I'm still working on it, so please don't give up on me. I appreciate all of the reviews and look forward to seeing how you all liked this chapter. I should be wrapping up part 1 of the story and getting started on part 2. Please let me know if I should continue it in part 2 or end it in the next few chapters and just be done.

Chapter 16

Jacob found himself wondering around the tunnels after leaving Sam to sleep. He knew that eventually he would run into Jack as the tunnels were still being grown and they were not nearly as extensive as they usually were. Now that they had a choice most of the Tok'Ra had decided to live on the surface of the planet. They were excited to begin creating a society that would remain long after the annihilation of the Goa'uld. Although they were a long way from success, their scientist were doing what they could to create a Tok'Ra Queen. It was like they had explained to the Tauri when they first met them; Zero to negative population growth. Most were looking forward to a time where they could pursue their own interests, enter relationships, and even have kids. They were closer to that than ever before.

"*Selmac, now that Sam is going to have a much longer life, what do you think the chances are that she will want to come and live here? *"

"*I'm sorry Jacob, but I don't see her leaving the SGC until she loses the members of her team. She may come here to mourn the loss, but I think that she would not stay away from Earth for very long.*"

"*How would you feel about living on Earth for a while after we have neutralized the threat of the Goa'uld? That time is getting closer now, I think. *"

"*I feel that it is something that we can discuss when the time draws nearer. Things are coming to a head with Anubis systematically converting the remaining Goa'uld or destroying them if they refuse to join his campaign. It is just a matter of time before he makes his move against Earth. I'm sorry to say that there is not much we can do to prevent it and they are not prepared for the overwhelming onslaught of an invasion. There is every likely hood that he will wipe most of them out and enslave the rest. *"

"*I wouldn't count them out yet, but you know as well as I do that the SGC has been slowly moving key people from the Earth and getting them situated on the Alpha Site. It will not be anywhere close to the billions of people that they can't save, but the Tauri will not go quietly. My guess is that if it comes down to it the military contingent will employ guerrilla tactics and do as much damage as they can while everyone else rebuilds to the best of their ability. *"

"*Yes, but for now we have more pressing concerns. *" Selmac stated.

"*I agree. Who is this woman that she was given unrestricted access to everything? We need to find Jack and get the full story. I think there is more going on than Sam is aware. *" Jacob knew how restricted the Stargate program was and through him Selmac was aware of some of the dirtier secrets of the US Government and what they were capable of.

"*If Sam doesn't know, what makes you think Jack does? As close as they are I don't think that Jack would be made privy to specific details, or Hammond or that matter."

Before Selmac and Jacob could finish their conversation, he heard his name being called. Glancing around he saw Jack at the end of the tunnel just coming out of the council chamber.

"Jacob I was just coming to look for you and Sam." Jack peeked around Jacob. "And where is Sam?" Jack was not comfortable having her away from the team.

"After we got done talking, she was so exhausted she was barley staying on her feet. I had her lay down in my quarters so she could try to get some sleep." Jacob paused for a second. "Tell me more about Helen Mag…" Jack held up his hand.

"I'm going to stop you right there. Dr. Carter and her team are aboard Thor's ship as are the rest of the SG personnel. It really has been a long day for all concerned." Jack pulled the Asgard communication device from his pocket. "Thor, I'm with Jacob Carter we are ready whenever you are."

Not a stupid man, Jacob caught on quickly that Jack was not willing to discuss anything out in the open where just anyone could overhear them. He shut his mouth and waited to be transported to Thor's ship.

Several Hours Later

Sam did the best she could to get some rest, but after initially falling asleep she was hounded by weird dreams and eventually decided to get up and move around. She was thankful that Thor had put her in separate quarters from the rest of the personnel returning to Earth, but the Asgard sleeping pods were just not designed for humans. For one thing, they were way too small for her tall frame. Her feet had been dangling off the end of the pad when she woke.

Pulling on her uniform and boots she exited the sparsely furnished room. Unlike the SGC, there were no visible markings indicating where she was on the ship. She knew that she could get on the radio and call the Colonel, but she did not want to wake him if he had managed to get some shut eye after such a long day.

After about fifteen minutes of wondering around without running into a soul, Sam found herself back in the medical bay. To her surprise, she was not alone. Helen was sitting at the table where they had their discussion earlier. She seemed lost in her own thoughts and Sam was loth to interrupt. Before she could make her way from the room Helen looked up and spotted her.

