Chapter 7

Jack was the first to wake; he could see the faint light of dawn outside. He went to the bathroom and then went to check on Anna. When he opened the door he found an empty bed. He ran through the cabin, it wasn't that big….. It couldn't be a dream….. It couldn't… He couldn't lose her. He felt the same panic he had running through the house looking for her in his memories. He went to his bedroom, afraid that he would find that bed empty as well, he paused. He rested his forehead on the door and took a deep breath before he opened the door. Then he collapsed on the edge of the bed as relief washed over him.

He held his face in his hands. He was so terrified they wouldn't be here. He felt a hand on his back. "Jack?" he heard her sleepy voice behind him.

He turned. His distress was clearly evident on his face. Sam pulled on his arm and he lay down behind her and wrapped his arm around both of them. He could see Anna's hand holding Sam's and her face was a vision of peace, no cares, no worries. Oscar lay at her feet.

Sam felt his frantic heartbeat slow to a more restful pace against her back and she heard his breathing become shallower. They drifted off back to sleep.

"Morning, Mommy and Daddy!" He awoke sometime later with his arm still around Sam as Anna was kissing their faces. He released Sam and rolled over to get out of the bed. The queen size bed was probably never meant for two adults, a child and a full grown 60 lb Australian shepherd. And yet, it was the most restful sleep he had experienced in a long time.

Oscar jumped down and Jack realized he should probably let the poor dog out. "Come on Oscar. Anna what do you want for breakfast?"

"Oatmeal!"

"How can anyone be so excited about oatmeal?" he grumbled as he made his way to the front door.

After breakfast they set up the chairs on the dock so that Anna could try out her new pole. She was wearing her new fishing hat, dressed in the jeans, t-shirt and flannel shirt Jack bought for her the night before. They had not caught anything, of course a singing six year old, would probably scare off any fish in the pond if there were any to be caught.

Anna sang as Jack supplied her with the names of Minnesota wildlife so that she could continue, "It's a beautiful day for the bass to play, it's a beautiful day for the trout to play, it's a beautiful day for the crappie to play, it's a beautiful day for the loon to play…."

They heard a vehicle pull up. Jack stood and turned, suddenly aware he was not armed. Sam saw him reach behind his back and realized he felt threatened. "Sam, wait here with Anna." She rolled her eyes. His over-protective nature was going to drive her crazy if he kept this up. When did she become a damsel in distress? She let it go when she realized it was probably the moment he saw her on the kitchen floor.

She watched as Jack approached the vehicle and then saw General Hammond get out. 'What is he doing here?' She stood and Anna started running over to him before she could stop her. "Grandpa!"

George looked over at her stunned. The little girl came and hugged him wholeheartedly, Sam walked up with a tight smile. "General," she greeted him.

"Colonel?" He asked surprised to see her here.

"Anna why don't you take Mommy to the lake where we saw the baby ducks yesterday? I bet she would love to see the ducklings." Jack suggested.

"Come on Anna, show me the ducklings." Sam put her hand out to Anna and looked at Jack concerned. She wished she could stay for this conversation, but Anna certainly couldn't be here.

"Come on George, can I get you something to drink?"

"Jack?" he asked stunned pointing to Sam and Anna as they walked off, or rather ran – Anna was very excited to show Sam the ducklings.

"Come on in." They walked inside. Jack got a couple of bottles of water, he handed one to George.

"Jack what is going on? I get a call from you that you are retiring after what happened the other day. At which time I might add, you assured me everything was alright. Then I come up here and find you and Sam really do have a daughter. You really married too?"

"I'm not sure you'll believe me, but no."

"Care to explain?" George asked confused.

"I'll do my best. That is our daughter, but…this is going to sound crazy. It appears she's from the future."

"Excuse me?" George asked in disbelief; however they had seen a lot of strange things over the last eight years together.

"Yesterday morning when I got here, Anna was here. Since I woke up in the infirmary I have been remembering things."

"Remembering things?"

"At first I thought I was just dreaming or something. But as near as Carter and I can determine, Anna is from 11 years in the future."

"How is that possible?"

"That I don't remember."

"Can you prove she's from the future?"

"Excuse me?"

"You know how this looks don't you Jack? Sorry, but the first thing I thought when I saw her-"

"Come on George, we've seen stranger things."

"I believe you son. I can't imagine how the two of you could have kept this a secret for the last, how old is she?"

"Six, yesterday."

"So that means, yeah I think I would have noticed if Sam was pregnant between 6 and 7 years ago. The woman rarely even takes a weekend off."

"We're trying to figure this out George. Believe me, I wish it were something else that made more sense."

"What can you tell me?"

"Somebody killed Carter 11 years in the future. For some reason Anna was sent back. Don't ask, I don't know how, why, or who I'm up against. That's the best I can put together so far. I know this though, I am not putting my daughter in danger again."

"Jack, I can't let you resign. I need you at the SGC."

"This is not up for debate, George. Anna and I are staying here." Jack said determined.

"And, Sam?"

"I haven't talked to her about this. She can go back to her life and Anna and I will stay here."

"Excuse me Jack, I only saw Sam with her for a few minutes and I can't see her leaving her daughter."

"She doesn't remember; she should be alright."

