Friends in High Places (Fourth in Relationships Series) by GenVarel
Summary: Sam’s life hangs by a thread, and she is torn, having to choose one of two different paths. One leads to loneliness and continued struggle. The other one holds unconditional love. Ascended Daniel is there, trying to help her choose. Which path will she take?
Rated: PG13
Genres: Action & Adventure, Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, UST/Friendship
Original Archive Date: None
Warnings: None
Series: Relationships
Chapters: 16 | Word count: 16419 | Completed: Yes | Published: Jan 19, 2012 | Updated: Jan 19, 2012 | Read: 98943
Chapter 1 by GenVarel
Category: Drama/Action/Romance

Relevant
Episodes: Ascension, Meridian, Revelations (S5)

Season: Six (Right after “Descent”)

Pairings: Sam and Jack

Rating: T

Warnings: Strong Language, Sexual Innuendo

Summary: Sam’s life hangs by a thread, and she is torn, having to choose one of two different paths. One leads to loneliness and continued struggle. The other one holds unconditional love. Ascended Daniel is there, trying to help her choose. Which path will she take?

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for the enjoyment of Stargate SG-1 fans all over the world. No copyright infringement is intended and no monetary gain is expected.




Chapter One

“Okay, Major! You lead the way!” Jack ordered, putting on his dark glasses and stretching his back as he stepped down from the Stargate platform. He shivered a little, getting rid of the last vestiges of “gatelag”, as he had chosen to call the bone-deep chill he always experienced after traveling through the wormhole. Sometimes this took a few minutes, but he was pretty sure that the warmth of this particular planet would help him recover much quicker.

“Yes, Sir,” the tall blonde walking behind him responded absentmindedly. “I just need a few minutes to check the MALP readings and transfer the data to my portable.”

Jack nodded and stopped, waiting for Carter to finish fussing with the MALP. “All right! We can send it back now!” he heard after a few minutes, during which he had scanned the area with his binoculars and observed Jonas and Teal’c do a quick perimeter check by foot.

They were now standing some distance from the Stargate, chatting and waiting. They turned to watch Sam send the MALP back to the SGC, which only took another couple of minutes.

“The energy readings came from that direction, Sir. And that is where the U.A.V. went down, about twenty clicks from here,” she informed her C.O., who winced at the distance. That was a long way to walk, especially when it was to pick up trash.

“Any luck figuring out what killed the U.A.V.?” he asked, keeping up with her as she approached the other two team members.

“No, Sir. The MALP recorded an unusually high energy reading when the probe was hit, but nothing else. We’ll have to investigate the old fashioned way. I’ll try to figure it out back at the lab after we recover the remains.”

“I insist it was just lightning,” he replied, his boredom obvious in his tone of voice.

“On a perfectly clear, sunny day?” she asked, a half smile on her beautiful face.

Jack looked at her, realizing she was challenging him to a scientific discussion, but he refused to be baited.

“Stranger things have happened in these alien planets, Carter,” he replied simply.

“Yeah! But most of them obey the laws of physics,” she argued, not letting it go.

“If you think you’re going to pull me into one of your never ending, mind boggling discussions full of techno-babble, you are sorely mistaken. I’m not Daniel.”

The uncomfortable silence that followed reminded Jack that Sam was still grieving for their departed friend, and that she was still upset with Jack’s unwillingness to mourn him. It remained a sore point between them, and he had definitely put his foot in his mouth by mentioning the archeologist’s name.

Sam silently picked up her pace and caught up with Teal’c and Jonas, just a few meters down the hill, leaving her CO behind.

Jack mentally kicked himself for his slip. Just when things seemed to be getting back to normal! She had even given him some of her old smiles here and there during the last few weeks. And he had to admit that he had missed those smiles sorely despite the proper distance he carefully maintained with this 2IC. He watched her pair up with their new team member, Jonas, as he sighed. He then joined the taciturn Teal’c in their trek across the low hills.

*****

Miles away, She sensed them as they approached. She could almost watch their every move, hear their every step, and smell their alien bodies as they came closer and closer.

She had waited a long, long time for this, so She could wait a little longer. She knew they were coming and that they would find her, no doubt in her mind at all about that. She would lure them further if necessary.

Freedom was near. She could almost taste it. Finally!

This story archived at http://www.samandjack.net/fanfics/viewstory.php?sid=4258