Chapter 10

Sam had gone to see Daniel in his office after her physical. She spotted him finishing up his work and noticed he had already packed a duffle bag for his trip to Hawke's cabin. She had missed him dearly and truly needed his advice.

"Hey," Sam called out as she walked into the messy office.

Daniel looked up, "Oh, hey Sam." He shot her a grin, "You glad to be back home?"

She thought for a moment and slowly nodded, "Yeah, I am. I missed you and this place."

Daniel chuckled, "I wish I could have gone with you just to see Janet in elf boots and parachute pants. What did Teal'c think of it all?"

"He blended in rather well," she shrugged. "He modeled himself after Dom."

Daniel asked, "So, tell me about this MacGyver fellow you met? He sounded interesting."

Sam nodded, "He was very interesting. Matter of fact…I kind fell for him when I was there."

Daniel set down the object he was working on and looked at Sam's very worried face; he could see something was wrong and he went to her side.

"What is it? What happened?"

She looked at him with tears in her eyes and whispered, "Daniel…I'm pregnant."

Daniel wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, "Is MacGyver the father?" he asked.

She nodded in his arms, "Yeah, he is."

"Do you want me to help you find him?" wondered Daniel.

"No," she shook her head. "I know where to find him. I'm just not sure if I should have it or not."

"That's totally up to you, Sam." He gently titled her chin up and assured her, "Sam, you will make a wonderful mother. I know you will."

"Thank you, Daniel." She gave him a hug, "Please don't tell anyone. Only you and Janet know so far. It's real early and I'm not sure what I will do yet."

"You know I won't tell a soul," he assured. In the back of his mind he wanted Sam to be happy and if this stranger named MacGyver could make her happy, then so be it. Daniel thought perhaps it was time for him to find this man named MacGyver and see for himself if he worthy of Sam.

She pulled away and sucked in breath, "I know…I just need your support right now."

"You've got it," he assured her.

"Thanks," she smiled at him feeling a bit relieved for she truly needed Daniel to support her as well. He was family to her and that made a world of difference. She went to leave, "I'll see you after work."

Daniel nodded, "Okay. Just let me know if you need anything."

"I will," she agreed and then slowly left his office.

Daniel tried to go back to work but he just couldn't focus. He needed to know more this man named MacGyver and what happened to Sam when she was in the past. He decided to talk to the one man who might have the answers to that question, Stringfellow Hawke.

Later

Daniel had closed up his office for the day, grabbed his duffle bag and went right to Hawke's office. He marched in the door. The office was a standard issued office with a desk and two chairs and gray painted walls. Hawke sat at the desk in deep thought.

"I need to talk to you," stated Daniel.

Hawke looked up and asked, "What?"

Daniel closed the door and took a seat across the desk and looked at Hawke, "Tell me what happened to Sam in nineteen eighty-two." he demanded.

"Um," he gave a funny look, "why do you want to know that?"

"You were there," he stated. "Tell me what happened between her and this guy named MacGyver."

Hawke wondered, "Why do you want to know that?"

"Just tell me," huffed Daniel.

"They had a thing," he informed.

Daniel snorted, "Yeah, I figured that out already. Sam told me that. Now, where do I find him? I want to talk to him."

Hawke sat pleased for Daniel might come in handy in his quest to fix Jack's love life. He pondered his next move.

"MacGyver was a CIA agent," he informed. "He helped us find the gate and get it going so they could go home."

"Where do I find him?" asked Daniel. He was determined to find this mysterious man.

Hawke directed him, "Go asked Jack what became of MacGyver."

Daniel asked, "What does Jack have to do with any of this?" Hawke's reply baffled Daniel for Jack was never mentioned before.

Hawke needed to protect his friend and somehow find a way to get Jack and Sam back together. He decided to end the tale of MacGyver once and for all.

"Jack killed MacGyver," he informed without much thought. He told a half-truth for MacGyver was legally dead and Jack in his place.

Daniel's mouth dropped, "He killed him? How?"

He snorted, "By accident." Hawke didn't think out the excuse very well and just wished Daniel would stop asking questions.

Daniel asked, "What kind of accident was it?"

