Author's Note: Wow! More and more and more reviews. I was wrong, my highest amount of reviews was like, forty-something. But I'd say your closing in on that very easily. Before too long, I might even be in the hundreds… I mean like eighties or something. I would like to hit one hundred, that'd be nice. Anyway, R/R and enjoy the chapter.

Summary: How does Jesse adjust to going to a new school in a different reality when he already knows most of the people there?

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Chapter Five:

Childhood

After almost a half an hour of talking with Mark, Sam finally realized how much time had really gone by. Through the entire time they had been talking, Jesse hadn't showed up to neither remind them that he existed nor had he done anything to disrupt them. He merely had stayed in the kitchen or was roaming the house.

Mark looked at his sister and he, too, remembered the young boy she had been watching when he entered the house. Giving a fake cough to brake the comfortable silence that had lapsed over them, he said, "Well, I should probably go. You have that kid to look after."

"Right," Sam agreed.

"But I will see you next week? That's still on. No babysitting?" Sam gave him one of her priceless smiles he had loved some much to see when he was upset.

"Yes," Sam confirmed as she walked him to the door.

"Then I'll see you next week." Mark bent down slightly and gave his older sister a tight huge and a quick peck on the check.

"See ya," Sam said, bidding him farewell until the next time she would see him. With a sigh, she slowly closed the door and decided to go looking for wherever Jesse had found himself.

"Hi," Sam called gently from the doorframe of the small TV room. It was furnished with two couches and a recliner placed specifically to see the large television, and a coffee table- used only by her team when they all came over to her house for 'team night'.

Jesse looked up from his place on the couch with his feet resting on the coffee table. "Hi," he said, glancing back at the TV. "Did Mark leave?" Jesse asked; looking at her only after the question had been asked.

"Yea, he just did."

"Oh," Jesse said with a nod. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with the man it was just… he could, most likely, never tell him anything. Which meant he wouldn't know what to think of Jesse.

"Whatcha watchin'?" Sam asked as she moved into the TV room and sat down on her recliner- the seat that she always got on 'team night'.

"I'm not sure. I think it's a soap opera. You see, those two, I think, were together. Then they broke up and the guy is getting married to that chick. Right there."

"Oh, ok."

"And now the ex is back and she's still in love with the guy… and so she hates the chick. And that, there in the hospital bed, he's supposed to die. At the moment he's in a coma from falling into the water off a bridge in his car."

"Ouch, that could hurt."

"Yea, so he was supposed to die. And now he's supposed to die in surgery but they're trying anyway. And that chick, walking in, she's his fiancée… but his parents hate her and they didn't want them to get married. Which was why he drove off the bridge-"

"He did it on purpose?" Sam asked, not taking her eyes off of the picture on the screen.

"No, he was rushing to get her because they were going to elope. But it was raining and everything so he slid and fell off. And now she feels responsible," Jesse said, spilling everything he had gathered in his past twenty minutes of watching the extremely cheesy show.

"Ah, who's that? The guy that just walked in?"

"Um, I think that's the doctor. But he knows those two from before. He's also the father of the other guy's ex. The one who is going to crash the other wedding."

Sam nodded and continued to watch. She had never gotten soap operas but that didn't matter. For some reason, she was strangely interested in watching the dumb show.

**Jesse's Room**

A five-year-old boy hid underneath a large table. On the table were dozens of chemicals the red headed doctor had been working with. She, too, hid with him. She held him tightly to her, trying to hide him from the scary noises and shots being fired just outside their hiding place.

The boy lifted his blonde head and listened to the people out in the hall. He heard many guards yelling at someone to not enter a room. At the same time, someone else- the boy assumed they were talking to- was speaking in a strange language. Not only that, but he had a computer-like sound to his deep voice. Without even seeing the man, he was immediately afraid of him.

Suddenly, the door to the hiding place was swung open and bullets flew through the room. Jesse flinched inwardly as he heard glass shattering above them. He could tell that the bullets had hit many of the glass vials.

With a painful wince, the five-year-old felt the skin on his right arm ripped open. Looking down at it, he saw shattered glass poking out of his flesh. It took a moment to register the burning in his arm for his eyes were focused on the gold liquid on his arm- some he could tell had entered the wound. Pulling out of the doctor's tight embrace, he tried to pull out the painful slivers of glass and stop the liquid.

In the process, he had called attention to himself. The man who had entered his safe place grabbed his collar and picked him up until the small boy was eye level with him. An evil smile was plastered over his face as his eyes glowed yellow.

With a start, Jesse's eyes snapped opened, his heart pounding in his ears. Shivering, he found that he had kicked off his blankets in the middle of the night. Pulling them back up to his bare chest, his ears finally registered the annoying sound in the background.

