"Hello, Sam..."

Before Sam's bewildered eyes, stood a very young Jack O'Neill, smiling.

From the French doors leading to the deck, Jack arrived with a tray carrying two plates and two steaming mugs. He hadn't expected a visitor, much less the young man who turned toward him grinning as he heard someone approaching from behind.

Speechless for one moment, he quickly recovered, putting the tray on the wooden table.

"Jack?"

"Actually, it's John... An acceptable alternative to Jonathon, since 'Jack' was already taken." He said grinning.

Sam sat back on her chair, still trying to get over her shock.

"Take a seat then... John... I'll go fetch another piece of pie... Coffee?" Jack said, as casually as he could muster.

"Yeah, please."

"Milk?"

"Black, two sugars..."

"Of course..." Jack smirked, disappearing inside.

John took a chair opposite Sam.

"That's a surprise..." she said in an awkward tone.

"I was in the vicinity. Important stuff is happening in my life at the moment, and I thought maybe it was time to catch up a little bit." He paused then smiled warmly at her. "You look great, Sam..."

"Thank you... I guess..." she said, a bit embarrassed at the young man's compliment. "You're not bad yourself either." She managed to say playfully.

Jack came back with a plate and a third mug, and sat down next to Sam.

"So... John... This is rather unexpected..."

"As I explained to Sam before you arrived, I was in the area and I wanted to give you an update on what's going on with my life... important things as it occurs..."

"That's... Sorry if this is awkward, but..." Jack started frowning.

"I know..." he interrupted "... I hesitated a long time before coming to see you, but... an old common friend told me you'd like to know from me rather than from the rumor mill..."

"An old common friend?"

"George... He asked me to tell you he's fine, by the way."

"Nice to hear that, thanks."

"Anyway, I am not a man of speech, as you know, so let's cut to the chase. I'm getting married next month, and I'd like you to attend. Both of you."

Jack and Sam looked at one another, then back at their visitor, before smiling at the same time.

"You're getting married, wow!"

John chuckled at their bewildered faces.

"Yeah, I'm full of surprises, thank you." He snorted. "Jack, Sam... I may look, talk, walk, and do almost everything like Jack, I'm a different person now. I've been given a second chance and I've tried not to spoil it. Sure I was bitter and mad at first, because I felt I had been robbed of my life, but once you get to analyze the situation in a whole, there are more upsides than downsides. Like I told you 10 years ago, our paths separated the day you dropped me in front of that high school.

There was an awkward silence that Sam ended, beaming.

"I'm truly happy for you, John. Jack, what do you say we all catch up over Chinese take-outs tonight?... Still your favorites, right?" she asked John.

He nodded.

"Then I'll leave you two together while I order and take a shower..." she said as she hopped down from her chair and headed inside.

"Sure, why not?... It'll give me an interesting insight at how my life could have been..." Jack muttered.

John snorted.

"In case you don't remember, we have almost fifty years in common, Jack! I'm sure it was far easier for you to live from then on, than from me!" John replied a bit angrily.

Jack sighed apologetically.

"Yeah, sorry... I know it must have been hard."

"Believe me, seeing your life time expanded for more than half a century is not as glamorous as it might appear! It's just like I've had to start again from scratch, except I had all the knowledge of a fifty year old without my friends and my job, so keeping up appearances was the toughest thing I've done in my life!'

"I know. I was being selfish." Jack amended.

John calmed a little.

"Yeah... Well, let's not dwell on the past, shall we?... Look, Jack... I know what you feel, but I always thought that there was a reason why you asked Thor to mend -- for lack of a better word -- my DNA, and ... Well, I just wanted to let you know that you did well... Take that as my way to thank you."

Jack sighed.

"You don't have to thank me, and you're right. I'm the lucky one..."

"That's where you're wrong, Jack. As I told you, it took me some time to come around, but with a little help from the Air Force and a kick or two in the butt from common friends, I finally realized that it was a chance for me and I looked on the bright side of it... I don't mean to take an important part in your life, Jack. I just wanted you to know of my whereabouts, that's all."

Jack smiled sympathetically.

"That's nice of you, John... Now tell me about this bride of yours..."

John's face brightened.

"Lucy?... Well, I would love to tell you about her right now, but first, let me give you the invitation... You can R.S.V.P. now!" he winked.

Jack chuckled, taking the envelope from the young man's hands, but did not open it.

"When are you getting married, and where?"

"July 17th, here in the Springs. As a coincidence, Lucy's from the Springs, as is my next assignment..."

Jack looked straight into his eyes, frowning.

"Assignment?"

"Come on, Jack... You didn't think the Air Force would let me slip through their hands like that, did you?"

Jack raised an eyebrow, looking dumbfounded.

