Author: Ted Sadler
Email: [email protected]
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Just when you least expect it��
Spoilers: Season 7 "Heroes"
Status: complete
Author's notes: short and sweet. Inspired by a Pam Ayres poem.
All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Copyright � 2003 Ted Sadler
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He was surprised to find Carter sitting on the edge of his bed when he woke in the night. She had carefully positioned herself so as to avoid touching his badly burned body and legs, but to his amazement was holding his hand in both of hers. He had no idea how long she'd been there, but the lights from various items of medical equipment reflected so brightly in her eyes that he knew she'd been crying.
Confusion was the uppermost emotion in his mind, a welcome change from the despair and gloom that his wounds and condition had brought on�.. Medical retirement a certainty, his dear friend and lover of twenty years ago Janet gone, and Carter - *his* Carter of the last few years - finding a relationship with someone else just weeks before.
They stared at each other for minutes, scarcely blinking, until he gently squeezed her hand and felt her immediate response. She let go with one hand and brushed away the moistness from her cheeks, and smiled.
"Carter." he said gently. "Don't think that this isn't nice, but shouldn't you be someplace else?"
She smiled back at him, and surprised him by the firm, almost businesslike tone of her reply.
"Sir,�.. Jack." She glanced down and then assumed what he had called her 'command stare' when she was leading SG-1. "I've come to lay down the ground rules."
"What?"
"First, my motor bike is my pride and joy, and has equal status to your fishing gear. Second, you get up night-times if the baby's crying. Third, you do the decorating and house repairs on everything except mechanical items. Four, if the dog does anything unsociable, you get to square away the neighbours."
"Whoa, hang on there, Carter!"
"Shut up, I haven't finished yet. I can cook damned good souffles and other stuff you'd be surprised about, but contrary to what Jerry Hall said, I'm no angel in the kitchen. You get to clear up and keep it nice."
"Gee, thanks."
"Don't mention it. Next, you're older than me, but if anyone comments on it or starts hitting on me, you get the first swing at them, and I'll back you up."
"Up to what age?"
"Last, you never, ever forget that I've never loved anyone in my whole life like I love you."
"Sam?"
"So before you change your mind, *I will*."
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Part 2 - Oh No!
"It's a DVD movie, Dad." explained Sam. "Like a video player, so just press 'Play' and enjoy. I know it was one of your favourites when Mark and I were kids. I'll be a while getting lunch, so put your feet up."
"Thanks, kid." replied Jacob Carter, easing back into the sofa and crossing his shoeless feet on the coffee table. "You wouldn't believe how damned boring Tok'ra music is - when they can be bothered to drone it out, that is." He pointed the remote at Sam's new wide-screen TV and the credits of his favourite musical rolled. He picked up the sleeve and read the almost forgotten cast list.
'High Society, starring Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly and Louis Armstrong.' he mouthed silently. As the story unfolded and the songs began, he found himself singing quietly along. Glancing in the mirror above the fireplace from time to time, he smiled as he saw his daughter moving about in the kitchen, really going to town (for her) on preparing lunch. It had been so nice of her to really insist that he spend a weekend with her, especially after his long absences and seeming remoteness of the last few years. He looked round and smiled as she offered him a glass of beer from behind the sofa. She returned to the kitchen and busied herself with the meal preparation again. He could smell the long-forgotten taste of home cooking and relaxed more.
Suddenly, he became aware that Bing was singing the words that had probably subconsciously influenced his choice of name for her, helping to make his daughter the person she was.
"Remember, Samantha, I'm a one gal guy�.."
He glanced into the mirror again and saw to his surprise that Sam had stopped moving, and was standing by the sink, holding the edge with both hands, and swaying gently to the music, her eyes closed and a dreamy expression on her face. He leaned back and smiled, knowing that this had to be one of his best moments for many years.
Not long afterwards, he realised with some surprise that she was singing along to Bing and Grace Kelly's duet.
"I give to you and you give to me
True love, true love.
So on and on, it will always be
Love forever true."
He picked up the sleeve again, with suspicions beginning to form about her motives for the invitation to spend the weekend together. He opened the cover and saw the inscription written inside: "To my dearest Sam. This is our special movie. All my love, XCO." So, she was perhaps going to announce something?
