Prompt #028 – Children

Summary: SG-1 are left reeling by Mel's revelations, but can they ignore them?

Pairings: Sam/Jack-ish, Daniel-Vala-ish, Sam/Daniel, Cam/Carolyn-ish

Rating: T

Season: Season 10

Category: New Romance

Genres: A/U, Drama, Friendship, Relationship, Romance, Teaminess

A/N: part 2 of Who? (the prompt before this one)

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam and everyone else stared at the young woman before them. She had just effectively implied that she was related to Daniel somehow; yet she had asked for Sam. But there was something that Sam had spotted earlier but had thought nothing of it. Now, there it was again. Something quite familiar about the girl; something which she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Mel looked across the table, and said entreatingly, "Mom, please..."

Everyone else stared on in even more shock, if that was indeed possible. Sam tried to think of something to say, to keep the interrogation going, but she couldn't. The Colonel got to her feet, muttering an apology as her friends parted to let her leave. Mel got up, calling after her,

"Mom!"

All she got in reply, however, was the rest of SG-1 looking at her grimly as the door closed. She then watched as they left, Daniel the last to do so. He glanced back at the girl with a wistful expression. The wistfulness was then replaced by anger that perhaps she was trying to trick them.

Mel, now tearful at being rejected, said, "Dad..."

Daniel suddenly looked hurt and then angry again. He left the room, and Mel flopped back down in her seat, the girl looking dejected.

Outside, the team ran after a fast walking Sam, who had already almost reached the lifts. Cam called after her, "Sam!"

The doors of the lift opened and Sam got in. She turned around to face her team when Cam put his arm in to prevent the doors from closing, but she avoided looking in Daniel's direction. Sam said, visibly upset,

"Just... don't follow me."

Vala asked, worried, "What about the girl?"

Cam said in concern, "C'mon, girl, you've seen plenty freakier. Don't leave like this."

Daniel looked at Cam snippily, and said, "Name one thing freakier."

While Cam floundered, Teal'c said, "ColonelCarter, you must accompany us to brief GeneralLandry. Fleeing will not remedy your shock."

Sam pushed away Cam's arm as tears involuntarily rolled down her cheeks. Rubbing her eyes on her arm, she shook her head. She said, "Sorry... I'm going."

The doors closed with a metallic thud, leaving the rest of SG-1 to exchange helpless glances.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

In an isolation room in the Infirmary, Mel put her BDUs back on following a series of tests. She was about to put her jacket back on when she thought better of it and folded it, leaving it on the gurney next to her. She had just done this when there was a knock at the door. A tired Mel snapped,

"Not like you to be so polite after all those tests..."

She paused in shock however when the door opened, and Daniel's head appeared. He said drily, "Bad time?"

She cleared her throat and retorted, "Well, certainly not a good time, Doctor J." She nodded in the direction of the door. "Has the old guy said when I can go yet?" Her gaze softened a little. "I really have to get home. I've caused enough crap." She then gestured to the chair next to the gurney. "Dad, sit down."

Daniel regarded her warily as he remained standing in front of the door, his arms folded tightly across his chest. Mel sighed and waved dismissively. She said, "Stand up, sit down – what do I care?"

She grimaced as she looked down at her feet, waiting for Daniel's inevitable questioning. She didn't have to wait long.

"Who are you?"

She replied tiredly, "I told you."

"From the top." Daniel grabbed a chair and sat down, watching her. "And don't say things like 'long story', because I've got all the time in the world."

Mel cocked her head as she watched him. She said, "No you haven't. You guys had... have the Ori threat to deal with. And I know you. Work above all, huh?" She smiled a little as she looked away into the distance. "Not with Mom though. Work and Mom above all."

Her smile vanished when her gaze moved back to Daniel, who regarded her coldly. She rolled her eyes and then said, "Fine. Melanie Grace Carter-Jackson." She pointed at him, and said, "Oh, and before you act all innocent, I'm named after your Dad and Mom's Mom. And can I just say... I am so glad I'm not a boy. Not quite sure whether I'd cope with being called 'Melburn'. No offence, but it's kinda dusty. I think Jake's lucky he wasn't born first."

Daniel blinked, and said, "Jake?"

