Title: Remember Me
Written By: iluvaqt
Disclaimer: as per default chapter.

Chapter 7

The Embarkation Room, S.G.A.

After hearing what General O'Neill had to say, Freya agreed to see Sam. It took her over an hour to arrive, and just before Jack got impatient enough to ask what the hold up was, the Gate was activated and Freya stepped through.

"I must say, Colonel that it is a surprise that you requested my help…" Freya started.

"It's General actually, and I asked because I know it's possible," Jack interjected.

"Very well," Freya replied. She bowed her head and Anise surfaced. "General O'Neill, the Tok'ra have had the ability to remove symbiotes from a host body for quite sometime. However, after our last encounter, General Hammond forbid us to use alien technology on the Tau'ri.

"After today, we'll revise that statement, Anise. We appreciate your assistance in helping Dr. Carter."

With a nod, Anise allowed the Generals to lead her to the Infirmary.


Infirmary

Jack found himself back in bed again, propped up by pillows. The short trip out of the Infirmary had taken its toll on him. Dr. Lewis said he'd come back from the mission with three cracked ribs, a concussion, a staff weapon burn and a dozen or so trophy-size bruises. She had also said that he should be counting his luck that he didn't have severe internal bleeding.

He had chuckled at his predicament and quickly stopped short. It hurt to laugh. Only a few hours ago, he'd been complaining about how he missed getting out in the field. Getting beaten and shot, he didn't miss. Although, the rush was still there, and that was something. His eyelids felt heavy, and he fought to stay awake. He had to know that Sam was okay.

As they wheeled Sam back into the infirmary, General Hammond and Anise, stopped at the end of his bed.

"She is resting now. We will take the Goa'uld back with us, and allow it to choose its desired location." With a nod at Jack, she said, "It's good to see you again, General."

Jack watched her leave the Infirmary. When she was gone, General Hammond turned to him. "I'm glad you're here, son. I don't think I could have lived with myself, if we'd lost her."

General Hammond gave him an approving smile, and then went to speak with Dr. Lewis. Finally feeling assured enough that everything was going to be okay, Jack fell asleep.


In the Infirmary

Later that night, Sam tossed and turned in a fitful sleep.

"No, it's not him. You're hallucinating again. He's gone, face it." Tears rolled down her cheeks and her voice wavered, as she sobbed. "He's gone and he's never coming back."

Dr. Lewis hurried to Dr. Carter's bedside and glanced at the monitor next to the bed. Sam's heart rate was up and she was deeply distressed.

"Dr. Carter? Sam, it's okay, you're dreaming. Sam?" Dr. Lewis shook her gently.

"Natalie?" Sam whispered, waking up.

"You're going to be fine. General O'Neill was able to…" At Sam's wide-eyed look, Dr. Lewis paused. She'd put her foot right in it. Colonel Kawalsky had even cautioned her to refrain from mentioning O'Neill's name.

"It wasn't a dream. He's here?" Sam asked almost hopefully.

"He appeared yesterday. Colonel Kawalsky tried to explain something about Einstein's theory on…"

"Quantum physics," Sam finished for her. "He's not staying is he? What made him come back?"

"I'm not sure how it happened," Jack said, making his presence known. He'd watched from the darkness of his corner of the infirmary, and decided it was time enough to stop eavesdropping. Jack gave Sam an apologetic look. "I never meant for this to bring back memories of what you've lost. I just knew I couldn't stand by and let them take you. I couldn't let that happen."

To Dr. Lewis, he asked, "Could you give us a minute?"

Turning back to Sam, Dr. Lewis patted her hand. "Just page me if you need anything." With that said, she left the room.

Jack lifted the sheets and managed to get himself into the wheelchair. Putting the IV bag on the hook on one end of the chair, he wheeled over to her. Resting his arm on the bed next to Sam's, he looked into her eyes.

"We shared such a brief moment of our lives together. This world, this reality, is very different to mine. A lot of my good friends don't even exist in this world. But you said something a few years back, and it's been bugging me ever since. You said you wished… and I cut you off. I knew what you were going to say and I didn't want to hear it because it's how I felt too."

Tears filled Sam's eyes. When Jack touched her hand, she thought she'd start choking all over again.

"I let you think I didn't feel that way about her. You were wrong. I couldn't let anything happen to you, any more than I could her. I don't understand this whole alternate realities thing. I probably never will. All I know is, you look like her, you act like her, and damn it, I'd be lying if I said that it doesn't tear me up just thinking…"

Sam touched his hand. "Please don't talk. I just…" she swallowed back tears. "I just want to pretend. Even if it's just for a little while."

Jack nodded, understanding. He took her hand and squeezed it. "You're safe now, and you're gonna be just fine."

