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She stood there stunned for just a moment. What in the world was happening? This had to be the strangest mission she could remember – and she could remember some real wild ones! What to do now?
As she reached out to knock on the door, she stopped herself, realizing how absurd that was. No matter what the circumstance, she thought, we are so bound by convention and by manners. Some alien beings were torturing and then tricking Jack and she was going to politely knock on the door? God! Okay – just do it she thought.
With that, she reached for the doorknob and walked into a scene from some kind of distorted Norman Rockwell painting. There Jack sat, on the couch, with his arms around the boy, listening to him tell of his day at school. She could see the woman (she refused to call her Sara) setting the table in the dining room. No one seemed to notice her so she stood there for a minute just looking at this picture of family contentment.
It was a contentment that she knew was artificial, however. So, without further thought she walked over to Jack.
"General – please, you know this is wrong. This is not your family". At first, Sam thought he hadn't heard but then she noticed his posture had tightened and he no longer appeared relaxed. Neither the boy nor the woman even glanced at her.
She knelt down so she could look at Jack in the eye and again said, "General – please! You must listen to me."
With that, Jack finally looked up at her – with such an expression of pain in his eyes that she instinctively reached out to touch him.
"I know Carter, I know. I know this is something that's been created by the aliens, or this planet or something – but …. but I think I've been offered another chance."
"What do you mean, another chance?"
"I think I can choose to stay here – to have Charlie back, to have another chance at the family I lost. I don't know how I know that, but I do."
"But Sir, you know it's not real – it would never be the same."
"I think you're wrong, Colonel. I think if I choose to stay it will become real."
There was a long pause and Sam realized that Jack now faced probably the biggest turning point in his life. His decision wouldn't just affect him, though. It could also change her life.
"What do you want to do Jack? Do you want to stay?"
The words could barely leave her mouth they were so painful – but she knew he had to make the choice. She could plead, beg, get angry – but that would be wrong. The decision had to be his.
During this time, Charlie had sat very quietly, no longer talking. Sara, or whoever, whatever she was, had continued to work silently in the dining room. At that moment, both of them turned to look at Jack as if waiting for his decision along with Sam.
Jack sat back against the couch and closed his eyes. What a terrible choice – to stay with the family he had lost and had loved so deeply, or leave them and go with Sam, the woman who now had his heart, his very soul.
After a few moments, while everything seemed to stop, Jack realized he could only make one choice – there was only one future he could take.
With a deep sigh he sat up and gave Charlie a hug. He then leaned back and gently stroked his hand through the boy's thick hair.
"Charlie."
"It's okay Dad, I understand", the boy said softly. He then leaned forward and kissed his father on the cheek. "I'll wait for you. When you're ready we can go throw my new baseball. I love you Dad."
And with that, Charlie gave him another kiss on the cheek, jumped off his lap and started to walk away. Just before he left, about to disappear down a hallway off the living room, he turned around and gave Jack one big, cheeky grin, waived and then left.
God, Sam thought, he looks just like his father. At that point she realized that Sara had walked over and was now standing in front of Jack.
"I'm sorry Sara – I have to go. I really loved you you know – what we had was great – but my future is somewhere else now, with someone else now. I never wanted to hurt you Sara. I'm so sorry."
"Jack, it's okay. Go. You are where you belong." She then leaned over, as her son had done, and very softly kissed him - but on the lips. She then turned to Sam, smiled gently at her and nodded. With that, she followed her son out of the room.
Jack stood there for a moment – feeling as if he had received a blessing from his family. He had felt Charlie's forgiveness the night before, in amongst the trees on Trelea, now he felt as if he had Sara's as well.
He turned to Sam, wanting to apologize. He knew his actions must have hurt her greatly. Instead of anger or hurt, what he saw on her face humbled him and made him realize how right he had been to look towards the future, not the past. She simply looked at him with love and with tenderness.
"I could have chosen them, Sam but I realized when you spoke to me that my future is here, is now. They will always be a part of me but I can't hide myself in something that isn't true – no matter how seductive it might seem. I'm sorry it took me a while to see that. I'm sorry if I hurt you. It just felt so real."
"It's fine Jack. I'm not angry, I'm just grateful you chose to stay. I know how hard that choice must have been and how badly you must feel now."
"No, I'm okay," he answered, sounding almost surprised that it was true. "I just wish we could figure out what the hell is happening. One moment I have some alien trying to explode my brain, the next I'm being offered a chance to relive my life. What is this about?"
"I wish I knew. Maybe we should head out and see what happens. I assume they're not going to leave us in your old neighborhood."
"I sure hope not, Mrs. Chadwick next door is an old … uh witch and the McNamaras across the street are the worst neighbors. Their dog constantly pooped in our yard!"
As Jack and Sam opened the door to leave the house, everything began to shimmer and they instantly found themselves back in the room of swirling colors.
"Yup – just what I thought. I am so damned tired of aliens messing with our heads. WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL US WHAT IS GOING ON – WHAT YOU WANT WITH US?"
For a few heartbeats nothing happened until another figure appeared from the swirling, changing colors.
Oh no, he thought, not again – please. He didn't know if he could handle another session like the one earlier.
Soon, however, he began to feel the pressure in his skull. He started to lose any physical sensations of the world around him. All he could see, all he could focus on were the eyes of the alien. He somehow knew that this was different than the last one – this one, a 'he' he thought, didn't seem as malevolent to Jack, although that may have simply been wishful thinking.
