Here's the end of this little story. Part of me thought I should end it after the last chapter but at the last minute I had Jack zapped away. So, that made me go in a bit different a direction. I hope you like where I've gone although I know some of you would have preferred the more angsty - and realistic - first chapter. I'd be interested in your thoughts.

It was a lovely morning, he thought as he looked out the window. As he stretched slightly he thought he should go for a walk but decided he was just too tired. It was getting harder and harder to get moving everyday even though he still forced himself to walk. Sometimes he wondered why he bothered. He'd reached a good age, maybe he should just do what he wanted and not worry about anything else.

So, instead of a walk he decided he'd read and listen to music. Making his way into his sitting room he put on a selection of Verdi Operas – they were his favorite. He sat down and picked up a book, but instead of reading it he sat thinking.

Most of his days now seemed to be taken up with remembering – remembering the good times, the friends, the adventures. He spent a lot of time thinking about Charlie, about the fun things they'd done, the laughs they'd shared. He refused to remember the bad – how his son's life had ended so tragically. Oh, the sadness was still there, muted over the years, but always a part of him. He just refused to let it control his thoughts any more.

He also spent time remembering some of the other good moments of his life. Above all, he thought about his years travelling through the Stargate with his team, the three people who had become his family. He smiled as he pictured Daniel in that silly hat, his glassed slipping down his nose. He grinned when thinking about Teal'c and how he tended to get confused over so many earth expressions. He wondered, even after all these years, how confused his friend had really been. He suspected it had been a wicked sense of humor that had prompted some of Teal'c's more outrageous interpretations of English idioms.

Then there was Carter. Again, he refused to let sad thoughts interfere. Instead he thought about the young, idealistic and brilliant woman who had brought light back into his world. He thought with pride about all her accomplishments, not least of which was saving the world quite a few times. He wished he could see her again, just once, but knew that would never happen. She'd decided to pull away from him completely, years ago. As painful as it had been, he had understood why she had done it and had respected her decision.

He had spent a number of years wondering if he'd made a big mistake. Maybe he should have gone after her. Maybe he should have tracked her down, grabbed her and thrown her over his shoulder and carried her off. Would she have been glad to have seen him? Did he make a mistake to let her decide? He would never know and he had come to the realization, years ago, that he had to stop second-guessing. The decision had been made and they both had to live with the consequences.

He realized that a lot of his thoughts were because of the recent Stargate Anniversary ceremonies in DC. He knew that his former teammates would all be there as well as some of the others he'd served with. A part of him wished he could be there, but he knew that he wasn't up to the journey. His monthly trips to the doctor exhausted him so a plane ride would probably kill him.

He'd told Daniel that the whole thing was ridiculous, and part of him believed that. Another part, however, had felt truly honored and grateful that they were naming the center after him. He had tried to get them to name it after Daniel, feeling he was more deserving, but when they'd insisted he'd finally agreed. He secretly was proud and had thought, more than once, that at least there would be something left to remember him by, something that carried his name. He had left no children, no heirs, even though he thought of Cassie's kids as his family. Still, there were no O'Neill's left from his branch of the family and that saddened him.

The day of the ceremony he'd felt quite melancholy but then Milly had come over and had kept him busy with his bath and check-up. He still hated the indignity of having someone else look after his personal needs, but recognized that he had no choice any more. And in reality, it was becoming less bothersome. Most of his life focused on the past now – not on the present or future.

One good thing about growing old, he'd decided, was that he'd finally been able to put to rest so much of the bad that had happened in his life. He no longer thought of all the pain and torment he'd suffered – either in Iraq or all the years going through the gate. He didn't think about the torture or the suffering and it had been a long time since he'd suffered any nightmares. He grinned to himself – at least the only nightmares he got now were when he disobeyed the Doctor and ate spicy pizza. Those nightmares tended to revolve around being chased by giant chili peppers rather than being poked full of holes by aliens or losing his son or the woman he loved.

