6 months later, Teal'c, first Prime of Apophis, took a peculiar pleasure in firing his staff at Colonel Jack O'Neill, holding a personal grudge towards the man, whom he felt was responsible for his punishment after they had escaped from Chulak. He left the man dead in the corridor, as he passed the last blast doors preventing them from reaching the core of the SGA.

Fortunately, Earth's finest scientists had managed to escape to the Alpha site, while Samantha and Major Kawalsky stepped through the Quantum Mirror...

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Colonel Jack O'Neill waved one last time to the woman on the other side of the mirror just before it shut down.

He turned to General Hammond and nodded before saying:

"Mission accomplished, Sir..."

"Well done, son. Report to the infirmary with Dr. Jackson and Teal'c. That's a nasty blow you received on your face, Dr. Jackson."

"Yes, sir." Jack said as his CO disappeared down the hallway.

He patted Daniel's shoulder as he headed in the same direction.

"Well done, Danny-boy. We owe you one for finding our reality so quickly."

"No problem, Jack... I... ahem... I think you should talk to Sam..."

"Why is that?" he asked the younger man as he saw his 2IC discreetly taking the opposite way from theirs, from the corner of his eye.

"She... errr... Well, let's say she was a bit troubled by her double's interactions with you... Well I mean the other... you..."

"Yeah well, so was I... But she'll get over it, as I will."

"Jack." Daniel stopped to frown at his friend.

Jack stopped too and sighed.

"Okay, I'll go talk to her... It's not like I have much of a choice for tonight's entertainment schedule anyway." He quipped.

Daniel shook his head in resignation, but kept his mouth shut. As far as he was concerned, his job was done.

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Jack opened the door of the VIP suite, just like he had when Dr. Samantha Carter had been their guest: softly.

Sam was sitting on the bed, her back to him, making his memories resurface, except her BDU's were green. He stepped closer and sat next to her in silence.

The other difference with the previous picture was that his Sam wasn't crying... Oh, and there wasn't that troubling picture of him... her Jack... and herself at their wedding.

They remained silent for a moment, then Sam took a deep breath.

"That was... weird..."

"Yeah." He said simply.

"May I speak off the record, Sir?"

"We are off record in here... Since the Asgard treaty, the VIP rooms have no cameras, remember?"

She chuckled.

"I didn't mean that..."

"I know what you meant, and yes."

"Okay... Don't you sometimes wonder?"

"About what?"

"We... I mean our... other selves were more than close in the alternate realities we encountered..."

"Yeah."

"I was wondering... If I was working at the SGC, but not in the military..." she said, letting the question hang in mid air.

"I'd be crazy not to ask you out on a date, at least." He said softly, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

She was a bit surprised at his admission.

"You mean that?"

"Of course I mean that, Carter. Have you ever heard me say something I didn't mean?"

"No... Not in my presence anyway."

"You find it unsettling?"

"No... If anything, I find it... sweet."

"Sweet?" he smiled cockily watching her with a twinkle in his eyes.

"At least now I know where I stand..." she said looking at her boots.

"I don't." he replied seriously.

She took a deep breath, still not watching him.

"I would be crazy not to accept..." she said softly.

A small silence ensued.

"You're sure about that?" he asked.

"Positive."

"Wow..."

"Yeah, wow..." she snorted.

"That's... nice."

"Was it why you kissed her?"

"Huh?"

"Samantha..."

"Well I... err... Somehow, yes... I think that might be one of the reasons, but I did it above all to give her the strength to go on... Like a parting kiss..."

"I can't begin to imagine what she must be going through..."

"I know..."

"I can't imagine my life without you..." then realizing what she'd just said, she blushed and resumed. "I mean I can't imagine not seeing you everyday on missions and..." realizing she was only getting in deeper and deeper she blushed and stopped talking. "... Well, you know what I mean."

He was visibly amused.

"I do." He said, patting her shoulder.

Somehow, the contact switched something on inside her, because she looked at him, their eyes locking.

He reveled an instant in watching her face: the brightness of her blue jewels, the straightness of her nose, her mouth slightly opened, her hair a little disheveled... She was beautiful. Without thinking, he brought his palm to her cheek in a soft caress, causing her to lean her head into it and to close her eyes.

He bent and laid a chaste kiss on her lips.

The moment was over all too soon, as he drew back, but she understood his gesture. He had just given her a silent promise, and she was not going to jeopardize what it held for them in an uncertain future.

"You're really all right with that?" he asked, still a little unsure. "It could take a long time."

"More than all right." She replied without hesitation.

"Then I'm glad."

"Me too." She said, giving him that smile again. "Maybe we should..."

"Yeah. Hammond wants to hear my version of the story at 1900, you wanna come?" he said, standing up and making an inviting gesture with his hand.

"Sure!"

She followed him outside, and their eyes met as he closed the door, sending shivers down their spines, and tugging the corners of their mouths in a soft smile.

"We're gonna be okay, major." He said in a soft voice.

She smiled brightly at his, that special smile that was seriously beginning to do strange things to his body, then turned on her heels, and headed for the elevators, O'Neill following.

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The SGA had suffered much damage from the Goa'uld attack, and they had some extensive works ahead if they wanted to render it functional again, but they had faith and General Hammond didn't need to ask for good wills. Dr. Samantha Carter-O'Neill toured her lab dejectedly, or what remained of her lab. Most of her research equipment was broken, and her latest works were shattered here and there in the room. She sighed and sat on the nearest stool that she picked up from the floor. Then the tension of the previous days and hours washed over her and she started sobbing uncontrollably.

