AU
The morning went well Sam and I had gotten over the awkwardness of the morning and were flirting over breakfast, Charlie Kept casting furtive curious glances between the two of us. The pancakes were a hit, and thanks to Sam guiding he conversation, I was able to learn a lot about the Charlie I never got to know, about how he had grown up and that we were still working on our relationship and that the one thing we did agree on was that Sam was the greatest thing that had happened to either of us. I could see that so much of his personality and comfort with himself was from Sam's influence and love, he was her son much more than he was mine. I wanted to spend a lifetime knowing him, fishing with him and loving him, seeing my grandchildren grow. But I couldn't let myself get angry that I would never have that, couldn't let myself be frustrated that here I had the perfect life, and if things had happened differently, if Sarah had died instead of Charlie .. . I didn't let myself finish that thought, Sam and Charlie were both staring at me, wondering why I looked dazed staring intently at the two of them, I offered them each a smile and another pancake.
The Drive
into the Infirmary was slow and silent, Sam had been thinking too
much this morning, Charlie had been more comfortable and open with
Jack than she had ever seen him with his dad. It scared her a
little.
"What's on your mind Sam?" Damn the man was more
perceptive than her husband as well.
"You and Charlie, he
hasn't really had a dad until the last 2 years and even then their
relationship has been uncomfortable and strained at best, you walk
into the picture and within 12 hours that is all gone, you're best
friends. . .I just wonder how that will effect things when Jack gets
back, if we get him back.
"you will, I know you Sam, you'll
find a way, you always do."
The silence resumed awkwardly for
a moment.
"What about you Jack, what's on your mind, it was
wandering to something while we were having breakfast.
"Sarah
and I divorced after Charlie died, Major Carter is my 2IC and any
kind of relationship between us is strictly out of the question. One
of us would have to leave the SGC and neither of us are prepared to
do that while we're at war with the Goa'uld. . ." Sam waited for
him to continue. She knew her husband always had a dramatic pause
just before he said the important stuff, to leave the road open for
interruption so he wouldn't have to actually say it.
"..you
and Jack have everything. A good marriage, a good life, you both have
managed to stay at the SGC, with very little impact to your career
and you still travel off world, but you're married and starting a
family, and you have Charlie. This life is like a dream to me, a
perfect dream. and it's hard to see Charlie and you in my life like
this, and not want to keep it. No of fence Sam but I think Id have to
kill your husband if he ever did anything to screw this up, it's
everything I've wanted in the past 8 years."
"I'm sure
you can get the general to swing the same deal for you that he has
for Jack and I. but the bottom line is that if you love her, go for
it. The general will work with you, you just have to talk to him and
trust him"
"A lot has happened, do you guys have a
Senator Kinsey?"
"No, why."
"How about a
foothold situation from a few years back, aliens took over the SGC
and were impersonating everyone but you and Teal'C. "
"Yeah,
why jack?"
"Check to make sure the NID haven't taken the
mimic devices. I was framed for murder with those. See you guys do
have it better here. Probably no Maybourn."
"No we left
him on the moon where Jack killed him."
"In my reality,
your dad took him to some planet that the Tok'ra were friends with."
I slammed on the breaks and pulled to the side of the road.
"My
dad is still alive? how? Where?"
"He's a Tokra Sam, when
he had Cancer, he agreed to become a host for Selmak. When we found
them they were keeping us there till they moved planets, SG3 came
through to get us and to tell you you're dad was dying, you offered
him a chance to live and he took it.
"The SGC was under
attack from a group of aliens called the Retu, when we were being
held by the Tok'ra, they couldn't send anyone to retrieve us. The
Tokra fell under attack and a member of SG3 was injured and agreed to
become host to Selmak in order to survive, the Tok'ra helped us
defeat the Retu and took the child they had created to communicate
with us. Son is now a Tok'ra host and is growing up nicely. My dad
died in the Acadamy Hospital."
"Charlie,
in my world he took the name Charlie, after he became attached to me
and I thought he should have a name other than Son."
Sam
couldn't help it, if things had changed just a little, She would have
her father, but she wouldn't have Jack, or Charlie. 'I need him, I
need my husband back.' she thought.
Jack sensed her need and
pulled her into a hug, a friendly one which she appreciated. He was
giving her what he could without making either of them feel like they
were betraying the ones they love.
After a few minutes they
continued on into the base, She'd dealt with her dad's death years
before. But to know he was alive somewhere out there . . Like this
Jack seeing Charlie alive again, like her Jack knowing that Sarah . .
.
"Jack you're ex-wife is she still living in Colorado
springs."
"Yes, she is, she's . . Sam no, he wouldn't,
never, don't even think about it, He's got too much here to even
think about going to see Sarah. He loves you far too much."
"You're
right Jack I'm sure."
The rest of the ride was silent and
neither spoke until they reached the Infirmary where Janet was
waiting, along with General Hammond and a pair of SF's.
"What's
this about General?"
"That is precisely what I would
like to know, now is this or is this not The Real Jack O'Neill."
"Oh
I'm the real thing all right, ask the Doc." Jack pinioned.
"He
is Jack O'Neill Genetically General, after Sam called me last night I
ran some extra tests on the blood we took from him last night, he is
colonel O'Neill. " Janet defended.
"The difference is
General,"Sam broke in. "He is not OUR Jack O'Neill. He's
from a different reality which runs almost parallel to our own, where
just a few minor details differ slightly from our own, in his
reality, we aren't married, Charlie died, and Sarah lived, I'm still
his 2IC and My father is a member of the Tok'ra. Other than that most
of the events and people are very similar to identical."
"We
need to figure out how to get him home and get our Jack back
General."
"And how do you suppose we do that?"
"Well
General, We know that they were switched upon their return from
PRX-198. I'd like to start there and Jack mentioned that the mirror
that was found on P3R-233 was actually one that allowed individuals
to pass between these alternate realities in which the mirror still
exists, I'd like to study the mirror and collect soil Samples from
PRX-198 for comparison. "
"Very well Major, Proceed, and
Colonel O'Neill you will come with me for a full debriefing on the
current situation of your world."
"Good luck Jack."
I joked to him knowing that the next few hours were going to be quite
an interrogation."
"Gee thanks,I'm thrilled." Jack
O'Neill who has been given a chance to know what it is like to have
the son he lost and the woman he loves. Follows the general into the
briefing room.
RU
"IM BOARED!" said the Captive Jack O'Neill to the security Camera that stared stoically down at him with it's one glaring red light.
