Hey! I'm sorry it took me so long, I had some RL issues. Anyhow, here it is.

Enjoy!

M.

Chapter XLI

December 29th, 2004

Underground Sanctuary

"So, what's it going to be?" Will asked, entering Helen's office. Magnus smiled brightly at him.

"Samantha asked to see her parents' birthplaces."

"Oh," Will said a bit crestfallen.

"What's wrong, William?" Helen asked, noticing quite quickly the change in his posture and voice.

"Nothing."

"William, I know you. Tell me what's bothering you?"

"It's silly. Don't mind me." He waved in dismissal, but Helen didn't let it go. She stood up and walked around her desk to stand up right in front of him.

"Tell me, please?" She whispered, searching his eyes. He sighed.

"It's just. You've been spending a lot of time with Nikola lately, and now you are going to travel to his hometown and then to London and I," William inhaled. "Are you still sure about this?" he asked, pointing at them.

"This? You mean us?"

"Yes," he muttered, lowering his eyes. "I told you it was silly."

"It might be silly, William. But it wouldn't be bothering you if it wasn't important," she said, raising his face. "Yes, I'm spending a lot of time with Nikola. We are trying to come up with a way to free the Colonel. You are welcomed to join us in the search, or be there if you want. Today we are traveling together only because he is Samantha's father."

"I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, you should say whatever you need to tell me, William. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, you can come with us; I'm sure no one would complain."

"It's a family thing; you should go."

"You are family too," Helen whispered, as she caressed his face softly. "I love you, William. And I know sometimes it's very confusing because you know you are not the only one I've loved. I understand it, the concept might be easy to grasp but living it, is a whole different thing."

"But you are sure about us?" He frowned. She smiled and tangled her fingers in his hair before she lowered his head and kissed him senseless.

"Yes, I'm sure about us," she whispered against his lips when they came up for air. "I adore this from you, William. You might be feeling uncertain, and yet, you still have the guts to confess it. Not everyone can do it."

"I'm sorry, it is just…" he shrugged.

"Too much 'alone' time with Nikola," she said, quoting the alone with her fingers. "Just bear in mind something."

"What is it?"

"You are the one who holds me at night," she added, biting her lower lip before she placed a quick kiss on his lips. "I need to get back to my planning. The earlier we go, the faster I'll be back to you."

December 29th, 2004

Smiljan, Croatia

Nikola smiled, looking at the structure, the outside was exactly as he remembered. Even if it was no longer his own house, but a rebuilt building that resembled it a lot. He knew Helen had something to do with the perfect way these buildings were restored. And probably something with the fact that even though some buildings around the place were still under construction, there was no one around when they arrived, and she knew exactly where the keys to the two main buildings were.

They walked inside it, checking how the place looked from the inside and Magnus explained to them that as far as she knew, the people responsible for the project were still deciding what they were going to showcase once the place was ready to become the Museum it was intended to be.

"So, when is it planned to be inaugurated?"

"Somewhere in 2006. Probably around summer." Helen shrugged and then excused herself out.

Sam and Ashley were still walking around and checking the place out, trying to imagine what it would look like filled with things and people once it finally opened. Nikola couldn't follow their quick chatter.

"You are going to be okay here?" he asked the girls, and they nodded. So, he walked outside and found Helen standing near the stream where he had spent many days of his childhood.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Nikola whispered, making Helen chuckle.

"I'm pretty sure my thoughts wouldn't be worth a penny," she answered grinning. "I was considering this to be sweltering weather for a winter day," Helen finished, and he chuckled.

"Well, I suppose people used to harsher winters would agree with you, Helena. What are you doing outside?" He asked her in Serbian. Helen chuckled, it was ages since the last time he called her 'Helena.'

"Giving you time to reminisce?" She trailed, answering him in his language of choice, turning her eyes back to the mountains.

"I think you'll never stop amazing me, Helen."

"Whatever are you talking about, Niko?"

