Thank you so much for reviewing... I really appreciated it!

I have redone my previous chapters, so, hopefully, this story will be easier to read!

Note 1: The chapters will be slower because she (lucky girl) is going to Spain and won't be able to beta as quickly. This is not beta'd but I thought I'd post it now... as soon as Sara sends the chapter back, I'll replace it! (Thanks, Sara!)

Note 2: The majority of this chapter takes place within the Alternate Reality.

I hope you like it! ♥


Our Reality

"Oh my god."

Remus glanced at the three humans, each looked incredulously at the mirror. "You have seen it before?" he asked, surprised.

"Oh yeah," Sam muttered, letting her pack drop onto the ground. "That thing was the thing that brought me here."

"We must go back to Stargate Command," Teal'c said urgently. "We must inform O'Neill that we have found the Quantum Mirror."

The Major walked forward and touched the mirror. "It's here… all this time, it's been here… a gate address away."

"Teal'c's right, Sam," Daniel said, watching his friend closely. "We need to go tell Jack, bring the mirror back, and figure out your reality.

She touched the 'glass'. "I'm only a touch away," she whispered, nearly inaudibly.

"Sam?"

Sam turned around and focused on the archeologist. "You and Teal'c go back and tell General O'Neill," she moved closer. "I want to look around here a little more."

The two men looked dubious. "I believe O'Neill will want to see you in person." Teal'c said while Daniel began with "Jack's not going to like us leaving you here alone-"

"Just go," she ordered. "I'll be fine."

"Sam-"

"Just go, Daniel!"

Teal'c and Daniel exchanged glances then slowly left. As soon as they were out of sight, Sam knelt down and began rummaging through her backpack.

Remus moved forward and examined the mirror. "What does this do, Major Carter?"

She didn't answer him for a moment. "It's a reality switcher, basically," she said, scribbling something on a piece of paper. Seconds later, she folded it up and stood up. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

He turned around. "For wha-" he fell to the ground. Sam lowered her zatnikitel and grabbed the 'remote' and turned it on.

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"You're worried about her, aren't you?"

Teal'c continued walking, looking straight ahead. "Indeed."

"She's a grownup, Teal'c," Daniel said, not very convincingly. "It's not like… she'd just turn on the mirror and go home…"

They stopped, looked at each other, and began running back towards the complex. They burst into the building and hurried down the hall. As they pushed open the door to the room with the Quantum Mirror, they could see the device… and it was activated. Sam stood in front of it, remote in her hand, uncertainty and excitement on her face.

"Sam, no!" Daniel cried, leaping over Remus. "Just wait-"

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Good bye."

Her fingers brushed the smooth glass-like surface and she disappeared. She reappeared on the other side of the mirror in a room much like their own. She waved at them. Seconds later, the mirror turned off.

Daniel groaned and turned around. Teal'c was helping Remus up and apologizing for Sam's action. He was about to go over and help when he saw a neatly folded piece of paper, lying next to the mirror. Picking it up, he saw his friend's handwriting on the outside. He opened it and read the few words written.

I'm sorry. I had to go. I hope you understand. Give my apologies to Remus.

Thank you for everything. Thank General O'Neill for me.

Good-bye forever,

Sam

The archeologist sighed and handed it to Teal'c. "She's gone… for good."


Alternate Reality

"Daniel, he's holding her hand!"

"Jack," Daniel said in an 'I'm-only-going-to-say-this-one-more-time' voice. "She said she had a bond with this particular Tok'ra… just relax."

"Relax?" He yelped, sitting up and looking at the archeologist who sat next to him. "Daniel, he's a Goa'uld! And like a hundred years old!"

"The symbiote is," Daniel reasoned, looking over at Martouf and Carter who were now shoulder-shoulder. "The host is probably in his thirties."

"I do not understand your anxiety," Teal'c said, cocking his head and looking pointedly at Jack. "Colonel Carter has encountered the Tok'ra many times, and-"

The Colonel scowled and interrupted him with, "They could be different here!"

