Sam knew she was dreaming. The park was not far from her house and she walked there sometimes. Her memory had reconstructed the picture perfect trees and gardens around her; the winding path that she walked on; the sun overheard and the breeze that fluttered over her skin. She vaguely recalled the clothes she wore; old, worn jeans that hugged her figure and showed off the lengths of her legs, the pale brown leather jacket, the old t-shirt underneath. She abruptly remembered the last time she had worn the outfit; walking in the park with an Ascended being who had made himself human just to be with her. She'd given the jacket away to a charity the day after she had returned from Velona where she had watched him ascend again to save her life. She had known she would never wear the jacket again without feeling incredibly sad…

'You looked beautiful that day in the park.'

Her head turned and she saw him walking beside her again. She smiled, pleased to see him. 'Orlin.'

The Ascended being was in his human form; an attractive man with floppy blond hair and green eyes. He had loved her completely and totally during their short time together and whilst she had been unable to return his feelings, as he had once teased her, she had liked him a lot.

She stopped walking and turned to face him. Her blue eyes met his fearfully. 'I'm dying, aren't I? That's why you're here.'

'I've come to offer you a choice, Sam.'

Sam crossed her arms. 'Isn't that against the rules? I thought you weren't allowed to help humans ascend before their time.'

He took her hand in his. She could feel the ripples of energy from him as his thumb stroked over her knuckles. 'It is the only way I can save you.'

'My friends will be looking for me…' Sam began.

'They won't find you in time.' Orlin said.

'But there's nothing wrong with me.' Sam denied. 'I'm fine. A couple of broken bones…some bruises…'

'There is bleeding inside.' Orlin said. 'The transportation system was never meant to be used the way you used it by bypassing the buffer. There was…damage when you re-materialised.'

Sam jerked away from him and began walking again.

'Let me save you.' Orlin pleaded.

'Orlin, you can't expect to turn up, tell me I'm going to die and ask me to ascend.' Sam snapped. 'I can't…I can't just make that kind of decision.'

'I know it's a lot to deal with,' Orlin said, 'but you have to deal with it now. We don't have much time, Sam.'

She whirled to a halt and ran her hands through her short crop of hair before she covered her face with them. She lowered them slowly. 'Can't you fix the damage?'

'I am not allowed.'

'But you're not really allowed to help me ascend either are you?'

Orlin looked at her unhappily. 'They have agreed to allow me to offer you this. There is more going on here then I can tell you.'

'Why not just fix me?' Sam asked plaintively.

'Because there is a balance.' Orlin said.

'So if I live I unbalance everything but if I ascend I don't?' Sam read the truth in his eyes. 'OK.' She took a deep breath. 'How do I even do this?' She asked.

Orlin put his hands on her shoulders and slid his hands down until hers were held gently in his. 'Take a deep breath and close your eyes.'

She did as he asked, felt the air ripple around her; the same warm feeling flowing over her that she had felt the day Orlin had revealed his true self to her.

'Lay down your burdens and let go to your mortal life.' Orlin continued.

Let go? She found herself standing on Dakara. She could see the passageway into the mountain. The area outside it was filled with people; Jaffa and human alike.

'Your sacrifice here will serve to unite your peoples.' Orlin noted.

Her eyes caught on Mitchell. He was sitting on a chair with Carolyn hovering over him trying to ensure he rested. She felt a wave of relief. He was alive. Her gaze moved on to Doctor Lee and the other scientists. She shook her head as Bill frowned at something on the screen.

'He's trying to find a ZPM rather than just focusing on the readings of this power source.' She realised.

'Yes.' Orlin glanced across from her. 'By the time, he realises the readings are not being distorted, it will be too late.'

Sam sighed and another man caught her attention. Daniel. He walked away from the table and over to Teal'c who stood with Bra'tac by the fire. Daniel laid a hand on Teal'c's shoulder. She could feel the weight of their guilt. Not your fault, she thought at both of them. Daniel suddenly glanced over toward her as if he could sense her. She followed the archaeologist as he left Teal'c and made his way over to…Jack. She swallowed hard at the sight of him.

His grey hair was messed up in a way that indicated he had rubbed his hands through it multiple times in frustration. His jaw was tensed; his face tight with pain. She watched as Jack glanced up at Daniel, his brown eyes briefly hopeful before whatever Daniel told him had him lowering his sight to the ground, bowing his head before the military training reasserted itself and he got to his feet.

Jack. How did she let go of Jack? She smiled sadly. Hadn't the past year taught her she couldn't?