Annoyed Hawke huffed, "It's complicated. MacGyver is dead. That's all you need to know about that. Now, Sam is understandably hurt. We can help her though that. Jack can help her through that."

Daniel huffed, "How is he going to do that when he killed the man she loved?"

Hawke rolled his eyes for Daniel could truly be a pain at time, "How does Jack put up with you?" he asked.

"Sam needs closure on this," insisted Daniel. "Tell me where the grave is. I can take her there and help her through this."

Hawke placed his head in his hands and rubbed his temples. Daniel was like a dog determined to help his friend and he was the bone. He looked up at and confessed what he knew.

Hawke started, "Daniel, MacGyver is only legally dead. There is no body, no grave and no memorial to take her too. Let me tell you a story. Okay? Just sit back, shut up and listen. Angus MacGyver was a contracted agent for the Phoenix Foundation which turned out to be a front for the CIA. Not even MacGyver knew he was CIA. MacGyver had an enemy named Murdoc. Murdoc is a psychopathic genius who employs himself as a professional assassin. He tried to kill Mac on a number of occasions and Mac tried to bring him down but their geniuses are equal. MacGyver met his match in Murdoc. So, Murdoc decided since he could not kill MacGyver that he would kill those around him and he killed Mac's girlfriend. He also killed a few more friends, starting from the outside and working inward…Getting closer and closer to Mac's inner circle of friends each time. I tried to help stop this guy. Singin tried to help too. We couldn't stop him. So, Mac had to protect us, protect his friends and protect Sam's future. He went underground. The government gave him a new name, new career, new back-story…A brand new life."

"Like a witness relocation program," assumed Daniel.

"I'm not done yet," stated Hawke annoyed he was interrupted.

"Please continue," motioned Daniel.

Hawke stated, "I cannot tell you his name today. He is alive and well and living a new life. But you're a pretty smart guy and I'm sure you can figure that part out."

Daniel looked confused, "What? He's here? In the SGC?"

Hawke just gave a knowing stare.

"He's here in the SGC," Daniel pointed towards the floor, "Under our noses." He pondered, "That's how Sam already knows where he is." Daniel asked, "Do you by any chance have a picture of MacGyver?"

Hawke nodded, "Yup." He pointed towards an old picture hanging on the wall of him and Jack sitting in a canoe on his lake holding fish. They both looked much younger in the photo. It was taken shortly after Sam, Janet and Teal'c were sent back home.

Daniel rose to his feet and looked closer at the photo; he stated, "That's you and Jack."

Hawke rolled his eyes. He wanted to just slap Daniel for being so dense.

"Wait a minute," Daniel suddenly put the puzzle together, "Jack was MacGyver?"

Hawke rubbed the side of his head, "How does SG-1 manage to go off world and come home alive?"

Daniel stood stumped, "Jack had another identity?" he asked.

Hawke nodded, "Yup."

Daniel sat back down, "What happened between them back in nineteen ninety-two?" he wondered.

Hawke explained, "Jack didn't know anything about all this at the time. He met Sam and just fell for her. She apparently has had thing for him for a while. They had a relationship. Sam couldn't stay and he could leave with her. She had to leave and he had to go on with his life. You know, he never stopped loving her. He loves her to this day but he's afraid of ruining her career. I suggested switching teams, placing her on my team and he's not budging on that. So, if you got any idea on how to get this regulation issue out of the way…I would like to hear it."

Daniel asked, "The only thing keeping them apart is regulations?"

"And Jack's stubbornness," added Hawke.

"Oh," Daniel thought about the situation. He needed to speak to Jack but at the same time he made a promise to Sam. "If I speak to him do you think he might listen?"

"You normally avoid this kind stuff, Daniel." Hawke then asked, "Why are you so concerned about their relationship now?"

"It's a little different now," was all he would reveal.

"How so?" asked Hawke.

Daniel refused to budge and simply replied, "It is." He rose to feet and headed towards the door. He paused before opening it, "Jack just got that new boat with the cabin in it? The one he was thinking about?"

Hawke nodded, "Yeah."

Daniel suggested, "If we get them to spend some time alone on that boat then maybe they can work things out."

"Okay," he agreed, "but how are we gonna do that? Force Sam to sleep on the boat with him?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

Hawke asked, "How am I supposed to do that?"

