Author: Cha-Cha

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the show so please don't sue!

Warning: Mild language and I suppose slightly angst-y in that Kit misses her mother.

A/N: This is another part to my Dotty and Kit series. For this to make sense on who they are it may be an idea to read 'Some Days'. I would like to thank everyone who reviewed that story. Someone wished me to carry on with that story so I've now done a sequel. I'm sure I'll write more with Dotty and Kit so keep your eyes open; I'll label them clearly! Also, I've based Kit's reactions on my own when my father leaves on his business trips to America. He normally goes for a few weeks, and when I was Kit's age I normally missed him for about a day then just act the same way I normally do. I know this isn't identical to Kit's situation but at her age you don't always fully understand what is going on, I hope you enjoy what I have done! Please do review!!!

Twinkle-twinkle little star,

How I wonder what you are,

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky,

Twinkle-twinkle little star

How I wonder what you are.

'DANIEL HURRY UP!!' O'Neill shouted over to the archaeologist who was dialling the gate home, while he was providing cover fire.

Teal'c ran over the top of the ridge and into the slightly lowered area where the gate was situated, Jaffa directly on his heels.

'Where's Carter?' Jack asked him as the ex-first prime reached him.

'I do not know O'Neill, one minute she was behind me, and then she was gone. I tried to go and look for her but there were too many of them!' Teal'c explained as quickly as he could.

'Go! We'll come back for her, we can't hold the gate any longer.' The Colonel told him with a sigh as the three of them dove through, the Iris closing behind them as they landed on the ramp.

'Welcome back SG-1' General Hammonds voice came over the intercom 'Where's Major Carter?' the General then asked seeing the team was missing a member, hoping she wasn't dead.

Seeing the downcast looks from the team, he told them instead to meet for the briefing in an hour.

'Owwww!' Carter muttered to herself, although it was an understatement on how she really felt, her left arm felt as though it was on fire while she could feel a lot of scratches and bruises coming up.

Looking up she could see she was in quite a deep hole, or part of a collapsed mine to be exact. Fortunately the top of it was covered with bushes, branches and leaves causing her prison to be quite dim, however it was wide enough to sit down comfortably.

Trying her luck on the muddy walls, she tried to clamber up using her good arm, but she didn't get too far. Growling in frustration, she slumped down, then grabbing a stick, gritting her teeth and pulling out some bandages from her first aid kit, she began to splint her broken arm. When she finished, she smiled remembering how much the Colonel had complained when she had done that to his leg in Antarctica, she hadn't done that! Although to be fair she had been lucky in not having to set her arm.

Sighing, she began to look through her pack to see what she had to keep her going and to help her get out of this hole. Fortunately she had about a weeks worth of water if she cut down on her usual rations and about the same in food. She also had a first aid kit of course and a sleeping bag tightly wrapped up inside along with a change of clothes. Unfortunately that was it, her radio had smashed when she landed on it during her fall.

'Damn, now how am I supposed to get out?' Carter asked herself, reminding herself from now on to request rope to be added to the essential supplies list.

'Colonel I will not send a rescue team through until I know exactly what is on the other side at the moment. For all we know it may be a trap!' General Hammond ruled.

'But General…!' O'Neill started.

'No buts, first thing tomorrow morning we will send through a probe, not a minute before. If we send one now the chance of the Jaffa being there are extremely high and they will instantly know we are missing a person if she is safe.'

'And if she isn't safe?' the Colonel asked trying his best to win the argument he knew he had already lost.

'We will find out tomorrow.' Hammond told the three of them sternly.

Going outside the briefing room, the rest of SG-1 congregated in Daniels office to talk.

'So what are we going to do?' Daniel asked.

'Exactly what the General says for once, he's right if Carter is safe we will be giving her away.' Jack told Teal'c and the archaeologist with a sigh.

'What are we going to tell Dotty and Kit, are they not expecting Major Carter home this evening?' Teal'c asked.

'Kit!' Daniel exclaimed, 'I totally forgot, just before we left Sam mentioned that she had to be home on time today because Dotty was going to England for a week to do some work and Kit was going to be looked after by her next door neighbour for a few hours until she got home!'

