Sam's life had settled into a routine. She was showered and dressed by 05:00 each weekday, and in her lab by 06:00. She rarely was able to stomach more than toast and coffee for breakfast, and generally worked through lunch unless Daniel or Teal'c forced her to take a break. At 16:00 she went to PT. The therapy was grueling, but the exercise had many benefits. Besides the obvious improvement in her leg, the hard work left her hungry and tired. She generally was able to eat a decent dinner and fall into an exhausted sleep that would last for five or six hours before the nightmares would wake her. On the weekends she spent time with Cassie, Daniel and Teal'c. At least once a week she managed to sneak away and get a couple of hours of quality sleep in Jack's bed. On a really good day the dreams she had while in his bed would be filled with the two of them making love. Other days she would use her time there to give into the tears, safe and secluded from prying eyes.
As her PT declined to three days a week, she substituted other workouts to allow her to work up an appetite. As her leg regained some of it's strength she started taking weekend rides on her bike, basking in the warm sunshine to ward off the almost constant chill she felt. The result was a lean, muscled, sun-streaked blond, whose face was tanned and freckled. She looked stunning. The only thing lacking was her smile. It rarely made an appearance and when it did it never reached her eyes.
As her prognosis had been updated and it became clear she would be fit for active duty in another couple of weeks, Dr. Weir had called her into discuss her next assignment. Not surprisingly they wanted her to take over the lead of SG1. She didn't jump at the opportunity, which left her CO a bit confused. She'd read the Lt. Colonel's records. Everything in there pointed to the fact that Carter was ready for command. So why the hesitation? Daniel and Teal'c could have told her. Out there you needed to rely on your gut instincts most of the time. You were no good if your feelings were numb. And Sam Carter's were frozen solid.
All of that changed with one frantic phone call from Antarctica four weeks after Sam had taken her trip there. Jack O'Neill and the device he had been encased in had disappeared in a flash of light. Once again Sam's world was turned upside down. Despite her internal warnings that even the Asguard might not be able to help this time, she felt hope bubbling up, and bringing her back to life as it did.
None of the three of them could stand the thought of leaving the base in case word came from the Asguard. It finally did two days later. A simple message confirming that they had O'Neill and that it would take about a week to restore him to health. Once again all Sam could do was wait.
He arrived without warning; beamed down into the gateroom to shock the hell out of the SF's standing guard. Sgt. Davis was back in the Control room, and he quickly summoned Dr. Weir, and then the individual members of SG1. By the time Sam arrived, a scant three minutes after being paged, he was surrounded by people slapping him on the back and shaking his hand. She saw Daniel and Teal'c making their way to him and paused waiting for the ruckus to die down before she attempted to greet him. Soon the two were upon him, and the crowd stepped back to allow them in. Jack grabbed Daniel into a hug, even as he reached out to grasp Teal'c's arm. All the while his eyes were searching the crowd. Others began looking around too, and seeing her standing there, the sea parted so that they had a clear path to each other.
By this time, Dr. Weir had made it down from the conference call she had been on, and was about to step forward to welcome the returning hero when she realized that there was something going on. O'Neill had taken a step forward and was staring at someone behind her. She turned to see Lt. Colonel Carter standing very still, staring back. The tension in the air could be cut by a knife. She mentally slapped herself on the forehead as all of the missing pieces to the puzzle fell into place.
To her surprise, the first words out of Carter's mouth were, "You owe me $400 dollars."
Sam's eyes were glistening with tears and before Weir even had time to question if she had misread the situation, the Lt. Colonel had flung herself into O'Neill's arms with a sob. A second later the Colonel was kissing her as if he would never let go.
The crowd around them went wild. Most were whooping and cheering. Daniel and Teal'c simply grinned. Dr. Weir couldn't help but smile, even as she remembered her last conversation with the President. He had proposed that if Jack O'Neill made it back in one piece he would be the perfect person to take over as CO of the SGC, allowing Elizabeth to take a lead role in searching for the Lost City. Knowing that this could throw a wrench into those plans, she still couldn't help but enjoy the moment. The man had saved the planet, and he certainly deserved to get a hero's welcome.
Sam and Jack were oblivious to the goings on around them. After long minutes, a shout to 'get a room' finally penetrated their consciousness, and they slowly moved apart. Jack's eyes devoured her and suddenly he smiled.
"You're cast is off!" he exclaimed in delight.
Sam blinked then smiled for the first time in seven weeks. "Yes it is. And I believe that you have a couple of promises to keep now that it won't be getting in the way," she reminded him quietly.
Dr. Weir approached at that point and Sam made to step aside, but Jack held firmly to one hand so that she couldn't leave his side. She couldn't believe how much that small act thrilled her.
"Colonel, welcome home. I'm sure this is going to be an interesting debriefing, but first I want you to hit the infirmary so that our doctor's can give you a thorough check-up," Weir ordered.
Jack groaned, but a squeeze on his hand told him that he wasn't going to win this argument. "Not sure how much I can tell you that you don't already know, but sure, as long as there is food I'll be there. I've been living off that damn Asguard replicated stuff for a week," Jack agreed.
