Here's the last chapter guys...
Chapter 14: Coming Home –
"Colonel Carter." The quiet voice broke the silence that filled the room after Sam finished her tale.
Four sets of eyes turned towards where Skaara stood just outside the half open curtain. Three of those sets had an understanding in them as to why he was there. The fourth set thought she recognized his face, but couldn't figure out why.
"It is time Colonel Carter. Perhaps it is not what we originally planned, but you have succeeded in what you were brought here to do. Now I shall return you home." Skaara said kindly.
"There's one thing I'd like to do before I leave." Sam said. Suddenly four sets of eyes were on her, all of them curious. "Seeing as how I'm the reason that Major Carter is back, I'd like to do something to help her gain her memories back." All brows furrowed over even more curious eyes. "General, I'd like to use the Galeran mind device."
Jack smiled and nodded.
Λ
Sam unhooked the electrodes from her head after downloading her memories up to the events of P3X-666 and then the ones since arriving in this universe. She was careful not to download any memories that would not be relevant to Major Carter or this universe.
"Finished?"
Looking up in surprise, Sam saw Jack leaning against the doorframe into the room where she had been working.
"Yeah. Now Major Carter can sift through the memories when she has a chance. Hopefully she won't have to go through them all. Her own memories should be triggered by these, so that they'll come back naturally. As they did with Daniel."
Jack nodded as he moved into the room. The two stood there in silence for a moment, neither really knowing what to say.
"I guess I should thank you Colonel."
"For what sir?"
"For being a pain in the ass."
Sam chuckled. Hadn't she called her ascended, alternate self that just a couple days ago? Guess what was true for one Sam Carter was probably true for another.
"Any time sir."
There was silence once again. Sam could sense that there was something else that Jack wanted to say. She had known him long enough to know not to push him; he would get it out in his own time.
"I may make an ass out of myself, but I'm going to assume that you and your General O'Neill still only have a working relationship?"
"Sir?"
"Aren't you the one who said that our universes were the same up until P3X-666?"
"Yes; as did Major Carter…and Skaara."
"Okay, but you get my point." Jack paused, formulating his next words. "A bit of advice, Colonel: don't make the same mistake I did. It isn't likely that you'll get the second chance that I have."
Sam simply looked at him curiously.
"When Major Carter died, I was devastated. For 7 years we worked together, escaped death together, saved the world together, flirted with each other." He paused again. "I couldn't admit it to her or anyone else because of the regulations and that damn room. But my feelings had only intensified since the za'tarc incident. When Janet came to tell me that she was dead, I thought that I had finally missed my last chance to do anything about it."
"Sir…"
"Look, I don't know what the last three years have been like for the two of you in your universe. But I do know what it's like to be my own worst enemy. If I know Jack O'Neill…and I should…he'll be at the SGC when you return home. And he'll be there because he cares far more than the Air Force says he should."
Sam opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Skaara's entrance.
"It is time."
Λ
Sam and Jack walked to the gateroom in silence. Skaara had promised to meet them there with Daniel, Teal'c, Janet, and Major Carter. As they came to the blast doors leading into the gateroom, Jack moved to swipe his card to open the door.
"And if he's not there?" Sam asked quietly.
Jack's hand paused above the card reader. He looked at Sam. "Knowing you as I do, you probably have quite a bit of downtime accumulated."
With a quick swipe of Jack's card the blast doors opened and the two walked into the gateroom to join Daniel, Teal'c, Skaara, Janet and Major Carter who were already there.
Sam walked to Daniel and gave him a hug.
"Thank you." Daniel whispered in her ear. "For everything."
Sam smiled at him and moved to Teal'c and hugged him as well. He didn't say anything but she read his feelings in his eyes. Next she moved to stand in front of Major Carter.
"I guess I have some pretty big shoes to fill." Major Carter sounded unsure of being able to do just that.
Sam smiled warmly. "There's no one better for the job. They are your shoes." Turning to the last person in line, Sam's smile was replaced with sadness. "Janet."
The two women shared a silent conversation before hugging briefly. Sam then walked back to stand next to Skaara, who opened the stargate.
"General." Sam turned and saluted.
Jack returned the salute. "It was an honor Colonel."
"Thank you sir." Sam said and moved up the ramp.
"Colonel." Sam turned just shy of the even horizon. Jack had moved to the base of the ramp. "He'll be there."
Sam smiled and stepped into the wormhole.
Λ
"Unscheduled offworld activation!"
General Landry and all of SG1 came barreling down the steps from the briefing room into the control room.
"IDC Sergeant?" Landry asked.
"No sir."
"Than why is the iris open?!?!"
"It won't close sir. There appears to be a malfunction."
"Defense team to the gateroom!" Landry announced to the base. Turning, he saw all of SG1 moving out of the control room towards the gateroom.
The defense team plus SG1 was set up and watching the event horizon. Several minutes past without anything happening. As they watched in anticipation the event horizon began to ripple as a single person exited.
Whoa, déjà vu. Sam thought as she found herself once again staring at the business end of security's weapons.
"Sam!" Daniel exclaimed as he broke through the line of SFs and bounded up the ramp, followed closely by the rest of SG1.
As SG1 greeted Sam, Landry came into the gateroom and dismissed the defense team before turning to speak to Sam.
"Welcome back Colonel." He said warily.
"You don't have anything to worry about General." Sam said, reading the concern in his voice and eyes. "I wasn't captured by the Ori. I actually ended up in an alternate universe."
SG1 and Landry all looked at her in surprise.
"We'll debrief at 0900 tomorrow morning Colonel. Right now I believe Dr. Lam would like to see you."
Sam nodded and headed out the door surrounded by SG1. Sam would never have admitted it to the rest of her team, or even allowed one iota to show, but she had noticed that there was one person missing from her welcoming party. Bringing her mind back to the present, Sam tried to listen as Daniel babbled on about what had been happening throughout the last week.
"Oh crap." Daniel exclaimed as the group came to the elevator. "Teal'c did you…" He paused while looking at the Jaffa.
"Wait." Cameron interrupted. "You didn't call?"
Daniel shook his head. "Everything happened so quickly that I forgot."
"Oh he is going to kill us." Vala mumbled, missing the ding of the elevator behind her.
"You betcha."
Four people and a Jaffa turned around to see a very exhausted and pissy General standing in the now open elevator.
"He'll be there."
Sam couldn't help but smile briefly at the memory of the alternate General O'Neill's last words.
"If I know Jack O'Neill…and I should."
Well…she certainly did.
"Nice of you to rejoin us Carter." Jack said as relief flooded his voice.
"It's nice to be home, Sir." She responded.
"So where are you all headed?"
"Infirmary, O'Neill." Teal'c answered.
"Actually I think it's past time that all of you got some sleep, I'll escort Carter to the infirmary." Jack half ordered.
Daniel began to protest, but Jack just gave him a look. Slowly the rest of SG1 moved off. Sam joined Jack in the elevator and the two headed to the infirmary.
"Look, I don't know what the last three years have been like for the two of you in your universe. But I do know what it's like to be my own worst enemy…"
Before she could second guess her decision, Sam reached over and pushed the emergency stop on the elevator.
"Carter?"
Before Jack knew exactly what was happening, Sam reached up, put her hand behind his neck, brought his head down and kissed him.
"Carter?" Jack asked again as he pulled away.
Turning slowly to look at Jack, she spoke quietly, "I'm sick of being my own worst enemy Jack."
Fin
I hope you enjoyed reading this fic as I did writing it...