Malek thought he had seen everything during his one thousand years. He thought wrong! This was one scenario he never could have possibly imagined, not even if he was to live another one…no two thousand years. And yet, if he hadn't known Selmak so well he never would have believed her story about dying, ascending, and then being resurrected in the form of a four year old girl.

Of course, it wasn't that simple. Malek had asked as many questions as he could to confirm that the girl was Selmak. However, about two questions into the interrogation Malek definitely noticed the personality of the child was Selmak's. And by the time he was done, he found it rather amusing that Selmak, one of the wisest Tok'ra symbiotes he had the privilege of knowing, would willingly chose to be a little girl.

In fact, sitting there alone with her in the council chambers and watching her fidget about in her seat across from him, Malek wanted to laugh at the whole idea. But he didn't. He still respected her because she entrusted this highly sensitive information only to him.

"I don't like this color. Can I have a purple dress?" she asked tugging on her royal blue dress. "I like purple. It was Saroosh's favorite color too. I tried convincing Jacob that he needed to add a little color to his wardrobe but he said I was being ridiculous. Imagine, me being ridiculous! It's not like I was asking for much color…brown is such a boring color, especially after the first one hundred years!"

Yes, Selmak only appeared as a four year old girl! On the other hand, her mouth was as Malek remembered before she blended with Jacob…nonstop. Because of Jacob's take charge personality he wouldn't allow Selmak full control of his body for long extended periods. And so Selmak was never as chatty was she was when in Saroosh. But that didn't mean Selmak wasn't heard. There were numerous times when Malek saw Jacob stomping through the tunnels either shaking his head or cursing out loud at Selmak.

"How did Jacob ever put up with you?" he asked and Selmak answered without skipping a beat.

"What can I say? I'm irresistible," she smiled.

"Really, he often told me you were a pain in the neck!"

"You should have heard what he said about you!" she giggled.

"Selmak, I do know," he groaned. "Like you, Jacob never hesitated to speak his mind!"

"Yes, I recall the two of you had some wonderfully entertaining arguments. Almost as colorful as Jacob's and mine. But I had one advantage that you didn't. Whenever Jacob was furious with me I would appear in his mind as a little girl and he could no longer be angry with me."

Selmak's giggled uncontrollably. Only it was not the laughter of a bubbly little girl but of someone with a twisted sense of humor!

"Is that why you took the form of a child, so he wouldn't be angry with you when you find him?" Malek asked because he had to agree that one would find it hard to ignore a crying child or to be angry with one.

Selmak's cheerful disposition disappeared and was replaced with a sadness that Malek recognized. He had seen Selmak grieve deeply for her hosts after each one passed. She loved each of them for their faults and their strengths. Obviously, Jacob Carter's passing was mourned as intensely as all her previous hosts.

"Selmak?"

"He has every right to be angry with me," she wept, avoiding Malek's gaze. "I killed him. I took him away from where he belonged. I have to set things right."

Malek also had no doubts that Selmak's plan would work for she more than looked her part with her big, round, innocent looking, dark blue eyes, her long blonde hair that was neatly braided, and her small hands and feet. She could easily pass for Samantha Carter's younger sister. And if the Tok'ra were taken in by her innocent looks when she arrived then the Tau'ri would be just as, if not more, gullible. Not to mention Selmak could…to use one of Jacob's terms…bullshit her way through with the best of them.

"Are you certain Jacob is on Earth?" he asked.

"Positive," she said, wiping away her tears. "We must hurry! I know he's in danger! And you know Jacob as well as I do, the man can't stay out of trouble for more than five minutes. Who knows what mess he's gotten himself into by now! Just tell General O'Neill exactly what I told you and I'll take care of the rest."

"Very well," he smiled.

"Can I still have a purple dress?"

"I think you look pretty with the blue, it brings out the color in your eyes more."

"Really? Where's a mirror, I want to see!" she asked jumping off her seat.

