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Previously on Stargate SG-1
Lisa fought back tears "You're here, Grace, you're here! I'm so, so sorry, I-"
Grace shook her head "Don't be silly" she said lightly "Let's play"
"I can't, I have to-"
Grace frowned at her
"Ok, let's play"
"Jack, go in there, comfort Sam and stop acting like a hard ass General"
"I AM ONE!"
"Not the real you!" Daniel paused "You are pushing her away" he said softly
Jack stilled
"Jack, please, talk to her"
And now the continuation...
Sam softly knocked on a door. It was promptly opened by Seargent Siler.
"Ma'am?" he asked "Can I help you?"
She gave him a little smile "Could you please pull up camera 25?" she asked softly
He looked puzzled but quickly obliged. Sam studied the screen
"What do you want to play?" Grace asked
"You pick"
Grace smiled "Let's blow bubbles!"
"I don't have any"
"Yes you do silly" she said pointing to two small, purple bottles behind her.
Lisa turned "Oh, ok.. here" she said giving the little girl one
Sam watched the screen with a few tears running down her cheek. Those were her daughters. She didn't hear the door open and someone slip in.
"Lisa!"
Lisa giggled "Sorry Grace"
Grace smiled "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" she hummed
Lisa sighed softly "Mom sang that to us"
Grace nodded
"When you ascended, Dad cried for hours"
Grace nodded slightly
"What happened to them Grace?"
Grace shook her head
"What's going to happen to US?"
Jack slowly placed a hand on Carter's shoulder
"Ahh!"
He quickly withdrew it
She spun around "Sir?"
He eyed the tears on her cheek "You ok?" he asked abruptly
She nodded "Fine sir"
He shook his head and sat against the wall "Samantha..." he began scoldingly "I'm sure there is a rule somewhere about lying your superior officer"
She blinked "Sir?"
He smiled and looked at the screen "Lisa looks just like you Carter"
She gave him a shaky smile "Yes sir"
"You gonna be ok?"
Sam's facade started to crumble "Please don't ask me sir" she begged
"Why?"
"I don't want to cry" she whispered
"I can not foretell the future" the little girl said
Lisa sighed "I was afraid of that"
"Crying can be good for you" he said vainly searching for something to say
She raised pain filled eyes to him "Sir, I've cried more this year then I have my entire life" she whispered
Jack's heart broke at the sobbing sound in her voice "Oh Sam" he whispered standing up
"Help me ascend"
The little girl shook her head vehemently "I can not"
"Why?"
Grace wrinkled her nose "Your work here isn't finished" she said patiently
Sam caught her breath "My only 'living' daughter wants to ascend" she said inclinded to both laugh and cry
"Carter, she's been through so..."
Carter suddenly buried her head in her hands
"Carter?" he asked a bit worried
She looked "Sorry sir, I'm just so tired"
"Go take a nap"
She smiled humorlessly "Is that an order?" she asked
"Does it have to be?" he asked quietly
She stood up "Night sir"
He looked after her "Night Carter" he said in the same quiet voice. He stood staring at the screen for a moment then suddenly left
Knock Knock
Grace and Lisa looked up startled. The door opened and Jack walked in
"What do you want?" Lisa asked
"Just came by to say Hi"
"Hi, now bye"
He shut the door and sat down "Ack.. you get old and your bones start failing" he said conversationally
"Go away" Lisa said not looking at him
"You really want me to leave?"
She hesitated
"See, I'll stay"
She looked over at Grace to see that she wasn't there
"Where is-"
"Grace?" Jack asked quietly
"Yeah"
"She left"
Lisa bit her lip. "Why?" she asked "Why did this have to happen to me? to us? We were so happy then Grace died then I had to go.. I just.. why didn't WE get a fairy tale ending?'
"I don't know"
"Why haven't you been to see me?" she asked "And why have you come now?"
Jack stood up and knocked on the door. It opened and a little black streak rushed in
"Kayeb!" she called as the little puppy somehow made it onto the bed and into her arms
"That's Kayeb?" he asked
She nodded "Why?"
"You were screaming that name over and over"
She swallowed hard "I was?"
Kayeb was falling. Blood was everywhere. Someone was screaming
"Lisa?" a concerned voice asked "Lisa!"