Daniel smirked, "You're smart guy…You'll figure it out." He then opened the door, grabbed his bag and left to make one more stop.

Hawke shook his head, "It's a good thing he didn't come with them to nineteen eighty-two. I would have shot him. What a pain in ass Daniel can be." He looked up at the picture on the wall and asked, "How do you put up with him, Jack?"

Moments Later

Daniel found Jack in his office doing his reports behind his desk. The office looked just like Hawke's office except Jack had more personal mementoes scattered about. Daniel walked in, closed the door and took a seat across from Jack without saying a word.

Jack looked up and asked, "Daniel?"

"Jack," he replied.

Jack searched for why he was there and asked, "What?"

Daniel paused and gathered his thoughts, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot," shrugged Jack.

"What would you do if you could go back to nineteen eighty-two and live that year all over again?" asked Daniel.

Jack let out a sigh, "What's this about, Daniel?"

"If you could back and live a year of your life all over again…Is there anything you would do different?" he wondered.

"I suppose," he admitted. He then looked back down at his report but his mind was not on work. He asked off hand, "I take it you know."

"That you were not always Jack O'Neill, Yeah…I know."

Jack looked back up and wondered, "Frasier tell ya? Cause she sucks at time travel."

"No," he shook his head, "Hawke actually laid it for me. He told me about Murdoc and what he did to force you to do this. He was killing off everyone around you…"

"Murdoc had a list," Jack informed. "The next name on that list was Dom's. He was going to kill Dom not just get to me, but get to String and Singin too. Murdoc liked to play head games. I drew a line at that name. I went deep, so deep no one knew I was for a while. I didn't see String again until the program started and Hammond brought him in."

"Murdoc, is he still alive?" wondered Daniel.

Jack shrugged, "He went deep too. I don't know. I hope not."

"I understand you can never use your old name again," stated Daniel, "And I wouldn't want you too. I can't think of you as anyone but Jack. But Sam got to know you when you were much younger. She deserves more than this, Jack."

Jack informed, "I have two options: Either I hand Sam over to String and take on his guys in return or I hand all of SG-1 over to String to lead and I take his team. I won't hand SG-1 over to anyone else. Those are my choices, Daniel."

"And what did String suggest?" asked Daniel.

"That I screw the regulations and just an affair," he shrugged, "Simple, easy and to the point…Just like String."

"Honestly, I like his idea better," Daniel had to agree.

"My other option is to end it and go on. For me nineteen eighty-two was a long time ago but for Carter…It was just this morning."

Daniel leaned closer, "Jack, Sam came and saw me today and she asked me not to tell anyone this. But, I fear if you do not know she might make a choice that she might regret later."

"I'm listening," Jack stated alarmed. What could Sam do that she could regret he wondered?

"She confided in me that she's pregnant and she's not sure what she will do about it yet," he told him. "Now, you can't tell her you know. Whatever she does it has to be her decision. But you can make that decision much easier on her by at least telling her how you feel and what you want. She's scared, Jack. She's real scared."

Jack thought about the information, "You realize that kid would have been conceived in nineteen eighty-two?"

Daniel nodded, "I figured that one out."

Jack sat stunned, "Holy crap!" he stated amazed. He started to count on his fingers, "That kid would be twenty if she stayed behind. That kid would have been going to college."

Daniel added, "Jack, if Sam had stayed behind to be with younger you and married you, her name would be Sam MacGyver today."

Jack made a disturbed face.

Daniel continued, "Can you really see yourself going around calling her 'MacGyver?'" he asked with a smirk.

Jack shook his head, "No."

He agreed, "I didn't think so."

Jack countered with a smirk, "It would be O'Neill." He sat back and curiously asked off the top of his head, "I've been meaning to ask you. Do you have any relatives named Harry Jackson?"

"I think I had a great uncle named Harry," shrugged Daniel. "Why?"

"Just curious," he shrugged without disclosing any additional information. His mind went back to nineteen eighty-two when Sam asked if he was related to anyone named Daniel. He chuckled silently to himself.

Daniel had no idea what was so funny and puckered in thought, "Whatever…I would suggest you get some alone time with Sam at the cabin to talk this out."

"I will, Daniel." assured Jack.