"Selmak, I thought you said we had to hurry," he quickly said, barely managing to grab her little arm before she charged by.

"Oh, right," she frowned. "I seem to be having a hard time focusing today."

"That's because you are beginning to act more like a child," he smiled.

"I am not a child!" she protested, yanking her arm free from his grasp.

"You look like one to me," he countered.

Selmak cursed at him in Goa'uld then stomped off. Malek quickly followed unable to hide his amusement.

So far so good, part one of her plan had worked to perfection, as expected. The Tok'ra had been unable to abandon a crying child, even one that mysteriously arrived through the Stargate. And as she predicted, they had performed a few tests on her to ensure their safety. Then she had to wait a day before Malek finally returned to the Tok'ra base after a mission.

Only once she had a moment alone with Malek did Selmak reveal who she really was; she didn't trust the other Tok'ra enough to divulge such information about herself. Plus, she wasn't going to remain with the Tok'ra and saw no point in telling anyone other than Malek. He was just a means of getting to Earth and convincing him was easy because she had easily answered his list of questions.

Now, the real test would be the Tau'ri. They were so unpredictable at times. Selmak would have to give the performance of a lifetime…several lifetimes if you include each of her hosts…to convince them. She would have to use every trick to her advantage to leave no doubts in their minds.

"Malek, I think you should carry me," Selmak suddenly blurted as they were heading towards the active Stargate.

"What?" he asked, coming to a stop.

"It will make sense. Trust me. You're a good friend to Jacob. You're following through with his final wishes. It will be more convincing! Plus, my legs are tired of trudging through the sand! Being this small I have to take twice as many steps as you from the rings to the Gate."

Malek stared at her for a moment. From the astonished look on his face, Selmak could tell he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I'll hold your hand! I am not carrying you like you're some little princess!" he retorted.

"Jacob once told me that all little girls are princesses to their fathers," she replied, slowly blinking those long eyelashes of hers at him.

"Thankfully, I am not your father," he smirked.

Oh, was he going to pay for that! Selmak decided it was time to get into character. She was an excellent actress no matter what the role. Her eyes welled up and her bottom lip trembled. She even managed to only let a single tear roll down her cheek.

Malek didn't even say anything but simply picked her up with an annoyed look on his face.

Selmak tried not to giggle too loudly.

Maybe this was going to be so easier than she thought. If she could convince a Tok'ra she was a vulnerable child she would have Jacob's friends catering to her every desire. The more vulnerable she appeared, the more irresistible she would be to Samantha Carter. Selmak's plan was that Jacob's daughter would care for her because Samantha would no doubt be one of the first ones contacted when her father surfaced.

"Ready?" Malek asked.

"It will work Malek," she said reassuringly.

"I have no doubts. But I hope you know what you're getting into. You will be on your own once I'm gone."

"I'll be fine. Everything will be as it should be when I find Jacob."

Malek gave her a look.

"Everything has to work out," she added. "Let's go! Down the rabbit hole!"

"What?"

"The rabbit hole…from Alice in Wonderland. It's a movie Jacob's granddaughter loves to watch. I've seen it a dozen times or so."

"That's…commendable."

"Silly, it's an analogy. The wormhole is a means to another world, just like the rabbit hole for Alice was to another world. A world of discovery and adventure!"

Malek shook his head and took that as his queue. When they stepped through the event horizon the threshold felt cool against Selmak's skin. Then she went on a ride she had traveled many times. Only this time it was much more exhilarating and she found herself giggling when she finally emerged, arriving at the SGC.

The disorientation quickly wore off but not her giggles until she saw General Jack O'Neill waiting at the base of the ramp.

General Jack! Ha! Selmak still couldn't believe it! That was the one bet with Jacob she actually lost! To his credit, Jack did make a good General and he even managed to keep his sense of humor. However, that man never looked happy when he saw the Tok'ra. Today was no different. After the Kanan incident Selmak couldn't blame him. She had never felt so ashamed of her kind until that day. And she was so grateful that Jack had survived the incident even if he didn't trust the Tok'ra any longer.

