Hey you! If you are reading this, you are awesome! You've been here for almost 800 pages! I know, I can't believe there are so many either! BTW, thank you for all the reviews!

Enjoy!

M.

Chapter XLVIII

April 10th, 2005

Somewhere in Colorado

Ashley had teleported Jack to the warehouse around ten minutes earlier. He looked around if only to check no one was watching and shook his head, amused. There was nothing near that warehouse, yet, the memory of having crossed paths with Pete Shanahan the last time he was there was still too fresh on his mind.

He walked out, jumped into his SUV, and started his way back to the mountain. SG-1 was on call that day, and he knew that, whenever they were on base, chances of something going wrong were many. So, when his cellphone rang, he wasn't even surprised.

Patting his jacket with one hand, Jack took the offending item out and pressed the answer button before he checked the number. It was a Sunday; the only possible caller was the base.

"O'Neill. What did they blow up?" He said at once. His question rewarded him with a chuckling on the other end.

"Uncle Jack?" Cassie said.

"Cassie? To what do I owe this honor?" He grinned.

"Can we meet?" She asked in a worried tone; one Jack hadn't heard for a long while now. Not since that time where Janet had that close encounter with death.

"Is everything okay, Cassie?"

"Yeah… I… can we meet?" She asked, and he noticed it wasn't the kind of worry he thought. But, still, something was bothering her.

"Sure, when?"

"I'm going back to college tomorrow. I still have access to the SGC, you know for 'my condition,'' she said. "Want me to meet you there?"

"I'm not at the SGC at the moment. Tell you what, I'm twenty minutes, or so away from your home, I can pick you up and we can go somewhere, how does that sound?"

"Cool."

"Let your mom know you are going with me; we don't want her worrying about your whereabouts."

"Oh, mom is on-call today."

"Ah, I see. So, there is no need to bother Janet. See you soon, kiddo," Jack said, finishing the call. After that, he concentrated on getting to the Fraiser household as fast as he could.

Cassie was already waiting for him outside when he stopped in front of her home, so he waved. Quickly she entered the SUV, moving to place a quick kiss on her Uncle's cheek.

"Thank you, Uncle Jack," she grinned.

"Not a problem, Kiddo. So, where to?"

"You know any place where we can talk?" Cassie frowned.

"Anything classified in this conversation of yours?" Jack joked, seeing the grim expression she was using.

"Kinda," she grimaced, and then he noticed she was holding a folder tightly in her hands.

"Whatcha' say if we go to my house, there's nothing there to eat," he frowned. "Except for coffee. Anyhow, when we solve your issue, we can go and grab something to eat."

"Sounds like a plan."

The way to Jack's house was quiet, being Sunday there weren't that many cars on the road, so soon they were parking in his driveway.

"Coffee?" he asked as they entered the house and Cassie grinned. "So, spill it, Cass," he said as he moved around the kitchen. She leaned against the doorframe.

"Ashley said you had been down there? You know, the Sanctuary?" Cassie said, and Jack hit his head on the cupboard out of the sheer surprise.

"Ashley told you about the Sanctuary?" Jack frowned but shook his head and continued with his task.

"Yeah, Sam too. The Doc was very forthcoming, and Will was super nice about my presence there. They said I should let Sam know if I ever want to go down there again."

"You went to the Sanctuary?" Jack asked in surprise.

"Yup, it was super cool too. They had to smuggle me in!" She grinned, feeling proud of herself.

"Oh," Jack frowned. "What do you mean with smuggling you in?"

"Ah, Doc Magnus said she didn't tell the council about me because of the timing. Something about their security measures and how not anyone can enter the place without proper authorization. Kinda like the SGC but deeper underground, I think," She shrugged. "Anyhow, I went there and…" she trailed, passing the folder she had to Jack. "This happened," Cassie said.

Jack grabbed the folder, filing that mention about 'council' and 'security' issues in his mind to bring it up sometime later with a particular Doctor who had seemingly forgotten all about her own safety measures.

"What is this?"

"Open it and read it," Cassie deadpanned. "I'll get us the coffee."

He saw her move towards his cupboard, opening it and searching for two mugs before he pushed a chair from his breakfast bar. Taking a seat, he opened the folder. Cassie poured them coffee, fetched the sugar from the den and then, picked to spoons before taking everything to the breakfast bar. She too pulled a chair and sat right next to Jack.