He looked up then at some of the pictures in his room. Cassie called it his 'rogues' gallery'. These were the happy parts of his life – the people he loved and who had become his family. He caught sight of one picture on the mantle and sighed, a feeling of sadness and loss coming over him.

Sara. She had died five years ago but he still missed her. She'd remarried and been happy with her new husband Ben for many years. After they'd retired they'd purchased a motor home and had travelled the country. He'd liked Ben and they'd even stopped by his cabin once for a visit. They hadn't stayed long, however, as Sara couldn't handle the memories. She'd cried on his shoulder, talking about Charlie and the times they'd visited the cabin as a family. That had been the last time he'd seen her.

They'd kept up a correspondence via Email after that. It wasn't all the time but it was regular enough to bring pleasure to both of them. Once Ben had died – about six years before Sara – she'd been lonely and they'd chatted more regularly. She and Ben didn't have any children so, other than a few cousins, she was alone.

He'd been well enough to attend her funeral so had made his way to Colorado. As per her wishes, she'd been buried next to Charlie. Jack had waited until all the other mourners had left – most of whom he didn't know – and had stood over her grave. He'd been surprised to see that she'd had them put her name as 'Sara O'Neill Scott' on the gravestone. Underneath it simply said Proud wife and mother – happy now with my son.'

"Say hi to Charlie for me, Sara", he'd said gently as he laid the lilies on her grave. She'd always loved the white flowers. He felt a tear slip down his cheek and knew that he would mourn her loss for the rest of his life.

He came back to the present, to the strains of the aria from Madame Butterfly. He was so moved by it that he almost ignored the knock on his door. After a second he did reach to turn off the music woncering who it could be. Milly wasn't due for another couple of days and his buddy Ralph was visiting his son in Minneapolis. Susan, his next door neighbor, worked during the day.

"Just a minute", he called. Struggling to his feet – when had it become such a chore to stand – he made his way to his front door. He just hoped it wasn't someone selling vacuum cleaners or religion!

When he opened the door it took a couple of seconds to comprehend that she was really standing there. Oh, he'd known instantly who she was, even though she was a white haired old lady now –but she was still as beautiful as she'd ever been. Tall and slender, her hair was perfectly done and her eyes, although the blue had faded, still shone with life and hope.

"Carter", he'd finally managed to say. He was proud of how steady his voice sounded. "Howya doin'?"

He didn't quite know what she'd answered, all he knew was that Carter was here – she was actually here after all of these years. Suddenly, he realized she looked frightened, as if worried that he'd tell her to go to hell. With a deep breath – and a terror he'd never admit to – he opened his arms. "C'mere", he said, letting her know he would always be glad to see her.

As she walked forward into his arms he was afraid he was going to begin to cry. But then, as his arms enfolded her, he knew that this moment was the happiest he'd been in – years. This is the way it was supposed to have been. This is where she should have been all these years. Carter had come home to him.

He finally managed to pull himself together and invited her in. For a brief moment he worried that she'd disappear or that she'd turn around and leave. Instead, she agreed to come in and sit down.

As he stood in his kitchen to prepare tea for her he had to lean against the counter and recoup. His heart was beating furiously and he knew the Doc would have his hide for getting so worked up. Still, it was worth it, he decided. Seeing Carter again was the one thing he'd not allowed himself to hope for– but which he knew was the one thing he'd really wanted before his life was over.

Once the tea was done he took a deep breath and returned to the sitting room. He had to stop briefly when he saw Sam sitting there. He still couldn't believe she was in his home

He enjoyed the time they spent together that afternoon, reminiscing over friends and old times. He didn't quite know how to react when she apologized for giving up on them all those years ago. Again, he'd had trouble hanging on to his emotions – at one point being almost overwhelmed with the sense of loss. He'd managed to pull himself together though. He really didn't blame Carter. He understood why she'd done what she'd done. As he'd said to her, it was water under the bridge now. He refused to dwell on what could have been.

