Carter pushed open the door open and stood to the side so Jack could walk in first. He stopped when he saw the boy sitting on the bed. Charlie saw him and stood up to salute him before walking over and putting his arms around him in a slightly awkward hug. Jack just sort of stood there patting him on the back before wrapping his arms tighter around him and holding him while shaking with unshed tears. Jack O'Neill doesn't cry. He was overwhelmed with how seeing Charlie made all those feelings well up inside him and overflow. He finally let him go and straightened up acting like nothing had happened.

Sam decided that was her queue to come into the room and Jason squirmed out of his 'mothers' arms to go to his brother. Charlie reached down and picked him up.

"Welcome home Jason." He whispered into his brother's ear.

"Hang on there, Charlie. This is not your home; this is a completely different place. You have seen the General; now we have to send you back." Carter wanted nothing more than to talk to the little boy. How she wished she could hold him again, but he's not hers. She needs to stay completely objective, something she had gotten very good at.

Jack sat down on the end of the bed, the weight of the last few moments settling in on him. He didn't know what to make of this situation.

"Wait, I want details. We have met ourselves from different realities before, but we never seem to ask the questions that we really want answered. How are you not dead? And if you're not dead, why aren't I still with your mother?" Jack stopped himself before asking the other obvious question, glancing at Sam. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments before they both turned their attention back to the boy. Jason had left Charlie and clambered back into Sam's arms.

"I'm dead in this reality?" Charlie asked, not answering any of Jack's questions.

"Yes, now, explain that."

Charlie looked confused. "How did I- I mean the other Charlie- die?"

Jack looked uncomfortable; of course he hated talking about his son's death. It was probably the worst day of his life. He was eternally grateful when Sam spoke up.

"He found…. his father's gun…" She trailed off, hoping Charlie could finish her thought.

He did. "Oh, I just shot myself in the foot. Mom never forgave you, always saying what could have happened, which I guess did…" He looked just as uncomfortable as Jack, the same expression and everything. "Right after it happened she wanted a divorce, we don't see her much. A few years ago you and Mom-" He gestured toward Sam, "Got married; she's not in the military in my reality." How he know to answer Jacks unasked question he couldn't figure out, although he was his son.

Jack was staring at him, still disbelieving what was happening. He could have his son back. But, of course, Carter was right; they had to be sent back. As much as he hated that fact. He could have a family again. One look at Sam and he knew she was thinking along the same lines. The young boy in her arms was playing with her short hair and she was smiling down on him like only a mother can. There had to be a way to solve this.

"Carter."

"Yes, Sir."

"Hallway."

"Yes, Sir."

With that she put the boy down and the two of them walked out of the room to discuss what the plan of action was.

"I know they can't stay." He left a heavy 'but' feeling at the end.

"General…"

"But I wish they could."

"I actually think they should stay for a little while, we could help them adjust to life without their parents, which might be difficult because we are a lot like them."

Wow, she wanted them there as much as he did, that was very surprising for Jack. He was sure she would want to send them home right away before anything got out of hand. Obviously the boys had had an influence on her as well.

"I agree, although I can't help but think if that's the best thing for 'em."

"Well, Charlie is set on staying here. He's a sixteen year old boy, I think we'll be hard pressed to make him change his mind."
"He seems to be like me in that regard" The lines were beginning to blur as to whose son that boy was. Jack knew it, but he didn't think twice about it, he knew the lines were there, and he and Sam both knew they would be sending the boys back sooner or later.

"Alright, let's tell them they get to stay a while."