The Relationship: The Letter (an epilogue)
by John O'Connor
Disclaimer:  Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the
property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom,
 MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko 
Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes
only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright
 infringement is intended. The original characters,
situations, and story are the property of the author.
Rating: PG-13.
A man and woman stood a little apart from their family
near the gravesite.
The woman's hands were shaking as she held the
envelope with the oh-so familiar handwriting:
'To Be Opened In The Event Of My Death'
"Oh God, I don't think I can do this," she said to the
man next to her.
The man reached out and held her free hand
reassuringly. "Sure you can."
Her hands were shaking so badly that she literally
tore the envelope apart to get at the letter inside.
With eyes blurred by tears, the woman looked at the
letter written in the same hand as the envelope. She
knew this script intimately.
In a firm voice, she began to read the letter aloud:
'My Dearest Love,
'If you are reading this, then the worst has occurred.
I, of course, don't know how I died or when, but I
hope I was brave.'
"Oh you were," the woman whispered.
'There is so much I could say to you now. I hope I can
accurately express how I feel about you. I love you
with all my heart and all my soul.
'There. How was that?
'Even before we were honest with each other about our
feelings, you were always in my thoughts. When we
finally admitted our love for each other, you were
always in my dreams as well.
'In case you couldn't tell, your mere touch was enough
to send a wonderful shock through me. I have come to
crave simply holding your hand. When we kiss, it's
almost indescribable.
'Until I met you, I never would have thought I could
love another woman. Now, I can't live without you. Nor
would I want to.
'You are special in so many ways. You're a caring,
compassionate woman. A strong, loyal soldier. A loving
mother. A priceless, one-of-a-kind lover. My life
partner.
'Now I need you to be the strong soldier. Cassie needs
that too. I know you're in pain, probably the worst
pain you ever felt. I know I would be devastated if I
lost you. But you must be brave, my love. Be the
strong, courageous woman I fell in love with.
'I want you to know that my love for you will be as
strong as it is now long after I die. Our love will
last for an eternity, until after the last star fades.
'We will be together again. I will wait for you on the
other side.
'All my love,
'Janet'
The woman dropped her head and sobbed. Her tears
dripped on the yellowed paper she clutched in her
hand.
"God, Daniel, she loved..."
Daniel reached for his wife and pulled her to him to
look in her tear-streaked face.
"Cassie, your mother and Sam had a special bond. And
they're together now." He looked into her eyes, "They
had almost fifty years together. That's more than most
people have."
"Daniel, I miss her so much. The kids too," Cassie
said, swallowing hard.
"Honey, when Sam died last year, part of Janet did
too. She hung on for you and for our kids and the
grandkids. But you know she never felt complete
without Sam." Daniel took off his glasses and massaged
the bridge of his nose, "She is happy now. She's with
her love."
Cassandra Jackson nodded and took her husband's hand
as they stood looking at the dual headstone:
Samantha Carter-Fraiser    Janet Fraiser-Carter
Major General                      Brig. General
USAF retired                       USAF retired
1969-2048                            1967-2049
Beloved Wife                       Beloved Wife
Beloved Mother                   Beloved Mother
Cassie and Daniel slowly walked back to their children
and their children's children.
Daniel kissed Cass' hand and smiled at her, "'...until
after the last star fades.'"
 (c) John O'Conner
     Comments May Be Mailed Here