What a ride, huh? Here's the last chapter for you to enjoy. I hope you love it. I'd like to thank everyone who has read my work and especially those that have reviewed it. I hope I've brightened your day just a little bit. Thank you so much.

Disclaimer and notes in part 1.

Enjoy.

I awoke to moonlight flowing through the windows. I sit up and stretch, pulling the blanket over my shoulders when the cold attacks me. Looking around the room I see I wasn't the only one to crash last night. Daniel and Jack are sprawled out on chairs. Like me, they have had blankets thrown over them to ward of the chill of night. I can see the flicker of firelight and wonder if Sam is still outside. I remember Janet coming in, telling us that Sam needed a few minutes. Dad and General Hammond both retired for the night, accepting my offer to use my room while I slept on the couch. Janet was bunking with Sam for the night which just left the guys. They were going to wait until Sam came in then pull out some sleeping bags from the truck. Apparently, sleep had other ideas. Grabbing a spare blanket, I make my way outside. If Sam's still out here she's gonna need it.

"Teal'c?" Sam's voice is pensive. I pause on the porch, looking around the corner. Sam is still where we left her, while Teal'c has moved opposite her. He looked to be meditating, but immediately snapped awake when she called his name. "Can I ask you something? It's personal so if you don't want to answer I'll understand."

"Of what do you wish to inquire Major Carter?"

"How did you come to terms with it? When Apophis… tricked you?" Teal'c was silent for a long time. "I'm sorry. I have no right to ask…"

"I have not," he interrupted. "When I believed to be in the service of Apophis I did and said many things that I am ashamed of. I cannot change what I did; therefore I decided to renew my vows to this planet, General Hammond, and SG-1." He took a long look at my sister. "I failed."

"I'm sorry Teal'c," she said quietly.

"After your abduction and implantation, I considered leaving the SGC in disgrace and returning to Chulak to help Master Bra'tac organize the free Jaffa. O'Neill and Daniel Jackson came to me. They informed me that quitting was the only true failure. Only with their support was I finally able to truly free myself from Apophis." He stood and came behind my sister. "The deeds of our past can never be changed, nor can they determine the deeds of our future. Once you are truly free of Isis you will realize this, as I have. I will support whichever path you have chosen." He put his hand on her shoulder, offering his support. "Good night Major Carter." Teal'c left, acknowledging my presence with a nod. I walked over to her and laid the blanket across her shoulders. Sitting next to her, I leaned back and stared at the night sky. One of the many downsides to living in a city was the lack of stars. It was something I took for granted until our little adventure.

"Beautiful night," I say absently. It seemed like every star was out for us.

"Did you know dad tried to get me into NASA?"

"What? When? Why didn't you go?" NASA had always been her dream. Why would she pass up something she had worked her whole life for? Then it dawned on me. "You were already part of the SGC weren't you?" She nodded.

"He found me in DC. We were there for a medal ceremony." I nod. I vaguely remember hearing something about that a few years ago on the news. The president himself was supposed to give them out, but something happened and the whole thing got cancelled. I only heard about it because Sally thought she recognized Sam's name. "He just found out about the cancer. I guess it was his way of trying to make amends. He didn't take it well when I turned him down."

"Who'd want to go into orbit once every four months when you can explore planets every other day?" Sam laughed at my joke.

"Riding on the back of a rocket built by the lowest bidder," she added. "Who ever thought the Space Shuttle would be safer though? One small mistake and you'd be dead, no one there to help you."

"Sam?"

"The SGC used to be exciting. I used to love coming to work. A new discovery. A new challenge everyday. Now I'm afraid I'll mess it all up."

"It can be again Sam. As Teal'c said, 'the only true failure is quitting.'"

"Were you eavesdropping?" I grinned.

"How else am I going to learn anything?"

"About that," she started, "I'll get you a copy of the files and tell you anything you want to know. It's the least I can do for all your help." I thought about it for a minute. Did I really want to know everything?

"I just want to know one thing Sam. These guys, that crazy place, do they make you happy?" Sam thought about it for a few minutes before smiling at me.

"Yes."

"Then that's all I need to know." They say curiosity killed the cat. I wouldn't let it kill me. I would simply trust these people with my life, and the lives of my family. "You're going back, aren't you?"

"Yes," she said simply.

"Good," I reply. "At least there's one really smart woman to help keep the world intact."

"I won't tell Janet you said that," she joked, stretching the kinks out of her body. She grabbed a shovel and started smothering the fire with dirt. "You know, we never did have our family vacation."

"What do you mean? This is the best family vacation I've had in years. I even think you're family is slightly crazier than mine. Imagine the chaos when we bring them together?"

"Christmas is always a good time for chaos," she says conspiratorially.

