Well, I haven't posted in a while and there is a VERY good reason. First of all, grandma is fine. It took her about 3 weeks to get back on her feet, but she's home, happy, and healthy. Thank you to everyone who asked about her.

I haven't posted in a while because I had to have an emergency hysterectomy. Yep. I'm sans lady parts! My uterus decided it didn't like it's home in my abdomen anymore and very violently demanded to be immediately released from our lifetime contract. I had no reason to force it to stay--I have my daughter (who just turned 4)--so I gave my uterus a going away party and spent the last 10ish weeks adjusting to my new normal.

Let me tell you, if you've never had a hysterectomy, it's a surefire way to make the writing muse run away and hide for a while. I'm honestly quite surprised my husband didn't run away and hide from my mood swings too, but that is a different story. (I'm jesting! My hubby is amazing and has taken excellent care of me).

My muse did come back around the time I was enjoying the post-surgery, pain-free ecstasy that only narcotics can provide. I'm sure some of my stories will be rather interesting! However, I didn't want to finish Timeline while on pain-killers, so I waited until I could give it a proper finish.

Any errors you find are mine and mine alone. I hope you all enjoy!

--BEGIN--

O'Neill woke up with the feeling of being watched. Cracking one eye open, he saw Gracie standing beside his cot. She had a raggedy green teddy bear under one arm. Her Disney Princess nightgown hung just to her knees and her blond curls were messy from sleep.

"Hi Gracie," he said softly, sitting up and swinging his legs over the bed.

"I miss my now-Daddy," her bottom lip trembled. "I'm scared."

"Oh pumpkin," he gathered her into his arms, "did you have a bad dream."

Her little head nodded as she sniffed. She shifted her teddy bear to rub it soothingly against her cheek.

"Daddy is in trouble," she said quietly.

"He'll come home to you soon," he gave her a tight squeeze, but she shook her head, causing her curls to bounce haphazardly.

"Not if my before-Mommy doesn't fix it," she squeezed tighter against him. "Fix what, sweetheart," he kept his voice even, but the hair on the back of his neck was standing up.

After O'Neill's interesting introduction to his future daughter, Sam had pulled him aside to fill him in on her 'special' abilities. She had confided that Gracie had knowledge of things a normal four-year-old shouldn't. She also had intuitive knowledge about Ancient technologies, as well as, the ability to wield Goa'uld technology. They hadn't explored her abilities for fear the NID or worse would set their sights on turning her into an experiment. Instead, she and Jack had decided to let her develop naturally and would involve the Asgard once Gracie became old enough to understand her abilities and consent to testing her own limitations.

When Gracie didn't answer him, he gave her a gentle squeeze. "What does your before-mommy need to fix?"

O'Neill glanced over to where Sam was sleeping across the room. They had chosen to keep everyone on base because it made more sense than trying to take Grace home so late and everyone had been in desperate need of sleep.

"Before-Mommy needs to fix the remote," she finally replied, her little eyes clouded with worry.

———POV———

Carter cursed as the artifact buzzed then died. She'd been working on it all day and had made no progress. She dropped her tools and walked over to Jack. Kneeling next to him, she cursed again when she touched his forehead. His fever had gotten higher. His face was ashen and covered in sweat. His pulse was rapid and weak. He was dying.

A strange static emitted from the artifact, followed by clicks and pops.

"—ter," more static, "—ou read me?"

Jumping to her feet, Carter crossed the space and grasped the artifact like the lifeline it was.

"Sir—" her voice cracked with hope, "are you there?"

"Carter," O'Neill's voice answered causing a palpable wave of relief to wash through her. "Thank god. Is Jack with you?"

"Yes, but he's sick. I think he's dying," she glanced behind her.

Sam's voice echoed next. "How long since he ate?"

"Around 8pm last night. We split a basic MRE," Carter answered.

"Hypoglycemia," Sam responded. "It can mimic illness. He'll run a fever, may hallucinate or seem confused, hard to wake up."

"Sounds about right," Carter said darkly, upset with herself for not noticing the symptoms.

"Mommy," a child's voice interrupted impatiently. "Just tell her to fix that button."

"Carter," Sam's voice returned, "just do what I say."