"This," he waved, pointing towards the back. "You didn't have to do it."

"I didn't have to, Nikola. But your inventions, your advances had to be acknowledged somehow. I just sent them some of the pictures you left behind to help them rebuild."

"Well, thank you anyway," he grinned and walked away. "Oh, and Helena?" Nikola shouted over his shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Your Serbian has improved too," he shouted, and as he walked away, he could still hear her laugh.

December 29th, 2004

London Sanctuary, England.

"You know where I can find mom?" Sam asked, plopping herself on the bed of the visitor's room she and Ashley were sharing for the short duration of their stay.

"Not in her room, office, lab, clinic?" Ashley wondered not even raising her eyes from the magazine she was perusing.

"No," Sam huffed.

"And you tried radio and cell?" The younger Magnus frowned.

"Yes, both."

"Then check the roof."

"The roof?"

"Yeah, she has a thing for the heights." Ashley shrugged.

"How do I get to the roof?" Sam wondered, making her sister sigh. "Let me change out of this super-comfy towel, and I'll take you." Ashely grinned.

Five minutes later, Ashley got out of the bathroom wearing the clothes they had bought earlier on their shopping expedition. They headed towards a place of the building where Sam hadn't been before, and Ashley pointed her to an old looking wooden door and grinned.

"If she isn't there, then I would recommend you try her radio or cell again and hope she turned the volume up. Or wait in the room until she shows up," Ashley finished opening the door for her sister. "Up you go."

"You are not coming?"

"Nah, I'm going to see if I can find something to eat."

After saying that, she teleported away, leaving Sam to her thoughts. Sam looked at the dark stairs, picked her cellphone out of her pocket, and used the handy flashlight it had attached to light her way up. As Ashley had guessed, Sam found Helen standing on the ledge of the roof.

"When Ashley said you were fond of the heights, I never imagined it also included standing on ledges," Sam said, Helen turned around and smiled.

"Samantha. Please do join me," Helen pointed to her side.

"Sooo.. why are we here?"

"This is my favorite place in the whole house," Helen grinned looking at Sam. "I loved this so much when I lived here, that I asked something like this for my home at the Old City Sanctuary."

"I'll take it you also have something similar to this down at Hollow Earth?"

"I have. I don't go up there as much as I would here. It doesn't have the same charm," Helen smiled sadly while Sam frowned in confusion. "It's the view, we can have our lights of the city shining as bright as these, but the quality of this sky is far better than our piece of rock."

"Do you miss it?" Sam asked, feeling curious. Helen's lips curved upwards.

"More than I thought I would," Magnus confessed in a whisper. "I never took it for granted, I would come here or at the Old City rooftop and observe the skies, it always had a calming effect on me. Watching the sky and the lights below, always pointed at the normal things in life, as if any issue that had brought me up here was a figment of my imagination and not a chaotic situation as it often was. Do you have any place like this? Not precisely a rooftop, but a zen zone."

"There's a place in Colorado; the Garden of the Gods." Sam started.

"Ah, I should have guessed," Helen smiled, turning slightly around to find a confused expression on her daughter's face. "That area was Nikola's favorite place in Colorado Springs," Helen waved in dismissal. "And you go there often?"

"As much as I can," Sam shrugged.

"I'm sure as lovely as this conversation is, you aren't here for it. Why were you looking for me?"

"I was wondering what our plans were, and you weren't answering your radio or cell," Sam pointed out.

"My cell is charging, and I purposely forgot my radio down inside my room. As for our plans, I was thinking of dinner; there are a few restaurants I can call in to get a quiet place. Or, we can head back down. It's completely up to you since Ashley has already forced us out shopping."

Sam smiled. After they arrived at the Sanctuary and lunch; Helen had shown Sam around explaining to her how everything had looked like when she was a child and how it had changed over time. Then, two hours after their arrival, Ashley had decided the history lesson was too much, and shopping in London was far more fun than seeing more abnormals. After a good deal of pleading, the young Magnus convinced both women, and the trio set out to raid the stores.