She shook herself out of her reviere "Sorry" she muttered
"What was that?"
"Flashbacks" she whispered
"Of what?" he asked
"Everything" she whispered
Lisa couldn't helped it. As the 'glowing' mass 'flew' away, she followed it. She stopped on a grassy hill and watched it go through the Stargate. She sank on the ground and let the tears fall
"Lisa!"
"No..." she whispered as she started trembling "No!" she screamed "Come back!"
Jack was thoughly alarmed. He reached out to comfort her but drew back once his arm made contact with her. She was on fire
"Lisa?" he questioned
"I don't want to remember" she sobbed "I want Kayeb to come back, I want Grace and Mom to come back, I want YOU to come back! I don't want to help people, I want Mom to play with my hair and tell me to do my homework, Grace to bother me, I..." she broke off
Jack had tears in his eyes "I'm so sorry Lisa" he whispered
She looked up "For what?" she asked
"For failing you"
She sniffed "You didn't fail me" she whispered.
"Yes I did. I should've made you stay, tell me what was the matter, I-"
"Dad" she whispered softly "You haven't failed me"
He looked at his daughter then impulsively hugged her
She slowly placed her arms around him
"I love you Lisa" he whispered "And I always will"
A tear trickled down her cheek "I love you to Dad" she whispered
The two continued to hold each other for a long while...
"Twinkle, Twinkle, little star..."
Sam rolled over and there stood the little girl "Deja vu" she muttered
The girl smiled sweetly "I must go"
Sam sat up "You can't!"
"Why?"
"I need you.. here"
"So do others" her childish voice said
"Why did you come to me on the Prometheus?"
"It was time"
Sam struggled to understand "Time for what?"
"You misunderstood what your father said. He meant it was time to give up something that made you feel secure for something that was.. unsecure"
"What?"
The girl sighed "Here" she said placing her hand lightly on Carter's forehead
She was back in the commissary and Jacob was saying
"No, always. For as long as she was alive, your mother showed me a world beyond just ambition and career. She gave my life meaning and balance and it was my honour to love her for the short time she was with me. And if I were young again and I met her for the first time even knowing her fate, I would do it all again. That is love. Sam, I know you've denied yourself the experience because you think it must inevitably end in pain and loneliness. It's time to let go of the things that prevent you from finding happiness. You deserve to love someone and be loved in return"
She opened her eyes and the little girl came into view
"Grace, I... I... I don't..."
She closed her eyes and the image of Jacob took her place
"Dad?" she asked automatically
"Sam... you and Jack just seem to dwadle on and on and on..." he said taking a seat "I thought by now you'd be married"
"Dad..."
"Hey, before you get all defensive, just hear me out" he waited until she nodded before continuing "You deserve to be loved Sam. I know you love being in the Air Force but if I'd know that this would have happened... I would have never pressured you into joining"
She stared at him "Are you sure you're my dad?"
"I know it sounds corny but you get to an age where you think of everything you did wrong as a parent"
"Dad, I think you raised me ok..."
"Sam, don't let the regs stop you..."
"Dad, I... I don't know what to say" Sam began
The figure turned back into 8 yr old Grace. "That's what he meant" she said with a sweet smile
"Grace..."
Grace climbed on the bed and kissed Sam on the cheek "I have to go Mama" she said scrambling back off the bed "I love you" and with that she was gone.
"I love you too Grace" she whispered
"Lisa"
Lisa pulled away from her father "Grace?"
"I have to go"
Lisa's face clouded "You can't go!"
The little girl laughed softly "I love you Lisa" she said clasping her arms around her sisters waist.
Lisa hugged her tightly "I love you"
Grace let go and turned to Jack "Bye Daddy" she said with a smile "Take care of Mommy"
Jack stared at her for a moment then nodded "I will"
She hugged "Bye" she whispered
A moment later she disappeared and a minute later, the 'gate was activated and the sirens went off.
"Guess I better go reassure them it's ok" Jack said resigned "I'll talk to you later Lisa"
"Dad..."
He looked up sharply
She smiled shyly "May I come with you?"
He nodded, a big lump in his throat "Yeah, come on" and the two headed out of the room...
Please review! I hoped you liked it!
R-E-V-I-E-W ... Y-E-S!
