Had to repost this one because my formatting got erased for some reason..it appears the notes Sammi and John find keep dropping their formatting. I'm putting spacers in to see if that works. Forgive me, if I can't get it fixed.

Before sunrise, Sammi and John made their way into the heart of the small town of Wisner, Nebraska to a "family owned" used car lot called Triple C Auto Sales.

"Stand watch," Sammi ordered as she got to work jimmying the old Chevy's lock. Once inside, it was an easy job to hot-wire the truck. As the engine roared to life, John tossed their bags into the bed and climbed into the cab.

"Nice job," John grinned at her as she smoothly shifted into drive.

"I've got mad skills," she giggled, earning her an interesting look from John. "No giggling?" She guessed.

He just shrugged, but the corner of his mouth quirked up in obvious amusement.

"I'll hit I-29 north of Sioux Falls," Sammi told him. "Let's go farther north than anyone would expect, circle back to Silver Creek in case someone has eyes on the main route into town. I doubt anyone suspects we are on our way to the cabin, but I don't want to risk it. I've considered multiple contingencies regardless of what happens."

John just watched her, saying nothing.

"What?" She eyed him speculatively.

"It's just that some things never change," he winked at her, causing her to blush. "And some things do."

Sammi felt her face heat up. Damn teenage reactions she grumbled inwardly. She hadn't really noticed them at first, but the more she accepted that she wasn't Sam, the more the reality set in that she was, in fact, a teenage girl. She might possess thirty-five years of experience, but physically and emotionally, she definitely felt seventeen.

"Can I ask you something?" She said out loud before she lost the nerve.

"Shoot," John glanced at her then closed his eyes, resting his head against the headrest.

"How do you feel?" That sounded awkward to her own ears.

"Well rested," he shrugged, his eyes still closed.

"No, I mean," she paused, looking for the right words. "You've got right around forty-five years of life in your head." He gave her a quick head bob, so she continued. "But your body is seventeen."

"And you want to know how it feels to be me?"

She nodded.

"It feels—" he paused, searching for the right words, "awesome and terrible at the same time."

"That's clear as mud" she grumbled under her breath.

"Physically, I feel amazing. My stamina is amazing and I haven't even reached my peak yet, but," he paused. "There was this girl back at school."

"Do I want to know where this is going?" She asked skeptically, a bit of jealousy blossoming.

"Mind out of the gutter," he slid his eyes open, giving her a chastising but playful look. "As I was saying, this girl at the school in Trinidad was a total babe." He ignored her unladylike snort. "On my first day, she asked me out and I am not ashamed to admit I jumped at the chance. But once we were actually on a date, I felt like a creepy old man," he sighed heavily. "She kissed me goodnight and all I could think about was how wrong it felt."

"I never even thought about that," Sammi felt for him. Even surrounded by people his own age, he'd been totally alone.

"I tried going out with a couple of of other girls. Older but," he glanced at her. "I stopped short of asking out one of the teachers."

Sammi laughed at the mental image. "Yeah, that wouldn't have went well."

"So to answer your original question," he turned to look at her as she rolled to a stop at the stop sign. "I feel completely out of place. Or at least I did."

"What changed?" She asked hoping he knew the secret to adjusting to this new life.

"You walked through my door," he said simply, turning to look out the window.

Sammi quickly hit the gas pedal, unsure of what to say.

"Of course, puberty is a real bitch to relive," her head snapped back as she gaped at him. "Acne outbreaks, constantly changing body parts," he shuddered. "And trust me, there is a valid reason boys are considered walking hormones at this age."

Sammi laughed out loud.

"You laugh," John tsked, "but from what I've heard, puberty isn't a walk in the park for girls either," he gave her a pointed look.

Laughing, she smacked him hard on the arm.

"Ow," he pretended to be wounded, "what was that for?"

"You are such a guy," she scolded, "but thanks for being honest with me."

"Will you answer something for me?" He asked hesitantly.

"Sure."

"What's life been like for the others?" He said softly. "Is the team okay?"

For the thousandth time Sammi had the urge to inflict bodily harm on whoever orchestrated the illusion that they'd abandoned John.

"The team's great," she said, her voice rough with emotion. "Daniel is dating a woman named Vala, she's been really good for him. He's been offered a job at the Pentagon. I think Jack missed having him around, asked him to become an official Homeworld Security Advisor."

"No kidding," he grinned at the thought.

"Janet and Cassie moved to Washington last year, too," she smiled. "Cassie was chosen for a global youth ambassadors program, so Janet put in for a transfer and Jack pulled a few strings." When he didn't comment, she continued. "The Jaffa are free. Teal'c's son, Rya'c, is one of the leaders of the Free Jaffa Nation."

"The System Lords?"

"A few are still hanging around, but severely weakened," she placed a hand on his arm. "We finally won."

As they continued driving north, Sammi filled him in on all the major events he'd missed.

"What happened with Pete?" He asked. At her hesitation he added, "never mind, we don't need to go there."

"No it's okay," she shook her head sadly. "Dad died."

