A/N: Thank you everyone for the reviews! This is the second to last chapter... although there may be one more after that. It all depends on the next chapter. The song at the beginning really helped me write this chapter, if not for it the wait would have been longer. Sorry about that. :P

A/N2: Edited the horrible way it was posted. Sorry about that.


"Walking Away, Lifehouse"

The sun goes down as the city lights
Pave their way through the darkest night
Raindrops fall as an old man cries
Never thought to ever think twice
Of all he had
Of all he lost
A selfish life
And guess comes with the cost
Hey, remember me
I remember you walking away
Hey, remember me
I remember you walking away
The same old streets just a different name
Same old house just the family's changed
Pickett fence
The window stains
Freedom spells by a man in chains
Silence is all we have to give
And the memories of a life I wish we'd lived
Hey, remember me
I remember you walking away
Hey, remember me
I remember you walking away
From all that you made
That you lost
Or threw away
Traded in for a brand new life
But I can't
Can't let go
Can't turn around
Hold my head high and walk away
Hey, remember me
I remember you walking away
Hey, remember me
I remember you walking away


"I'm sorry."

Jack eased open his eyes to the face of Mac, he scowled looking away and Mac sighed raking his hands through his hair. Silence filled the room save for Mac's occasional sigh, giving Jack time to mull over his thoughts.

He had just had an emotional breakdown, all his thoughts and memories on what had happened that fateful day just bombarded him. Charlie just wanted to play with the squirt gun but his thoughts on guns were that they weren't for playing with. He just didn't like the idea in general, so when he took the toy from Charlie the boy was angry to say the least.

'He'll cool off.' Jack could remember thinking to himself as he left to work that day.

"I said goodbye to Sarah and she wouldn't talk to me." Jack broke the silence and Mac froze, "I found Charlie in the yard with a water gun and yelled at him then took it…" His voice dropped to a whisper, "It's still in my car."

Mac bowed his head, "Jack I'm… I'm sorry."

"It's just a water gun daddy!" Charlie cried reaching for the orange and yellow super soaker, "I'll be careful I promise! Please let me play with it daddy!" His eyes watered as I emptied the water container.

"Guns are not to play with!" I said tossing the toy into my truck through the open window.

Charlie wiped at his eyes, "I hate you!"

"He hated me." Jack's breathing hitched slightly but his eyes remained dry, "Can't say that I don't blame him, I mean… It was just a water gun."

Mac shook his head, "He's not mad at you Jack, he's not mad."

"You don't know that!" Jack snapped sitting up, his mind swam from the sudden movement, "You didn't know Charlie," He sighed covering his eyes with his hand, "I don't want to talk."

"But you didn't cause his death Jack." Mac continued despite Jack's wishes, "You didn't take the gun out and shoot him."

"Shut up!"

"It wasn't you, it was her, not you."

Jack grabbed for Mac's neck, "Shut up!" He shouted clinging to the other man's shoulders and shook him, "Just shut up!"

Mac reached up placing his hands over Jack's, "Mom was angry."

"Stop it!"


"Ghosts? Major do you know how-"

"Ridiculous?" Sam said cutting the General off, "Yes sir I do know how ridiculous that sounds but it's the truth."

Janet nodded still clutching her clipboard to herself, "I heard it too sir, it was a little boy crying."

"Who was crying?" Daniel asked approaching the group, he had just caught the tail end of Janet's sentence, "Jack?" He guessed folding his arms over his chest.

Sam shook her head, "No, it was... it's a long story. "She finished lamely not wanting Daniel to think they were crazy too.

"Maybe," Janet broke in all eyes turning to her, "Maybe that's what Mac is, Mac is the ghost of Charlie... Or maybe some comfort to Jack's conscience thinking that Charlie is okay and still here." Sam nodded thoughtfully.

Both the general and Daniel stared at the two women in confusion, "Uh, what?" Daniel folded his arms tighter to himself and leaned forward, "Am I, uhm, missing something here?" He had to be, there was no way he was thinking what he was hearing.

"I think you two could use sometime away from the base." Hammond said looking between the two women, "I'm going to get someone to check you two out since, Doctor," He nodded to Janet, "You seemed to be influenced as well."

Sam and Janet exchanged looks, "What? Sir you can't be serious!" Anger underlined Sam's words as she all but stomped her foot, "We've been here for the past two weeks, what could we have contracted that would give us hallucinations?"

Janet nodded in agreement.

Hammond looked at them skeptically, "But ghosts Major?"

Jack's eyes widened in shock, Mac backed away nearly tripping over the chair he had pulled up earlier.

"What did you just say?" Jack whispered his mind buzzing in confusion, in shock...

Mac shook his head looking for all the world a deer caught in headlights, "Nothing."

Jack nodded climbing out of the bed, he leaned back against it to keep his footing, "Yes, yes you did. What did you say?" He pulled away from the bed approaching Mac.

"I said 'she was angry'." Mac said slowly laughing nervously.

"No," Jack shook his head, "You said, 'Mom was angry', you said 'mom'. Who are you?" He was going crazy, he had to be, this couldn't possibly be real. He had known Mac for a year, he met him a week after, after the accident. Mac was staring back at him, his mouth closed firmly, stubbornly. Jack stopped a foot in front of him the Twilight Zone theme song playing in the back of his mind.

"Charlie?"


A/N: I know, horrible place to leave you all hanging at. Sorry. :-) Please review!