Author's Notes:

Just a warning I am taking one of those writer's liberties I talked about way back t the beginning. On the show, our Sam was in the Air Force, and the Samantha in "Point of View" was not, so the writers got to play off the differences.

Since my Sam is NOT in the Air Force I thought it might be fun if the Sam that comes through the gate was!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

See Part 1 for notes and disclaimer

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam's time on SG1 was coming to a close and she was surprised to find that she had mixed feelings about it. She'd originally figured that being with Jack so much might be too much of a good thing, but she found that she loved how they worked so well together out in the field, and though all that testosterone was a bit much some days she was thrilled at the bond that she and 'the boys' had. On the other hand, lab projects were backing up and she understood Lt. Tobias' frustration a bit better now. Not to mention the fact that she'd had absolutely no free time to do more than the most basic of wedding plans.

Henry Boyd had gotten his cast off the week before, and was halfway through his physical therapy, so she guessed that there would only be one or two more missions before he took back his spot on the team. The mission that she was scheduled to go on the next day could very well be her last. She had to admit as much as she would miss it she was looking forward to life being a little less crazy. In the past month she had helped to track down the Goa'uld Seth hiding on Earth, watched helplessly as Daniel apparently went crazy, and worked with a little girl whose IQ made Sam feel totally inadequate.

There was also the fact that watching Jack with Merron had given her desire for kids a kick-start. He was going to be such a wonderful dad someday that it was hard not to want to get started on their family immediately. However she did see the logic in allowing themselves some time to just be married and enjoy being newly-weds before adding the stress of children to the mix.

So, although her parting from SG1 would be bittersweet she figured there were going to be plenty of other good things in her future that would keep her plenty busy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a new pinnacle of crazy and bazaar. A Major Carter and Colonel Kawalsky from an alternate reality had stepped through the mirror stored in Nevada and were now staring at SG1 and Hammond over a conference room table. Their world was being attacked by Aphosis, and they were losing the battle badly. Their Jack and Teal'c had both been killed by Aphosis' new first prime, and the Major had no clue as to Daniel's whereabouts. She and Kawalsky had been sent on a last ditch bid to try to find help through the mirror.

For Sam, looking at her alternate was totally spooky. Other than slightly shorter hair the woman was her exact match. It wouldn't be until they had a chance to meet and talk in the Major's temporary quarters that Sam would discover the many ways big and small that they differed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So you weren't in the car accident with your mother," Sam concluded over a quiet dinner later that night.

"No, and you were?" the Major inquired.

"I was crippled," Sam confirmed with a nod.

"That explains why you didn't join the Air Force," Major Carter conjectured. "But you are fine now?"

"Jolinar's handiwork," Sam explained having already established that the Major had also been taken by the Tok'ra.

"Nice," her double commented. There was a long awkward pause before the Major calmly asked "So is the Colonel single in the reality?"

Sam studied the other her. She looked very sad, but she seemed to be holding it together much better than Sam knew she would be doing if her Jack was dead. Then it hit her.

"You aren't together in your reality?" she asked.

Carter looked suddenly tense. "He's was my CO," she stated bluntly.

"But you wanted to be together?" Sam speculated.

The woman across from her sighed and her whole body seemed to sag in defeat, "I did, I don't know how he felt. I guess I'll always wonder," she admitted.

Sam thought for a moment then pulled out the ring she wore on a chain around her neck, "Well if he's anything like the Jack O'Neill here, and in the one other alternate reality we encountered he felt the same way," she told the woman, the diamond of her engagement ring sparkling slightly in the light from the nearby lamp.

The Major's eyes widened, "But you are on SG1?"

"Yeah, strange story that," Sam began, and then proceeded to tell her how Hammond had put her on SG1.

They talked well into the night, until the Major finally couldn't keep her eyes open. As Sam made to leave she was stopped by few soft words.

"Thank you," the Major told her.

"For what?" Sam inquired.

"Just for letting me talk about Jack. If I get back to my world and have to move forward I doubt I'll probably need to cover up my feelings. It was nice for a few hours not to have to hide them," she confessed.

Sam nodded in understanding and left the woman to get some rest. She was going to need it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two days later things had gotten even more chaotic. Major Carter started having seizures which they deduced were caused by entropic cascade failure from two Sam Carters being in the same multi-verse.

Then a plan was designed to try to help the alternate universe contact the Asguard, and both Carters had worked tirelessly to rebuild the ancient power generator needed to power the gate for the long distance dialing.

A mission had been launched and the plan had apparently worked. Sam's SG1 was now mostly back through mirror safely. They were only waiting for Jack who had paused when Major Carter stopped him. Sam watched as the two talked softly and then Jack gave the woman a hug and turned to walk through the gate. The two Sam's eyes met briefly and any jealousy Sam might have felt (can you be jealous of yourself?) was quickly squashed by the look in her counterpart's eye. The hug had been her closure and the look along with the way the Major straightened her shoulders depicted a woman that was gathering her strength to face her future.

Sam could only hope that if she ever had to face a similar fate she could be as brave.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

TBC