Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.


Jack silently glared at the Airman guarding the cockpit door. "What?" he hissed sharply, but quietly.

"You're a natural, Sir," the Airman said smiling, just as quietly. Jack's eyes softened as he shifted his gaze to the child sleeping on his shoulder.

Nobody was more surprised them him when the toddler stopped crying at the first sight of him. When she almost threw herself from the younger woman's arms to get to him, he responded instinctively, reaching out for the small child. She curled into him, burrowing her face into his neck.

"Thank God it stopped," the other guard muttered from beyond the doorway. It took Jack a few minutes to realize what he was talking about. The crying had finished.

"Ummm…" Jack began uncertainty, looking between the women. The younger woman looked relieved while the older lady smiled gently.

"I see you're still Grace's favorite in any universe." Jack moved to hand the child back, but she shook her head gently. "Are you here to debrief us or are we going to the SGC?"

"The SGC," Jack answered, shifting his arms to get a firmer grip on the now content child. The older lady nodded.

"Then I suggest we leave now, while she is quiet." She motioned to the toddler. "She's had a rough few days and is a bit grumpy." Jack nodded. She turned to start gathering their things when the Airman rushed ahead.

"Allow me," Jasper told her and began gathering up the supplies they received. She smiled her thanks and turned back to Jack.

"I will tell you everything, but it is a hard tale to tell. I would prefer to only say it once." She stared deeply into his eyes. "I promise."

Jack believed her. The next thirty minutes were spent moving the group to the plane. Jack was happy to find the mirror was already loaded and they took off without incident within minutes of reaching the airfield. Grace finally fell asleep, Jack's gentle rocking lulling her into slumber. He tried to pass the baby back to the women, but they shook their heads gently. When he went up to the cockpit to report to Hammond, he had no choice but to bring the sleeping child with him.

At least that was what he was telling himself. He followed the Airman back through the plane to the passenger section. The truth was he liked holding the sleeping child. Loved it even. He was fulfilling one of his deepest fantasies, the one he only ever let himself think about in the darkest of lonely nights.

'Or when a freakin alien lie detector can't tell the difference from our forbidden, subconscious desires and reality,' he thought bitterly as the Airman opened the last door between him and their guests. And thinking about those forbidden thoughts were all he had done since the za'tarc machine had pulled them from the shadows of their minds. A life spent in blissful happiness with Sam Carter. Holding their sleeping child while they cuddled in front of a roaring fire.

'Her daughter,' he mentally corrected himself as he glanced at the sleeping child. Because there was no doubt in his mind whose daughter this was. She looked like a miniature Sam. But who was her father? She certainly wasn't afraid of him, which implied he was a known fixture in her life, but he couldn't see any of himself in her face. Was he simply 'Uncle Jack' or was he more? Were they more?

"What should I call you?" Jack blurted out after realizing he had retaken his seat and was staring at the two women absently for the last five minutes. He noticed the younger woman was asleep, snoring softly in her seat while the older lady was staring at him with the same absent-minded contentment that was on his face.

"Dr. Carter will suffice for now," she smiled at him. "This is my daughter, Amy," she motioned to the sleeping girl next to her. "And you are getting to know my granddaughter, Grace."

"Grace…" Jack trailed of questioningly.

"Carter," she smiled, knowing exactly what Jack was asking. "I will tell you everything, but from my understanding, this reality could be so similar as to be virtually indistinguishable from our own or so obviously different that there is no mistaking we are strangers here."

"Which one is it so far?" Jack asked.

"A little bit of both," she admitted. "But from your lack of recognition you must be experiencing the latter."

"I don't think I've ever met you," Jack quietly admitted, "but at the same time there's something very familiar about you." She smiled at him.

"I hope I will be able to clarify somethings, but until we learn how different our universes are it is best if some things remain a mystery." Jack nodded, expecting that answer.

"Well, we'll be landing in about an hour," Jack said, remembering his conversation with Hammond. "You'll be given standard medical exams when we arrive. For your safety as well as ours. It's nonnegotiable." Dr. Carter nodded her understanding. "Doc Fraiser is warming up her stethoscopes as we speak." He paused to gauge her reaction. "I take it from your reaction you know her too."

"Yes," she admitted but said nothing more. Jack shrugged and continued.

"Once she's satisfied your as healthy as you've ever been we'll start the debriefing." He stopped to look at them assessingly. "I don't know if your aware, but time might be somewhat of an issue here."

"Entropic cascade failure," she replied knowingly. "It was my hope you would help us before that became an issue, if it indeed does become an issue."

