Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Stargate, or any elements of the show. I did create this storyline however. Sequel to "A letter, or two".

No more

Homecomings

"Jack, I thought you had a rescue mission planned! Not some 'run for your life' escape!"

"Yeah well, Daniel, I'm working on it!"

Jack fired another few shots at their pursuers. The loud thump of a grenade sounded off to his right. It had been easy finding Sam and Daniel, but it was proving to be a lot more difficult to get out of the place. Apparently some guard found it suspicious that the doors to the throne room were locked, and he had sounded the alarm. From that moment on Jack and his group had been running, dodging and shooting to get out of the palace. The other people from the dungeon had bolted the moment Saunders and Cantrell had opened the prison doors. Luckily Brickman and Cole had noticed the alarms and were throwing grenades into the courtyard to confuse the picture.

Jack ran a short distance and threw himself behind some barrels. Shots from two guards grazed the top of the barrels, sending splinters everywhere. He lifted his Beretta and fired twice, forcing the guards to duck. He continued to fire when the others crossed the side of the main square, trying to get to the gates. When he felt his Beretta run dry he quickly pulled out one of the weapons they had taken from the guards and kept on firing. A guard went down, hit twice by the piercing shots from Jack's weapon. Behind him Teal'c managed to open the gates, and they made a run for it. Once outside they kept on running, with Jack, Saunders and lieutenant Parkins providing cover fire. The two guards at the gate lay paralyzed, already taken care of by Brickman and Cole. Just outside they met up with the two marines, and P90's were distributed again. And not a moment too soon. A group of guards, some thirty in number, came charging through the gate at them.

"Go, keep running, get to the Gate!" Jack urged. He rattled off some shots with his P90, taking down two guards.

Parkins dropped a smoke grenade just behind them, in an attempt to hide them from direct sight. They ran towards the woods, spraying an occasional burst of bullets behind them. At the edge of the forest Jack and Parkins dropped another two smoke grenades. Moving into the forest Jack contacted Freeman on the radio.

"Freeman! We're coming in hot. About twenty or so on our tail. On my cue blow the claymores. And dial the Gate! We'll be there in 10."

"Yes, sir," the radio acknowledged.

"Saunders! Get everybody through the Gate, Carter and Daniel first. And keep moving, Freeman and I will cover your sixes."

"Yes, sir!"

Jack knew they had no intention of going off on a tangent, but he needed to know Carter and Daniel were going through that damn Gate this time. A tree six feet to his left was suddenly riddled with shots. Jack turned to the head of the group.

"Go!"

He dropped the last of the smoke grenades, and fired three tight bursts with his P90 at their pursuers. Without waiting to see the result he started running again. Up ahead he could see the edge of the forest, and the Stargate beyond it. The Stargate was active, and the shimmering blue light filtered in between the tree trunks. Several shouts behind him indicated the guard group was right behind him. He ran as fast as his knees would allow him, shouting at his people by the Gate through the radio.

"Go, go, go! Freeman, get your butt through that Gate. Blow the claymores when you're on the other side, give it the count of ten."

"But, sir—"

"Do it, Freeman!"

Knowing there was no point arguing Freeman let go of his P90 and pulled out the remote for the claymores.

"Everybody through the Gate, you heard the General!"

Sam opened her mouth to disagree, but was forcefully pulled through the Gate by Teal'c. Daniel was next, hauled by sergeant Ellison. The members of SG-6 and 8 followed swiftly. Once on the other side Freeman nervously held the remote and started counting.

'One, two, three …Come on General…four, five, six, seven…eight…nine…ten!"

Praying he was doing the right thing he pushed the remote. On their side they couldn't hear the blast, and the Gate room was eerily quiet. The only thing they heard was each other's breathing and the sound the Gate was producing. Fear started seeping into the atmosphere as the seconds passed away. When the figure of Jack O'Neill finally came running through the Gate a lot of people released the breath they were holding.

"Close the iris, shut it down!" Jack barked.

A scraping sound announced the iris coming into place, and soon after the wormhole disengaged. Jack straightened on the ramp, brushing dirt and wood chunks off his uniform. When he looked up he saw everybody look at him.

"What?"

When nobody could give him an answer he lightly hook his head, and started walking to the exit. He pointed a finger up at the control room.