'Oh crap! We'd better contact Dotty and go and see whoever's looking after Kit.' O'Neill decided, 'okay Teal'c, you stay here and contact you if there is any word of Carter, Daniel, you and I will go and do something with Carters daughter.'

'I'm afraid to say that Dotty won't be able to make it back here until Christmas day.' General Hammonds spoke as he entered the room causing the men to jump slightly.

'Sir?' O'Neill asked.

''I just got off the phone with her in England, it seems every plane until then is fully booked and all the stand byes are taken as well.' He paused for a second before carrying on, 'This won't be an order, but Dr. Jackson and Colonel O'Neill, would you…' he started but was cut off.

'We'd love to Sir. One of us can try and look after her while Teal'c and the other of us help look for Carter.' Jack volunteered themselves. General Hammond approved of this then asked them each to come in on alternative days to make it fair.

'Here goes nothing.' Carter muttered to herself as she began to dig out footholds in the side of the mud face with her good arm. Night was beginning to fall and the Major was beginning to run out of ideas on what to do to get out. The planet wasn't getting too cold however there was a slight drizzle coming through the canopy that seemed to make her broken arm ache more. After what felt like many hours, she had finally dug two good quality and deep footholds. With a bad arm, she would need them to be deep so she could lean into the wall without falling off while climbing.

Stopping, she realised just how late it was and how hungry she felt. Wrinkling her nose at what she knew she would have to eat, she opened a packet and began to eat. After noticing it tasted just like chicken, she looked at the packet to check if her guess was right. It wasn't, she was eating Macaroni Cheese, cold!

She shook her head and decided Daniel was right, they really didn't taste like they're supposed to!

Listening as carefully as she could, Sam couldn't hear any Jaffa patrols, so she pulled out her sleeping bag and slept in a very light sleep, hoping tomorrow she would get out of this muddy prison and find out who was looking after her daughter.

'Hello, I'm Daniel Jackson and this is Colonel O'Neill, we're here to collect Kit.' Daniel introduced himself and Jack to the elderly woman who had been looking after Katherine for the day.

'Of course you are, I'm always seeing you go into Samantha's house. Isn't Samantha supposed to be coming home today? Dorothy never mentioned you coming to collect her!'

'Well, she was expecting to be home by now but she's sorta…missing at the moment.' Daniel explained with the Colonels approval.

'So since Dotty's out of the country and Kit needs somewhere to stay, we thought we might try to look after her until we can find Carter.' O'Neill added.

The lady smiled at this before answering, 'Well okay, I know I am much too old to try and look after Kit for anything more than a day, she has too much energy for me but I'm sure you'll be fine.' Mrs Matthews replied before calling for the little girl to come.

'Mommy!!!' a cry came from a different room in the house before the sound of someone running towards them reached their ears. The three adults watched as the small, blonde six year old came hurtling down the hallway, her two long plaits flying out behind her.

When she saw the two men at the door she stopped dead whispering 'Mommy?'

'Kit, come here a minute, we need to talk to you.' Jack asked her to come forwards to the group as Mrs Matthews excused herself when she saw the girl was in safe hands.

'Mommy's dead isn't she?' Kit asked, her eyes filling with tears.

'No... no Kit, she's just missing at the moment!' O'Neill quickly told her going into the house.

'What do you mean?' Kit asked.

'We know roughly where she is but for the moment she isn't here and we can't rescue her yet.' Daniel added trying his best to explain. Kit nodded her head as though she was beginning to understand.

'So what's going to happen to me?' the girl asked in a small voice.

'Well, if your okay with this, we want you to come to my house and Daniel and I will take care of you until we find your mother or Dotty comes back.' Jack told her.

'Okay.' Kit agreed, her voice was still quiet and unsure of everything that was happening.

'Your going to need some clothes, hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste and toys...' The Colonel listed of the things she was going to need.

'Only some toys, Mommy already packed me a bag for if this ever happened.' Kit replied before running off to fetch it and pack a few toys into a rucksack.

'Guess Carter was really prepared for this.' O'Neill commented and Daniel nodded in agreement. Neither of them had been this thorough.

Minutes later she reappeared clutching a sausage bag and a rucksack on her back.

'Oooooh, I knew this was going to hurt.' Sam muttered to herself as she slowly made her way to her feet, stretching out as far as she could, feeling all the bruises she had collected the day before.