"Malek, what brings the Tok'ra to Earth?" Jack asked in typical Jack fashion when he talked to a Tok'ra…no emotion in his face and the ever so slight annoyance in his voice.

"This little girl," Malek answered without hesitation, showing her to Jack.

Selmak smiled and appeared as innocent as possible. Jack smiled in return but Selmak could tell he was being cautious. She too was well aware of how the Goa'uld used children as instruments of destruction. Still, she was confident she could convince him.

"Are you friends with my Daddy too?" she cheerfully asked, making sure to appear anxious for a reply.

"I'm not sure," Jack smiled. "What's his name?"

"Daddy," she plainly stated, instantly making Jack at ease about her.

"General O'Neill, perhaps we could speak somewhere more private and I will explain," Malek wisely interjected.

"Very well," Jack said then led them to his office.

Once there, Malek gently sat Selmak down in a chair and quickly closed the doors to Jack's office. Malek was such a good Tok'ra and always obeyed his elders.

"So, what's your name?" Jack asked after he knelt down in front of her.

Name! Oh shit! A name? The thought of a name didn't even occur to her! Jacob always called her Sel. But she couldn't tell Jack her real name! But she had better come up with one real quick before Jack became suspicious.

A name…what's that phrase Jacob uses…Holy…

"Hannah," she smiled.

"Nice to meet you Hannah. I'm Jack," he smiled shaking her hand.

"Hi Jack. Do I get to see my Daddy now? Is he here?"

"I don't know. Who is your Daddy?" Jack asked looking at Malek.

Selmak remained calm on the outside. On the inside she was as giddy as…a little girl. She couldn't wait to see the look on Jack's face. And Malek, the good friend he was, delivered his lines on queue.

"Jacob Carter."

And Jack reacted exactly as Selmak had imaged.

"What?" he asked as he shot to his feet.

"Hannah is Jacob Carter's daughter," Malek repeated slowly for Jack.

Jack stared at her for a long moment. He had a look of total shock and dismay so Selmak gave him a huge smile. After which, he quickly composed himself then shoved Malek out his office door and into the briefing room.

"Wait here Hannah," Jack smiled. "I need to talk to your Daddy's friend."

This was so much fun!

"Ok, Jack!" she chirped, kicking her feet.

Jack looked at her for a moment before quickly grabbing a pen and a piece of paper and handed them to her.

"Here, Hannah. Draw me a picture," he smiled then left, shutting the door behind him.

Selmak stared at the items for a second before setting them down on his desk. Then she hopped off her chair and peered out the window of Jack's office into the briefing room. Drawing wasn't as exciting as watching people arguing, even if she had to stand on her toes to watch!

She could tell they were arguing. Jack as usual lost his composure. He was trying not to yell so loud while he was pointing in her direction. And Malek, well he was always so even tempered during a disagreement. Even Selmak had a hard time figuring out if he was angry, upset or happy because his expression hardly ever changed. Still, she was confident in Malek's abilities as she watched him calmly explain what she had instructed him to tell Jack.

After a few minutes, Selmak watched Jack move to make a phone call. Immediately after that the Stargate became active. It was one of two possibilities. Samantha Carter's team was off world and General O'Neill was retrieving her or he was sending Malek and her away. She was about to find out as the two men were heading her way.

"Did I do something wrong?" she innocently asked, letting her eyes well up with huge tears. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, Hannah, you're not in trouble," Jack smiled taking hold of her hand and squeezing it gently. "Malek's leaving…"

"But we just got here," she whined to Malek. "Do we have to go?"

"You are staying Hannah but I'm afraid I must go," he smiled to her then turned to Jack. ""Keep an eye on her, General O'Neill. I wouldn't want anything to happen to her."

"Don't worry. She'll be in good hands until Colonel Carter returns."