Cassie sweetened her coffee and was fixed on swirling her spoon until he had finally closed the folder and lowered it between their mugs.

"Why am I seeing this?" Jack asked. The offer Cassie was given was good, and he didn't understand why exactly she was so distraught that she came searching for him.

"It's from Doctor Magnus," she whispered. Jack grimaced after he took a sip of his coffee. "Mom thinks I shouldn't take it."

"Ah," Jack acknowledged. He knew Janet had some distrust issues with the older woman. Heck! He too had the same kind of problems not so long ago. However, the Doctor had proven herself not only useful but honorable.

"Did your mom say why?" He asked, and the girl shrugged.

"She thinks the Doc is trying to get me into her good graces. I don't get why Doc Magnus would want me on her good graces; I'm nothing to her. I'm nothing special either," she shrugged. "Sam said I should take it. But mom thinks she is biased because she is related the Doc," Cassie frowned. "Mom told me I would end up in her claws and I'd owe her favors, and I wouldn't even know when she'd want to collect them."

"What do you want to do, Cass?" Jack asked.

"You're kidding? I want to take it, Uncle Jack. The offer… I would never get a chance like this one, not with my weird background. You know I wasn't considered for some scholarships because we failed to present my early education information, right? They don't seem to care." Jack rubbed his face tiredly. "Will talked with mom and me, yesterday. He was on the receiving end of one of these. Will said he couldn't regret accepting it because it allowed him to study exactly what he wanted to study. Will said he had some jobs during college, but that he did it only for the fun of it. He even went to Harvard!"

"Yeah, so I've heard. What did your mom say about it?"

"She pointed out that he is not only romantically involved with Doc Magnus, but he has been working for the Sanctuary for ages, so he too is biased. Will chuckled at this, and he said we should have a chat with Uncle Daniel."

"With Daniel?"

"Yup. She has paid for his education too… all the way from his school way up to his last stint at college. Uncle Daniel told mom I should take it, but she didn't like it one bit. I think she is torn with this, Uncle Jack. Maybe she thinks I will like Doctor Magnus more, or something…"

"Look, Cassie. The offer is good. I can't tell you to take it or not; you are almost an adult. And in this case, your mother can't decide for you either. Now, knowing Janet, she won't like it if you don't agree with her, but it is your future, and she will come to terms with your choice. So, think about it, you said it yourself if it came from someone else you would have accepted it right then."

"But she will be mad at me."

"I can talk with her about this, Cass. She just needs a push in the right direction, if you accept, that is."

"What would you do if you were in my position, Uncle Jack?"

"I was never that good at studying, but this here," he said, tapping the folder. "Doesn't even require you to keep 100% perfect grades. So, I would've taken it." Cassie launched herself forward and embraced Jack tightly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure"

"Why did you come to me with this?"

"I know you, Uncle Jack. I know Aunt Sam too, and even if you two are biased, I know both would give me the least partial answer you could. I already heard what Aunt Sam had to say, and so did mom. So, I came to you," she smiled. "Oh, I will take you on that offer about talking with her."

Once they finished their coffee, and their chat, Jack took her to grab something to eat and then back to her house, before he drove to the SGC. Once in his office, he called the infirmary to see if Janet was still around and asked her to join him for a bit.

"You called, sir?" Janet asked, entering his office.

"Yeah, Janet, come on in," Jack said, lowering the folder he had, grateful for the interruption.

"What can I do for you, General?" she asked, taking a seat in front of his desk. He flinched and moved to the chair next to her.

"I called you for a personal situation, Janet," he said, and the Doctor frowned. "Nothing is wrong; don't worry. I just, I got a call from Cassie earlier," he trailed off, and she gasped.

"Sir, I'm sorry, she shouldn't have bothered," Janet started to apologize.

"Ack! I'm not complaining about my niece calling to talk, Janet. You know how much she means to me, to all of us."

"Yes."

"Well, she showed me this impressive offer she got, and I must say I was shocked to know she didn't take it right then and there," he said. Janet sighed.

"Doctor Magnus told her to bring it up to me and consider what to do before she accepted. Sam said Doctor Magnus is always telling her she should make her own choices and how she can't decide for anyone else but herself."

"Then, why are you so conflicted about this, Janet?"

