A/N: Because I found eighteen wonderful reviews in my in-box this morning. This chapter is for the reviewers.

Early Sunday morning found both households eating breakfast. The O'Neill's were getting ready for church, while the Carter's were getting ready for a relaxing day of fishing. That's right: fishing. It was the first time in years that they were in a position to be able to go fishing as a family.

Belle was wedged in a seat between Sam and Mark, happily eating the pancakes Dee had made early that morning. Jacob still wasn't talking to his daughter after what she had told Belle the night before, but Sam knew that she was just as pigheaded as her father and could hold the silence just as long as he could.

When the phone rang, Dee got up to answer it, "Carter residence?…Who's calling?…Just a minute, please. Sam, it's Jack. Do you want to talk to him or should I tell him you're busy?" Dee asked with one hand covering the mouthpiece of the telephone.

Sam put down her fork and knife, "No, I'll talk to him. Thanks Dee. Hello?…Hi, what's up?…I'll have to ask, but that sounds really nice." Sam took the phone away from her mouth and turned to her father, "Jack wants to know if I can go to church with them today, Dad."

"What time does it start?" Jacob asked, not taking his eyes away from his meal.

"1530 hours."

"Why so late?" Mark asked. Most churches he knew of gathered at ten in the morning.

"There's two services every Sunday. They're going to the later one."

"Sounds fine, Sammie," Jacob said with a nod of his head, "You can go if you want."

Sam turned back to the phone, "Jack? Sure, I can go…Okay, see you then." With a grin Sam hung up the phone, sauntered back to the table and finished eating her pancakes, oblivious to the three older faces staring at her (Belle was happily eating away, not caring about what was going on…well, caring as much as any five-year-old should care).

Dee finally was able to get her voice under control and ask, "What was that about?"

Sam shrugged, "Don't know. He just wants me to go to church with them today. Helen said it was okay."

"Who's Helen?" Mark asked, now getting rather annoyed.

"General O'Neill's wife," Sam said, her face blank of the anger that boiled just beneath the surface. Mark had no right to barge in here and give her the third degree! It was her life, and this was Jack's family. Jack had a good family…there was nothing wrong with going to church with his family.

Jacob looked at his watch, sensing his daughter's unease and knowing no other way to calm it, "We'd better get a move on, kiddos. Fishing awaits."

Jack nodded to his mother, "She's coming. Joel and I are going to swing by her house before we meet you guys at the church."

Helen smiled, "Good. Now go help your sister with her homework."

"I thought she didn't have any homework?"

"Jack, she may be home schooled, but she does get homework. Now, go on. She needs some help with her reading."

Jack groaned, motioning to his arm that was still in a sling. Helen just shook her head, "Jack, don't give me that," her angry eyes met her son's, "Now, I never told your father the truth about how you met Carrie – but don't think that I won't, young man. Your need for freedom nearly got Samantha killed, Jack. Go help your sister."

The cold truth of the matter hit Jack hard, "Don't you think I know that, Mom? I know that it's my fault. But there's nothing I can do about that right now. What's done is done." He turned to walk up the stairs to help his sister when his mother's voice slowed his steps.

"You could tell Sam. She has the right to know the truth about why she was shot."

Jack looked back over his shoulder at his mother, his face the picture of inner conflict, "I know that, too, Mom."

The day passed rather quickly for Sam, who spend the majority of it fishing and clearing her mind of the thoughts that plagued her peace. She caught three fish that day, and after a picture was taken with her and each of them individually, they were thrown back into the water.

"Sam, is something wrong?" Dee finally asked.

"Why would you say that, Dee?" Sam asked, foreboding filling her heart.

Dee sighed as she reeled in her line and cast it out again. "Sam, we used to be friends. Remember? We used to talk about stuff. Why can't we talk now?"

Sam looked at Dee with a blank mask covering her true emotions; "We haven't spoken since you dropped Belle off on Dad's doorstep five years ago, Dee. I still don't know why you did it. All I know is that Belle is a wonderful little girl who used to wake up shouting 'Mommy, Mommy'…and you never came. Mark never came when her first word was Dada." Dee looked out over the lake with sorrow in her eyes: she knew the truth of Sam's words all too well.

"You explain yours, I'll explain mine," Sam finally said after letting her sister-in-law think for a few silent minutes.

"You know how Mark's been going to anger management classes?" Sam nodded, allowing Dee to continue; "Right after Annabelle was born, I got really depressed and, frankly, I couldn't function. I was … livid with my daughter for being born, Sam. And I was afraid. Mark did nothing to ease my fears – he only made them seem greater and more real. So I brought Annabelle to your parents. When Pam died in that car crash … Sam I was terrified that I would wake up one day and not be able to control my anger. I was afraid I'd hit my baby girl. And I knew you never could," Dee finished in a whisper, barely able to control her emotions.

Sam put a hand on Dee's shoulder, pulling the older woman into a sisterly embrace. "I'm sorry, Dee. But if you'd told me this in the first place I wouldn't be so angry with you and Mark. I can't change how I feel right now, Dee. All I know is that you left her with us only two weeks before my mom died. And now, you show up again, just days after I almost died. I don't know what to do anymore."

A/N: A little angst to remind you all of what the problems are. And I decided to answer some more questions you guys had. Remember that liketoread said I shouldn't have to ask.