Helen was sitting alone in the room where Thor had done her medical tests. She had sent both Ashley and Will off to get some sleep at Jacks request but declined it for herself. She had too many thoughts running through her head to get any sleep anyway. Not to mention that she was really hoping to get a chance to take to Sam before they returned to Earth for additional briefings. She was using the solitude to process everything that she had learned in the past twenty-four hours. Not just the fact that aliens existed, or that she was traveling on a ship across space, but the biggest revelation of the day was learning was that she had another daughter. It was something she had thought about over the years, not knowing if Ashley carried her longevity. Could she willingly put herself through it all over again, the pain of losing a child; and until today she still hadn't known the answer to the question. Now that the decision was taken out of her hands, she knew with absolute certainty that she wanted to get to know Sam, and with the help of the Asgard, she was no longer carrying the weight of outliving either of her Ashley.

Catching movement from the corner of her eye she glanced toward the doorway where the very person that she had been thinking about was attempting to make a quiet exit from the room.

"Sam, I thought your dad said you were sleeping?" Helen indicated that she should join her at the table.

"I tried. Fairly sure I passed out from shear emotional exhaustion, but I as far as sleeping?" she paused "Too many thoughts running around in my brain to really get any rest." Sam leaned forward putting her arms on the table and proceeded to study her hands intently. She was normally one to face things head on but she didn't know how to get the conversation going in the direction she knew it had to go eventually. "What about you?"

"Same as you, too much to process." She pointed to her own head.

"Well, it's not every day you find out that you have been abducted by aliens and experimented on." Sam indicated the ship.

Helen shook he head and smiled. "No, I've moved on from that. Nothing I can do to change the past, so no sense dwelling on it. Besides there are more important things to focus on. The result of that experiment for example."

Not looking up from the table Sam responded. "You mean me. I know that you had no say in my creation, so when we get back to the SGC if you want to go back to the Sanctuary an forget any of this happened, I will understand." Sam knew that she had no right to expect anything from this woman.

It took Helens brain a second to catch up with what Sam was saying. "If you think for one minute that I don't want to get to know my daughter, you have another thing coming. But I understand that it has to be a two-way street. We will both have to want to put in the effort, if that's what you want also." She stopped for a second and said the words she hoped Sam would deny. At Sam's continued silence she quickly added "I would completely understand if you wanted nothing to do with me, however. While technically I am biologically your mother, I didn't give birth to you or raise you. I am not trying to be a replacement for your mom, but at the same time I want a relationship with you, whatever that looks like." At the mention of her mother Sam turned her head to look at Helen for the first time since sitting down. Helen could see the thoughts chasing themselves through Sam's eyes. It was the same expression that she saw in the mirror when the pieces of a puzzle that had thus far eluded her came into focus. She watched as Sam went from one emotion to another finally settling on anger. Assuming it would be directed at her she physically braced herself for what was to come.

"Why would she lie? Why would my mom do that?" Sam asked quietly. "It's my life" she slammed her hands on the table. "I had a right to know!" She proclaimed to some unseen entity in the room. Sam stood up and made her way to the window, not paying any attention as the galaxy streamed past. She wrapped her arms around her middle and leaned her head against the glass like substance and closed her eyes.

"Sam, what are you talking about? What did she lie about?" Not expecting the turn in the conversation, Helen was playing catch up; not a place she usually found herself. She stood up and walked over to stand by Sam. Having only known the woman for a day, Helen was not sure how to comfort her. She stood quietly waiting for the anger and confusion to pass so she could learn more. Her patience paid off a few minutes later.

"Something my dad said when we were talking. It stuck with me, but I didn't understand until now. He said that she knew that everything would be fine because she had a guardian angel watching over the two of us. He didn't pay much attention, but she tried to tell him, and he refused to listen."

"So, you think what? That Loki posed as an angel and talked your mom into having you. Is that something that he would do?" Helen wanted to know.

"Why not? The Asgard pose as gods all the time. How hard would it be for Loki to pose as an angel instead. The Asgard technology would appear miraculous. For all she was knew, I was an answer to a prayer. But she willingly made the choice." Sam paused thinking back. "My dad said that after I was born she consented to having a hysterectomy saying that she could only have one miracle child."

"Sam, you don't know that she wasn't going to sit you down and explain it all one day."

"But she didn't did she? She died and everything I thought about my life is a lie."