She smiled mischievously. "Oh yeah, my little brother. He'd better be still called 'Jake' when I get home, or there'll be trouble." She slumped, looking deflated. "Hey, Dad, come on, I wanna go home already. I miss the little stink bug...and of course, you guys. Don't tell any of them I said that." She looked at Daniel, Mel looking penitent, "Tell Mo-... Colonel Carter I'm sorry. I like freaking her out when she knows me already." She then chuckled softly. "Sorry... once I start talking, I have trouble stopping. My Uncle Jack said that I'm like you when you've had one beer."

He blinked again. "Uncle Jack?"

"Oh, come on, I know who Jack O'Neill is." She tried to stop herself from laughing but then couldn't help it. She said, reddening, "Sorry... it's just that in my time, Uncle Jack has embarrassing gas problems."

Daniel nodded cautiously. "Oh." He frowned, and asked, "How did you get here?"

Mel replied awkwardly, "Seriously, your guess is as good as mine. I'm an archaeologist. But I've got a sneaking suspicion that it was a freaky solar flare. That's why I wanted Mom so I could get the hell out of here before I made a tonne of trouble." She shrugged. "Well, I haven't started fading yet so I figure I'm fine for now."

Before Daniel could speak, Mel asked, "Am I right in assuming that you and Mom aren't a 'them' yet?" She gesticulated vaguely with her hands. "The stories from before I was born are sorta vague... and you guys kinda get mixed up about stuff. Seriously, Uncle Jack has a better memory than either of you... or you just can't agree upon a story to tell the kids yet. Hmm."

Daniel remarked with a frown, "Do you ever stop talking?"

Mel laughed a little, and said, "That's funny. You always say that to me, and I always answer 'no'. Before I enlisted, I usually got grounded for that."

"Enlisted?"

"Oh yeah... that's Lieutenant Jackson, by the way. Air Force." She grinned and ducked her head. "Yeah... you were pissed at me." Her smile faded and she looked at him. ".. but I'd heard all those stories about Grandpa... you know, Mom's Dad. Not sure if I'd ever want a Tok'ra in me ever... but you know, the guy's a part of me."

Noticing that Daniel was lost for words, she shrugged and smiled bashfully, in a way that reminded him a little of Sam. Mel said, "Not many times a Jackson can't think of anything to say. This must be big."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam, now dressed in an SGC uniform, stood in front of Landry's office, the Colonel looking awkward. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door, and then opened it on hearing the General call for her to enter. She saw Landry seated behind his desk, and Doctor Lam seated in one of the chairs in front of the desk. Sam tried not to look uncomfortable as she said,

"Sir, you wanted to see me?"

Landry nodded, and said, "Take a seat, Colonel."

Sam nodded in greeting to Carolyn as she took a seat next to the doctor. Sam looked at Landry expectantly, but he looked to his daughter. Sam then looked down at her hands, somehow knowing what was to come but not entirely wanting to listen to it all the same.

Carolyn passed the reluctant Colonel a paper folder, and the doctor said, "This is absolutely extraordinary. I've conducted blood and DNA tests on Lieutenant Jackson..."

Sam looked up sharply from the folder she had been reading. She asked, "Lieutenant?"

Carolyn replied, "It's all in the file there. Her dog tags say she's a Lieutenant in the Air Force." She smiled briefly. "She's also an archaeologist." The doctor cleared her throat, and continued, "Anyway, I've had to triple-test my results, just to make sure."

When Sam looked at her, Carolyn said, "Lieutenant Jackson is the daughter of you and Doctor Jackson. I really cannot begin to explain it. She has your mitochondrial DNA, a type of DNA which is passed from mother to child; as opposed to nuclear DNA which is passed from both parents to their offspring. She also has naquadah in her blood and your protein markers from the Tok'ra, Jolinar."

Sam simply looked down in shock at the folder in her hands. She had tried so hard to believe that it couldn't possibly be true. For once, she had hoped albeit rather darkly that the girl was an alien threat so at least she could be dealt with and things could go back to how they had been.

She looked up on hearing the General cough, and he said, "Colonel Carter. I understand this is quite a shock to you, but..."

Sam nodded, looking more nervous than sure of herself. She said, "I know, Sir. She needs to go back. I'll get right on it." She looked down, trying not to say what she actually had to say. She finally looked up and said, "I'll need to talk to her if I'm going to get the calculations right."

