Chapter 3

Jackie and Charlie led SG-1 to the cave that housed the mirror. The mirror came to life once more with a reflection of the empty room on the glass. Jackie explained, "I was cleaning it when it activated and brought us here."

Jack stood between the two before the mirror. He then spoke to Sam, "I'm going to bring them home. Have SG-2 secure the mirror and bring it to base. Once it's there I can come back." He then wondered, "Is there any way of making it so the two mirrors only connect to each other, locking out any other reality?"

Sam assumed, "I'm sure there is. The Ancients would make a way to lock on. I just have to find it."

"Do that." he ordered. "Make it so the mirrors will only connect to each other."

Daniel figured, "That would make a revolving door between the two realities. And as long as their mirror is secure, that could prevent any oddball reality, say one where the Goa'uld invade Earth, form getting to either reality."

"Right Daniel." Jack agreed. "I will make sure the mirror is secured on their end. You make sure Hammond secures it on this end."

Sam wondered, "How are you going to secure it on their end, Sir? It's in private hands in an attic."

"Which is where it needs to stay." he agreed. "I need to speak to Sarah and make sure she does not call anyone and she keeps it in the attic."

Daniel wondered, "How will you get her to agree to that, Jack?"

"She didn't lose the kids. She lost me, Daniel." he reminded him. "She's a widow. Not divorced. That mirror is her only door to me."

"Oh," he understood Jack's plan.

Sam then understood the plan as well and frankly she did not like the idea. She had feelings for Jack as well but she had to hide those feelings. She also knew that mirror was Jack's only door to living versions of his children and she wondered how he would mentally handle losing that door and thus losing his kids a second time.

Daniel stated, "You going with them also makes sure Hammond secures it as well, Jack."

He nodded, "You know it does."

"Okay," he agreed. He then suggested, "While you are there see what I am doing."

Jack asked, "Why?"

He suggested, "Maybe we can bring him here and I can go there until Sam address the cascade failure."

"Why?" Jack gasped.

"So I can look through Langford's private office." he reminded him.

Sam had to agree, "If we switch realities with our alternates that would protect us as well." She then pondered, "I wonder what I am doing?"

"Carter!" Jack stated and looked at her expectantly.

"Right," she then turned her attention to the mirror. "Sending you…now." She activated it manually thus sending Jack and the teens to the attic.

Daniel watched as they then appeared in the reflection of the mirror. He winced, "Move out of the way, Jack."

Sam asked, "Daniel?"

"He's blocking my view of the office." he explained hoping to get a peek.

The mirror then returned to normal.

Sam looked to Daniel and Teal'c. "We have to dial the SGC."

Attic

Jack found himself standing in an attic that had been converted to a private office. He looked about and noticed the cleaning products, rags and trash bin. He had to admit, "You got your work cut out for you here."

Charlie agreed, "We know."

The doorbell rang.

Jackie figured, "Must be the pizza delivery guy." She quickly left the attic to answer the door.

Jack and Charlie followed. As he made his way down the stairs he noticed the oak accents and vintage appeal. He removed his tactical vest and placed it behind the sofa along with his rifle as Jackie got to the front door and opened it.

A young man stood with a pizza box. He had red hair and freckles. He gasped, "You actually do live in the Langford house! I thought this was a prank call."

Jackie asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"Ten dollars." he replied.

She handed him the money plus a tip and then gathered the pizza box. The boy continued, "They say the house is haunted. Is it?" he wondered if the new residence had seen any ghost.

She shook her head, "No."

"Oh!" he gave a nod. He spied Jack standing in uniform behind the sofa. He heard the new family was a military family and the father had died was rumored about town. He stared at Jack for a moment trying to figure it out.

Jack couldn't move for his gear lay at his feet. He stood motionless hoping the pizza deliver boy would simply go away.

The boy stated, "Thank you for your service, sir." to Jack from the front door.

Jackie decided to play up on the rumor. She glanced back at Jack and then looked at the delivery boy. "Who are you talking too?" she asked him.

"The man in uniform." he motioned.

She smirked, "There is no one there." She then suggested, "Must be the ghost. Thanks for the pizza." She then closed the door trying to keep a straight face for the delivery boy grew pale with shock.

Jack told her, "That's cruel."

"But the look on his face was priceless." she laughed and carried to box across the room and to the kitchen.

Jack followed behind his son. He had to admit the pizza smelled wonderful.

"That smells good." he told her.

Charlie got a gallon of milk from the refrigerator. He asked, "You want something to drink, Dad?"