As they sat together at the table eating lunch, he could wait no longer. "Sammie, the meal, and just seeing you, is great, but is there something you want to tell me? And not about the SGC?"
Sam looked at him and smiled nervously. She knew that he knew that she was taking some kind of big step, so she plunged straight in.
"I'm getting married. Soon. For all the right reasons."
Although he was half expecting it to be like this, the shock nevertheless silenced Jacob for several moments.
"To the man with the mysterious initials?" he asked. "I saw the message in the film disc cover. When do I get to meet him? And how come he's not asking my permission?"
"Well, that would be awkward, seeing that I proposed to him. Kind of." said Sam. "And don't start going on about him lacking the guts to ask. He has so much respect for me, as well as love. It was me that couldn't wait."
"Is Jack O'Neill OK with this?" asked Jacob, to her total surprise. "Anise told me about you two in the past."
"Yes, Jack is OK with it." said Sam, thinking quickly. "After the initial shock, he was totally supportive."
And after the longest lunch on record, Sam had managed to limit her story to vague details, with the promise that Jacob would meet this mystery man "real soon." He eventually worked out that his daughter was well in control of this situation and he would learn nothing more except on her terms. 'Stronger than her mother.' was his final thought before retiring for the night.
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As acting commander of SG-1, Sam was to lead the team to the Alpha Site, with Jacob accompanying them on the first step of his journey back. He sat with his daughter, Teal'c and the recently re-embodied Daniel Jackson through the mission briefing. A knock on the door as they were drawing to a close terminated proceedings in a major way, as a smiling Jack O'Neill entered on crutches. Even General Hammond was pleased to see him up and about again.
Jacob noticed the way that Sam and Jack seemed totally relaxed with each other, and how he never once tried to treat her as his subordinate or prot�g�e for this mission. Jack hobbled down to the gate room with his team to see them off. Unfortunately they were kept waiting some time for the wormhole to be established, and broke into small groups, chatting to each other until the dialling sequence could be started. Jack was exchanging pleasantries and bad jokes about broken equipment with the SG team members and some of the guards.
Just as the chevrons began to light, he heard two people burst into song, and was surprised to see that his daughter and the Colonel were starting a duet.
"Have you heard? It's in the stars
Next July we collide with Mars!
Well, did you ever?
What a swell party this is!"
SG-1 assembled on the ramp and with Jacob in tow, started walking towards the blue ripples. Suddenly, he stopped and turned around with a look like thunder across his face.
"You!" he shouted at the man on crutches. "You're 'XCO'! Sam! What do�.."
But he didn't get to finish the sentence on Earth, as she pulled him backwards through the Stargate, with Selmak laughing fit to bust inside his head.
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Part 3 - Shall We Have a Little Talk?
"�. you think you're playing at?" Jacob Carter continued shouting at his daughter as they emerged through the Event Horizon at the Alpha Site. Despite his greater weight and strength, the force with which she had dragged him backwards through the Gate sent him tumbling on the rough ground. "Of all the people you could have, why him?"
"Can it, Dad!" Sam replied forcefully, watching him get to his feet. "This isn't the place or time to�."
"It most certainly is!" roared Jacob, ignoring the stares of Teal'c, Daniel, Bra'tac and Malek as they stood only feet away. "I'm not letting you make another mistake like Jonas Hanson!"
Sam stared in open-mouthed amazement, the shock of hearing and seeing him like this turning her mood from one of determination to blazing anger. She had never before felt contempt and bitterness like this towards her father, and he in turn had not been around to see the changes that others were noticing in her of late. It was as if yet another near-death experience of someone close to her - really close to her - coupled with the loss of a dear friend, was now driving her to be the one to want to make a difference, to force the pace of events both professional and personal.
"You low�.." she started to say, with a voice normally reserved for errant recruits on the parade ground. Teal'c observed the shocked look on Jacob's face and smiled. His own military life had been filled with moments like these - the sudden need to show who's in charge, the ability to take command of a situation, the guts and self-confidence to follow it through. No Jaffa woman would go where she was headed, though, and he felt an immense pride in serving with her.
Daniel, on the other hand, was horrified by this turn of events and stepped back in surprise. He raised one hand and was about to utter some sort of pacifying phrase, when a quiet but firm voice behind them brought the confrontation to a halt. They all turned in surprise.