Landry replied, "Of course. She's in the VIP quarters on level twenty-five."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Daniel closed the door and walked away from the VIP quarters in which his daughter was now staying. His daughter. The words sounded weird to say the least. Jack had once remarked albeit in jest that Daniel had left a string of paternity suits around the universe... but even the big wise-cracking General himself could not have foreseen this. Daniel thought wryly to himself that perhaps Jack would probably hit him if he found out about this development.

Daniel had always hidden the way he felt about Sam. He had known a long time, but sometimes unrequited love had to remain unrequited: especially when the focus of said affections was currently enamoured with her former commanding officer. She could never feel that way for him... and why should she? What exactly had he done to show her how he had felt? All he had done was just quietly bow out while she and Jack made eyes at each other.

But the time he had spent talking to Melanie, or at least being talked at by her, had shown him that Sam could indeed feel for him that way; and while Jack was around too. What had happened in that timeline for that Sam and that Daniel to be so open about their feelings, and to have a family together? They weren't talking about an alternate universe here – this was their future... or at least a possible future for them.

Well, obviously, the prospect of having a child with him had been too much for Sam. He didn't blame her for hiding: she must have been disappointed that it wasn't Jack's.

Haunted by and filled with such thoughts, Daniel didn't see Sam until she almost knocked him over, the preoccupied Colonel coming from the other direction. After a moment of awkwardness, Sam said, surprised,

"Daniel! What are you doing here?"

Daniel pointed behind him as he replied, "Just went to see the Lieutenant." He raised his eyebrows briefly and then glanced away from her. "Quite a story, isn't it?"

Sam replied a little too quickly, "Yes, quite a story indeed. I mean, you know, she claims to be from the future, but the future isn't set in stone. The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle says that you can't know at any one time, where a particle is and how fast it's going. It's... it's preposterous. She's probably just from another universe and confused."

He replied unenthusiastically, "Yeah. That's probably it."

She replied, sounding nervous, "Of course. How silly would that be?"

"Yes. Silly. Wait 'til Jack hears." Daniel sighed and said, not looking at her, "I'm just gonna go do some work now."

A troubled Sam watched him go, and then she mentally kicked herself. 'Yeah, way to go, Samantha. Way to go.' With a sigh of her own, she continued walking to the VIP quarters.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

In Sam's lab, Sam was typing away furiously at her laptop while Mel walked around the room, looking at various things. Every so often, however, Sam would catch a glimpse of the young woman and feelings surfaced; feelings which she hadn't allowed to surface previously. She was looking at her daughter: at her own flesh and blood. At some point in the future – a future – she must have gone mad and told Daniel how she felt about him.

That point must have been within the same year: according to her calculations from the data provided by Mel, and her own observations. That was indeed preposterous: even if Daniel did feel the same, they had little opportunity to have free time. As it was, today had been a fluke. Well, until Landry had called her: first, about someone penetrating the Iris, and then, about the newcomer.

Being called in from home happened too many times to be considered a fluke.

Sam glanced at the doorway, making sure there was no-one around. As it was, she hoped the security team weren't monitoring her right now. As though sensing she wanted to say something, Mel turned, and asked,

"What is it, Mom?"

Sam flinched once again at what Mel had called her. The Colonel then said, "Um..." She paused. "Lieutenant, are you sure about..."

Mel rolled her eyes and bounded towards the lab table. She said, amazed, "My goodness, Samantha, you can be quite slow." She winked. "Hey, every time I call you 'Mom', you look like I've punched you." Mel smirked. "Man, that's the first time I call you by your first name and not get grounded." Her smile faded. "Anywho... yeah, I'm pretty sure you and Daniel out there are my parents. Really. For cryin' out loud, even Auntie C is."

"Auntie C?"

"Oh, um, Doctor Mit... oops, Doctor Lam. You know, the little dark haired doctor you have here. Don't let me dig another hole for myself."

Sam hid a smile at the possibility that Cam could or would marry the base's Chief Medical Officer. The Colonel then said, "It just seems odd."

Mel laughed. "That's rich, Mom. Really. You and Dad are the oddest people I know... well, okay, you and Uncle Jack and Uncle T. Oh, and Auntie Vala. But you guys have to be the oddest." Mel smiled, amused. "Oh, you do know I have a little brother too?"

Sam suddenly looked freaked out. She said, "Um, no!"

"Oh yeah. Jake. Guess who you named him after..."

