Right, this installment's a little longer than I anticipated but you have no idea how hard it was to formulate. I just hope you all appreciate it : )

Aset/Horus whatever you want to call yourself (colour me confused) it is indeed possible for me to write more.

Dena, I'm not sure that this chapter is any brighter than the last. Ooops, you'll have to make do I'm afraid.

Well, thank you to anyone else who found it in their hearts to review, I'm trying not to let this all go to my head. If it does please let me know : )

Chapter 16

After their talk, at Sam's request Jack had crawled off to bed or what passed for a bed in the Magi camp. He had been unable to sleep, tossing and turning, going over Sam's final decision in his head. Finally a faint light began to creep through the opening that served as a door, for a moment his lack of sleep was forgotten with the realisation that today he would be going home. He looked at his watch, he had been lying awake for six hours and twenty-nine minutes. Amazing for someone with an attention span as short as his. His mind flicked back to Sam and he inadvertently groaned.

"I can't believe she's going through with this." He said out loud.

"Going through with what?" Came a voice muffled by a mouthful of pillow. Daniel rolled over and faced Jack, squinting through sleep and reaching for his glasses.

"Nothing." He moaned at his friend, trying hard not to laugh at the man's mussed hair and half closed eyes. "Why are you never up this early on missions?"

"Going through with what?" Daniel repeated, not put off by Jack's attempted change of subject. Instead of answering he rose from bed and went outside to make preparations for the journey home.

*******************

General Hammond stared sadly out of the window at the Stargate. It stared blatantly back, not giving him any of the answers that he wanted. In half an hour he would be locking out SG1's code. At first he had sent out a few teams in search of his missing team as a precaution. In the end he had not been able to spare personnel for something so futile.

"Sir?"

"Airman." He responded, pushing the problem to the back of his mind.

"SG9 are waiting for you in Briefing Room 5."

"Thank You. I'll be there in a minute." He cast one last glance out of the window and headed out.

******************

"We got 30 minutes!" Jack called into the tent were Teal'c and Daniel were packing up. Daniel merely grunted in response, he wasn't on speaking terms with the Colonel because he felt he was hiding something from him. Jack headed for the healer's tent were Sam had spent most of her time since being rescued. "Knock knock," he quipped batting at the flap with his knuckles.

"Jack, welcome." Islyndor greeted in the halting English that Daniel had taught her.

"Hey kid," he flashed her a small smile and patted her shoulder.

"You, home now." She stated and grinned proudly. She had used a ritual to pinpoint the exact time of the next solar flare and the exact time that SG1 should step through the gate.

"Yeah. You mind if I have a word with Sam?" The young woman didn't understand his words but she clearly understood his sentiment. She nodded and left them alone. He found Sam leaning over the cradle in which her daughter lay.

"She's so beautiful." Marveled Sam through tears. Jack put an arm around her and pulled her to him close to tears himself.

"You sure about this?" A tear dropped to the floor as she nodded.

"It feels as if she doesn't belong to me." She whispered, "You're all going to hate me for this."

"Never!" He replied fiercely. He had never seen her in such a state and he felt anger well up inside him towards the ex-Goddess that had done this to her. They fell into a comfortable silence, Jack hanging on to Sam as she silently watched the sleeping child.

"Colonel O'Neill. Islyndor has begun the ritual." Came Ahdeth's voice, "In a few minutes it will be time for you to return." He gave a slight bow before exiting. Jack leaned forward and picked up the child.

"Come on kids, let's head out."

********************

Evie stood in awe as the Stargate span into action, this time she understood its purpose and that made it all the more spectacular in her eyes. Rick, Evie, Alex, Jonathan, Islyndor, Ahdeth and Eve stood facing Jack, Sam, Teal'c and Daniel. Jack handed the child to Sam as they went to say their goodbyes.

As Jack moved around shaking hands and wishing good luck to people he had come to think of as friends but would never see again, he never took his eyes off Sam. She was stood with Evie, tears forming in both their eyes.

"Take good care of her." Sam placed the baby in Evie's outstretched arms and touched the infant's forehead gently.

"Are you sure?" Asked Evie quietly, wiping away a few tears. Sam nodded and pulled them both into a hug. She turned away, trying to keep a range of emotions in check. Anger, sorrow but most of all hate, for herself. She approached Eve.

"This has to be kept a secret." She whispered as she embraced the young woman and her infant son.

"I understand. Thank you so much for returning my son." A choked Eve said as they pulled apart.

"He's very lucky."

"I have decided to call him Samuel. One day he'll know about how an Angel came from beyond the stars to save him."

"Let's move it out!" Shouted Jack, with a last smile she turned to walk through the Gate aware that she might never see her daughter again but confident that she had made the right decision.

********************

"Sergeant. It's been 24 hours." General Hammond did not need to finish his sentence. Sergeant Siler pulled up the necessary files.

Thank You for reading. I hope it didn't seem too rushed. As always reviews are appreciated. I am, by no means, finished. Just a little hyped, I went and got myself a Stargate tee-shirt made, a little indulgence I've been planning for a while. Unfortunately it has Jonas on instead of Daniel, I love them both very much but nobody rocks like Daniel does!

Smiles and Sunshine

Coffee Bean

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