"How is your life a lie Sam? How does this one tiny thing that happened before you were even born change who you are now? All your accomplishments, everything that you are is of your own making." She reached out and turned Sam to face her. "But let me ask you this…would you still be who you are now if she had told you? Saying that you even believed her, how would that information have fundamentally changed who you are?" She paused letting Sam process what she was saying to her. "As parents our biggest flaw is our unwillingness to face our own mortality. There is always something left undone. Something left unsaid because we don't want to face it. We continue to put it off until the next day, and the day after that. Telling ourselves that we will do it tomorrow. But for some, tomorrow never comes."

"Even for you?" Sam said quietly.

"Especially me." Helen said without hesitation. "I am in uncharted territory here Sam. I don't know what I expected to happen when I took the source blood, but longevity, or whatever we're calling it, was never something I considered.' She paused considering her words carefully. "I never know when I wake up if this is the day that time finally catches up with me. I train someone to take my place every twenty years or so, because I also never know if this newest mission will be my last." She reached down and linked her hands with Sam. "But to answer your question, the longer I live, the harder it is for me to open up to people to tell them the things they need to know."

"What you're saying is the same as everyone else, that everything that I have learned in the past twenty four hours does not matter at all and I should just continue on business as usual?" Sam didn't understand "How can it not matter?" She whispered more to herself than Helen.

"Sam, that's not what I am saying at all. Your right, it does matter, just not the way you think." She paused for a second. "Let's sit back down." Helen returned to the table assuming that Sam was following. After several tense moments Sam finally joined her at the table sitting across from her. Helen had to order her thoughts. This was not a conversation she ever thought to be having and didn't really know where to start. "This information does not change your past, but it will drastically impact your future and where you go from here."

"How so? The president assured me that this would not impact my military career, why can't I just continue as if nothing has changed?" Sam had a very definite plan for how her life would play out if they defeated the Goa'uld. Get married, have kids eventually and even get a dog. She would continue her work at the SGC either in command of SG1 or leading the science division but eventually growing old and dying was always a foregone conclusion…until now.

"Because everything has changed Sam even if the current President insures you that it doesn't. I have been around a long time Sam. I have seen governments around the world change at the drop of a hat, Presidents come and go and during all this, I have stayed the same. This has become your life Sam. Maybe if you were just a clone as Thor first thought, that would be different. But the genetic anomaly no longer makes that possible. But you're not a copy Sam, you are, for all intents and purposes, my daughter. No matter how unfair it is to you, that comes with my longevity, thanks to Loki."

"Meaning my military career is over and that I don't have a choice in my own life anymore." Sam said in resignation.

"That is not what I am saying. But Sam, eventually someone is going to notice that you are not aging. I figure you have five, maybe ten years at most before you will have to retire from active duty and create a new life for yourself." Helen stopped for a second. "The path that you now find yourself forced onto will not be an easy one. But you have several things on your side that I didn't have a hundred years ago. I had no idea what was happening back then. It took us over ten years to even realize how the source blood affected me. You have not just your friends at the SGC, but you have your father and several races on your side to help you. And you also have me and the Sanctuary if you want."

"So, in a few years I just disappear. Cut ties with everyone that I know and either go off world with the Tok'Ra or come work at one of your Sanctuaries. Those are my options?" Sam was trying to picture what her life had turned into. She had a unique perspective of what this could lead to. It was why her team had been so protective. She had already been kidnapped because Adrian Conrad wanted a cure or to live forever, and the NID was always a problem. She knew that she would disappear into some research facility until they were able to reproduce the gene, or they killed her.

"Sam, you have choices, you don't have to make the same ones that I did. When I realized I was not aging, I distanced myself from everyone I knew. I used building the New York Sanctuary as an excuse, but the truth is, I ran. I spent the late 1800 and early 1900's away from everyone I knew, and I kept my distance from all of the people that would ultimately end up working for me at the NY Sanctuary."

"Sounds lonely. I'm not sure that I can do that." Sam said thoughtfully.

"You want to know when I realized that I was not aging?" This was a story that she had shared with a select few. At the time it had caught her off guard and she didn't want to talk about it. But now she was motivated, something that she had lacked back then. Sam nodded her head indicating that Helen should continue. "Before my father told me about abnormals, he gave me a warning. He said that once I knew there was no going back, and he was right. I fought for years to get to audit classes as Oxford, when I finally happened, I took as many science and math classes as I could. Several of the other students took notice of me during the classes and shortly thereafter we formed the five." She smiled "After our work with the source blood and its apparent failure to work on me, I worked even harder. It was a single-minded determination to prove to my father that he had not made a mistake in trusting me with his life's work."