"The Tok'ra High Council will meet with you now," a voice announced.

Jack started and turned to see Cordesh standing behind him. "Huh?"

"The High Council will meet with you," the Tok'ra repeated.

Jack was up and halfway to his second-in-command's side seconds later. "Carter!"

She glanced up and gave him a smile. "Colonel?" She asked; Martouf got to his feet and helped her up. "Will they meet with us?"

"Yep," he answered, looking pointedly at Martouf who was still holding Sam's hand. The Tok'ra dropped it. "You two done… chatting?"

Carter dusted the clinging sand off of her. "Yes, sir." She said meekly, realizing he was annoyed.

Martouf smiled. "Colonel Carter has been most… helpful."

Jack scowled at the Tok'ra. Why'd the man have to be so damn good-looking? Not that he thought he was good looking. "Well, let's get a move on."

The three returned to the general location of the rings where Daniel, Teal'c and Cordesh stood. They were 'ringed' down and Martouf led the way to the newly grown chamber.

The meeting began much the same as the one had on her Earth- only this time; she was able to offer to option of sick humans on Earth to them. Waxing eloquent, she told them of what they had accomplished together on Earth (other then trouble), and what they could together on this Earth.

As she finished, the Council stood up and excused themselves. She turned to see Daniel grinning broadly at her.

"What?" she demanded.

"I think you convinced them."

"You were, indeed, very eloquent," said Teal'c.

"I believe, as your teammates do, that we will become great allies," Martouf agreed. "And I believe that will be the Council's decision."

"Is there a bathroom around here?" Jack asked suddenly. "I gotta pee."

Å

"Yes!"

"Calm down, Carter," Jack ordered lazily. He couldn't help but grin a little bit at her childish enthusiasm- he saw it so rarely.

The Colonel beamed at Jack. "Of course, sir. Sorry." The Tok'ra had agreed to an alliance. Daniel was already planning on what to say in the treaty.

"I thought they were a pain in the ass," Jack more stated then asked.

"They have been, sir. But they have helped us." She smiled at him. "A lot."

They continued to trudge through the golden sand. As they reached the DHD, Jack pulled Carter to the side.

"What's the deal with Marty?"

She hesitated for a bit, uncertain as to how he would react. "Jolinar- the Tok'ra that resided inside me for a while- she and Lantash- Martouf's symbiote- were mates."

"Eww."

She gave him a small smile and sidestepped him. She stood in front of the DHD and began pressing the symbols she knew so well. Touching the red center, she waited for the event horizon to 'kawoosh', as her CO called it. It did and they went through.

Å

Alternate Sam back in her Reality!

Two hours earlier…

Sam exited the building without being detected. Nearly running, she made her way back to the gate, running nearly all of the way.

Forty-five minutes later, she stood in front of the dial home device. Quickly dialing home, she hurried towards the Stargate. She typed in her iris code on her GDO with shaking fingers. She gave them thirty seconds and then went through.

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"Receiving SG-1's code, sir!"

General Hammond nodded to the technician, worried about his team. They had only debarked a few minutes ago. "Open it."

Moments later, the event horizon fluctuated as a single figure stepped through.

"Colonel Carter?" he asked, surprised. "Where's the rest of SG-1?"

Sam, who was looking around, froze. What if this hadn't been her reality after all? After all, she knew almost nothing of how the remote worked… had she sent herself to a wrong reality?

"I'm Major Samantha Carter," she began, her voice shaking. "Nearly a month ago, I was accidentally transferred to an Alternate Reality via a Quantum Mirror. Today, I- along with SG-1- discovered the mirror. I returned through the mirror, by myself."

"On what planet was this mirror discovered?" Hammond demanded, his pulse quickening.