He'd hung on to that resolve until he found her staring at the picture of her on his night table. He felt a deep sense of embarrassment and shame that she was seeing it sitting there.

He hadn't told anyone that he kept her picture. Anytime anyone had visited he had carefully put it away. It had been taken at a barbecue at his house in Colorado Springs and was one of his favorites. She was dressed in a white sun dress and was laughing at something – he couldn't remember what – but it showed the joy and enthusiasm that was so much a part of her.

He could tell she was upset, and he felt horrible. He reached out to touch her. "Carter! I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to see that", he said apologetically.

He couldn't believe it when she'd reached for him or when she apologized again. What threw him the most, however, was when she told him that she hadn't been happy, that she regretted the choice she'd made. That's when he had lost it. He felt like his heart was being ripped apart and yet, ironically, at the same time he felt like he wanted to sing. He wondered what Sam would have done if he had suddenly broken into an aria from his favorite opera? She would have thought he was insane.

Suddenly he felt weak, like he was going to collapse. Damn, growing old was crap! He really, really didn't want this. He wanted to be young, to have another chance at a life with Sam!

As they sat together on the couch he began to relax, to feel like the world had righted itself. It may have been almost too late, but he started to believe that maybe, just maybe, they could finally be together.

"Do you have any regrets Sir", she'd asked. It had taken him awhile before he was able to answer but he'd decided to be truthful. His son – that went without saying. The other was something they'd never spoken of but had been the huge elephant left in that room for years. This was the first time he'd put into words what he'd felt for so long – that he regretted putting their careers before their love.

As he held her, a sense of peace washed over him. Yes, this was right. This was meant to be. He and Carter were finally together.

He felt a tingling and the next thing he knew he was - somewhere else. For a moment he expected to be standing in Thor's ship but then he remembered that his little alien friend was long dead. So, where the hell was he?

She didn't know what to do at first, so she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Come on Sam! You've been a General for God's sake, you've saved the world. Think! What to do.

She knew she should call someone. She could check in with the Gate Center and ask them to check for unauthorized space ships in orbit. Just as she reached for the phone she had another thought. She was pretty sure they would think she was hysterical – or worse – that she was suffering from dementia or something. It was one of the most difficult things about growing old. Younger people began to think you didn't know what you were doing any more, that your mind went at the same pace as your wrinkles grew.

Haley! That was it. She'd contact Haley and tell her what had happened. She was still on active duty and she was a General. People would listen to her.

She reached for the phone when she felt something strange – she felt almost like she was fading out of existance. She prayed she'd soon be with Jack, wherever he was.

Once he'd figured out that he wasn't on an alien ship he looked around. He was surrounded by rolling hills and was standing on a dirt path. It almost looked like he'd ended up in rural England somewhere. The hills were incredibly green and there was gentleness about his surroundings. Although there were no people anywhere that he could see, it didn't look wild or untamed.

"Hello", he called. He looked around but still couldn't see anybody, or anything. It had been a long time since he'd been on any kind of a mission and didn't really feel up to figuring things out. He worried about Sam. She'd be frantic at his disappearance.

"Hello", he called again. "It would be really nice if you'd tell me where I am and why the hell you've grabbed me! I was in the middle of something important."

It was peaceful here, he thought, but almost too quiet. Everything was totally still – there wasn't even a breeze – and there were no animals or insects.

He could feel himself start to get nervous and his breathing increased. He hated the fact that he couldn't handle things the way he used to. Growing old was hell!

He stopped abruptly. What if he was dead? What if he'd died and this was – what heaven? hell? God, wouldn't that be ironic, he decided. Just as Sam was back in his life he'd kicked the bucket!

Then again, he didn't see how he could have died so suddenly. Surely he would remember something like that. As far as he knew he'd been looking at Sam, happy that she'd agreed to 'go fishing' with him. The next he was standing on a dirt path somewhere, with no idea why.