"Then I will take my leave of you, Hannah," Malek smiled to her. "Please, try to behave yourself."

"I'll try, but it's so hard," Selmak smirked, making Malek shake his head.

"She'll be safe," Jack insisted. "You have my word."

With that Malek said his good bye then left. Now Selmak was truly on her own but at least she was on Earth and that much closer to finding Jacob.

"Come on Hannah," Jack smiled leading her out of his office. "I want you to meet a friend of mine Dr. Brightman."

Selmak swallowed hard. Doctor? Shit! A Doctor meant tests. And tests meant results. Results that could ruin Selmak's master plan.

"Don't worry, honey," Jack added reassuringly. "She's a nice lady. I just want to make sure you alright. I wouldn't want you to get sick or anything. You don't want to get sick do you?"

"No. But can I see my daddy first? He always make my owies go away. If he makes them go away then I don't have to see the doctor."

Jack laughed. Why was he laughing? Selmak didn't think she said anything funny. In fact, if she said a joke she always laughed first!

"I'm sorry sweetie, don't cry," Jack said, picking her up into his arms and carrying her as they walked through the tunnels.

"I want my Daddy!" she wailed.

Jack cooed, "Your big sister will be here soon…"

"Sammy?" she sniffled.

"That's right."

"Daddy told me about her. He said I would like her."

"And you will. She's a smart lady and she's going to love you."

"Is she with daddy?"

"No, but we'll talk about your daddy when she gets here, ok?"

"Ok."

It took her team a good hour to return to the Stargate. And that was at a trotting pace. Sam was worried about her brother the instant she received the message from Sergeant Davis to return to base because of an urgent family matter. However, she was confused when General O'Neill wasn't in the Gate room to greet them.

"Colonel Carter, General O'Neill would like you to meet him in the infirmary once you've changed out of your gear," Davis instructed.

Infirmary? Ok, Sam was really confused now. What the hell was going on? After a quick shower and change of clothing Sam rushed to the infirmary to get her answers. General O'Neill was waiting at the doorway.

"General, what's going on?"

The General pulled her aside to a corner of the infirmary and spoke quietly.

"Carter, did your father ever mention anything about…his private life as a Tok'ra?" he asked.

Sam blinked in surprise because it was an odd question to ask, especially since her father's been dead for nearly two months now.

"He often talked about how crappy the food was and that he hated the fact that he had no privacy," she answered.

"Nothing else? No mentioning of any…relationships?"

"I'm not sure what you mean, Sir."

"Malek told me an interesting story about that little girl. A little girl who has her mother's blonde hair and blue eyes and her father's stubborn streak."

Sam looked to see a little blonde hair girl cry out in pain as Dr. Brightman injected a needle into her little arm. Huge tears filled her eyes as the doctor was taking some blood.

"That wasn't very nice!" the little girl spat through her tears.

"Who is she, Sir?" Sam asked, refraining from laughing at the little girl's attitude.

"Apparently, she's Jacob's daughter," Jack answered.

"WHAT?" Sam shouted, making everyone in the room look towards her and the General for a moment.

"That little girl is Jacob's daughter and your sister," Jack seriously said.

"That's impossible, Sir! My father would have told me about something like this!" Sam insisted.

"According to Malek," Jack continued in a hushed tone. "Jacob never told anyone in order to protect Hannah and Malek didn't find out about Hannah until after Jacob died. Apparently he left a message for Malek, explaining about the girl. From what I'm told, the Tok'ra are not allowed to have children even if the child born in not Harcesis. Now I asked Teal'c if this was possible, he said only if the mother doesn't have a symbiote implanted in her can a child be conceived without the father's symbiote's knowledge being passed down to the child."

Sam was barely listening to the General as he continued. She was still trying to get over the shock that she suddenly had a little sister. She HAD a little sister! Unbelievable! When the hell did Dad have time to have a kid? Hell, when did he find time to have a relationship with a woman? Shit…why didn't he ever tell Sam about any of it?

