(A/N: Thanks for the reviews people, my muse has finally come out of hiding and will be joining me shortly)

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Alternate Reality Five

Jonathan O'Neill, more commonly referred to as "Jack", waited impatiently downstairs for his wife, Samantha, better known as "Sam". They were already running ten minutes late because the baby-sitter hadn't gotten there on time.

Sam rushed down the stairs, Janet Fraiser close behind with one-year-old Danielle S.G. O'Neill balanced on her hip, listening intently to Sam's instructions concerning her daughter, "...she should be tired by seven, but try to make her go to sleep at six, she likes to listen to the Mozart CD before she goes to bed and..."

Jack quickly intercepted his wife at the bottom of the stairs and silenced her with a kiss, "Sammie," he said, pulling back from her, "Janet has done this before, more than once, and she's a trained physician"

"I know, I know," she assured him, turning to where Janet stood on the second step to the bottom of the stairs, she reached out and took her growing girl from her friend's arms so she could kiss her goodbye. Civilians often asked what the middle initials of Danielle's name stood for, but they rarely got an answer except for the shared smile that her parents usually had when the question was asked.

It had been seven years that Samantha Carter and Jack O'Neill had worked on SG-1 as upstanding Air force officers, before finally the Goa'uld had been defeated, thanks to Daniel who had given his life saving the years of research that had been put into building a secret destruction device that would finally erase the threat of Goa'uld once and for all. It was a microscopic explosive mineral that would make all races impervious to becoming hosts for the Goa'uld.

It took a while, but finally it was completely distributed throughout the entire galaxy. Hard to believe, but not impossible when you use a grapevine system: humans who know aliens, who know aliens, who know aliens, who know aliens, etc. at least that's how Jack remembered Sam explaining it to him. Eventually, without any hosts, the Goa'uld became virtually extinct.

So S.G. stood for Stargate, the thing that had meant so much to them for seven years, it was the one thing that they had considered more important than their team, and more important than their need to be together.

But now that the threat was gone, Jack was able to retire, and it seemed like he couldn't propose fast enough. And although Jack hated clichés, he could not think of a better way to honor his deceased friend than by naming their child after him.

Sam still worked with the SGC, and she was now a Colonel. Jack didn't mind though, they didn't need her as much now, and she was allowed to bring Danielle to work with her, which usually meant that he couldn't stay away from the base very long when she was called in. Being stuck in an empty home when his girls were up on the Cheyenne Mountain with a hundred flirtatious Airmen walking around was in no way a satisfying day for him.

So eventually after finding out that Jack was never going to be too far behind Samantha Carter, General Brightman, fondly referred to as the "Newbie", asked him to be a civilian advisor. A job he reluctantly excepted only after realizing that it was a bit inconveniencing to Sam and the people she worked with, that the only thing he was doing while he was they was getting in the way. But this way he'd be able to stay next to Sam and Danielle and have something to do.

Jack waited eagerly while Sam hugged their daughter tightly to her and murmured promises that they would be back soon. It was not that they hadn't left Danielle home alone before, but it was hard for Sam to shake the attitude she had developed over the years while going on missions through the Stargate. That underlying feeling that every time she walked out the door she may never come back.

So she was constantly giving her child extra long goodbyes, in hopes that if the day does come when never returns home, she'll have said everything that she needed to say, and that Danielle will remember she loved her astronomically and without conditions.

For this reason it was hard for Jack to be upset with her when she made them late because she wanted to be sure that their child knew that no matter what happened to them, despite the fact that they were now out of immediate danger and their daughter was not quite old enough to understand anything that was told to her, that they loved her.

Finally she handed Danielle back to Janet and Jack quickly grabbed her hand as they raced for their already running car. Jack pulled out of their drive way and they were off to a diplomatic celebration being held on PN3- something or other. As they got on the road, he stole a glance at his lovely soul mate.