"No promises," Jack told her. "But no outright refusals either. At least not yet." She nodded and they both settled in for the remainder of the flight.


"Well Doctor?" Hammond asked from the head of the table. Janet passed him a folder but didn't bother consulting it herself.

"They're not hosts," she answered the most pressing question directly. "They are starting to show the first signs of malnutrition, and there is evidence of a recent beating…"

"Someone hit a baby?" Jack yelled before he could stop himself. Hammond glared at him, and he sat lower in his seat. The General was not amused when he learned Jack hadn't put the baby down the entire flight. He really wasn't amused when he learned his 2IC had led the procession into the infirmary still holding the child. Janet eyed him warily but continued.

"No Colonel," she told him gently. "They didn't hit the baby." She turned her attention back to the General. "There were no internal injuries, and the only evidence are bruises that have nearly faded."

"Which indicates the beating was less than intense or so long ago they've almost healed," Jack added, sitting up straighter in his chair as he rejoined the conversation.

"My educated guess is the former," Janet agreed. "The evidence suggests they were relatively healthy until things started to change approximately two to four weeks ago." She looked down and finally opened the folder she brought. "We are still awaiting the full results from the bloodwork. The preliminary results were in, and the lab expects the full results in a day or two, but I'm not expecting any surprises."

"How did our guests do?" Hammond asked, looking towards the Colonel one more time. He looked sheepishly back at him.

"They didn't resist," Janet told him. "But they were extremely uncomfortable. I think if Colonel O'Neill hadn't been there the exams would have been much more traumatic. Especially for the toddler."

"They like me," he said smugly, before turning serious. "No. It's more than that. They know me. All three of them."

"I agree," Janet added, glancing at the Colonel briefly before returning her gaze to Hammond. "I felt it too, and to a lesser extent certain members of my staff. They know us, or at least some version of us."

"It's time we had some answers," Hammond decided. He had given them time after their physical to freshen up and grab a hot meal, but now it was time to meet their guests. He turned to a waiting Airman. The soldier simply nodded and left the room. They were quietly lost in their own thoughts for the few minutes it took for their visitors to be rounded up. A loud wailing heralded their arrival.

The crying baby drew everyone's immediate attention. Amy Carter was doing all she could to soothe the young child but all it took was a single look at Jack. The loud wailing turned into whimpers as she reached for him. "Please take her," Amy Carter said. The younger woman was clearly at her wits end as she passed the little girl over. Jack flashed a sheepish expression Hammond's way as he took her. The General was still not amused. He turned his attention to the older woman and couldn't stop his gasp of surprise.

"Katherine?"

"Hello George," she said, smiling brightly for the first time. "It is truly wonderful to see you." Hammond returned the smile.

"Colonel, Doctor, I would like to introduce Katherine Carter." They nodded politely. They glanced at Hammond, silently wondering at his abrupt change.

"Carter?" Jack asked. "As in…" He trailed off, looking at Hammond.

"Major Carter's mother." Hammond confirmed everything they had suspected.

"Sam's mom?" Jack grinned at her before frowning. "I thought you were dead."

"That's what I feared." She turned to Hammond. "Was it a car accident? With a taxi?" Hammond nodded.

"Jake was supposed to pick you up, but he was late. You called a cab. There was an accident. You died on the scene."

"Well, it appears we now know one of the major differences between our realities." She paused for a moment. "In my reality Jacob was also late, but he arrived shortly after the taxi. The driver was visibly upset about driving there for no reason. There was an argument which culminated in Jacob throwing me the car keys and climbing into the taxi himself. Fuming, I followed behind and saw the accident."

George gasped. "Jacob?" he asked in a whisper. She smiled.

"He was hurt, badly hurt, but he survived." She looked wistfully at him. "I've always wondered what would have happened if I was in the car." Amy reached over and gently squeezed her hand. She smiled back reassuringly. "During his long recuperation, we rediscovered our love for each other and our family. Amy is the product of that love." She grimaced.

"It sounds really romantic when you put it like that," Amy scoffed, rolling her eyes at the same time.

"And Grace?" Janet asked. Grace looked up at the sound of her voice, smiling and reaching out a hand toward the doctor, but not leaving the protective arms of Jack. Janet smiled and reached out her hand, letting the young girl grab onto her fingers.

"My eldest daughter's child," she replied guardedly. They all felt the tension in the room increase.

"Where is Sam?" Jack asked, hugging Grace tightly. "Is she dead?"