That's how George Hammond found her. His heart squeezed at the sight: that brilliant woman had lost everything in a snap of the fingers, and yet, she was the one who had saved their world.

He sighed, hesitating at the threshold of her lab door, then knocked softly on the frame.

She straightened her shoulders and looked at him with red rimmed eyes.

"You should go home, Samantha." Hammond said gently, stepping forward.

"Home?" she asked between two sobs. "I don't know where's home anymore... Jack won't be there, it may even be destroyed..." she sniffed noisily before reaching for a box of tissues, strangely untouched on the top of her desk.

George Hammond stepped forward again and offered her his embrace. She immediately accepted his silent invitation, and reached for him, letting her tears run freely.

Look, Sam... You've got to know what's happened to your house. You cannot remain secluded deep under a mountain forever. You have friends, and we'll all help you through your mourning. Jack was a very dear friend of mine, you know that. Despite his antics and frequent insubordination, I loved him like a son. He was a great soldier and a loyal friend, but most of all, I don't think he would have liked you to bury yourself in your work, and never see the light of day anymore. If you want, I can drive you home and see what remains of it.

She sniffed once more, then simply nodded.

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George drove slowly through the streets on the outskirts of Colorado Springs.

The city itself bore the marks of heavy bombing, and much of the center was a pile of ashes, but the outskirts and the suburbs were relatively intact.

Samantha's heart jumped when she caught a glimpse of their house.

It was untouched, like the others in the vicinity.

Hammond slowed down and prepared to turn up on the driveway, but Samantha stopped him.

"No, George..."

He looked at her questioningly.

"I'll walk from here... I want to be alone." She simply said.

"You sure you're going to be all right?" he asked, concerned that she might do something rash.

"Yes. Don't worry, I don't have any suicidal impulses. I'll be fine. I just want to collect my thoughts and be alone. I'll call you tomorrow morning so you can pick me up on your way to Cheyenne Mountain."

"All right." He said, accepting her need for solitude. "If you need anything..."

"I'll call you, I promise. Now go check on your own house and relatives, George. Thank you for the lift." She said, smiling sadly before exiting the vehicle.

She watched as the car departed and disappeared around the corner, then looked at the pathway leading up to their entrance door, and the large windows of their dining room.

Her heart skipped a bit.

Suddenly, the flicker of a soft light appeared behind the glass. She frowned, trying to understand. Maybe they had left a small light on when they had left in a hurry. This was ridiculous, the electric power was out!

She felt her heart beat more rapidly, wondering if it was wise to go inside: maybe it was a burglar thinking the house was abandoned, like so many they had seen while they had driven through the city. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed a stone from one of their flowerbeds, and went to open the door.

Closing it behind her, she stepped cautiously inside the entrance hall and headed to their dining room.

A man was lighting the half used candles on the table, his back facing her.

Her heart skipped a bit, and her hands rose to her mouth, dropping the stone, and she stifled a gasp.

The man straightened when he heard her, and slowly turned.

Samantha thought she had gone insane.

Jack O'Neill, dressed in combat BDU's, was standing before her, smiling cockily.

"Ja... Jack?" she managed to gasp.

His smiled broadened.

"What are you doing here? I thought..." she swallowed. "I thought you were going to destroy the mirror!"

Jack raised his eyebrows, visibly confused, before frowning, shaking his head.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, stepping towards her.

Utterly upset, Samantha took a step backward.

"Who are you?"

He closed his eyes briefly, inhaling sharply, then bowed his head in acknowledgment, before sighing.

"I take it our new Asgard friends didn't let you in on their little surprise?" he muttered, putting his hands on his hips.

He looked at her. Her eyes were wide open as she was desperately trying to understand.

"Look... I know I was dead but... Well, I don't know how they managed to retrieve my body from the battlefield, but they did... As it turns out, I was still alive, barely but still, even after three days. The wound had weakened me immensely and I don't think I could have waited another day, maybe less, and I was in a rather deep coma due to the loss of blood... I guess my skin is tougher than I thought" he quipped. "The Asgard put me in some kind of bacta tank and healed me. They said I was important to them because of something in my DNA, and here I am. Me... Jack... your Jack."

He stopped talking and looked at her expectantly.

She exhaled cautiously.

"Who is my father?" she asked, looking straight into his eyes.

"Huh?"

"Who is my father?"

"Jacob Carter, ex General in the United States Air force."

"No, who is my father."

"He's a Tok'ra... 'carries a nice snake inside of him, and before you ask, it was to prevent him from dying from cancer, which he announced to you at our wedding party. Is that enough?"

Samantha still needed convincing.

"Where's my mole?"

His eyebrows skyrocketed, as well as his eyes went wide.

"God, Sam! This is ridiculous!"

"Where's my mole, Jack?" she asked again, stepping forward.

Jack sighed, waving his hands in dismissal.

"It's on the inside of your right groin, up front... there... Happy?"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she closed the last steps between them. She stood in front of him, her lips trembling, her blue eyes getting redder by the second.

"It's you? It's really you?"

He smiled and opened his arms for her to step forward, which she did in slow motion. Once she was securely settled within his embrace, he rested his head on top of her head as she let her tears flow freely.

"Yeah, baby... It's me..." he cooed, caressing her hair gently.

They remained hugging until her sobs subsided, then she raised her head and her eyes met his. He drowned himself once more in her blue orbs, gently stroking her cheek, and softly laid a deep loving kiss on her lips.

It felt good to be home, so good... Yes, they had a world to reconstruct, but with Sam by his side, he knew he could overcome almost everything life threw at them.

Hell he had even overcome death!

THE END