"I don't think she needs to remember anything to want to stay with her daughter. Would you?" Jack looked concerned, no he definitely wouldn't. "Jack bring her back, we'll get to the bottom of this and find out what were up against. You have more resources to protect her at the SGC than here."

"If no one knows she exists, then there is no threat."

"You want to hide her away for the rest of her life?" Jack just took a drink of his water and looked away. "I know you're concerned about protecting her Jack, but I can assure you that we'll do everything we can."

"That's not good enough, George. I think Sam knew the person. I don't think they broke in."

"Jack, you know who you can trust at the SGC."

"Do I?"

"Come on, I'll talk to the President, we'll keep this need to know. I can assure you we'll do everything we can to get to the bottom of this."

Jack heard Anna giggling outside and went to the window, they were already back. He saw Sam chasing her and saw the smiles on their faces. George was right, Sam didn't need the memories to love her; she already did.

"Anna should have a chance at a normal life. School, friends…"

"She had that. I want to make sure she has a chance to have a life period." George looked at him exasperated. "Alright, I'll think about George."

"Daddy, help me." He heard Anna squeal as Sam gently tackled her to the ground and started to tickle her.

"Daddy, help me," Anna screamed!

Jack had a gun at the man's head "Put her down carefully and I might be persuaded to let you live." They were near the front door of the house. The man had almost gotten out of the house with her. He let Anna down. "On the floor, hands on your head."

"Mommy!" Anna ran to Sam who had just come down the stairs when the man was putting Anna down, she grabbed her and held her tightly. Anna buried her face in her mom's neck and put her thumb in her mouth.

"It's alright, baby." Sam went to the phone to call the SGC to have the man taken into custody and returned to Jack.

"Jack?"

"Take Anna upstairs now, Sam."

"Not until I know you're not going to do anything stupid."

"Only if he does anything else stupid."

"Jack, why don't you take Anna upstairs and let me deal with this."

"You want to talk to the SF's in your pajamas, Sam? Besides you're not even supposed to be out of bed, yet." He didn't want to upset her anymore today. "I'll be good, go on." Ironically, the man was only still alive because the very person he came for was in the house.

"Alright, just don't make a mess of my floor. It took me three months to pick that out."

"When Anna was three they tried to take her right out of our house in the middle of the night."

"You mean someone was stupid enough to enter your house in the middle of the night, Jack?"

"Guess they didn't read my file." Jack smiled sarcastically, and continued seriously. "I wasn't supposed to be there. I was supposed to be in Washington. Sam had a miscarriage that day. So I sent someone else at the last minute. They were patient. They waited more than two years before they tried again. And, that time they had better intel because I got called in for a debriefing for a mission that ended earlier than scheduled….Sam was 5 months pregnant with our son when they murdered her, George." Jack informed him with a venomous tone.

Anna came running into the house. "Daddy, you didn't save me," she accused him. His mood softened. Sam followed her in smiling and went to the refrigerator for a bottle of water. She saw the look on his face before he had a chance to mask it for Anna.

"You done fishing, pumpkin?"

"No way!"

"That's my girl."

"Grandpa are you staying for dinner, we're gonna have fish." Anna invited him.

"No sweetheart. Another time alright?"

"kay," and Anna pulled Jack outside. "Come on, Daddy!"

Jack looked over his shoulder at Sam on his way out. "Come on out when you're done."

"Sure." Sam answered, trying to catch her breath from running after a very energetic six year old.

She walked over to the glass door and watched them settle into the chairs on the dock and cast their lines.

"So Colonel, you want to tell me what's going on?" she smiled knowing he just heard from Jack, but needed her confirmation.

"Something didn't sit right with me when I left the SGC yesterday, Sir. I came here to check on the General. Make sure he was alright. When I got here I met Anna. Same as you did today. Why are you here?"

"Jack resigned yesterday morning."

She turned around shocked. "He what?!"

"I came to talk to him directly. After what happened the other day, I couldn't just let him leave. What's your assessment of the situation?"

"I don't like referring to my daughter's predicament in military terms."

"That's what I thought."

"Excuse me?"

"Jack seems to think you might be less….. attached than he is." She looked at him surprised. "Yeah, that's what I said. So Colonel, what do you recommend?"

"That's not entirely up to me, Sir."

"Circling the wagons already are we?" he shook his head, smiling. They certainly knew how to be team.

She was looking out the window at them again with her arms crossed in front of her. Smiling at the scene as Anna sat on Jack's knee singing the song with him that they were making up earlier. Before Jack complained that they were scaring away the fish, but he was singing along with her now. "I've spent more time thinking about the 'how' this happened than the 'what to do' portion. I trust General O'Neill."

"Even if he wants to retire and stay here with Anna while you go back to Colorado Springs?" She couldn't believe Jack thought she could leave Anna. "Get him to come back, Sam. I'll talk to the President. Get proof and..."

"You mean besides, Anna?"

"Sam, the only thing Anna proves is that you and Jack have a child."

"Oh yeah." That was a predicament. "Don't you think you would have noticed if I went on maternity leave six years ago, not to mention carrying a child?"

"Help me out and get me more to fight with. Jack's due back in three days. Get him to come back to the SGC."

"I can't make any promises, General." She bit her lip. She wanted Anna to come back with her… and him. She wanted to make sure Anna and Jack were okay. "Right now I'm going to go fishing, Sir."

George walked out with her and made his goodbyes.