"You are kidding, right?" She looked at him; eyes widened in surprise. "She's Sam's previously unknown mother; she has money, lots and lots of it. She is gorgeous, and she is smart and oh so nice… Jack, there must be something there, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop and I won't let it fall on my daughter," Janet responded. Jack tilted his head; he couldn't blame Janet. He was there, in the same position not so long ago.

"Would you believe me if I told you that it wouldn't fall on Cassie?" He whispered.

"I don't know."

"I tell you what, go talk to her, Janet. I think you'll understand why the other shoe won't drop on Cassie if you talk to her, mother to mother."

"So, she got to you too, huh?" Janet said, surprised.

"Nothing like that. See, I have talked with Doctor Magnus and William Zimmerman several times since we met them. You know me, Janet. I was completely obtuse on how wrong everything was, and then I had to give her a chance. When I ran out of options, I had to call her to help me save … them. It took me a while to figure something out of that experience. I think you need to figure out that too."

"What are you not saying, Jack?" she squinted at him, but he only shrugged.

"Let me know when you feel like talking to her, and I'll get the ball rolling so she can meet you. Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure Cassie will be accepting this offer. She is a grown-up, but she is feeling blue because she doesn't have your full support. Now, go, I need to finish reading that report before SG-15's briefing."

He started on the report, but the security thing Cassie had mentioned was bothering him. Jack growled and picked up his red phone. This time, when the operator answered his 'nine' call, he asked for her.

"Magnus."

"Doctor Magnus," Jack started.

"General O'Neill, got your date picked already?" She asked.

"No, not yet."

"Is something the matter?"

"Actually, yes."

"Okay, what can I do for you or the USAF then?" Helen questioned.

"I had this interesting conversation with Cassandra Fraiser," he said and heard a sigh coming from the other end of the line.

"I do not intend to use it to buy Cassandra Fraiser nor to have her under my wing, so to speak. I believe she is a lovely young woman who could use some help in life, like the thousands of others who have taken my offer."

"I thought that much," he said. "But it is not why I'm calling. Cassie mentioned something about security measures to bring people down there? You didn't."

"Ah, yes. I didn't seem wise to bring that up right then," Helen chuckled.

"You should've done it, Doctor. I mean, I know getting someone here isn't exactly a piece of cake. I didn't even stop to think about what it would be for you."

"I'll tell you what, General. Get those dates sorted, fix your guest list, and let me worry about my security issues. All of Samantha's closest friends already have access to the sanctuary. When the time comes, I'll see what I'll do with the Council and approvals and anything else security-related."

"What about her family?"

"Jacob Carter is a Tok'ra; his presence here shouldn't create any issues due to his current genetics. He can pass as an abnormal."

"And her brother?"

"Ah, Mark Carter and his family can be a little trickier. As I've said, General, let me do the worrying. At the end of the day, we can tell them they won a holiday in some hotel I own, I can get someone to sedate them, and once they are asleep, Ashley can move them here, and no one will be the wiser."

"But," he started.

"General, unless you have a firm idea of when you want this happening, and who you want there; any discussion we have about security on my side is futile. Other things need better consideration before we get to that point."

"Yeah, I guess you are right."

"Get me the date, General. I must move not only your situation topside, but I must make sure whatever we come up with, does get approved by the Council here too. I can't exactly tell them I want my daughter's wedding to be at the Sanctuary sometime in the next few months and hope they will agree with me."

"We could make it somewhere topside too."

"Yes, but not without a date," she chuckled.

"Okay! Okay! You win, I'll find a date," Jack shook his head.

"Very well then, if that's all?" Magnus said.

"Yeah. Thanks, Doc."

"Goodnight, General."

April 14th, 2005

Underground Sanctuary.

"Magnus," Helen said as she picked up the phone on her desk.

"Doctor," Jack's voice came from the other end.

"I have started working on your issue, General. Now that you've finally sent me the date. And no, I haven't presented this situation to the Council yet," she said, not giving him time to add anything.

"That's not why I am calling," he confessed.

"It is not?" Helen frowned.

"Nah, I'm calling for two different things."

"Then, shoot, as you say," Helen grinned when she heard the General chuckle.

"Well, the first one. Is about the Cassie thing," Jack started.

"Oh? She already is on our payroll for scholarships, General. I don't see why that situation could bring any issues," Helen frowned.

"Janet," Jack said as if that explained everything. Magnus sighed, that name plus 'issue' in the same conversation about Cassandra did make sense to her.