"Would you mind if I ask to get back to the Hollow Earth?" Sam asked after a while.

"Not at all, but are you sure?"

"Yes, as I've said. I was never a big fan of birthdays, but if I must survive them, I prefer doing it in intimate places, not in loud, expensive restaurants."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"I haven't heard much about your brother? Is there a reason for that?" Helen asked, and Sam frowned. "Don't answer if you don't feel comfortable."

Sam scratched her head and considered her words as she looked up towards the sky.

"We get along; he knows I don't like birthdays so that he will call me tomorrow. I don't get to see him much."

"Because you don't want to or because you can't?" Helen wondered.

"A bit of both, I suppose. Because I've managed to steal the time to join you at Hollow Earth but a trip to San Diego to visit him is too far away."

"You should go and visit him, spend the new year with him."

"I, there's the time thing. I wouldn't be able to go there and back to Colorado in time," Sam shrugged.

"That's an excuse, young lady." Helen grinned. "If you want to see him, Ashley can get you to San Diego in no time, and if you agree on the pickup time, you'll be back in Colorado in a blink of an eye."

"I guess… I never thought of that as a possibility."

"It is. If you want it." Helen offered, turning around to look towards the city lights. "Family is important, Samantha. Blood-related or not."

"I'll ask him if I can go when he calls."

"Great! Shall we go fetch Nikola and Ashley to head home then?"

"Sure."

December 31st, 2004

San Diego

"Sam?" Her sister in law said surprised when she opened the door.

"Hi Beth, I'm not sure if Mark mentioned I was coming?"

"He did, come on in," she said, giving her space to enter the house. "I mean, he mentioned you might be coming, but you know Mark, he was sure you wouldn't."

"Well, I didn't want to intrude, so I got myself a nice room downtown," Sam explained as they walked towards the kitchen. "I left my bags there and came here," Sam shrugged. Her sister in law said nothing making Sam sigh. "This was a bad idea. I'm going to go," she finished backtracking her steps.

"I'm sorry, Sam," Beth pinched the bridge of her nose. "I do not intend to be rude; it's just we rarely see you or your father. This situation is strange, to say the least," she grimaced.

"It's also strange to me, Beth. I told Mark I was coming and that's the reason I'm here. But if you don't want me here, I can leave. I'm sure you had plans for tonight, and I'm most likely ruining them."

"Look, he should be back from work soon."

"Where are the kids?" Sam asked after a while of standing in silence face to face with her sister in law.

"At friends' houses, they should be back around five," Beth said, sounding a bit harsh. Sam sighed, but she understood where her sister-in-law was coming from, Sam loved her niece and nephew but had met them on so few occasions that every time they needed to be told who she was. She had hoped for a closer relationship once her dad had mended fences with Mark, but it seemed that the two of them had, but his family still was off-limits.

"Oh, I guess I do have bad timing. I tell you what, I'm going to go back to downtown, and I'm calling Mark on the way there. Maybe I can meet him somewhere."

"I'm," Beth started, but Sam raised her head.

"If you are going for I'm sorry, don't be. This is my fault, not yours; it's been five years since the last time I came here. And even if I talk to Mark at least occasionally, I'm not here. I would love to, but it's complicated for me due to my job."

"Look, Sam. I understand your reasons. Your job is demanding and complicated. Still, your father has managed to come and visit every so often. You haven't," Beth added, and Sam pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You are right. Sometimes, I wish to be able to change things. I still can't; I can only try and improve them. Things are quiet at work, and I finally got time to be here, I don't know if I will be able to be here tomorrow or in two months."

"We can't keep introducing you to the kids, Sam. I don't hate you or anything but the kids…" Beth trailed. "David looked up to you before we moved here, now he is ten and Lisa, well she was a baby back then, but she is eight now. And neither of them has any idea of who you are. We can't keep introducing you to them only to have you disappear on them again," her sister-in-law finished, and Sam clenched her jaw before nodding once.