"Walter! I want that planet off the dialing list, pronto!"

"Yes, sir. Welcome back, sir." Walter's voice came over the intercom.

Without looking back Jack continued towards the exit. "Carter, Daniel, infirmary, let's go!"

Still unable to formulate an answer Daniel and Sam followed Jack to the infirmary, aided by Teal'c and the marines of SG-6 and 8.

- ∞ -

When Jack entered the infirmary he was immediately halted by doctor Brightman.

"General! Thank God you're back, you really need to—"

Jack held up his hand, stopping her mid-sentence. "We've got injured people doctor, they need medical attention."

"What, who are w—"

Again Melissa Brightman stopped mid-sentence when she saw Colonel Samantha Carter and Doctor Daniel Jackson enter the infirmary. She felt her jaw go slack, and if it weren't attached it probably would have dropped to the ground. Sam and Daniel were led to a bed by Teal'c and sergeant Ellison, and there awaited treatment. Melissa was rooted to the spot for a moment, her logical brain refusing to accept the presence of the persons in front of her. But her medical side quickly took over and she grabbed Jack by his arm and dragged him to one side of the ward.

"General, what the hell is going on?"

Jack was looking at her with a rather amused smile. In her confused state she was a bit offended by it, but decided to let it slip.

"Well doc, I told you your tests were wrong."

"So, you mean …"

Jack nodded.

"And those weren't …"

Jack shook his head from side to side.

"And they are …"

Jack nodded again. Melissa was silent for a moment, marveling at the wonder before her and the half-sentence communication she apparently shared with the General. Then she snapped herself out of it, turning to more important things. She quickly issued orders for her nurses to give SG-6 and 8 their medical check. Jack was about to turn and leave the infirmary when Melissa grabbed his arm again.

"General, there is still something else," she said in a lowered voice.

Jack frowned and gave her a quizzical look.

"We had Cassandra moved to a separate room as soon as she could, like you asked me to. Luckily she was before Colonel Carter, or eh the fake Colonel Carter died here. But when you were gone Daniel, eh the fake doctor Jackson, went into arrest just like Colonel Carter and one of my nurses didn't notice her coming in. Sir, I tried to talk to her, but she wasn't listening to me, and—"

"Doc, spit it out, what happened?"

Melissa took a deep breath. "Sir, Cassandra saw both of the dead bodies of the imposters. She fled to her room afterwards, and wouldn't listen to anyone."

Jack's face lost all its color. "Ah hell," he mumbled. He stood there, and she could see his eyes dart around, probably a thousand thoughts running through his mind. When his eyes focused again he looked at her, but she could do pre-emptive communication as well as he could.

"Room 6, sir. Down the hall, to the right."

Without a word he turned on his heels and ran out the infirmary. Melissa turned as well, and headed to the bed Sam was sitting on. She directly started examining the bruises, but stopped when she heard Sam's question.

"Where is the General going?"

Melissa opened and closed her mouth a few time, her mind trying to find an answer.

"He … he went to see Cassandra." No need to tell her anymore, she thought. She thanked her lucky stars they had removed the bodies of the imposter out of the infirmary this time.

- ∞ -

'You idiot, moron, stupid, stupid, stupid…"

Jack was marching down the corridor, headed for room 6. He was silently cursing himself for being so stupid. He should have arranged for the fake Carter and Daniel to be removed from sight before he left. But he wasn't thinking too clearly at that time, and now an innocent girl was hurt by his stupid decision. Or rather lack of a decision. Again he cursed himself. He had nearly lost it when he saw the dead body of the fake Carter, so he could only imagine what it would be like for a girl like Cassie. It would be a miracle if she would even speak to him.

He softly rapped with his knuckles on the door of observation room 6. When he heard no answer he figure it was okay to stick his head in. He carefully opened the door and peered inside. A small lamp on a table next to the bed was the only source of light in the room, and Jack had to squint a little to make out everything. He frowned when he saw the bed was unmade but empty. Scanning the room he couldn't see her.

"Cassie?"

He took a step forward, placing half his body in the room. Now he could see behind the door as well, but found nothing more than empty space.

"Cassie, are you in here?" he softly whispered.

