Disclaimer: See Prologue...

A/N: Woohoo! We’re finally done. Now I know some of you are probably going to get on my case for leaving this story kind of open ended…but that just leaves room for more stories. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it…now I’m off to see “Continuum” and see what TPTB came up with. Enjoy, and don’t forget to review!

Last time:

(Chapter 15)

“Then I guess that’s it.” Sam hesitated.

“Don’t worry Carter, when you get back to the planet everything will be right.” Jack smirked.

Λ

(Chapter 22)

“Over there…on the counter…the tape recorder…take that to Antarctica and leave it in the jumper…for you to find.” Jack coughed. “It’s been…fun…Lieutenant…we saved…the day…I’ll see you…in the other…time…” Jack’s voice faded away.

Λ

“You are sure?” Thor asked again.

“Yes.”

Chapter 23: Epilogue –

Before leaving the jumper, Sam had used the onboard computer to dial up the stargate. Once it was dialed up, she said her final goodbyes and exited the ship. She watched as the jumper took off and quickly disappeared. With a sigh she turned and headed down into the cavern that held the stargate.

“So when do you think we need to head back through the gate?” Cam asked as Sam came into view. He stood next to the stargate with a hand through the event horizon to hold it open.

Daniel and Sam shared a look. “Time’s relative, Mitchell.” Daniel said. “The moment they flew back in time it would have been changed.”

Cam looked at the other two and shrugged. “Shall we?”

Λ

Brenda Parker had been working in the Pentagon for nearly 40 years. She prided herself in knowing all the brass that worked there and knowing all the assistants, junior officers, and 

regular messengers. So when a young, fresh faced Air Force Lieutenant came walking into the office claiming to have a message for Major General Jack O’Neill, she was a little suspicious.

“I’ll make sure he gets it.” Mrs. Parker said, as she laid it on the corner of her desk.

“If you don’t mind, Ma’am, the contents of that message are very important. I’m supposed to make sure that he gets it immediately.” The Lieutenant replied.

“He’s busy now, Lieutenant.” Mrs. Parker snapped. “He’ll get it.”

The Lieutenant sighed. “The contents of that package are related to the base at Cheyenne Mountain.”

Mrs. Parker’s eyes narrowed. “Very well, wait here.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Ma’am. I’m expecting a response.”

Mrs. Parker decided that she didn’t like it when her status quo was interrupted. Knocking on the inner office door, she waited for the command to enter before doing so.

“I thought I told you I wasn’t to be disturbed Mrs. Parker.” Jack snapped.

“You did, General. But there’s a messenger in my office who delivered this.” Mrs. Parker held up the envelope. “She said it has to do with Cheyenne Mountain and she’s expecting a response.”

Jack grumbled a response as he grabbed the extended envelope. “Tell her I’ll be a moment.”

“Yes, Sir.” Mrs. Parker responded before turning and leaving Jack’s office.

Jack stared at the envelope for a long moment, before opening it and dumping out a small tape recorder. He frowned at the thing before pressing the play button.

“Jack…”

Jack dropped the tape recorder as he heard his own voice coming out of it.

“I know you’re probably surprised at hearing your own voice on a recording you haven’t done.” The voice paused and Jack could hear ragged breathing. “I don’t have much time…so I won’t…be able to…fully explain the situation…however…there is a young Lieutenant who can. She’s the one…who delivered this. Her story may sound crazy…but you can trust her…she’s on…our side.”

Jack waited several seconds to see if anything more would be said before he shut off the tape recorder. After a split second of thought, he rewound the tape and listened again. There was no doubt that the voice was his and that he was dying. Suddenly curious, Jack hit the intercom button.

“Mrs. Parker, send the Lieutenant in.”

“Yes, Sir.”

The door opened and Jack looked up to see a young Air Force Lieutenant walk in and move to the front of his desk before standing to attention and saluting.

“Lieutenant Alexa Stephens, Sir.”

“At ease, Lieutenant.” Jack answered as he shot off a salute. “Have a seat.”

“Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir.” Alexa responded as she took the offered seat.

“Care to explain what this is?” Jack asked as he held up the tape recorder.

“That, Sir, is a tape recorder that I found in an alien ship that I found in Antarctica 10 years ago.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “I think you better start at the beginning, Lieutenant.”

Λ

Sam, Daniel, and Mitchell stepped through the other side of the stargate and looked around. They looked at each other, with slight frowns on their faces.

“Anyone else getting a strange sense of déjà vu?” Cam asked.

“Something does seem very odd.” Daniel admitted.

“Hey, you guys coming or what?!”

The three turned and saw Vala and Teal’c standing next to the DHD.

“We were beginning to wonder if you were coming through at all.” Vala continued.

“Sorry.” Sam piped up. “That was my fault. I got caught up in what I was doing.” She turned to the two men at her side. “You guys ready?”

“To see Ba’al executed? You betcha.” Mitchell replied.

Λ

Jack sat with a blank expression on his face as Alexa finished her tale. “So let me get this straight.” Jack finally broke the silence. “You’re my descendant from me going back in time to retrieve a ZPM, messing up the timeline and then having to go back again to fix it. This tape 

recorder came from another time that I went back in time to stop Ba’al from messing up the timeline.”

“That’s it in a nutshell.” Alexa nodded.

“And you know all of this because of stories that were passed down over the generations and because of a message left to you by you in the puddle jumper.” Jack continued.

“Uh huh.”

“I hate time travel.” Jack muttered. “So what happens now?”