"No, of course not but..."

"Look, I'm dying to tell you all the details, but I think it's best Sam's here too, so why don't we wait until she comes back?"

"OK, but you piqued my curiosity there... It's strange that you'd be assigned here... On the other hand, not that much I presume. Is it Stargate related?"

"Somehow, yes..."

"You're assigned to the mountain, then..."

John smiled broadly.

"Nope! Be patient, Jack... I'll tell you!"

"Okay..." he sighed, knowing full well the young version of himself would keep his word. "... Why don't you try that pie, Mrs. Johnson made it..."

"You socialize with Mrs. Johnson now?" John asked, obviously amused.

Jack gave an aggravated sigh.

"It's all Sam's fault! Before she came to live here, I was a happy man passing for an old solitary bear to my neighbors! One day she met the woman, she was having problems with a set of shelves. Sam told her she would ask me to come and fix it and... Well now let's say that I'm Mrs. Johnson handyman..." he finished sulkily as John couldn't contain his laughter any longer.

"It's not funny..." Jack scowled.

"Maybe not to you, but you have to give the woman credit! Her pies are excellent!"

"Yeah, that's why I put up with her actually!" Jack smiled crookedly.

"I bet it has something to do with a hot blonde too!"

Jack straightened up frowning.

Realizing how it sounded, John shook his head.

"Relax Jack... I'm marrying Lucy, remember? I'm not here to steal Sam... Okay, I admit I was jealous for a long while when I learnt about you and Sam but... These feelings are buried deeply and I'm marrying Lucy, you don't have to worry... Besides, I don't think Sam would go for a 25 year old!" he added playfully. "She obviously prefers mature men..."

"A 25 year old with the experience of a 60 year old, John... Who knows? She might want to play a remake of 'Harold and Maud'..."

John chuckled.

"Don't be ridiculous... and, hey, I wouldn't do that to you! I mean you know me, right?"

"Yeah, well... let's drop the subject okay?"

"Just one last question, Jack..."

"What?"

"Are you happy?"

Jack's features relaxed and he beamed dreamily.

"Oh yeah! Sam's everything I'd ever dream she would be, and even more!" he started enthusiastically, then upon seeing the shadow briefly darkening John's eyes, he subdued his mood, and coughed lightly. "Yeah, I'm very happy. Thanks for asking."

John took a bite of pie and a gulp of coffee in silence.

"She's as beautiful as I remembered her." He started softly. "Her eyes... You know, age suits her well..."

"Yeah." Jack replied, a dreamy look on his face.

They remained silent, enjoying the warm atmosphere of the ending afternoon, until Sam sauntered down the steps to the deck and took her seat next to Jack, resuming her previous position.

"So, guys... No black eye, no bruise... I can see you behaved!" she started jokingly.

"Only for your sake, Sam!" Jack replied playfully, then turned to John. "Now you know I've never been a patient man..."

John chuckled.

"Yeah... Something else I had to learn again: be patient!" he muttered. "Okay, I'm gonna put you out of your misery... I'm Lieutenant Colonel John O'Neill, and I am to be second in command on the Prometheus 2..." he said with pride in his voice, waiting a moment for the information to sink in.

Always practical, Jack frowned.

"And you're to be stationed in the Springs?"

"Well, yeah... As 2IC, I am responsible for commanding the fleet of gliders so I spend half my time in Schriever, half my time in Arizona... Well officially at least, since I guess I'll be out there" he made an evasive gesture towards the sky "... most of the time..."

"You're commanding the fleet! Have they gone insane!" Jack exclaimed, standing up.

John chuckled even more.

"Not your fleet, Jack! Only the one on the Prometheus."

"Geez!"

"I guess that about summarizes the reaction I got the first time they saw my name..." John resumed. "You've left your mark there Jack, and when they saw me... Well suffice to say that it was fortunate I had a moustache at that time... Now some people tell me the resemblance to my uncle is far from being striking! But then again, it all lies in the conviction you put in telling them..."

"Uncle?... Is that what they said I am?"

"Well, Jack... what did you want them to say?... I mean it's a fact, we DO look alike..." he said, a note of amusement in his voice.

"You're already Lieutenant Colonel?" Sam chimed in.

"Oh, that too!" Jack exclaimed, causing another chuckle from John.

"Yeah... Well my Masters degree in Air tactics and strategy may have impressed a few, along with my other Masters in Fluid mechanics... Plus my impressive military record, in spite of my young age... Add a few encouragements from people high placed in the Air Force... They shortened my way to promotion. I guess they were afraid a frustrated ex-colonel might become increasingly dangerous if he had to go through the entire promotion road till full bird Colonel again..." he said with a self-satisfied grin.

