"Obviously they do not know I am here. I was lucky enough to be able to access our Stargate. If I am caught returning to my planet I will be considered a traitor," Jonas said quietly as he stood in the observation room above the isolation room.

"What do you want?" General Hammond asked.

Jonas paused considering his words carefully. "I do not believe my people will ever truly support a war that leads to any kind of mass destruction. Our leaders just don't see any viable alternative right now. Promise me, if you're able to develop defense technologies such as these shields that you spoke of, you'll share them with my Government."

"Of course," Hammond agreed just before the klaxon began to blare.

Through the PA they heard Sgt. Davis report, "Unauthorized incoming wormhole."

"Wait here," Daniel ordered Jonas as he and the general sprinted out the door towards the control room.

"Receiving Tok'ra IDC, sir" Davis reported as the two men entered the room.

"All defense teams on high alert," the general ordered as he came to stand behind the technician to watch the guards enter the room.

"High alert. Repeat high alert," Davis ordered into the PA.

As the guards took up their customary positions in front of the Stargate, General Hammond ordered, "Open the iris." Moments later Jacob Carter landed on the ramp with thud. "Stand down," Hammond ordered as he and Daniel made their way down to the Gate room to meet the Tok'ra. As Jacob walked down the ramp towards his friends, Hammond said, "Sorry about that Jacob. Given what's happening with the Tok'ra lately we had to be sure it was you."

"Understood. What's going on?" he asked curiously.

"It's Jack," Daniel said. Jacob and Hammond followed quickly behind Daniel as he lead the way out of the room. The two SGC men detailing what had happened to Colonel O'Neill as they led Jacob towards the infirmary.

"Hey Sam. I'm so sorry," Jacob said quietly as he came to stand next to her at Jack's bedside. Jacob knew perhaps better than Daniel and Hammond just what his daughter and O'Neill felt for one another as Anise had felt it was her duty to inform him of what had transpired during the za'tarc testing.

"I tried this. It didn't work," Sam told her father with a slight hitch in her voice holding the healing device out towards him.

Jacob took the device from her as he said, "We'll do our best." He gave her shoulder a slight squeeze then activated the healing device. When he spoke next it was with the resonate quality of his symbiote, Selmak. "His condition is grave. I do not know if I can save him. Even if I can, I do not believe I can restore his full healthy state," he admitted as he allowed the glowing jewel to darken.

"Do what you can," Sam asked.

Jacob nodded before turning back towards the still figure on the bed and activating the healing device again.

Jack felt himself drift away from his body and once more found himself standing with Oma Desala in the Gate room. Jack felt his breath catch as he watched Oma walk up the ramp towards the active Stargate. "You're leaving. You can't leave," he demanded.

Oma replied, "The rest is up to you."

"Why, why me? Why...why give me this chance?" Jack asked.

"Anyone can reach enlightenment. Anyone prepared to open their mind as you have done these past years," she told him.

He started to protest, but then really thought about the changes in himself these last years. On that first mission through the Stargate he'd been willing to die to destroy the population of an entire planet. He'd still been willing to die, but this time it was to save the population of an entire planet. On Abydos he'd welcomed death like a friend. Now he'd do anything to avoid this fate. "They're trying to save me," Jack said. "They're healing me, I can feel it."

"Then your journey will continue as before," Oma said.

"What if I don't want it to? Not that way," Jack said. "I heard what Jacob said. They can't really heal me. Just delay my death. I don't want to live that way."

"Walking the Great Path brings great responsibility. You cannot fear it nor hesitate in your resolve," she warned him.

"I understand. I'm ready to go with you," Jack said. "But there's one thing I need before I go."

Oma smiled at him gently in understanding before nodding.

"How?" Jack asked.

Jack turned and found himself in the infirmary watching Jacob attempt to heal him. Jack hesitantly reached out and touched Sam on her shoulder bringing her to him in the Gate room with Oma.

"Colonel?" she asked whirling around to face him.

"Yeah," he said stepping close to her.

"How?" she stuttered unknowingly repeating his own question to Oma moments before.

Jack gestured to the woman standing on the ramp as the Stargate activated once more. "You remember Oma?"

"Sure," she replied vaguely.

"I'm going with Oma. I need you to tell Jacob to stop, Carter" Jack asked quietly.

"Colonel...Jack," she begged him. "Please..."

"It's gotta be this way, Sam" Jack said taking her into his arms. "I think I can do more this way. It's what I want, but I have to go now. Everything's gonna be fine. It doesn't have to be forever. Right Oma?"

"The future is never set," she confirmed with a small mysterious smile.

"God," Sam sobbed as she wrapped her own arms around his waist.

"Tell Dad to stop," Jack asked again.

"You're just giving up," Sam accused him angrily.

"No," Jack denied. "No, I'm not giving up. Believe me. Sam, I heard what Jacob said. He can't heal me. He can only prolong the dying. I've had training with nukes. Janet didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. Even if he can keep me from dying today, I'd develop some form of cancer within a few months. Instead of a day it would maybe take a couple years for cancer to take me."

"Jack..." Sam moaned.

"I want more than just a year or so of dying, Sam" Jack said. "We'll have to wait a while longer. Maybe a lot longer, but eventually we'll be together. I want to be with you for a very long time."

Sam looked over at Oma then. "You'll come back for me?" she bargained. "If something happens, you'll come back."

Oma smiled sadly but nodded.

At her nod Sam found herself back in the infirmary watching her father try to heal Jack. "Dad, stop" she said quietly.

"Are you serious?" Jacob asked.

Sam drew in a deep shuddering breath before saying, "It's what he wants."

Jacob searched the faces of the others in the room for some sign of what to do. "Someone else want to tell me what to do?" he asked.

"Just let him go," Sam repeated.

Jacob allowed the glowing jewel to dim as Sam stepped forward and took Jack's hand in her own. Moments later the machines monitoring him began to beep.

"Sam!" Janet shouted the admonishment as she came forward to begin resuscitating Jack only to be stopped by the look in Sam's eyes.

As Jack's body began to glow and dissipate, Sam blinked and found herself back in the Gate room with Oma and Jack.

"I'm gonna miss you," Jack said as he continued to hold Sam tightly to him. "I'll find a way back, Sam. I promise."

"I'll hold you to that, Jack."