Laira smiled as she gathered Jack's clothes. Who would have believed that she, a lonely widow with a grown son, would be granted a second chance at happiness? It was unfortunate that her good luck had come at such a great price, but, as the saying went, 'from every flood that covers the fields, a new crop arises'. Every day Laira thanked the Ancestors for the gift of Jack O'Neill.
She looked around the room, vaguely sensing that she had overlooked something. Oh well, she thought, if it's important, it will come to me later. She quickly made her way to the lakeside, threw the clothes into the water and returned home to her new husband.
Meanwhile, the radio lay forgotten in a dark corner; if anyone had been listening they would have heard Sam's voice announcing "ten seconds until shut down". Unfortunately for Teal'c, no one heard the transmission.
One thousand days later:
Jack surveyed his surroundings with pride, taking in the whitewashed houses, green fields and sparkling blue lake. It had been a long three years, years full of hard work, but the results had been worth it. He now had a fine home, thriving crops and above all, a loving wife and two wonderful children. Sure, there were times when he missed his friends, and, he had to admit, it would be nice to have modern conveniences, but overall, he was satisfied with his life.
Hearing a strange noise, Jack looked up. Hovering above him was a small spaceship. The ship promptly landed; a door opened; much to Jack's relief, Daniel Jackson stepped out, followed by Samantha Carter, Jacob Carter and several others whom Jack didn't't recognize.
Daniel approached him cautiously. "Uh, Jack?" he said uncertainly.
"Well it's about time you got here!" Jack said, breaking into a grin. He grabbed Daniel and gave him a rib-crushing hug. Releasing Daniel, he turned to the Jacob Carter and said, "Jacob, it's good to see you."
Jacob responded with a heartfelt, "How are you Jack? You look pretty considering."
Jack smiled. "Just peachy," he said.
Sam cleared her throat. Jack, feeling a little guilty for ignoring her, said, "Major, I'm glad to see you too." Sam relaxed slightly.
Meanwhile, the entire village gathered about the spaceship. The other members of Jacob's party turned out to be displaced Edorans who had joined his crew, hoping to see their home once again.
Laira ran up to Jack, she carried little Daniel, while Mary, who had never seen a stranger, stopped several feet. Jack, eager to show off his family, proudly introduced his children. "This is Daniel, named after you," he said, taking the baby from Laira. "He was born about six months ago. Here Daniel, hold your namesake," Jack said, plopping the baby into Daniel's arms. Daniel stood stock still, afraid the baby would either start howling or emit an unpleasant bodily fluid. Jack snickered at the sight.
Jack then knelt down and said to his frightened daughter, "Don't worry, honey, these folks are friends of mine."
The little girl smiled shyly at the assembled group, instantly melting the hearts of the men. Sam made a sniffing sound. Smiling stiffly, she said "Congratulations, sir." Jacob gave her a sharp look. Daniel continued to hold the baby, an expression of utter terror on his face until Laira took pity on him and retrieved the infant.
Meanwhile, the villagers were overjoyed at being reunited with their loved ones. "Tonight we will celebrate," Paymin cried happily.
Later that night, after the celebrations ended, and Laira had put the children to bed, Jack, Daniel, Jacob and Sam took seats at the rough hewn table, their faces illuminated by the flickering light from the oil lamps. Sam glanced around the room, her expression revealing her distaste at the simple furniture and utensils.
Noting her reaction, Jack felt a stab of annoyance. Pushing his irritation aside, he asked, "Okay, what happened to Teal'c? Please tell me he's all right."
For a moment, no one spoke. Finally, Daniel sighed. "I'm assuming he didn't make it," he said.
"Make it?" Jack said. "Whadya mean 'make it'?"
Daniel put his hand on Jack's arm. "I don't know how to tell you this Jack, so I'll just come right out and say it. About three months after you were marooned we tried to rescue you. We blasted through the iris with a device Sam invented, and Teal'c went through the wormhole to dig the rest of the way through. I guess his air supply ran out before he could break through to the surface," Daniel said sadly.
Jack was silent for several minutes. Speaking at last, he said, "Let me get this straight. You used your laser thingy to blast part way through the rock covering the gate, then sent Teal'c in to dig his way through the rest, knowing he couldn't get back and his air supply was limited? Whose bright idea was that?"
Sam looked wounded. Speaking almost inaudibly, she said, "Mine, sir. I came up with the plan."
"For crying out loud! That was a stupid idea," Jack said angrily. "I can't believe you sacrificed Teal'c's life for nothing. You knew the Tokra would get here eventually. Why couldn't you wait?"
"Hold it Jack," Jacob said. "I'm sure Sam had a good reason." He waited expectantly.
Jack stared at Sam. Unable to meet his eyes, she looked at the floor. "Well, I'm waiting to hear it, Major," Jack said. Sam said nothing.
"Major," Jack said, his voice harsh with anger.
"I, I wanted to save you sir," Sam said quietly.
"Save me! Carter, you knew the meteor scored a direct hit on the gate. You should have realized that by three months later I was dead or surviving all right. Either way, there was nothing urgent about the situation. Certainly, there was nothing that justified playing games with Teal'c's life," Jack snapped.
Sam looked down at the floor. Daniel, embarrassed for his friend, started to speak, then changed his mind.
Jacob looked grave. "Sam, you're my daughter, and I love you, but Colonel O'Neill is right, you made a very bad decision and it's not the first time. Time and time again, you've shown poor judgment and I'm through covering for you. When we return, I'll be forced to recommend you for court-martial." Sam gasped.
Jack took the opportunity to add: "Jacob, tell George that I'm staying here with my family."
The End.