AN: Paragraphs in italics in this chapter indicate flashbacks. Thanks for all of the reviews!

Chapter Five: Inheritance

Dinner at Colson's estate was an awkward experience to say the least. Jack hardly said two words during the meal and appeared tense and suspicious throughout. Every time Alec spoke, Jack would stare at him judgmentally as if Colson were trying to hide something with every word and gesture.

Colson, on the other hand, performed the role of gracious host perfectly. He exchanged pleasant conversation with Cassie throughout the meal, even going so far as attempting to draw Jack into their conversation by asking him insightful questions.

Colson's good-natured act only served to heighten Jack's suspicions, for he did not act like a man who was in mourning. He was too calm and self-controlled.

Cassie tried to lighten the tension between the two men by telling stories about her latest boyfriend and work. For her sake, both Colson and Jack pretended to be diverted, although neither was truly interested in the conversation. They were too busy sizing each other up.

After dinner, Cassie excused herself and went to watch a movie in her room. Colson, in turn, escorted Jack to his private study.

As he entered the room, Jack carefully examined it, trying to learn as much as he could about the man he had come to view as his rival - the man who had stolen away the woman he loved. The walls were lined with bookshelves that contained an odd assortment of leather-bound books and knick-knacks. There were several model airplanes, no doubt prototypes that Colson had designed during his Colson Aviation days.

As Jack took a seat on a leather sofa, Colson poured him a glass of scotch and handed it to him, and then poured one for himself. Alec then took a seat in what appeared from its well-worn appearance to be his favorite armchair.

Jack continued looking around inquisitively. He noticed several brass frames of various shapes and sizes containing family pictures beside the models and books on the shelves. A few of the photos appeared older and Jack assumed the woman and girl pictured in them were Colson's first wife and daughter - the ones who had died thirty years ago in a plane crash. Most of the other pictures were of Sam, Emma, and Cassie.

One photo in particular caught Jack's attention. He stared at it - something about it bothered him but he could not put his finger on just what.

Colson immediately noticed where Jack's attention was drawn. He got up from his chair and picked up the frame, handing it to Jack so he could study it more closely.

"That was taken just after Emma was born. We had just gotten back from the hospital," he informed Jack.

"She was a very beautiful baby," Jack stated sympathetically before handing the photo back to the grieving man. Even though he disliked Colson, Jack knew the terrible pain of losing a child. He couldn't even imagine what it must be like to lose two children – and two wives – in one lifetime.

"Yes, she was…she was my second chance…my blessing. I will miss her terribly." Colson traced the image before him lovingly with his finger before placing it back on the shelf. He then quickly shook off the grief that had been building and looked Jack directly in the eyes. "I suppose you're wondering why I asked you here tonight, General."

"I'm a little curious, but that's not the reason I came."

Colson's own curiosity was peaked. "Why did you come then?"

Jack looked at the other man piercingly. "I have a lot of questions…and I believe you have the answers to those questions."

Colson's face showed no emotion, he simply nodded in agreement. "Perhaps I do. All in good time, General…or do you mind if I call you Jack?"

Jack laughed gruffly. "Knock yourself out. You could call me Sparky for all I care…as long as I get some answers."

Colson sat back down in his chair and took a sip of scotch. The man appeared calm and relaxed, in contrast with Jack whose demeanor was still tense and threatening. Jack had clearly hoped to appear intimidating – but it did not seem to be working if Colson's behavior was anything to go by.

Colson coolly stated, "I would be more than happy to answer all of your questions, Jack. But first…aren't you at all interested as to what Sam asked me to give you?"

Jack shrugged nonchalantly. In truth, he was desperately curious, but he was not about to let Colson know that. "Sure…what is it?"

"She asked me to tell you a very long and very interesting story. Her request was that you listen to it carefully and to try not to lose your temper. But feel free to interrupt if you have any questions along the way."

Jack's dark eyes glared at the man. "I'm listening."

Colson began, "I feel as if I should tell the story from my own point of view, as that is how I know it best. Five years ago, I was overjoyed to return to Earth. I felt like I could finally start over and build a new life for myself. When the president asked me to head up a special project at Area 51, I was very honored and excited. After all, only a couple of years before, I had lost everything – my company, my best friend, my home. It suddenly seemed as if I could get back some of what I had lost."

Colson took another sip of his scotch and then continued. "Working at Area 51 was…all right. What made it really worthwhile was working with Sam. She quickly filled a hole in my life that had been vacant for years. She became my best friend, Jack, and I quickly realized I would do anything for her."