He decided he'd walk to see where he was. Fortunately, the path seemed relatively smooth although there was a gentle incline. As he began to move, he had a strange feeling as if – as if someone or something was watching. He didn't get a feeling of any kind of evil presence. In fact, he felt a calm and tranquil kindness. It was as if someone was cheering him on. He only hoped it was true.

He'd only walked for a few minutes when he saw that the path split in two. The path on the right looked clear and an easy walk. It curved gracefully through the green grass. Along the path were flowers and, a little farther on, a grove of trees.

The path on the left curved around one of the hills and was soon lost to sight. There was a sharp incline and he knew that the walk would be much more difficult for him. Without much thought he turned to the right and took a couple of steps. It felt familiar and easy.

For some reason, that made him stop. He didn't know why, but it felt wrong to be continuing this way. He glanced to his left and knew that the other path could be dangerous. It could be too difficult for his old bones and heart to handle and there was always the chance there was something bad around the bend. He knew all these things but, for some reason, that way called to him. He wished he knew why.

He paused for a moment and then turned and walked back to where the path diverged. "Don't know what the hell I'm getting into", he murmured, "but I think this is the way I want to go." He stopped suddenly. "I'm sorry Sam. I'd hoped there was time for us but maybe that's too much to ask. I hope you're okay." With that he began to walk.

It didn't take long before he began to pant as the path wound up the hill. He could still feel the presence around him. As he'd taken the second path it was almost as if he'd felt a sigh of relief – or maybe it was joy. Again, he hoped that was the case.

He turned around the bend, becoming more and more tired. The day, which had been sunny and warm, began to turn cloudy. The path became rougher and he could only see a few feet ahead. God, he hoped he was doing the right thing.

He'd been walking for what seemed like hours and he knew he was reaching his limit. He was dizzy and weak and his vision was beginning to go. "Jack, you did it again you idiot. Why didn't you take the easy path? Why did you have to jump into something you had no idea about? You're way too old for this!"

He stopped, not knowing where he was or where he was going. He didn't want to give up – refused to give up – but unfortunately, his body thought differently. With a small sob, he collapsed on the ground, his new, improved knees unable to hold him up any longer. As he hit the ground he was sure he heard a collective sigh.

The next thing he knew, he was standing in an isolation room in the SGC with a young looking Sam Carter standing in front of him. She was saying something, but it took him a moment to figure out what it was.

"Sir, none of this has to leave this room."

What? What the hell? He glanced around. Was this a dream? Had he died and returned to that moment of regret from so many years ago? Was this some sort of hell that he was being forced to relive this instant? He looked at Carter and saw that she was looking puzzled. He hadn't answered her question.

He was still unsure what was going on when that presence surrounded him again. There was no sound, no noise, no words but suddenly he understood. This was real. For some reason, someone or something - maybe it was an alien, maybe it was God, was giving him a second chance.

"Sir?" Sam asked quietly, still waiting for him to speak.

"Yes it does Carter", he answered.

"What? I'm sorry Sir – what are you saying."

"It does – it has to leave this room. If we leave it here I'm pretty sure we'll regret it for the rest of our lives."

She looked back at him with fear in her eyes, but also with a small measure of hope. She licked her lips and he knew his future – or maybe his past – would be determined by her next words. Would she take the chance or would she make the same decision again and put her career first?

"I – Sir – I", she stopped and this time bit her lip. Jack held his breath – as did whoever or whatever was behind this. "I … kind of think so too, Sir."

"You do?"

"Yes", she smiled. "I know I'd regret it too." She stopped and then took a step closer to him. "So what should we do about it Jack?" she asked softly.

"Do? This is what we should do!" He stepped towards her and gently took her face in his hands. Not caring about the people watching them, he bent his head and kissed her.

She saw the grey haired man from across the room and smiled. She felt a jolt of pleasure. It had been over a year since she had seen him and she realized now how much she missed having him in her life.