"Then I should get on my way out asap," Sam added finally and turned around before she stopped herself again. "Actually, can I ask you something?"

"I suppose."

"Can I see some pictures of the kids? I'm a bad aunt, but that doesn't mean I don't love them."

"Sure," Beth smiled before she walked away to find an album with the most recent pictures of David and Lisa.

"Holy Hannah, they have gotten so big," Sam said, caressing a picture of both children wearing their baseball team uniform.

"It's been five years, and kids grow, Samantha. We all do," Beth sighed, and then frowned looking at Sam. "I guess you got the lucky forever young genes, huh?" Sam touched her face and shrugged.

"That's what people keep saying."

"Keep it," Beth whispered.

"What?"

"The picture, you can keep it. I still have the negatives; I can print more."

Sam left the house feeling a bit disappointed. She wanted to see the kids, but her sister in law had valid reasons for not wanting her near. And Sam had to agree with Beth, the last four times Sam had told Mark, she was coming visit, she couldn't get there. Universal chaos, base quarantine, her kidnapping or alien attempts at invading Earth were few of the reasons that kept her from doing it, but she couldn't disclose those.

She dialed Mark's number as she parked outside the hotel that also served as a covert Sanctuary topside and waited until he picked up his phone.

"Hey, Sam. Are you calling to say you are not coming? That's a new one." Mark said as soon as he answered his phone, and Sam sighed.

"Actually, I'm calling to let you know I'm downtown."

"No, you aren't."

"Yes, I am," Sam grimaced before she continued. "I went to your house and."

"Beth didn't like it."

"Yeah, she does have good reasons too," she sighed. "Can you meet me to talk? A coffee? A beer? And then you are free to go home and have an awesome night?"

"Sure. I can do that. Text me the address of your hotel, and I'll get there in half an hour, sound good?"

"Yes. I'll see you then."

Forty-five minutes later, Sam was walking towards the hotel restaurant and smiled when she saw her brother. Mark opened his arms and grinning they hugged before they both sat in the booth Mark had secured for them.

"So, she doesn't know you've been to Colorado?" was the first thing Sam asked once they were sitting.

"She does," Mark nodded. "Beth still believes that me going to Colorado and you not visiting us, is not a healthy relationship and our children shouldn't be involved in it. 'It lacks stability,'" he quoted.

"I'm sorry. The only thing I can say is I can try harder. But, you know how the military is, Mark; some things are not my call."

"Yet, here you are."

"Yes, it is a long story," she waved. "Can I ask you something?"

"I've tried to persuade Beth to let you see the kids if you come to visit," Mark answered before she could ask. Sam shook her head no.

"Did you know I was adopted?" She asked, and Mark choked on the water he was sipping.

"What?" He said, but despite all the time apart, there were too many years and shared experiences to allow her t still be able to tell her brother knew.

"You don't need to pretend, Mark. Dad probably told you, I know."

"He didn't; I didn't know. I admit it, now some of my memories make sense but really?"

"Yes. I'm adopted. Mom and Dad took me in after your baby sister passed away," Sam sighed.

"That makes so much sense to me now," Mark let out, then frowning shook his head. "Not like that, I mean, the passed away sister and then baby you appearing out of the blue, I mean." Sam grinned and placed a hand over his to stop his rambling.

"I know."

"Wait, but you said dad told me? Do you mean when I was a kid? Because truly I didn't even remember you as not being part of the family," Mark frowned worriedly.

"I learned it three years ago."

"How?" Mark frowned.

"Well, there was a chance dad needed a kidney donor, and I was nearby."

"Wait? Dad needed a kidney donor, and I didn't know about this? Sam, you can't go around not telling me things like this," he huffed. "You are my baby sister; you are not supposed to keep the weight of the world over your shoulders." Mark finished with a sigh. "Okay, I guess if this was three years ago, I shouldn't be chastising you for it. But you got to promise me that if something else happens from now on with our father, you will call me too."