Jack felt his jealousy and anger growing and struggled to contain them. He really didn't want to hear all of the maudlin details about Colson's love affair with Sam, but it seemed Colson was getting ready to describe just exactly how he had stolen Sam's affections away from him.

"Did Sam ever tell you what she did for me…before my exile to the Alpha Site?" Alec inquired.

"Nope." The word was sharp and tinged with anger as it left Jack's mouth.

"She saved my life, Jack. She came by my office after Brian Vogler killed himself to check on me. I had a loaded gun in my hand. I was less than a minute away from putting a bullet in my brain and she talked me out of it. She gave me hope that my life was not over…that I could continue to make a contribution. I will forever be in her debt for that. After she convinced me to put down the gun, we made a sort of pact – that we would continue to fight the Trust and eventually make them pay for all of the harm they had done."

Jack let out a single scornful grunt. "Well…the Trust is now defunct and I don't recall you having much to do with its downfall."

A shadow of worry crossed Colson's face, as if he knew something Jack did not. "I'll get to that part in a minute, Jack. Now where was I? Oh, yes…As Sam and I got closer, she would come talk to me about everything – work, her relationship with Cassie, her relationship with you…"

"Yeah…I'm sure you loved talking about me while you were worming your way into her heart!" Jack's control was slowly slipping, as the remembrance of the pain he felt on that horrible day when Sam had ended their relationship flooded back over him with a vengeance.

Suddenly, Jack spied a hint of something unusual in Colson's expression. He had expected Colson to be smug - after all he was the one who got the girl. But Alec was not smug, or taking pleasure in Jack's pain. Instead, his expression conveyed compassion mixed with a hint of regret. "That's not how it was, Jack. Please…you need to listen. The rest of this story will explain so much. And maybe…it will help you understand what happened and why."

This statement immediately got Jack's attention. He had always believed his breakup with Sam to be fairly straightforward. She had told Jack that she no longer was in love with him and that she had fallen in love with Alec Colson. Simply put, he had been dumped for another man. If he was to believe Colson now, there was more than that to the story.

Jack sat back on the sofa and relaxed a bit more as Colson started to recall what led to the beginning of the end of Sam and Jack's relationship.

"One day, I was in my lab at Area 51. Sam came to see me. Her face was ashen. I'd never seen her so frightened before…"

Sam hesitantly entered the lab, closing and locking the door behind her.

Alec looked up from his computer to greet his friend. His smile disappeared when he noticed the worried expression on Sam's face. "Sam? What's wrong?"

"Alec…I don't know what to do. I don't know who to tell…" Her voice was restrained, yet wavered a bit as she tried to control her worry.

"What is it, Sam? You're beginning to scare me." Alec walked over and pulled her lightly into his arms in a friendly embrace.

Sam savored the contact for a moment before pulling back to once again face him. "I was searching through some computer files for some old records on the Icarus Project. I stumbled across an encrypted file…it had a database and some memos. Alec…It reveals the names of all of the members of the Trust."

Alec laughed, relieved that she was worried over something rather minor. "Sam…that's old news. The Trust is gone…all of the members were either infested by Goa'uld and killed or apprehended in the subsequent CIA investigation."

Sam shook her head adamantly. "You don't understand…the names…some of them are still around, Alec. Some of them are still in very high positions within the government…they were never exposed. The memos I found clearly link them to illegal activities in the past. Worse… some of them knew about the Goa'uld infesting members of their organization…they knew about Ba'al's presence on Earth over a year ago. They could have told someone about it…but they chose not to. Instead, they wanted to see if they could use it to their own advantage."

Alec's demeanor had grown decidedly grim as Sam revealed this information. "This is serious, Sam. You have to tell someone. If I were you, I would make a few copies of the files and hide them in very secure places. Then, you need to tell General O'Neill…or perhaps that Agent Barrett friend of yours. One of them will surely know what to do."

Jack shook his head in disbelief as Colson related his story. "She never came to me with any of this information. I never received any evidence…"

Colson nodded, as if he already fully aware of this. "I know. She didn't have the chance, Jack. It seems that some of the men and women on the list still had spies working at Area 51. Somehow they found out that Sam had accessed the file…"

"I can't tell Jack, Alec," Sam explained. "The file was tagged. They know that I accessed it and have made copies. Five minutes after I found the file, I received an anonymous email from a bogus account. It instructed me not to tell anyone about what I had found."