"Major, I believe you have a mission to complete." Jack O'Neill had, on the spur of the moment and without authorisation, stepped through the Gate behind them and stood leaning on his crutches. They were uncertain how much he'd seen during the last few moments. The wormhole dissipated behind him. Looking directly at Jacob, he cried "Selmak!" smartly, and was pleased to see the flash of eyes and rapid change in the man's demeanour.
"Yes, O'Neill?" replied the deeper voice.
"Shall we have a little talk?" asked Jack politely. "Dial us somewhere quiet. Preferably with fish."
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Sam was now getting seriously worried. It had been over seven hours since Jack and her father had stepped through the Gate to�.. somewhere. The job at the Alpha site had gone like clockwork, with everyone seeming to get to work without the prolonged discussion and arguments that the scientists often regarded as their right. In fact, everyone seemed to want to show her what a good job they were doing. She realised that her behaviour today as leader must have been different since the morning's strange scene. Word was bound to have spread like wildfire, and while no-one was afraid of her, they just knew that this was not a day to get on her wrong side. Many would never try again.
She had noticed that Daniel had been unusually subdued around her, and she made a mental note to talk to him privately, to encourage him to get back to being the Devil's advocate and provider of alternative viewpoints, a role he had been only slowly returning to since his resolidification.
Teal'c, on the other hand, had seamlessly taken on the unofficial role of being her 2IC. He seemed to be everywhere he was needed, when he was needed, and several times had made her aware of impending difficulties and conflicts that could be avoided with a minimum of redirected effort. She wished she'd been as efficient as him when the Colonel had lead SG-1. This thought lead her back to wondering what the hell was going on between Jack and her father. That was more worrying than seeing the mission through successfully.
When someone finally announced that the Gate was activating, she jumped to her feet and headed for the door, but suddenly stopped as she realised that it wouldn't be the right thing for the CO to rush out in clear anxiety. Through her office window, she saw Teal'c organising a defence ring of Jaffa and Marines as a routine precaution, and held her breath as the Event Horizon stabilised. To her immense relief and then surprise, Jack awkwardly proceeded on his crutches across the open ground, nodding to Teal'c and the guard. Her father strolled slowly beside him, matching Jack's pace, laughing and exchanging words with him. He carried a small bundle in his left hand.
As they approached her office, Sam scooted back to her desk and quickly opened a file on the surface in front of her, pretending to be absorbed in the contents. "Enter!", she called at the knock on the door.
"Hi Sammie!" said Jacob, with a rather wan smile on his face. Her expression was as neutral as she could make it, but it quickly broke into a puzzled frown as he stepped aside and pulled out a chair for the Colonel to sit on. She and Jack exchanged brief smiles and she could see that he was relieved to be taking the weight off his feet and arms. Jacob pulled up another chair and sat beside him.
"Dad." replied Sam in a calm manner. "You were gone a long time."
"Yeah, Kid, about that�." said Jacob. "Look, I'm really sorry about what happened. It's just that I care so much about you and Mark, even if I don't show it, and when I realised that you and Jack were having a thing�"
"A *thing*?" said Sam in surprise, noticing Jack's eyebrow shooting up, followed by an irrepressible smile. "It's a bit more than a *thing*, Dad. What's Jack done between this morning and now to change your mind?"
"Let's just say that we fished out the problem." said Jack before Jacob could reply. "Show her, Jacob." He gestured towards the bundle by their feet. Jacob picked up the cloth and unwrapped it, revealing a pair of silver-coloured fish large enough to make a meal for two.
"I think I'll go give these to the cook for you." said Jacob, standing up. "Shall I tell him that you're eating in about an hour?" He turned to Jack and ruffled his hair. "Look after her for me, won't you, son? I always said you should take up his fishing trip offers, didn't I, Sam?" And before she could say anything, he left, closing the office door behind him.
Gazing at Jack, Sam started, "What�?"
"Ah!" replied Jack. "Not now. I'll tell you later. He's back on our side - that's all that matters. Do you realise that technically speaking, I'm AWOL from the base right now? I gotta get back."
"No you don't. I called General Hammond earlier and told him you were trying to prevent a collapse of the treaty with the Tok'ra. He *understood* and gave you 24 hours. So?"