“I don’t know.” Alexa responded. “The future is an open book.”

“So why bring this to me?”

“I’d like to be a part of the Stargate program.” Alexa replied simply.

“Ah.” Jack sighed. “Of course you would.”

Λ

“You know,” Mitchell said as SG1 stood waiting for the proceedings to begin. “This damn well better be the last…”

“Don’t even think about it!” Sam and Daniel interrupted simultaneously, both smacking him upside the head.

“OW!” Cam exclaimed. “What the hell was that for?!”

“We can’t afford to have you jinx this.” Daniel continued.

“I don’t believe in jinxes.” Cam replied.

Sam and Daniel shared a look.

“Perhaps it is unwise to say such things Colonel Mitchell.” Teal’c admonished.

“But…”

“What Teal’c is trying to say Cam, is that in the decade that we’ve been with the SGC we’ve seen a lot of things happen, and very rarely do they happen according to plan.” Sam interrupted.

Cam harrumphed and crossed his arms, very clearly sulking. The other four teammates shared looks of amusement before turning back to the proceedings.

It wasn’t long before the magistrate came out and began to read the counts against Ba’al. As he did so, several guards came out, escorting a cuffed Ba’al. Cheers went up throughout the crowd as he was brought forward and made to stand just behind the execution block.

As the magistrate finished reading from his list, he turned to Ba’al. “You have been found guilty of all these charges and are hereby sentenced to death by beheading.”

Again, cheers went up around the plaza.

With a bit of struggling, the guards managed to get Ba’al kneeling down with his head hanging over the edge of the execution block.

“This seems rather archaic.” Cam cringed. “But at least we know the snake will die with him.”

“Indeed.” Teal’c concurred solemnly.

As the executioner raised his axe above Ba’al’s head, everything seemed to slip into slow motion.

Λ

Jack looked out the front of the jumper and smiled. This was just one of a few things that he had missed since leaving the SGC.

“SGC this is Puddle Jumper 1, come in.” Alexa called over the radio.

“This is Sergeant Harriman at Stargate Command, go ahead puddle jumper 1.”

Jack smiled at the familiar voice. He looked over at Alexa and motioned that he was going to take over the communications.

“Walter, this is General O’Neill. We’re about five minutes out.”

“Understood, General. I’m transmitting the coordinates to you now. You’re escort will be waiting there for you and Lieutenant Stephens.”

“Thank you Walter. O’Neill out.” Jack turned with a shit eating grin on his face. “Take us in Lieutenant.”

Λ

Before the executioner could lower the axe, a blinding white light flashed. As it dissipated familiar figure could be seen standing on the corner of the execution stage. Sam couldn’t help but think how strange it was that the five foot alien was there.

“What is Thor doing here?” Daniel asked.

Cameron shrugged. “Beats me. Maybe he’s here for the same reason we are.”

SG1 watched as Thor nodded at the executioner and stood back to watch. Realizing this, they all turned their attention back to Ba’al, who was smirking at them.

“Something’s up.” Cam muttered. “I don’t like that look on his face.”

Slowly, the axe descended toward Ba’al’s head, gaining speed as it moved. In a flash, the head was severed, the eyes glowed one last time as the snake was killed as well, the smirk never leaving his features.

Once sure that Ba’al was dead, Thor moved toward the five members of SG1.

“You look….different…Thor.” Sam commented.

Thor looked at Sam for a long moment, his large eyes blinking steadily. “You retain remnants of your memories.”

“What?” Sam asked with confusion lacing her voice.

“Come, we will return to Earth, there is much to talk about.”

Λ

Hank Landry had learned to expect the unexpected during his years as head of the SGC. But as he sat in the briefing room listening to Alexa explain how she knew about the stargate, he was confused and shocked. As she finished up her tale, he turned and looked at Jack.

“You believe all of this?” Hank asked.

“As little as time travel makes sense…there is no other explanation for how she knows all of this.” Jack shrugged.

“I was afraid you were going to say that.” Hank sighed. “Would you mind giving us a moment, Lieutenant?” He asked as he stood and motioned Jack into his office.

“Of course, General.” Alexa said as she stood to attention and watched the two men leave. Not knowing what else to do with herself, Alexa moved toward the window that overlooked the gateroom. As she watched the hustle and bustle of the room below her, she noticed something off to the side. “Look out!” She called, forgetting that no one could hear her below. Just as a shock of electricity shot out from the wall, the Sergeant who had been working nearby, flew across the room and out of harm’s way.

Alexa’s hand flew to her mouth as she watched the situation below her.

“Well, that was a neat trick.”

Whirling around, Alexa took in the sight of five people in BDUs and an alien with a large head and big eyes. “I…”

“Welcome back, SG1.” Hank said as he came out of his office, unaware of what had just taken place.

“General O’Neill!”

“Jack!”

“O’Neill.”

SG1 said simultaneously.

“Daniel. Carter. Mitchell. Vala. T. Thor old buddy, long time no see.” Jack responded.

“It is good to see you as well, O’Neill.” Thor replied, barely taking his eyes from Alexa.

Jack looked at everyone looking at Alexa. “Did I miss something?”

“The Lieutenant here just saved Siler from another electrical shock.” Mitchell answered. “By sending him flying across the gateroom.”

Jack raised an eyebrow.

“Perhaps I can explain, O’Neill…” Thor interjected. Once everyone had been seated at the briefing table, he continued. “66 years ago, according to Earth time, I was visited on Cimmeria by a young woman claiming to be from the future…”