Sorry for the massive delay. This one is just about finished. There's only this chapter and an epilohue left.
Sam was enjoying a rare luxury-a long, hot shower. Jack was on a mission with the Tok'ra and he had been gone over a week, but Cassie had spent the night with her the night before. The sweet girl was sitting in the nursery with the two month old princess who consumed every moment of Sam's waking hours. It was wonderful to just stand under the shower and be warm. Winter was in full spring in Colorado. It was nothing like the cold Sam remembered from the past, well, Thera's past, but it was cold.
Sam really missed Jack, but she was still slightly dreading his return. Jacob, um, her father, had promised he was coming home with him to spend a few days with the family. It was still hard to think of him as her dad, and the idea of spending extended time with him wasn't exactly as appealing as it would probably be if her memory had returned. To add to the chaos, her brother and his family were coming. She'd put Mark off for as long as possible, but time was just about up. Jack had explained things as well as he could using their cover story, and he and Mark spoke on the phone fairly frequently but she tried to avoid lengthy conversations with her brother. She just didn't know how to respond to someone who she not only didn't remember but also wasn't briefed on the full story. It was complicated enough with her friends on the base.
Finally finished indulging herself, Sam turned off the shower and wrapped the towel around her. She wiped some of the condensation off the bathroom mirror and took a deep breath. Suddenly, she was watching a scene play out in front of her. She was in the locker room with Jack. He'd obviously just taken his own shower and apparently didn't expect to see her. The next moment she was kissing him then he broke the kiss. Sam had to sit down. This had to be a memory, an honest to goodness real memory.
Jack, the rest of SG1, and Jacob were just finishing their briefing with the general. "So, apparently, general, we recovered the weapon only to have the Tok'ra stab us in the back again. No new anything for us again," Jack declared in frustration.
"Jack," Jacob began, "it's like I told you on the planet, the Tok'ra just need a little time to examine the device before we can give you a full report."
"I've heard that line before, Jacob."
"Don't you think I care about Earth's safety just as much as you do, Jack? This is my home, too, but I have to agree with the council on this one. We need to make sure it's what we hope it is first."
Jack just gave an exasperated sigh and turned his attention to the general. "That's really all we have to report, sir."
"Thank you, SG1. You are dismissed. Get to the infirmary then head for home," the general said with a nod then turning to Jacob, he smiled. "I believe there's a little girl who needs to meet her grandpa. Enjoy your time with them."
"Thanks, George. I'm pretty anxious to see her myself."
A few hours later, Jack and Jacob were in Jack's truck headed for the house. "How's Sam adjusting?" Jacob asked.
"Well, that's kind of a loaded question. She's really enjoying her time with Breanna but I think she's anxious to get back to work. Heading up the new team is going to be a good challenge for her. I just hope she doesn't regret it when she realizes what she's lost. This is a good career move for her, but it's not SG1."
"Nothing is SG1," Jacob replied, "but this move will keep her involved in the program. It wasn't easy for me to move to the desk when I became a general, but I actually enjoyed it once I got into the groove."
"You're a better man than I am, Jacob. The desk comes with a whole lot of things I don't want to deal with myself. I think I'd hate it, and Sam is still so young. She's an adrenaline junky. I hope it's enough for her."
"True enough, but I have a hunch she'll be fine," Jacob paused. "I hope you've had time to forgive me for not staying on my last visit."
"Duty calls, we answer," Jack responded. "It was bad timing. I could have used your help."
"I think my presence was the last thing you needed right then, Jack. Sam may have been the one with memory loss, but you were both awfully confused. You needed to be the one she leaned on, not me."
"I'm beginning to think the pressing business you had wasn't all that pressing."
Jacob chuckled a bit. "Let's just say I think I made the right call."
"Yeah, I guess you probably did."
Jacob nodded. "Any progress on the memory?"
"Doc says it could come back at any point but it's worrying both of us that it hasn't returned yet."
"Anise's offer is still on the table but I have my reservations."
"We do, too, Jake. It'll be up to Sam, of course, but I'm hoping we don't even have to really consider it. We're here. Let's go surprise Sam. I didn't tell her we were back."
Jack barely managed to open the door before Sam was in his arms, kissing him as if her life depended on it. He quickly returned the kiss then stepped back a bit so that Jacob could enter the room. Sam's eyes lit up and suddenly she was hugging her father.
"Dad, you're here!" Sam exclaimed as she hugged him tightly.
Jack and Jacob were both a little surprised by her reaction, but Jacob was grateful she seemed so happy to see him. "Its good to see you, Sam."
"I didn't know how much I missed you," Sam said as she took a step backward. "I remember," she said with a smile. "I remember everything."