A small noise caught his attention. He tilted his head a little to listen better. And he heard it again. He recognized it as a sob, small and restrained, but there nonetheless. Stepping into the room completely he tried to find the source of it and realized Cassie was sitting on the ground behind the bed, hiding her from sight. He took a few more steps and rounded the bed. Sure enough, there she was. Dressed in a nightgown and her arm in a sling she looked exactly like he had left her in the infirmary the other day. But right now she was staring straight at the wall, and her eyes were red and puffy. His heart broke and his mind was insulting him in every way possible. He crouched next to her, his knees painfully protesting.

"Cassie?"

She slowly turned her face, and her two misty eyes focused on him. Instantly new tears flowed down her cheeks. His heart crumbled into little pieces.

"Oh God, honey, come here."

He heavily sat down next to her and pulled her into his embrace. She threw her arms around him, crushing herself into his chest. Her hot tears streamed down his neck where her cheek was pressed into him. Holding her tightly Jack cursed himself again for good measure. Seeing his honorary niece, the closest thing he had to a daughter, so hurt and distressed made him feel extremely helpless and angry at the same time. Helpless because he didn't know how to fix this situation, and angry because he caused the whole damn thing. So he did the only thing he could think of right now and he softly stroked her hair. He softly made shushing noises to try and calm her down. After a few minutes she calmed down a bit, and Jack lifted her off his shoulder. He cupped her face between his hands and forced her to look at him directly.

"Cassie, honey, listen to me."

She tried to move away and curl up on his shoulder again, but Jack held her tightly.

"No, honey, listen to me. Listen."

Her eyes focused on his. She looked extremely hurt and confused, and Jack had to force his voice to sound clear and even, instead of broken and emotional.

"Cassie, what you saw in the infirmary, it wasn't true. You've got to believe me, it wasn't true. It wasn't Sam and Daniel in there. They were replaced by fakes, they weren't our Sam and Daniel. Please, honey, believe me. Sam and Daniel are still alive! We found them, they're here, alive and well. God, Cass, I'm so sorry you saw that. It's all my fault, I didn't take care of it. Please, believe me, they're here…"

Cassie stared at him, the look on he face slowly changing from hurt and confused to confused and hopeful. She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

"Sam…" Her voice was shaky and weak.

Jack rubbed her cheeks with his thumbs. "She's right here sweetie."

Her eyes grew wide, and she started shaking a little. Jack nodded, giving her the confirmation again she was looking for. Then a smile broke through, twitching her lips upwards. She still looked unsure whether to cry of laugh. Jack smiled a small smile himself, trying to inject some confidence in her.

"Come on, let's go see her."

He pushed off with one hand, and together they got up. He kept a hand on her shoulder, and slowly they started walking. All the way to the infirmary she kept looking up at him, with still a slightly concerned look on her face. Jack just kept smiling and nodding that everything would be all right.

When they entered the infirmary Cassie froze. Jack could tell she was in bit of a shock and gently squeezed her shoulder. She disentangled her hand from his uniform, and ran to the bed Sam was sitting on, throwing herself into her arms. Sam, not completely expecting it, was a little stunned but quickly returned the ferocious hug. She looked at Jack, asking without words what was going on. He just shrugged, a smile one his face.

Cassie slowly let go of Sam and walked over to the bed Daniel was sitting on, getting his arms examined by one of the nurses. She wrapped her arms around him as well, and with a slightly confused and curious look he reciprocated. After a moment she let go and walked back to Jack. She put her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shoulder. Jack's left hand shot up and caressed the back of her head. He mouthed 'be right back' to Sam and Daniel, and he took Cassie back to her room. Prying her off him he laid her in bed, pulling the sheets up to her chin. She still refused him to go, holding on tightly to his wrists. Slowly he peeled her fingers off as well, and stroked away a lock of hair from her forehead.

"It's okay, Cass. Go to sleep."

"Jack?"

"Yeah, honey?"

"They're alive, aren't they?"

He nodded. "Yeah, they are."

"Good" she mumbled.

He smiled at that. It eased the pain a little to hear her recovering from the shock. He was about to turn and leave, but the sound of her voice halted him.

"How did you know?"

Jack frowned. "Know what, sweetie?"

"That they weren't dead?"

