Title - Finding Grace
Number of Parts - ?
Setting - season eight
Category - Acion / Adventure / Mystery / Sci Fi / Angst
Age - G
Pairings - Sam and Jack, Jack and Laira
Spoilers - None
Synopsis - Suffering from a recurring dream, Sam decides to find Grace. Meanwhile, Jack has to return to Edora

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The Corridors were empty, but still the lullaby reverberated throughout the ship. It called to her. She had to find it's source. Turning, Sam saw a flash of gold and white, just a blur...

"Twinkle twinkle little star..." sang the child, as Sam followed her.

"Please...stop running!" she called, her hand subconsciously touching her headwound.

"Why? Don't you like hide and seek?"

The ship was buffeted, by what was unmistakably weapons fire. Picking up her pace, Sam dashed onwards to find the child standing in the middle of the bridge. The viewer showed the attacking Goa'uld vessel, and weapons that looked like...fireballs?

"Don't you wanna play?" the girl smiled, "or, are you afraid you won't find me?"

A fireball drew ominously closer on the Prometheus Bridge viewer. As it breached the hull, Sam lunged forward calling to the girl...


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"Grace!"

Sam jolted upright in her bed, a cold sweat covered her body. Her breathing began to relax as she realised where she was.

"Oh god! It was just another dream!" she sighed.

Only the same one you've had every night for the past month, she inwardly chastised herself.

Sam peeled the sheets off of her bed, and picked herself up.

She reached her bathroom and swiftly turned the cold water on. She cupped her hands together in order to scoop up the water, which she then splashed over her face. Satisfied that she was now fully awake, Sam turned the water off, before glancing through to her alarm clock which read 0330.

Damn

Sighing, Sam faced the mirror. Pondering her dream, she asked the unasked, unanswered question.

"Where are you Grace?"

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Sam groaned as she reached out to turn off her noisy alarm clock. For the second time that day, she got up, and once again headed to her bathroom.

After finishing, she headed down the hall for breakfast. Opening her cupboard, she eyed her choices of cereal.

"Hmm?" she hummed absent mindedly. "Oatmeal or Fruit loops?"

It was a tough choice, even for an astrophysicist. Fruit Loops taste great, but Oatmeal's healthier. Did Sam really want to stray from her diet?

"The fruit loops are yummy." Said a small voice.

Shocked, Sam looked up. The kitchen was empty.

"This has to stop!" she shouted at herself. "Sam you're going crazy!". When she was met by the silence of her empty house, she added, "Great! Now you're talking to yourself!"

BRING BRING, BRING BRING.

Startled, her phone brought her back to reality. She looked at who was calling - Jack.

Damn it's my day off today, and I've got nothing to work on - something's wrong.

"Hello sir...ten minutes...what's wrong...Edora?...Yes sir...I'll be there."

Sam slammed the receiver down , and dashed to get ready. Her day had just taken an unexpected twist.


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Sam shut the door of her Volvo and hurried to the lift door. She spied a figure standing in the corner of the underground car park, near an air vent. Recognising the figure to be that of Daniel, she decided to sneak up on him. Prodding him in the back, she was satified when he let out a small yelp. He then turned round - with a cigarette in his mouth.

"Uh...hi Daniel!"

"Uh...uh...hey! I-I can explain!"

"I'm sure you can. Now...put that thing out, and let's get down there to see what the big emergency is."

Daniel stubbed out his cigarette, and joined Sam as she walked towards the elevator. As the pair got in, he said, "It's for my nerves - honest!"
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Sam and Daniel exited the elevator at level twenty-six. They turned along the corridor outside of the infirmary, but stopped when the saw Jack talking to one of the patients. Teal'c was also there, his face a picture of concentration.

Sam chapped the door, and waited patiently while Janet Frasier made her way from her patient.

"Hey Janet! Who's the patient? " Daniel asked.

"He's an Edoran boy, who I think you may have met before."

Sam was very worried. The one planet she never wanted to go back to (with the exception of hell) was Edora.

"Who is he?"

"Garan. Laira's son. He's badly injured."

"What? I mean how? Why is he here?" Sam asked.

"Maybe you should ask him Sam." Janet stated.

Sighing, Sam walked into the infirmary.

"Hey Garan. Long time no see!" she said, trying to lift the tense atmosphere around the room.

Garan weakly lifted up his arm, and gave Sam a ghost of a smile. Sam knew now, that something was definitely amiss.

"Sir. You said you wanted to speak to me?"