Sam squeezed his hand back and relaxed. She soon fell asleep. For a long time, Jack watched her face. It pained him to look at the patch on her shoulder. She'd taken that hit for him. When she'd lay there, not moving and so pale, time seemed to freeze around him. It wasn't until Daniel had started saying something to him that he came out of it.

Fatigue set in again and his eyelids slid closed. He slumped in the wheelchair and fell asleep. He didn't wake up again until he heard sobbing sounds.

"Mommy, wake up," a soft voice said.

Opening his eyes, Jack stretched and shifted a little to ease out the kink in his neck. He saw a blonde head leaning against Sam chest. And when her saw her face, her watery blue eyes fixed on him.

Her bottom lip was quivering and her eyes were red from crying. She was dressed in white flannelette pyjamas covered in purple stars. Her blonde hair was a riot of tangled curls and her cheeks were splotchy pink. She looked so distraught and helpless.

Jack felt his throat tighten again. He wanted to comfort her but he couldn't find his voice. Swallowing thickly, he held out his hands. "Come here," he whispered.

Hesitantly, she crawled over Sam's legs and went to him. Jack felt her melt and sag into his arms. After a moment, she stopped crying, but her small frame shuddered with the occasional hiccup. Quietly, he rocked her and stroked her hair.

"Your mom was hurt, so she needs to rest. She's just sleeping. She'll be awake in the morning, I promise," Jack said, comforting her.

Katie looked up at him. She reached out and touched his cheek. She seemed fascinated by him. He wondered why she felt so comfortable with him. Wasn't he a stranger to her?

"Please don't go, Daddy," she pleaded.

A noise outside saved him from having to respond. Heard hurried footsteps outside the door and then voices.

"I put her down hours ago, I just when to check on her and she's gone. She has to be on the base somewhere, Daniel. We have to find her."

Guessing Sarah must be referring to Katie, he thought he'd put the woman's fears to rest. Unlocking the breaks, he wheeled to the door. He called out to Daniel who was just about to disappear around the corner.

"Are you looking for this little munch'kin?" Jack asked, referring to Katie who was curled in his lap.

Daniel frowned and hurried back toward them. He lent down and collected, Katie from Jack's arms. "You shouldn't disappear like that. You had us worried," Daniel said to the girl.

"Hey, easy on her. She just wanted to be with Sam."

Daniel gave him a hard look. "You're not supposed to be here, Jack."

Without so much as a thanks for caring. Daniel stalked off down the corridor without a backward glance. Over his shoulder, Katie stared back at him with sad eyes.

He felt a painful stab of jealousy in his heart. So Daniel thought of her as his? Kawalsky said that he was overly protective of Sam. He could tell when he wasn't wanted. Wheeling away from the Infirmary, he went in search of A3 quarters.


Room 18A3-46

For a long time, Jack sat on the bed, staring at the wall opposite. What was he doing here? Was he going to be stuck here forever? Part of him wondered just how bad that fate was. He would have an instant family. He hardly knew the kid, but already he knew he could love her. How can you think about staying? What about your promise to Teal'c? What about the S.G.C.? You've got responsibilities, Jack, you can't just toss them aside…

Suddenly, he felt like he'd been slammed in the gut, with all the wind knocked out of him. His brain felt like it was pulsing against his skull, and he gritted his teeth to keep from crying out. The pain stopped just as suddenly as it started and Daniel was standing next to him.

"Wait a minute. You don't look the same…Oh don't tell me, you're here too now?" Jack asked in disbelief. It didn't work like that did it? Then, he still couldn't figure out how it had happened to him.

"Ah, I don't know what you mean, Jack. You sure you're okay? Maybe you should get, Doctor Frasier to check you out…" Daniel started, with a look of concern on his face.

"How can I? She…" Jack stopped himself. He didn't want to remember again. He couldn't bring himself to say it. Instead, he put head in his hands.

Daniel sat down beside him. He didn't say anything. He just sat quietly. It was almost as though he read Jack's pain and frustration and was showing his support.

"Why did this all happen in the first place?" Jack wondered aloud. "How could this be what I want?"

Daniel gave him a thoughtful look and then shrugged. "We all want, what we want, Jack. If we deny ourselves the one thing we want the most, it's sure to drive us crazy. Maybe, you should stop thinking about what everyone else expects from you and find what it is, you really want for yourself."

Jack thought about this for a moment. Maybe Daniel was right. Maybe he was so concerned with everyone else; S.G.C., their alliances, the U.S. government, the general public, SG-1, Sam…somewhere along the way he'd gotten left behind. His life was rolling right by him and he didn't even have any idea where he belonged anymore.

"Everything you wanted, Jack. It's right here," Daniel said quietly.

Sighing and resting his head back against the wall, Jack closed his eyes. "I wish it was that simple."