For a second there he had no idea what to tell her. It was the first time he objectively tried to explain his reasons, and suddenly found himself lost for words. But Cassie was quick on the uptake. And her next words stunned him.

"You saw her die, didn't you?"

He froze, his mind instantly bringing back flashes of Carter's imposter lying on the gurney in the infirmary. He had to swallow before his voice worked again.

"Yes"

She grabbed his right hand and brought it to her cheek. Holding it close she was consoling him, and he found it was working.

"How did you know?" she repeated.

He shrugged. "Cause I know Carter, and that wasn't Carter."

Cassie nodded, satisfied with his answer. "Do they know?"

Jack shook his head lightly. "Not yet, but I'll tell them. So don't talk about it before I have, okay?"

Cassie nodded and rubbed her cheek against his palm. He bent over and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Now go to sleep, sweetie. I'll be back soon."

Releasing her grip Jack was able to pull away his hand. He walked to the door. Looking back over his shoulder he threw her a wink. Then he went through the door and closed it behind him.

- ∞ -

After a nice and relaxing shower Jack headed up to his office. He decided the first order of business should be informing SG-1 they were getting three days of downtime. Hell, maybe even a week if they wanted it. But when he stepped into his office his priorities changed.

'D'oh!'

Jack closed his eyes for a split second, then mildly glared at the man in front of him.

"Walter … please tell me you're here to inform me the commissary has a new flavor of pie I should immediately try."

Walter shook his head lightly. "Sorry, sir. I was told to make you pick up the phone as soon as you were back."

Jack frowned in confusion. Someone ordering his Walter around? Who was this idiot?

"And who am I supposed to call?"

"The President, sir."

'Ah …Oh.'

Jack nodded and Walter left the room. Rounding his desk Jack carefully sat down, sinking into the comfortable leather. It took him about thirty seconds to muster the courage to lift his hand towards the phone. When he saw it shaking he quickly pulled his hand into his lap and covered it with his other. He swallowed, and with a deep breath he tried again. This time his hand didn't shake, and the phone connected him to the White House. He felt his nervousness rise when a voice on the other end spoke.

"The White House, how may I help you?"

"General O'Neill for the President."

"One moment please, sir."

Jack nervously tapped his leg with his free hand. Normally he wouldn't care about explaining his actions to others, but this wasn't just some other. Okay, he knew the President was a good guy, pretty direct but very nice, and he really did respect him, and h—

"Jack! Good talking to you."

Jack snapped out of his thoughts. "Mister President."

"Oh come now Jack, how many times must I say it's Henry?"

"Eeh, you really expect a military man like me to call his supreme commanding officer by his first name?"

He could almost hear the President smile on the other end.

"Point taken. Listen, I got word of your little trip. And I must say, I'm more than just a little curious about it."

Jack could hear his point and he knew it was justified. He had left the base without consulting his superiors, and now it was his time to pay the piper. So instead of beating around the bush Jack decided to come clean. For the next fifteen minutes he told the President about the mission. A slightly edited version of course, no need to add fuel to an already potentially explosive fire.

"So let me get this clear, you went to that planet because you knew the Colonel Carter and doctor Jackson on this planet weren't the real Colonel Carter and doctor Jackson?"

"Basically, yes, sir."

It was silent for a moment.

"But you didn't have any real evidence?"

"Well … not exactly, no."

"How do you people keep doing that?"

The laugh in the President's voice surprised Jack. "Sir?"

"How do you keep finding the most crazy ideas to the strangest situations?"

"I honestly don't know, sir."

"Look, Jack, there was a reason I put you in this position, and you keep proving you're just the guy for the job."

A wave of relief surged through him, calming the hand still tapping on his leg.

"Be it a little unorthodox—"

The hand tightened and gripped the fabric of his BDU's.

"—but damn good at it."

And relaxed again.

"Just give me a heads up next time, okay?"

"Yes, sir, I'm sorry, sir."

"You know it gets very tiresome to be called sir all the time?"

Jack had to grin at that. "I think I have some idea. Sir."

The chuckle on the other end was genuine, and Jack's gut unclenched. He figured his leeway had run out some years back. Hell, the file they had on him was a mile long, and already had been even before he had made Colonel. But saving the planet did count for something, apparently.