"I can only try, Mark."

"Military policies?"

"Something like that, yeah."

"Okay, so how dad's need for a kidney link with you finding out you are adopted?"

"The Doctors thought he would need one; I got all the compatibility tests done. Those showed I wasn't compatible, nor was I his daughter. He still has both of his kidneys working, his doctor found a workaround, and he is back to full health. You know this because you've seen dad afterward."

"Ok. So why are you bringing up this now?"

"This?" Sam frowned. "Ah, you mean the fact that I'm adopted?" She asked, and Mark nodded. "Well, at first, I was having issues with grasping the whole concept, I couldn't believe I wasn't his daughter even if he confessed it and even told me how I got to them," Sam shrugged. "Earlier this year, I found my biological parents," Sam said in a mix of worry and certainty.

"Wow, that's great, Sammy. Or I hope it is great; you got to help me out here I really have no clue how to deal with this." Mark said and made her grin.

"Summing it up, I was kidnapped and ended up at your doorstep." Sam frowned. "I have a sister. Half-sister actually," she trailed.

"And your parents? Are they?" He let the question open; there were so many possibilities, so many questions he wanted to ask.

"Both are alive; they are amazing people. They said they were searching for me all this time, even if they knew their chances were low."

"And why aren't you spending time with them then?"

"I have. I came from their place. They are the ones paying for this trip."

"Paying for this trip, huh? Are you becoming a con-artist now? Adopt an astrophysicist and USAF Major, pay her family visits as they come kinda spot." Mark joked, and Sam snorted.

"No, DNA test and all. Let's say they are far from being broke."

"And you like them?"

"Yes."

"And they like you?"

"Surprisingly, yes."

"Can I meet them someday?"

"I'll have to ask."

"Well, as long as you are happy," he trailed.

"Are you?" Sam asked, crooking her head. And Mark nodded once.

"I would love to have more of you in my life, sis. Goofing around with the kids and all, but as far as the cards were dealt. I'm happy."

"I'm glad."

"What are you going to do now? I mean, I know I told you to come over for New Year's Eve dinner, and that's screwed up." Mark asked, worriedly.

"I guess I'll call my parents and let them know our plans were canceled."

"What? And spend tonight at the Airport? No way."

"No," Sam shook her head grinning. "My bio-family is here; they wanted a bit of warmer weather."

"So, you do have a plan B for everything, huh?"

"Yeah."

They spoke for the better part of an hour before Beth called Mark and he stood up to leave. He started to walk away from her until out of the blue, he stopped and turned around to look at Sam once more and grinned.

"You know, you look so different from the last time we saw each other; and yet, physically you haven't changed one bit."

"Wait 'till you get to meet my parents, then you'll understand my good genes," Sam grinned.

"There's one thing that I need to ask."

"Shoot."

"Could you be a cellist now, if you had you grown up with them?" He wondered.

"Probably not, but my bio-mom, Helen, she said she could teach me."

"Do it, sis. You probably won't be the big cellist you dreamed of when we were kids, but hey, at least you could fulfill a part of your dream, right?" Mark grinned and gave her one last hug before he walked away.

January 7th, 2005

Underground Sanctuary.

"I still can't believe they can't manage to agree. It's been months since the whole almost invasion happened," Sam growled as she plopped herself on one of the couches in Helen's office.

"International negotiations are awful; they always have been. If you ask, I could go there and help them reach an agreement," Helen offered.

"The only agreement they would reach is to kill you, mom." Sam huffed.

"At least they would agree on something," Helen chuckled only making her daughter growl.

"Seriously, mom. It's going to be three months soon. The Stargate is still closed, and we only know Hammond has been transferred to DC for a new government division called Homeworld Security, but we know nothing about it. I'm sure he is pressing for the program to be reopened and all."

"And I take the Asgards still haven't responded."