Images flashed in his mind. They weren't his memories. He knew that because they were all filled with Carter and they had nothing to do with missions for the S.G.C.; their wedding, the honeymoon, weeks spent in his cabin by the lake, his first motorcycle ride, watching Sam get shot protecting him…

Bolting upright, Jack woke up, his heart pounding in his chest and his breathing coming in ragged gasps. That guard shot at him the second the force-shield came down. Sam must have still had control over Sekhmet, because she had pushed him out of the way. The blast had hit her instead. He still remembered how it felt seeing the blood spilling from her wound and soaking her beautiful gown. The deep crimson blood against her pale skin had sent him into a blinding rage. If Daniel hadn't gotten through to him, he would have gone for the guard, and gotten himself killed in the process.

What a minute, he thought. He was in bed…how? He wasn't on the base. He was in his own bed. Running his fingers through his hair, he glanced around the room. Everything looked exactly as it should. This was his apartment. Regulating his breathing, he felt his heart rate slow. Falling back against the pillows, he let out a shaky sigh of relief. It was all just a dream. One incredibly strange vivid dream, he had to admit, but only a dream.

The phone rang, and Jack reached for the handset. Shooting a look at the clock, it read 3 a.m. Who was calling at such an ungodly hour?

"Jack," he answered.

"I'm sorry. I had to call. Couldn't sleep," a soft female voice apologised.

It was Sam, he'd recognise her voice in a drug-induced coma. She was calling him? Telling him she couldn't sleep no less. Oh for crying out loud. He was awake, wasn't he? He pinched himself hard.

"Ow!" Okay, so he was awake.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked worriedly.

"Nothing, cramp," Jack lied.

"Oh."

There was a pause, he could hear her breathing on the other side and it made him tingle from head to toe. This was crazy. He was going crazy. Say something. Something smart. Something witty. Anything. Think, and not with the brain that only thinks horizontally. Cringing, Jack slapped a hand to his forehead. He was getting hot. Cold shower.

"Jack, are you sure you're okay? Did I wake you? Okay, stupid question. It's 3 in the morning of course I woke you. I should let you go back to sleep…"

Jack struggled to think straight. This wasn't Carter. He couldn't remember a single instance when Carter had called him, Jack. Well other then when she had the Goa'uld in her head and well, that he'd rather not remember. It was no surprise he had a case of brain freeze, he really was only thinking about one thing. How sexy she sounded on the phone.

"It's just…I've been awake for hours and I can't stop thinking about you. On second thought, I'm going to head over. Is that okay?"

"Ah…" Part of him was screaming, 'sure thing'. The other half was screaming, what the heck is going on here? "…yeah."

"See you in a bit."

For a long time after, Jack just stared at the phone, his brain on the verge of meltdown. It didn't take him too long to get over it though. The moment he saw Sam standing in the doorway, he didn't care too much about where he was or how he'd gotten there.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck kissing him thoroughly. Her blonde hair was loose about her shoulders and still had the kinks from being in a braid all day. Her blue eyes held a hint of mischief. "Miss me?"

Jack felt as though he'd swallowed his tongue. He couldn't reply. Watching her look at him with those eyes almost made him forget, the inkling of concern that had been wracking his brain the whole fifteen minutes it had taken for her to arrive. If he was stuck here, what was happening in his reality?

He hadn't wanted it to happen, but it did. He felt as though he'd taken advantage of her. Despite his inner turmoil, he couldn't dampen her affections and advances. They made love and afterward, Sam had nestled into his arms. Neither of them said anything, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Jack ran his hand over her shoulder and down her arm. For years he'd imagined her skin beneath his hand. Waking up to feel her half-naked next to him had almost been enough to make him in crave a cold shower, despite being trapped in a glacier. For months after, she had plagued his dreams at night, taunting him, tempting him. He'd wake up in a cold sweat, panting like he'd just run a marathon.

Every day, he distanced himself, hiding behind his job and their regulations. But at night, he surrendered everything to her in his dreams.

"Tell me about Katie," he whispered into her hair.

Sam shifted in his arms so she could see his face. Lifting her hand, she traced a finger down his jaw. "I didn't even know I was pregnant, until a few weeks after the Goa'uld threat had passed," she answered softly.

Jack moved his arm and encircled her waist. Sam put her arm over his, and interlaced their fingers.

"I was happy, sad, and afraid all at the same time. I didn't know the first thing about raising a child, and I was facing that alone. It terrified me. It wasn't until I almost miscarried that I realized how desperately, I wanted Katie. When she was born, for a long time I couldn't stop crying. Every time I looked at her, I thought of you…" she said, her voice breaking.

Jack leaned down and kissed her cheek. Squeezing her hand, he whispered in her ear, "I can't imagine what it was like for you, but you've done a fantastic job. She's a gorgeous kid."

Nodding, Sam turned in his embrace and warped her arms around his shoulders. Snuggling into his chest, she rested her head beneath his chin.

"I miss you so much."