"No," Katherine admitted, "but it would be better for everyone if she were." Heavy silence followed the statement, only punctured by the activation of the Stargate. Hammond looked at the clock to see it was time for SG-12 to return. He stayed in his seat, trusting his people with the routine return. A few minutes later Daniel and Teal'c entered the room.

Their eyes traveled around the room, assessing their guests. "We were told there was a situation," Daniel started, only to stop when Jack swiveled his chair around. His eyes got wide, and he exchanged a quick look with Teal'c at the sight of a toddler that looked a lot like Sam Carter cuddling up against him. "How long were we gone?"


"Mind if I join you?" Katherine looked up from her tray of food. Jack was waiting patiently, his own tray in hand.

"Please," she smiled, gesturing to the chair opposite her. Jack sat his tray down and joined her. For a few minutes there was nothing said as they both concentrated on their meal.

After SG-12's return, Hammond decided to take a break. Janet was needed for post gates and Grace was starting to get tired, though she was fighting valiantly to stay awake. Hammond arranged for guest quarters and decided everyone should get some much-needed sleep and they would start fresh in the morning.

Katherine had taken Grace to their room, trying to get the toddler down for the night while Amy ate her dinner. When she was done the two ladies swapped.

"Reynolds," Katherine jumped at the sound of Jack's voice. He grinned sheepishly at her. "Sorry."

"That's alright," she told him. "I didn't realize how much my mind is wandering right now. Perhaps George was right about starting fresh in the morning." She looked down, surprised to see her plate nearly empty.

"As I was saying," Jack started again, quieter than before, "Reynolds has about twenty kids. He said he'd bring in some toys and clothes for Grace."

"That's very kind," she told him. They both looked up when Daniel and Teal'c approached.

"Do you mind if we join you?" Daniel asked, looking cautiously between them.

"You and Teal'c can always join us, Daniel," Katherine answered immediately. "You're family."

"Thank you." Daniel momentarily faltered by the familiar greeting but recovered quickly.

"So," Jack began, breaking the silence that was fast becoming uncomfortable. "Can I ask you something? Something personal?" She nodded. Jack spent the next few seconds trying to figure out how to ask his question before just blurting it out. "Who's Grace's father?"

"A man named Jonas Hansen." Jack's eyes darkened at the name and both Daniel and Teal'c stopped eating to stare at her. "I take it from your reactions you've met him."

"We've had the displeasure," Jack said as politely as possible before breaking. "Please tell me Sam didn't marry that asshole." She laughed.

"What's so funny?" Daniel asked, sharing a quick look with Jack.

"You reacted exactly the same way my Jack did when you first found out in my reality." She shook her head. "No, Sam broke off her engagement to that man years before Grace was born."

"Then how?" Daniel asked, giving her his full attention. He wasn't even pretending to eat.

"Captain Hansen was the leader of SG-7 for a few months. They went on a mission and were late coming back. SG-1 was sent after them." She looked back at Jack. He didn't seem surprised by the news. "The natives were supposed to be friendly. You thought it was a simple tribal misunderstanding or they simply let time get away from them. You thought you would walk into the village, figure out what the problem was, and have everybody home before dinner. You never dreamed that Hansen would go crazy, or he would have a trap set up."

"A trap," Jack mumbled to himself, thinking back to that mission.

"He captured Sam that first night," she told them solemnly. "He needed her to make some tech work. He made her fix it during the day and he partook of her as his queen during the night." Jack paled at the thought.

"How long?" he asked in a whisper.

"Four days," she answered. "It took you four days to get her back."

"Oh God," Daniel paled at the thought. Teal'c growled.

"Please tell me I killed him," Jack stated dangerously. She nodded.

"I believe he was thrown through the Stargate when the shield didn't work," she confirmed. "Of course, we didn't learn any of these details until months after Grace was born. All Sam would say was she met up with her ex at a bar and had a few too many drinks."

"And you believed that?" Daniel asked in disbelief.

"No," she answered calmly. "We didn't believe any of her stories, but we never pushed."

"But you know about the Stargate?" Daniel asked as he turned back to his food.

"The US government was forced to disclose the existence of the Stargate to the world," she told them before glancing at her watch. "It is getting late and I'm sure that is a story George would be interested in. I think I will bid you a good night." She rose, gathered up her tray, and left the mess hall, her shadow following dutifully. Jack looked down at his own tray.

"Jack?" Daniel asked hesitantly. Jack looked up at him. "Did you want to be Grace's father?"

"No," Jack said as he stood before whispering. "And at the same time more than anything." He gathered up his tray and left quietly. Daniel and Teal'c shared a look before finishing their dinner and turning in themselves. It was going to be a long night.