Looking out of the top, she saw it was light, although according to her watch on Earth it was only 8pm.

'Oh Kit, two days to Christmas, I hope I make it home before then! I should never have accepted a mission this close to Christmas, even if it was vital to find out the enemies location and numbers.' Although she knew that the rest of her team had left her, she hoped they were on Earth, if she could fix her radio, she could radio every hour and hope she coincided with Stargate Command trying to contact them as well as not alert the Goa'uld.

Grabbing the pieces and a thin piece of wire she always kept in her pack, Carter began to try and fix her smashed up radio so it was usable.

'Here we are Kit; you can stay here until Dotty comes back from England. Either Daniel or I will be with you each day. Shall I show you around while Daniel unpacks your things into my spare room?' O'Neill told the small girl as the three of them entered Jacks house. Kit nodded and Daniel took her things upstairs.

'Here's the kitchen, the living room and bathroom, help yourself to any food in the fridge but you can't have the beer! If you want to watch a film feel free and I'll show you how it works. Do you like the Simpsons?'

Kit nodded her head vigorously, 'I love them, have you got any tapes?' she asked excitedly.

A smile grin emerged from the Colonel's smile, 'And your mother rolls her eyes at my Simpsons collection!'

'Mommy often watches it with me!'

'Does she really, I'll mention that to her next time she gives me that look as though I'm being childish!' Jack told her causing her to laugh before sinking back into the thoughts that her mother was gone.

Not wishing her to be upset too long, O'Neill asked her, 'Wanna watch one!' causing the smile to return as she nodded.

'Okay, here's one I taped a few days ago.' Kit went and sat on the sofa while the episode was loaded and the Colonel joined her.

'Hey guys, what you doing?' Daniel asked as he entered the room carrying an envelope and videotape.

'We're going to watch the Simpsons!' Kit told him excitedly.

'I've found another fan, two actually if you count Carter!' O'Neill told him with a grin. 'What you got?' he then asked noticing the archaeologist had something in his hands.

'Sam likes the Simpsons!' Daniel shook his head in dismay at loosing another person to the Simpsons addiction! 'Actually I found something in Kit's bag, it seems Sam left Kit a video tape and us a letter.'

'Really.' Jack and Kit spoke together; Kit's eyes had gone very wide at the thought of her Mother having something for her.

'Can we see it now instead of the Simpsons Colonel O'Neill?' Kit requested and the two men instantly agreed, switching the tapes over.

Pressing play, a slightly younger Carters face filled the screen, her face showed just how exhausted she was while her clothing showed she was off duty. It was her hair though that told everyone she was on maternity leave; it was almost waist length tied back in a loose and scruffy plait.

'Hi Kit! It's me if you haven't guessed. I thought I'd better do this video so if I ever do go missing or worse you'll still have me around. I'm going back to work tomorrow, I know your only six months old but I'm finally fit enough to go back and Dotty said she'll help out when I'm not around. I'm not on active duty in the sense that I'm in any dangerous areas unless you count a paper cut serious but being in the Air Force you never know what may happen!'

'I don't know how old you are while you are watching this, so I don't know if I ever got the chance to explain some terms to you, I have a feeling I'm not going to be the best Mother in being at home all the time. It's most likely if you're watching this I'm declared missing or Missing in Action which means that I'm not dead, it's just that they have lost contact with me for a few days. On the other hand if I'm declared dead, and there is the faintest possibility; I'm not coming home. Please don't hate the people who have to deliver the message or be angry at them, just remember how hard it must be for them to tell you that I'm gone.' The Carter on the screen spoke as she sat cross-legged on the sofa. Kit snuggled further into the two men as she watched her younger mother talk.

'Okay, well lets see, I'm not too good with cameras so I'll probably forget what I planned to tell you. As I said, I don't know how old you are, but I'm guessing whoever told you I'm missing has taken you to their house, I'm hoping it's Dotty or another good friend. Just don't be afraid, treat this as a sleepover. Have some fun while I'm gone, I'm sure I'll be back soon!' Sam told them with a grin, which soon faded as she heard her baby begin to cry. 'I'd better go see what you want…' She started, but sat down again when a voice from another part of the house called to her.

'I'll go, you went the last four times and three quarters of the night!' Dotty's voice rang out as footsteps began up the stairs.