"And yet…you're telling me," Alec stated jokingly, trying unsuccessfully to lighten the mood.

Sam suddenly got very upset, as if she had only just realized the position this would put him in. "I'm sorry, Alec. I shouldn't have come…I shouldn't drag you into this and put you in danger."

She started quickly for the door, attempting to escape before she harmed her friend even more than she already had. Just as she was about to turn the handle to leave, Alec stopped her.

"Sam…wait! Whatever you've gotten yourself into…you've got to know that I'm in it with you. If there are members of the Trust who have escaped from the investigation unscathed, we have to expose them somehow. Remember our pact – 'He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day'? Well…maybe the day to fight has come. And I'll be right beside you all the way."

He once again embraced her and she laid her head on his shoulder, seeking the comfort only a friend could offer. "Thanks Alec. I don't know what I would do without you."

"An email would never have stopped Carter…" Jack was not buying Colson's story for one second. If something like this had actually happened, Sam would have come to him – not Alec Colson.

"It didn't," Colson replied matter-of-factly. "She was going to go ahead and tell you and Agent Barrett – she even set up a meeting with you at your cabin in order to do so. She thought your cabin would be the one place they hadn't bugged. I don't know how…they must have tapped her phone… but they figured out what she was going to do. So… they sent a clearer message."

Jack's brow furrowed as he thought back to that time so long ago. "I remember her calling me and asking me to meet her at my cabin…I always assumed it was to break up with me, since that's exactly what happened when we got there."

Colson nodded knowingly, his face grim. "The day after her phone call to you, she found a sealed envelope sitting on her desk. Inside was a list of ten people…the ten people closest to Sam – including Cassie, her brother and his family, Daniel, even General Hammond. Guess who was number one with a bullet?"

"Who?" Jack asked the question, even though he was pretty sure that he knew the answer.

"None other than Major General Jack O'Neill. At the bottom of the page, it stated unambiguously that the people on the list would be taken out one by one if Sam revealed any of the information she had discovered."

"And she took the threat seriously?"

"It definitely scared her a bit…but it was what they did next that really convinced her not to talk." Colson paused and looked at Jack inquisitively. "Do you remember the car accident you had in Washington five years ago?"

Jack nodded, remembering the day. "Sure…I ended up in the hospital with a concussion after another car just plowed straight into my limo without warning. The guy who hit me was charged with a DUI."

Colson remained solemn as he informed the general, "The very same day, there was a shooting at a school in a suburb of San Diego. It just so happened to be the high school that Sam's niece and nephew attended. They never found the shooter, but they found some of the bullets – they were from a sniper rifle. Fortunately, no one was hurt…but that was the point, you see. They wanted Sam to know that they could easily kill her niece and nephew and there was nothing she could do to stop them."

Jack's eyes widened as he finally comprehended the full meaning of Colson's words. "Oh, God…so my accident in Washington…"

"It was no accident, Jack. They were telling Sam that they could even get to the great and powerful Jack O'Neill."

Jack looked at Colson suspiciously. He was still not entirely convinced, but he was getting there. "Why didn't they go after you then? She told you about all of it…they must have known that."

Colson shrugged, not quite knowing how to answer. "I'm sure they did, eventually. But I wasn't on the list. To them, I was insignificant at first – they didn't even know Sam and I were all that close. I was just her work colleague for all they knew."

He paused for a moment, deep in thought. "Besides, who would I tell? I didn't have any contacts within the government like Sam did. I'm sure by the time they found out how much I knew, they already had plans in the works to get rid of me. Fortunately, Sam and I were safely ensconced here in California by that time."

Thinking out loud, Jack began making arguments, trying to understand the course of action Sam obviously had decided to take. "She could have told me…we could have found a way to protect everyone…"

Colson merely smiled and shook his head at Jack's attempts to rationalize the situation. "Don't you see, Jack? Sam couldn't take that chance. The people listed in that database… the ones who had been involved in the Trust… they are some of the most powerful, well-connected men and women in Washington. She loved you too much to put your life in danger."

"So she dumped me instead?"

"That was part of the plan."

"Plan?" Jack asked skeptically.

"Yes…the plan was to make them think that they had won. Sam would resign and sever all ties with the SGC and her past. One of those ties was with you…for your own safety. She knew if she continued to see you, they would never leave you two alone. She reasoned that as long as you two were together, they would eventually just kill you and make it look like an accident."

Jack eyed the man suspiciously. He was beginning to believe what the man was saying, but he was even more skeptical than ever about Colson's role in the plan. He began to think that Colson might have taken advantage of the situation to woo Sam away from him.

