"Mind if I sit down?" Jack inquired. Sam was sat on the edge of the dock with her feet dangling in the water.
"It's your dock sir." Sam replied. Jack sat down beside her. "I really should have come here years ago."
"I did ask, but you had better things to do." Jack pointed out. "Like working through down time."
"That was an excuse." Sam admitted.
"I know." Jack looked at the water. "So what are you doing out here?"
"Just thinking."
"I'm making it an order no thinking." Jack said.
"I think that maybe a little hard to enforce unless you're the thought police sir."
"You use the word think." Jack reminded her. "What are you thinking about or is it some long winded technobabble I don't want to know about?"
"I was thinking about my Dad."
"Carter, I'm sorry…."
"I know. I was thinking about the Dad that is in my head was different to the one in reality."
"Okay." Jack said slightly confused.
"My Dad wanted what would make me happy. In my head I thought he meant something else, but just before he died he made a suggestion."
"The Dad in your head." Jack repeated.
"If I tell you something will you promise not to send me to Mackenzie when we get back?" Sam asked.
"Well see." Jack replied.
"When I was alone on Prometheus I kept getting these visitors."
"Visitors?"
"They were hallucinations in my head. Daniel and Teal'c were trying to give me different perspectives on the situation, trying to keep me awake and focused. Teal'c saw the cloud as threat, where as Daniel trying to get me to communicate with it."
"Sounds like them."
"My inner angels." Sam smiled. "Then there was this little girl Grace running around, singing."
"Do you know anyone called Grace?" Jack asked.
"No. But she was my saving Grace; she wanted to blow bubbles which gave me an idea on how to get out of there."
"What about your Dad?"
"He told me I would never be happy or love if I kept holding onto things, or someone."
"That's what you thought your Dad would say?"
"It turns out I was wrong."
"So did I make an appearance?" Jack asked.
"Yes. You told me to get off my butt and save myself."
"Sounds like me." Jack smiled.
"We also talk about a few other things." Sam replied.
"You and the me in your head."
"Yes."
"What did we talk about?"
"I asked if I resigned my commission it would make any difference to our relationship."
"Sam, I'd never ask you to resign."
"That's what the you in my head said too. You also told me that you were a safe bet and that you would always be here for me."
"I am and I always will be."
"Pete and I broke up. I gave him back the ring. He tried reason with me, but deep down I think he knew it was coming. I think he wanted to ask if it had anything to do with you, but I stopped him."
"When Kerry broke it off she told me she could deal with whatever it was between us. She also pointed out that if it was just the regs that were in our way that the SGC had a civilian commander before."
"I'd never ask you to quit sir. But my Dad said something similar before he died. That I could have what made me happy and still have my job. But…"
"There is still a threat out there even if it is reduced and our jobs our too important?" Jack supplied.
"Something like that. So where does that leave us?"
"Where ever we want. What do you want?"
"You have to ask that?"
"I need you to hear it out loud and I'll call Hammond up right now."
"Sir… Jack did it ever occur to you there was a reason we were together in other realities?"
"I guess leaving it in the room was a bad idea." Jack sighed.
"It was the only thing we could do at the time." Sam replied.
"So what do you want?" Jack repeated his earlier question.
"You don't think I offer to arm wrestle just anyone do you?"
"Sam…"
"You." She whispered.
"Me too."
"I think that might be anatomically impossible."
"Leave the hummer to me Colonel."
"Yes sir."
"Come here." Jack wrapped his arm across his shoulder. "Well work something out."
"We've waited this long."
"Give it six months if we haven't defeated the Goa'uld sooner I'll resign."
"Jack… It's getting cold." Daniel called from the porch of the cabin.
"Coming Danny." Jack yelled back. "I was supposed to tell you dinner is ready."
"Let's go."
"We okay?" Jack asked helping her to her feet.
"Always." Sam replied.
THE END.
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]