"I truly hope Cassandra's acceptance of my offer has not created a breach between mother and daughter," Helen said.

"Well," he trailed off. "Let's say I had a chat with both before, but now Janet is finally coming around and wants to have a chat with you. You think that's possible?"

"Of course, shall I meet her topside? Or should I arrange transportation for her to come here?"

"Up to you, I guess."

"Very well then, I'll give her a call later on."

"Her cellphone number is," Jack started, and a chuckle stopped him from continuing

"I have access to that information, General," Helen said.

"Right!"

"And the second thing you were calling for?" Jack inhaled.

"Your daughter."

"Ashley or Samantha?" She asked out of habit, and it was his turn to chuckle.

"Do you really need to ask?" She should've figured it would be Samantha.

"No, not really. What is happening with Samantha?"

"Well, that is what I wanted to ask. Sam is behaving weirdly."

"Weirdly how?" Helen asked.

"She seems worried, distant. I have found her several times looking at nothing at all. The list goes on," he trailed off.

"Ah, as far as I know, General, there's nothing wrong with her. Perhaps a lot is going on in her head. You know her; she is always thinking."

"Yeah, that, and if you know something you won't tell me, right?"

"There's that too," Helen confirmed.

"Well, thanks for your time, Doc."

"Bye now," she said and lowered the phone.

Oh, she knew exactly what was eating Sam inside out. It had to do with that stupid ring Pete Shanahan had given her. What made it worse was that his transfer was done, Pete was now part of Colorado Springs PD, and he was now lingering around her place as often as he could.

Shaking her head, she brought up Janet's file and searched for her phone number before preparing a safe line and calling the Doctor.

"Fraiser."

"Doctor Fraiser, this is Doctor Magnus," Helen said.

April 15th, 2005

Mary's Coffee Shop & Bakery

Helen parked her bike in the first open space she found and looked at the sign of the very quaint coffee shop with a raised eyebrow. Getting down of her motorcycle, she strolled to the entrance and was received with the smell of freshly baked goods and strong coffee. The first one made her drool while the second one made her scrunch up her nose in distaste.

She hadn't spotted Doctor Fraiser's car outside, nor had she seen the Doctor in any table after scanning the area. Therefore, she walked to the last booth that was being cleaned as she reached it.

"May I?" she asked, and the waiter nodded with a big smile.

"Should I bring you our menu?" She asked, and Helen shook her head no.

"Just a teapot, if you will, Anna," Helen said after reading her name.

"Sure!" Anna said, shrugging at such a simple order.

The place was packed for a Friday morning. Janet couldn't help but notice as she searched for a place to park and could only find one two blocks away, after circling the area at least three times. She looked at her watch as she walked towards the shop and frowned, noticing she was five minutes late.

She hurried as much as she could, and soon, she was opening the door. The entrance bell sounded, its sound lost in the loud voices of the customers. Janet scanned the area until she saw the brunette version of her best friend staring at her, amused.

"Doctor Fraiser," Helen greeted as the shorter woman reached their table. "It's lucky I found us a table."

"Doctor," Janet started, and Helen stretched her hand.

"Bancroft, Helen Bancroft," she offered. Janet frowned and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I can't afford us to be overheard."

"Then why did you accept my invitation?" Janet asked, confused.

"Because I too like to get outside from time to time," Helen grinned. "Now, would you like to order anything?" she said, waving towards Anna who was back with a smile. "Can you be a dear and bring a menu for my friend, Anna?"

"Sure, ma'am," the waiter said. Janet observed as Helen looked at the woman and frowned.

"Why are you looking at her like that?" Janet asked, and Helen chuckled.

"Like what?" Helen wondered. "I told Anna she's beautiful." The waiter returned to them with a menu in her hand and hearing Helen's words blushed.

"Don't blush, dear. It is only the truth. I'll call you when my friend decides what she wants," she added. Then, Helen turned her eyes towards Janet and chuckled. "I find it appalling that people can't take compliments anymore."

"She probably thought you were hitting on her," Janet said, before checking her menu seriously.

"Perhaps I was," Helen smiled mischievously, and almost laughed at the surprised expression on the Doctor's face.

"Breathe, Doctor. Yes, it does mean I like men and women alike," Helen said, carelessly. "However, I was not hitting on her. She is much too young and reminds me of an old friend. That's why I was observing her." Helen explained. "Do you know what you are having?"