Sam smiled, still looking shocked. She said, "I always figured I'd name my son after Dad." She rubbed her face and groaned. She then said, peeking at her daughter, "Sorry, Mel... this is a lot for me right now."

Sam continued to type on her laptop. She muttered, "Okay, almost there." She glanced up at Mel. "Come here." Mel put down the book she had picked up and stood next to her mother. Sam gestured to the laptop screen in front of them, and she said,

"I've had a look at the signature of the wormhole through which you arrived. See there? That's a fluctuation in the power to the 'gate – similar to but not quite the same as when a wormhole is intersected by a solar flare. Well, by a typical solar flare anyhow."

Mel asked with a frown, "So, non-typical solar flare?"

"Could be." Sam chewed her lip in worry. She looked up at "I don't know about your time, but we can't predict solar flares yet. By the time we detect one, it's too late." She shook her head, not wanting to give up. "You see, if you'd come from an alternate universe, I could probably work it out... I did once when we had a convergence of at least twenty universes here last year."

Mel nodded slowly and then grinned. She said excitedly, "Oh, I remember. Dad told me that the team that had Martouf with them... in their universe, you were on maternity leave."

Sam cleared her throat and said awkwardly, "Well... um, that's another universe. Anything is possible."

"... with Dad's kid. Kinda like an older brother or sister for me." Mel laughed a little. "How does quantum brother-slash-sister sound? You know, Uncle Jack's... oh, and even Uncle T's jokes aside, I could have a lot of brothers and sisters out there."

Sam looked up at the younger woman in disbelief. She said, a little annoyed, "Do you ever stop talking?"

"Honey, I won't stop for you in my time – what makes you think I'll stop for you now?" Mel paused as though she had realised something. She patted her pockets and said slowly, "Speaking of not stopping..." Mel pulled out a piece of paper from jacket pocket, and said, "You put this in my pocket before I left for Kheb. Well, my-you... not you-you."

Sam took the piece of paper from her, and opened it slowly. She read it, her eyes widening a little and she got up quickly. The Colonel said in disbelief, "You had this all this time and you didn't think to read it?"

Mel shrugged. "Mom, you're always putting stuff in my pockets... to be honest, I completely forgot about it 'til now." She craned her neck to look at the piece of paper. "What does it say?"

Sam grinned in relief and said, "The times and dates of the next two solar flares... the next one is tomorrow morning." Forgetting herself momentarily, Sam hugged her. She then cleared her throat in embarrassment as she let Mel go and stood up straight. "With this, if I re-do our drift calculations so that the next solar flare intersects the wormhole in a similar way to the way that yours did..."

A now excited Sam grabbed her laptop and sprinted from the lab as a bemused Mel followed her. Sam continued to explain as she did so, "... I mean, we have to monitor the wormhole first to gauge the power levels... but if we get it right, we can send you back home."

Mel laughed in relief and then covered her mouth in shock when Sam almost bowled over most of SG-1. Mel called after her, "Well, why are we running then?"

As SG-1 pursued them, Sam called back, "Because it's almost midnight and the flare is due to hit in three hours. We don't have a lot of time!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

In his office, Daniel frowned as he looked down at the half-page of writing that had taken very nearly an hour to complete. He threw the pen down in frustration and almost growled as he took his glasses off and rubbed his face with his hands. He couldn't believe just how much this was getting to him. The girl wasn't really his daughter. She was the daughter of someone far braver and bolder than he could be.

He just couldn't understand why the whole episode was impeding his work. He was behind – really behind – and yet all he could think about was what that other life must be like; what had happened that had led him to admit his feelings to Sam; and how Sam could ever feel that way about him. One child could albeit crassly be considered an accident, but the Lieutenant had claimed that she had a brother... two children, to him, seemed planned to some extent.

He glanced up on hearing a noise, and he saw Vala standing in the doorway. Regaining some composure, Daniel put his glasses back on, and made some attempt to resume writing. He asked, "Hey, what's up?"

Vala remained in the doorway, a troubled expression on her face. She said, "I might say the same of you." She took a seat on the other side of the desk from him, her elbows on the desk as she rested her face in her hands. She said, "People have children all the time, Daniel. It's not impossible."

Daniel frowned as he forced himself to concentrate. He said, "I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay, fine... but you're going to have to talk to someone. I mean, you won't talk to Samantha because... you know... and well, no-one else knows what you're going through right now." Vala smiled briefly. "I wouldn't be hiding if that was my daughter."