"Now Jack, George and I made sure that your little field trip—"

Wow, never knew the President could throw a nice sarcastic hook like that, Jack instantly thought.

"—was noted and no further inquiry was necessary. We tried to keep it as quietly as possible, but we're treading around sleeping dogs, Jack. If anyone hears of this and makes a formal charge out of it then I'm not able to stop it. You understand what I'm saying here?"

"Yes, sir." He knew that he was damn lucky the President and old George were covering his ass, but could only do so much. But it was infinitely better than being dropkicked through the Stargate to some desert planet. Or one with lots of trees. Oh yeah.

"All right. But I think we're in the clear. Give my regards to Colonel Carter and doctor Jackson."

"Will do, sir."

A click signaled the end of their conversation. With a sigh he put the receiver back. He was surprised at how easy this had gone. No screaming, threatening or cursing directed at him, and that was always good. So, one hard part done. One left to go.

- ∞ -

Daniel exited the elevator. A few minutes ago Jack had called him, asking him to come to his office. He never said what it was about, but Daniel figured it probably had something to do with PX4-609, although they had already informally debriefed in the infirmary. A little shudder ran through him remembering that place. He had to admit that their culture was fascinating, and their sciences were amazing considering their social and cultural development, but the whole thing just tasted sour now. He could remember his enthusiasm about going there, and his fascination when they got there. Sam and Teal'c had been equally impressed, but this really had been a cultural trip. So naturally he felt like a kid in a candy shop. How wrong he had been.

He shuddered again, remembering the feel of the guards roughly pushing him around, interrogating him. Torture was something he just couldn't get used to. You might think it gets easier every time you come across it, he thought. He snorted. Yeah, that'll be the day.

He was very grateful it didn't last long this time. They only spend two days there, and the sultan fortunately wasn't a very creative man. He still thanked his lucky stars Sam hadn't been dragged off to the harem, he wouldn't have known what to do.

He startled when he almost ran into Walter. Blinking a few times he figured he must be nearing Jack's office and looked around. The place was busy as ever, and several people were walking along the corridors. A miracle I haven't walking into anybody else, Daniel thought. Happens often enough.

- ∞ -

Riding up in the second elevator, after missing the first one when a distracted looking Daniel failed to keep the doors open for her, Sam's head was filled with a thousand thoughts. Most of them were about their recent mission. It hadn't been strange for them to be captured, but what puzzled her was why Teal'c had come and apologize to her and Daniel. He told it was because he left them behind. But he had to do that in order to get reinforcement from the SGC, right? But why did Jack come along? She had expected Colonel Reynolds to lead the mission, not Jack. Although she didn't mind. God no. When she heard his voice in that damp dungeon her heart had soared. And the hug he had given her, that felt infinitely familiar and extremely safe, that had made her blood sing and the pain disappear. Maybe weird to think, but she thought about staying in that dungeon for just a few moments longer. And now she was back she couldn't think of her reasons to do so. Can't or won't, a little voice asked her. Internally she sighed. That voice was one of the most persistent and annoying voices she knew. Sam thought the different side of her personality would talk with different voices, and each of them should be heard and answered. Except that one. Simply she never liked the questions it asked. They were always far too … true.

Finally the elevator stopped on the right level, and she quickly headed towards Jack's office. She knocked twice and waited for the customary response. A casual 'yeah' came from inside and she turned the door handle. Jack was sitting behind his desk, holding a ball in his hands. Nothing new, so it didn't grab her attention. In one of the two chairs in front of the desk Daniel was sitting, looking a little preoccupied. But she could easily spot her friend was still dealing with a few memories. She could relate.

"Carter! Good, you're here. Sit. Sit."

She smiled. "Yes, sir."

When he rolled his eyes her smile grew a little and she sunk into the last remaining chair.

"Right. I'm happy to inform you that I've given you all three days of downtime, to rest and relax!"

Daniel looked up and Sam decided he looked tired as well. "Thanks, Jack."

"Yes, well, how else can we have a 'welcome back' party? I was thinking barbeque, my place, tomorrow? You go shop, I cook, we eat?"

She was relieved when she saw Daniel smile.

"Sure Jack, why not."

