It took a month for her to be declared killed in action. Her funeral was well attended. Jack was articulate when he gave her eulogy but he didn't utter a word the rest of the day. Daniel drank too much and talked more as he got drunk. Teal'c kept his eye on Daniel and let Jack wallow for the day. Cam was blaming himself and only General Landry was disagreeing with him, even though they all knew Cam couldn't have saved her and he wasn't in support of this mission either.

As the sun set Teal'c took Daniel home. General Landry gave Cam a ride and Jack retreated to his living room with another beer. He turned on a baseball game but he didn't even know who was playing. His mind kept going over their last afternoon together. He should have ignored her protests and called everyone he could find to get her mission canceled. It was stupid to take newbies to another planet so soon. If he had followed his instincts she would still be with him. He couldn't let that thought go.

The morning after the funeral Cassie and Sam's brother's family joined Jack at Sam's home. Her brother and his kids picked out some photos, books, and other mementos to take with them and were on the road in under an hour. Cassie stayed to help Jack begin the real packing. She tackled the bathroom while he focused on her bedroom. He found notes going back to high school in the top drawer of her bedside table. Birthday cards he had given her over the years were included in the stack of keepsakes. He found a green velvet box that contained a gold necklace with a small gold rose pendent. He knew it must have held some significance to her since it was included in this drawer but he knew nothing about it. He fingered the rose for a moment before packing it away with the letters and cards.

He got up and went to her closet. He pulled back the accordion doors and looked for what he wanted. It was hidden to the far right, a light blue dress with a hint of a shimmer. He took it off the hanger as Cassie walked back into the room.

"What's that?"

Jack looked over at the girl he considered a daughter, "It's the dress she wore on our first date."

She held up a bottle of perfume. "It smells like her. I just can't believe this happened."

"Me neither, munchkin. Me neither."

Cassie shook her head. "Will you ever stop calling me that?"

"No time soon." He smiled at her as he walked over and gave her a hug.

Teal'c, Daniel, and Cam brought lunch around noon and joined in the packing. They had been working for about an hour when Daniel found Sam's yearbooks in her guest bedroom. He was flipping through them when Cam found him.

"What cha lookin at?"

"Sam in high school. She was a nerd but she sure didn't look like one."

Cam picked up the yearbooks lying on the bed beside Daniel. "They are all from different schools."

"She's a military brat. She moved around a lot." Cam nodded as he placed the books in the box at Daniel's feet. "We shouldn't be doing this. We shouldn't be going through her stuff."

"Would you rather strangers be doing it?"

"I'd rather we wait for her to come home."

"Daniel…"

Daniel stood up. "Don't! I don't want to hear it again." Daniel stormed out to the living room, where Jack, Teal'c and Cassie were working.

Jack sighed as he looked up. "What now?"

"I'm tired of nobody listening to me. We shouldn't be doing this!"

"It's been over a month Daniel. If she had survived she would have gotten in touch by now."

"There could be lots of reasons she hasn't been able to contact us, like the gate being covered in lava."

"Even Sam can't evade three volcanoes and that much lava. She had no chance Daniel."

"You're the last person I thought would give up on her." Daniel's accusation cut Jack to the core so Jack didn't try to stop him as he left.

"Do you think he's right, Jack?"

Jack shook his head. "No sweetie, if I did I wouldn't be doing this."

By dinner time the whole place was in boxes. They packed up Jack and Cam's trucks and moved the boxes to Jack's garage. They shared a dinner of pizza and beer, a moving day staple, before going their separate ways. Jack contacted a realtor before heading back to Washington.

Jack's phone rang but he clicked the ringer off.

"Do you need to take that?"

Jack shook his head. "No, it can wait. Let's finish."

The woman across the table nodded. "Very good. You only have a few more pages to sign."

As Jack was walking out his phone started ringing again, the fourth time in the last ten minutes, but this time he answered. "What Daniel?"

"Jack, thank goodness you finally answered. She's alive."

"Damn it Daniel! You have got to stop this. She was declared killed in action nine months ago."

"I know but…"

"No, no buts Daniel. I just closed on my house and the truck is packed. I'm headed to the cabin. You can visit when you give up this witch hunt."

"Shut up Jack!" Jack sat down in his truck and went silent. "The Beta site contacted us fifteen minutes ago. Sam declared a medical emergency and requested sanctuary under the MIA protocol."

"What?"

"They've requested your presence."

"I'll be there in ten."

"I'll meet you at the guard station."