"Oh," John gripped her hand on the seat. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," she told him truthfully. "Dad's death is what made Sam realize she couldn't marry Pete. It's what ultimately pushed Jack and Sam together." She didn't add that it was also the night that resulted in Gracie being on the way. It was one thing to key John into Jack and Sam's marriage, but quite another to drop the bombshell of a baby onto him. She'd have to ease him into that knowledge once the time was right.

"It sounds like everything worked out for them," his voice held a note of some emotion Sammi couldn't quite pin down. She wanted to reassure him, tell him everything would work out for him too, but she held back. Saying that seemed dismissive at best and cruel at worst. Instead, she gave him a smile and a nod and just kept driving.


The sun was setting by the time Sammi turned onto the lane leading back to Jack's cabin in Silver Creek.

"I thought you said Jack was going to meet us here?" John scanned the house and driveway, seeing no signs of activity anywhere.

Sammi parked their borrowed truck behind a large tree, effectively hiding it from anyone driving down the road. They didn't speak as they quietly crept from the driveway, tiptoeing up the front steps. Sammi was debating on whether to knock when John picked up a rock and retrieved a spare key.

He quickly unlocked the door and pulled Sammi inside.

"Anybody home," he called in a normal voice. When no one answered, he turned on one of the floor lamps. "Guess he decided not to show after all," John said, trying to conceal his hurt and suspicion with disdain.

"Something must have happened," Sammi reasoned, but John didn't want to hear it. This wasn't the first time Jack ghosted him, why was he surprised now?

"Hey, what's this?" Sammi said, approaching the small kitchen table. "Looks like some sort of safe. Biometric," she added, studying it. She placed her finger on the sensor, but the indicator only blinked red. "You try."

John wanted to roll his eyes, but refrained. Reaching out, he placed his index finger against the senor. The box beeped as a mechanical whirl and clunk sounded.

"It worked!" Sammi rubbed her hands together excitedly then carefully opened the door. Pulling out a note, she handed it to him.

John,I was looking forward to catching up with you, but as you know duty often calls at the worst of times. I'm sure Sammi filled you in on the last two years, but I wanted to tell you how sorry I am. I know I'll never be able to make it up to you, but I'm still going to try. —JackPS...Sam says hi.

John laid the letter aside to reach into the safe. He pulled out three manilla envelopes.

"Driver's license, passports, immunization records," Sammi said as she dumped the contents of the first envelope onto the table.

"Birth certificates," John said reaching for the one with his name.

"What's wrong," she asked, glancing up as he fell silent.

"My name," he said gruffly, feeling his chest tighten as he read it. Johnathan O'Neill Jr. "He listed himself as my father," John handed her the forged document. "Why would he do that?"

"I think it's his way of showing he accepts you, completely. Besides, it's true in a weird way. You were created from him."

"But this doesn't make sense!" John slammed the table with both fists, "by blatantly claiming me as his own, he's putting a huge target on my back!"

"I don't think so," Sammi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"What?" John looked at her, dread and pain threatening to overwhelm him. How could she possibly explain this?

"What if he's making it impossible for someone to take you away again against your will?" John could see the wheels turning in her head. "Think about it, if he's legally recognized as your father then they literally have to go through him to get to you. Who on earth would dare to mess with General Jack O'Neill's kid?"

John's entire body shook with restrained emotion. He wanted nothing more than to believe in what Sammi was saying. But to allow himself to believe would mean opening up to the possibility of unimaginable pain when thing inevitably went sideways.

"What does your's say?" He asked, distracting himself.

"Oh!" Sammi exhaled, shaking her head. "I—" she handed it to him. Her father was listed as Jacob Carter and her mother was listed as Debra.

"Your real mom and dad?" John asked perplexed.

"It says here that I was born the same year she died. I will turn seventeen in twelve days," she quickly did the math.

"Sam's long lost sister?" John asked, waiting for her reaction. "You weren't expecting any of this, we're you?"

Sammi didn't say anything, only gave him a quick shake of her head, confirming the surprise.

"What else do we have in here?" He dumped out the second manila envelope. Inside this one was cash—a lot of cash. John whistled as he mentally calculated how much could be in there.

Reaching for the third envelope, he pulled out a piece of paper with an address and a phone number, along with two one-way bus tickets from Minneapolis to Washington, D.C. There were also two notes inside.


Dear Sammi,I know we said it was best for you to make your own life, but Jack and I agree that you and John deserve a place here. We're giving you a choice. You can come to Washington or take the money and make your own lives. No matter what you choose, I'll be proud to call you my little sister.--Sam
Dear John,I know things haven't gone exactly according to plan, but please know I am forever grateful for your willingness to give us a second chance. Remember what I told you two years ago. In this world of ours, the sparrow must live like an eagle if he is to fly at all. I hope I get the chance to see you fly. --Sam

Post Note:

Credit to Hayao Miyazaki for the beautiful quote about flying.

There are many twists and turns to this story! Would you believe me if I said I have a flow chart keeping it all straight?

We are at the halfway point. The last five chapters are written and I plan to post one a day.