With the basic plan in mind, Cam and Daniel easily found their way to the main road. Sure enough, after trudging no more than a mile, a trucker stopped to pick up two weary combat vets, genuine heroes of their country in an age of unbridled patriotism. By the time the driver delivered them to their destination, less than half a mile from Walter Reed, they'd determined the date to be April 8, 1945.

They were halfway home

Chapter 20: The Way Back to Purgatory

Finally, the time had arrived. It was time to take what was rightfully his. All along, he'd known he was meant to rule. Over and above all other Goa'uld, he was destined for greatness. Had it not been for the pesky Tau'ri his domain would have encompassed galaxies by now.

As it was, he'd been crushed, his holdings reduced to a pitiful handful of resources. A single mothership and less than a squadron of Jaffa were all that remained in his control. He'd lost everything else. More precisely, it had been taken from him. Though the audacity of the thieves still astounded him, he'd begun to come to terms with the indisputable fact of his defeat in the original timeline. In spite of his pride, as the final events with the Ori unfolded, Ba'al realized he could never be victorious against the combined forces of the Tau'ri, the free Jaffa and the Tok'ra.

But if these inferior species thought they could outmaneuver him in the end, they were sorely mistaken.

Making his way to the lobby of the leading US military hospital of the era, he was, as always, supremely confident. His ability to manipulate and exercise dominion over an inferior species was second to none. Dressed in the uniform of a 1940s Army officer, Ba'al cut a splendid figure. Surely, fate would continue to smile on him as it had when his Jaffa found the stranded Ori prior. That stroke of unexpected luck had made all of this possible.

It was a delicious irony. Watching the upstart Tau'ri revert to a world of slave labor, without their knowledge would be priceless. How he wished O'Neill and his irritating friends could witness his final triumph. But he'd settle for this. The Tau'ri and their pathetic little species would pay for their arrogance.

OoOoOo

Cameron and Daniel were dropped off less than a mile from Walter Reed. The helpful Good Samaritan who'd picked them up pointed them in the direction of a reputable rooming house. Here they would put the next pieces of their plan into action.

Daniel remained concerned he and Cam would be recognized. Sam had reassured him Ba'al would be unable to place them immediately; there was no way he'd expect to see his arch enemies dressed as soldiers in 1945 Washington D.C. Moreover, Sam insisted they focus on recognizing him. After all it was unlikely the cunning Goa'uld lord would walk in made up as his usual over the top self. Like it not, he'd learned a great deal about blending in with humans over the past year or so. This would be the perfect time to put that experience to use.

The team's success would depend on the accuracy of Daniel's recent research, the information he'd discovered detailing Ba'al's initial meeting with Eleanor Roosevelt. Timing would be crucial on this mission. They had no doubt Ba'al would be protected by his personal shield; they would have to take him unawares. Unfortunately, no zats were available in this timeline. The stun guns and nine-mils they'd brought with them would have to suffice. Stealth would be of the essence. Where was Teal'c when you needed him?

OoOoOo

As luck would have it, the two twenty-first century men were fairly believable as World War II vets. When they finally presented themselves at the main entrance of Walter Reed they were welcomed with open arms, even more so once they volunteered their services as orderlies. Insisting they'd both served as medics in the service put them in good stead and high demand within a health care facility struggling to keep up with the volume of injured soldiers returning from overseas.

Fortunately, their covers had been well planned. Each man assumed the identity of an Army medic due to return stateside in the near future. They were betting on a less than foolproof security system, one that would permit their charade to continue for the time needed. And permit it did. Undetected by those in charge, both men successfully smuggled in their communications devices, weapons and enough tranquillizer to subdue an elephant.

Once inside and provided with appropriate clearance and identification, the two transplanted SG1 personnel proceeded to get the lay of the land. In particular, they concentrated on the two major entrances to the hospital. If their calculations were correct they had about twelve hours before Ba'al made his appearance. In that time, they needed to determine as many details of the First Lady's impending visit as they could. Unfortunately for the staff looking forward to their help, these volunteers had little intention of bustling around transporting patients. Their focus, pure and simple, was on keeping an eagle eye out for Ba'al.