At that moment he lifted his head and saw her. With a smile of his own, he excused himself to the person he was talking to and began to head in her direction. He looked good, she thought. Although his hair was turning more white than grey now his face actually looked more weathered than wrinkled. She laughed to herself – maybe that's what everyone said as they themselves started seeing wrinkles in the mirror!

At that moment he reached her and opened his arms and enveloped her in a big hug.

"Sam", he said softly, squeezing her to him. "It's so good to see you." He pulled back and looked closely at her. "You're looking good. How have you been?

"Hi Daniel! It's great to see you as well. I'm fine but I'm afraid I'm slowing down and staying pretty close to home these days." She looked at her friend and thought it amazing that to her he still looked like that young, innocent faced archaeologist she'd met so many years ago rather than a man nearing 80 years old. "How are Vala and your kids?"

Daniel got a big grin and began to tell her about his eldest son, Matt, who had followed in his footsteps. He was clearly bursting with pride.

"Yeah – well, what can I say?" he answered when she teased him about it. "He's a great kid! The other's are great too and they're all fine. Amy is just finishing her Residency and she and Paul will be moving to Colorado soon. Jack's finishing his last year at Princeton although his main love seems to be hockey." Daniel grinned again. "Just like his namesake!"

Sam smiled in return although felt a brief hint of worry. She'd debated about the anniversary, knowing it could be pretty stressful. "Have you seen Teal'c?", she asked, trying to think of something else.

"Yeah, he's around somewhere", he said, looking through the crowd. "He brought Ishta with him but I think he said she was out shopping. You know what she's like!"

"I can hardly wait to see him", she replied. "It'll almost be like old times." Looking at Daniel she could see a twinkle in his eyes. She knew she had to ask so she figured she might as well get it over with. "So, have you seen the General?" she asked

"Mmmm hmmm", he answered, "although I was sworn to secrecy."

"Daniel!" she warned. "Tell me! Where is he?"

"Uh" he answered, looking slightly panicked. Then his face relaxed and he grinned. "Over there." He pointed over to a group of people at the far side of the conference hall. They were making slow progress walking towards them, although they were frequently stopped as people wanted to talk to them. They were creating quite a stir as they walked and Sam couldn't help but smile – with pride, and also a touch of exasperation.

"Where have they been?" she asked Daniel as they slowly approached.

"Jack convinced David to take him to the bar for a beer – said he needed one before the ceremony."

"That man!" she said, shaking his head. "I would have expected more from the girls!"

"Uh, I think they tried to stop him but you know what Jack is like."

"Huh! Don't I ever. After more that forty years of marriage nothing surprises me anymore." Sam looked with affection at her rather exasperating spouse. Actually, she wasn't too upset. Jack was pretty careful when it came to his diet and, if he'd gone for a beer, it was probably more because he wanted to show his kids off. She would be surprised if he'd taken more than a couple of sips of Guinness.

The whole family had come to see the ceremony in which Jack was going to be honored. Although he'd groused and complained, she knew that he was secretly pleased and proud. He'd had an illustrious career but this was something pretty special. The powers that be had wanted to name the center after him, but he'd managed to convince them to name it after the person he felt was really responsible for his trip through the gate and the subsequent years of adventure and discovery.

The Charles J. O'Neill Gate Center was being opened tonight, on the 50th anniversary of that first trip to Abydos. SG1 was being honored and they were all receiving medals. Jack had agreed to say a few words and she had made him promise that he would be nice.

"Mom", David arrived and reached down and kissed her cheek. She smiled and reached up with her hand and touched his. David was her first born and looked just like Jack had done when he was younger. David was in his forties now and was married with four children of his own - the oldest – Chelsea, was a senior in high school. He was an English professor, getting his love of literature from his father.

Her other children were all here with their spouses and children. She looked around at the mass of people and couldn't believe how her life had gone. David, Daniel and Thomas, her three sons, had all done well in life and she was incredibly proud of them. What was also wonderful was how much they all loved their father – he was their hero and he adored them.