Sam watched as the alien drew nearer to Jack. No way, she thought, there is no way you are hurting him again - though truthfully, she had no idea how to stop it if that's what it wanted.
As the being got closer, Sam put herself in front of Jack, in between him and the alien. Of course, this didn't stop it – it simply and instantly appeared on his other side. Strangely, it continued to act as if Sam were not even present.
Jack tried to step away, to step back, but he couldn't move, couldn't turn his eyes. Finally, the alien apparition was standing just inches from him. As yet, he hadn't felt any pain (thank God) but he continued to feel the strange sensation he had experienced whenever he was in the presence of these beings.
All three 'people' in the room, the two humans and the alien, stood as if frozen for many seconds. Finally, the figure reached out slowly, deliberately with his hand and placed it on Jack's temple.
Oh God, he groaned! Suddenly what felt like hundreds, thousands of images, thoughts and words appeared in his head. Everything raced as if it had been turned on high– like a DVD running at 64 times normal speed. As the thoughts and images raced through his mind he groaned. "Please stop, I don't know what you want, what you are trying to say."
The alien instantly took his hand away and the images stopped.
"Jack, are you okay? What's happening?"
"I don't know … I think they are trying to communicate but there's too much – it's too fast. Why don't they just talk to us or write us a note for God's sake!"
At that the alien suddenly turned its head and stared over at one of the walls. For a few seconds nothing happened, then, writing began to appear on the wall.
"Well, I guess he heard me. I think they're writing us a note."
As soon as the writing stopped, both Jack and Sam made their way over to the wall. The writing was in no language Sam could recognize, although it did remind her of something.
"Well, that doesn't do us a lot of good," she started to say, when she suddenly realized that Jack was staring intently at the wall. He reached up and started to trace the letters with his fingers.
"Do you recognize this Jack?"
"Yes, I think so. I think I can read this."
"How? How can you read this? I don't even recognize this language or the script. It's like nothing I've seen before."
"I don't know how, Sam, but I can read it. Maybe whatever they did to my head ….? Maybe they gave me another download, perhaps that's why I can read it."
"Oh no, please no! Jack do you feel the same as when you had the knowledge of the Ancients downloaded?"
"Sorta – a little different. But Sam, when I say I can read this – I mean I can understand this. It's not like the download when I had no idea what I was saying or reading or doing. I know this language, I know what it means."
"What! How can you - what does it say?"
"I don't know if I can translate it exactly – it's written as kind of an epic poem." For a little while Jack continued to read to himself. It was funny, she thought, he reminded her of Daniel at just this moment. That thought brought a real pang. She realized how much she was missing both Daniel and Teal'c. Jack then looked at Sam and began to translate.
"It begins by talking about a 'Chosen One' –one through whom the universe will return to harmony and balance. It says that this one has the blood of the first ones and he will have proven himself to be a person of valor but also of compassion and honor. It says 'The Chosen One suffered much, was tempered by pain and loss but remains true to that which is right.' It then goes on to say that when this one is found, he will be taken to the 'otherworld' where it will be determined whether he is able to fulfill his destiny. Basically it says he'll be tested to see if he's got what it takes."
"Takes to do what?"
"You got me. That's all it says. Any idea what this means?"
For a while Sam didn't speak. Then she said slowly, quietly, "Yes … of course."
"Care to share?"
"I think this is about you Jack. I think you are the 'Chosen One'. It all fits. That's why you were brought here. I think everything so far has been a test, a test to see if you are worthy."
"Oh, for God's sakes! I'm no 'Chosen One' I'm an old soldier who likes beer, pizza, the Simpsons and hockey! Now those may all be great things – but I don't think they give me the necessary resume to save the whole bloody universe."
Turning to where the alien still stood Jack began to speak loudly to him. "Hey – you guys got the wrong person. I AM NOT A CHOSEN KIND OF GUY! You made a mistake, but hey, it's okay, no hard feelings. Just take us back and we'll forget the whole thing, okay!"
"Jack, I don't think they're going to listen to you. Look if anybody has the right qualifications it's you. You have saved the world, in fact the whole the galaxy and you are a person of honor and compassion. I think they got it right."
"What! You're on their side? Sam, you're not the one who's having his brain squashed and who's being put through weird scenes. I really don't need this – I really don't want this!"
"I know. I'm sorry Jack. I just don't think they're going to listen to you on this one. I think you may just have to continue these 'tests. I'll be here with you Jack. You know that – as long as I'm able I'll help."
"Shit! It's that damned Ancient gene! I know this is gonna sound real childish Sam but" and with that he shouted, "WHY ME!"
At this, the alien disappeared just as the first one had done. For a brief time Sam and Jack were alone in the room and all was quiet and still. Even the colors stopped swirling but remained a steady, deep red. Soon, however, everything changed!
This time there was no opening in the door, no gradual change of scene. One moment they are both in the alien room, the next they were lying on dusty hot ground. They could barely see due to the sand and smoke swirling around them. The noise was horrific, the sounds of automatic weapons, explosions, shouts and screams going on around them. Obviously, they had landed in the middle of a battle. But where, what battle? Where were they?
After a while they could begin to decipher the voices – some were speaking in a foreign language, others in English. When Sam glanced over at Jack she saw that he looked stunned. He slowly looked towards her and she realized he knew exactly where they were.
He closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again he looked directly at her and breathed one word.
"Iraq"
