we just have to be 100% sure" Sam replied not able to think of a better way to explain it, she smiled reassuringly before leaving the room.
She paced up and down the corridor until General Hammond joined her
"I'm sorry Sam it was only Sg7" he reported, Sam nodded disappointed it wasn't her dad.
"I presume you want custody of her" he guessed Sam nodded
"Lucy has no brothers and sisters and her parents are in the 70's" Sam told him "I'm Marks only family other than dad or at least I was" She said pausing as she remembered that Mark was no longer with them.
"Sam I need you to think about your position on Sg1 and Lizzy, I don't doubt you could do both but is that fair to her? Whatever you decided there is always a job here for you" he insisted hugging her before standing up. Sam sat silently she hadn't thought how Lizzy would effect Sg1 before but now it had been brought up she was sure which to pick. Dr Marlow came back out interrupting her thoughts, Sam pounced literally on her.
"Well" She asked anxiously
"There were no signs of abuse other than him kidnapping her; it is my opinion that you got there in time" Sam felt her legs give out from beneath her suddenly she was on the floor crying in relief, Jo was right by her hugging her use to this reaction from worried relatives not matter what the news either way it was intense relief or intense shame, guilt and worry.
"I'm sorry I was just so sure he had, then its just such a relief" Sam tried to explain through tears, Jo just waited, eventually Sam stood up
"Thank you, seriously anything I can do?" Sam offered
"Take your niece home and look after her she is a good kid" Jo told her, Sam nodded numbly
"Thank you" Sam entered the room hugging Lizzy who returned it
"Sam can we go now"
"Sure, you are going to stay with me now kiddo" Sam said ruffling her hair, Lizzy looked at her
"Why can't I stay with mummy and daddy and Greg?" She asked, Sam bent down to her level
"Lizzy, your mum, dad and brother died remember, they are in heaven" Sam said gently, Lizzy seemed to accept it for now, Sam knew it hadn't sunk in and they would have to have a grown up conversation to try and explain death to her.
"Major take off as much time as you need but next week I would like to discuss your status on Sg1" he ordered, Sam nodded knowing she would have some serious thinking to do.
"Thank you Sir" Sam said lifting up Lizzy and walking away to my car on the surface passing many curious faces on the way. Sam ignored them she was sure the rumours were spreading and half of her wondered what they would be saying but the rest of her didn't care.
"Auntie Sam" Lizzy said half way up
"Yes honey" Sam replied
"Why is everyone looking at you weirdly?" she asked, Sam smiled almost ashamed of her co-workers who had made it so obvious even a young girl noticed.
"They are wondering who the pretty girl I'm carrying is" She responded
"That's me" Lizzy noted, Sam nodded,
"Ok" Lizzy seemed to accept this explanation. She snuggled up closer to Sam who hugged her closer. At the top Hammond had phoned ahead so there was no problem signing out and there was a car seat waiting. Sam didn't know how he had arranged it but was glad he had. She loaded Lizzy into the car driving home watching her in the mirror. She knew what she had to do, she was Lizzy's only family she wasn't going to let her down.
Arriving home Lizzy was fast asleep, deciding not to wake her Sam carried her inside putting her to bed in her spare room. Then not wanting to wake up in a strange place alone Sam settled in the chair quickly falling asleep. In the middle of the night Sam was awoken with a scream from Lizzy who was sat bolt upright tears streaming down her face and covered in sweat. Sam was by her side in an instant cradling her rocking her slightly
"Its okay Lizzy your safe, I'm here" Sam told her, Lizzy held her tightly
"I was with my mum" Lizzy began through her sobs, Sam let her talk sensing it was important.
"She was putting me to bed reading me a bedtime story, when we hearded a knock on the door. Daddy went and there was bang, mummy said to stay in bed so I did. Then I hearded another bang and mummy screaming then there was another bang and mummy was quiet I hided cus I was scared, but I thinked I falled asleep cus the bad man tooked me and locked me in a room." Lizzy said becoming really quiet, Sam just held her aware it would take time, as Sam debated whether Lizzy needed a psychologist after all she had been through a lot looking down Sam realised that Lizzy had fallen asleep again. Carefully Sam lifted her into the bed deciding to join her as they both slept this time no nightmares interrupted their sleep.
Lizzy awoke first the next morning initially confused to where she was then she remembered why she was with her auntie Sam, careful not to disturb her auntie Sam Lizzy crept out the room, she needed to be alone.
When Sam awoke some time later alone she panicked not seeing Lizzy near her, getting up she did a quick search of her house finding Lizzy curled up in her basement Sam went over
"Liz" the small girl turned towards her sobbing.
"Auntie Sam I want my mummy" Lizzy said, Sam hugged her not able to say anything, what could she say?
"I know your mummy loved you very much" Sam settled on saying hoping it would be enough. Lizzy seemed to settle down, Sam picked her up easily coping with her weight.
"I think we should go out for breakfast" Sam suggested wanting to treat her niece then noticing her clothes she added
"Then shopping" Lizzy nodded enthusiastically after all who didn't love being spoilt by their favourite Auntie. Sam smiled putting Lizzy on the floor to rummage through her wardrobe trying to come up with something for her to wear knowing Lizzy wouldn't want to be in the clothes she was wearing when her parents died. Reluctantly coming up with a white t-shirt that had shrunk in the wash and a mini skirt Cassie had persuaded her to buy, Sam had bought it to shut her up on Lizzy it looked almost respectable coming down to just below her knee, Sam finished it off with a scarf that she used as a belt to keep it on. Lizzy twirled when the ensemble was on obviously approving. Sam smiled changing into a white blouse and blue jeans grabbing her purse. On the way out she paused by the phone ringing General Hammond.
"Sir I have made my decision about staying on Sg1" she told him pleased to hear he supported her choice.
"Ready kiddo" She asked Lizzy nodded, Sam went outside to her Volvo using the car seat she had been given last night and they were off.
They stopped at Mac Donald's for breakfast Sam knowing it was one of Lizzy's favourite places to eat and after everything she had been through she deserved this.
Lizzy ate quietly, Sam knew that she was thinking of something but didn't want to bring it up in Mac Donald's so waited until they were outside and in her car
"Lizzy you ok?" Sam asked sitting next to her on the back seat
"Did mummy and daddy leave cus I was bad" she asked quietly Sam shook her head tearing up at the thought that Lizzy could even think that.
"No honey, no no no no" Sam repeated for emphasis hugging her tightly
"They why have they gone?" Lizzy asked, Sam froze not knowing how to answer the question with a 7 year old, she didn't want to ruin her innocence as she desperately sought for a way to explain it
"Because sometimes good people die, it's not fair, it's not right but it happens" Sam explained hoping it was somewhat adequate
"Where are they?" Lizzy asked, Sam paused wondering what she meant
"In heaven looking down on you protecting you" Sam informed her, Lizzy nodded solemnly looking upwards waving to her mum, dad and brother
"Thor will look after them" She decided firmly after all Thor was up there to with her mum and dad and brother. Sam didn't argue allowing Lizzy to think what she wanted. Instead she swapped to the front seat deciding to make the trip into town as quick a possible. In town she grabbed a few outfits Lizzy said she liked 3 new pairs of shoes and some toys and her own booster seat. Then with relief at getting everything she drove home where the problems seemed to just escalate.