"Masters in Air tactics and strategy and Fluid mechanics!" Jack asked frowning.

"Well Jack, you're far smarter than you let out..." John teased. "I already had my Masters in Air tactics and strategy... well you have... they kept that because what you wrote is still up to date, Jack... I wanted to educate myself in something that was not only military, and fluid mechanics seemed an interesting topic according to the career moves I was about to make."

"Ya think?" the older man replied in a surly tone as he spotted Sam barely containing her laughter from the corner of his eye. "You're a scientist now, for crying out loud!"

John sighed.

"Yeah well... I told you I would pursue high school and you know how stubborn I can be..."

"Well, I am certainly impressed!" Sam said smiling.

"You make me look like my IQ is no higher than GI Joe's!" Jack moaned.

"Oh, come on! What were you trying to achieve all those years on SG-1! Besides, I'm sure Sam's found other aspects of your personality that she likes, don't worry!" John said, patting his thigh grinning.

Sam nudged his shoulder affectionately before giving him a peck on the lips.

"Okay, changing the subject... How did you meet that Lucy-girl?"

"Lucy? Pretty name!" Sam commented.

"While I was studying at the Academy, I once had to accompany one of my professors to a seminar about molecular and cellular experiments in space, although I have no special interest in the subject. There was that girl completing her PhD in molecular biology who did an interesting lecture about a paper she had written. I went to ask her a few questions afterwards. We shared drinks, she was impressed by my dress uniform..." he cocked his eyebrows suggestively, causing Sam to look affectionately at Jack.

"The O'Neill charm..." she agreed.

"... We had a nice evening, talked about other subjects and ... we got along pretty well. We promised to see each other again and... Well... we started dating. She's a little older than I am actually, but then again, I don't look like my real age. She's brilliant, funny, caring, and when I learnt that she was to be attached to a top secret research project in Cheyenne Mountain, I requested my transfer... and here we are..."

"So I take it she's to work at the SGC?" Sam asked.

"She's your new civilian expert in molecular biology, yes... Lucy Simpson..."

"Simpson? Lucy Simpson! Now this is a joke, right!" Jack said burying his face in his hands.

"I had the same reaction when I learnt her full name, Jack... But I have the firm intention of making it Lucy O'Neill!" he laughed.

"My, that is gonna need time to get accustomed to!" Sam exclaimed. "I'll have an O'Neill under my command!" she joked.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Jack exclaimed, standing up and shaking his head. "Do you all want my death today! A hand device would have done less damage to my brain!"

"She's looking forward to working with you, Sam. Although you obviously don't share the same fields of interest, she's heard a lot about your work and achievements."

"Why don't you bring her over for a drink tomorrow?" Sam innocently asked, earning a dark glare from Jack.

"Well thanks but I can't... I have to be on base tomorrow and I'm afraid I won't have any down time until my wedding."

At that moment, the door bell rang. Jack was on his feet before Sam.

"Jesus! Saved by the bell! Thanks!" he said, clenching his fists and looking skywards. "I'll get it, 'must be the delivery boy..."

Sam and John remained silent for a while, then John leant back on his chair.

"So?... When are you and Jack going to take the plunge?"

"What plunge?" Sam asked.

"Tie the knot?"

"Oh we... We never discussed it... We're okay with what we have..."

"Jack told me he's happy..."

"I am too... Our relationship is based on extreme complicity and trust... I guess that's the cement of it. We've known each other for a very long time, we've seen our best and worse moments, actually, it's like we've been married for almost 18 years!"

John chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Jack asked as he was returning from the house.

Sam turned towards him beaming.

"I was just telling John that all in all, it was like we've been married for 18 years!"

"Except we didn't consummate it for the first 8 years." He snorted.

"That proves how much of a gentleman you can be..." Sam replied matter of factly.

"That proves how faithful I am to Air Force regulations! If it were not for that, you'd had ended up in my bed much sooner, Missy!" he said playfully, encircling her shoulders in a possessive manner.

John smiled at the picture.

"You look good together..."

Sam stepped away from Jack, a bit awkwardly, sensing the younger man's discomfort.

Jack raised an eyebrow, but patted John's shoulder.

"I know what you had to go through, but... Like you said, it's a second chance. Don't screw it, John, or I swear I'll personally come and kick your butt from here to Chulak!" he said, seriously.

John was about to reply with a jibe, but thought better of it when he caught a furtive glimpse of Jack's look. Yes, he too had lost a son, but his young age allowed him things that were now difficult for Jack to obtain, if he knew the man well, and of that, he was sure.

"Yeah, Jack... I promise I won't..."

Jack smiled, his arm once again reaching for Sam's shoulders.

"Hey guys, why don't we continue this over dinner?" Sam said.

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