Sam had stubbornly put on dress pants instead of wearing a gown, although Cassandra and Janet had wanted her to, and Jack couldn't help but smile as he remembered she'd threatened to wear her fatigues if they didn't stop begging her.

His thoughts turned to a more frustrating topic when he realized he could not imagine what it would have been like for them if the Goa'uld had not been defeated almost a year ago. He had barely made it to the punch when he proposed to Sam after she began showing serious interest in another man, a cop no less.

Of course now he could not survive without her, but he hadn't known what he was missing back then, now that he did, he could not think to have one on another minute without knowing she was completely committed to him and only him.

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Alternate Reality Six

He hated being General. No, he despised it. No, actually it was worse than a snakehead.

Jack cursed being set behind a desk and not being their for his team. Not being there with her. And he cursed the cell doors he was now stuck behind because Sam had gone and gotten herself kidnapped...again.

Earlier that morning he had felt a wave of worry transpire to cloud his judgment as soon as he'd seen Teal'c and Daniel return through the gate without Carter. He had suppressed his feelings expertly like he had done so easily in the past as he listened to their account of what happened.

Without a second thought he had transferred full command of the base over to Daniel, and Teal'c and him were back through the gate in no time with SG-3, 7, and 12 as back up. Apparently an unknown species of alien had ambushed the three teammates on their mission earlier that morning and taken Cater captive, they were threatening to kill her if the "leader" of their organization did not meet with them.

But it had not taken long before his men were overthrown by this new race, possessing a much higher amount of manpower and weapons than Jack had been able to compensate for, his teams being the only ones he'd managed to get as the others were off world.

As he sat in his prison, waiting for something to happen since he realized that his captors had the upper hand (and Carter) and he would have to wait for them to make another move.

Jack's mind wandered backwards to the day he first laid eyes on Samantha Carter.

Flashback

She was six-years-old and he was thirteen. He had been looking forward to going fishing with his dad all week when just a few days before their trip, an old friend of his father's, Jacob Carter, moved in next door.

Jacob was a soldier in the Air force and needed to be constantly on call to the near by training base, and since his wife had passed away a little ago, there was no one to baby sit Sam while he was gone except Jack's parents.

So while he was helping his father pack up their old truck, a girl with blond pig tails and wide blue eyes walks up the gravel pathway with her dad's old fishing pole dragging on the ground behind her, "Wait for me" she called out, urgently speeding up her pace as fast as she could while still clinging to the end of the fishing rod.

"Who are you?" Jack asked, rolling his eyes at the little girl as she nearly tripped over her own shoelaces trying to reach the vehicle.

His dad came around the truck to see their young visitor and he grinned, "Sammie" his dad said, heading towards her, "Let me help you with that" he took the fishing pole from her hand. "Thank you, Sir," she said politely, giving him a wholehearted salute. Mr. O'Neill laughed and stood up to introduce his son to their new fishing partner.

Jack had begged his dad not to take her with them, "She'll just ruin everything!" he insisted.

His dad raised a hand, "Jack, she's a sweetheart, really, you'll hardly know she's there", Samantha looked up at the teenage boy and grinned, her plump cheeks showcasing a lovely smile, "You know, you're cute" she commented.

"Now how can you say no to that?" his dad asked with a deep chuckle as he started the car.

Jack glared at her and climbed up in the cab next to his father, not even bothering to offer her assistance as she struggled to get up beside him and shut the heavy door, "That's "Sir" to you" he said before the car drove off.

End Flashback

Jack couldn't help but groan inwardly, and bang his head against the concrete wall behind him. He swore he would be physically sick if they did anything to her, and he'd get his revenge, harsh unbelievable revenge.

He sometimes wondered if he'd ever made the right choice joining the Air force. It was the one thing keeping him from Sam, and one thing that had brought them together again. He didn't know weather to hate it or be thankful for his position.

Flashback

Samantha had just turned sixteen the day Jack came home for a month's leave before he would be shipped over seas to God knows where.