Carter visibly relaxed as she resumed her position. 'Bad night!' she explained to the camera, 'so where was I… Oh yes, have fun; just don't cause too much mischief. Remember your manners and that I love you lots. I don't want to leave you, but this is my career and I love it almost as much as I love you. Anyway, sorry this is so short, but I hope this helps. I'd better go and have my haircut now.' Sam tried to make it more light-hearted; about to switch the camera off, she suddenly went a sat at the edge of the sofa and added a little bit more.

'I hope I've been a good mother to you, it's not exactly the easiest thing being a single mother and being ill so much over the last few months even with Dotty's help and I'm sure it's going to get harder having a career again…' She looked as though she was going to say more but at that moment Dotty entered the Cameras view, carrying baby Kit. 'Here, she's ready to go out, shall we go?' Dotty asked handing Kit over; a proud smile emerged on Sam's face as she took her child.

'As long as you switch the camera off!'

Dotty rolled her eyes, exaggerating a lot, then asked in a joking manner 'Do I have to do everything around here!' before the screen turned black.

None of the viewers said anything for a few moments, as the Colonel began to get up to switch the TV off, the screen was once more filled with Sam's face, then as she sat down on the sofa, the could clearly see it was her as they had first seen her on her first day at the SGC. She was even wearing her smart uniform.

'Hey Kit, I just though I had better add this on to the end of the tape I did a few years back. I'm back on active duty and whereas before there was little chance of me going missing, there is now. I hope you never have to watch this, but if you are, I'm sorry. I will come home, to you, whatever it takes, just remember, you can't get rid of me that easily!' the Captain joked. 'Just remember I love you and I'll be home soon so have some fun while I'm gone! It's about five in the morning now so I have to leave, I'm sure you won't be watching this anytime soon, but if you are I'll apologise again. You probably won't understand yet, not until you're probably about six, but your smart and I'm sure you'll get the general gist of this and understand in time.' She paused for breath, about to continue, she was interrupted by a small voice from just outside the cameras view.

'Mommy!' as this was said a small three year old ran across to her mother, climbed onto the sofa, and hugged her mother tightly. 'Bye bye Mommy, I put Bertha into your bag for luck!' she then told her mother with a huge grin.

'Do you want to tell the camera who Bertha is?' Sam asked gently, a huge grin across her face.

'Cow!' Kit replied.

'I wondered why Carters bag looked so big on her first day!' O'Neill commented causing Daniel and Kit to grin.

'I'm sure the people at the base would be very jealous that they don't have a Bertha.' Kit nodded in agreement, her eyes not leaving the camera.

'You still here Sam?!' Dotty's voice came.

'In here, just had to record something before I left.'

'Well, I don't like the sound of this Colonel O'Neill, I'm sure he'll be just like your other CO!' Dotty told her off camera.

'Dotty! I'm sure he'll be fine, besides, what if he's watching this!' Sam retorted, half shock and half amusement on her face.

'Then he'll know exactly what my first impressions of him are. Besides what are you going to do if he is another sexist pig!'

'Request to be transferred, confuse him with techno babble like I did to my last CO or leave the Air Force and do some lectures! It's not as though I'm short on options.' She replied, forgetting all about the camera as she moved and sat on the arm of the sofa facing her friend.

'You always give techno babble! What happened to becoming an astronaut?'

'It would mean leaving Kit for way too long and I couldn't do that to her. I may be gone for days, weeks even months. It's way too long to spend away from her, I want to see her grow up!'

'But you've wanted to go into space since you were five!'

'Sometimes you have to give up our dreams for the ones you love, and you and Kit mean way too much to me to leave you for so long! Eeek Camera! I totally forgot I left it on…but you didn't!' Sam accused Dotty.

'I though maybe Kit should see another side to her mother, show she's a real person!' Dotty replied with a laugh as Sam threw a cushion at her.

'And what you said about my new CO?'

'Oh I meant that, if he is a sexist pig in any way, send him to me, I'll teach him a lesson!'

'Oh? And how are you going to do that?'

'Feed him one of your cakes! If he thinks you belong in the kitchen, he soon won't after that!'

'Hey my cooking isn't quite that bad!'