In the infirmary the medical staff had a hard time getting the rest of SG1 to give them enough room to work. They tolerated the three for several minutes, then shooed them out, quickly calling Sam back in when Jack complained loudly.
While they poked and prodded he took the time to study Sam. Thor had told him he'd been in stasis for almost six weeks. He could see that she had changed a bit in that time.
"You've lost weight," he accused.
"Yeah, PT was gruesome," she acknowledged.
"Your hair is lighter too," he surprised her by noticing.
"I've been riding my bike a lot and I usually stop for a bit to enjoy the sun," Sam told him, not going into how she had needed the warmth so badly.
"You look fantastic," he told her breaking into a sexy grin that made her heart race.
Dr. Meyer broke the moment by declaring Jack fit, and he hopped off of the bed with glee. "Let's get this debriefing over with Colonel. I have plans for this evening," he announced.
Sam followed him out of the infirmary her mind already racing through the possibilities.
*****
The debriefing should have been short, however after relating the few things he remembered, they had been interrupted by the red phone ringing in Dr. Weir's office. After a few brief words she called in O'Neill and shut the door. When they re-emerged he was not happy.
"This is the thanks I get for saving the planet?" he complained loudly. As he noticed the raised eyebrows in the room he explained. "The president wants to promote me to General and give me command of the SGC. I told him to go jump in a lake."
At his words Sam's world came crashing down around her once again. It was a wonderful opportunity. She couldn't just let him pass it up for her. She raised her eyes and met his with determination. "You're the perfect choice," she told him and she got up and walked out of the room.
He caught up with her at the elevators. "He made me take a week to think about it," he confessed. "That gives us some time."
She looked at him in dismay. "I can't spend a week with you and then go back to the way things were before," she stated firmly.
"Do you think I could?" he asked her. "No, I have a plan. Do you trust me?"
Sam was surprised to see him looking uncertain. Did he even have to ask? "With my life," she acknowledged.
*****
They told Daniel and Teal'c to meet them for lunch the next day at Sam's and called Cassie to give her the good news and to let her know not to expect Sam home which had been cause for the teen to rejoice and tease in the same breath. They stopped to inform Weir that Carter would be taking a few days off which had elicited from her a chuckle and a response of "What a surprise". Then they just disappeared. By the time they reappeared at noon the next day there was no doubt in their friends' minds what they had been up to. Sam was positively glowing, and Jack looked more relaxed than anyone could ever remember seeing him.
The evening before the two had secluded themselves at Jack's house where they had energetically made their way through the first two items on the 'Things to do when Sam's cast comes off' list before Jack laid out 'the plan' to Sam. To his surprise she'd agreed immediately and then sealed the bargain by starting in on number three on the list. They skipped number four as it required a lake and would have to wait until they were at the cabin. Numbers five and six had been accomplished that morning in the shower. If Dr. Meyer still had any doubts as to Jack's fitness Sam could put them to rest.
At lunch they gleefully filled Daniel, Teal'c and Cassie in on their parts in the upcoming events. The three willing co-conspirators got right to work. Plans proceeded flawlessly, and three days later the President and Dr. Weir were each staring at official documents accompanied by a set of color prints and a letter from Colonel Jack O'Neill. Elizabeth Weir's hand was reaching for the red phone even as it rang. By the time the President's voice bellowed in her ear the two officers responsible for the CIC's ire were safely ensconced in a cozy cabin on a lake in Minnesota.
"You told O'Neill you wouldn't take no for an answer, Sir. If you want him you'll have to go along with this. Quite frankly I don't think we can afford to let someone capable of this level of strategic planning go," Weir advised with a grin. Personally she'd been thrilled and not really surprised by the maneuver. "Very well, Doctor. When the Colonel contacts you let him know that I accept his terms," President Hayes sighed in defeat.
*****
It had taken a while to get all of the paperwork signed and filed, so it was another ten days before General Jack O'Neill stood in the control room, waiting to send the first team under his command as CO of the SGC through the gate. He looked down at the three people waiting at the bottom of the ramp with some trepidation. SG1 was going to remain a three-person team for now, led by Sam, as was her due. At least he didn't have to worry about the quality of the team watching her back he thought.
As the wormhole formed and he gave them the 'go' she sent him a sloppy salute and then raised her hand to touch the object hanging from her dog tags with a smile before turning and leading Daniel and Teal'c through to P4X-735. In response Jack subconsciously found himself twisting the matching wedding band on his finger. Presenting President Hayes with a fait accompli had been risky, but no matter what the outcome had been he would never have regretted marrying Sam during the week he had been 'considering' his new assignment, and he'd do everything in his power to make sure she never did either.
His letter that had accompanied the marriage certificate and wedding photos had bluntly informed the President that they came as a matched set.
It had been true for a lot longer than the two weeks they had legally been husband and wife.
*****
The end
Story Notes: Eight Weeks Series – Epilogue: Season: Season 7 after Resurrection
Spoilers: Beginning of Season 8… Eight Weeks version!
Spoilers: Beginning of Season 8… Eight Weeks version!
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