Missing Scene/Tag in "Line In The Sand"

"You can't leave the device here." She said, feeling the pain that saturated her entire body.

Mitchell looked to the side, trying not to see her vulnerability. "Well, I was going to save some C-4 for that as well."

"You cannot sacrifice the device for me." She said, trying to keep herself from sobbing as she contemplated the destruction of another scientist's life work, of her work. "It is still our best chance against the Ori."

"No offense, but that gizmo's not showing a whole lot of promise right now."

She closed her eyes in frustration. If only someone had listened to her. Simulations weren't idiotic ways to tax a budget; they were necessary ways to ensure success. "It'll work. It just wasn't ready for this. I'm probably not going to make it either way."

"No. Don't you start to talk like that." He said, vehemently.

"Cam, you have the face the fact that I'm gonna die here." She said, tears slipping down her cheeks. She was starting to realize that her life had been in vain. She'd spent ten years doing things that others had only dreamed of, but that ten years had kept her from those she loved. Cassie, Jack…

She choked on her tears. She'd spent ten years trying to convince herself that she didn't love him, trying to tell herself that the rules to which she'd bound herself so completely were infallible, fail-safe, and even reliable. She'd learned a long time ago in her work with the Stargate and theories of relativity and such however, that she should have learned that not all rules imposed by human beings, or even aliens for that matter, were flawless.

"No, I don't have to face that fact. Because I am NOT gonna let that happen." He said, a valiant look of determination on his face.

Suddenly, she looked upon the face of the man that was her son. Sure, they'd made it seem like a joke at the time, but Cameron Mitchell had been the product of a late night spent in the year 1969. It was a sore spot in her relationship with Jack to this day. He'd wanted to find their son. She'd wanted to bury the incident without any repercussions.

As she looked into his face, hardened much like his father's with a great deal of determination, she couldn't help but feel pride swell within her breast. And now, she was leaving him behind. "I appreciate that, but the truth is, even if you manage to set a distraction and destroy the device, you are NEVER gonna get me to the Gate."

"Yes, I will." He said, stubbornly.

"Not alive." She said, her heart breaking with a pain she'd only experienced once before. When she'd left him with the couple with whom they'd hitch-hiked to New York, Michael and Jenny, she'd felt a part of her die, knowing she would most likely never see him again. And then Jack had gotten him assigned to SG-1…

"Something on your mind?" He asked, watching her closely.

"Just thinking about 30185." She said, forcing a smile.

"Yeah, you got me good." He said, forcing a laugh.

She nodded. "Yeah…we did, didn't we?"

"You know, General O'Neill pulled me aside after that party that they threw for your engagement…"

She blinked back tears as her thoughts were brought back to Jack again. "What'd he say?"

"He said never to let anything happen to you…that you're a special woman, and that he doesn't want to know what he would do if he lost you…"

Her vision blurred with tears, but also with the morphine Cam had given her. "He'll be okay, Cam…you don't have to do the impossible just to reassure some run-down Air Force General…"

"You know, I can't really remember my mom…" He said, quietly changing the subject.

"Yeah, she died when you were little, didn't she?" She asked, quietly, trying not to give away any classified information. Trying not to disclose her ultimate secret.

"No…she didn't…"

She closed her eyes as she realized he knew. He'd heard of the team that had hitch hiked with them for a few days and then landed on their doorstep several months later, an offer for them that they couldn't exactly refuse. "Why can't you remember your mother then?"

"You see, I was adopted. Born to a couple that my parents knew for a little while as they traveled to New York. Mom and Dad were going to Woodstock and then into Canada."

"What made them change their minds?" She asked, knowing the whole story.

"You."

"Cam, I can explain…"

"No, don't…" He said, silencing her. "It's okay…you weren't supposed to tell me about 30185 anyway…but I went home and…couldn't help but ask some questions while I was there…they told me the whole story…"

She clutched the blankets as she waited for a wave of pain to engulf her. When it didn't come, she knew the morphine had managed to get through her system and that her consciousness was limited.

"I just wanted to tell you that even if General O'Neill hadn't asked me to look out for you…I wouldn't let you go…suddenly, I'm feeling really sympathetic to you and him…and I can't believe you've spent thirty-some-odd years apart." He said, seriously.

"Funny…only seemed like ten…" She whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

"Look…with everything you've done, you deserve a "happily ever after". So, don't let some Ori staff blast rob you of that, okay? Keep fighting…"

A faint smile flitted onto her lips as she heard his words resound in the deep recesses of her mind. Theirs may be a peculiar mother-son relationship, but she could hear the childish vulnerability in the statement, and suddenly, she was able to summon her will to survive once again. After all, her son was so much like his father…and HE'D been able to support her enough so that they could accomplish the impossible together. Surely her son's faith in her would give her something to work with.