'The cakes cracked the plate when you dropped them on it and as for the sausage rolls, the centre was as hard as a rock!' (A/N: My Mum has actually done this, she left them in the oven for about 5 hours. You could just eat the pastry but the sausage part was completely inedible!!! (She is normally a very good cook!))

'Okay I see your point and I'm going to be late. Dotty can you erase the last part on the tape. Bye' Sam told both of them, kissing Kit on the cheek before hurrying out of the door.

As the slightly younger and slightly plumper Dotty appeared on the screen; 'Well, I have to say the real Sam is on film now!' she smiled as he turned the camera off causing the television screen to once again go black.

'What's a sexist pig?' Kit asked curiously.

'Errr it's someone who doesn't respect the other gender and makes them do the harder or boring jobs or even is nasty to them.' Daniel explained as simply as he could.

'Are you a sexist pig to my mother?' Kit turned to the Colonel.

'Of course not, I have a great respect towards Carter.' He quickly replied as he stopped and took out the tape.

'Mommy used to have hair as long as mine!' the little girl stated pleased that she could be just like her mother, 'Why did she cut it short?'

'If you're in the military you have to have hair as short as Carters is now, it's the regulations.' Jack explained.

The talk about what Carter had said went on for a few more minutes before the two men caught the young girl yawning and sent her to bed.

'Goodnight Colonel O'Neill, Night Dr. Jackson.' She called to each of them as she began to climb the stairs.

'Please call us Jack and Daniel.' Daniel called over to her feeling uncomfortable with Kit calling him his full name.

Kit smiled before running up the rest of the stairs and looked in each room before finding hers.

'So what's in the envelope you brought down?' Jack asked.

'Probably a letter.' Daniel answered.

'Going to open it?'

'Yes.' He opened the envelope revealing a wad of $20 notes and a letter. Handing the money to Jack he began to read.

'Thank you for taking my daughter in, I hope you will take good care of her until either I or Dorothy Peters collects her. I'm sure she will be good but if you wish to take her anywhere I have included some money for you to do so. When I return I will pay whatever fee you wish for taking care of her.'

'Katherine or Kit as she prefers to be called has only one allergy and that is to sticky plasters but bandages are okay if she does for some reason hurt herself. Thank you again, Major Samantha Carter, United States Air Force.' Daniel concluded. Then noticing Sam's distinctive scrawl as an after note on the typed letter he read out the message, 'Father Christmas has a habit of stopping off in my bedroom cupboard if I'm not back for Christmas, Thanks!'

'Wow, her planning makes mine seem pitiful!' Jack commented.

'Mine too.' Daniel agreed. 'Who's going to look after her tomorrow?' he then asked putting everything back in the envelope.

'You can.' O'Neill told him with a grin.

'Oh and that would be why?'

'Because.'

'Because why?'

'Because I said so, don't worry you can go back to your rocks after that.'

'Artefacts!' Daniel told him, exasperation seeping into his voice.

'Do you want to stay here til Carter gets back?' O'Neill asked changing the subject. Realising it would be easier to take care of Kit if both of them stayed in one house he agreed.

'I'll go get some stuff then, I'll be back in an hour.' Daniel told him before leaving.

As the door shut Jack looked up to the stairs to see the mall girl dressed in pale yellow pyjamas with Lisa Simpson on the front. Her long plaits dangled behind her shoulders and she carried a hairbrush in her hands.

'Please could you brush my hair and put it into plaits.' She asked him as politely as she could going over to the stunned Colonel and handed him the brush.

'Errr I could try but I'm not very good at doing hair longer than mine! Are you sure you can't do it?' He told her. Kit shook her head before kneeling in front of him facing the television.

Taking a deep breath he undid the plaits and as gently as he could began to brush her hair. He had finally finished combing through the thin hair hen he realised he didn't even know where to begin in plaiting the child's hair.

'Are you sure you want your hair plaited, couldn't you just leave it loose?' He asked trying to conceal his embarrassment at being unable to do this task.

'Mommy and Dotty say when you have long hair it has to be plaited at night.' Kit answered.

'Maybe we ought to wait for Daniel to get back.'

'You don't know how to plait do you?' The six year old accused him realising his reluctance.

'No I don't.' he admitted.