Carter followed the directions, knowing exactly what to do once the tiny crystal assembly that revealed. The clever hidden compartment would have been impossible to find without the combination Sam provided.

"Take the artifact and grab a hold of Jack. We think it'll bring you to us now."

"Ready," Carter replied after placing the artifact on Jack's chest and lying down next to him. She wrapped her arms around both; not willing to chance losing this one shot. Taking his hand, she place it on top of the artifact and waited.

A loud buzzing filled the cave as a bright white light blinded her. She felt a whooshing noise that threatened to rip her away from Jack, but she held tight. The next thing she knew, a pair of strong hands were gripping her waist, lifting her.

"Carter," O'Neill's voice caused her eyes to snap open as he pulled her off the ground. His hands stayed on her hips, steadying her as she gently swayed from dizziness. "You okay?"

"Sir?" She shook her head. "Jack," she turned her head too fast to see her travel companion. The sudden movement knocked her off balance.

O'Neill hauled her backwards against his chest to prevent her from falling. "Easy there," his breath touched her ear and a sensation tore through her. Carter found her footing and straightened, but didn't step away from him, his hands remaining lightly on her waist.

"Is Jack okay?" She asked Sam, who now knelt beside him.

"He will be," she said as she jammed some sort of futuristic epi-pen-like device through his pants and into his thigh.

"Damn," Jack murmured seconds later as he began to regain consciousness. "Being old sucks," he rubbed his head and tried to sit up.

Sam smiled in relief as she helped sit forward. "Easy. You had us worried there for a second," her voice wavered.

"Daddy!"

Carter's eyes widened as a little girl threw herself into Jack's arms. The child's features were obvious giveaways of who her parents were. Carter cast a cautious glance at O'Neill, who merely shrugged and looked away uncomfortably.

"Gracie," Jack held her close. "I missed you Pumpkin."

"See," Gracie pulled back and looked at O'Neill. "I told you my now-Daddy calls me Pumpkin, too." Her smile brightened the entire room. Returning her attention to Jack, she added, "my before-Daddy took really good care of me while you were gone."

"Before-Daddy?" Carter shifted uneasily.

"Yes my before-Daddy," Gracie pointed to O'Neill. "Just like you, my before-Mommy," she grinned.

"Grace," Sam said with a warning tone.

"Sorry, Mommy," she said before standing up.

"She's," Carter looked between Jack and Sam, then to Grace and O'Neill.

"Our daughter," O'Neill confirmed for her. "It was a shock for me, too," he added softly.

"Don't worry," Gracie walked over and took Carter's hand in hers. "It's not time for you to make me yet," she made the statement so easily, like meeting her parents' younger selves and reassuring them was a normal occurrence.

Behind her Jack climbed to his feet, an arm slung around Sam. He was still wobbly, but his face was no longer ashen.

"Diabetes, huh?" O'Neill said glumly.

"Not exactly," Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck. "More like nasty little nano—", he umphed from a gentle elbow to the ribs from Sam. "Come on," he protested, "they know too much already. Knowing about the nanobot thingumajigs isn't going to change the timeline anymore than it already has."

"We are so screwed," Sam half groaned, half laughed. "There is no way the timeline hasn't been altered."

"Sure there is," Grace answered, pointing to the artifact. "The Poenitet fixes it."

"Poenitet," Sam said, her mind searching for the familiar word. "Loosely translated it means regret."

"You said the inscription read 'a message to your younger self,'" Jack glanced at Carter and O'Neill. "Maybe that's a literal translation."

"But how would that not alter the timeline," Carter asked.

"It fixes the timeline," Grace said again with a child's exasperation.

"Baby," Sam knelt down so she was eye level with her daughter. "Daddy and I don't want to change things."

Gracie gave her a disgruntled look. "They," she pointed to Carter and O'Neill, "have to get it right."

"Gracie," O'Neill knelt down. "What can we get right?"

Instead of answering she shook her head.

"Gracie," Carter knelt down next to O'Neill, "please help us." She swallowed past the lump in her throat. This little girl was the manifestation of wishes she didn't dare to wish.

"I can't before-Mommy," she smiled sweetly but sadly. "But you're running out of time."