"So?"
"Dinner, and then who knows? Could be a night to let Teal'c and Danny share our good news."
"Good thinking, Carter. Oh, there is one more thing."
"What's that?"
"You're reading that report upside down."
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Part 4 - Feet First
The fish had a surprisingly good taste, though they were unlike anything they'd eaten before. The cook had prepared them especially for the Colonel and the Major, who had come into the mess late for dinner after seeing off Jacob Carter through the Alpha Site gate. The departure had been a warm-hearted affair, in contrast to the arrival early that morning, and Teal'c smiled his approval from a distance. He was almost certain he knew why Jacob's irrational ire had been directed at his daughter, and although he would never ask, he was itching to know what O'Neill had done and said to bring about the transformation.
"So, shall we tell our friends now?" asked Sam, as she downed the last of her coffee. Real Italian coffee, that was - something the Alpha site catering staff prided themselves on. So aromatic that the tiny portions would still be making their senses buzz three hours later.
"Actually, we need to talk first." replied Jack, looking nervous for the first time since he returned. "I know you're dying to know what happened between Dad and me, but I've been thinking about it and there are a few things you've got to decide on first."
"Now you're spooking me, Jack." said Sam. "What's up?"
"Let's take a walk - not too far, just so's we can be in private." Jack grunted as he reached for his crutches. He got up awkwardly and Sam caught a faint gasp from him with the effort. But she knew better than to argue, and held open the door for him.
After a few minutes, they sat side by side on a fallen tree trunk a few hundred metres from the camp. Myriads of stars were visible in the velvet blackness.
"So, what happened with you and Dad, then?" she asked.
He was silent for a moment, and then started quietly. "When we got through, it was on a world where the Gate was surrounded by lakes and trees. There were quite a few fishermen around - gotta hand it to Selmak, she knows how to pick 'em!
Anyway, we walked aways and found a secluded spot and stood by the shore. Then I asked Selmak to return Jacob to himself."
"What happened then?"
Jack hesitated. "He hit me. I suspected he was going to, so I let him. Figured he had to get it out of his system."
Sam was appalled. "He did what? I mean, hard?"
"Oh yeah!" he smiled. "Jacob's packing a mean right hook there. Anyhow, I fell down."
"Were you hurt? I can't see any bruises."
"God knows why. He slugged me right across the jaw. Anyhow, I reckoned I had it coming sooner or later." He motioned slightly with his arm for her not to interrupt, and continued.
"Then he seemed to go rigid and twitched a little for a few minutes. I learned later that Selmak told him she was ashamed of him and was threatening to find another host as soon as they got back to Tok'ra world, wherever that is now. Then after a while, Jacob sort of came out of it and helped me up. He apologised for hitting me when I couldn't fight back, but not for showing me how much he cared about you. You have that effect on people, ya know?" he grinned.
"Then we sat a while and I asked him if he'd listen to me. He agreed and I told him what I'm gonna tell you. And if you feel differently about things afterwards, I'll understand. It'll hurt, but I will understand. You also gotta know that this is probably the only day in my life when I'm gonna unload about myself."
Sam nodded and waited for him to continue.
"My parents didn't get on. I think I was the reason they got wed in the first place, but all I can recall from when I was small is them rowing night times. He was the easy going one, but that wound her up even more. He was easy going, but he was a coward and one day when I came back from school, he'd up and gone. Just like that. Ma was shocked and cursed him, but I could see why he went. I was eight years old, and suddenly we had no money coming in. Ma had to get a job and I did paper rounds and any kind of work to earn pocket money, otherwise I'd go without. By the time I was a teenager, she'd transferred her anger from him to me, so I stayed away as much as possible until late at nights.
I was mean too, and didn't take any crap from other kids, even older ones after I discovered that I could face them down. Beating the shit out of them was easy too; all it needed was a bigger determination to win. And it was kind of inevitable that I'd find easier ways of making money than working for peanuts, so I was stealing wherever I thought I could get away with it. Got a few warnings from the cops, but I was invincible. By the time I was sixteen, I quit school - it all seemed too easy to learn things, and I couldn't be bothered with what didn't seem useful. Then I came home one night, to find Ma had gone as well. She said she'd found someone who meant something to her, and reckoned I was old enough to fend for myself. I thought she was right about that, and didn't try to find out where she'd gone.