"No."

"Well, I do have access to one Stargate, Samantha. If you know how to find them, you could always use it again." Sam rubbed her face, remembering that she had taken the offer of using the Hollow Earth Stargate to try and reach the Asgards. Teal'c, Daniel and she risked a trip to one of the places where they knew the Asgards had contact posts but came back empty-handed and at least two months after that, they still didn't have any answers.

"We tried that one before, and as you know, we still got nothing. Thankfully no one is the wiser on us going off-world."

"Unless you visit that planet again, no one should ever know," Helen pointed.

"It's surprising really; we found out the Russians were using the secondary ring by the movement and spike of energy coming from the area of your gate. No one has said anything about spikes of energy or movement," Sam added, Helen grinned.

"Well, if they had noticed a spike of energy or movement, they would've found out about the Sanctuaries around the world ages ago. But our protection fields are also keeping any kind of readings as perfectly normal for the out-world, that's one of the reasons why the shields are up most of the time. Besides, the gate was moved to a seismic area, and thus they might have confused the activity with an earthquake."

"What about you guys, have you made any progress?"

"Nikola has hogged all the information about ancients and mind devices, he believes he is closer to having something, but don't ask me what exactly that something is. I suppose it is all a matter of time." Sam huffed.

"I'm so tired of hearing that phrase. Everyone keeps mentioning time as if we weren't reaching the third month. It's not like we are stuck in a time dilation bubble or something," she huffed, and Helen smiled.

"I absolutely hate time dilation bubbles, experiencing distorted time can be excruciatingly painful, especially when you are not affected by it as others," Sam sat down and looked at Helen with wide eyes. "What? I've mentioned my experience in Carentan before, haven't I?"

"No, I mean, yes, you have. But that's it, mom! That might be it."

"What exactly? Or how a time dilation bubble would help your situation?"

"It won't help my situation, but it does remind me where one Asgard ship might be!"

"You are no making any sense, Samantha."

"Look, a couple of years ago, we helped the Asgards to settle a time dilation machine on a planet and successfully trapped the human-replicators in there."

"Replicators. As in those self-replicating machines that were destroying them, am I correct?"

"Yes! We trapped them on the first planet of the Asgards."

"And?" Helen probed.

"Someone must be watching over it. They know this trap won't last forever."

"How can you get there?"

"Halla is in another galaxy," Sam frowned. Helen pinched the bridge of her nose. "We would never be granted access to the Prometheus." She rested her head on the back of the couch again. "Besides, it will take forever."

"And you don't possess any other vessel or allies that could take you there?"

"Mom! You are a genius!" Sam grinned making Helen frown. "The ship Jack, hum, Colonel O'Neill modified. That should be able to take us there."

"And back here?" Helen asked, hopefully.

"I'm not sure. Probably not, that ship wasn't designed to go in such speed. There's a chance of the engine being burnt out once we stop." Sam clenched her jaw.

"But if there's an Asgard ship as you believe there should, then you should be able to return by their means, is that correct?"

"I believe so."

"You might end up stranded in a galaxy far away," Helen pointed. Sam nodded. "Then you know the risks, Samantha. Are you willing to take them?" Helen watched her, and despite it breaking her heart, Magnus knew the answer before Sam nodded. "I'll only ask you to please say goodbye when they grant you permission to go."

"What if they don't?" Carter frowned

"What are your negotiation arguments?"

"Well, they wanted me to learn all about that engine and see if I can replicate it. They have been telling me they would grant me access, but with the negotiations still going on, they haven't just yet."

"You are the foremost expert in Goa'uld vessels for all I know, what if you decide you won't try to understand it?" Helen asked with a smile.

"Then, I guess I do have a chance. Can we spar later? I won't be able to sleep at all with all this running through my head, and I need the sleep if I'm going to do this."

"Of course. And please do ask Nikola to help you, so you can double check your course to that Halla planet. As far as I'm aware of astronomical measures, a slight mistake could take you too far away from wherever you want to go."