I spent many years so focused on my work that I failed to notice the years passing by. I was just as dedicated to my work then as I am now. It was so different back then, to constantly be told that I was not good enough or smart enough to do what I wanted, all because I was female." She sighed. "Anyways, one night not long after my father's disappearance, I decided to treat myself to a night at the theater. James accompanied me first to dinner and the theater after. As we were leaving, we bumped into a man and his wife. The man recognized me and James from our days at Oxford. He introduced us to his wife who commented on how young I must have been with I started auditing classes. We made our excuses and quickly made our way back to the Sanctuary. It didn't take me long to realize that while I was forty-five years old, and I looked no different than when I was in school. It was not long after that I left London."

"But why leave?

"I used the excuse of building the New York Sanctuary as my reason for leaving, but the reality was that James and I had been getting closer and given that I just found out that I was not going to be able grow old with him I thought it best to distance myself. So, I left him in charge of the London Sanctuary and spent the next six years in New York coming to terms with my new reality." Helen turned her gaze to the window watching the galaxy fly by. Memories of a time and place that she had not thought of in years raising to the surface. It was one of the most difficult and lonely times of her life and revisiting it even to explain things to Sam was hard. "As it turned out, my reputation from England did not follow me to New York." She gave a small laugh. "I had a very hard time getting contractors lined up to start the construction, let alone getting them to make the upgrades that I wanted. Oddly enough it was Nikola Tesla that came to my rescue about six months after my arrival. He ended up being my go between and ensured that I had not only the latest updates to the property, but he made a few modifications that would not hit the market for years to come."

She remembered running into him during one of her meetings at the contractor's office. She had been about five seconds away from losing her temper with man running the company when Nikola walked up from behind her. They had been out of contact for twelve since he moved to the United States. She got a wistful look on her face as she told Sam the story.

"Dr. Helen Magnus, as I live and breathe!" He said a little louder than he needed to for a standard greeting. He took her hand in his and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it before standing to his full height and looking her in the eye. She could see him startle slightly after taking in her appearance, but he didn't skip a beat. "Well, don't you look just as beautiful as ever!" He took a slight step back and looked her over. "What could you possibly be doing in New York? I Never thought I would see the day that you left England…Is James with you?" He took a quick glance around the room.

Knowing him like she did, she was fully aware that he not only knew that James was not present, but he was intentionally ignoring the contractor to get a rise out of him. Even though she may not have been aware of his presence, she was sure that he had listened to part, if not all, of her conversation with the obstinate man standing behind him. "As it turns out, I am attempting to get some construction done on a new branch of the family business, but Mr. Roberts here is having a hard time following my instructions so that the building is completed to my specifications; and in a timely manner." She glared over Nikola's shoulder at the man in question.

"Ma'am as I was…" He started to say as he stepped around Nikola.

"Doctor, not ma'am." Nikola corrected him with a smirk and a wink at Helen.

"Excuse me?" He said finally turning to look at Nikola.

A slight adjustment to his stance made it so that he was practically standing toe to toe with the larger man when he said "Her name is DOCTOR Magnus, and out of respect you should use her title when addressing her, unless she has given you permission to address her differently?" He intentionally made the last part a question to further antagonize him. "How about it Helen, did you give him leave to address you informally?" Never taking his eyes away from the man in front of him.

"Really Nikola?" He knew what was coming next so before she could chastise him for his behavior, he interrupted her making it sound like she was indignant about the question itself and not at him.

"I will take that as a 'no' then." He could feel the people in the room go quiet as their boss decided how to handle this new challenge. "So here is what is going to happen. You are going to draw up the plans for the changes that she has requested, and we are going to go get some lunch. When we return, you will not only have the new set of contracts done, but a time frame as well for when you will be getting started." He enjoyed the look of surprise from the man in front of him before turning and offering Helen his arm to escort her out.

Knowing that she really had no choice but to follow his lead she accepted his arm and pinched him to express her displeasure at being handled. She could feel his body shaking as he attempted to suppress his laughter knowing that he would be getting an ear full in just a few minutes.

Helen looked at Sam. "We went to lunch in a private café and he asked a bunch of questions regarding why I was not aging. It didn't take us long to figure out that we would remain the same while the world changed around us. Nikola had resigned himself to being the only one, so when he found out about me, he was ecstatic."

"Did you and he ever…" Before Sam could finish her question Helen interrupted her.