Then, when I was seventeen, I went with a gang of older guys and we broke into the local Army Base 'cos we'd heard that the pay safe wasn't well guarded and it would be a cinch. I was still small and fit enough to get places they couldn't, and it was me that ended up inside the office that night. Then all hell broke loose outside - what I didn't know was that two of the guys had guns and started shooting at a guard who'd seen us. I hid in the office, but a squad of soldiers found me and did the boot dance on me before an officer called a halt. I had busted ribs and legs."
Sam was by now staring wide-eyed at him, hardly believing what she'd heard. Jack saw this in the faint moonlight and smiled lop-sidedly. "It gets *better*."
"So, that's how I was found guilty of armed robbery and sentenced to six to ten. I didn't think I had any choice but to learn how to get even tougher in jail. You remember when we were in that prison on that planet where Linea got us out, and Danny asked how come I knew that prison life is based on power? Well this was how.
And that's the first thing you've got to know about me, Sam - I've got a prison record that's still in the files. I'm not credit-worthy and the consequences of being had even for jaywalking are that little bit tougher for me than the average shopaholic.
But to continue. My lawyer reckoned that I could counter-sue the Army for use of excessive force and so on, so after about eight months of prison life - three in the hospital, five beating the crap out of anyone who wanted me for his *special friend* - I got this visit from an officer who offered me a deal. I could drop the charges and join up, and if I was a model soldier, and kept my *talents* up, there'd be interesting but challenging work for me in due course. Anything had to be better than life inside, so I was drafted into the Air Force and four months later was shipped out to 'Nam. That was where I discovered that prison would probably have been the better choice, but there was no way back.
It was hell on Earth. Guys who didn't want to be there and just goofed off, leaving it to other guys who cared enough about their country and fellow men to try to keep going. Our forward base was overrun by NVA one day and only five of us made it back. To my surprise they gave me my first medal. I didn't deserve it - everyone shoulda got one for what we went through. But they thought I'd got an edge that others didn't have - I still don't see it that way.
'Nam was full of missions - nice things like being forward fire controller to bring down HE or napalm onto troop concentrations, or sometimes just villages that might have been a threat. I don't know to this day how many deaths I was responsible for, but at the time it was OK - us or them - and I kept going.
Then after the war, I actually got to fly a plane for the first time. Now that I did enjoy, and I was good at it too. T-38's, F-4's, F-104's, and finally U-2's. Saw the world, learned how to kill more people. All in the name of patriotism and democracy. You ever heard them say that people who don't believe in democracy ought to be shot? That was me, Sam.
I met Sarah in '78 after I'd been promoted to Lieutenant, and we just kind of hung around together at first. Then one night, history repeated itself and Charlie was on the way. We never really seemed to discuss it, and getting married was the obvious thing. I did love her, though, and kept glimpsing the white picket fence thing.
Then they reckoned my ground-based skills were too good to waste, so I got more training and parachuted into the middle of the Iraq - Iran war to find out if the Iraqis really were going nuclear. Whether they were or not, my 'chute failed to open in time and I broke my back on landing. It took them nine days to find me. The upside was I got to see Charlie growing up for the best part of a year, and even Sarah seemed happy. Then it was back to active service and eventually the Gulf War.
I'm sorry now that I gave that guy Cromwell a hard time five years ago - you know, the one who fell into that black hole through the Gate. He pulled out the unit and left me behind in Iraq. That's where I discovered that no matter how tough you think you are, there will come a time when enough pain and humiliation will make you give up. I was damn near to killing myself after four months when it was suddenly all over. Sara wouldn't let Charlie see me for three months after I was retrieved. She was magnificent, though, and was probably the only reason I wanted to get home at first, even though I treated her like shit.
You know most of the rest. I know that Danny's told you about Charlie, and I'm sorry, but I still can't talk about it to you in detail. I'll never stop blaming myself for it, even if Sarah has told me she doesn't hate me any more.
You know too why they picked me for that first Abydos mission. I was ready to give up for good. But gradually I had something else to live for. At first it was Danny, then the whole Stargate thing, then defending the Earth, and then�� you."