Finally voicing his suspicions, Jack asked, "How do you figure into this plan, Colson?"

Colson smirked and downed the rest of his scotch. "I told you, Jack…I would do anything for Sam. We decided to hide out at my place in California until we could devise a plan to safely expose all of the people listed in the database, without anyone getting killed. To make them think they had succeeded in scaring us into silence, we sent them a message making sure that they knew we had multiple copies of the file and that we would release the incriminating evidence if anything happened to either of us, or anyone we cared about for that matter. We also reassured them that we had no intention of releasing the information."

"But not before she came to the cabin and broke up with me…" Jack felt like throwing the glass in his hand across the room.

Sam had broken his heart…and to know now that it had only been to protect him was emotionally devastating. He had been so cold to her over the years since…he had never forgiven her and now he never would be able to ask for her forgiveness in return.

"Precisely," Alec noted. "She told you that she had fallen in love with me – that the long-distance nature of your relationship had damaged it irreparably."

"Are you saying that it was all a lie?" Jack stared down at the glass in his hand, still debating whether or not to hurl it at the nearest wall.

Colson voice was soft and sympathetic. "Yes, Jack. She never loved me…at least not in that way. It was always you."

Jack tried unsuccessfully to contain his emotions. Sam loved him…she had never stopped. And now she was lost to him forever. The pain and disappointment over the five years that they had lost washed over him, combined with a residual bitterness for the man sitting in front of him. "But she still married you," he uttered accusingly.

"You have to understand, Jack…I wanted to protect her. I bought this place," Colson gestured in the air with his hands. "I created the most sophisticated security system for it, staffed it with a slew of security specialists and bodyguards…all to protect her. And then we found out about Emma and everything changed."

Jack looked up at him in curiosity. "How so?"

Colson explained, "Our main priority was no longer bringing down the remnants of the Trust. We had to protect Emma and make sure she was safe. So we concentrated on building up our business and raising Emma…to create a future for her. I think we both hoped someday to resume the fight against the Trust, but we knew that it would have to wait until Emma was older. She would have been too vulnerable of a target."

Jack put the glass in his hand down on a side table and ran his hands roughly over his face. It was almost too much information to digest. "So…you're trying to tell me that these evil men and women in the government were behind Sam and Emma's deaths? Why the hell did they wait so long? I mean… it's been over five years…"

Alec proceeded to explain, "About a week ago, Sam got a call from Agent Malcolm Barrett, an old friend of hers in the NID."

Jack glared at Colson in annoyance. "I know who he is."

Colson shrugged off Jack's barbed comment and continued, "Well, Agent Barrett told her that a contract had been taken out on her life. We surmised that it was because one of the men listed in the database had recently announced that he was going to run for a high elected office. Sam couldn't just stand by and let a man like that win. It would have given him too much power. And he was well aware that she wouldn't let him get away with it."

"So he put a contract out to have her killed." Jack thought to himself for a moment, before directing a pointed gaze at Colson. "There are a couple of problems with your story, Colson. One…wasn't this guy worried that you would just go ahead and release the file if Sam was killed?"

"We were both in that car, Jack. I was a target as much as Sam. I guess he hoped that with both of us dead, that no one else would know where the hidden files were."

Jack was again skeptical. "Don't try to fool with me, Colson. We both know this politician guy wouldn't be that stupid. Surely, he knew that Sam had it set up for the files to be released if you two were killed under suspicious circumstances."

"Yes…" Colson agreed and then qualified his statement, "But without Sam or I to explain the whole sordid story – where the files were found, the subsequent threats, etc. - he could have simply discredited the evidence as being a forgery. Computer files can easily be faked, Jack. And this man is very well connected. He might even have been able to stop the information from ever being released had I died as well."

Colson got up to pour himself another glass of scotch. With his back turned to Jack, he asked, "What else is troubling you about my explanation?"

The question that had been plaguing Jack for days suddenly came to mind. "Why weren't Sam and Emma wearing their seatbelts, Colson? I know for a fact that Sam would never have forgotten to buckle up."

Colson immediately froze in his actions and visibly stiffened. It was the one question that Alec had obviously not expected Jack to ask.

But someone else had. Instead of hearing Colson's voice answer his question, another familiar, and softer, voice came from the direction of the doorway.

"No, she wouldn't…" the voice answered. Jack turned his head to face the doorway, stunned beyond belief when he beheld the person standing there.

TBC