'Sam?' Orlin's voice rang with urgency.

'I can't do this, Orlin.' She smiled sadly. 'But there are a couple of things you can help me with.' Her mind communicated her wishes and Orlin nodded sadly.

Sam turned back to look at her friends one last time. With the power Orlin provided, she held Teal'c, Daniel and Mitchell in her thoughts for a second.

'Goodbye, my friends.' Sam whispered lightly into their minds as she watched them fade away from view.

Daniel jerked and stared hard at the empty space behind him.

'What?' Jack asked suspiciously.

'Nothing…I…nothing.' Daniel said. He had been in the middle of telling Jack that yelling at the scientists because they hadn't found anything yet wasn't a good idea when he could have sworn he had heard Sam.

'Daniel, maybe you should take a…' Jack stopped mid-sentence as he felt a hand on his shoulder and the world around him changed abruptly.

He swallowed hard. This had happened to him before; he had been in an infirmary room watching Jacob trying to heal Daniel when suddenly he, or rather his spirit or mind, had been in some freaky version of the gate room with Daniel saying goodbye to him as the other man ascended. This wasn't the gate room but his heart sank as he figured he had been brought to the large alien room for the same thing. He turned to face the person who had brought him and took a step back in surprise. It was a young, thirty-something man. Jack stiffened abruptly. 'Who are you?'

'Orlin.'

'Orlin.' Jack repeated. 'You're the one who visited with Carter for a while, right?' There was a stirring of jealousy in his gut. Sam had thought enough of the Ascended being to protect him; in fact she had almost ruined her career to help him. 'Where is she?'

Orlin gestured at the chair in the centre and Jack hurried over to it. He crouched beside her. One hand stroked her hair gently as the other searched her neck for a pulse. 'Carter? Sam?' He murmured and when she didn't rouse, his hard eyes flickered back to Orlin. 'What's wrong with her?'

'She's dying.' Orlin said. 'Her spirit is already fading…but she wanted me to bring you here.'

'Yeah,' Jack said bitterly, 'I know the drill.'

'She won't come with me.' Orlin blurted out. 'I could save her but she won't let me.'

Jack's eyebrows rose. 'Why the hell not?'

'She won't let go of you.' Orlin said.

'The hell she won't.' Jack looked back at Sam's sleeping face. His hand cupped her cheek. 'Sam! Carter!'

Her blue eyes blinked open, wide and unfocused. 'Sir?'

'Hey.' Jack stroked her cheek and she turned to him. His brown eyes softened. 'Orlin tells me you won't go with him.'

'I can't, sir.' Sam smiled sadly. 'It's really more Daniel's thing anyway.'

'You have to go with him, Carter.' Jack said forcing the words out past the lump in his throat. 'Sure you'll be on a higher plane of existence but you'll be alive…'

'Sir…'

'Colonel, listen to me.' Jack snapped. 'You are not going to die.'

'I don't think you can order me not to die, sir.' Sam said.

'Watch me.' Jack said. 'Go with him, Carter. That is an order.'

'I'm dying, Jack,' she reached up and stroked a hand down his face, over the rough jaw, revelling in the freedom to touch him that she'd never had before. 'I just wanted to say goodbye.'

'Don't you dare!' Jack held her face gently. 'Don't you dare die on me now.' His brown eyes searched her sad blue ones. 'Not when there's only one week and four days before I tell you I love you, Sam and before you tell me you love me back.'

Her hand fell away from him and he placed his forehead on hers, whispered to her. 'One week and four days, Sam, before we get the chance to dance on my roof under the stars, and while you're trying to tell me how the universe works I ask you to marry me and hope you say yes…'

'Jack.' She said softly, her eyes closing.

'Don't do this.' His voice broke as she stayed still. He shook his head in denial. His damp eyes flew to Orlin's. 'Dammit! You can save her! Do something!'

'I can't! If she won't ascend…'

'Find some other way!' Jack demanded harshly. 'You can't tell me that you couldn't heal her if you wanted to!'

'There's a balance…'

'Screw the balance!' Jack snapped.

'It would change the universe.' Orlin said. 'The Others…'

'This is Sam's life we're talking about. If you really love her, save her!' His eyes pleaded with Orlin and his voice gentled. 'Or help me save her. Please.'

Orlin glanced upwards and Jack followed his gaze uncertainly. His eyes moved up the stairs, across the upper level of the room and onto an open doorway that had been partially and violently opened; it was blackened and broken as though from a blast…like from a bomb explosion…