"As you were people," Hammond announced as he entered the room. Jack still rose when his CO entered. He went to the head of the table but didn't sit down. "There has been a slight change of plans."

"Sir?" Jack asked as he retook his seat.

"The Joint Chiefs have been made aware of our situation. Since time is not an issue, they are sending Major Davis to liaise for this," he glanced at Jack, "and our previous situation."

"How long?" Jack asked casually, though they could see his hands clenching his armrests.

"Thirty minutes," Hammond said, shifting to look towards their guest. "I can reschedule this meeting if you would prefer to return to your family." Katherine smiled.

"Thank you, but I would prefer to wait here. Grace and Amy are finally getting some good sleep. I don't want to disturb them." Hammond nodded and headed for his office.

"Major Davis is a good guy," Jack said a few seconds later. "He'll give you a fair shake."

"I know," she said confidently.

"Because you know us," Daniel said, squirming in his chair excitedly, "or at least some version of us." She smiled at him indulgently.

"Perhaps we can spend this time asking some questions that probably won't be asked by a military tribunal." Daniel looked at Jack, who gave a small shrug. That was all the invitation he needed.

"You said we're like family?" he asked eagerly. She smiled at him before looking around the table. Jack was sitting on Daniel's right while Teal'c and Janet were sitting opposite. They all were turned toward her with a look of anticipation on their faces.

"All of you, with the exception of Jack, have spent time as my houseguest."

"All of us?" Daniel asked, glancing at his companions. "How?" She looked thoughtful.

"I guess it all starts with Jacob and his accident," she started. She took a deep breath to gather her thoughts. "Jacob never hid the fact he wanted to be on the front lines, right in the thick of whatever was going on in the world." She paused for a moment, caught in her memories. "The accident was bad. So bad that for a while we weren't sure he was going to live, let alone walk again. During his recovery it became apparent he would never again be a front-line soldier. He considered retiring right then and there, but George convinced him to wait. To see what options were available after his recovery. And he kept pushing one particular option."

"Which one?" Jack asked, almost as eager as Daniel.

"A training instructor at the Air Force Academy," she told them proudly. "Jacob was opposed to the idea of teaching of course. No soldier wants to leave the field and get benched. And there was the added complication that he knew Sam was determined to go there. But George kept pushing and the Academy was excited to get someone with Jacob's experience on board. Arrangements were made, Jacob joined the staff of the Air Force Academy, and we moved to Colorado Springs."

"How did it work with Carter and the Academy if Jacob taught there?" Jack asked.

"It was difficult at first," Katherine admitted, "but Jacob was completely honest with them from the beginning. He didn't hide the fact that if he had to choose between the Academy and his daughter the Academy would lose every time. Officially, he was hired as a survival trainer but became a sort of substitute teacher while Sam went there. He would help out wherever he was needed, as long as it wasn't anywhere near Sam."

"To avoid a scandal?" Daniel asked. Katherine nodded. "Did it work?"

"In a way," she answered. "In choosing to go to the Air Force Academy, Sam always knew she had a hard road ahead of her, but she didn't let that stop her. The people who said a woman wasn't physically strong enough were silenced after her physical fitness qualifications. Those that said a woman couldn't be smart enough were silenced after her academic achievements. When they found out her father was an instructor, they claimed he allowed her to skate. But, because Jacob was upfront before Sam even started, the Academy administration was able to track and prove that Jacob had no say in any of Sam's scores or qualifications. Nothing the naysayers tried to throw on them stuck. Sam went on to graduate at the top of her class and, once she did, Jacob settled into a more permanent position."

"And they all lived happily ever after," Jack added jokingly.

"More or less," Katherine rebutted. "We've been living in Colorado Springs ever since. Sam's career took her all around the world, and even out of this world. She was quickly becoming one of the Air Force's rising stars. The whole world either loved her, or loved to hate her, but she never let that get to her. Despite all the fame, she was still the same down-to-Earth, hardworking, honest, kind person she has always been. When she was assigned a quick TDY to NORAD, she opted to stay with us instead of base housing, which was insufficient at best. When it became a permanent assignment, she stayed with us until she could find a place of her own. It was also the first time she brought Daniel home."

"The first time?" Daniel asked. She nodded, smiling at him softly.

"Every time you died you lost your apartment and returned to us," she said with an indulgent smile. "That being said, you were a much better apartment hunter than Sam ever was. It was almost impossible to tear her away from that mountain, and when she did leave, she returned after a few short hours of sleep." Jack snorted.

"Sounds familiar," he muttered under his breath. Katherine nodded.

