Two days.

Two days and Thessa still had her perfect and normal life back where Jack and Sam were married and she was about to graduate college. As though nothing had happened—she returned to school and went to class as though her life had never been interrupted.

But no matter how much she tried to fight against it—she couldn't forget her father. Seeing and meeting her father was a dream come true but now it only served as a daily reminder that her life was incomplete and the hollow place in her heart ached every morning she woke to her perfect world without her father.

She held it in side until that weekend at Sunday dinner at the house.

Jack was outside working the grill and Thessa took the chance to ask the hardest question she'd ever have to ask Sam.

"Would you change anything?" Thessa asked, as she leaned against the kitchen counter as she raised the brim of her coffee cup to cover her trembling bottom lip.

"What do you mean?" Sam had been stirring something on the stove and her arm stopped moving as soon as Thessa spoke. She didn't turn around yet, this was going somewhere and she was going to wait for it.

"If you could…ya know—change something you'd done in the past."

"Like…"

"Letting your hair grow out…teaching at the academy…marrying Pete—" She downed the rest of her coffee and Sam slowly turned around.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Would you?"

"Are you trying to ask me if I would have married Pete if he hadn't died?" Wiping her hands on a dishtowel Sam tried to rationalize this conversation.

"Just a question…"

Sam knew better. Reaching out she pulled Thessa's coffee cup down and set it on the counter. "Talk little bird." With a single glare, Thessa melted.

"We were discussing the time…para…dox thing in class the other day—"

"Wait—you were having a discussion about time paradox?" This was unheard of and Sam knew something was really up.

"Yes—in college where intelligent young people are broadening their minds—we discuss time paradoxes. And my question was—if you should go back in time to fix something how do you know that by changing that one event you won't change everything else and screw it all up?"

Sam was floored, she had always tried to get Thessa interested in science but she had only gotten as her as far as Jack's telescope. "Well…I guess…" The back door creaked open as Jack walked in with a plate full of hamburgers and hot dogs. "Faith." Laying a soft kiss on top of Thessa's head, Sam took the beer off the counter behind her, intercepted Jack and traded the plate for the beer. "Trade ya."

A kiss on the cheek was her thanks as Jack took a swig off his beer and returned to the back porch to clean up the grill.

"Seriously—where's all this coming from?" Sam asked as she sat the plate on the table.

"After Pete died—you didn't speak to Jack for what, almost six years?"

"Yeah—give or take. Thessa—what is all this about?" Sam could feel the build up coming; all of this was leading to something.

"What if you got with Jack before that?"

"Huh?" Sam asked turning around the stove

"The six years you didn't speak…what if…you got together before that?"

"Thessa—"

"Humor me? Please?"

With a deep sigh, Sam took Thessa by the hand and leaned against the counter beside her. "When Pete died—I blamed Jack, I shouldn't have but it took me a while to get over what happened. I felt guilty that Pete died because Jack was trying to save me—doing it over…knowing what I know, I might have spoken to him sooner—"

"What if Pete never died?"

This was hard for Sam—even now, all these years later admitting her past was hard to do. "Hmm, well—there's something I'm glad I didn't have to think about."

"What?" Thessa asked looking up as tears began to well up in Sam's eyes.

"I was engaged before I came to the SGC—did I ever tell you that?"

"No."

"His name was Jonas—no not the alien—a different one. I thought he was what I wanted and there was something about him—he needed me. But when it came down to it, I gave him the ring back. He showed up at the SGC a few months later and was given command of a team. Shortly after that he was off world and—lost it. The effects of the planet drive him insane and he was killed. He was one in a long line of men that hurt me—in one way or another, every time I let my guard down something happened and I got hurt again. When I met Jack—then…he was Colonel O'Neill. And I—I can't remember a time when I didn't love him. It was always there but so was the military and our ranks. There were times when I thought I knew for certain that he felt for me what I felt for him—but as the years passed, I got older…and Pete came into the picture. I thought that he would say something or do something…but—he didn't. And I hated him for it. A part of me wanted to leave Pete on the hope that one-day…and it happened. Jack retired and Pete was killed—and there he was after the funeral, standing there in the rain looking at me like…I don't know—but I…I was relieved—as sick as it made me feel I was relieved that now—finally, there was nothing keeping us apart. And that tore me apart."

"But—"

"I wouldn't have married him Thessa—Pete, I don't think I could have gone through with it…" As she spoke the back door opened and Jack walked in once again.

"Alright! Let's eat!" Jack announced as he walked into the kitchen and tossed the grill grate in the sink to soak. Turning around to the girls he saw the tears welling up in Sam's eyes and the look on Thessa's face. "Did I miss something?" He asked, whipping his hands on his jeans.