Daniel retorted, "If that was your daughter, you'd be running."

She suddenly looked hurt as she sat back in her chair. He grimaced a little and sat back in his own chair, dropping his pen onto the table. He said apologetically, "Sorry, that was rude."

"Well, you're right." Vala continued brightly. "Anyway... your future wife..."

He remarked snippily, "Yeah, I don't think so."

Vala rolled her eyes. "You're going to have to get over me someday, sunshine."

He looked at her, annoyed, and she continued, "So anyway, the mother of one of your many children..."

Daniel blinked and asked, "Has Jack been talking to you?"

She feigned innocence as she regarded him for a moment. She then said, "Let me finish, okay? Samantha's worked out a way to send that delightful little card sharp home. Thought you might want a chance to say bye and stuff... you know, the whole Dad thing."

Daniel couldn't help but look hurt as his mind was assailed once again with what could have been. Mel's words, describing her life and that of her parents, haunted him. He quickly resumed writing, and said, "Uh, give me a minute."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

In the gateroom, Mel stood at the bottom of the ramp as Sam dialled the Stargate. The younger woman grinned in amazement as each chevron locked. At last the 'gate was dialled and the unstable vortex whooshed out and then back into the rippling event horizon. Mel continued to grin, and she said,

"I love that thing."

She turned around to see Teal'c, Cam and Vala had been standing behind her. She looked up to see Sam in the control room, and she asked, "Where's Dad?"

Teal'c replied, "DanielJackson is currently in his office."

Mel looked disappointed, saying, "Figures. Without Mom, Dad would forget his own head." She smiled to herself. "I miss that old guy."

Cam asked a touch bashfully, "Hey, you know, in that future of yours, does Uncle Cam still have hair?"

Mel replied deadpan, "Hell no. Bald as a coot."

She tried not to laugh as Cam looked disappointed while Vala looked on intrigued. Cam then shook her hand and said, "Well, nice of you to drop by, Lieutenant. Take care out there, huh?"

"Oh, don't worry about me, Uncle C."

They all looked up to the control room as Sam said into the microphone, "Jackson, you have a go."

Sam then disappeared, appearing seconds later in the gateroom from the corridor. Mel grinned at Sam, and she said, "Knew you could do it, Mom. Thanks."

Sam looked unsure of what to do next, so she just shook Mel's hand. Mel, however, hugged her tightly, and Sam, after a moment, hugged her back. Sam whispered, "Be careful out there, okay?" She dabbed at involuntary tears that sprang to her eyes, and she looked down as she and her daughter parted. "Dammit, I don't even know why I'm crying."

Mel replied with a tight smile, "I don't know either – you'll see me soon enough. I'll see ya sooner though. Still gonna miss ya."

She hugged her again, ignoring a remark from Cam about the wormhole only being active for thirty-eight minutes. During the hug, Daniel entered the gateroom, suddenly unsure of what he was doing there. But then he found himself walking to Sam's side as the two women let go of each once again, and as Sam looked at him surprise, he hugged Mel.

Daniel whispered, "I'm so proud of you. Remember that."

Mel replied with a tearful grin, "Oh, not gonna forget that, Danny." He let her go and she ruffled his hair affectionately much to everyone else's amusement. She said, "That's from Uncle Jack and the gang. Chiefly, Uncle Jack."

Daniel muttered, disgruntled, "Figures."

Mel grinned as she looked up at the Stargate, and said, "Well, time I dove stage-right." She then turned to look at SG-1, and waved. "Nice meeting you all again." She practically bubbled over with excitement on noticing that Daniel had discreetly reached for Sam's hand. "See ya later!"

With a grin that wouldn't go away, Mel ascended the gate ramp. When she got near the event horizon, she turned around to see General Landry stood behind a seated Walter in the control room. In the gateroom were three members of SG-1 stood behind Sam and Daniel, who were still holding hands.

Taking a mental picture, she waved and then turned around. She took a deep breath and then stepped through.

In the gateroom behind her, SG-1 watched as the wormhole deactivated. The three members of SG-1 at the back then exchanged furtive glances with one another as Sam and Daniel continued to look at the Stargate. Teal'c smirked as he left the gateroom, and Cam nudged a frowning Vala, and they left, Vala repeatedly glancing at the couple as they did so.