"I was more annoyed than upset at the time. After a month or so, Janet transferred to the mountain." Katherine looked at the doctor. "She had a bit more notice to look for a place, but the sudden influx of soldiers and scientists was flooding the market, and she hadn't been able to find anything suitable before she reported for duty. She and Sam hit it off immediately. When Janet mentioned she was in staying in base housing while she looked for a place, Sam immediately offered our guestroom." She sighed. "I was furious at first, but we soon realized having Janet as a houseguest also meant having Sam home more often. She would drag Sam home with her at the end of the day, whether Sam agreed or not."

"Sounds like something I'm still trying to do," Janet remarked.

"Having Sam home more often was wonderful," Katherine remarked, "but it's also when I first started noticing the injuries. Scrapes and bruises at first but then more serious injuries. Sam always claimed they were from lab accidents, and Janet never contradicted this statement, but I could always tell when she kept an extra close eye on Sam. I started getting worried. And then one day she returned home badly beaten.

"I was livid. Sam, at least, had the decency to not try and pass this off as a lab accident, but I demanded to know what was going on. Neither Sam nor Janet would tell me. I even had Jacob ask his friend George what was happening inside that mountain. George's answer of 'Classified' or 'Training Accidents' didn't reassure me. I've been around the military long enough to know a coverup when I hear one. Then Cassandra came into our lives. I love Cassie and consider her one of my grandchildren. I would've gladly let them both stay, but I understood Janet's need to start fresh for her new family. That's when Janet really stepped up the house hunting and finally found something and moved out. I lost my best ally in keeping Sam safe, though Cassie's continued presence in our family helped immensely. I continued to demand she return at a decent time every night and fretted when she had bandages on her arms or bruises on her skin. I insisted she eat, sleep, and take care of herself as much as I could demand that from another adult. Then, a few weeks later, Sam went to work one day and returned, with Jack, via McMurdo. That's when we discovered she was pregnant." She paused and looked at them appraisingly. "This is all familiar to you."

"Except for Sam being pregnant," Daniel agreed. He looked at Jack, who nodded. "Here, a member of SG-7 managed to survive and warn us Hansen went crazy. Instead of walking into the village, we did the stealth thing. We found out about the shield, and Teal'c explained we needed two. Sam turned herself in to stop the beating of a native and she activated the shield almost immediately. She was never held overnight so Hansen never partook of her." He looked back at Jack. "The realities are remarkably similar, but there's at least two huge differences. Sam's path was virtually unchanged, even though she still had her mother and a little sister. How can such major events not have any outcome in our life?"

"You're askin' me?" Jack asked incredulously. Daniel rolled his eyes.

"Right."

"Doctor Carter," Teal'c interrupted. "You implied I was also a resident of your domicile. Please elaborate."

"When the Stargate went public, you no longer had to hide inside the mountain." Teal'c frowned.

"Was the Goa'uld larvae I carry no longer a security concern?"

"Oh it was," she agreed, "but you no longer were restricted to the mountain." She looked at the table. "When the gate went public, the influx of people to Colorado Springs was enormous. The small base that housed NORAD was overwhelmed. Eventually it was decided to simply create a new base around the mountain. A base large enough to support the thousands of troops suddenly stationed there, not to mention the scientists who practically wet themselves thinking about all the alien technology. Soldiers. Engineers. Chemists. Doctors. Physicists. They all needed a place to stay. Not to mention the private sector that was right on their heels.

"The President declared everything within a ten-mile radius of the mountain would be set aside for the new base. All the military bases inside or near that radius became annexed, including the Air Force Academy. Overnight, the Cheyenne Mountain Complex became one of the biggest bases in the world. Space inside the mountain was at a premium and they couldn't rationalize one of the extremely coveted VIP rooms being used for standard housing. The President, taking George's advice, gave Teal'c permission to stay in one of the housing barracks, but until it was built you stayed with us. And you were a perfect houseguest."

"Indeed." Teal'c's expression remained unchanged, but they could feel the smugness in his voice.

"Wait," Daniel interrupted with a frown. "They displaced everyone within ten miles just so they could have a bigger base. And people were okay with that? Leaving their homes and businesses?" Katherine's face clouded.

"By that time there was no one around," she explained. "Nearly all of Colorado Springs was bombarded from space. When the ground assault began, anything near the mountain that managed to survive the bombardment was destroyed. Thankfully, nearly everyone evacuated as soon as the third ship settled over the mountain."

"Third ship?" Jack asked, sitting up straighter.

"I think that's our cue," Hammond said as he entered the room, followed closely by Major Davis, "to officially start this debriefing."