"Christmas sounds great. That gives me plenty of time to fortify the house." She grabs my arm and we walk side by side into the house. "And don't you dare think of canceling on me. That 'Saving the World' excuse will only work for certain things."

"How about Saving the Galaxy?" I look at her in shock. Things couldn't be that bad, could they? "Gotcha," she says as she slips inside. I just grin and follow her in.

SG1SG1SG1SG1

The next day everyone pitches in to get the place ready to go. After a few hours everything is safely packed in the truck. Jack goes to secure the panic room while Teal'c takes care of the electricity. Sam, Daniel, and I quickly cover the furniture. Dad, General Hammond, and Janet had already left for the SGC. Sam told everyone her decision during breakfast and she reluctantly agreed to release the tape recordings to MacKenzie. Janet was taking them over for her so she wouldn't need to see MacKenzie any more than she had too. I had a sense he wasn't very well liked, but Jack didn't threaten his life yet so he must be on our side.

"Everybody ready?" Jack asked as we joined him outside. We all nodded and climbed into Jack's truck. The drive down was much more pleasant than the drive up. Without needing to worry about Sam, I was able to appreciate the scenery of the outdoors. Everyone was laughing and joking, a drastic change from the silence of the first trip. As we neared the SGC though, Sam became more and more distracted. "Relax Carter." Sam nodded and took several deep breaths, forcing herself to relax. Finally, we were there. Jack left the unloading in the capable hands of the enlisted men and led us into the elevator.

The first stop was the infirmary. Janet was waiting our arrival. She gestured to an empty bed as soon as we walked in the door. Sam's hand sought mine and I gave it a quick squeeze before letting go. Janet didn't usher us out of the infirmary and left the privacy curtain open whenever possible as she examined Sam. The banter continued during the exam, the guys trying to help calm Sam down. We knew it was working when she participated. When it was over, we went to the commissary to wait for the results. It didn't take long. We had just got our trays when Janet joined us. She happily told us there was no permanent damage from the Voa'jum. She sprouted off a list of things Sam needed to work on before she would clear her for active duty. Sam wasn't the only one that gave a sigh of relief.

The wait for MacKenzie's official ruling took longer. He had days of tapes to review. When he called her into his office, we all stood nervously in the corridor. Hours later she immerged, a relieved smile on her face. "Well?" Jack asked.

"As far a Dr. Mackenzie is concerned I'm cleared for active duty." The cheers where heard up and down the hall but we didn't care. One more hurdle that Sam overcame. "Just don't let me have any violent flashbacks for a while."

"Consider it done," Jack announced. "This calls for a celebration. O'Malleys." We all readily agreed. They left to change and I took the opportunity to call my wife.

"Hello?" She picked up on the fourth ring.

"Hey beautiful."

"Hi yourself." I could hear her smile through the receiver. "It's good to hear you."

"I miss you."

"I miss you too." There's a pause as both get our thoughts together. When she speaks again her voice is full of concern. "How are things?"

"Wonderful," I say after a minute.

"Really?" she asks shocked. "Sam's okay?" I think about it for a minute.

"Yeah. I'm sure she's gonna have some bad days and good days, but I think she'll be okay. We even talked about Christmas."

"That's wonderful." She sounds excited. She'd been trying to reconcile with my side of the family on and off since we got married. I wasn't the only one happy when that day arrived. "The kids miss you," she says suddenly. Her unspoken message was clear. When was I coming home?

"I'll see them tomorrow." I quickly tell her the flight information Jack had arranged for me. I end my phone call as Jack motions me forward. I'm surprised to find that dad was joining us. I heard that he had been recalled to the Tok'ra. He and General Hammond had been busy with it all morning. I was relieved when the usual anger didn't build up at the thought. I was glad that he didn't leave without saying goodbye though.

Janet and her daughter joined us at the restaurant. I could tell Sam had a special bond with the girl. She grabbed the girl for dear life, the girl hanging on just as tightly. Eventually Cassie, as I finally learned, let go and started talking non-stop about boys, school, and music that I've never heard of. I guess this is what I have to look forward to when my kids become teenagers. Nevertheless, even I could see the love in her eyes for the strange group of people around her. Finally they called our table.

"Sam," I called, hanging back for a moment.

"Yeah?" she asked, joining me. Everyone else was inside giving us a little privacy.

"You gonna be okay?"

"I will be." She said it with such confidence that I knew nothing would stand in her way.

"Listen," I tell her, putting my arm around her shoulder. "If this ever gets too crazy for you, or you ever need a reminder why you do this, my door is always open."

"Thanks," she says. "Now let's eat. I'm starved." I tilt my head up and look at the stars. They're not as bright as they were at the cabin, but they still were beautiful. "Coming?" Sam asks, waiting for me at the door. I nod and follow her inside. As I sit down at the table I can't help but thinking, I love my life.

The End.