Sam reached across and took his hand, keeping hold even though he didn't respond.
"You know when I fell in love with you, Sam?" She shook her head slightly. "When I'd recovered enough from Antarctica to realise that I had been dying in there, and thought you were Sarah at the end. You pretended to be her, and were going to die with me. But I knew that we'd only stay alive together on subsequent missions if we stuck with the regs, and didn't let emotions get in the way of what we had to do. It killed me to see you with other guys, but you gotta believe that I only wanted to see you happy. I never realised that you felt the same until Anise's machine, and even then we had to go on like before.
And when I woke up in the infirmary with you holding my hand, and giving me our *ground rules*, I knew that I couldn't put this off any longer. So for the last time Sam, I'm warning you that I'm 15 years older than you, I'm grouchy, I'm jealous about other guys wanting you, I'm never going to be rich, you'll likely be a widow one day, I'm�.."
Sam silenced him with a hand placed gently across his mouth, taking it away instantly when he flinched from his sore jaw. "Jack, I already said *I will*, and I meant it. I realised when I went on a few dates a while back that I wasn't fooling anybody, least of all myself. I've been in love with you for a long time too, and now we can act on it, nothing's going to stop us." She laughed. "We've spent a lot of the last few years in a tent together, so I know what living with a down-and-out like you is!" Suddenly she got serious again.
"I really don't know whether we can have children, and remember I'm a young 37 compared to you, old man! But the risks are higher, even if I do get pregnant. Do you still want me?"
His answer was to hold her face softly and place his lips gently against hers for what seemed like forever.
"So what happened after you told Dad all this?" she asked, reluctantly drawing back.
"We sat for a long time and eventually got round to fishing." said Jack.
"But how? You didn't have any fishing gear when you left this morning!"
"I used one of the crutches with my yo-yo tied to the end. The plastic disc makes quite a float! Your dad thought I was crazy at first. Don't know how he got that idea! But I explained the philosophy of fishing to him, you know - how you gotta believe you're going to catch something, and he eventually gave it a try. You've just eaten the result."
"You mean to tell me you caught two large fish with a yo-yo and a crutch?"
"Well, not exactly. Another fisherman was laughing so much at what we were doing that he gave us the fish. So you see, the philosophy works! They were nice, weren't they? But I can feel that they were definitely WFN quality!"
"I know what you mean." said Sam quietly, gently leaning to one side.
"So do you still want to go and tell Danny and Teal'c our good news?" asked Jack nervously.
"Yeah sure, you betcha. But do you need me to dress your wounds first? It must be getting uncomfortable."
"I'd like that�. Mrs. O'Neill."
Despite the dim light, her wide grin was clearly visible. She placed her hand on his elbow as he limped back to the camp, and they struck up the same duet that had started the contretemps with Jacob.
"Have you heard? It's in the stars.
Next July we collide with Mars��"
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Part 5 - Time Out
"They can't do this!" shouted Sam, angrier than she had been for years. "Not now! The one time we really need to do something for ourselves, some lame-assed bastard in The Pentagon thinks we're just available on demand to go fix��." Her more frequent use of colorful language since taking command of SG-1 had been noticed by quite a few people, all of whom blamed her former CO.
"But that's what we are, isn't it?" said Jack in a much steadier voice, gently but firmly removing the flower vase from her hand before it disassembled on the other side of their lounge. "Available. As the Redcoats used to say, 'We took the King's Shilling, and it comes with the territory.' Didn't they?"
Despite her state of mind, Sam grimaced at his mixed metaphor. Jack, no longer combat-fit, was waiting to hear his date of discharge from the Air Force on medical grounds, and she was now the CO of SG-1. They had wasted all of the first three days of her leave before deciding to move in together straight away. His house was the more convenient, with more space and would have the higher resale value when the time came to find *their* place. Three days to decide, two to complete the move and a further one to apply for a marriage license and tell everyone the date. Anyone would think they were rushing into it if they didn't know about the events of the previous seven years.
And here, only one day later, an ex-colleague and good friend in The Pentagon had found a way to let Sam know that they were both to be re-assigned to a new Science and Strategy Reconnaissance and Planning Unit, led by one Colonel J. O'Neill with Major S. Carter as his 2IC. "Because they make such a good team." they had said. "Immediate deployment. Promotions as suited to the positions in the new command."