In the process, between the two of them, they managed to chat up several young nurses and members of the secretarial staff. In so doing, they learned the exact times of Mrs. Roosevelt's planned arrival and arrangements. With any luck they'd be able to spot their quarry in the crowd that would arrive to see the First Lady.

Sure enough, by 1300 hours the next afternoon, less than two dozen servicemen and a few Army nurses had gathered to greet Mrs. Roosevelt. It was a far cry from today's media orchestrated events where paparazzi and general hangers-on littered the corridors, not to mention the lobbies of hotels, conference centers and convention halls fighting for a glimpse of a celebrity.

But Mrs. Roosevelt wasn't coming for a photo op. She was coming to help the soldiers who'd fought for their country. She had no idea what lay in wait for her.

OoOoOo

"I hate being in here doing nothing," Jack said. "I should be out there with them."

Sam shook her head and chuckled.

"What?" Jack asked indignantly.

"I've heard that before is all," Sam said.

"Yeah? Your husband's as thick headed as I am?"

"Just about."

Over the past twelve hours, Sam and Jack had fallen into a comfortable routine inside the puddle jumper. Hidden as they were by thick stands of trees surrounding their well chosen clearing, they'd elected to dispense with the cloak, particularly under cover of darkness. Forty-eight hours would be a lot to ask from the puddle jumper's battery packs. They'd keep their eyes peeled and engage the cloak only when absolutely necessary. After all, that was part of the reason they stayed behind.

Sam had anticipated this time alone with Jack would be awkward to say the least. She was pleasantly surprised. He was easy to talk with, no pressure, no expectations. He wasn't her Jack, but still he was Jack O'Neill. With that recognition, the two shared their divergent experiences of life and love. To her amazement, listening to this alternate Jack gave her even more appreciation of the man who was her husband. His stories about life with his Sam and their son, and even his willingness to freely share his depth of devotion to his new family, all of this reminded Sam of the strongly principled man she'd loved and married. What's more, she gained a fresh perspective on how much this man was sacrificing being here with her right now.

"Thank you," she said, seemingly out of nowhere.

He flashed a quizzical expression, one she recognized immediately.

"For coming, for helping us," Sam supplied.

"You knew I couldn't say no," he said, accurate in his assumption. "I could never say no to you."

Sam nodded and smiled sadly. She couldn't help but grieve for the man in front of her, the one who'd lost and would lose so much.

"I'm sure you've been a wonderful husband and father," she said, knowing the words might sound hollow, but meaning them nonetheless.

"Don't know about the husband part," he said. "I'm putting my money on the dad part though. My kids, they mean everything to me."

"I'll bet you're a great dad," Sam said sincerely. "My Jack will be too."

He studied her meaningfully for a moment. Then he asked the $64,000 question. "Will be? Anything I should know?"

She chuckled, gracing him with the smile she always saved for her Jack.

"Should know? I'm not sure," she said. "But my Jack will know, as soon as I see him. In my timeline, I'm pregnant."

"Really?"

Sam nodded.

"That's great," Jack said. "Wish I could be there for you."

"You will be," she said. "Always."

OoOoOo

Daniel and Cameron waited with the others in the lobby. It was there Mrs. Roosevelt would begin her visit and there that Ba'al, at least in her own historical accounts would first accost her. They were fairly certain he would be there. If not, they planned to tail the famous First Lady, discretely of course, throughout the rest of her visit.

As it was, their assumptions were good as gold. And they didn't have long to wait. Only fifteen minutes after stationing themselves on opposite sides of the entrance, Mrs. Roosevelt arrived flanked by her secretary and one security agent. Shaking hands with the waiting servicemen, she made her way to the far end of the lobby where she would offer a brief greeting.

They were certain Ba'al hadn't been among those waiting when they arrived. Again they were correct. No sooner than the First Lady began to speak, a latecomer arrived. At first glance a dapper, highly decorated officer, the six foot tall man was more than a little familiar to those lying in wait for him. If nothing else, his bearing gave him away.

"That's him," Cam spoke into his concealed radio. "He's the one with all the medals. Take your position, Jackson. Remember," he added, "we have to surprise him before he can activate the shield."

