The first week of the trip was a great success. Cassie and Rebecca had both taken a few days' vacation, so that they could show Sam and Janet around.

It was also good for Sam and Janet to have a real vacation for once. They knew that, being so far from Colorado Springs, they would only be called on if it were a dire emergency, so slowly they started to unwind, and to enjoy not having to think too much about work. For the first couple of days, Sam was often to be found at Cassie's computer, checking emails, talking to the SGC over the webcam and generally reassuring herself that all was going smoothly. However, Janet soon put a stop to that. "They've got the telephone number, hon," she scolded her lover, "they'll call you if they need you. You need to relax now. And I need you by my side. I may get abducted by a rampaging giraffe if my big strong colonel isn't there to protect me!"

Sam laughed, and had the grace to look sheepish. "Sorry, sweetie, it's just kinda hard to switch off." She shut the computer down. "All switched off now! And I'm all yours."

Janet grinned. "All mine, eh? I think I'll take full advantage of that tonight!"

Sam's eyes lit up. "Well, Dr Fraiser, that's certainly something I'm going to look forward to," and she leant forward to kiss Janet passionately. "There," she said smugly, "that'll give you something to think about until tonight!"

"Unhh," Janet was dazed. She pulled herself together, and grinned, wickedly. "I'll keep that in mind for later then. We'll make it a night to remember. Now come on, the girls are waiting on us, truck's all packed."

Cassie and Rebecca had organized a short safari trip, camping for two nights at a nearby game reserve. Janet was very excited about this, as was Sam, though Sam insisted on bringing her gun with her in case any of 'her girls' needed protection.

It took nearly four hours to reach the reserve. During the trip, they saw much of the local wildlife, and Cassie and Rebecca were nonplussed when Sam and Janet collapsed in a fit of giggles when they came across a giraffe. "See," Janet spluttered. "I could need your protection after all!"

"Long story," Sam told Cassie, a broad smile on her face. "Don't worry about it."

After pitching their tents in a small enclosure in the game park, they set off with a local guide to enjoy some of the sights of the reserve. They were entranced by the huge elephants, and Janet was particularly drawn to a newborn elephant cub who was being looked after by its extended family. She loved watching the group of 'aunties' who kept a close eye on the tiny beast, making sure that the visitors didn't get too close. They kept a respectful distance, and just marvelled at the sights before them.

Later on that day, far in the distance, they saw a lioness, and Sam was sure she spotted a cheetah darting through the trees. She took Janet's hand, "it's just magical, isn't it?" she whispered to her. Janet nodded.

Cassie and Rebecca were delighted by theirs guests' reactions to the beauty of what they saw and experienced, and for them it was like appreciating the country anew, through the others' eyes.

When they finally got back to their camp the first evening, they were tired and happy. Sam had taken what seemed like hundreds of photographs, and all four of them clustered round the small camera screen to check them out. "See, only 248 shots, I think that was very restrained of me," Sam laughed. "I'll have to do better tomorrow!"

Once Sam and Janet were safely in their tent, Janet kept her promise to make it that night one to remember, reminding Sam yet again what a good idea it had been to bring Janet back with her from the alternate reality; she didn't know how she had lived so long without the sort of ecstasy that Janet could, seemingly effortlessly, bring to her. When they eventually emerged from their tent the next morning, Cassie and Rebecca could see that, while they looked very relaxed - and were uncharacteristically silly - they didn't look too well rested. Cassie smiled; at least her 'parents' were enjoying themselves. They both deserved some happiness, and she was just glad they had found each other. "Long night, huh Sam?" she couldn't resist goading her.

Sam blushed and smiled broadly. "Not long enough, Cass, not long enough," and she winked saucily.

Cassie grinned widely. "Can't imagine what you mean," she laughed.

The rest of the mini-safari was a time that none of them would ever forget. They were thrilled to spot hippos, buffalo, wildebeest and zebra - though Sam was most taken by a rather comical wildebeest, and collapsed with laughter at the look on its face. "Admit it," she wheezed, when she was finally able to speak again, "it's just like him. Look at the eyebrow." And Janet suddenly doubled over with mirth too.

"What?" Cassie asked. "What's going on? Why are you laughing?" Rebecca was equally perplexed.

"It's just him, he's the spitting image of Teal'c," Janet sniggered. "He's even got the same expression on his face."

Cassie looked again, and had to admit it was true. "Take a photo," she begged Sam. "You can put it up at the SGC, Uncle Jack will love it when he next visits." So Sam got out her camera again.

SG SG SG SG SG SG SG SG SG

Just after Janet's arrival in 'their' reality, nearly ten months prior to Sam and Janet's trip to Tanzania, Cassie had asked Sam for permission to explain everything to Rebecca. "She's completely trustworthy," she had told her parent. "Even if we were to split up, which we won't, she'd never say anything. I hate lying to her Sam. I want her to know everything."

"Let me just talk to General Landry, Cass," Sam had said to her. "I'll call you back in an hour."

True to her word, Sam was back at the webcam in less than an hour. "He agrees with me Cass, it's fine for Rebecca to know. He wasn't too keen to start with, but I reminded him of the 'plausibility deniability' excuse. I mean, who would ever believe her even if she did tell anyone? It's a pretty outlandish tale. Though how you're gonna get her to believe you, I don't know. If you need my help with anything, you just let me know, kiddo."

So Cassie had sat down, and explained everything to her lover. She had previously explained the 'new' Janet away as "kinda like Mom's twin", which Rebecca had found hard to grasp, but she was even more confused by the full explanation. "I know it's hard to take in, Bec," Cassie had said to her. "And I know you want to believe me, but a small part of you thinks I'm nuts. Deluded. Wacko."

Rebecca had smiled at that. "You're reading my mind," she told her. "I was just trying to think of a tactful way to ask if you'd seen a shrink recently! I do want to believe you, I don't believe you've ever lied to me yet."

"And I never will," Cassie had promised, earnestly. "You could do a blood test; okay, so you won't recognize naquadah, but you'll be able to see something you can't identify in my blood. Look, have a word with Sam. She's gonna set up an encrypted link to the SGC over the webcam, maybe it'll help to talk to her too. And you can 'meet' Teal'c, he's heard all about you."

"He's the alien that found you in the bushes, right?" Rebecca had tried hard to follow the story.

"The very same," Cassie had smiled.

So, after a very long conversation with the SGC, during which Rebecca spoke to Sam, Teal'c, Daniel and even Siler, Rebecca had emerged from the small study in which the computer was housed.

"Well," she had smiled, "it's either true, or mental illness is catching."

Cassie enveloped her in a hug. "We're all a family though," she had told her, "just a slightly eccentric one. You'll get used to us."

"I'm going to enjoy learning all about you Cass, and your eccentric family," Rebecca said. "It's gonna be a hell of a journey."

Cassie smiled.