"Tha's right…" She managed. "Owe me breakfast…"

Cam Mitchell chuckled. "Yes, I do…I owe you breakfast…Mom…"

"Love you…" She whispered. "Always have."

"Me too." He said, looking at the woman who'd borne him. Never in his life would he have imagined he'd be face-to-face with a woman his age, and thinking of her as his mother…but here he was, treating her for an Ori staff wound, and sharing command with her for the team. He shook his head. Strangely enough, this was among the less shocking revelations he'd dealt with. THIS he could handle. He stood as he looked at the machine. This he would have to handle…

--

(Later- after she is cleared to leave the infirmary)

Sam walked gingerly around her lab. She was still somewhat sore from her injury, but all in all, she was doing better than she had been doing for a while.

"I thought I made it clear that you were supposed to be in the infirmary when I picked you up."

She turned with a smile. "Jack…"

He walked over and put his arm around her. "Feeling better, I take it…"

She nodded. "Yeah…"

"There was something behind that 'yeah'…what is there?"

"He knows." She said, quietly.

"He knows?"

She nodded. "I told you about how Daniel and Vala and I were teasing him about 30185…"

"Yeah…nice way to use plausible deniability to your advantage…"

"Not as nice as I thought."

"What?"

"He went home and asked Michael and Jenny…"

"Oh…"

"They told him everything."

Jack studied his fiancée. "And you're okay with that?"

"Surprisingly…it's lifted a weight from my shoulders…"

He gave her a half-smile. "Good. You deserve to have that burden lifted…"

There were footsteps and they both heard a tiny. "Oops…"

"Come in, Cam." Sam said, grinning.

"Sorry, General, I didn't realize you were here…"

Jack turned. "It's okay, son."

Sam managed a tiny smile.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you two alone, then…"

"Hey, Mitchell?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Thanks for taking care of Sam for me…I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost her…"

"She's a special lady, sir. All I did was help her remember that…"

Sam blushed. "Stop guys…you're making me blush…"

Jack kissed her cheek, his arm around her waist. "I told you once before that you were my national treasure…seems to me that makes you pretty special…"

"Okay, guys…stop with the PDA…it's just wrong…"

Sam laughed. "Well, after the ceremony, you'll have to get used to it…"

"Thanks for the warning…"

"Really, Cam…thanks for keeping an eye on Sam for me…"

"It's an honor…sir…"

Jack gave him a half-smile before he looked over at Mitchell again. He awkwardly placed a hand on the Colonel's back. "I haven't had much of an opportunity to say it lately, but I want you to know how proud I am of you."

"Thank you." He said, quietly.

Sam smiled as she watched the two men interact. Her tremendous secret was more easily dealt with now that she was able to discuss it with more than one individual.

"Well, Mitchell…you gonna meet us at the house for the team night tomorrow?"

"Wouldn't miss it…after all, it's poker night, isn't it?"

Sam laughed. "Yes, and I'm gonna clean you all out!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that…it only worked that one time because we didn't think you had a poker face…now we know…"

She shook her head. "And my days of letting you win are over…"

"What? You LET me win?"

"What was I supposed to do? Let you lose? Be honest, you would have started whining…"

"I don't whine!"

Jack laughed, pulling Sam out of the lab and toward the corridor. "Mitchell, son…every kid whines at least once…and usually to his parents…it's one of those subconscious things…"

Mitchell grinned as the couple left the room. He ran after them. "Hey, wait up! I haven't told you what I want for Christmas!"

"We just HAD Christmas!" Jack protested.

"Yeah, well…I didn't get to tell you before."

Jack sighed as Sam turned. "Okay, Cam. What do you want for Christmas?"

"Well, you know, the usual. Time off, galactic peace, fire engine…"

Sam shook her head with a chuckle as she heard his mixture of childish and adult wishes.

"Anything else?"

He thought for a long moment before his eyes popped open. "Yeah…and how could I have forgotten?! I want a baby brother or sister."

Sam and Jack's faces showed their shock as Mitchell ran away before turning with a grin. "Gotcha didn't I?"

He ran off down the hall, and suddenly, Sam felt a baritone voice in her ear. "You know we could get started right now, and Santa could come by early this year…"

She turned a chuckle to him. "Stitches…"

"Okay…maybe not RIGHT now…but soon?"

She shook her head, laughing as she kissed him. "Yeah sure ya betcha!"