Author's Notes: I know it's been a while since I updated and I sincerely apologize. Time has just run away with me. Alot's been happening. I'm now in my second semester of college! Whee! It just gets harder! Also I suffered some writer's block with this. I didn't know where to take it form where I left off, there were several options. I've also been stuck on where to take the story. There are several possible endings. I'm leaning towards one I think will do it justice but it kinda goes against some things said in the series. You're probably thinking, "it's AU who cares!" That's true but I think I wanted to do Canon up to the second season or third season atleast and then go AU for everything else. The problem with that is that in the first Season they brough in Hathor. You all know Hathor and it was mentioned that she was considered to be the same person as Aphrodite. I want to use Aphrodite so should I just not consider what they said about Hathor? I'm open to suggestions to make the story a pleasurable experince for us all.

Side note: won't let me indent! I hate this new format thingy. So now everything that's inbetween and italics is flashback.

Chapter 3 – Real World

"In my real world, things don't always turn

out so good like you wish they would.

In my real world I'm a little bit messed up

and broke. Don't ya know."

- Big & Rich

(Five Months Later)

Jack's life had become hectic. As soon as he had stepped through the Stargate to the SGC, General Hammond had ordered him to the infirmary for a complete physical by Doctor Fraiser. It had not been his favorite part of returning but after what followed, he would gladly have let the good Doctor examine him to her heart's content. His return had caused a great hubbub at the SGC. It was a sensational story. A top-notch, decorated, honored member of one of the best SG teams had vanished during a mission. There weren't any clues to where he had been taken. It was almost like he had disappeared into thin air. Then suddenly after 10 years, while on a routine mission, an SG team finds him!

As soon as Janet had deemed him in perfect physical health, the questions came. Everyone wanted to know what happened. Where had he been? What had he been through? Was he kidnapped? Was he tortured? Did they get any information out of him? He couldn't answer them though. Everything was haze in his mind. The only thing he remembered clearly was being in the cabin by the lake and having a certain blonde in his arms. The SGC had commissioned a psychologist to talk to him, see if there was anything to be done to help Jake's memory on the events of the past 10 years come to the service. After several failed attempts, it had been decided that the memories were there but whatever they were, Jack wasn't ready to deal with them yet. He already had plenty to deal with.

The worst part of it all was accepting that he had missed 10 years of his life. A whole decade! It seemed like a horrible nightmare but he wasn't sleeping. At least he didn't think he was. He had thought the cabin by the lake had been real. He had through that she had been real but that was the dream. A fantasy of his deepest desires that his mind had conjured up while he was in that tube.

Now five months after first returning to the SGC, he was leaving; for a short time anyway. He needed to get away from the questions. He needed to get away from the experience. He needed to get his personal affairs in order. The matter on his death had been cleared up and now all records showed that he was in fact alive. He'd learned that the government had seized all his personal assets which would now be released back to him now that there was proof he was alive, but his home, his car and any other personal possessions he had owned, had been sold off. As if his situation wasn't bad enough.

There was a small miracle though, Carter had had the foresight…or desperate hope…to see that one day he would come back and that he would need some place to go. He smiled to himself as he waited in the garage for his ride. Good ol' Carter. She's always looking out for me. His smiled turned turn into a frown slowly as it dawned on him much as it had previous times but he kept forgetting and then he would catch himself. Her name wasn't Carter anymore. Her name is Nolan.

It didn't sound right to him. She was Carter. He couldn't imagine her being anything else then Carter.

He remembered when he had first learned about her marriage to this Hal Nolan fellow. It had been a couple hours since he first returned to the SGC. He was laying in one of the infirmary beds, recovering from the complete physical. She walked over to his bedside with a smile on her face. She stood there, trying to find something to say. What do you say to a person you thought was dead? Finally the words "How are you feeling?" came out and it must have sounded as lame to her as it did to him because she had closed her eyes for a moment as though thinking to herself, "God, that was dumb."

He had nodded and assured her that he was feeling fine despite being in the clutches of the doctors and their pointy needles. She had laughed softly but then the silence came again. He didn't like it. They used to be able to talk as friends but now it seemed distant. He then asked her how her life had been, to fill him in on all the ins and outs of the events of the past 10 years. He never expected her to tell him what she did.

Sam let out a sigh. A few blond bangs feel in front of her eyes and she ran her hand through her hair to push it back. "Well there's a lot to tell…" She began to trail off. She was trying to dodge the conversation he could tell that much. It only added to his curiosity. What could have happened that she was reluctant to tell him about?

"Come on, Carter. I'm not going anywhere for a while. I got time to kill. So fill me in." He urged.

She was silent for a moment then reached over to a near by stool and pulled it up to the side of the bed. Once she was situated on the stool began with, "I was promoted to Major."

He nodded, "That's good. Congratulations."

She smiled, a more relaxed, old friend type smile then went into the various missions that team been on during his absence. "I don't take off world missions anymore." This surprised him.