Jack face told Sam all she needed to know. His eye's were tired but worried, obviously he'd been given bad news.

"Carter. Can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

This was different. Normally Jack would just order her to go to his office. It must be really bad news.

"Of course sir."

"Garan. Don't worry. I'll be back in a few minutes. Doc Frasier will take care of you."
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Sam tensed up as she entered Jack's lab. She knew that she wasn't going to like what her CO was going to say.

"I'll cut to the chase."

"Sir?"

"I disobeyed an order...or two from General Hammond...I think you've guessed one of them already."

"Yes sir." She snapped. Sam cringed. That had come out a little too harsh.

Jack ignored her little outburst. "The other was to do with our technology policy."

"Colonel. What did you do?"

Jack sighed, and rubbed his eyes.

" I left a seismometer on Edora."

Sam put two and two together. "So that we'd know if the 'fire rain' was bad."

"Yeah. I told Laira...to contact us if a certain reading was indicated."

"Let me guess, they have a BDU as well."

"Yeah. Anyway...the seismometer read a large amount of activity, and Garan decided to contact us..." Jack trailed off.

"What happened?"

"He was attacked by one of Anubis' drones."

Sam eyes nearly popped out of her head. "What...How?"

"I dunno. Garen only just made it through to us. He got hit in the process."

"Will he be okay?"

"Yeah. He's fine."

Jack went quiet, and slowly moved over to sit on the edge of his desk.

"Sam." He said after a few moments.

"Sir?" Sam was definitely worried now.

"We can't let anything happen to the Edorans.I can't let anything happen to them."

"Sir. We're no match for the Supersoldiers. I'm sorry sir, but I think the Edoran's will already have lost."

"We're gonna go anyway. Hammond's given me a go."

"What reason did you give him?" Sam said accusingly.

Jack drew Sam a warning look, she'd nearly crossed the line that time.

"I told him about my not following his orders a few years back, and I was granted leave there two years ago."

This was news to Sam. Very big news. Why did he still want to spend time with Laira. Did he still have feelings for her?

"Sir, with all due respect, cut the crap! What's going on?"

Jack raised his head and looked his 2IC straight in the eye.

"I have a daughter, Sam."

Sam gazed intently at the Stargate, as it slowly whirred into life.

"Chevron one encoded." Shouted Sergeant Walter Davis.

Letting her gaze drift to her right, she spied the rest of her team Daniel and Teal'c stood like they always stood. Daniel was busy fidgeting whereas Teal'c remained as steady as a rock. Young Garan had sufficiently recovered to accompany them back to Edora. He looked nervous, and understandably so.

"Chevron two encoded."

SG 8 stood on Sam's left-hand side. The all-marine unit, as always, prepped and ready for action. Sam's thoughts turned to all of the questions running through her mind. Would there be an army of Anubis' drones on Edora? Would they be captured?

Would Jack's daughter be safe?

"Chevron three encoded."

Jacks daughter...her mind lingered on the subject. What would this child be like? Hopefully like her father.

"Chevron four encoded."

Her gaze drifted back along the line to Daniel and Teal'c. Neither of who were privy to the personal reasons for Jack in going back to Edora. They were in for one hell of a shock.

"Chevron five encoded."

Sam's eyes finally came to rest on the form of her CO. What must he be going through? Sam couldn't imagine. His normal quirky, sharp-witted self wasn't in evidence. Instead, all she saw was the worry in his eyes.

"Chevron six encoded."

Sam was still upset as him for not being honest with her and the team, but again, she had no idea what he was going through.

"Chevron seven locked."

Jack strode confidently up the ramp, followed by Teal'c Garan and SG8. Daniel lingered behind to quickly wipe his glasses clean, before he too got going. Sam held her P90 close, gripping it tightly to her body. Gritting her teeth, she strode up the ramp.

This wasn't going to be easy...

Sg1 re-materialised on the other side of the Stargate. Teal'c stepped out first, but promptly lost his balance and fell over someone.

"Oof!" was the normally stoic Jaffa's exclamation.

"Teal'c you klutz!" Shouted Daniel, who went quiet upon seeing who his friend had fallen over - one of Anubis' drones.

Pointing his P90 at the drone's head, Jack walked forward, and checked it's vitals.

"It's dead."

"That's a relief." Said Sam.

"C'mon. Let's head to the village...find out what's been happening."


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SG1 and Garan had been walking for twenty minutes, and were nearing the Edoran village.

"Jack?"

They turned to see a man of a similar age to Jack walking towards them.

"Jorlian! Long time no see. How are the kids?"