Sitting up, he looked behind him to see that it was quarter after six and the set time for him to wake. Hitting the snooze button on the top of the alarm clock, he rubbed his face and tried to wake up.

Swinging his legs over the bed, his dream came back to him. It was strange, just like the other memory of himself at that age. But, rather than dwelling on it, he forced himself to stand and walk over to his dresser.

The previous day, after he and Sam watched the pathetic soap opera, the two had gone shopping and bought him a few things he would need. Picking out a pair of faded blue jeans and American Eagle shirt, he headed for the shower hoping to ride himself of the dream he had just had.

**Colorado Springs Middle School**

With a thud of Jack's jeep door, Jesse took his first step toward his new school: his old one. Looking at the tons of students waiting to enter, he found he recognized many as being his old friends and peers.

Glancing back at his father, he gave a weak smile before Jack nodded and drove away. Jesse sighed; it would take some time to get use to his classmates not knowing who he was. Not to mention separating different things that happened in the new reality he found himself in.

Walking away from the curb his father left him at, he choose to head up the stairs and go to the counselor's office to get his locker number, combination, and homeroom. With a shrug of his shoulders, he adjusted the weight on his back caused by the few binders he had in his backpack.

Taking time to observe the other children, he found at least twenty he knew. Pulling on the door, he forced it open. Surveying the foyer, he discovered it was identical to his school. The same mascot- a bull dog- hanging from the ceiling, the video camera taping everyone who entered the school, the entrance to the library at the back, and the stairs leading to the girls' gym.

Moving farther into the building, he turned to his right and walked past the office. Continuing down, he past about twenty-five lockers before arriving at the right room. Looking inside the opened door, he stepped in and knocked on the wooden door, hoping to catch someone's attention.

And it had worked. A tall, beautiful woman walked from the back room and looked up at the patiently waiting boy. She had long black curls with caring brown eyes. "Can I help you?" She asked, a smile on her face and her voice pleasant and musical.

"Yes, I'm a new student here. Uh, Jesse O'Neill," Jesse told the gorgeous woman.

"Oh, yes. I remember," the woman responded with a smile. Stepping forward, she extended her hand and introduced herself with, "I'm Miss Troi."

Jesse gave a polite smile and took her offered hand. Shaking it with a tight hold. "It's nice to meet you." And Jesse was serious. He had never met her before. As far as he knew, she didn't exist in his reality.

"I take it you want to know your locker number."

"Yes, ma'am," Jesse confirmed, moving with her as she pulled out the correct file folder.

"I must admit it was odd having the US Air Force request the enrollment of a student. Especially one with no documentation of your previous schooling," Miss Troi chatted on, giving him a strange look as she flipped through his file.

Jesse flinched inwardly, more afraid of her intense scrutiny than accidentally revealing something. "Yes, well… it was a different experience being raised by Air Force officers and home schooled," Jesse replied with a smile, recalling his cover story.

"Uh-huh," was all Miss Troi said, seemingly not believing what he was telling her. "Anyway, this is you locker number: 1734. And here's you lock." Miss Troi handed him a new lock before saying, "The number on the tag is your combination."

Jesse looked down at the tag. It read as 23-29-19. With a discipline Jesse didn't know he possessed, he hid his smile for that was the same combo he had had in his reality.

"And your homeroom is 131 with Mrs. Johnson. And your schedule," his new counselor said as she handed him a half a piece of thick paper. Jesse nodded as he looked over the schedule, marveling at how similar it was to his old one. "I was told you needed all advanced classes, correct?"

"Yes, yes, that's right," Jesse said without looking up.

"Can you read it alright?"

"Yea," he told her, biting back another comment he knew was inappropriate.

"Ok, if you'll follow me, I'll help you with your locker." With that statement, Jesse was led into the hall and toward his new locker.

**Homeroom**

In his reality, Jesse had had Mrs. Johnson for a homeroom teacher only, last time, she had been in room 130- across the hall. But that didn't bother him too much, he just knew that he would have to hit himself a few times before he remembered to go in the right room.

After getting his locker situated, he walked down the hall with his single binder and headed for Mrs. Johnson's room. The only reason Miss Troi not with him was because he had told her he wanted to try and find the rooms on his own.

Peering inside, he found her sitting at her desk in the way back. She was looking down at something on her desk and hadn't noticed him at the door. Knocking, all she did was tell him, "Just as second."

Waiting, he looked the room over and saw that it was very similar to the previous one he had sat in only an hour before arriving in this reality. The desks were still in two rows facing the middle on each side of the room with a rectangular table in the center and her desk in the back. The chalkboards were in the front, as always, while the other walls were covered in pictures of people and places in history.