"Yes," Janet replied, and Helen waved the waitress back.

"I'd like to have a coffee and a piece of your red velvet cake, please."

"Excellent choice, ma'am," Anna said, disappearing with Janet's order.

"Am I making you uncomfortable, Doctor?" Helen asked, tilting her head a bit.

"I …"

"Don't worry, William says I would be able to make even the most Zen person feel uncomfortable. It's a skill," she grinned. "He wasn't sure if it was safe for you to be meeting me alone, he does know I tend to joke around and make people squirm with my take on life," Helen looked at her and smiled softly. "Don't worry; I don't bite…. Much."

"Here is your order, ma'am," Anna interrupted them, and Janet couldn't be happier about it.

"Well, now that we won't be bothered anymore. Please tell me why you wanted to see me?" Helen asked, pouring herself some more tea.

"General O'Neill said I should," Janet shrugged. "I'm not sure why."

"Allow me to start then. I'm not trying to fall in your good graces nor your daughter's. I do hope my offering hasn't made a dent in your mother-daughter relationship; it isn't worth it."

"Why her?"

"Why not her?"

"It feels… fishy," Janet said, Helen chuckled.

"I like her, Doctor. I checked her previous situation and even got to learn that she got rejected from a couple of scholarships due to her papers. So, I considered it would be nice to offer her something I can, especially due to her 'papers'" Helen finished quoting with her fingers.

"Because she is …" Janet trailed, she knew the Doctor was aware of Cassie's origins.

"Yes, and no. Doctor, I offer thousands of scholarships around the world each year, as you already know from Daniel and William. You are also familiar with Doctors Francis Young and Stella White. I'm quite sure they explained how we met after we were forced to flee off-world from the SGC," she trailed off.

"Yes, they have mentioned it. However, Young and White scholarships were post-graduation," Janet pointed.

"Well, there are times when I can't get to the right people on time. We analyze many candidates in many regions. Cassandra fit."

"And you are not trying to buy her," Janet chuckled.

"Her pre-scholarship file was presented to the admissions committee, and she passed. They don't know about her true origins. They approved her. Cassandra's offer was put together, and I presented it to her."

"I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop," Janet confessed after a while.

"I understand that perfectly," Helen whispered.

"You do?"

"People seem to forget that I am also a mother," Helen shrugged. "In your position, I would have my doubts too. It's too out of the blue, and at the same time, it is not. And it does come from me."

"The other thing, not many people remember or know is that I know what it is like to lose a child. I wouldn't do that to my worst enemy," Helen stated, looking at Janet straight in the eye.

Janet gasped, she understood now what Jack hadn't said when he had called her. Jack had lost a child, Charlie, so he knew exactly what that felt like. Janet considered that having lost Sam for so long was most likely equally painful for Helen.

"That's why he wanted me to talk to you," Janet said. Magnus smiled sadly.

"I'm aware General O'Neill knows exactly how I felt. Thus, he understands where I stand on this better than anyone. You see, fearing something will happen to our children is one thing, losing them before their time is up is quite a different matter. It is why I asked Cassandra to confer with you about this offer. I would never come between parents and their children."

"You didn't force her to take it," Janet noted, although to Helen's ears sounded like a question.

"I couldn't, and I can't. Unless it is something I can't avoid, I try to allow people to make their own decisions. Trust me, at my age, the last thing one wants is to carry someone else's burdens. I carry enough as it is," Helen said, and a smile took over her features. But at the same time, she allowed Janet to see the sadness in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I think I got lost in my own dramas," Janet sighed.

"Don't worry Doctor, that is one of the most common situations. I had originally planned to send William out to present it to Cassie and you. He said it would end up with the same result since, at the end of the day, it still came from me. I know, you still have some trust issues towards me, thus, presenting it to Cassie seemed like the best option."

"Hum, I guess I did misjudge your reasons," Janet agreed.

"If you are still afraid of what outcomes my offer can bring, I can ask someone to provide you a list of names of people who can answer some questions for you. I won't feel offended if you do," Helen said.

"When you put it like that, yeah, I would like that."

"Then you'll receive a call from the official source of this scholarship asap," Helen said and then she checked her watch. "Dear God, it's been longer than I thought. Do you need anything else from me, Doctor? Or from the menu?"