She was a little hurt by the fact that her father concealed such news, after all, Sam was his daughter! One would think he would have shared such news with his family! But then Sam realized that her father was right to not reveal Hannah to Sam. After the replicator incidents, it was all too clear. While Sam would never willingly divulge such information, she couldn't control any external forces that could extract such valuable information and use it against her or her family.

Hannah started giggling hysterically when one of the nurses made a funny face behind Dr. Brightman's back. Sam smiled. It had been so long since Sam even felt like laughing herself. Her father unexpectedly died two months ago and she still couldn't shake her melancholy mood at times. So she immersed herself in her work to avoid her grief. Her father's death left an empty space in her heart that seemed destined to remain void. But watching Hannah laugh as the nurse tickled her to make her forget about the pain, Sam suddenly wasn't melancholy anymore. How could she be, when she got a part of her father back? A part Sam would gladly accept into her life.

"Carter?"

"Sorry, Sir. I was just…thinking."

"I guess that means you'll be taking care of her?

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Sam, I understand why you would willing take her in. She's an adorable little girl. But she is a child. You and I know what the Goa'uld do to children. Plus, we don't even know where she came from. And you know I don't trust the Tok'ra…"

"But why would they lie about her?" she countered.

"Just…just allow the doc to run a few tests. Then we can go from there."

Sam didn't see why the Tok'ra would do anything to harm a child and they didn't have anything to gain by an assault on Earth. And if Malek brought Hannah to Earth per Jacob's wishes, then Hannah is Sam's little sister. Looking at her, Sam had no doubts and knew in her heart that Hannah was a Carter.

"What about her mother?" Sam asked, suddenly realizing she hadn't heard Jack mention anything about the woman or whatever woman Dad was having a relationship with.

"All Malek said was that the mother died from complications during child birth and apparently Selmak was only able to save little Hannah," Jack replied solemnly.

Sam closed her eyes to hold back the tears. Just imagining what kind of emotional pain her father had to endure during such an event was heart wrenching. No doubt he had blamed himself for the death of Hannah's mother. Sam knew he had never stopped blaming himself for the death of her own mother because he would visit Allison's grave every year on their wedding anniversary. And Sam wasn't surprised when General Hammond had told her, at her father's funeral, that even after Jacob Carter had become a Tok'ra, he never missed a visit with Allison.

"Does she know dad's gone?" Sam asked, opening her eyes.

Jack exhaled loudly. An indication he wasn't happy with Sam's obvious decision.

"No," he frowned. "She keeps asking about him too."

"I'll tell her. She's my responsibility."

"Carter…"

Sam turned and glared at him.

"Never mind," he sighed in resignation.

Sam left him and headed over towards Hannah. When Sam was close enough, the little girl turned and her big blue eyes just lit up.

"Are you Sammy?" she asked with this huge smile on her face. "Jack said you were coming!"

"Yes, I'm Sammy," Sam smiled in return.

"Where's daddy?"

"We'll leave you two alone. I'm all done," Dr. Brightman smiled, then she and the nurse left Sam alone with Hannah.

"When was the last time you saw dad?" Sam asked taking hold of Hanna's little hand.

"I don't know. It's been a long time. Each time he comes to visit he tells my I'm getting bigger and that my hair is getting longer and longer. I can't tell, is my hair longer?"

"Seems really long to me," she replied gently tugging on Hannah's braid.

"I really miss him," Hannah frowned.

"Me too," Sam swallowed hard.

She couldn't stop the feelings of grief and joy. Just like she couldn't stop her tears from falling. And Hannah, being a very perceptive little girl picked up on Sam's feelings.

"Why are you sad? Did something happen to Daddy?" she slowly asked.

"Yes," Sam replied softly and Hannah's eyes instantly filled with tears. Sam opened her arms and the little girl didn't hesitate to go to Sam. "Everything's going to be fine. We have each other now. I believe that's what dad would have wanted."