"Never better! Hello Garan!"

"Hi uncle."

"I see you made your way to the Tauri despite your mother's protestations."

Jack turned to glare at the young man. "She didn't want you to contact us?"

"I'm sorry, but I had to use my own judgement."

"It's okay Garan. We understand." Said Sam.

Teal'c looked towards Jack and Sam, both of whom seemed to be hiding something. Daniel voiced Teal'c's thoughts.

"Is there something going on here that I've not been privy to?"

"You'll find out soon Daniel." Sam reassured the confused Archaeologist.

"Ah I take it you've been very private about certain thing that happened during your stay here Jack." Jorlian said.

"What makes you say that?"

"You were very quiet about your work with the Tauri and your personal life when you stayed here. It makes sense that you would hold information back from those you work with."

Jack grimaced at Jorlian. "You're too straight-talking you know."

Jack, SG1, Garan and Jorlian had reached the village. A hush descended on the large group of Edorans occupying the village square. Some looked happy, some looked shocked, but the majority looked angry - and a little scared.

"Hey folks! Long time since I saw anyone. How are you all?" Jack said nervously.

"Jack?" said a rather timid voice from the middle of the throng. A few people murmured, before the crowd parted, revealing the figure of Laira.

"Laira?"

Slowly, he walked up to the small Edoran. "How are you...how's Amnut?"

"Yeah...she's fine. Thankyou for sending the MALP through with a message for her on her birthday. I saw that you weren't exactly yourself though."

"That's because I miss you both. I wish you wanted me to come through more often."

Daniel stepped forward, wanting to get more information.

"Hello Laira. It's been a while."

"Hello Doctor Jackson, Major Carter, Teal'c." Laira said, acknowledging the team.

"Who's Amnut?"

Jack and Laira both started fidgeting nervously.

"Don't be angry at Jack. I wanted to keep her a secret, so that Jack's career would not be damaged."

Jack froze at Laira's reasoning. he was far from happy with what Laira had just said.

"What! You mean I've been keeping secrets from my friends for that reason? I thought it was because you wanted Amnut to have a normal upbringing, without having to constanly worry whether or not her father was going to die on each and every mission he went on?"

Sam sighed and looked at the ground, Daniel twisted his face up, processing some of the comments he'd just heard. Teal's simply raised an eyebrow."

"Laira. Don't you dare say that you wanted me to keep Amnut a secret for my sake. I think it was for your own benefit actually! You were never interested in me. You just wanted to get pregnant and keep Amnut to yourself!"

Jack finished shouting, and silence once again reigned in the small square. Until Daniel spoke up.

"I'll repeat my previous question. Who is Amnut?"

"I am." Said a very young, but powerful voice.

A little girl walked forward into the square. Her hair was long, golden and flowing. Sam let out a gasp, and backed away from the child.

"Hi Dad!" Amnut called to Jack.

"Jack's got a daughter?!?" gasped Daniel, clearly very shocked.

Jack's face showed a mixture of love, happiness and sadness as he gazed at his daughter.

"Hey kiddo! Oh god you're getting so big!"

"Well I am five now! I was three the last time you visited us!"

"Wait...You remember that?"

"I remember everything."

"Sam, you okay?" Daniel asked, as he noticed his friend begin to tremble.

"Grace?" Sam said timidly, "I-is that you?"

Jack, Daniel and Teal'c turned to look at the scientist.

"How'd you know what Amnut means?" Jack enquired.

"I-I..."

"Samantha and I know each other! She taught me a Tauri nursery rhyme!"

"Carter? How were you so shocked when I told you about Amnut, when you'd already met her?"

"I'-I..." Was Sam's response for the second time.

"We met on the Prometheus." Amnut supplied the answer.

"What? How?" Jack said in shock.

"That's the reason I did not want you to return, Jack." Laira said. "Amnut is special. If the Goa'uld were to learn of her, they would return. That is why I have not been in contact with you at all. We don't want to use the Chapa'ai for fear of Anubis' return."

"Anubis?"

"He was here a year ago, before we knew that Amnut was the chosen one. He mined all of our Naquadah, and then left."

"Chosen one?" Daniel queried.

Laira chose to ingore the question.

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble mum, but Anubis will return. One of his drones attacked me as I neared the Chapa'ai. He told me that our Lord was returning for the chosen one."

SG1 and Laira absorbed this information in silence. Jack looked panicked.

"What are we gonna do?" he asked helplessly.

"Help! Help! Somebody!" came a call from another villager. "There's a drone headed this way!"