Sam looked up at the Stargate with a wistful expression, now feeling as though a large part of her had just left through the device. As a tear ran down her cheek, she said softly, "I miss her."

Daniel nodded as he looked from the Stargate to Sam with a sombre look. He said, "Me too."

They looked down at their hands which were still together. Daniel reluctantly let go of her hand, and said, "I don't want to get in the way of you and Jack."

As Daniel turned to walk away, Sam felt as though enough part of her was on the verge of leaving. She sniffed back more tears, and said, "Daniel, wait."

He stopped and turned around to face her, his facial expression unreadable. Sam remained where she was as she said, "It's funny, isn't it? Things like that can change how you see the universe, but also how you see yourself and the people around you." She watched as Daniel looked troubled, and she said, "I honestly didn't think I'd be so attached to someone like that... and I didn't even give birth to her."

Daniel shrugged non-committally, and said, "She's quite a girl."

"She's yours as well."

Daniel shook his head and said grimly, "No, she's another man's daughter. I don't have it in me to do what he must have done."

Sam looked at him, puzzled. She stopped him from leaving once again, and said, "Is the idea of us having children so distasteful to you? What did I do?"

He looked at her in surprise: surprise that she didn't find the idea of poor taste. He asked, "What?"

"You've been acting all weird since you found out who she was."

Daniel looked at her in disbelief, recalling her walking out of the holding room earlier. He said, "Uh, so have you."

Sam smiled bashfully as she looked away. She said, "Understandable, I guess." She looked at him, and said, "What a day, huh?"

Daniel glanced at the Stargate and recalled more of what Mel had told him, his brain finally decoding the streams of babble she had directed at him throughout the day. He smiled a little, and then asked her, "What are you doing tonight?"

Sam tried not to grin as she watched him struggle not to blush. She said with a nonchalant shrug, "Well, I was planning on sleeping, but I don't think I can now."

Daniel said, "I've got that special edition Wizard of Oz DVD Jack sent me for Christmas last year." He smirked briefly. "It's still in the original wrapper."

She smiled in amusement, and then asked, "You sure you wanna stay up?"

He sighed softly as he remembered Mel. He said, "I've got a lot to think about."

She gazed at him pensively, and then she reached for his hand again. He looked at her and said, "You know, there's a lot I haven't told you – that I couldn't tell you."

She nodded, for once knowing what he meant. As tears pricked her eyes once again, she said, "Me too. I thought maybe you and Vala would eventually hook up."

"I thought it was you and Jack."

She couldn't help but find that amusing. She nudged him, and said, "Yeah, right. Let's just say someone got in the way a long time ago."

He looked at her in surprise, and then smiled shyly. He then gently stroked the hand that he was holding with his thumb, and he said, "Come on, let's go see the Wizard."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Mel felt a little spooked as she found herself once more in the gateroom of the SGC once again. She slowly walked down the ramp, but then grinned in relief on seeing her parents waiting for her at the end of the ramp. There stood her mother, with long white hair tied up, her eyes sparkling with good humour. And her white-haired father, who stooped a bit with age and whose eyes seemed bluer than his younger self's.

When she had reached them, Mel hugged them tightly, finally allowing herself to cry a little. When she at last let them go, she looked from one to the other. She then said, shocked, "You guys knew all along!"

Sam exchanged a knowing smile with Daniel. She said, "We had to let it happen."

Daniel smirked as he said, "Now you have a story about how we got together."

Mel asked, dismayed, "It was me!?"

A young fair haired man entered the gateroom and then grinned on seeing her. He said as he hugged her, "Melly!"

Mel hugged him and said, "Hey, Squirt..." She looked back at her parents. "It was me? What if I hadn't encountered that flare?"

Sam smiled a little. "You would have. It's... it's a long story."

Daniel said, "... which can wait for dinner. Come on, I'm starving."

Sam said to Mel, "Welcome home, sweetie. Go up to the briefing room and brief your Uncle Cam. Your Dad can wait." She looked round at the fair haired young man. "Go with her, Jake."

Daniel scowled at Sam as an amused Mel left with Jake. Sam said as they left too, "Come on, old man. You can have something in the Commissary."

"Ugh, no, I think I can wait." He smiled as he reached for her hand in the corridor. He said, "I would have told you eventually, you know..."

They stopped, and she kissed him on the cheek. She said affectionately, "I know." She grinned at him. "Let's go get Teal'c and Vala."

– Fin