Daniel didn't stop to argue. He followed Cam's direction, his first glance confirming Ba'al's identity. Stands to reason he's decked out like that; that ego will never die, he thought

Without alerting their quarry, the two erstwhile hunters approached Ba'al from behind. Before he was aware of their presence, they stunned him from either side at close range. The weapons had exactly the desired effect. Ba'al slumped towards the floor, bolstered in the nick of time by the arms of his attackers. Surreptitiously, the same men who kept him from hitting the floor, deftly disarmed him and removed his personal shielding device in one fluid movement.

By the time the Sergeant-at-Arms approached them, eager to learn whether the visiting "Lieutenant" needed assistance, Daniel and Cam had their story well in hand. They told the well meaning sergeant that the dazed, now lumbering man they were supporting between them had been their commander on the western front. The poor man had valiantly defended his men, been captured and tortured within an inch of his life. Since his return stateside, he'd taken to drinking too much and come here today dangerously intoxicated.

It didn't take much to garner the sergeant's sympathy for the beleaguered officer. With minimal persuasion, Daniel and Cam managed to "borrow" an Army jeep for the express purpose of taking the apparently delirious war hero home in as dignified a manner as possible. Between the effect of the stunners and the large dose of tranquillizer he'd subsequently been given, Ba'al was unable to put up much of a struggle. His efforts appeared to be no more than those of a bumbling, drunken man trying mightily to deny his need for assistance.

For their part, the quick thinking SG1 men were now a bit flummoxed. Truth be told, they hadn't planned much beyond this. As they unceremoniously loaded a groggy, mumbling Ba'al into the Jeep, they realized this whole plan would be more complicated than they'd thought. Along with Sam, they'd assumed the simple act of stunning Ba'al, or at the most removing him from the First Lady's presence, would reset the timeline. Obviously, that hadn't happened.

OoOoOo

Home in these circumstances was the puddle jumper. Cam Mitchell's call to Sam on the topic of returning with Ba'al had been classic. She'd told him in no uncertain terms Ba'al was the last person she wanted to see ever again, but they had very little choice. If that's what it took to reset the timeline, who was she to argue?

"Now what?' Daniel asked, as soon as Cam had finished his call.

"Now, we improvise," Cam said.

"Maybe we have to get him off the planet," Daniel suggested.

"Or better yet, back to his own time."

"Well, what do you say we do both and see what happens," Daniel said. With that he put the military vehicle in drive and started towards the park and their hiding place.

OoOoOo

The drive to the park took less than ten minutes. After abandoning the jeep at the edge of the clearing, the final five minutes were spent lugging the still semi-conscious Goa'uld up the narrow dirt road towards the now cloaked jumper.

The sight that met Ba'al's eyes woke him up the rest of the way. He could barely contain his perverse glee when he realized Jack O'Neill was part of his welcoming party.

"I should have known you would be here," Ba'al moaned, shaking his head.

"So you must be the bad guy I've heard so much about," Colonel O'Neill began..

"Your insolence is unchanged."

"Glad to hear it," O'Neill quipped. "Now what do we have to do to get rid of you?"

Ba'al shook his head dismissively, looking around and noticing more of his surroundings.

"An Ancient time ship is it not?" he asked rhetorically. "Quite interesting, and of course O'Neill can operate this."

"Of course," Daniel supplied saving Jack the trouble.

"You are hurting me," Ba'al protested as Cam proceeded to bind him securely to one of the rear seats of the jumper.

"Well that's a damn shame, isn't it," Cam said, pulling tighter on the ropes. "I'll have to see what I can do about that."

"You do know that I will simply try again," Ba'al said. "Whatever you do, I will prevail in the end."

"Not this time, Ba'al," Sam said decisively. As she finished that simple statement of fact she attached a small device to his wrist. An matching device hung from a chain around her neck. "I think you've come to the end of the line."

If a Goa'uld could snarl, this one certainly did. No one paid him any mind.

"We're ready," Sam called. "Take us out of here, Jack."

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied, stealing one more look at the woman he'd love in every reality he could imagine.

Seconds later, they were back on Purgatory.

TBC

A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this up. It was hard to figure out. Hope it hung together okay. And thanks for hanging in there with me and the story.

Special thanks to the one or two reviewers who are keeping me on my toes pointing out some inconsistencies. Much appreciated.

Next chapter is the conclusion.

Of course, I'd love to hear what you think. Please review.