Over the years he had come to tolerate her constantly hanging around, not that he'd had a choice in the matter. As she continued to grow up next door to him, up until she was eleven she would always come over to his house and would want him to play "Military" with her. He constantly told her that he didn't have time, but since he was a true lone wolf and had never made any friends at any point in his teenage life, he always ended up playing with her anyway.

She always told him she was going to be the best soldier any commanding officer had ever had, and he would tell her that girls couldn't be in the military, and she would reply, "Maybe girls can't, but I can"

He had to admit after ten years of knowing her, she had accomplished just about whatever she wanted to do. He was twenty-four now and had joined when he was twenty-one, he blamed a lot of that on her and her constant chatter about the military, he figured if nothing else he'd at least get her to stop talking about it. But after only a while spent in training he had learned to love it almost as much as she did.

Sam bounded into his house excitedly before he even had a chance to think after stepping through the door. They were still living next to each other because his dad and mother had suddenly died in a car accident after he turned eighteen, and he inherited the house.

He was nearly bowled over by her as she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him closely, "I'm so proud of you!" she yelled.

He sighed in exasperation, pushing her away and planting his hands firmly on her shoulders to keep her standing still so she didn't harm herself or anything in the house with her bounding enthusiasm, "Sam, do know the meaning of personal space?" he asked in a harsher tone than he meant to.

She frowned, "Of course I do, I was reading the dictionary while you were watching Popeye the Sailor Man before you left, remember?" she said seriously although it was meant to be a joke, instantly having been dispirited by his rough attitude towards her.

He hadn't meant to make her upset. He actually appreciated the fact that she still hung around him incessantly even though she had no reason to anymore. When he allowed himself to think about it, she was all he had left now.

He tried to patch over the slight damage he had caused her good intentions by smiling and drawing her back into his embrace, "Yea" he said, resting his chin on top of her hair, "You're the smart one of the two of us"

They separated so he could see her expression. Her smile slowly returned and she grabbed his hand, dragging him over to the couch and sitting him down, "I can't wait till I'm eighteen" she said, sitting next to him, still holding on to his hand, "I've been studying and there's a place in the Air force for engineering and physics, that's where I want to be. Anyway how was training?"

He looked at her expectant face and knew there was a difference between what it was actually like in the Air force and what she wanted it to be like. Not that Samantha had any delusions as to what was required of a United States officer, or the risks and sacrifices that the job involved seeing as how her dad was an officer himself. It's just that she expected there to be as much reward as there was consequence and hardship, otherwise she would have never been able to fathom what kept soldiers from just quitting.

"It's harder than you think, Sam," he answered after a pause of thought, his eyes turning towards the carpet to avoid her gaze, "And so far I've only seen the tip of the ice burg..."

He trailed off and his eyes took on a contemplative expression that Sam rarely remembered seeing in him before. She got off the couch, thinking about what he had just said, and headed for the kitchen. "Do you want something to eat?" she called from where she now stood at the fridge, "I did some grocery shopping for you and cleaned out your fridge so everything is actually edible" she commented with a hint of sarcasm.

"Funny" he replied, getting up and glancing over her shoulder into his once moldy, containment facility, excuse for a place to keep substances that strongly resembled fourth grade science experiments.

"You know I'm not totally domestically useless, I can do my own shopping" he insisted as she pulled out ingredients for sandwiches and set them on the table to be assembled, ignoring his comment.

They made their food in silence, but all the while Jack's mind was working over time with the aftermath of training and what he may or may not be prepared for when he was shipped out. He was able to come to one conclusion, and before Sam had a chance to take a bite of her lunch, he surprised her with his words by asking, "Sam, would you stay with me this month?"

Sam furrowed her brow, "What do you mean, like spend the night?"

