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Coming Home

Epilogue

Hearing his door click shut, Jack looked up to see Cam walk in. Setting aside the file he was working on, he asked, "So how’d it go?"

"I got everything worked out, Sir."

Jack waved his hand for Mitchell to take a seat. "Drop the ‘sir’, Mitchell; this conversation is personal, not a report to your superior."

"Yes, S…Jack."

Jack looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue.

"I went back home for a while, talked with my Dad. He kinda of helped me put things into perspective."

"What about you and Jessie?"

Cam gave a sheepish grin. "I, ah…had to hunt her down. We got things worked out."

Jack made a mental note to tell Casey ‘I told you so’, and gave silent kudos to Cam’s ability to find Jessie. Playing with one of the pens on his desk, he got right to the point. "Are you gonna be able to handle having her part of SG-7?"

"I wouldn’t have it any other way."

"Even when she ends up in danger, taking risks?"

Cam was quiet for a moment. "I won’t like it, but yeah, I’ll handle it."

"Are you satisfied with her training? Is she a capable member of your team?"

"Of course—I wouldn’t have made her a part of SG-7 if she wasn’t."

"So you don’t doubt her abilities."

"No."

"Are your feelings for her going to be a problem?"

"No, Sir."

"Are you sure? We could assign her to another SG team…"

"With all due respect, Sir, I would prefer that she remain part of SG-7."

"Okay." Seeing the look on his face, Jack put his hands up. "Mitchell, I’m not grilling you just for the hell of it. No one here understands the position you’re in better than myself." He spun the pen with his fingertips. "Even though I don’t like it, I have to watch Sam take risks, and Daniel goes through the same thing with Casey when they’re out on missions. It’s a difficult position to be in…but it’s not impossible."

Jack stood up and Cam followed suit, watching as Jack came around the desk to stand in front of him. "I trust your judgment, Mitchell. I wouldn’t have put you in command of an SG team if I didn’t. If you feel you can handle it, then Jessie stays with SG-7."

"I appreciate that, Sir. If I thought it was going to be a problem, I’d let you know. I wouldn’t risk Jessie, or the team, like that. It just…takes some getting used to."

"You’re a damned good soldier, and a fine officer, Mitchell. The hard part of being on an SG team is not the self-sacrifice, nor risking your own life. It's watching your friends, the people you love, taking chances with theirs."

Jack could see Cam had battled his inner demons and won—for now. With a little guidance and a bit of luck, Jack hoped he could help him avoid some of the pitfalls that lay ahead. For the time being, though, Cam had achieved that tenuous balance. And SG-7 was still intact. Jack reached out and clasped the younger man’s shoulder, giving him a knowing smile as he did so.

"Congratulations, Mitchell—now you really are one of us. Welcome home."

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