Cassandra held her mother tightly as SG-1 watched. It was time for them to go through the quantum mirror to Kelly's world. All were going through with Janet, every single member wanting to make sure that everything was done properly, and none wanting her to go through this ordeal alone. Cassandra however couldn't and was sharing an emotional goodbye with her adoptive mother.
"You take care of yourself okay sweetheart. I promise you I'll be home before you know it."
"Promise?" Cassandra asked, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Would I ever lie to you Cassie?" Janet asked her.
Cassandra shook her head.
"Come here." Janet prompted enveloping the teenager in a hug.
"I love you mom."
"Cass, I love you too." Janet replied.
Daniel walked over to the pair.
"Promise you'll take care of her?" Cassandra asked.
"Always." Daniel replied. "See you soon kiddo." He told her sweetly.
The team turned on the quantum mirror and looked between the different universes until they found the right one. The older Daniel, whom they had just met a couple of days before was standing there waiting, looking sombrely at them, and they cold immediately tell Kelly must have gotten worse.
"Something's wrong." Sam whispered to Jack.
"Yeah, we better do this sharpish." He replied. "Come on people we better move." He told them.
"Take care of Cass General." Janet asked her Commanding Officer.
"She'll be staying on the base with us until we get you home safe, there's no need to worry." General George Hammond reassured her.
Janet nodded then took a deep breath.
"So I just put my hand on this?" she asked the others.
They nodded, Daniel then taking her hand in his. Their hands entwined, they put them on the surface of the mirror, then promptly finding themselves in another universe. Sam Jack and Teal'c quickly followed.
"Thank you so much for doing this." The older Daniel told them.
"How is she?" Jack asked.
"I think you should probably see for yourselves." He replied sadly.
The older Daniel led them to an isolation room where Kelly was being kept in order to prevent a further infection from causing any more damage. Opening the door, the older Daniel led them in. When they entered the room and saw the figure on the bed Janet and Daniel gasped. The young woman who had looked so lively and bubbly on the photograph they had seen now looked so vulnerable, almost as if she could break. Her young face was pale but flushed, and her eyes were closed.
Their attention then turned to the long blond haired woman by her bedside. She looked strangely familiar though she was obviously in her early thirties. She was wearing an Air Force uniform and a lab coat. She was obviously a doctor on the base.
"We had to put her on an oxygen mask just after you went to the mirror. She started to develop breathing difficulties." She explained getting up and walking over to Daniel then giving him a hug.
"You've been here all night?" he asked her.
The woman nodded.
"Yeah well she's my sister, maybe not biologically, but hell mom isn't my biological mother and I love her just the same as if she was." She told him, her face tired.
"I know you do Cass." The older Daniel told her, Daniel and Janet then immediately looking at each other and then the rest of SG-1 who were just as shocked. "Where's Jack?" he then asked her.
"He's asleep in my quarters. Paul's off world on a mission and I didn't want Jack to be at home with a babysitter. Besides he loves it here with his grandparents and I wanted to keep him close to me. I'm spending so much time here either working or sitting with Kelly that I couldn't bear not to see him" Cassandra explained.
"You're a good mother Cass but maybe you should go home and get some sleep. Jack can stay here with us, I'm sure Sam or Jack will look after him for a while if you want to sleep before your next shift." Daniel told her.
"Daniel I'm okay, I swear. I am sleeping just not as much as I probably should be."
"Then I want you to go to your quarters and just sleep. I'll talk to General Hammond and ask if you can be given leave. Sweetheart it's an easier option than working exhausted."
"Okay...thanks." Cassandra told him smiling.
"Wait...you have a son? I mean we're grandparents?" Daniel asked.
Cassandra smiled.
"Yeah, I guess this is kind of shocking for you. I do have a son, a four-year-old called Jack, I'm married and I'm a doctor here at the SGC."
"Wow." Sam commented.
"We'll we always knew you were smart." Jack commented, Cassandra then smiling.
"You're here to help Kel?" Cassandra asked Janet.
Janet nodded.
"Mom really wants to you know, and she feels terrible she can't. Thank you so much for doing this for her...for all of us. She's an incredible young woman... what?" she asked as she noticed the team looking at her.
"It's just in your universe you're sixteen years old. This is kinda a shock." Jack O'Neill told her.
"Yeah well it's a shock to see you with hair Jack." She replied making the group smile. "Look I'm gonna go tell mom you're here. The baby kept her up kicking last night and she's resting. "
"I'll go with you." The older Daniel told Cass, wanting to be with his wife. He walked over to Kelly.
"I take it you two would probably like some time with her before..."
Daniel nodded.
"Sam, Jack, Teal'c, why don't you go to the commissary and get some coffee. You never know you might run into yourselves and the kids."
"Ermmm did you say kids?" Jack asked.
"Yeah...you have two girls." He replied pointing to Sam and Jack. "Casey and Emma." He then told them as he put an arm around Cassie and led her out of the room.
"Didn't I tell you alternate universes give me a headache?" Janet and Daniel heard Jack comment as they made their way down the corridor.
Daniel and Janet walked over to Kelly's bed and sat down either side of it. She was a beautiful young woman, with her mother's features. She was also obviously loved by many, the room full of cards and balloons.
"She looks so peaceful." Daniel whispered quietly, stroking her hair back off her fevered forehead.
Janet nodded.
"But so vulnerable Daniel. I mean remember that photo and look at her now. This illness... look at how weak she is."
Daniel nodded.
The young woman opened her eyes slowly at the sound of voices, looking groggily at Daniel and Janet. Her breathing was shallow, and yet she pulled the oxygen mask down.
"Put that back on sweetie, it's helping you breathe." Janet told her tenderly.
"Are...you...you here to help me?" she whispered.
Janet nodded, as a tear ran down the young womans face.
"Mom...cries every night because...she can't. Thank you." Kelly whispered.
"Hey don't cry. It's okay."
"It...hurts..." Kelly whispered.
"Oh honey I know." Janet replied beginning to cry.
"I don't want to die." Kelly then whispered beginning to cough.
"Shush." Janet comforted. "Take deep breaths."
Kelly settled down and Janet put her mask back on. The youngster shut her eyes again.
Janet turned to Daniel, tears now streaming down her face. He took her into his arms.
"That's why I had to do this Daniel." She told him.
"I know." He replied as he too broke down, his own tears falling on top of Janets head.