"I'll resign!" said Sam with some force. "I'll call in now and do it, just you see!"
"No you won't." replied Jack calmly. "We've been over this before. Never mind about your career, saving the world, or walking away from our friends in the SGC. When you think about it, we *are* a damned good team and this way, we get to carry on looking out for each other. Doesn't sound bad to me."
"Jack?" she queried, a sudden note of fear appearing in her voice. "Are you giving up on us getting married?"
"Nope. We're on schedule for next week, just like we told everyone yesterday."
"But how? You'll be my CO again by this weekend. There's no way we can do it in the time available."
With arms outstretched, he held her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Sam, Sam�.. Calm down. I guarantee you that 'we' will happen. I've kinda taken out an insurance policy on it." In anticipation of her puzzled look and impending question, he placed a finger gently on her lips. "Trust me, I'm a moron."
"I'm still plumbing those depths in you, Jack." replied Sam resignedly.
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The expected call from General Hammond to report back to the SGC for a critical meeting came on Thursday evening.
"Jack, it's very important that you and Major Carter attend." Hammond had said on the telephone. "I believe you'll find this is excellent news for you both, and I can only stress the importance of it by telling you that two senior Pentagon officers will be here just for this. 1000 hours tomorrow morning, my office."
"Yes, sir." said Jack. "Yes, I'll be sure to tell the Major. I know where to get hold of her. Thank you, sir." He clumsily put the phone back on its stand by the side of the sofa and leaned down to kiss Sam full on the lips, as she lay along the sofa with her head on his lap. They still had to be careful about making even gentle contact like this, as Jack's extensive skin burns on his leg and back were still very tender even though he was making good progress. It made their night-time ballet a dance of intricate and careful manoeuvres, and Sam had found herself longing for the day when she could fulfil her long-time fantasy of throwing him onto the grass outside his Minnesota cabin and ravishing him there and then.
"Consider yourself told, informed, kept appraised etc." he smiled at her. "I guess our news hasn't filtered through to ol' George yet, has it?"
"I suppose not." said Sam, opening her mouth so that Jack could insert another grape. "Do you think he'll still offer us the jobs after he finds out what's happened, though?"
"Who cares? We win either way, either together in the new unit or staying as we are now. But I'd prefer married quarters in the new Unit." replied Jack, trying to drop grapes down her cleavage and then retrieve them.
"Yeah, me too." she sighed, pushing his hand away - eventually. "Come on, let's eat out tonight. I hear there's a new Indian restaurant downtown. They mailed a flier through the door and I want to try their 'Chef's Special Bombay Chicken Tikka Marsala' with cashew nuts and lentils."
"Shall I put the toilet roll in the fridge now, then?" he responded, turning off the TV and following the sound of her giggling to the bedroom.
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General Hammond was pleased to see that Jack was using only a walking stick these days, and felt good that the SGC had been able to see its way to offering him command of the new unit. His retirement would have been a severe blow to their effectiveness, and although his front-line combat days were over, his easy understanding of interplanetary strategic and tactical military issues was unmatched. And with Carter continuing as his 2IC, the most formidable team he had would continue to make its presence felt. He felt proud as the two officers stood to attention after entering his office and saluting the assembled senior officers.
"At ease! Please take a seat, Colonel, Major." As they sat down, he introduced the brasshats from Washington. "General Ricciardelli, General Markowitz, and Major Davis you already know." Nods were exchanged all round.
As one general and then the other started their description of the new unit's roles and tasks, Hammond was somewhat perturbed to see O'Neill glancing at his watch every half minute or so, the intervals reducing as time went by. Major Carter seemed distracted as well, glancing across to him from time to time, as if waiting for a cue.
"So, Colonel O'Neill, we're appointing�.." General Markowitz started to say, when a startling but somehow familiar white light flooded the room. The effect was instantaneously blinding, but as vision returned seconds later, Major Davis saw the Colonel swing his fist in a short sideways movement.
"So close." said Jack quietly, as Sam exhaled for the first time in a minute. Looking up at Davis, who was now the only other occupant of the room, he continued, "So, Major. It seems that being a General round here is a passport to the stars right now. You gotta wonder where they've gone, don't you?"