Mrs. Johnson's head raised and she saw for the first time the young boy waiting at her door. "Yes?"

"Huh?" Jesse said, a little startled for he had not seen her raise her head. "Uh, I'm Jesse O'Neill, your new student."

"Oh, hello. I'm Mrs. Johnson," she told him, a smile on her face. Jesse smiled back at her, showing off his dimples.

"This will be your seat for both homeroom and study hall," she announced, standing and putting her hand at the desk second to the end on the left side of the room. Jesse nodded and walked up to it, knowing the bell would be ringing soon to allow everyone in. Setting his books on the desk, he walked around it and sat down.

"What period do you have Social Studies?" She asked, suddenly.

Jesse looked up at her before pulling out his schedule and checking it over, just to make sure he didn't tell her the wrong period. "Um, fifth." She nodded and looked back at her calendar before writing something down.

Turning back to her newest student, she asked, "What school did you go to before?"

Keeping his cool and not looking her in the eye for fear she would catch his lie, he said, "I was home schooled."

"Oh, why did you start public school in the middle of the year then?" She asked, not realizing that she shouldn't have asked something he wasn't directly told.

"Um," Jesse stuttered, trying to think of something believable. "Well, it's a long story. To be honest, I really don't know. It's complicated." Jesse wasn't looking her in the eye, actually he was looking over his schedule.

Before Mrs. Johnson could ask him anything else that he couldn't explain, the bell rang in its usual loud fashion and they both knew that the hundred or so students had begun to flow into the school. Jesse sighed and knew at least twenty other students would enter soon enough and the heat would only be half taken off of him.

He had never been 'the new kid' in school but he remembered the tons they had gotten. He remembered how word of a new student went through the school like wildfire but no one ever used/ knew their name for weeks. He wasn't exactly happy about that applying to him.

For a minute or so, the two sat in silence; Mrs. Johnson working on her schedule while Jesse sat, waiting, for someone to come in. For someone he recognized to come in and give him at least some comfort. As he thought that, watching the large door, his prayers were answered.

Through the door walked the one person- besides his parents- he had longed to see. A beautiful young woman with her long, blonde hair and green eyes. With a smile and a quick hand through her long hair, she waved good-bye to her friend and walked into his homeroom.

In his reality, they hadn't been in the first two classes together, but the rest they were. She also hadn't been in his homeroom. Through all the similarities and differences he had already discovered, he found that this difference was his favorite. He now knew she existed and was going to school with him. Now it was getting to know her all over again. To get her to know him. That would be the hard part.

With her effortless grace, she strolled over to her desk- in the middle of the first row on the other side of the room- and sat down. Placing her books to the side, she looked up at smiled at Jesse. Though she didn't know him, he knew that she was polite to everyone as long as she could stand him or her.

Looking back down at her desk, she pulled out a sheet of paper from her notebook and wrote something down on it. The entire time, Jesse starred at her, completely enchanted. It had only been three days since he had last seen her but… it didn't feel like that. Perhaps it was because, deep down in his heart, he knew she was dead. Or, perhaps, there was something different about this Alyssa. He didn't know. All that he did know was…

More people had begun to fill the room at a steadier pace. Most of the desks were filled. Looking down, Jesse began to sense they were looking at him. It was an unnerving feeling; knowing all those eyes were on you. On the back of your head and starring into your soul.

And, at that moment, Jesse knew it would be one long day.

**SGC, Corridor**

The news of whom Jesse O'Neill was spread through the SGC like wildfire. By then, it was well known the kid had come through the quantum mirror from an alternate reality. In addition to that, it was also known that he was, in fact, the Colonel and Major's son from that reality.

Lieutenant Jones shook his head with a smile. He had been hearing about all that for the past three hours: precisely how long he had been in the complex. At that moment, he was heading to the briefing room, finally going somewhere interesting.

**Colorado Springs Middle School, Hallway, Before Ninth Period**

With a confident smile, Jesse strolled across the familiar halls with ease. His eyes were locked. Locked on their target: Alyssa. In his reality, he was forced to leave her. Leave her to die or be captured, he didn't know. But he knew that his Alyssa was dead. At least, like with his parents, he could have this Alyssa.

Once he reached her, he leaned up against the unused lockers and said, "Hi." His voice, not as timid and shy as it had been the first time he met her, was warm and welcoming.

"Hi," she responded, a little distracted with putting her books away. She glanced at him and smiled when she saw that it was him; the new boy who had been starring her the entire day.

"Um, I was just wondering…" Jesse began, not knowing what else to say or how to start it. "Would you like to go out… or something?"