"No. There were a few times when it could have gone either way during last two years that I was in New York, but the timing never really lined up and once the construction was complete it was like we missed our window to be anything other than friends." She looked a little sad at that. "But we digress from our original topic."

Sam held up her hand to stop Helen. "I get it, you don't have to keep going. I need to come up with a long-term plan that has the potential to keep me busy for who knows how many years. Not that it's really going to matter, if we don't find a way to defend the planet from Anubis, we will all be dead within a year."

"Come again?"

"Well, remember how we told you about the Goa'uld? Anubis is half Ancient and half Goa'uld and he is consolidating power and will eventually turn his attention to Earth since we have exceeded the technological level they would normally allow, and we have been a pain in their asses for the last seven years or so. We don't know how long we have but we have been looking for a way to defend the planet from him for the last six months or so."

"Is there a chance of that happening? Finding a way to defeat them I mean?"

"We have successfully defended ourselves from one invasion, but that was only two ships about six years ago, and we barely managed it then. Defeating a fleet that large, which could be hundreds of ships…I have no idea how we are going to do it."

"Do you have anything resembling a plan?"

"Daniel has been trying to recover some of his memories from when he was ascended and we have been attempting to locate the lost city of the Ancients, but so far we have not had much luck on that front. What we need is more time to find and implement a solution."

"You know as well as I do that time is relative Carter." Jack quipped as he walked into the bay with Daniel and Teal'c. "We should be…Sam are you okay?" Jack noticed that Sam had checked out of the conversation and was lost in thought.

"I know that look." Daniel and Helen said at the same time. The gave each other a smile at the comment.

"She has thought of something and is running the logistics in her head." Helen said.

"What were you guys talking about other than needing more time?" Daniel wanted to know.

"Oh, just the destruction of the planet at the hands of Anubis, you know…small talk."

"Ah, she told you about that did she?" Jack wanted to know.

"Not much, but something slipped out when we were talking, and I asked her for an explanation. Since the President said full access, I guess she thought it would be okay."

Jack nodded his head indicating he was fine with it. It was not like there was much they could do about it now that the cat was out of the bag so to speak. He would have to let General Hammond know when they arrived back to the base. "As I was saying, we will be arriving back on Earth in about fifteen minutes. Thor asked that we all head back to the bridge."

Helen got up to accompany them back, but Sam stayed seated at the table not paying attention to anyone else in the room.

"Sam did you hear me?" Jack inquired. "Thor…"

"Thor?" Sam questioned. "I need to talk to Thor!" She was out of her seat and to the door before anyone could process what had happened. She stopped and turned back for a second "I think I have a plan to protect the planet Sir." She stated before sprinting out of the room and down the hall.

"Care to explain?" Jack yelled after her. "Guess not! Okay campers, lets head back. I guess we will find out the same time as everyone else."

Helen joined the group at the door, and they made their way to the bridge. She was wondering what Sam had thought of that caused her to run from the room the way she did but knew that she may not find out due to her time at the SGC was quickly ending. She had done what they needed her to do, mainly answer questions regarding the marker in her DNA. She didn't think that she would be privileged enough to see how the story ended. Although if the breakthrough didn't pan out then she figured she would know in about a year when they were attacked.

"What were you guys discussing before we walked in?" Jack wanted to know.

"Just that she was going to need to find a project that could keep her occupied for a long time. Then she mentioned that was only if Anubis didn't wipe us all out within the year. After she dropped that bomb on me, I felt I needed an explanation. A few seconds later you guys walked in. I think your comment jump started something." Helen chuckled.

"Well, I don't know why my comment would have made a difference, I make that same joke at least once a month." Jack replied.

"Well Jack, something obviously changed; you saw the look on her face. She seamed really excited about something and its not like we are making any progress with finding the lost city." Daniel pointed out. As they made their way down the corridor, Daniel explained to Helen their plan to find the lost city of the Ancients. That of course needed to be followed up with who the Ancients were and what they represented to the people of Earth. His explanation was concise just like his previous one in the briefing room had been regarding the stargate.

Upon entering the bridge, Jack made his way over to Jacob. "Hey, where is…"

"Sam? She came running in like the hounds of hades were after her, spoke to Thor for a few seconds and then they were both gone. I figured they beamed to somewhere on the ship, but as for why? I have no clue."

"Well, she did say that she needed to talk to him, guess we will find out later." Before Jack could finish his conversation, they suddenly found themselves back in the briefing room of the SGC, minus one Major and a little grey alien.