There was nothing Jack could say or do to persuade Carter differently. She missed her father more than she would admit to anyone, even him. So he decided to keep his mouth shut and hope for the best. And instead, he watched from a distance as Carter and Hannah instantly bonded.

For the first time since Jacob died Jack saw Carter truly smile. She was crying but at least she was happy. And Hannah…that little girl never shut up. Jack watched them for an hour straight from an observation room while waiting for the test results! He didn't think a four year old could say so much nor speak so well, as he didn't remember Charlie talking like that when he was four years old.

Even when the doctor returned to give Hannah a few standard vaccination shots the kid spoke her mind while wiping away her tears. Boy, Hannah did not like doctors or needles!

"General?" the doctor called from behind him as he watched Carter tickling Hannah making her giggle uncontrollably.

"Yes, Dr. Brightman, take a seat," he said, offering her the vacant one beside him.

Jack immediately felt his stomach twist into knots. The look on the doctor's face told Jack that the test results were not as he had hoped.

"Just keep it simple doc," he ordered.

"DNA results confirm that Hannah is General Carter's daughter and Colonel Carter's half sister. Blood analysis shows no trace of naquadah in her system and her immune system is not up to par with a child her age, which is why we're giving her immunization shots. Also, CAT scans, MRI, and ultrasounds indicate there are no Gou'ald devices in her body."

Ok, so that wasn't the news Jack was expecting to hear from the sad look on the doctor's face.

"So, why the long face?" he asked.

"Sir…her brain activity…well…"

"Just spit it out!"

"It's highly unusual for a four year old."

"I'm sure it's not unusual for one of Jacob's kids. First of all, Jacob's a pretty smart guy. According to Carter, her brother Mark is a genius himself. And we all know that Carter's a super genius! So I have no doubts that little Hannah has the Carter smart gene too! Hell, she's probably smarter than all of them combined!"

"The test results suggest intelligence far and I mean FAR beyond that of a four year old. Even far beyond the average adult!"

"So what does that mean…exactly? Oh…wait…don't tell me."

"While there is no trace of naquadah in her, she could still be Harcesis."

"I asked you not to tell me," he mumbled as he started massaging his temples.

He didn't need a headache right now nor did he need the complications this child could cause if discovered. In order to protect her Jack needed all the tests to prove that she was simply a human child with no exceptional abilities. With the exception that Hannah had a motor mouth!

"Who knows about these test results?" he asked.

"Just you and me, Sir."

"Do you know what would happen to Hannah if the powers that be discover she's Harcesis, if in fact she is?"

"Yes, Sir. I know very well what will happen."

"Then it's our job to ensure that it doesn't happen. Understood? The EEG machine is broken or something, do you understand?"

The doctor paused for a moment, then replied, "The tests were inconclusive, Sir. The EEG machine needs to be recalibrated. Perhaps she can be retested at another time."

"Very good," Jack smiled. "Now, if you will excuse me. I'm going to bring Carter the good news."

She was actually Jacob's daughter? How the hell was that even possible? Selmak couldn't believe her ears when she over heard Jack talking to Sam about the test results. Being Jacob's daughter was not part of the deal! In fact, the very idea made Selmak feel…weird.

On the other hand, Jacob was going to love it! Selmak would have to call him dad which meant that he was the authority figure not her! Great…just great! All her efforts at breaking him in were now moot! He was never going to obey her now!

"When hell freezes over!" she whispered to herself. "Sorry Jacob, you will not have that pleasure. Not if I have anything to say about it!"

Selmak quickly slipped back into character as Sam approached. Selmak found it was exceedingly difficult to lie to Sam. All Selmak wanted to do was apologize for killing Jacob. It was all too apparent that Sam still deeply mourned her father.

Difficult or not, Selmak accepted it as part of her punishment. And only when Jacob was reunited with his family would her punishment be over.