Thanks for all your great reviews and sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out.

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Although Charlie had promised Cassie that he would be back at school by lunch time he really didn't think he could face it, firstly there would be all the questions about where he ha been from his teachers and then he'd have to face Cassie's probing glancing and then further questions later. But he could most certainly not stay in the house even if he faked sickness Mrs Hess was bound to fuss over him all day and not give him a second alone to think.

Instead Charlie got up and placed the disk in its original hiding place, slipped out of the front door and down the side of his house to get to his bike; the operation was nearly complete when he heard a clucking from next door. He groaned and slowly turned round and there she was the nosey neighbour from hell and one of her spawn. Sue Lawrence once again clucked and shook her head. "Hi Sue how's it going?" Charlie said hoping some O'Neill charm would save him.

"Shouldn't you be at school Charlie?"

"Funny story actually, I was at school but then I realised I forgot this really important presentation for English class so my friend Cassie, you know her she's always over here."

"I know her, that girlfriend of yours. A bad influence if I do say so myself, I've told my Rob many a time…"

"Yeah well anyway my FRIEND Cassie told me to come and get it in my free period so here I am." Sue looked at him suspiciously before clucking again.

"I'll have to ask your parents."

"They've gone on a business trip for a few days, they should be back on Monday but sure ask them then."

"I don't know, always away on business trips, it's no way to raise children they need continuity and stability and then leaving them with a lady who's not even a relative. No wonder you're off the rails you poor poor children." Charlie had to bite his tongue in order to stop him saying what was really on his mind as Sue bad mouthed his parents. If she just took some time and looked at her own family as she did everyone else's perhaps her kids wouldn't be the little brats they were growing up as.

"Look can I go I've really gotta get back to school" lied Charlie jumping on his bike before she could get another word in edgeways and cycling off. He went up through the park and carried on cycling until he got to the beginning of the wood. Charlie dumped his bike in a near by bike shed and went into the woods.

He then walked to the tallest tree with the densest foliage he could find and proceeded to climb it. He stopped at a large flat branch about ten metres above the ground; he was perfectly hidden from the world but could still see everything below him. Charlie sat with his back resting against the trunk, legs outstretched. Even in the tranquillity that surrounded him Charlie's troubled mind would not rest, he had seen his family's dead bodies but had not had chance to grieve for them, instead haunted by their doubles every day since.

Every time Charlie closed his eyes memories of his past life rolled past his eyelids. He replayed each one over and over again until they were burned into his memory never to be forgotten, things he could not even remember ever happening returned to him like flashes of light, some happy some not so. It wasn't until the sun was setting that Charlie got the answer he was unknowingly searching for; it was of his fathers final few seconds as he lay on the floor next to his wife, blood pooling around him.

Flashback

Charlie rounded the corner quickly, he'd heard over the radio that they were under attack but everything seemed quite now and it didn't matter if he was walking into a trap all Charlie wanted was to be with his family. Charlie saw the Jaffa first, possibly 20 or so, lying sprawled were they fell, 4 people could not possibly have survived such a large attack unscathed. Charlie walked further until he came upon the sight he had been dreading, there Teal'c lay eyes glazed in an otherworldly stare never to focus again, a huge gaping hole where his symbiote should have been replaced with a fatal burn. Daniel laid a few feet down the corridor, his glasses next to him, the lenses cracked and unusable, just like the bruised and battered body that had once been his uncle.

By this point Charlie was ready to throw up; the immortal SG-1 had been destroyed and then just left like pieces of litter. His mom looked so peaceful, almost as if she was sleeping, Charlie fell to his knees and started to shake her whilst sobbing, "Mom, mom, wake up mom!" to no avail. Her body was limp in his arms and her skin cold to his touch; the blue tinge of her lips only confirmed the obvious.

"Charlie" a hoarse voice whispered from the left of him, "Charlie!" Charlie was torn from his grief by the wheezing of his father to the left of him. From the blood that surrounded him Charlie had thought him certainly dead, he frantically raced to his father's side, not caring as he dropped to his knees that the fabric of his trousers was mopping up his father's spilt blood.

"Dad!" Charlie sobbed, "Don't worry dad you're going to be fine" he lied. The wound from Jack's shoulder was still gushing blood; the staff blast to his side had stopped bleeding and formed an ugly clog of platelets and red blood cells, it was a miracle that he' survived as long as he had.

Jack tried to laugh at this but it just turned into rasping coughs, "I'm your father, I know when you're lying and I'm supposed to be comforting you." Jack stopped drawing in much needed breath, "I'm so sorry Charlie".

Charlie began to cry, tears running down his cheeks, "what have you got to be sorry about?" Jack's breathing was getting worse, coming in great gasps, each breath causing him pain.

"For leaving you like this" he paused closing his eyes.

"What are you talking about? It's not your fault the Goa'uld came, it's not your fault, it's not your fault." He repeated over and over again.

"Charlie shush", he soothed. "You have to get yourself, Joey and Sean to safety, promise me that, promise that you'll look after them." He said opening his eyes and staring at his son, "please Charlie."

"I promise dad."

"Cold, so cold." Jack whispered his eyes closing once more and his grip on Charlie's hand loosening.

"Dad, stay with me dad. You can't go yet, don't go; please don't go."

Jack's breathing had slowed to almost non-existent, "Remember Charlie, we love you and no matter what we'll always be with you, you three are the best things I ever did, whatever happens I'm with you." Jack's hand went limp in Charlie's.

"Bye dad" Charlie said taking one last look at his father not wanting to leave his family for the Goa'uld but knowing that rest of his family was now counting upon him, now was not the time for Charlie to fall apart due to the pain of losing his parents, instead he had to remove all emotion so he could focus on the last task set for him by his father.

End Flashback

That task was now over, his brother and sister were now safe, Charlie was finally able to grieve for his parents and face up to what he had seen that night. He could move on with his life and not feel like he was betraying his parents by living with their doubles even with them feeling more and more like his true parents making what had really happened feel like it had happened in another life or to another person. When Charlie finally felt ready to go home a beautiful sunset lit up the sky and Charlie felt he could truly enjoy it without any guilt for the first time in a while.

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Not too sure if this will make much sense within the story but I think Charlie really needed to grieve for his parents and face up to what happened. Watch out for the next chapter!