'It's really simple, split my hair into three parts. Take the one from one side and swap it with the middle,' Jack did as he was instructed, impressed at Kits explanation, 'Okay then so the same with the other side. You keep doing that pattern of swapping until you finish!' She instructed him then waited until he had finished his very loose and shaky plait.

'Thank you Jack!' she thanked him in a cheery voice before making her way back upstairs to her temporary room.

'Kit settled down?' Daniel asked as he came through the door a while after carrying a bag on one shoulder.

'Yeah, came down a few minutes after you left and got me to do her hair. It's your turn tomorrow!' O'Neill told him as he grabbed a beer from the fridge, offering one to Daniel as well who declined.

'I'll go put my bag in your other spare room and check up on her.' The archaeologist told the Colonel as he began up the stairs, leaving the other man to switch on the TV.

Dumping his bag on the freshly made bed he left the room again and slowly opened the door to Kits room. Seeing she was still awake he entered as she waved him over.

'I can't sleep and neither can Bertha.' She told him quietly pulling the stuffed cuddly cow tightly towards her.

'Well I'm not sure what I can do about that.' Daniel told her.

'Your not very comfortable around children are you?' Kit asked him.

'No, I'm really not!' Daniel admitted with a grin.

'Can you sing me the song Mommy sings to me?'

'Which song is that?'

'Scintiller scintiller petit étoile.'

'Twinkle twinkle little star?'

'Yes.'

'Why in French?'

'Mommy told me it was because when she was a child her brother made fun of her when her mother sang the rhyme each night so Mommy's Mommy put it into French so her brother wouldn't make fun of her anymore.' Kit explained remembering what Sam had told her.

'I can try to sing it but I'm not very good.'

'Please!' Kit begged.

Taking a deep breath he translated the rhyme into French as his shaky voice sang the rhyme requested.

'Scintiller scintiller petit étoile, comment je merveille qu'est-que tu est, dans au-dessus le monde tellement haute, ressembler une diamant dans le ciel, scintiller scintiller petit étoile, comment je merveille qu'est-que tu est.' (A/N: I used the dictionary and translated this exactly word for word so sorry for any mistakes I've made!) As Daniel finished singing he noticed his listener was virtually asleep.

'Merci Danielle.' Kit said in her best French accent (Thank you Daniel).

'Bon nuit Kit!' Daniel replied as he pulled the covers up to her shoulders (Good night).

'Everything okay?' O'Neill called over as Daniel descended the stairs.

'Yeah, she asked me to sing her a song.'

'Really, what song?'

'Scintiller scintiller petit étoile or twinkle twinkle little star.' He quickly added seeing Jacks confused face at the French.

'That's what, Italian?' The Colonel guessed.

'French.' Daniel corrected him.

'At her age! I still don't get it now!'

'Apparently Sam's mother taught it to her in French after her brother bullied her and she taught it to Kit that way.'

'Oh, want to watch Simpsons?'

'So you don't think Kit's near genius level then for her age?'

'I never said that, she's way too smart for a girl at six! I'm nowhere near as clever as she is. Simpsons?'

Shaking his head at his friend, he prepared himself for the programme knowing there was no escape.

'This would be fixed so much quicker if I had two usable arms!' Sam muttered to herself for what felt like the hundredth time as she struggled to reconnect the wires. They finally went together causing the radio to crackle into life. Letting out a deep sigh of relief she spoke into the radio quietly not really expecting a reply. 'This is Major Samantha Carter, is anyone listening to this?' There was no reply.

All the hope she had been clinging to evaporated as she realised she was truly alone on this planet with an army of Jaffa.

The exhaustion she had been putting to the back of her mind as it had crept up on her again swept over her. Grabbing her sleeping bag once more she barely had time to slide into it before she fell into a restless sleep.

"Christmas Eve!" Kit thought excitedly as she awoke with a start at the thought that tomorrow was Christmas Day. A brief wave of sadness swept over her as she thought she may have to spend this one without her mother, but she quickly pushed it to the back of her mind telling herself she would be home today or tomorrow.

Leaping out of bed she saw the little hand on the clock was pointed at the six. This didn't really mean anything to her, so grabbing Bertha and some clean clothes she headed off to the bathroom her head still up in space.

Opening the door, the first sight that hit her eyes was a very shocked Daniel dressed only in a towel!

A/N: Continued in the next chapter….