"Beer." he requested.

"Mom has not bought beer since we lost you." he told him. He stood listening to his own words which made him shiver. For Charlie he now had his father back. Even if it was an alternate version of his father from another reality.

"Got something other than milk, Charlie?" he asked.

He replied, "Kool aid."

"What flavor?" he asked.

"Lime." he informed.

He sighed, "That will do." He then asked, "Where is your mother anyways?"

"Showing a house." he told him as Jackie plated up the pizza and handed a slice to Jack.

He gratefully took the food as he was hungry from a long day. Hot pizza was just the thing to hit the spot for Jack. He took a bite and looked about the old style kitchen. He noticed the appliances all looked out dated. He had yet to see the outside of the house but wondered what it looked like. Between bites he asked, "This place got any land?"

"Twenty acres." Jackie told him. "Garage, barn, swimming pool that needs repair, tennis courts that also need repair. It used to be a sprawling estate. I guess Professor Langford was pretty well off."

Jack agreed, "Probably! I wonder if he found the Gate in your reality."

"That big ring thing?" Charlie asked.

He nodded still eating, "That big ring thing. Langford found it in Egypt back in 1928. Daniel can tell you all about it. I wonder if your government has it." He then asked, "Uncle Charlie alive here?"

Jackie rolled her eyes, "Lucky for him."

He paused as he noticed both teens seemed to rebuke the name. "What's up with Uncle Charlie?"

Charlie stated, "After you died he hit on mom and tried to get her to sleep with him."

He gasped, "Are you serious! Kawalsky hit on your mom after I died."

Jackie nodded, "She turned him down flat too. Apparently, he was hitting on her a lot when you were deployed."

"That…" he pinched his lips tight. He wondered if his friend also hit on his ex wife in his reality.

Charlie asked, "What happened to him in your reality, Dad?"

"He died." he reported. "Now I wonder. Did he do that in my reality too?"

Jackie shrugged, "No idea."

Jack then took another slice of pizza along with Charlie. He continued to eat.

"No lunch, Dad?" she asked amused.

"I have not eaten since I got up this morning." he reported. "And I was going to have a ration for lunch. This is much better." He admitted, "You two kids saved my day. I was supposed to baby sit the site as Carter and Daniel worked all day long. It's the most boring part of my job."

Charlie asked, "What do you do in your reality, Dad?"

"I go off world and neutralize any threats." he told him.

Charlie grinned, "Like a space cop?"

He shook his head, "Not like that. More like…Space Special Forces." He looked at the pair, "And you two?"

Charlie told him, "It's summer and we just moved here. We will go to school. It's Jackie's senior year. I'm a sophomore this year." He then added, "Jackie made the Academy!"

He looked at her, "You got into the Air Force Academy early?"

She admitted, "I passed admissions but I'm not going."

He asked, "Why not?"

"You died and mom is trying to support us alone. She needs my help and I can't leave Charlie by himself. He always gets in trouble or does something stupid."

"I do not!" he huffed annoyed. "I don't need you to baby sit me, sis."

"Yeah, you do." she disagreed. She asked Jack, "How did your Charlie die in your reality, Dad?"

He paused as the memory haunted him. He place the plate down and confessed, "It was my fault. It wasn't his fault. I left my sidearm on the TV and he got it."

The pair traded glances.

He stated, "That obviously never happened here. Your version of me was little smarter."

Jackie shook her head, "No! He did that too. I took the gun away from him and unloaded it. After that you always locked it up and got us into some courses."

He paused as he realized the reason Charlie was alive was because of his older sister. Had Sarah carried the baby full term he would have had an older daughter who would looked out for his son. His eyes softened and he looked her in her big brown eyes. "I cannot thank you enough for doing that, Jackie."

Charlie gasped, "You mean she was right? I really would have shot myself!"

"It was a nightmare, Charlie." he informed.

"Son of a…" he tailed off.

He told him, "You listen to her. She takes care of you. Far better than I did!"

Though Jackie felt bad for Charlie's death in the other reality she could not help but smirk at his younger brother rather amused. She teased, "See…Dad says you have to do what I say!"

He rolled his eyes, "I'm not seven anymore! You don't have to boss me around."

She grinned, "But I like bossing you around."

Charlie looked to Jack for help. "Dad!"

In his reality he only one child. He was not used to sibling rivalry. He found himself falling back on his military training. "Don't boss your brother around." He told Jackie. Then he shook his finger at Charlie, "You listen to your sister."

"That makes no sense." Charlie declared.

"Welcome to my world." he told the boy.