"No," Janet said, and soon Helen was waving to Anna, asking for the bill. Helen smiled when she checked the check covers and found a napkin with Anna's number scrawled on it. Looking up to see what had caused Helen's smile, Janet's eyes widened.

"Would you believe me if I told you that even if I'm not flirting with them, this happens a lot more than it should," Helen shook her head, amused as she grabbed the napkin, folded it, and placed it in a pocket. "When I get home, I'm going to see if I can find out whether she is related to my friend or not, probably a great-grand-daughter," Helen whispered, grinning before she took out her credit card and proceeded to pay the bill. "Will is going to have a laugh when he sees it."

"You are going to tell him?" Janet asked, surprised.

"Of course, this one puts me five ahead from him since we started dating, that means he owes me a dinner," Helen grinned. "I know. We are an odd couple," she finished as she stood up.

"Oh, there's one more thing, Doctor," Janet said, stopping Helen from going away.

"Yes?" Helen frowned.

"Do you know what's on Sam's mind? She seems awfully distracted," Janet asked. Noticing the honest distress on the Doctor, Helen sighed.

"Sadly, I can't help you with that. If Sam doesn't want to disclose it, neither can I. Have a good day, Doctor."

"You too, Doctor, and thank you for the talk."

"Anytime," Helen grinned, and Janet was surprised to notice it was an honest offer.

April 21st, 2005

Underground Sanctuary.

"Samantha, I was beginning to wonder if you would join us tonight," Helen said as Sam entered her office. "I'll be with you in a minute." Sam nodded and moved around to make herself a cup of coffee and some tea for Helen.

"What held you for so long?" Magnus asked after a while, and once they were sitting comfortably on the couch.

"Mom," she said teary voiced. "I think I might have screwed things up badly."

"Why would you think that, darling?" Magnus frowned.

"I," Sam sighed. "General O'Neill came to my office today and asked me about my current mood. He says I've been distracted and all."

"Yes, he has interrogated all of us in search for a reason," Sam's expression changed from surprise to worry. "There is nothing to worry about, Samantha, no one said a word to him about your situation and unless you say the contrary, no one will," Helen reassured her.

"I, I showed him the ring," Sam confessed in a whisper.

"You what? Why would you do that?" Helen frowned, confused.

She knew how profound the feelings Sam had for the General were, and she knew her daughter felt pity affection for the cop added with a mix of longing. They had discussed several times the difference between the real thing and being partnered with someone who wasn't able to fulfill your needs and wants appropriately. And that conversation had resurfaced several times since the day the ring had made its appearance.

Will had also mentioned having had a couple of conversation with Sam about the subject that he couldn't disclose to Helen due to patient/doctor confidentiality. What they all knew was that Sam was utterly confused. Despite the deepness of her feelings for Jack, there was a great deal of pining for companionship with Pete, The current solitude of waiting for a future with Jack wasn't cutting it anymore.

"I'm not sure, I; he was standing there in my office, and I thought, or I didn't think at all. I showed him the ring and told him, 'Pete gave me this.' He said something about it belonging to a finger and I confessed I haven't said yes yet." Helen grimaced. "What?"

"You do realize that not having said yes, means you haven't said no either?" Magnus asked pointedly.

"What does that even mean? He said the same thing," the younger woman waved, confused.

"Darling, it means you are thinking about it."

"Oh!" She said with widened eyes. "But, mom. I am," Sam finished with a frown, and Helen tried not to chuckle at how unaware she was about the extent of the damage she was causing.

"I know you are, I don't necessarily understand it or rather approve it, but I know you are," she pinched the bridge of her nose. "You have a right to consider it, Samantha. Even if that means you have placed the man you love in the middle of a painful situation. Now, he knows you are considering marrying another man, and there's not much he can do about it if you happen to accept," Sam frowned. "Besides to try and show his support to you and your choice."

"I mentioned kids too," Sam grimaced.

"Ah, and he didn't react?" Helen frowned.

"No. And since he didn't, I asked what about him. He said he wouldn't be there if things were different. What am I supposed to think about that? And then, out of the blue, he ordered me to get out of the base. I don't get it. He did say we are fine."

"What it means, darling is that you have to make a decision sooner rather than later."

For the first time as they sat together in silence, Helen regretted having asked Jack to let Sam be whoever she wanted to be. She understood Jack and respected him even more. Despite all the plans they had going on unknown to anyone else but them, Jack was setting Sam free out of the love he felt for her.