"Excellent! Now, we'll n—"

"Sir, why don't we do it at my house?"

Jack stopped talking and both he and Daniel were looking at her. She felt the beginnings of a blush start at the base of her neck, luckily still covered by her BDU's. 'Oh God, why on earth did I say that! I must be tired too. Come one, Samantha, think of a response, they're staring at you. And don't squirm! Think, think! Ah, got it!'

"I … I got a new outdoor barbeque, and I need to break it in."

Now they were both looking at her, but with very curious expressions on their faces. Especially Jack looked quite surprised. 'And cute.' She told the voice to shut up for the umpteenth time.

"Carter? You have a … virgin barbeque?"

She didn't know how she succeeded, but she held in a smile, giggle and a frown at the same time.

"Sort of," she shrugged. Maybe it was the light in his office, but were Jack's eyes twinkling?

"Then we must have the party at your place, Carter. If only to … initiate this grill of yours. Say, eight tomorrow?"

'Sigh. It's way to easy to give in to you, isn't it?' "Yes, sir."

"Great, it's settled then."

"Eh, Jack. As much as I would like to discuss the details of this party here, why did you call us up here?" Daniel asked.

Sam had almost forgotten about it, but Daniel's question brought it instantly back. "Yes, why are we here? Sir?" The 'sir' was unnecessary, she knew, but it always had a way of making Jack become a little more serious.

Jack opened his mouth, but now words came out. Shutting it again he started twisting the ball in his hands. Sam could sense him becoming quite nervous and she instantly became more curious. Finally Jack found his voice.

"Well, funny you should ask. I … about you being there—", he vaguely gestured with his hands towards the briefing room and the Gate room beyond, "—instead of here. It's kinda weird, because you were here, but you weren't."

His hands were moving in the air, trying to convey his intentions. But Sam and Daniel were looking at him with complete confusion and puzzlement.

"Oh for crying out loud," Jack muttered.

Sam was trying to figure out what Jack was saying, but failed. She had known the man for quite some time now, and he could still pose a mystery to her. Which made him all the more attractive. Instead of waiting for him to explain she decided a question should get things along.

"Sir?"

He ran a hand through his gray hair and she had to again quell her feelings about his 'cuteness'.

"Look, when you were on the planet we had two …things here that looked like you. It was pretty obvious they weren't you, so that's why we came back."

"I'm sorry, what?" Daniel interjected.

Apparently Daniel was as confused as she was. What did he just say? While they were imprisoned on PX4-609 two 'things' came here looking like them? Who, what, why, when, how? She heard Jack groan, and guessed it was a long story.

"Look, Danny, it was like this. When T—"

A knock on the door interrupted them. Jack stopped his sentence and let out a rather loud 'What!'. Walter stuck his head around the corner and nervously glanced at everybody present in the office.

"I'm sorry, sir, but there's a problem with SG-3 and the diplomatic negotiations on PX8-120. They're … being chased, apparently."

"Oh, fff crrynn ou lou …" Jack swore through gritted teeth. Now Sam was really intrigued by his nervousness, and the thing that was so hard to tell them evidently. Jack suddenly stood up and walked to the door to the briefing room.

"Daniel, Carter, we'll finish this tomorrow evening. You get the food, take Teal'c with you. Eight, your house, Carter." Then he walked out the door, with a slightly anxious looking Walter on his tail.

Sam turned to Daniel, and they shared an incredulous look. Then Daniel shrugged.

"Guess we'll find out tomorrow."

She nodded. To be honest, she couldn't really wait that long to find out what Jack had to say. But on the other hand she could use the time. To go and find where she had left the outdoor barbeque Pete had bought. She wasn't sure, but the thing could be lurking somewhere up in the attic. Where she left it after Pete's last visit. Unless it had sprouted little legs and went for a walk. She closed her eyes for a second. Maybe a little downtime was a good thing right now.

- ∞ -

On his way to the control room Jack was muttering curses under his breath. Damn Walter and his impeccable timing, damn the whole 'I-gotta-explain-things' thing. He sighed. Why did things have to go and become so complicated? He would have to explain the story of the fakes to Sam and Daniel tomorrow then. As he came the stairs a hopeful thought struck him. Maybe Teal'c could do the talking for a change?

- ∞ -