Then, there were her daughters. She grinned when she thought of them. Georgia and Jan, the twins, had their father wrapped around their fingers. He could be pretty tough on the boys but all the girls had to do was bat their blue eyes at him and he'd cave. In those cases she'd often had to be the tough one. Jack was just a pussy cat around his daughters.

Just then she saw the one person who had been missing from the crowd. Her youngest daughter Beth appeared and walked over and gave her a hug.

"Beth – you arrived. I'm so glad. Your Dad was worried."

"You know I wouldn't miss this for the world", Beth replied. Jack hadn't noticed her yet so Beth just looked at him. "How's he doing?"

"Well, really well. The doctor is amazed – said his body appears to be year's younger than his age. We figure it was either the sarcophagus or Thor – whatever it was, he's fine."

"Good, I'm glad." Beth appeared relieved.

"Well, go give him a hug. He's been waiting to see you."

Sam watched as Jack's face lit up when he saw his little girl. Beth had been a surprise. They'd both thought they were done having children. They'd actually ended up with more than they'd planned for when her last pregnancy turned out to be twins. The girls had been almost seven when Sam found out she was pregnant again. She'd been 47 and had been quite upset at first. She figured she had more than enough to deal with with five kids.

That had been when Jack had decided to retire, even though he was still a bit young. She hadn't protested too much, however, as he clearly loved being with his children more than anything in the world.

It turned out that Beth was the child most like Jack. Although he adored his other children – and they felt the same about him – there was something special in the relationship he had with his youngest daughter.

The other children were noisy and rambunctious and the O'Neill house was rarely quiet. All of them loved sports and fishing was a favorite O'Neill activity. Beth, however, appreciated quiet and stillness like her father. It had surprised Sam, when they first got together, to realize how peaceful he could be. For a man who seemed to fidget constantly, and always be full of energy, he could turn around and be totally still when listening to music, or reading or fishing. He and Beth would often stay on the dock at the cabin, long after the other kids had gone on to other things. They could be together in silence and yet seemed to understand each other.

Beth had had a bit of a rough time as a young adult. Again, unlike her siblings, she didn't know what she wanted to do and was not as outgoing or confident. Sam had worried about her daughter but Jack only smiled.

"She'll be fine Sam. She'll figure it out. All we have to do is be here for her and love her."

And he'd been right. It had taken a few years, but Beth had discovered her passion. She had gone to school and had become a veterinarian. Again, just like her father, she loved animals and now had her own clinic. They'd also recently heard that she'd met someone and was bringing him home for a visit. She was clearly happy.

As Sam looked around at her large, noisy family, she couldn't help but be thankful that Jack had refused to let her leave it in the room all those years ago. There had been challenges and they'd had quite a fight with the Air Force but eventually they'd been given permission to marry and stay together. Jack – and General Hammond – had convinced the powers that be that the SGC needed special rules since it was so highly classified. They'd been married almost immediately afterward and David had come barely a year later.

She'd kept her career, on a part-time basis, although she gave up most active Gate travel. Jack had made General and eventually the family had moved to DC where he continued to advance. When he retired, they'd returned to Colorado where all the kids finished school. Once they were all on their own, the two of them had moved to Minnesota, where they lived now.

Just at that moment her husband looked up at her and smiled, that special smile he reserved just for her. He mouthed 'I love you' to her and she grinned. 'Ditto' she mouthed back. She had no regrets – she'd made the right decision when she'd chosen Jack O'Neill. And somehow, she knew that they would be together, not just in this life, but in whatever came afterward.

Yes – it was clear. Fate – or God, or the universe meant for them to be together – always.

For those of you wondering about the details of their life or about who or what gave them the second chance - you'll have to use your imagination. This story wasn't really about the details - more about their relationship and about choices and loss - and hope. I hope you don't hate me for this - but I won't be doing a sequel!