"Oh no—we're fine…just talking girl talk." Sam said feigning a smile.

"Well, good—case you aren't supposed to do that anymore." He said pointing to her eyes as he leaned in, hugged her and kissed her neck. "Come on—foooooood."

He walked away into the dining room and began to build his hamburger.

Thessa couldn't help but laugh as she watched Jack.

"How can you not love that?" Sam laughed as Jack began to dance in place.

"Come on you two! These burgers are famous in five countries!"

Thessa watched as Sam walked over and picked up a plate next to Jack—they were happy, how could she risk changing this life they had built for some silly notion that she could save her father and keep her life as it was.

As Jack reached over and poked Sam in the side—she made her decision. It was worth it—it was worth it all and she was going to save her father.

That night, Thessa waited until Jack and Sam had gone to bed and climbed up to the roof.

The sky was clear of clouds and the stars shown like diamonds as Thessa looked out across the sky wondered which one of the stars was hers.

Knowing what she had to do and actually doing it were two different things—this she knew. Thessa had unknowingly used her abilities as a child but now she needed to use them—but she didn't know how.

Still gazing toward the sky Thessa spoke to the forces that had given her such a life.

"I don't know how to do this. I'm going to need your help—please…help me do this right." Raising her arms out at her sides Thessa stood on the railing on top of the house and looked down.

All the times she had ever used her abilities there was only one constant—she was escaping danger.

Still looking toward the sky, Thessa leaned forward and with one final breath--took a swan dive off the roof.

She hit the hard stainless steel wall of the elevator with a crash that left a dent in the wall and nearly knocked her out.

Immediately, Thessa stood and shook it off. Her surroundings confused her a moment and then she recognized the elevator—the SGC elevator.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open slowly. Hesitantly, Thessa poked her head out of the elevator and looked down both ends of the hall. She stood in between the doors and looked out farther as the doors of the elevator closed on her.

Pushing at the door, she managed to get the apart but tripped out into the hallway when her foot got caught in the doors.

"Oh—fer cryin out—" The pair of boots standing near her head made her freeze in her tracks.

Looking up slowly, Thessa smiled as she saw the raised eyebrow of one Mr. Teal'c.

"Thessalie, have you lost your way?" He asked bending over to hold out his hand to her.

"Oh…just uh—looking for Daniel's office, it's uh—down this hall right?" Taking his hand, Thessa stood and began back stepping down the hall.

"It is." With the nod of his head Thessa turned and walked away.

Thessa all but ran to Daniel's office—and came to a screeching halt outside the door.

WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO SAY!?

She tried to force herself to walk into the office but crashed against the wall with her forehead as she tried to calm herself down. "Okay, it's not hard—just go in there and…talk to your self—it's easy!" She pushed away from the wall and walked into Daniel's office—and there she stood, looking at the artifacts and logbooks on the shelves.

"Hi there—" The girl said.

"Uhm, hello." Thessa said as her voice cracked.

The young girl spun around and all color drained from her face as she saw herself looking back at her.

"YEAH! I know—it's weird…" Thessa said as she walked over and took the girl by her shoulders. "Listen, I'm not going to hurt you—but there's something we have to do."

The girl pushed away from Thessa and stood back. "What the hell—who are you?"

"Oh please—don't act like this, I know you were just thinking of a way to get through all of this and keep Daniel—well, here is your answer."

"WHAT?!"

"Look—no time to explain, but I know how we can do this without Daniel having to die…just trust me."

"Trust you!?"

"Oh, come on! It's not that hard—I'm you!"

"Ok—" The girl walked in a small circle and took several deep breaths before trying to speak again. "The last few days have been kinda wonky…" Turning around to look at Thessa, the girl suddenly realized what was going on. "Uh—oh god—are you telling me that you are—"

"Yep."

"And you…"

"Uh huh."

"Oh god…tell me you didn't come back from…"

"Yeah I did actually…"

"OH god! THESSA! What are you thinking!?"

"I was thinking about saving our Dad—but if you aren't up to it."

"UP to it?"

"Look—I know what happened when Daniel went to get us, and I know how to stop it."

"How do you know— oh god…what have you done!?" The girl was becoming hysterical now.

Thessa took her by the shoulders again and shook her slightly. "Oh shut up! Look-- I have a way to save him!"

Calming down now the girl was a bit more rational. "Are you sure you should be doing this?"

"Thessalie—imagine…growing up WITH YOUR FATHER! Having him in your life. Isn't that what you—what we have always wanted."

She recognized the look in the eyes that were staring back at her own. "So we're going to…"

Thessa loosened her grip on the girl and smiled big. "Save Dad."