He nodded and felt a bit awkward asking her this, "It's just, I don't really have anyone to spend time with while I'm here, and you're really the only one who's going to see me off or welcome me home. I want to spend as much time with you as I can, because I don't know exactly what might happen to me while I'm gone"

Sam took a while to respond, and at first he thought it would be wise to retract his offer, but then she spoke with a gleeful not in her voice, "Of course I will. And I'm glad you asked because I was afraid I'd have to use the spare key to sneak in here tonight"

He grinned, "Good, you can have my old bedroom...As long as Jacob doesn't mind you staying..." he added almost as an afterthought.

Sam shrugged, "Dad won't mind, he trusts you, especially now that you've joined up. Plus he's gone a lot more now that he's been promoted to Major, I don't think he'll miss me too much"

End Flashback

Jack remembered how it had been living with her for those three weeks, and now realized that he shouldn't have been too worried about how her attitude was towards the Air force. Obviously she had faired well.

He remembered when he hugged her at the bus stop before boarding the vehicle that would take him and the other soldiers from that area to the airport, he thanked her for staying with him and said that he would be back soon.

They had promised to write everyday, and she said she wished she could go with him. And at that moment he was tempted to fulfill that wish, but knew it wasn't going to happen, no matter how much he wanted her to go as well.

Jack had kept his promise and had written to her everyday. For every letter he sent he received at least three back and read them each at different intervals so as not to waist the cherished form of communication. He managed a smile for every envelope he opened, even when things were getting heavy and the death surrounding him was almost too painful to bear.

Until one day he received a letter just a few months before he was allotted to fly home after nearly two years. It told of how Sam's father had gotten transferred, and they were moving out within the week. Her words were tearful as she explained she wouldn't be able to be there when he got home, and they might not even be able to see each other again...ever.

Boy, had that been one hell of a statement, the General thought to himself now with a ghost of a smile on his face.

She had still written to him after he returned home, and she left her new address along with the spare key he had given her taped to the front door. But the contact stopped after she turned nineteen, and he had a suspicion as to why.

Then the biggest shock of their life came ages latter, when they met once more at the SGC.

Flashback

Samantha entered the room with a proud glint in her eyes and the air of confidence. She could not wait to get started on the Stargate project; it was as if her entire career had been leading up to this. And in reality it somewhat had.

She was so eager waiting for the briefing to begin, that the introductions to the other people she'd be working with seemed to insignificantly breeze by, and she hardly caught on to the name Colonel Jack O'Neill as they were all saluted or otherwise shook hands.

In fact it took both of them about half way through the briefing before something finally clicked and they mutually stared at each other in stunned silence until the meeting was over.

Without any consideration to propriety, Jack practically pushed her out of the room and down the hall to a quiet undisturbed area where he could fully take in this unintentional reunion. "Sam?" he asked, a bit unsure of himself.

"Colonel O'Neill" she replied a bit forcefully, making sure that the conversation stayed formal, "It's nice to see you again" she added, allowing just a touch of a smile to enter her expression.

"Yea...it's nice to see you too...Carter" he mumbled reluctantly in response, resisting to urge to pull her into a hug and straightening his posture to remind himself that this was not exactly the place to be acting like long lost buddies with a subordinate officer.

"So you're my CO," she stated a bit self-consciously and her overall change in appearance on attitude was not unrecognized by him. What did he expect? It had been more than a decade since he'd contacted her, much less seen her. And now she was an officer in the Air force.

"I guess so" he responded.

And after that there was no mention of the past friendship they had shared. Nostalgia was not their strong suit. They were just part of a chain of command and nothing more.

End Flashback

Jack knew that in a lot of ways the feelings he had for Carter now were partly due to the relationship that they'd had all those years ago.

In fact, recently he had seriously been considering the fact that if either of them tried anything that was against regulations and completely of their own will, it was really the military's fault for putting his soul mate in the same chain of command.

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(A/N: It's a bit vague and choppy, I know. And yes I know Carter has a brother but I just decided not to put him in this one)