And seeing the perplexed look on Davis' face, Jack shrugged his shoulders and started to get up. "Carter, looks like there's no point in trying to second guess what they were going to tell us. Let's go to a wedding."
"Yes, sir." she replied, smiling briefly at Davis as they left. "Bye, Paul. See you next time." It was a few minutes before the Major remembered to close his mouth.
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Since it had been organised at short notice, their wedding the following Monday was a civil affair, attended by their closest friends, but Sam was so pleased that her brother Mark and his family could attend. Nerves and tension had abounded at the ceremony, but the bride and groom looked so relaxed and happy together at the reception held in Daniel's new large apartment. Jack had succumbed to the cries of "Speech!", but had mercifully and quite touchingly only referred to his great good fortune in meeting, loving and marrying "the woman of my dreams for many years now".
Daniel's reply, on the other hand, was a tour de force of wit, innuendo, sarcasm and most of all, a demonstration to everyone present of just how close a team they had been, and how much he loved and respected them. It had been quite difficult to disguise the locations of their many adventures together, and several civilians present were left wondering why so little had been published about the archaeological wonders of downtown Miami, and why the warring tribes of Sweden were so hostile to foreigners, and most of all why deep space radar telemetry left so many workers injured.
As the evening wore on and the first guests started leaving, Jack felt the need to sit down and rest his aching leg. After a while Sam joined him on the leather sofa, while Teal'c and Daniel sat before them on the floor. Champagne, beers and spirits had given way to coffee, and the conversation was easygoing.
"So, where's the honeymoon, then?" asked Daniel. "I take it you are going away?"
"Well, yeah - tomorrow actually." replied Sam. "We're going to Jack's cabin for a while - there wasn't time enough to organise anything else that we wanted."
"Not quite true, Carter." said Jack, reaching into his jacket pocket. "You're gonna need this for a start." He offered her passport to her, followed by a travel documents wallet. Clearly puzzled, she opened the wallet and saw the itinerary and tickets.
"Jack?" she exclaimed excitedly as she saw the itinerary. "Is this�� Oh Jack! Oh God, Jack, thank you! Thank you! I've always wanted to go to The Isle of Man!" She put her arms round his neck and kissed his cheek.
Daniel was looking at the tickets and was clearly mystified. "What, that rainy place between England and Ireland? What's so special�.?"
"Only a whole week of the best motorcycle racing in the world!" Sam replied. "They race right round the island, you know - just three laps is nearly 120 miles! And we're staying in Douglas, so we're bound to meet the racers and go partying with the other bikers who'll be there!" She suddenly looked at Jack with slightly less of a smile. "Are you going to be OK with this, I mean, a whole week?"
"Did I mention the harbour and deep sea fishing that goes on there?" he smiled back. "But I quite like the racing too, you know. I just thought it would make you remember this week for a while."
"You fool, Jack!" she laughed. "Why on Earth did we ever wait this long?"
And Daniel looked at Teal'c, and Teal'c looked at Daniel, and they both wondered the same thing.
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A second flash of white light deposited the trio of Generals back into Hammond's office. They all blinked and gasped in surprise, as 2.8 seconds in their time-line had passed since the first white flash, and during that time, the Colonel and the Major had changed places across the table. Major Davis was still in the same place, but looked oddly relaxed.
"What was that?" asked Hammond, looking to O'Neill for an answer, but receiving none as Jack just shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of incomprehension.
"Probably the Asgard, sir." said Sam. "It's characteristic of their calling card when they need something or someone urgently."
It was then that Hammond started noticing the changes that had occurred in the last few seconds. Carter and O'Neill's hair was longer, and they were suddenly more suntanned than before. Her nametag no longer said 'Carter', but was now identical to his. And the matching rings on their fingers were all too obvious.
But he wasn't the SGC's commanding officer for nothing, and smiled despite his initial annoyance. What he couldn't deduce, he could guess at. After pacifying his fellow Generals, he merely turned to his subordinates and said, "Well, *Mr. and Mrs. O'Neill*, do you want the job or not?"
"Yes Sir!" they replied in unison. The SGC had just stepped up a gear in its fight to defend Earth and defeat their oppressors.
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