"P3R-2JJ. In what appeared to be an Egyptian temple. The mirror was moved from that location by a group of explorers and taken to P7A-23D." She saw the doubt on his face and continued. "The Samantha Carter that came to this reality was a Colonel. She-she was uh… oh; she was a Tok'ra, once, which would mean that there was a trace of Naquadah in her blood... I…"

"Report to the infirmary," he ordered.

She obediently set off for the infirmary followed by several SF's and the General.

Å

Janet stared at the piece of paper and then glanced at the General who stood next to her. "Her blood work shows no traces of Naquadah or the unique protein marker in the Colonel Carter's boy. This blood work matches what we have on file for Major Samantha Carter."

"So you're saying that this is our Samantha Carter?"

She looked at the bed nearest the door where Sam sat, waiting with ill-concealed patience, "Yes, sir." She gave him a huge smile. "This is our Sam." Janet's smile faltered, as she remembered the other Sam.

"OFF WORLD- ACTIVATION!"

"That'll be SG-1," Hammond mused. "Doctor, will you tell her," gesturing to Sam, "that she is home?"

Å

Still Alternate Reality!

Four figures immerged, sandy but in good spirits. Their CO stood at the foot of the ramp, a serious look on his normally friendly face.

"Welcome back, SG-1," he greeted them. "Was the mission a success?"

SG-1 nodded as one. "The Tok'ra would like us to return in a week to discuss this some more," Carter said, "but overall, yes, sir."

Hammond hesitated then said. "There has been… a development."

"Development, sir?" Jack questioned, "what happened?"

"Nearly two hours ago, the Stargate activated and-" The embarkation doors opened, effectively cutting off the General, and Sam walked in.

"Oh my god," the two Carter's whispered simultaneously as they came face to face with each other.

"Sam?" Daniel cried disbelievingly. She nodded and he enthusiastically hugged her.

Teal'c stepped forward and bowed. "Major Carter, it is good to see you."

"Likewise, Teal'c," she said. "How long have I been gone?"

"In this reality, you've been gone nearly ten weeks," Carter answered, her face, voice, and manner neutral, calm and controlled.

"In your reality, I've only been there a month."

"How did you get back?" Carter demanded. "Your Quantum Mirror was gone."

"So was yours. We found it again."

"Obviously," she muttered, "Where?"

"P7A-23D." Sam looked at her CO who stood there, as if he was frozen. "Colonel?" She said softly, uncertainty on her face.

He took a small step forward. "Carter?"

Sam gave him a shaky smile. "Yes, Colonel, it's me."

Jack hesitated then gave her a bone-crushing hug. "Welcome back, Carter," he whispered into her ear.

Carter averted her eyes as if the sight pained her. "So," she murmured. "I guess I'm going home now."


Our Reality!

"It's SG-1, sir."

"Open it," Jack called from his position at the bottom of the ramp. Walter obeyed and the iris spun open. Teal'c and Daniel walked through. Moments later, the Stargate deactivated.

"Well…" Jack began cheerfully, "Whatcha find?"

"We located the Quantum Mirror." Teal'c said without any preamble.

"You… did?"

"A group of archeologists took it home with them," Daniel mumbled.

Jack looked at them, nonplused. "Weren't you guys going to bring back the mirror so we could send… Carter… back?"

Teal'c and Daniel exchanged glances.

"Oh, and by the way… where's Carter?"

It is my fault, Jack," the archeologist said rapidly, "Sam told Teal'c and I to return to Earth and inform you that we had located the mirror. We… we shouldn't have. She went back."

Jack looked at the two of them. "She went back?"

"She left a note," Daniel said, handing it to Jack. The General quickly read the few lines inside and then handed it back, his face expressionless.

"Can we be sure she got back to the correct reality?" He asked.

"It looked like the same place we were in," Daniel answered. "But to be sure? No. I guess we just wait and see."

"Just wait and see…" Jack repeated. "Just wait and see."

The three men glanced at each other and then slowly left the room, each hoping that this would mean that their Sam would be home soon.

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