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Story Notes: Spoilers: Heroes

A/N: A friend told me today that someone really close to her was dying. I too have been fearing that people close to me will also soon be departing this life. However, there is always something to be gained through other peoples' lives. Unfortunately, it's hard to put those things into words. I'm hoping that this attempt at writing my feelings works for those who read it.

IN MEMORIAM: To those who have lost people close to them and still find themselves thinking of them everyday. May their memories live forever.


That's it. No more.

Jack took a deep breath of the cold mountain air and looked around at the departing backs. Many walked with their head bowed into their chests, their dark clothing littered with flecks of snow that did nothing to brighten the afternoon. His lungs burned with the air, bringing himself back to the headstone that stood new and untarnished in the frozen ground.

Major General George Hammond, beloved father, grandfather and commanding officer.

A hand rose to rest on his forearm, its gentle pressure snapping his eyes to the three other's who stood along with him. The blue eyes held tears barely in check but shone brightly as they searched his face. Jack's eyes flickered to the next one standing there.

His long standing friend and ally, the heavy set figure of Teal'c stood imposing in the late afternoon light. Hands clasped behind his back in respect for the fallen comrade and missing friend. He stood guard over the newly turned earth, lost in his own thoughts.

And there, standing at the foot of the grave was Daniel. Jack knew that this man was passionate about many things, and to loose two friends in such close succession would be hitting him hard, if not harder than the rest. There was a lot of good hiding within the soft-spoken archaeologist, and his loyalty to his friends was second only to his love of his friends.

Then back to the eyes of the woman who stood beside him. Her eyes, conveying her loss and pain also showed him so much more. Her appreciation for her friends, for the memories that Hammond had given in his stoic and gentle guidance flickered across her countenance. Jack took comfort in the duality of her character; her concrete military standards and her emotionally charged human side. More than once her views had saved him from making mistakes he wouldn't have counted as mistakes only four years ago.

Jack closed his eyes and tilted his head up into the grey sky. Little sparks of coldness landed against his skin, reminding him of the life and it's losses. Little could replace the loss of both Janet and Hammond in a few months, but in retrospect, he had been lucky in his life.

He had had his losses. He had experienced pain and joy and love and sadness in varying degrees. Loosing Hammond was much like loosing his father those many years ago. The General had been many things; a calm voice in his chaotic mind, a gentle hand in his sporadic movements and a steady father in his guilt-ridden life. And now he was gone.

Taken by nothing more violent than a degenerative sickness like cancer.

Confrontations with the Goa'uld, diplomatic relations with hostile civilizations and travelling to other planets had left the General with a hunger for life and it was all taken from him by a simple multiplication of cells.

Jack's head fell forward and the hand that lay on his arms tugged softly to gather his attention.

"Let's go, sir. We'll go O'Malley's. Have a pint for him."

Jack smiled and nodded. "I'll be there in a sec."

She looked at him steadily for a moment before nodding her agreement and turning to follow the other two down the lightly dusted hillside.

Jack sighed and looked back down at the headstone.

"I don't know how to say goodbye, General. I don't think I want to." Jack bent at the knees and reached a steadying hand out to rest upon the cold granite. "So, I'm not going to. You've been a lot of thing to me, sir, but you'll never be gone."

Resting for a last minute, Jack rose and turned to follow his friends down to their car.

They hadn't gotten into the vehicle and as Daniel moved into the passenger seat beside Jack, he smiled.

"You remember when we had those armbands that Anise wanted to try out?"

For a split second the car was silent while the motor roared to life and then Jack chuckled. "How the hell could I forget, I kicked a hole in the General's wall…"

And as the memories flowed around them, Jack couldn't help the feeling that there was something other to be gained for this loss than pain. Their lives continued and they would honour him by living them to their fullest.




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