"I will. Thanks, mom!" she said, surprising Helen with a kiss on her cheek before Sam left the room.

January 8th, 2004

SGC

"If I'm not going, why are you here again, Sam?" Daniel asked, crooking his head a bit.

She was at his lab a few hours earlier, to let him know that Doctor Weird had approved for her and Teal'c to take the Tel'tak to Halla and try one last time to contact the Asgards. Sam shifted her weight from one leg to the other and embraced herself in the middle but didn't say a word.

"Sam?" Daniel tried again. "I'm not mad at you or anything."

"I know. Are you sure? I know you don't like to be left behind, even if it is for the right reasons," Sam frowned worriedly.

"Yes. I'm sure. Is that why you are here?" Daniel inquired, this time keeping his eyes on her until she sighed.

"No. This will sound awkward and probably needy on extents you've never heard me before, but can you take me home?"

"Why you think that sounds needy?"

"Well, I need to go home to say goodbye to my new-found family with a chance of that being a forever goodbye," she chewed her lower lip for a bit. "And I don't know if I'll be capable of getting back here after that."

"You think they are going to convince you not to go?"

"No, far from it. You know, we've been going through the gate for years now, and before that, I was on the Gulf War and all, but until this mission I forced Weir to accept, I've never even considered the fact that I might not return. I always focused on the mission and never on the downsides of it."

"Then maybe you should keep the same approach."

"I never had family that would suffer if I never got back, I'm not sure how to deal with that."

"But you have Mark, and his kids," Daniel pointed, and Sam's eyes filled with tears.

"Yeah," she said. "Mark sure would miss our once a year phone call. His kids don't even know who I am anymore. And what's even sadder, I can only blame myself for it; I was never there for them."

"Where is this coming from Sam?"

"I wish I knew Daniel, then I would have a way to stop it," she smiled sadly. "Can you take me home?"

"Sure, let's go."

January 8th, 2005

Underground Sanctuary

"One day, you might get used to it," Sam whispered to Daniel as he frantically patted his body.

"I'm not sure," he said, looking at the girl responsible for his current feeling of dismemberment.

"Don't worry, everything has reintegrated correctly," Ashley grinned, looking down to his crotch before she winked at him.

"Ashley Magnus!" Helen said, shaking her head in amusement.

After their conversation at Daniel's lab, Sam and Daniel walked to the changing rooms, got into their civvies, and Daniel drove Sam to her house. On their way there, Sam rummaged through the bag she carried and took out her 'sanctuary radio' and asked them to pick her up.

When they entered Sam's house, Ashley was already pacing inside her living room. The young Magnus walked purposely towards Sam, and then she noticed Daniel, she rolled her eyes and grabbed both before she teleported them all to her mother's office.

"Well, Samantha. What can we do for you?" Helen asked once they were all sitting, the previous joke already out of their minds.

"I'm not sure how to phrase this," Sam frowned. "I, Dr. Weir, ugh!"

"Sam convinced Elizabeth to let her and Teal'c go on a suicidal mission," Daniel explained and hoped alarms would go out in their heads and they would manage to convince Sam that there must be another way.

"I take it your arguments worked?" Helen said, crooking her head. Daniel's eyes widened, he wasn't sure how much they knew about the situation they were at, but with that answer, he understood Magnus knew probably as much as they did if not more.

"Yes."

"Hmm," Magnus hummed, lowering her gaze for a second before she searched Sam's eyes. "I hope you find what you are looking for, Samantha. I truly do. When do you leave?"

"As soon as I get my things together and get back to base," Sam whispered.

"Very well, then. Would you mind if I ask for a farewell hug before I call Nikola so that you can say your goodbyes too?" Helen asked, managing to keep her voice steady. Sam nodded, and they both stood up. Ashley grabbed Daniel, the last thing he saw was both women embracing tightly, then he blinked, and he was at the Sanctuary library.