"I already have a boyfriend," Alyssa stated with a simple point of her pen behind him. Jesse's smile disappeared as he turned his head to look at another eighth grader. He was about 5'11" and had broad shoulders. His hair was light brown with blonde streaks and spiked up in a style Jesse discovered was very popular in this reality. Rather than seeing his shirt, all he could see was his red basketball jersey worn over top, matching with his blue jeans.

At the moment, he was speaking with his friends, most also wearing jerseys. But- as if on command- he turned the second after Alyssa had pointed him out. He smiled sweetly at her, his green eyes catching hers as she waved at him.

"See?"

Jesse turned back to her, a jealous look on the edge of breaking through his façade. With a shake of her head, Alyssa shut her locker door and brushed past him. Jesse merely watched her go, cringing at how radically different this world really was.

**Outside Colorado Springs Middle School**

Jesse waited patently on the stone steps, hoping his father would get there soon. Over the last hour of school, the last sixty minutes since he found out Alyssa already had a boyfriend, he had made other discoveries as well.

His spot as Captain on the basketball team was taken. And taken by the same guy who had taken Alyssa: Shayn Lyons. After asking around, he gathered that Shayn was the top of the school and one of the most popular kids in the building. He was known and loved by all the teachers and was a straight A student.

Shayn was like his counter part in this reality and it was more than annoying. He wanted his spot back. He wanted to go back to his home. Not the one he was forced to live in. But, of course, he would never vocalize these thoughts. He was truly grateful for what the Colonel and Major had done. He would never put down that. It was just… he wanted his home and his parents and his life back.

Looking up from the dot on the stone, he saw his father's jeep pull up. Straightening, he hopped off of his temporary seat and walked down the steps to his transportation home. His transportation to his new home. The home he wanted nothing to do with but accepted and pretended to enjoy.

"Hey. How was school?" Jack asked once Jesse was in. He shrugged but said nothing about it. "Oh, come on. I know something happened. What?"

Jesse just looked out the window and said, "Nothing. Nothing happened except… I relearned quite a few things I already know."

Jack nodded and knew that he would get little else. It must have been awkward to go to a school filled with people you know when they don't know you. When they don't know who you are and think of you as a new kid while you know them. Not to mention all of the slight discrepancies he must have found. Discrepancies that he had to learn and remember so he did not make a fool of himself.

**Jack's House**

From what Sam and Jack had managed to agree on, Sam would come to eat dinner with the two of them on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursdays would be the days Jesse and Jack went to her house. Also, the two would alternate having Jesse at their houses on the weekends.

Since it was Monday, Sam had come over to Jack's house. It was the first time Jesse had seen her all day and he was thrilled. Though the strange feeling had not gone away when she got near, he was learning to ignore it and was becoming accustom to it.

Sam, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice it at all. She had had many encounters before, not to mention a constant companion, who caused that sickening feeling. One she had needed almost a year to get over.

With a knock on the door, Sam had been let in by her son and led to the dining room where dinner was almost on the table. She had rarely been inside Jack's house, it was something they only did on Wednesdays, if they weren't on a mission, and it rotated houses.

She looked around, remembering the last time she had been there. Their son was so intrigued by everything that he hardly noticed their existence. But now, he noticed. And noticed them both, at that.

"Hey, Major?"

"You can call me Sam if you want," Sam offered, starting to find it strange to hear him saying "Major".

"Alright," he said with a shrug. "Sam," he tried the name, playing with it on his lips and voice. With a smile he said, "Sam. I like that better than Major."

Sam grinned at him. "Me too."

"Ok, hot dinner coming through," Jack announced as he walked through the kitchen door and into the dining room with two steaming plates of spaghetti. "Hi, Carter. How are you?"

"Doing good, sir. Yourself?"

"Just fine," he responded as he went back into the kitchen to get the third plate. A few seconds later, he reentered the room to find them already sitting. "And, Carter, we're off duty. No, 'sir's at my house. Deal?"

Sam first gave him a shy grin at being caught using her habitual name for him. But, after a second of thinking, her grin changed to a slyer one and said, "Only if you don't call me 'Carter' off duty."

Jack mimicked her smile. He was surprised by her sudden proposal but, at the same time, he was interested in seeing what would happen if he did agree. "Deal."

Through the entire exchange, Jesse watched from his safe distance in his own chair. It was interesting how something that had turned into a nickname for the other was something that could so easily separate work from… well, not work. When the discussion finished with a 'deal', Jesse smiled to himself and began to eat his pasta.

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Two questions. How did you like the school part? And what do you think happened to him when he was a kid? R/R and tell me or I'll never know.