A/N: Hey again. So, here's the long awaited third chapter. Sorry, story not complete yet. I'll probably finish it up pretty soon though. I think this beat the second chap, but the first is still the best. Anyway, on with the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate. Plain and simple.

Also, I would like to thank all my reviewers; seriously there would be no new chapter attempts without your support. Thanks a bunch! Enjoy the new chap.

Release Chapter Three

Given time, things eventually returned to normal. Well, as normal as things could be in Colorado Springs. SG-1 continued on their missions, just the three of them. Although General Landry requested that a new member be put on SG-1, it was Daniel who eventually talked him out of it using his own personal experience to persuade the General. Over the past six months, they had been lucky in one way. They hadn't been involved in any situations that required Sam's technical expertise. Yes, in time the SGC had learned to move on. It was the only thing they could do. And in turn, so did Jack.

He learned to accept the fact that it would take time. That nothing he did would change the past or the future, this was the truth. God, how he missed her though. Some nights were worse than others, thrashing restlessly in bed never to find sleep. Memories filling his head as they did the day he went to visit her in the SGC. The day she died. No, ascended. There's a difference. One means she's gone forever and the other means she's coming back. Of course she'll have to break the rules to do that. And knowing Carter, that may take a while. But he knew what she'd do, even if it took a while. As much as it killed him to live without her, he was sure that it was killing her too, figuratively on both sides.

One year later

Rain. Cold, never ending rain fell carelessly all over the land. It was days like these that Jack O'Neill came to hate. They seemed to ruin his very reason for retiring. No sun, no fish. After he had official retired, for the last time, Jack came back to his little cabin in peaceful Minnesota. He mainly kept to himself, but he still kept in contact with the SGC on occasion to see what was going on. It was important to him.

The rain hitting the window jolted him back from his dream. He stood and went to the window, peering out as if looking for something. But all he encountered was the loathed rain, falling harder than before. Every time he saw those little drops they reminded him of a day he would never forget. Somehow, today it felt different. In an instant, Jack did something he'd never done before. He ran outside straight into the powerful storm, smiling as if overjoyed. Throwing his arms up in the air, Jack laughed for the first time in what felt like forever. A new thought occurred to him in that moment; the rain wasn't to be hated. All this time he hated the rain because it took him back to that fateful day, but he never thought that the rain was actually calling to him. That she was calling to him. This was the only connection they had and he had been too arrogant to notice it. God, leave it to Carter to actually make me think deeply about something. "Ah, Sam, I'm sorry." He called up to the dark filled sky. Seconds after, his call was answered by a large, white flash of lightning in the middle of the storm. I know that's you Sam. I know you're there. I want to you to know that I'll be here, waiting for you. Always.

A/N: In case you were confused, a total time of 1-½ years have gone by. Yeah, I know that's a really long time, but I think it needed to be done a little bit different than Daniel's ascension time-table. Kay, this is the time to leave feedback. Please.