He thought back to the a when he first met Samantha Carter. She had strode into the office full of confidence and given him a crisp salute, stating her rank and name. He had his doubts about letting her being a part of his team. It wasn't anything personal, he'd just rather would have had the boys from the old team. He could trust them, he could depend on them. He knew nothing about Sam Carter except she was some egghead scientist with a military background. Of course he didn't have his way and it was a good thing too.

Carter had proven herself to be vital member of the SGC and their team in particular. The Stargate had become the main thing in her life. Which meant that something had taken it's place. He wondered what could be so important that she would give up her life's work for. He gave her a questioning look that asked for details.

She didn't answer write away. She looked as though she were trying to find the best words. "My priorities have changed." He continued to stare at her. "I'm married, sir…and I have children so the idea of going on possible life threatening missions isn't very appealing."

This had brought the conversation to a halt. It was almost impossible to comprehend. Carter had gotten married! She had given birth to kids? Not just kid, singular but kids, as in more then one!

She had been acting awkward towards him since they returned to the SGC. It probably was uncouth of him to grab her and kiss her like he had. He didn't exactly regret it. He'd been in that tube for who knows how long and he'd been "dreaming" of her while there. Seeing her in real life, being able to touch her and reach out to her.

He should have guessed something was a miss by how she had reacted to his kiss. Her body had become stiff, probably from the shock of what he did. Her lips were still against his. When he had reluctantly let her go, everyone in their group had gone silent, there was a ting of pink in Sam's cheek.

She had every right to feel the way she did and he couldn't blame her for that or be mad at her for not waiting for him or anything. If the roles were reversed, he would have probably done the same. She had made one hell of an effort to find him according to General Hammond so she hadn't just forgotten him like he never existed. She had needed to move on. He could accept that…

HONK!

The loud blare of a car horn interrupted his thoughts and made him jump a little. He turned and saw Sam in the driver's seat of her car, smirking at him, obviously finding it humorous that she had scared the hell out of him. He squared his shoulders and walked over to her, he leaned down on the passenger's side of the car and looked into the window at her, "Going my way?" he asked casually.

Sam reached over and unlocked the passenger side door for him. He pulled the handle to open the door and slide into the seat. Since Sam technically owned the only piece of his property he had left, they had decided that he would be staying with her, and her family for a couple days, then they would take a trip to the cabin and get the old place ready for him. It had always been a dream of his to retire to that place. Now he was going to get his wish.

Sam put the car in drive and they exited the garage and started towards her home. He looked out at the passing scenery. Everything looked pretty much the same since he had last been around her. He looked over to Sam, "So, I've been gone for ten years and there still aren't any flying cars or teleporters or nothing like that?"

She didn't look at him, she kept her eyes on the road but she chuckled at his question and shook her head, "Sorry, sir, No."

"What a jip." He looked back out the window then turned his attention back to her. "You don't have to call me 'sir' anymore. We're citizens right now and if I'm going to be staying at your home, I'd prefer if you just called me Jack."

"Alright, si…Jack." She looked over and offered him and smile then turned her attention to the road. "Oh-I nearly forgot. I got something for you." She came to a stop light and while she waited for it to turn green she reached up and grabbed what looked like small glossy sheets of paper from his point of view.

As it turned out, they were several photographs. She handed them over to him and said, "Sorry I didn't bring you any sooner but then your life's been pretty hectic lately."

He nodded and looked down at the pictures that she had handed to him. Several of the pictures were of her two sons. One had the blonde hair of his mother, the other had black hair, similar to the man that was featured in a few of the photos. The boys' father no doubt.

Sam glanced over to him and reached over to tap a picture of the blonde haired boy, "That's Aaron," She moved her finger over to the dark haired boy, "and that's Michael."

"Are they are little geniuses like their mother?" He asked and shot her a grin.

She considered this, "Yes…but I fear they use their mental powers for evil."

"Ah…trouble makers eh?"

She shrugs, "No more then other children." After several more miles of driving, She pulled into the driveway of a modest two storied home and out the car in park. She leaned back against the driver's seat for several minutes before looking at him and asking, "Ready to go in?"

To be continued...

To answer some of the reviews so far: Yes pain in the Mikta, this is my first SG1 fiction and I'm glad you like it. Gater101, the Jake was a typo, they'll pop up occasionally. Sorry for the confusion. And Zhaan, I did acutally think about that while I was writing it. Personally I used major becasue that's what I was comfortable with and since it's AU she could have been Captain for a while then promoted to Major and then that's it. Cause remeber one of the episodes that had the mirrors that take you to another Alternate universe and it showed Carter in one and she waved to Daniel but he knew it wasn't the right Universe because she was still Captain? It can be like that. I know Carter is the type of Officer that will most likely get promotions and maybe in my next story I'll promote her but for this she's still Major. Hope that doesn't make you stop reading. Thanks everyone for the reviews!